“No way to sugarcoat it. That one sucked.” That’s how Sam Darnold opened his postgame press conference after the 17-14 overtime loss to the Broncos on Thursday night, and honestly, he wasn’t wrong. What should have been a crucial road win turned into a painful lesson, with Darnold’s late-game turnovers directly costing the Seahawks. The offense generated 353 yards but shot itself in the foot with three turnovers and a missed field goal, while Denver somehow scraped by with only 168 yards of offense, the fewest ever in an NFL overtime win. Yuck.
Those Two Turnovers In Denver Were Just Brutal
You know the feeling, 12s. We were watching that game against the Broncos, down 14-11 in the fourth quarter, facing a third-and-1 at the Denver 39-yard line. That’s field goal range for Jason Myers, with a potential fourth-down try if Mike Macdonald wanted to get aggressive. Instead, Darnold threw an interception with just 1:25 left in the game. That’s just crushing. But then, after an amazing drive to force overtime, he did it again on the third play of the extra session. You simply cannot take points off the board and hand them to the other team like that, especially when the game is on the line. Both of those turnovers were the “really bad” kind, and they sunk us.
Seven Picks Already? This Is A Season-Long Problem
This isn’t just about one game, either. Darnold’s struggles with ball security have been a recurring theme. He’s tied with Justin Herbert for seven interceptions this season, and that’s despite missing most of the season opener and all of Week 2 with a leg injury. Our Hawks are now sitting at 3-3, which isn’t the end of the world, but it’s clear this team isn’t operating at a Super Bowl-winning level right now. And with the high expectations we all have, 3-3 isn’t good enough. The mini-bye couldn’t come at a better time for the coaching staff and Darnold to figure things out. Coach Mike Macdonald isn’t mincing words about the opportunity these extra days present. “They’re incredibly valuable,” Macdonald said. “Yes, incredibly valuable. So the responsibility, or onus, is on us to go make it come to life. So that’s what we intend to do.”
The Emerald City needs to see some serious changes when the team hits the field next. This mini-bye is a chance for Sam Darnold and the offense to re-evaluate and come back stronger. The responsibility is on them to “make it come to life,” and we’ll be watching to see if they can finally get those turnovers under control and get this season back on track.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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