Okay, look. Don’t throw tomatoes at me just yet. Just hear me out!
As I mentioned in my intro post, I have a dual NFL allegiance, being a fan of the Seahawks and Eagles. For the Seahawks, I’ve been one since about 2007. Growing up in LA, we didn’t have a team for the majority of my life. Both the Rams and the Raiders left when I was five, and neither of my parents were big into football, so I kind of had to find the sport on my own. My family took a trip to Seattle when I was in high school, and I was like, “This is a cool city. Sure, why not? I’m a Seahawks fan now.”
My Eagles fandom is a newer development that came along with being a huge fan of Saquon Barkley and Jalen Hurts. But that’s a story for another day. Right now, we’re talking about the Seahawks.
I love the Seahawks. This 2025 edition of the team is a powerhouse, without a doubt.
But.
I have my doubts.
ducks under the nearest table
Oh, you guys are still here. Cool. Let me explain.
Since the beginning of the season, I have been incredibly wary of Sam Darnold. Yes, he has had moments of greatness. He’s in the top five for passing yards, he’s top three in yards per attempt for starting QBs, and he’s top eight in touchdowns. But only Tua Tagovailoa and Geno Smith have more interceptions. Not only that, but a lot of Darnold’s interceptions have come in some of the worst situations possible. He’s got 13 on the year, with six of those coming against the Rams across their two meetings this season. One of them was almost a game-deciding interception in the red zone before Seattle’s miraculous comeback last Thursday night.
The way I see it, the Seahawks have been winning in spite of Sam Darnold rather than because of him.
Don’t get me wrong. He was nearly flawless in overtime during the Rams thriller. He clearly has it in him to play at an elite level. It just worries me how streaky he can be. Even during some of the Seahawks’ most impressive streaks in the second half of the season, it was mainly the defense and special teams setting the tone.
14/26 for 128 yards and no touchdowns in a 26-0 shutout against the Vikings.
22/36 for 271 yards and no touchdowns in an 18-16 narrow win against 44-year-old Phillip Rivers and the Colts.
There was also a 20/30 for 249 yards and three touchdowns in a 37-9 win against the Falcons, so it’s not all bad.
These games highlight the same issue: inconsistency. He’s great one week and then mediocre the next. This has been especially true over the last 4-5 weeks of the season.
It’s just…this feeling I have. Call me crazy. Call me a doubter. Call me whatever. But the way he’s played in these couple of games against the Rams just gives me the heebie jeebies. It took an otherworldly, miraculous, once-in-a-lifetime comeback to win the second game. It took seeing a rule that no one even knew existed play out to win that game. Will things shake out the same way in their favor once again if these teams played again in the playoffs? Maybe. This team does seem to find a way to win; they’re 12-3 after all.
Yes, I also realize that I seem to be hyperfixating on these Rams matchups right now. But let’s be honest, that’s probably the Seahawks’ biggest opposition in the playoffs. There are formidable teams, of course. Those teams, like Philly and San Francisco, have intangibles that I think could propel them through the playoffs. But the Rams and Seahawks are on a collision course for a third meeting very soon. The Seahawks’ struggling against the Rams gives me plenty to be worried about heading into the playoffs.
And trust me, I would love nothing more than for him to prove me wrong and make a deep run into the playoffs.
But there’s just something about them that gives me pause about full sending it with their playoff hopes. Well. Not them. Mainly just him, if we’re being honest.
Playoff football is a completely different beast from the regular season. Teams will get exposed.
Darnold has already folded under playoff pressure twice with Minnesota at the end of last season. He went 18-for-41 with 166 yards in a 31-9 loss to the Lions in Week 18 with the #1 seed on the line, and then 25-for-40 with 245 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in a 27-9 Wild Card Round loss to the Rams.
I’m just not convinced yet that he’s going to have what it takes to take the Seahawks to the level in the playoffs. The defense and special teams have been solid as hell. For the most part.
Sure, the defense gave up 457 yards and three touchdowns to Matthew Stafford in that game. But he’s having an MVP year, and they locked down when it mattered, forcing three straight three-and-outs to keep the Seahawks alive in the 4th quarter. Overall, though, the defense gives me confidence, and their special teams have been just as great of late.
Can he rise to the occasion and fully shake off his demons and lead the Seahawks back to the Super Bowl for the first time in a decade? Only time will tell.
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