Sam Darnold’s stat line from Saturday night might not jump off the page-12 completions on 17 attempts, 124 yards, one touchdown, no turnovers-but the Seahawks didn’t need fireworks from their quarterback to dominate. In fact, Seattle’s 41-6 rout of the 49ers was a masterclass in complementary football, and Darnold played his role exactly as asked.
Still, not everyone was impressed. Longtime analyst Skip Bayless took to social media to question whether Darnold is simply along for the ride.
“Is it possible 'Same' Darnold will be carried to a Super Bowl championship by Seattle's defense and running game and special teams explosions?” Bayless posted, referencing the nickname critics have used to suggest Darnold hasn’t progressed since his early struggles with the Jets.
To be fair, Darnold’s journey has been anything but smooth. After bouncing around four different franchises over seven years, he landed in Seattle this season on a significant free-agent deal. And while Saturday’s numbers were modest, the context matters.
Let’s start with the tone-setter: Rashid Shaheed’s opening kickoff return for a touchdown. Before Darnold even stepped on the field, Seattle was up 7-0.
Then came Kenneth Walker III, who ran like a man possessed, gashing San Francisco’s defense for 116 yards and three touchdowns. Seattle’s offensive line bullied the 49ers in the trenches, and the ground game controlled the tempo from the opening whistle.
Defensively, Mike Macdonald’s group was relentless. For the second straight matchup, they completely bottled up Brock Purdy and Kyle Shanahan’s offense.
The Seahawks jumped out to a 17-0 lead before the second quarter even got rolling, and from there, it was all about maintaining control. Seattle’s defense swarmed, their special teams delivered, and the run game closed the door.
That left Darnold in a familiar, but favorable, position: manage the game, avoid mistakes, and let the rest of the roster do the heavy lifting. And to his credit, he did just that.
His lone touchdown came on a short toss to Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and he didn’t put the ball in harm’s way. No turnovers, no unnecessary risks.
Just clean, efficient football.
Now, is that enough to silence the doubters? Probably not.
The “Same Darnold” label is going to linger until he delivers a big-time performance when the team needs it most. But for now, Seattle is winning-and winning big-with Darnold under center.
The Seahawks have now won 13 of their last 14 games, and they’ll host the NFC Championship next Sunday.
Whether Darnold is the one driving the bus or just not crashing it, he’s one win away from the Super Bowl. And in January, that’s all that really matters.