January 13th, 2025. Sam Darnold walked into State Farm Stadium, for his playoff debut, with a chance to get a career-defining win against Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford’s Los Angeles Rams. But the night did not go how Darnold planned. The former third overall pick had one of his worst games of the season, being sacked nine times by a ferocious young pass rush. In his revenge game against the Rams, now a division rival, in Week 11 of this season, Darnold threw four interceptions in another loss. This week, on Thursday Night Football, in front of the whole nation, he has a shot against McVay’s team again, with the division lead and sole possession of the number one seed on the line. A win would not just change how the former USC star is seen around the NFL, but would also show everyone that the Seahawks are the NFC’s prime Super Bowl contender.
In 2024, Sam Darnold revived his career. He was given a shot by Kevin O’Connell and the Minnesota Vikings, and he justified that gamble, at least up until the last two games of the season. With 35 passing touchdowns, over 4,000 yards, and a passer rating of over 100 throughout the regular season, Darnold entered Week 18 against the Detroit Lions with a chance to give the Vikings a franchise record-equalling, 15 regular season wins, as well as the number one seed and the NFC North title. With many saying it was the biggest regular season game of all time given what was at stake, Darnold had a chance to put himself into MVP talks with a big performance and a win. However, he looked lost all night, ending the game with no touchdowns and a passer rating of 55.5. A week later, he looked just as lost in his playoff debut against the Rams, and all of a sudden, his team was going home.
Since that loss against the Rams in the postseason last year, Darnold has developed a reputation of not performing in big games. After all, he had the two biggest games of his career in back-to-back weeks in the 2024 season, and he lost both, while also playing poorly in both. On a new team in 2025, Darnold has recreated his impressive 2024 regular season form with the Seahakws, and gave himself a chance in Week 11 against the Rams to prove the critics wrong, against the same team that eliminated him in last year’s Wildcard Round. However, all he did was emphasise his critics’ point further, with four interceptions in another loss. But Darnold put that loss behind him and has continued to play well since then, helping the Seahawks stay level with the Rams’ 11-3 record, with five touchdowns and just one interception in the four games since the loss to L.A.
However, Darnold playing well in games in the early or late window may have been news last year but now it is common knowledge. The former Jets quarterback deserves credit for reviving his career to become a respected quarterback in the league who can cause teams problems, but now is the time to make the next step. Darnold is playing on national television, against the team most people feel are the best in the league. The quarterback on the other side of the field is the current MVP favourite, the division lead is on the line, and this game could potentially be the difference between being the number one seed and the number five seed. It is not hyperbole to say that the odds of who makes the Super Bowl from the NFC will be heavily decided by this game. In addition to all of that, as already outlined, Darnold has been defeated by this team three times since just last season, as his Vikings also lost to the Rams in the 2024 regular season.
With all that being said, there is no better time for the former first round pick to step up and make a statement. If he does, there is no reason that the Seahawks shouldn’t be considered the best team in the league. This is the biggest possible regular season game Darnold can play, and he is doing it against the fourth best scoring defense. The only thing standing between Seattle and the status of being everyone’s number one team, is their quarterback’s performances in big games.
Their defense has been dominant this year. The group, revolutionised by second-year head coach, Mike Macdonald, are second best in scoring, third best against the run, the fourth best total defense, and have allowed a passer rating of just 77.1 this season, fourth best in the NFL. They also rank fourth in sacks, and are fifth in takeaways. On offense, they are hardly short of weapons, with the league’s leading receiver, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who is accompanied by former Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp, and speedster Rashid Shaheed, a huge threat when paired with Darnold’s monster arm. Kenneth Walker III is also a very solid running back. Along with that, Grey Zabel, the left guard out of North Dakota State, has been one of the best rookies in the whole NFL, and is part of one of the best offensive lines in the league. The defense on this team is elite, and the offense has the potential to be just as good. If you wanted further proof that this is a complete team, how about the fact that despite their quarterback’s four interceptions in Week 11 against the Rams, Seattle still had a game-winning field goal attempt lined up as time expired, with Jason Myers’ 61-yard attempt being unsuccessful.
Seattle is not a perfect team, even if Darnold can perform well in big games. However, a strong performance from their quarterback in one of the biggest games of his career, against the best team in the league, and not only will Darnold show the whole league that he is for real, but the Seahawks will show the NFL that they are the best team in an imperfect league.
If Darnold plays well in this game, the Seahawks will win, and if they do win, they will give themselves a huge chance of homefield advantage in the playoffs. No team wants to go to Lumen Field in the postseason, especially if Seattle is the best team in the NFL and Darnold has proven he can perform well in must-win situations. But on the flip side, a bad Darnold performance in a loss, and Seattle will be going on the road in the postseason. In that scenario, most NFC teams would embrace the challenge of hosting what is a good team, but a team who has a quarterback who would have failed in the three biggest games of his career.
In 2024, many didn’t believe in the Vikings despite their 14 wins. Sam Darnold’s lack of production in big games was a big reason for that. In week 16 of 2025, Darnold has a chance to right those wrongs with not just his reputation is on the line, but also his team’s season.