The Seattle Seahawks‘ defense of their Super Bowl championship has gone off the rails in recent weeks, as they have lost three of their past four games, which has dropped their record to 3-3 on the season. The Seahawks have admittedly gone up against a tough slate of opponents, but they do not look like the powerhouse team that took the league by storm last year.
Even though he just led the team to a Super Bowl, quarterback Sam Darnold hasn’t exactly been great after returning from a glute injury he suffered back in Week 1. While there is still time for the offense to get back on track, former NFL MVP Rich Gannon issued a concerning outlook for Seattle when it comes to Darnold’s status moving forward.
Rich Gannon Gets Brutally Honest on Sam Darnold
In his first season with the Seahawks, Darnold improbably led his new team to a championship, and while his numbers weren’t out of this world (323/477, 4,048 YDS, 25 TD, 14 INT), he managed to keep the passing attack dangerous enough so that it could properly complement the run game. Add in a lethal defense, and you’ve got a very dangerous team.
This year, things have been different. The rushing attack hasn’t been able to deliver the goods, which has put more pressure on Darnold’s shoulders. The results haven’t been that great, as Darnold’s completion percentage has dropped from 67.7% last season to just 60.4% this year. Furthermore, he’s also tossed seven interceptions, two of which came in the team’s backbreaking overtime loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 6.
Ideally, Seattle will be able to get going on the ground, but the team seems comfortable continuing to lean on Darnold on offense. In Gannon’s book, that’s a problem, as he doesn’t think that Darnold is good enough to shoulder that sort of load, even though he just won a Super Bowl with the Seahawks.
I like Sam Darnold, but I think if you ask him to put the team on his shoulders and carry them to the finish line, you’re going to get some poor decisions out of him,” Gannon said in an interview with casino.org.
Do the Seahawks Have a Sam Darnold Problem?
Darnold bought himself quite a bit of goodwill with the Seahawks after leading them to a championship, but he simply has not looked like the same player to begin the season. He’s obviously going to have a long leash when it comes to getting things going, but Seattle may want to work on finding ways to better support Darnold rather than putting everything on his shoulders.
Heading into Week 7, Seattle is gearing up for what has suddenly become a very important contest against the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs. Kickoff for this Sunday Night Football clash is scheduled for 8:20 p.m. ET, and if Darnold turns in another stinker, some serious questions may begin popping up for the Seahawks.
Former NFL MVP Hits Seahawks With Harsh Sam Darnold Truth