Richard Sherman didn’t exactly roll out the welcome mat for Sam Darnold before Thursday’s matchup with the Denver Broncos.
The former Seahawks star was on hand greeting Seattle players, but when the conversation turned to Darnold, Sherman took a shot. “Sam Darnold got to earn a hug at this point,” Sherman said, per Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times.
That’s a sharp line aimed at a quarterback who was a major part of Seattle’s Super Bowl-winning run last season, even if he wasn’t the flashiest name on the roster. Darnold helped steady the Seahawks through the kind of stretches where teams need their quarterback to keep things together, and he was especially strong in the NFC Championship.
He hasn’t been flawless this season, of course. Through four starts, Darnold is averaging 188.8 passing yards per game with seven touchdowns and five interceptions.
But the criticism can only go so far when you look back at what he did in last year’s title march. He beat MVP Matthew Stafford in the NFC title game and didn’t throw an interception at all during the postseason.
Sherman, a Super Bowl 48 champion and three-time First-Team All-Pro cornerback, clearly wasn’t buying into the flowers-and-hugs treatment. Still, Darnold’s role in that championship run deserves more than a dismissive line from a franchise great. The roster around him was loaded, and the coaching was excellent, but he did his part when Seattle needed it.
If anything, Sherman may have handed Darnold exactly the kind of bulletin-board material a reigning champ can use. The former No. 3 overall pick has made a habit of proving people wrong, and now he gets another chance to do it in Denver.
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The timing only sharpens his importance. Denver will be missing key defensive players Pat Surtain II and Talanoa Hufanga, which gives Seattle a chance to press an advantage through the air if Smith-Njigba looks like his usual self. He has been one of the offenses most reliable producers through five games, and on Thursday night his role could be even bigger if the Seahawks decide to attack early and often. [Read more 🡒]
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What the Broncos matchup will really test is whether Seattle can turn those individual bright spots into something more stable on a week-to-week basis. The offense and defense both have areas that still need sorting out, and the margin for error gets smaller on the road, especially against a Denver team that will make the Seahawks prove those strengths are more than isolated flashes. [Read more 🡒]
Overlooked Seahawks Could Decide More Than Fans Expect In Denver
The Seahawks head to Denver on Thursday night with a 3-2 record and the usual attention on the bigger names, but this matchup may hinge on a few players who are easy to overlook. Robert Henry Jr. is the newest wrinkle, a recent roster addition who gives Seattle another layer of depth as it sorts out the back end of the lineup, while AJ Barner enters a game that could put more pressure on the middle of the Broncos defense than usual.
Julian Love also looms as the kind of defensive back who can change the feel of a game quickly, especially against a Denver offense that has not looked steady. Seattle does not need every contribution to come from the stars to get through a short week on the road, and this is exactly the kind of spot where role players can end up deciding far more than fans expect. [Read more 🡒]