Analysis: Were Seahawks fooled by playoff Sam Darnold?

SEATTLE — Eight months ago, inside the home of the San Francisco 49ers, an errorless run through the playoffs was completed.

Above all else asked of the Seattle Seahawks quarterback during last season’s playoffs, Sam Darnold didn’t make mistakes. He arguably won the NFC Championship Game against the Los Angeles Rams, but in the divisional round against the 49ers and in the Super Bowl against New England, Darnold avoided the sin of getting in the way.

Three games. No turnovers. One Lombardi Trophy.

The belief — maybe hope — was that what Darnold showed in the playoffs was going to be a springboard into a new season where the expectations were greater, the focus sharper, the question of “can he do it again?” a little louder.

He’s only played three games so far this season — the first few plays of the opener don’t count — but the playoff version of Darnold isn’t there. Instead, it’s a version of the QB that’s making too many mistakes, leading an offense that’s misfiring without a run game that can be considered a serious threat.

Sunday was the latest example, with Darnold throwing two interceptions in the 32-29 loss to the 49ers. He’s thrown five picks in 88 pass attempts this season — 5.6% of his throws. While that doesn’t seem like a significant number, consider that the highest interception percentage of his career was 4.3% last season.

Even when he was a struggling rookie with the hapless New York Jets, Darnold wasn’t throwing interceptions at this rate.

It’s a concern. And it needs to change.

“You got to tip your cap to those guys. They played a good game,” Darnold said. “But, just again, those are all things that I can control. Just can't be putting the ball in jeopardy like that.”

Darnold finished 18 of 29 for 195 yards and threw a 16-yard touchdown that was more a display of Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s special skills. But the two interceptions stick out because of all the other issues that emerged, including a lackluster run game and two fumbles that directly led to 14 points for San Francisco.

Overcoming two fumbles is possible, so long as the quarterback also doesn’t throw two picks.

“Turn the ball over against a good team like that, it's hard to come back from,” left guard Grey Zabel said. “But us as an O-line, myself in general, can play a lot better to maybe take the heat off the quarterback, to be better up front for the running back. At the end of the day, I mean, just got to play better.”

Without question, there is an obvious impression that the Seahawks' offense isn’t operating close to peak efficiency. Darnold’s turnovers are a byproduct of a run game that is leaning on Emanuel Wilson and George Holani, and a passing game that’s Smith-Njigba and not much else. For the season, Smith-Njigba has 37 catches; next on the list is AJ Barner with 12. Cooper Kupp has the same number (11) as Holani.

Those factors put even more responsibility on Darnold to be cleaner with his decisions and with his throws.

“We're not panicking or anything like that. We're just going through what we do every day. I think if we become more efficient and more effective as an offense, that's going to help our quarterback too,” Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said. “I think it's everybody. It's not just Sam (Darnold). Sam knows. It's not like he wants to turn it over. We need to just play collectively more efficient. I think when that happens, then the ball doesn't become in jeopardy as much.”

The tone against the 49ers was set right away when the Seahawks' second offensive play was a pass Darnold never should have thrown and was intercepted by Renardo Green. The second play of the second half was also a pass Darnold wanted another chance at when he was again intercepted by Green. Instead of putting his pass for Elijah Arroyo up high, Darnold threw it flat and let Green cut in front.

“Just got to continue to trust myself, trust my feet, trust what I'm seeing, which I'm doing. But, yeah, just got to be better taking care of the football,” Darnold said.

The Seahawks learned last season that living with a handful of cringeworthy moments of ball security from Darnold was going to be part of the agreement that came with making him the starter. He finished last season with 20 total turnovers — 14 interceptions and six lost fumbles. More than half of those came in the second half of last season when his game took a noticeable dip even as the Seahawks continued to win.

While the playoffs were exactly what the Seahawks needed from their QB, there were bound to be some hiccups to start this season. There’s a new offensive coordinator. There’s no Kenneth Walker III or Zach Charbonnet behind Darnold, and no Jadarian Price the last few weeks. The glute injury Darnold suffered in the opener didn’t help matters, either.

But this is an unforgiving league and the Seahawks happen to play in a division with two other NFC superpowers. They're also in maybe the most challenging stretch of the schedule with the short-week trip to Denver sandwiched around Sunday's loss to unbeaten San Francisco and unbeaten Kansas City on the horizon in two weeks.

The entire offense needs to be better, starting with the quarterback. And one of the most obvious things Darnold can control is the security of the ball.

Obviously can't turn the ball over. Got to be better on first and second down. Got to stay in the manageable down in distances," Darnold said. "If we as an offense, if we clean that up and I got to continue to take care of the football, but if we continue to do that, we'll be all right.

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