Sam Darnold Shines In Near-Perfect Game As Seahawks Dominate Commanders

The Seattle Seahawks crushed the Washington Commanders 38-14 on Sunday night, led by a near-perfect performance from quarterback Sam Darnold. By halftime, Darnold had completed all 16 of his passes for four touchdowns. He was unaware that he had a flawless first half until someone mentioned it, which broke the no-hitter superstition of football.

He finished with 21-of-24 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception. Before he was pulled late in the fourth quarter, his total QBR of 97.8 or higher was the best of his eight-year NFL career. This was also his third game of the season with a QBR of 97 or higher, tying a record held by Tom Brady, Tony Romo and Lamar Jackson.

Coach Mike Macdonald praised Darnold’s sharp decision-making and consistency, and credited his execution and the offensive line’s protection. Despite missing a couple of his passes, Darnold threw touchdowns on Seattle’s first four drives – two were to rookie Tory Horton, one to tight end Elijah Arroyo, and another to veteran Cody White.

Wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba continued his breakout season with 129 yards on eight catches, extending his NFL lead in receiving yards.

This victory improved Seattle’s record to 6-2 and a perfect 4-0 on the road. Darnold’s MVP odds jumped from 60-to-1 to 18-to-1 after the game, as the Seahawks remain one of the NFC’s most consistent teams.

The only downside was injuries to linebacker Ernest Jones IV, who suffered a knee injury, and cornerback Josh Jobe, who sustained a concussion; however, Jones’ injury is reportedly not season-ending.

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Article by Ed Middlecoff