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Mike Macdonald gives honest assessment of Sam Darnold after 4 games
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- Mike Macdonald gives honest assessment of Sam Darnold after 4 games
The post Mike Macdonald gives honest assessment of Sam Darnold after 4 games appeared first on ClutchPoints .
The Seattle Seahawks dominated their Week 4 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals for three quarters. Seattle went up 20-6 midway through the fourth quarter. But then the game nearly slipped away. The Cardinals mounted a late comeback , scoring back-to-back touchdowns and tying the game 20-20 with 28 seconds remaining in regulation.
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But 28 seconds would be more than enough time for Sam Darnold to get the Seahawks into field goal range. Seattle advanced to the Cardinals' 34-yard-line and Jason Myers calmly hit the 52-yard game winner .
The Seahawks improved to 3-1 in Darnold's debut season with the team. And head coach Mike Macdonald is thrilled with his new quarterback. "Sam is playing out of his mind right now. … He's doing a great job leading us," Macdonald said after the Week 4 win, per FOX 13 Seattle's Curtis Crabtree.
Seahawks find winning formula with Sam Darnold
Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
The Seahawks took a big chance over the offseason. The team shipped long-time starter Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders and signed Darnold to a three-year, $100.5 million contract . Seattle felt confident in making the deal after the veteran passer resuscitated his career with the Minnesota Vikings last season.
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Darnold threw for 4,319 yards with 34 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 2024 as he led the Vikings to a 14-3 record. The performance earned Darnold his first Pro Bowl nod and a big payday in free agency. However, the Seahawks hedged their bet a bit with Darnold, guaranteeing only $55 million of his $100+ million deal.
So far, Darnold has played well with Seattle. The team is off to a strong 3-1 start. And on Thursday, the eighth-year veteran delivered on a game-winning drive with less than 30 seconds on the clock.
After tying the game 20-20, the Cardinals drew a penalty on their kickoff , giving Seattle the ball at the 40-yard-line. Darnold found Jaxon Smith-Njigba for a 22-yard gain, setting up Myer's game-winning kick.
Darnold out-dueled Kyler Murray , throwing for 242 yards with one touchdown and no turnovers. He also added 24 yards on the ground. But Slinging Sammy has mostly reverted to a game manager with the Seahawks. He's averaging less than 227 passing yards per game with five touchdown passes and two interceptions through four weeks.
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Seattle boasts the league's fourth-best scoring defense, allowing just 16.8 points per game. The running game is still a work in progress . But the Seahawks have a winning formula in mind. And a big part of the strategy is not asking Darnold to do too much. Through four weeks, the game plan has proved successful for Seattle.
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Related: Seahawks set franchise record with last-second win over Cardinals
