Sam Darnold’s stat line from Sunday’s 37-9 win over the Falcons might not leap off the page at first glance - but the story of this game wasn’t written in numbers. It was written in resilience, poise, and a quarterback who responded to early adversity with one of his most complete performances in a Seahawks uniform.
At halftime, Darnold had yet to lead the Seahawks into the end zone and had an interception to his name. For many quarterbacks, that kind of start can spiral.
But for Darnold, it became a turning point. And for longtime Seahawks analyst and former quarterback Brock Huard, it was a defining moment.
“This was my favorite Sam Darnold game,” Huard said in his postgame breakdown - and that wasn’t just a throwaway line. He’d already made the same call on social media while the Seahawks were still pulling away in the fourth quarter.
It wasn’t about a gaudy QBR or a stat-padding performance. It was about how Darnold responded when things weren’t clicking early.
He stayed composed, used his legs when the pocket broke down, and started hitting throws with surgical precision. That kind of in-game growth is what separates a fill-in starter from a guy who can win you games when it matters.
Darnold finished with 249 yards and three touchdowns on 20-of-30 passing, good for a 111.7 passer rating. He took two sacks, but what stood out was how often he avoided worse. He ran three times for 23 yards - just shy of his season-high - including a scramble that extended a play long enough for him to find Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the end zone for Seattle’s final touchdown.
That play was a microcosm of Darnold’s day: pressure coming off the edge, pocket collapsing, and instead of forcing a throw or taking a sack, he rolled out, kept his eyes downfield, and delivered a strike. That’s not just athleticism - that’s situational awareness and trust in his receivers.
Huard zeroed in on that part of Darnold’s game in his analysis.
“A little bit of adversity early. How are you going to respond?”
Huard said. “I love the use of his legs.
His feet and eyes were tied together. His arm obviously is plenty strong enough and on-point accurate throughout.
I mean, what a dominant statement.”
And it wasn’t just Darnold who took over in the second half - the entire Seahawks squad came out of the locker room with a different gear. Offense, defense, special teams - every phase was locked in. Huard didn’t hold back in his praise, calling it arguably the best half of football Seattle has played all year.
“We’ve seen some incredible football from the Seahawks here in 2025,” Huard said. “We’ve not seen a half quite as good as that one, I don’t think, in every phase.
Second half is just, I mean, there’s nothing to nitpick. It’s as good as it gets.”
For Darnold, this wasn’t just about numbers. It was about leadership, adaptability, and showing he can be more than just a stopgap. He didn’t light up the stat sheet early, but when the game asked him to take control, he answered - and the Seahawks responded in kind.