Sam Darnold slayed the ghosts
For the better part of three quarters on Thursday Night Football, the ghosts were getting the better of Sam Darnold.
In a pivotal game against the Los Angeles Rams, the Seattle Seahawks quarterback was struggling. His second interception of the night — coming with the Seahawks in the low red zone and trailing 30-14 — was the moment many fans likely turned the game off, particularly those watching on the East Coast. Darnold’s pocket was picked by defensive lineman Kobie Turner, and the references to Darnold seeing ghosts were floating all over social media.
But thanks to a bizarre sequence involving a punt return touchdown and the wildest two-point conversion you will ever see, Seattle forced overtime against their NFC West rivals. While the Rams scored first to take a 37-30 lead, the Seahawks had a chance to answer.
And Darnold had a chance to slay those same ghosts.
Seattle’s ensuing possession began innocently enough, with a Kenneth Walker III run to the left side picking up four yards. Then on 2nd and 6, Darnold dropped to throw, but before he could even finish his drop, there was Turner in his face, as he seemed to be throughout the night.
Darnold managed to escape before targeting Jaxson Smith-Njigba along the right sideline. His throw — coming on the move and during a wet and windy Seattle night — arrived just in time:
A few plays later, Darnold delivered a throw that Seahawks fans may tell their grandchildren about.
Seattle faced a 2nd-and-8 situation on the Rams’ 37-yard line. Under five minutes remained in overtime, and settling for a field goal was not an option.
Darnold dropped to throw and looked in the direction of none other than former Rams WR Cooper Kupp. Kupp had some demons of his own to slay, as a critical fumble earlier in the game ended a Seattle scoring chance. The receiver ran a deep corner route, the Rams dropped into Cover 2 with both a cornerback underneath Kupp and a safety lurking over the top. The sideline loomed as a “third defender” on the play.
Somehow, Darnold avoided all three with perhaps the throw of his life:
A twist up front gives Jared Verse a free run at Darnold, but the Seattle QB hangs in the pocket, knowing he is about to get sent into the shadow realm.
Then he throws a corner route …
Of all the throws to make on a football field, the corner route might be the toughest. You’re trying to get the trajectory just right, with a receiver running away from you at a 45-degree angle. You often have to navigate three “defenders” (as Darnold does here) with the cornerback underneath, the safety over the top, and the sideline cutting down the real estate you have at your disposal.
To make this throw, on that route, in this spot? Stunning. And full credit to Kupp for the catch and footwork along the sideline to complete the play.
Still, Seattle needed a touchdown.
That came a few plays later on this completion from Darnold to Smith-Njigba:
Darnold initially opens to the right side on this play, where Kupp is running another corner route. But with the Rams in man coverage, Kupp is jammed off the line and cannot separate enough early in the down. So the QB gets his eyes backside, resets his feet around some interior pressure, and hits Smith-Njigba in stride for the touchdown.
37-36 Rams, with a decision looming for Mike Macdonald.
“It was something we talked about throughout the season and particularly for this game because of the playoff situation,” Macdonald said. “You know, you play for the tie and lock up a playoff seat, but I just felt great about our play and I trusted our guys.”
Macdonald kept Darnold and the Seattle offense on the field, and the quarterback rewarded that trust:
Final score: Seattle 38, Los Angeles 36. This really was one of the best Thursday Night Football games ever.
Again, Darnold is calm in the pocket on this play, opening to the right side of the field and then resetting around pressure, getting his eyes to a wide-open Eric Saubert releasing late, for the successful two-point try, and the win.
“We’re a very resilient, relentless group,” Darnold said.
Indeed.
The win moved Seattle to 12-3 on the season, into the top spot in the NFC, and clinched a playoff spot for the Seahawks. Now they control their own destiny in the race for the NFC West title and the lone bye week in the conference. With two more wins, Seattle will check those items off the to-do list.
But beyond that this win, and that final drive, was massive for their quarterback. A loss on Thursday night marred by those two interceptions (following the four Darnold threw against the Rams earlier in the season) would give more evidence to the notion that despite his regular-season success, Darnold cannot deliver in the big games.
He did that on Thursday night.
And slayed some ghosts along the way.
Category: General Sports
