The Seattle Seahawks defeated the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship game and will be facing the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX. One of the biggest reasons why is quarterback Sam Darnold, who overcame a career of narratives that others wrote for him.
Can Darnold win big games? Yes. Can he go turnover-free in the biggest moments? Absolutely. In fact, Darnold has played so well over the last few weeks that the expectation should be that he leads his team to a championship.
Plus, Seattle's defense, which struggles greatly with a Sean McVay-coached offense, is bound to be better in the next game. The Patriots are a well-rounded team and coached extremely well, but Seattle should be better. Darnold might make sure of that.
Sam Darnold leads the Seattle Seahawks to Super Bowl LX
Against the Rams, Darnold rarely put the ball in harm's way, completed 25 of 36 passes for 346 yards and three touchdowns. He also scrambled for nine yards. Even when it didn't seem as if the Seahawks should throw the ball, Darnold made certain it was a good decision.
That was key. Early in the game, offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak knew he could trust the quarterback. That opened up his playbook a bit. The team did not run as successfully as in previous games, but the quarterback was good enough that that didn't matter.
Can Sam Darnold win a championship when many had written him off, even after last season, when he was great for the Minnesota Vikings for most of the year, only to fail late? Of course. The Seahawks' defense is good enough on its own to put Seattle in position to beat the Patriots, but if Darnold continues his excellent play, he will be making announcements after the game in celebration.
The Seattle Seahawks now have two weeks before they face New England. The game will take place on Sunday, February 8, in Santa Clara, California. The location is fitting. The Seahawks basically had to win the NFC West twice this season, and Levi's Stadium, home of the San Francisco 49ers, is the site of the game.
It was also fitting that Seattle had to defeat both its key NFC West rivals to get to Super Bowl LX. Any of the teams could have won a championship. The Seahawks will be the ones with the chance.