The Seattle Seahawks still believe in Sam Darnold.
A new report suggests some evaluators around the NFL are growing concerned about where his season is headed.
Per Casino.org, NFL insider Jason La Canfora questioned Darnold’s performance following former offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak’s departure. He reported that executives familiar with the quarterback from earlier in his career recognize troubling elements of his current play.
The judgment lands with Seattle standing at 3-3 in the wake of consecutive losses. Darnold’s latest outing included two interceptions in a 17-14 overtime defeat against the Denver Broncos, including the turnover that set up the winning field goal.
La Canfora Questions Darnold’s Fit After Kubiak’s Exit
La Canfora described Darnold as “seeing ghosts again,” arguing that his fundamentals have deteriorated. He connected those worries to an offensive coaching change, pointing to the quarterback’s previous success alongside Kyle Shanahan, Kevin O’Connell and Kubiak.
His viewpoint places importance on the environment around Darnold. Kubiak helped guide Seattle’s offense during its championship season before leaving to become the Raiders’ head coach. La Canfora questioned whether the current staff can provide comparable support.
He also reported that scouts he speaks with doubt Seattle’s offense will approach last season’s level, even with improvements to its rushing attack and health. One advance scout, nevertheless, was optimistic about the defense’s ability to keep Seattle competitive.
“They are going to have to win games 17-14, 20-17. And they can,” the scout told La Canfora.
Denver was a frustrating example of how narrow that way to triumph can become.
Via Seattle’s statistical recap, the defense allowed just 168 total yards and 2.9 yards per play. After their second touchdown in the second quarter, the Broncos managed only two more first downs.
Seattle lost anyway. The Seahawks committed three turnovers, bringing their total to 10 across their three defeats, compared with two in their three victories.
So, in the end, a defense capable of keeping games close needs an offense that protects itself.
Macdonald Maintains Confidence in Darnold
Head coach Mike Macdonald has continued to support his quarterback while acknowledging that the offense needs work.
“We trust Sam, we believe in him,” Macdonald said during his October 16 press conference.
Macdonald described Darnold as part of the solution and emphasized the staff’s responsibility to help him perform better. He also welcomed the quarterback’s decision to address teammates and take responsibility after the Denver loss.
The protection numbers reinforce why Seattle’s response must account for all players past its quarterback. Darnold absorbed five sacks and 17 quarterback hits against Denver, with four sacks coming on third down. He has been sacked 10 times over the past two games.
Receiver Cooper Kupp made a comparable point in comments published by Seahawks.com. He identified pass protection, the running game and the offense’s inability to fire up a rhythm as shared problems.
Darnold, meanwhile, identified a specific mistake on his overtime interception, which was passing up an underneath opportunity to Kupp while attempting a more ambitious sideline throw.
“I just got greedy,” Darnold said.
His official game log shows how difficult the past two weeks have been. Against San Francisco and Denver combined, Darnold threw one touchdown and four interceptions, posting passer ratings of 64.6 and 52.6.
Better protection would allow him to operate more comfortably. But better decisions from Darnold when blocking holds up would help preserve the chances Seattle creates.
Something has to give if the Seahawks want to make the playoffs and win postseason games in January.
NFL Insider Sounds Alarm on Seahawks’ Sam Darnold After Coaching Change