Thursday Night Football: Seahawks’ Sam Darnold can shake rep vs. Rams

It’s quite possible that, come January, Thursday night’s result vs. the Los Angeles Rams will evaporate from the minds of Seahawks fans and the nation alike. Playoff football is typically what defines legacies, not regular-season affairs. 

But if we’re being real here, Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold has a reputation: The brighter the lights, the tighter he plays.

This label surfaced toward the end of last season when, after leading the Vikings to a 14-2 record, Darnold shrunk in the regular-season finale and first-round playoff game. With a chance to win the NFC North vs. Detroit, Darnold went 18 for 41 for 166 yards, coming out with a QBR of 14.3. And vs. the Rams in the wild-card round, he took nine sacks, coming out with a QBR of 12. 

This label was solidified last month when Darnold threw four interceptions vs. the Rams in a critical division game at SoFi Stadium. Fair or not, this is how many view the man having an otherwise Pro Bowl-caliber year. When it matters most, he wilts.

Of course, anybody who follows Darnold knows he isn’t going to harp on games past or dignify such views with a response. He made it clear Tuesday that he is taking the same approach to Thursday’s matchup with the Rams as he would any other game. 

But you do have to wonder if that 21-19 loss in Inglewood, Calif., is still lingering in Darnold’s head. His play would suggest that it is. 

Superficially, Darnold has been fine since that defeat, as the Seahawks have won four consecutive games. He has had two outings with a passer rating of over 111, and drove his team to within field-goal range in the final minutes of Sunday’s 18-16 win over the Colts. But fine is a whole lot different than spectacular, which was an appropriate characterization of his game before that Rams loss, when Sam looked like a legitimate league MVP candidate. 

ESPN NFL analyst Benjamin Solak posted a story recently that epitomized Darnold’s slide since that game. He noted that before that Rams defeat, Sam was the best tight-window passer in the NFL this season with a 106.7 passer rating on such throws, which he completed 54.3% of the time. Since the Rams game? He is 0 for 9 on what are considered tight-window passes. 

This could be a coincidence. It isn’t, after all, an enormous sample size. But it’s also possible that he’s a little shook. A four-interception game can have that effect. And there have been plenty of questionable throws over the past few games despite the Seahawks’ victories. 

Darnold, who is tied with Miami QB Tua Tagovailoa for the most turnovers in the NFL (16) threw a first-half pick against the Falcons on a risky pass intended for Elijah Arroyo. He said after the game that the only thing he would have done differently is place the ball more accurately, but from the press box it seemed like he shouldn’t have thrown the ball at all. And on Sunday there was Darnold throwing behind Seahawks receiver Cooper Kupp in the red zone on a late-game third down that resulted in an incompletion.

A decent throw probably would have led to a Seattle touchdown. Instead, the team had to settle for a field goal and watch Indianapolis take a temporary lead on the ensuing fourth-quarter drive. 

Still, Darnold has been a plus for the Seahawks (11-3) this season. Nobody is going to deny that. This is a squad that will get a first-round playoff bye if it wins out, and the starting quarterback is largely to thank for that. Even with the mediocrity over the past four games, Darnold still has the fifth-best passer rating in the league. Three stellar games (and wins) to end the season could catapult him back into the MVP race. 

But how many people are confident he has that in him right now? Darnold’s career has been one of the more intriguing stories in the NFL. The No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 draft, he seemed like a relative bust during his first six seasons, including three with the Jets. Then he exploded with the Vikings last year and has kept that success rolling with the Seahawks this season. 

Unfortunately, he still has that rep. Fortunately, it’s one he can change. 

The last time Darnold had the whole country to himself was last month vs. the Commanders, when he completed all 16 of his passes in the first half. The stakes will be a whole lot different Thursday, though. Which Sam will show up?

A division crown and first-round bye may very well rest on the answer.