What appears clear as the Seattle Seahawks enter the NFC Championship against the Los Angeles Rams is that head coach Mike Macdonald's team would not be where it is without some key changes last offseason. Those changes have had as much of an effect in the locker room as on the field.
And make no mistake, the effect on the on-field production has been great, too. Quarterback Sam Darnold might have had too many turnovers overall, but he has also led his team to victories that former Seattle starter Geno Smith would very likely not have done.
Moreover, it is Darnold's personality fit with the team compared to Smith's that has allowed the team to not be so emotionally up and down. Darnold, good or bad, is pretty much the same from week to week. He might not be the most exciting person to interview, but that's not what he gets paid to do. He gets paid to win games.
Leonard Williams says what all Seattle Seahawks fans think about Sam Darnold
Geno Smith, however, was always far too emotional and easily angered, and the Las Vegas Raiders and their fans learned that this season as well. When a quarterback raises their middle finger to their own fans, you know there's an issue.
Defensive tackle Leonard Williams has noticed the clear difference between Darnold and Smith, and he recently said as much without even needing to mention Smith by name. Instead, his praise of his quarterback implied all that fans needed to know.
Speaking with the media after Seattle's destruction of the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round, Williams said, "He means a lot to this team. I've been around him in college, I've been around him early in his career on the Jets, and I think as soon as I saw him in the building here, I saw a dedicated guy. He's dedicated to his craft, dedicated to the work, dedicated to this organization, and he's just a special leader on this team."
That last sentence might be the most telling. Smith wanted out of the playing with the Seahawks, whether he actually requested a trade or not. He stopped listening to Seattle's potential contract extension offers because he didn't like the number. In the end, it was Seattle that was fortunate Smith wasn't happy with what the Seahawks were saying.
Smith went on to fail horribly with former head coach Pete Carroll and the Raiders, while Sam Darnold proved 2024, when he was with the Minnesota Vikings, was no fluke. He isn't the best quarterback in the NFL, but he is inarguably a great fit for the Seattle Seahawks.
No matter what happens against the NFC Championship against the Rams, Darnold was good enough this season to help the Seahawks get within sniffing distance of the Super Bowl. Had Geno Smith still been the starter, Seattle might have missed the playoffs.