Seahawks Star Snubs Rams Threat, ‘Just Another Opponent’

Seattle’s 21–19 loss to the Rams in Week 11 remains the low point of Darnold’s season. He threw four interceptions — three in the second half — in a game the Seahawks otherwise controlled statistically. Seattle outgained Los Angeles 414–249, rallied late, and had multiple chances to steal the game.

Darnold acknowledged the performance plainly.

“It wasn’t my best effort,” he said, adding that he’s “excited about the challenge and ready to go” this time around.

The interceptions told the story. The first came against man coverage. The next three came versus zone looks, where Darnold forced throws or misread coverage rotations. While pressure played a role — tangible heat arrived on three of the four picks — each turnover ultimately traced back to decision-making rather than protection breakdowns.

The Numbers Behind the Collapse

From a statistical standpoint, Darnold’s night was deceptive. He completed 29 of 44 passes (65.9 percent) for 279 yards. On paper, that’s workable production.

The advanced metrics were brutal.

Darnold finished with a total EPA of -12.08 across 46 plays. The four interceptions alone accounted for a staggering -23.46 EPA swing — an average of -5.87 per interception. Strip those mistakes away, and Darnold actually posted a strong +0.271 EPA per play on his other 42 snaps.

That contrast is the key takeaway: the performance wasn’t broken everywhere. It was shattered in moments.

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It Wasn’t Just on the Quarterback

Seattle did get help elsewhere. Jaxon Smith-Njigba had a productive day, and tight end AJ Barner saw a season-high 11 targets, hauling in 10 catches. The Seahawks moved the ball consistently through the air.

But balance never arrived. Outside of one 25-yard scamper from Kenneth Walker III, the Rams bottled up Seattle’s run game. Cooper Kupp and Rashid Shaheed — playing just his second game as a Seahawk — were largely quiet. And while Darnold wasn’t sacked, edge pressure against tackles Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas was persistent enough to speed up his internal clock.

The Rams didn’t dominate — they disrupted.

A Bounce-Back, With Caveats

To Darnold’s credit, the Week 11 implosion hasn’t defined the stretch since. Over the four games that followed, he threw just one interception total and averaged +0.104 EPA per play. There were highs (a +0.321 EPA outing against Atlanta) and lows (a -0.284 mark against Minnesota), but the turnover hemorrhaging stopped.

That matters heading into Thursday. So does history.

Darnold struggled in high-leverage late-season games last year with Minnesota, including Week 18 and the Wild Card round. Another stumble — especially against the same defense that baited him into mistakes once already — would land louder than he’s willing to admit.

He may not be seeing ghosts.

But the Rams have already shown they know how to make him flinch.

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