The Seattle Seahawks won again in Week 17. That much is true. The team needs to win just one more game to earn the top seed in the NFC. Week 18 might not be easy, though. The San Francisco 49ers are a good team. Plus, quarterback Sam Darnold might not make it easy for his own team.
Seattle won the game in Carolina because of the Seahawks' defense and because the running game was effective. Darnold kept the Carolina Panthers in the game through three quarters by turning the ball over twice more. One was a fumble and the other an interception.
The quarterback now has 20 turnovers (14 interceptions and six lost fumbles) on the season, which leads the NFL. Say what you will about the number of interceptions former Seahawks starter Geno Smith has, but Darnold is right with him and has more fumbles.
Seattle Seahawks win in Week 17 despite more turnovers by quarterback Sam Darnold
Seattle keeps winning in spite of Sam Darnold at times, and that is the problem. As great as the Seahawks' defense is, and as good as the special teams can be, deep in the playoffs, Seattle simply cannot afford for Darnold to keep having turnovers. Against very good teams, that will get Seattle beaten.
Part of the issue is that all the players and coaches will say all the right words about the quarterback after the game and in the future. That is what a good organization does. It stands by its players, but that still doesn't make the turnover situation better.
Sam Darnold is signed for two more years, and he is clearly good enough to get his team in position to win enough games to make the playoffs, but he hasn't proven he is good enough to avoid the mistakes that will cost his team a chance at a championship.
The positive part is that he still has time to do so. The Seattle Seahawks will be in the playoffs and might have a first-round bye. They simply have to defeat the 49ers. Otherwise, Seattle will start on the road in the postseason. Sam Darnold can make sure that doesn't happen, and he can also lead the Seahawks to the Super Bowl. He just has to stop turning the ball over.