Revenge is a dish best served cold. At least, that's how Seattle Seahawks star linebacker Ernest Jones may feel right now. It took him a while, a little over two months, to be more accurate, but he was finally proven right.
Jones had Sam Darnold's back after his four-pick performance in the loss to the Los Angeles Rams. He showed the utmost confidence in his quarterback and claimed that his quarterback would prove the doubters wrong.
That's why the former Rams draft pick couldn't leave the podium without reminding everyone he was just right. Following the win in the NFC Championship Game, he doubled down on his confidence in Darnold.
Seattle Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones always trusted Sam Darnold's skills
"Very, very (satisfied)," Jones said. "Everything that I said, stood on it. What he had, like 300-some yards? Hoopin'! Hoopin'. Sam's a baller. Like I said, doubt Sam if you want to, Sam's gonna show you every time. That's who we know, and that's why I stood on that, and I'll do it all over again."
To be fair, there were reasons to have doubts about Sam Darnold. He was dealing with an oblique injury, and he hadn't fared that well against Sean McVay's team in the past, including last season in the playoffs.
The Rams picked him off six times in two games this season. And even though their stats were nearly identical and they had won one game apiece, it still felt like Darnold was probably the weakest link on Mike Macdonald's team in this particular matchup.
The USC product responded by completing 25 of 36 passes for 346 passing yards, three touchdowns, and no picks. He set the tone early with a 51-yard bomb to Rashid Shaheed to set up the first score of the game, and he only got better once he got into a rhythm.
Darnold kept finding Jaxon Smith-Njigba all over the field, and he was simply surgical in the red zone. He earned another $500,000 in incentives with the win, but, more importantly, he may have finally earned a vote of confidence from those who still see him as that erratic youngster playing for the New York Jets.
He's been in the league for a while, and, admittedly, his journey has been full of miscues and bad breaks. Then again, he's clearly not that player anymore, and he's just one win away from becoming a champion.