The Seattle Seahawks closed out the regular season on a seven-game winning streak to run away with the No. 1 seed in the NFC. The fact that they did so despite having the second-most turnovers in the league (28) was a testament to how well-coached and well-rounded this team is.
Then again, a team can only go so far when they're constantly giving the ball away. The margin for error is quite close to zero in a win-or-go-home scenario, and sloppy football doesn't get the job done in the playoffs.
Considering that, Fox Sports analyst Joe Klatt had one simple plea for Sam Darnold. Talking on Settle Sports' Brock & Salk show, he urged the former No. 3 pick to take good care of the football during the playoff run.
The Seattle Seahawks need Sam Darnold to stop turning the ball over
"They're pretty sound offensively," Klatt said. "I was pretty impressed with their win at San Francisco. I really was, and when you can run the football that effectively and protect the quarterback, and again, guys like Seattle will win the Super Bowl if Sam Darnold doesn't turn the ball over."
The Seahawks had either the best or second-best defense in the league, but Sam Darnold and the offense also deserve plenty of credit. In fact, there's a reason why offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak is a coveted candidate in this head coach hiring cycle.
Danold kept his foot on the gas and proved that last year's breakout season wasn't a fluke. He completed 67.7 percent of his passes for 4,048 yards and 25 touchdowns.
Then again, he was also reckless with the ball, logging 14 interceptions and losing six of 11 fumbles. There's just no way a team can win the Super Bowl when the quarterback turns the ball over 20 times in 17 games.
There's no doubt that Darnold has the arm talent to make every throw in the book, and Coach Kubiak should keep the playbook fully open for a seasoned veteran like him. Then again, he needs to do a better job of reading coverage and, more importantly, know when he just has to get rid of the football.
Of course, not all turnovers are the same, and some of Darnold's picks came in low-risk/high-reward situations; they were essentially arm punts. Also, four of his 14 picks came in a single game. That being said, as good as the running game and the defense have been, this is a quarterback's league at the end of the day, and the Seahawks need their quarterback to stop putting the ball in harm's way.