RENTON, Wash. — Sam Darnold’s four-interception efficiency final Sunday marked his worst recreation of what has in any other case been a powerful debut season with the Seattle Seahawks. But it surely additionally continued an undesirable pattern for the Seahawks and their Professional Bowl quarterback.
Regardless of rating sixth in scoring at 26.6 factors per recreation, Seattle’s offense has turned the ball over 12 instances over the previous 4 weeks. As a crew, the Seahawks lead the NFL with 20 giveaways.
“It is unacceptable,” Darnold mentioned Thursday of their current turnover spate. “We perceive as an offense, we now have to be higher, I’ve to be higher, defending the soccer. We’re doing every little thing that we are able to in observe and when the sport involves attempt to maintain the soccer just a little bit higher.”
One of many Seahawks’ 20 turnovers truly got here on protection, when security Coby Bryant fumbled the ball again to the Arizona Cardinals whereas returning an interception. Fourteen of the opposite 19 have been attributed to Darnold, who has thrown 10 interceptions to 17 landing passes and misplaced 4 fumbles.
Just a few of the turnovers on Darnold’s ledger weren’t solely his fault, together with one interception that deflected off a teammate’s helmet amid a collapsing pocket and a fumble that got here on a botched snap from a backup middle. However there was nothing fluky in regards to the 4 picks he threw final week within the Seahawks’ 21-19 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
Requested what he observed after rewatching that efficiency, Darnold mentioned he wanted to do a greater job of recognizing the Rams’ shell protection and shifting on in his progressions versus locking onto one or two receivers. He credited Los Angeles for disguising sure defensive seems to be.
“Simply having a greater understanding when the ball’s snapped [of] what the protection is and when a man goes to come back open and when he is not,” Darnold mentioned. “After I say ‘get caught on a development,’ I imply simply seeing one facet of the sphere and feeling like there’s an opportunity that somebody’s going to get open over there slightly than simply shifting on and clicking by way of my development as I usually do.”
It was the third four-interception recreation in Darnold’s eight-year profession, and his first since 2019 with the New York Jets. After Seattle’s loss to the Rams, extensive receiver Cooper Kupp credited Darnold for remaining regular regardless of the interceptions and main a late drive that gave the Seahawks an opportunity at a successful area objective from 61 yards.
“Issues are going to occur all through the course of a recreation,” Darnold mentioned. “Clearly, you’d love for these issues to not occur, adverse performs, however that is soccer typically. For me, I simply should have a mentality of shifting onto the following play as a result of there’s nothing I can do as soon as I throw an interception or fumble … so it is about shifting on as quick as I can, understanding why I tousled … and simply having the ability to transfer on. I felt like I did a reasonably good job of that in L.A. It clearly did not go the best way I wished it to and the errors saved occurring, however I felt like after I did make errors, I used to be in a position to simply transfer on the best way I usually do.”
Darnold ranks fourth in Whole QBR at 71.2. He entered Week 11 because the NFL’s chief in that metric at 77.8. That served as context for linebacker Ernest Jones IV ardently defending Darnold on Sunday, saying, “Sam’s been balling,” and that he should not be outlined by one efficiency as a result of “he is had us in each f—ing recreation.”
“We have his again,” Jones mentioned, “and when you’ve received something to say, fairly frankly, f— you.”
Coach Mike Macdonald mentioned a day later that Jones spoke for the whole crew. Darnold mentioned Thursday that he appreciated the assist.
“When issues do not essentially go the best way that I’ve wished them to, particularly on recreation day, the explanation that it sucks for me is I really feel like I am letting these guys down,” he mentioned, “and I really feel like quite a lot of guys within the locker room really feel the identical manner. That power and the issues that he mentioned, it meant quite a bit to me for a man to have my again like that. However I do know the blokes are simply going to struggle it doesn’t matter what the case is, and so I’ll do every little thing that I can to place by greatest foot ahead and go execute at a excessive stage.”
