A pair of 2-1 teams are set to battle as the Seattle Seahawks head to Arizona for Thursday Night Football. In their last two games, Seattle’s newest quarterback, Sam Darnold, has led the offense to 31 and 44 points, respectively.
Fans were quickly concerned when they scored just 13 in Week 1, but that came against a San Francisco 49ers team now 3-0. Thursday night is a crucial game for Darnold and company, specifically the offense.
Seahawks QB Sam Darnold: Is Seattle’s Offense Starting to Click?
There was room for concern after Week 1, and rightfully so. Darnold, who the team gave $100.5 million in the offseason after trading away Geno Smith, threw for just 151 yards. He’s followed that up with stellar performances, including 295 passing yards in Week 2 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Last week, he played a nearly flawless game as the Seahawks dominated the New Orleans Saints, 44-13.
“I think we’re right there when it comes to the Seahawks offense. “We’re kind of knocking on the door of what we want to be as an offense and executing at the level we want to execute at,” Darnold said.
Seattle is still trying to find the perfect offensive balance. Darnold attempted 33 passes in Week 2 but threw just 18 last week. The Seahawks know they can rely on Kenneth Walker III as their lead back, who has 39 carries for 163 yards. Walker has been the lone bright spot in Seattle’s run game, as Zach Charbonnet is averaging just 2.1 yards on 27 attempts.
Once the Seahawks find the sweet spot, it’ll be smooth sailing. Darnold has redeemed himself in the past two weeks. He may have thrown two interceptions against Pittsburgh, but Seattle’s defense stood its ground against the four-time NFL MVP, Aaron Rodgers. Darnold went head-to-head with him, something the team is more than proud of.
Now, they set their sights on the Cardinals. Arizona, led by Kyler Murray, hasn’t had the flashiest offense this season. They lack the big play, something Darnold has been improving on each and every week. He averaged 6.5 yards per completion in Week 1, which increased to 12.1 yards in their Week 3 win.
WR Cooper Kupp has been fine, but far from stellar. His 11 receptions for 136 yards are far from what he’s put up in the past, but Darnold’s favorite target is clearly Jaxon Smith-Njigba. JSN already has 22 receptions for 323 yards with a touchdown. Heading into Week 4, he has nearly 50% of the yards Darnold is credited with.
