The Seattle Seahawks are a very good team, potentially achieving the top seed in the NFC. Seattle simply needs to beat the San Francisco 49ers in Week 18. To get to the Super Bowl, though, the team cannot keep turning the ball over so much.
Through Week 17, the team has 28 total turnovers, 26 by the offense. That last number is tied for the most in the NFL. The only team with more total turnovers, the Minnesota Vikings have 29, and Minnesota isn't going to the postseason this season. Turnovers are a big reason why.
Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold has played well for most of the season, but he also has had far too many turnovers himself. He is third in the league with 14 interceptions and has the second-most fumbles (six). In total, Darnold's 20 turnovers lead the NFL.
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold knows the problem, but can he fix it?
Are they all his fault? No. In Week 1 against the 49ers, for instance, he had right tackle Abraham Lucas pushed into him by San Francisco edge rusher Nick Bosa, and Lucas hit Darnold unexpectedly, and the quarterback fumbled. The QB has also had several tipped passes picked off.
Speaking to the media ahead of Seattle's most important game of the season, Sam Darnold confirmed he was aware of the problem, though he didn't offer much hope for improvement. He wouldn't, however. A player isn't going to give the details of what he and the team have specifically been working on to right their wrongs.
"Turnovers, they're unacceptable no matter how they come," Darnold said. "I mean, obviously tipped balls and things like that, you would like to say, 'Oh man, that's out of my control. But did I need to be in that position for that guy to tip the ball?'...I think that all turnovers, all plays where we can look at ourselves and say, 'Oh man, I could have done better on that play,' which is almost every play...This team can continue to get better. (That includes) me personally."
The tipped passes have been a real issue for the quarterback, but it isn't clear why. He is 6'3" and has an over-the-top throwing motion on most passes. Sure, sometimes he will drop his arm down when trying to fit a pass between defensive linemen, but all quarterbacks do that. Most of Darnold's tipped throws come with his regular motion.
Sometimes, he simply suffers bad luck. In the last minute of the Seattle Seahawks' Week 5 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Darnold was throwing a pass over the short middle when the ball glanced off the helmet of a Bucs player that was then intercepted it. The pick set Tampa Bay up in field goal range, and the Bucs won 38-35.
Still, Seattle's quarterback must cut down on his turnovers and have better ball control in the pocket. The assumption is that every defense the Seahawks face in the playoffs will be good. They will take advantage of Darnold's mistakes, and that could lead directly to a Seattle loss.