Sam Darnold Silences Critics, Leads Seahawks to Super Bowl LX
Sam Darnold led the Seattle Seahawks to a 31-27 victory over the Los Angeles Rams, securing a Super Bowl LX spot with an impressive 346-yard, three-touchdown performance.
Sam Darnold arrived at this moment the hard way.
The third overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft was written off as a bust by the New York Jets. He failed in Carolina, was buried in San Francisco, and discarded by the Minnesota Vikings.
On Sunday, he made all of them pay for it.
Darnold threw for 346 yards and three touchdowns as the Seattle Seahawks defeated the Los Angeles Rams 31-27 to clinch a spot in Super Bowl LX.
"I mean, he just shut a lot of people up tonight," Seattle head coach Mike MacDonald said. "So I'm really happy for him."
Darnold dissected the Rams' defense throughout the afternoon, matching MVP candidate Matthew Stafford throw for throw. He connected with wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba for a touchdown with 20 seconds remaining in the first half, shifting momentum decisively Seattle's way. He found Jake Bobo across the middle to capitalize on a Los Angeles special teams disaster. He threaded a spiral through the Rams' secondary to Cooper Kupp for a 13-yard touchdownโthe difference in the game.
The quarterback delivered a masterclass. Seattle's defense and special teams complemented the performance, holding just enough to survive. Cornerback Devon Witherspoon recorded consecutive pass breakups inside the 6-yard line late in the fourth quarter to force a turnover on downs. The Seahawks' special teams unit forced two muffed punts from Rams returner Xavier Smith, recovering the second one to set up the Bobo touchdown.
"It's a team win," MacDonald said. "And then, you can't talk about the game without talking about our quarterback."
Darnold delivered exactly what was required when it mattered most. He continued rewriting his career narrative Sunday night, and will have two weeks to complete the story in Santa Clara.
