Seattle is entering the season with a title in hand, but the conversation around Sam Darnold still hasn’t caught up. That’s the backdrop for Brian Fleury’s first year as offensive coordinator, and his plan is pretty clear: make the quarterback’s job less predictable and a lot less punishing.
Fleury, speaking with Seattle Sports, laid out the kind of offense he wants to build around Darnold. The idea is to cut down on those obvious passing situations where the defense can tee off.
"I think one of the hardest things to do in sports is be a quarterback in an obvious drop-back situation where the defense knows you're throwing the ball," Fleury said." So, the thought process behind the offense is to minimize the amount of times we're asking any quarterback to do that.
And it's, you know, screens, it's misdirection. It's play actions, moving the pocket, like all those sorts of things that just kind of take a little bit of the load off the quarterback."
That fits Darnold’s profile. He’s always had the arm to make throws outside the structure of the play, and he can work off-script when things break down. But he’s at his best when the pocket is clean and the picture is clear.
Last season showed both sides of that. Darnold had stretches where turnovers piled up, including an interception-heavy game against the Los Angeles Rams, before settling down and taking better care of the ball.
Fleury already has a feel for what Darnold can be, too, from their time together with the San Francisco 49ers. In that setting, Darnold was at his most efficient when the play-action game was rolling.
That matters here because the Seahawks want the run game to do more than just move the chains. A solid rushing attack can keep defenses guessing, help sell the play-action looks, and open more passing windows for Darnold. It also gives Seattle a chance to avoid the kind of heavy blitz looks that have caused him problems in the past.
The line play in the middle is going to matter a lot in making that work. Anthony Bradford struggled to block last season, and with rookie ball-carrier Jadarian Price leading the way, the Seahawks need that interior to create better lanes for an inexperienced back.
There’s also a passing-game layer to this that could shape the early weeks. George Holani’s receiving ability is important right away, especially with Zach Charbonnet not available for a while after a major injury. Charbonnet is a strong blocker and has reliable hands, but Seattle will have to wait before it can lean on him.
The Seahawks also want this offense to be more complex in the first season after Klint Kubiak. Rashid Shaheed’s speed downfield should help with that, since defenses will have to respect the vertical threat and avoid leaving him alone over the top.
Fleury may not have been a play-caller before, but Seattle clearly believes he’s ready for the jump. He’s been around elite offensive minds, and the coaching climb has happened for a reason.
The bigger point is simple: Darnold does not need to carry everything himself. If the pieces around him do their part, the Seahawks believe he can be more efficient, cut down on the mistakes, and maybe quiet some of the noise that has followed him for years.
The standard is no joke, either. Seattle averaged the third-most points per game last season at 28.4. That’s the bar Fleury is walking into, and it’s also why the quarterback should probably already have earned a little more trust.
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