ESPN analyst Mina Kimes used a recent podcast appearance to tee off on Geno Smithâs situation with the Las Vegas Raiders while laying out why the Seattle Seahawks look right to have moved on with Sam Darnold.
Kimes broke down Darnoldâs ugly four-interception loss to the Los Angeles Rams, pushed back on the âchokerâ label and then contrasted his situation in Seattle with what she called a ânonfunctionalâ offensive environment around Geno.
Kimes Sees a Clear Seahawks Upgrade From Geno to Darnold
Kimes started with Darnoldâs latest meltdown against the Rams and connected it directly to his playoff loss to Los Angeles last season. She said the interceptions werenât random; the Rams hit the same nerve both times.
According to Kimes, the Rams repeatedly showed blitz, dropped defenders out and created interior pressure with line games and simulated pressures. Darnold consistently struggled once the rush flashed in his face, forcing throws instead of living for the next snap. In her words, thatâs a specific recurring issue, not just a âbig-game chokerâ narrative.
From there, she flipped to the Seahawksâ quarterback decision and how Geno Smith has fared since landing with the Raiders. The verdict was harsh on Las Vegas.
Kimes called the Raidersâ offensive line ânonfunctional,â putting them right near the bottom of the league and pointing to injuries across the unit, including at left tackle and guard. She stressed that this doesnât absolve Geno â heâs making bad decisions and missing throws he hit in Seattle â but said the Raiders basically took the worst version of the old Seahawks offense and âmade everything about it worse.â
Seattleâs offense when it stagnated was shotgun-heavy, couldnât run the ball and leaned into risky throws. In Kimesâ view, Las Vegas has recreated that environment with even worse blocking, and Genoâs existing tendency toward risky balls has been amplified in all the wrong ways.
She also admitted she âunderestimated some signs of regressionâ with Geno and said that, in hindsight, the Raiders choosing not to improve the offensive line and instead taking a step back there âlooks like one of the worst decisions of the NFL offseason.â
Why Seattle Is Built to Win With Sam Darnold
On the Seahawks side, Kimes argued that Seattle has quietly built exactly the kind of ecosystem Darnold needs.
She highlighted a revamped offensive line, including a first-round pick on the interior and a fully healthy Abe Lucas, as the âbiggest improvementâ from last season. She said itâs âobviousâ on tape that the pass protection is better and the run game is more functional.
Then thereâs the scheme fit. Kimes noted that the Seahawks hired Klint Kubiak to run a system Darnold already knows, emphasizing big bodies, play-action and an offense that doesnât ask him to be a pure dropback hero every snap.
The third pillar is the weapons. Kimes said Jaxon Smith-Njigba is âtaking a leap into becoming like maybe the best receiver in the NFL,â giving Darnold a true No. 1 target in a formation-heavy, play-action attack.
And behind all of that, she circled back to Mike Macdonaldâs defense, calling Seattleâs unit âawesomeâ and a legitimate best-in-the-league contender. Because the Seahawks often play from even or ahead, Kimes said, the complementary-football setup makes life easier on Darnold than it ever was for Geno â and thatâs exactly why the Seahawks look right to have turned the page.
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