Mike Macdonald knows Sam Darnold changed things for the Seattle Seahawks when it mattered most against the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game, but the head coach was less focused on his quarterback not turning the ball over for a rare time.
Speaking to reporters after the Seahawks reached Super Bowl LX by beating the Rams 31-27 at Lumen Field on Sunday, January 25, Macdonald declared, “you can’t talk about the game without talking about our quarterback, I mean he just shut a lot of people up tonight,” per Gregg Bell of The Tacoma News Tribune.
Darnold merited praise after throwing for 346 yards and three touchdowns. Those numbers are all the more impressive in light of Macdonald revealing the Pro Bowl passer “barely practiced all week” because of a lingering oblique injury.
Battling through the pain to deliver arguably the best game of his career, in what was undoubtedly his biggest moment as a pro, spoke volumes about the way Darnold has changed the narrative about his place in the NFL.
For a long time he was considered a draft bust. An erratic passer, prone to injury and throwing multiple interceptions, but Darnold played a clean game when it mattered most.
Doing so means the third-overall pick by the New York Jets back in 2018 now has the chance to show his draft status was no lie by winning the game’s biggest prize at the expense of the New England Patriots in two weeks.
Sam Darnold Changed Career Narrative
Talk about Darnold’s penchant for turnovers won’t go quiet ahead of the Super Bowl, but he has firmly debunked any idea he’s not a QB who can help a team win a championship. Going one better would complete quite the comeback and revenge tour for Darnold.
The full circle nature of this postseason run for Seattle’s starting signal-caller is outlined by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. He explained “Darnold beat the Rams to exercise some demons, can conquer the ghosts he saw against the Patriots, and do it in San Francisco, where he began to turn around his NFL career.”
Darnold earned the chance to settle all old business by shredding the Rams with timely big plays. Like when he connected with Jaxon Smith-Njigba for 42 yards to setup a 14-yard touchdown for JSN to give the Seahawks a 17-13 halftime lead.
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Smith-Njigba gave everything to help the Seahawks overcome their NFC West rivals, and his rapport with Darnold will be crucial in the Super Bowl. It’s not just Darnold who will have a score to settle against the Pats.
Seahawks Ready for Super Bowl Revenge Game
Losing Super Bowl XLIX to the Tom Brady-led Patriots still haunts the Seahawks. A legitimate chance to establish a dynasty was wasted when Russell Wilson threw an end-zone interception to Malcolm Butler.
It’s not an exaggeration to say the franchise has never truly put that game in the rear-view mirror, so Darnold can become a Seahawks hero forever by evening the score. Wilson already has legend status after lifting the Lombardi Trophy one year before his infamous error against Butler.
Wilson’s career has also gone stale since he left the Seahawks in 2022, so he appreciates how Darnold has revived his own fortunes. That’s why Wilson posted a message admitting “Darnold’s comeback story over the past 2 years has been one of the most inspirational things to watch! Cool seeing him overcome!!! Congrats bro. Hope you win it! Go Hawks.”
Those sentiments will be shared by many who want to see Darnold finish one of the game’s greatest comebacks in the best way possible. Another performance like the one he produced against the Rams, and Darnold will likely never hear from his critics again.
Seahawks HC Reveals Sam Darnold Change After NFC Title Win