ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky dropped a blunt assessment of Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold ahead of Thursday night’s NFC West showdown with the Los Angeles Rams, saying, “The way that Sam is playing right now, they cannot go to the Super Bowl.”
Orlovsky’s point wasn’t that Seattle lacks talent. It was that Darnold’s last month has created a ceiling, and the Seahawks don’t have time to wait for it to “eventually” fix itself with the postseason race tightening.
Thursday’s game is as high-stakes as it gets: the Seahawks and Rams entered the night tied atop the NFC West at 11-3, with real playoff positioning riding on the result at Lumen Field.
Darnold has acknowledged the urgency himself, calling the Seahawks’ red-zone struggles “a theme” after the Seahawks’ win over the Colts.
Dan Orlovsky’s Two Fix-Now Issues for Sam Darnold
Orlovsky zeroed in on two specific problems he believes have shown up over the past “four or five weeks.”
First: progressions and footwork. Orlovsky urged viewers to watch what happens “when Sam moves his feet” — and whether that movement is tied to getting to a new target, or whether Darnold gets “stuck” and stalls out.
Second: red-zone timing. Orlovsky said Seattle ends drives with a field goal 25% of the time, and flatly labeled that as a Super Bowl-loser if it doesn’t clean up.
One data point that supports the general concern: Seattle’s red-zone touchdown rate this season has been more middle-of-the-pack than dominant (TeamRankings lists the Seahawks at 57.45%.)
On the season, Darnold has completed 263-of-390 passes (67%) for 3,433 yards, 22 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Why he’s particularly under the microscope right now is because the context: Darnold threw four interceptions against the Rams in the teams’ first matchup, a game where Seattle lost after missing a late field goal.
Why It Matters vs. the Rams on Thursday Night Football
Orlovsky also delivered the kind of line that sticks if things go sideways: he called Seattle’s offense a “one-trick pony,” saying the Seahawks can’t run it consistently and that the passing game is most reliable when it funnels through star receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
That’s a pressure moment for the Seahawks because this matchup isn’t a “learn a lesson” game. It’s a standings game. It’s also a matchup where every stalled drive matters, especially if the Rams are navigating key availability questions (including wide receiver Davante Adams being listed doubtful).
Key Details to Watch Early
- First two Seattle red-zone trips: touchdown or field goal? (Orlovsky’s main alarm bell.)
- Darnold’s second reads: does he reset and rip it, or hold it?
- Seattle balance: does the run game show up enough to keep everything from becoming JSN-or-bust?
Kickoff is 8:15 p.m. ET on Thursday Night Football.
What Happens Next
This is the kind of storyline that turns into a week-long conversation fast.
If Darnold looks sharp and Seattle finishes drives, the “can they win a Super Bowl with him?” debate flips immediately. If the Seahawks settle for field goals and the offense bogs down, Orlovsky’s warning becomes the headline — and the pressure only ramps up as the playoffs get closer.
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