Seahawks' Playoff Hopes in Jeopardy Due to Sam Darnold's Turnover Woes
As the NFL enters Week 15, the Seattle Seahawks are looking like one of the top teams in the NFC with a 10-3 record. However, despite their impressive regular-season performance, there are some glaring concerns surrounding the team's quarterback play.
The biggest concern is Sam Darnold, who leads the league in turnovers despite operating an offense that relies heavily on running plays. The Seahawks have turned the ball over 24 times this season, second only to the Minnesota Vikings. Darnold has thrown 11 interceptions and lost five fumbles, making him a liability for the team's playoff aspirations.
Seattle beat writer Brady Henderson recently issued a warning about Darnold's tendency to turn the ball over, stating that while he has been an upgrade over Geno Smith in virtually every way, his turnover-prone nature could be the Seahawks' undoing. "Darnold leads the NFL with 16 turnovers despite operating the NFL's most run-heavy offense," Henderson wrote.
The Seahawks have been fortunate so far this season, winning games that might not have been possible without their strong running game. However, if Darnold has a bad game in the playoffs, it could be all over for Seattle. The team will need to work on limiting turnovers and finding ways to protect the ball if they hope to make a deep run.
Despite these concerns, Darnold has had a solid season overall, completing 68.1% of his pass attempts for 3,162 yards, 22 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions in just 13 games. The presence of breakout star wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba has been a key factor in the team's success, with Smith-Njigba catching 89 passes for 1,428 yards and nine touchdowns.
Veteran running back Marshawn Lynch, who played for the Seahawks from 2008 to 2019, recently praised Smith-Njigba's potential, stating that he is "already a problem now" and will become even more of a challenge if he can continue to develop as a player. However, without Darnold being able to avoid turnovers, the Seahawks' playoff hopes may be in jeopardy.
As the Seahawks head into Week 15, they will need to find ways to minimize Darnold's turnover woes if they hope to make it to the postseason and potentially beyond.
As the NFL enters Week 15, the Seattle Seahawks are looking like one of the top teams in the NFC with a 10-3 record. However, despite their impressive regular-season performance, there are some glaring concerns surrounding the team's quarterback play.
The biggest concern is Sam Darnold, who leads the league in turnovers despite operating an offense that relies heavily on running plays. The Seahawks have turned the ball over 24 times this season, second only to the Minnesota Vikings. Darnold has thrown 11 interceptions and lost five fumbles, making him a liability for the team's playoff aspirations.
Seattle beat writer Brady Henderson recently issued a warning about Darnold's tendency to turn the ball over, stating that while he has been an upgrade over Geno Smith in virtually every way, his turnover-prone nature could be the Seahawks' undoing. "Darnold leads the NFL with 16 turnovers despite operating the NFL's most run-heavy offense," Henderson wrote.
The Seahawks have been fortunate so far this season, winning games that might not have been possible without their strong running game. However, if Darnold has a bad game in the playoffs, it could be all over for Seattle. The team will need to work on limiting turnovers and finding ways to protect the ball if they hope to make a deep run.
Despite these concerns, Darnold has had a solid season overall, completing 68.1% of his pass attempts for 3,162 yards, 22 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions in just 13 games. The presence of breakout star wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba has been a key factor in the team's success, with Smith-Njigba catching 89 passes for 1,428 yards and nine touchdowns.
Veteran running back Marshawn Lynch, who played for the Seahawks from 2008 to 2019, recently praised Smith-Njigba's potential, stating that he is "already a problem now" and will become even more of a challenge if he can continue to develop as a player. However, without Darnold being able to avoid turnovers, the Seahawks' playoff hopes may be in jeopardy.
As the Seahawks head into Week 15, they will need to find ways to minimize Darnold's turnover woes if they hope to make it to the postseason and potentially beyond.
! He's got the talent, he's got the arm strength, but turnovers are just holding him back 
. The Seahawks' offense is all about running plays, which means Darnold should be able to avoid those interceptions and fumbles easily 
. But nope, they're still racking them up like crazy 
. It's like he's trying to sabotage the team himself 
. I know Jaxon Smith-Njigba is a game-changer on offense, but if Darnold can't even protect the ball, it's gonna be tough for Seattle to make a deep playoff run 
. They need him to step up his game, stat! 
. 24 turnovers in 15 games? That's not just a liability, that's a whole other team on the opposing side of the field 
!
, but Sam Darnold is kinda bringing them down with all those turnovers 
. 24 times this season? That's crazy! He's leading the league in turnovers and it's like he's playing keep away from his own team 
. If they can't get that under control, their playoff hopes might be toast 
. On the other hand, Jaxon Smith-Njigba is on fire 
, catching all those passes for some serious yards and touchdowns. And Marshawn Lynch thinks he's already a problem 
, but I think Darnold needs to step it up if they wanna make a deep run in the playoffs 
.
They need to work on that ASAP or it'll be game over for them. But Jaxon Smith-Njigba is straight fire 
! He's carrying the team on his back and it's amazing to watch! Marshawn Lynch knows what he's talking about, Darnold needs to step up his game 
. Fingers crossed they can turn things around in Week 15 and make a push for the playoffs 
. Back in my day, we didn't have all these stats and whatnot. We just watched the game, enjoyed some beers, and cheered on our team. But now it's like, you gotta know everything about every player and their stats and whatever... 
I mean, its kinda weird that Sam Darnold is leadin game 16 turnovers in a run heavy offense lol 
. The food options are pretty cool too - I had this amazing bowl of ramen there once 
. Sorry, what was the point again?
. The Seahawks' run-heavy offense may be masking some of these issues, but it's not sustainable if they want to make a deep playoff run 
. If he can't get his turnover woes under control, it could be all over for Seattle 
.
24 times already this season? That's crazy talk 
. He's got that strong running game on his back, so he needs to find a way to balance that with not gettin' picked off all the time 
, but Darnold's gotta bring his A-game too 
If he can't work on avoiding those interceptions and fumbles, it's gonna be tough for them to make a deep run 
But without Sam stepping up his game, it's hard to see the Seahawks making a deep playoff run 
.
. and yeah, that run-heavy offense is cool and all but if the QB can't take care of the rock then it dont matter how many carries the RB gets 