-
Brady Henderson
Renton, Wash.– Sam DarnoldA four-interception performance last Sunday marked his worst game in what has otherwise been a strong debut season Seattle SeahawksBut it also continued an unwanted trend for the Seahawks and their Pro Bowl quarterback,
Despite finishing sixth in scoring with 26.6 points per game, Seattle’s offense has turned the ball over 12 times over the last four weeks. As a team, the Seahawks lead the NFL with 20 punts.
“It’s unacceptable,” Darnold said Thursday about his recent turnover. “We understand it’s an offense, we’ve got to be better protecting the football, I’ve got to be better. We’ve been doing everything we can in practice and try to take care of the football a little better when the game comes.”
One of the Seahawks’ 20 turnovers actually came on a safety. kobe bryant threw the ball back Arizona Cardinals When returning an interception. Fourteen of the other 19 have been credited to Darnold, who has thrown 10 interceptions and lost four fumbles on 17 touchdown passes.
Some of the turnovers on Darnold’s ledger weren’t entirely his fault, including an interception that bounced off a teammate’s helmet amid a collapsing pocket and a fumble that came on a bad snap from a backup center. But there was nothing strange about the four picks he threw during the Seahawks’ 21-19 loss. Los Angeles Rams On Sunday.
Asked what he noticed after re-watching that performance, Darnold said he needed to do a better job of recognizing the Rams’ shell coverage and moving into his stride instead of locking onto one or two receivers. He credited Los Angeles for hiding some defensive duds.
“Getting a better understanding of when the ball cracks [of] What the coverage is and when somebody is going to get open and when not,” Darnold said. “When I say ‘get stuck on a progression,’ I mean just looking at one side of the field and feeling like there’s a chance someone is going to get open over there, rather than just going ahead and clicking my progression.
It was Darnold’s third four-interception game in his eight-year career, and his first since 2019. New York JetsAfter Seattle’s loss to the Rams, wide receiver Cooper Kupp Darnold was credited for staying composed despite the interceptions and driving late that allowed the Seahawks to kick the winning field goal from 61 yards.
“Things are going to happen during the game,” Darnold said. “Obviously, you’d rather not have things like that happen, negative plays, but that’s football sometimes. For me, I just have to have the mentality of moving on to the next play because once I have an interception or a fumble I can’t do anything… so it’s about moving on as quickly as possible, understanding why I made a mistake… and just being able to move on. I felt like I did a pretty good job in L.A., it obviously didn’t go the way I wanted and mistakes. “They kept happening, but I felt like when I made mistakes, I was able to move forward like I normally do.”
Darnold ranks fourth in total QBR at 71.2. He entered Week 11 as the NFL’s leader in that metric at 77.8. This served as a reference for the linebacker. Ernest Jones IV He strongly defended Darnold on Sunday, saying, “Sam is balling,” and that he shouldn’t be defined by one performance because “he’s beaten us in every f—ing game.”
“We’ve got his support,” Jones said, “and if you have anything to say, frankly, you—you.”
Coach Mike McDonald said a day later that Jones spoke for the entire team. Darnold said Thursday he appreciates the support.
“When things don’t go the way I wanted, especially on game day, the reason it bothers me is because I feel like I’m letting those guys down,” he said. “I can perform at my best and execute at a high level.”
