The Seattle Seahawks put up 27 points on one of the NFL’s toughest defenses and won for the fifth time in six games, but Sam Darnold still isn’t happy. Specifically, the star quarterback has a warning for both himself and his teammates after an error-strewn performance against the Houston Texans on Monday Night Football in Week 7.
Darnold threw for 213 yards and a touchdown during the 27-19 victory at Lumen Field on Monday, October 20. Yet, the signal-caller also threw an interception and lost a fumble Texans’ defensive end Will Anderson Jr. returned for a touchdown.
Those costly errors had Darnold temper his praise when speaking to reporters, including ESPN’s Brady Henderson, after the game. Darnold warned, “we just gotta hold onto the football. We can’t turn the ball over like that. I can’t turn the ball over like that.”
When asked about still being able to score on a tough Houston D’, Darnold explained, “when we execute, when we do our job every single play, the results kind of speak for themselves. We just can’t keep shooting ourselves in the foot the way that we have.”
The message is clear. Darnold wants the Seahawks to “clean up the details” and cut out the mistakes.
It’s a process they can begin in earnest during a fortuitously timed bye week.
Sam Darnold Undermined by Mistakes
He’s playing some exceptional football, but turnovers have always been an unfortunate by-product of Darnold’s game. Pressing the self-destruct button too often is why he’s struggled to live up to the billing as the third-overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft.
Darnold is setting higher standards in Seattle, but the penchant for turnovers can still undermine his and the Seahawks’ season. That would be a shame because Darnold has taken the best parts of his game up a level since signing with the Seahawks this year.
He’s made changes to become more successful in key areas within offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak’s system. The schemes are also allowing Darnold to spread the ball around and make plays on the move.
What’s missing is better ball security, more consistent pass-protection and help from another area of the offense that continues to falter.
Seahawks Need More from Running Game
One way to reduce Darnold’s unhappy knack for turnovers would be to control the ball on the ground. He needs more from an erratic running game that “continues to be a question mark with neither Kenneth Walker III (17 carries for 66 yards) and Zach Charbonnet (12 carries for 49 yards, two touchdowns) able to find a rhythm this year,” according to NFL.com Digital Content Editor Grant Gordon.
Establishing a more consistent ground attack won’t be easy when Walker is a boom-or-bust breakaway threat. Nor when Charbonnet is not a true workhorse.
Leaning into the run more and using it as a launching pad for what Darnold does makes sense, but it will require a change in emphasis in play-calling. Darnold is taking the lead at the moment, but the approach doesn’t seem sustainable.
Not when the pass-heavy strategy leads to some questionable situational football. Like when veteran wide receiver Cooper Kupp “threw an interception when the Seahawks got fancy in the first half for no reason” against the Texans, per Grant.
Killing the clock when it makes sense to do so is how an offense keeps mistakes to a minimum. That’s how the Seahawks can make the changes Darnold wants to see post the bye week.
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