The conversation around Sam Darnold had started to turn in Seattle, and not for the better.
A rough stretch after his return from a glute injury had people looking hard at the Seahawks quarterback’s turnover issues again. Drew Lock had gone 2-0 in Darnold’s absence, and once Darnold was back, the mistakes came quickly.
In his Week 3 return against the Washington Commanders, he threw two interceptions, including a pick-six in the fourth quarter that helped seal a 33-31 loss. Then, after a win over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 4, he had back-to-back two-interception games in losses to the San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos by three points apiece.
Against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night, though, Darnold answered with his best response yet. He finished 20 of 28 for 257 yards, with one touchdown and one interception.
Three-time Super Bowl champion offensive lineman Mark Schlereth saw that performance as exactly what Seattle needed from him.
“I think it’s a redemption game,” Schlereth said Monday during his weekly conversation with Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob. “Obviously, you’d like to have that one back, and I don’t know what the call was, but normally when you’re running a mesh concept in the end zone - when you’ve got one receiver coming from the right, one receiver coming from the left - they’re supposed to cross at about five or six yards deep in the end zone. And both those guys kind of ended up bumping into each other right on the end line there of the end zone.
“So, I don’t know if the route combination was screwed up, if they didn’t run it correctly - I’m not really sure. But that’s one you gotta just fire out the back of the end zone.”
That red-zone interception late in the first half did cost Seattle at least three points, but it didn’t define Darnold’s night. He settled in after that, protected the ball in the second half and completed 7 of 10 passes for 79 yards after the break. He also used his legs at a critical moment, scrambling for 10 yards on third down to help keep a field-goal drive alive in the third quarter.
“The bottom line, though, is your ability to bounce back from that and not let it affect you, I think is huge,” Schlereth said. “So, he played much better (Sunday) night.
He did look the part. He looked really, really sharp.
So, I thought that part was the redemption part. And every now and again, you’re gonna make a boneheaded mistake.
He’s just gonna make less of those boneheaded mistakes going forward.”
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The Seahawks 20-3 win over the Chiefs in Week 7 was already one of the most lopsided results of the NFL weekend, but it carried an extra layer of embarrassment for Kansas City. Seattles defense controlled the game from start to finish, and the victory also came on a day when Travis Kelce reached a notable milestone, passing Tony Gonzalez for the most combined regular-season and playoff receiving yards by a tight end.
After the game, Seattle added a little more salt to the wound with a social media post that leaned into Taylor Swift, Kelces wife. The team included a friendship bracelet image and paired it with a caption quoting one of Swifts songs, a playful jab that kept the Seahawks in the spotlight even after the final whistle. [Read more 🡒]
Kenneth Walker Couldnt Hide His Frustration After Seahawks Shut Him Down
Kenneth Walker III had a rough return to Seattle in Week 7, and the frustration showed after the final whistle. The former Seahawks running back, now with the Kansas City Chiefs, did not stop to greet his old teammates following Seattles 20-3 win, a departure from the usual postgame courtesies that drew attention after a game in which the Seahawks defense controlled the action.
Walker later explained his reaction by pointing to the loss itself, and it was easy to see why the evening left a mark. Seattle made a point of taking him out of the game plan, holding him to a season-low 36 rushing yards and helping set the tone for a defense that dictated the matchup from start to finish. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Face One Big Injury Question Heading Into Bears Week
Mike Macdonalds latest injury rundown offered the Seahawks a mix of relief and lingering uncertainty as they turn the page toward Bears week. Rashid Shaheeds knee injury is showing positive early signs, while Charles Cross appears to be dealing with a high-ankle sprain that could keep him out for another one to two weeks, leaving Seattle to juggle its protection plans up front.
The backfield situation is less clear. Zach Charbonnet is back to practicing at full capacity, but his game status is still undecided, and Jadarian Price is set to return to practice with his own availability still to be determined. For a Seahawks team trying to settle in before the next test, the biggest question may be less about who is available in a practice window and more about who is actually ready to take the field on Sunday. [Read more 🡒]