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LANDOVER, MARYLAND - NOVEMBER 02: Sam Darnold #14 of the Seattle Seahawks throws the ball against the Washington Commanders during the first quarter in the game at Northwest Stadium on November 02, 2025 in Landover, Maryland. (Greg Fiume / Getty Images)
RENTON, Wash. - It's hard to play quarterback any better than Sam Darnold did in the first half of Sunday night's 38-14 win over the Washington Commanders.
Darnold was a perfect 16-of-16 for 282 yards and four touchdowns in the first half alone as Seattle compiled 418 yards of total offense and averaged over eight yards a play in the victory. He completed his first 17 passes of the game before finally seeing a throw hit the ground.
While Washington's defense is clearly struggling and banged up, Darnold was still flawless in carrying the Seahawks to a 31-7 halftime lead.
"I don't think we had expectations. We had a vision for what we felt like he could do and it's a pretty big vision of how he's playing right now. He's doing a great job," head coach Mike Macdonald said on Monday. "But the things that we thought he could do, he's definitely doing that, and probably then some. We brought him in to be our quarterback, be a leader, win games, be efficient, and all those things he's doing."
It wasn't just that Darnold didn't have a single incompletion in the half. He was making big throws for big completions and four touchdowns – three of which were of at least 25 yards.
Darnold led a 12-play, 90-yard touchdown drive on Seattle's first possession that actually required 104 yards to be gained due to penalties. A 4-yard touchdown pass to Tory Horton was the shortest of his four touchdown strikes on the night.
A 25-yard touchdown to Horton followed as he roasted Mike Sainristl in man-to-man coverage for a wide open shot throw from Darnold for a 14-0 lead. After a fumble on the ensuing kickoff gave the ball back to Seattle, Darnold ripped a 26-yard touchdown throw to Elijah Arroyo behind the ear of safety Tyler Owens for a 21-0 lead, and a 60-yard catch-and-run strike to Cody White made it 28-0 after safety Quan Martin missed a tackle that could have saved a score.
"Sam did an excellent job, had us ready," wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba said. "O-line is doing their thing, all around the board. Saw a lot of guys step up tonight, and I’m super excited about that. Yeah, the game plan throughout the week was great, and coming in here, executing always feels great."
As Smith-Njigba reference, Seattle's offensive line has been a big part of the success as well. Darnold wasn't sacked during the win over the Commanders – the third time this season he hasn't been sacked. He's gone down only nine times all year, which is tied with Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix for the fewest in the NFL this season among quarterbacks to make at least six starts.
"Our offensive line, they deserve some love," Macdonald said. "They're playing really hard. I loved how they operated and practiced last week. They did a great job, and the pass protection is a product of that.
"The timing of plays, how we identify pressures, the protection, how we execute protections, how we get the spots on the field, and Sam getting through his progressions, there's a lot of trust involved. There's a lot of work involved to make sure that timing comes to life. They’re doing a great job, protecting Sam. I think we're staying square. We're being firm in the pocket, which is letting Sam do his thing back there. They definitely deserve some love."
Darnold has led the Seahawks to a 6-2 record, and he's moved into the conversation of possible MVP candidates in the NFL this year. Darnold joins Josh Allen, Drake Maye, Patrick Mahomes, Matthew Stafford, Justin Herbert and Baker Mayfield among the favorites for the award.
Darnold passer rating of 116.0 is third-best in the NFL this season behind only Lamar Jackson (136.7) and Maye (116.9). He's thrown 16 touchdowns to just five interceptions and is Pro Football Focus' top-rated quarterback in the NFL through nine weeks.
Notes:
Linebacker Ernest Jones IV was being evaluated on Monday after injuriing his knee in Sunday night's win over the Commanders.
"No update," head coach Mike Macdonald said. "They're doing the medical right now. Probably stick to the same story as last night as non-season ending. We're going to be working through his knee, and we'll have an update probably on Wednesday on what the technicality is behind it."
Jones injured his knee when an offensive lineman fell on the outside of his right leg late in the first half. Tyrice Knight replaced Jones in the lineup alongside Drake Thomas to finish the game for Seattle.
"I thought Drake's communication was fantastic," Macdonald said. "We didn't skip a beat. That's a tribute to him and staying prepared. He has the green dot in practice as well, so he has a lot of reps at it. He did a phenomenal job managing their tempo and communication. Him and Tyrice played both positions throughout the night and interchanged seamlessly. I was really pleased with those guys, with really T-Knight coming in and executing the defense, and I thought Drake played a tremendous game."
The Source: Information in this story came from FOX 13 Seattle reporting.
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