Seahawks' Ernest Jones IV shares passionate defense of Sam Darnold after nightmare outing vs. Rams

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold threw a season-worst four interceptions in the club's 21-19 loss to the Los Angeles Rams that dropped the Seahawks to 7-3 on Sunday and resulted in the 8-2 Rams beginning Monday atop the NFC West standings. 

Following the defeat, Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV offered a passionate defense of Darnold. 

Ernest Jones IV doesn't want to hear Sam Darnold slander

"Sam’s been balling," Jones said, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk and Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic. "If we want to try to define Sam by this game, Sam’s had us in every f------ game. So for him to sit there and say, 'That’s my fault,' no, it’s not. It was plays that defensively we could have made...opportunities where we could have gotten better stops. It’s football, man. He’s our quarterback. We’ve got his back, and if you’ve got anything to say, quite frankly, f--- you."

Darnold won seven of his first nine starts with the Seahawks, and Pro Football Reference shows he ended Sunday ranked fourth in the NFL among qualified players with a 71.3 adjusted QBR on the season. That said, his performance against the Rams sparked memories of his final two games as a member of the Minnesota Vikings.

In Week 18 of the 2024 season, Darnold passed for 166 yards with no touchdowns in a 31-9 loss at the Detroit Lions that cost Minnesota the division title and the No. 1 seed for the playoffs. He then lost 82 yards on nine sacks, had a second-quarter fumble returned for a score and tossed an interception in the Vikings' 27-9 wild-card playoff loss to the Rams. 

According to StatMuse, Darnold and Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins began Monday tied for the most turnovers committed this season (14). 

Sam Darnold wants to "learn" from four-pick game

"I just wish I could have played better for our defense and everyone on the team," Darnold acknowledged after Sunday's defeat. "It stings. It sucks. It should suck. I’m just going to continue to grind and learn from this one."

Darnold should have an opportunity to enjoy a bounce-back game when Seattle plays at the Tennessee Titans (1-9) on Nov. 23. As of Monday morning, ESPN BET had the Seahawks as massive 13-point favorites for that contest.