Why Sam Darnold Was Biggest Winner of Thursday Night Football

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold led a comeback win over the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday Night Football, and the former USC Trojans star quarterback earned himself a shot at redemption in the NFL playoffs. Here's why Darnold is the biggest winner from Thursday.

Dec 14, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) participates in early pregame warmups against the Indianapolis Colts at Lumen Field. | Steven-Imagn Images

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold led his team to victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday Night Football, and the former USC Trojans star continues to prove that he belongs in the conversation of the NFL's best quarterbacks.

With the win, Seattle clinched a spot in the playoffs, meaning Darnold has a chance at some postseason redemption. After leading the Minnesota Vikings to the No. 5 seed in the 2024 NFL playoffs, Darnold and the Vikings were promptly eliminated by the Rams in the Wild Card round.

Dec 18, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) warms up before the game against the Los Angeles Rams at Lumen Field. | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

It was the only playoff game of Darnold's career so far in 2024, and he completed 62.5 percent of passes, throwing for 245 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Darnold struggled down the stretch for Minnesota, and the Vikings ultimately decided to let him walk in free agency in favor of quarterback J.J. McCarthy. The loss was one of many key factors that led to Darnold's depature from Minnesota, but the former Trojan has found a home in Seattle.

While Darnold has already proved his value as a starting quarterback in the NFL, he now has a chance to silence even more doubters when it comes to his playoff performance. With Thursday night's win, Seattle not only clinched a playoff spot but also took control of the No. 1 seed in the NFC with a 12-3 record.

Seattle's Crucial Comeback

Dec 18, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike MacDonald embraces quarterback Sam Darnold (14) after defeating the Los Angeles Rams in overtime at Lumen Field. | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

Seattle trailed Los Angeles 30-14 in the fourth quarter, but Darnold and the Seahawks charged back to steal the win in overtime. The former USC quarterback finished the game with 270 passing yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions, but Darnold impressed the most when the lights were brightest. In the fourth quarter and overtime, Darnold's passer rating was 104.5, and he threw 147 of his 270 passing yards.

His decision-making skills and accuracy were on full display down the stretch against Seattle, a familiar sight for Trojans fans who have kept up with the former USC quarterback.

The biggest throw of Sam Darnold’s career. Gets absolutely rocked by Jared Verse and throws a perfect ball to Cooper Kupp in between the Cover 2 corner and safety. pic.twitter.com/cEziiGRllB

— Kendell Hollowell (@KHollowell_) December 19, 2025

Seattle scored 16 points in the fourth quarter to force overtime before Darnold led another touchdown drive, and a successful two-point conversion from Darnold to tight end Eric Saubert won the Seahawks the game.

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Sam Darnold's Clutch Performances at USC

During his time with USC, Darnold led the Trojans to a Pac-12 Championship, beating Stanford in the conference title game. Darnold finished with 325 passing yards and two touchdown passes against the Cardinal en route to winning the Pac-12 in 2017. The year prior, Darnold led USC to a win over Penn State in the Rose Bowl.

Jan 2, 2017; Pasadena, CA, USA; USC Trojans defensive tackle Stevie Tu'ikolovatu (96) and quarterback Sam Darnold (14) and USC Trojans president C.L. Max Nikias celebrate with the trophy after defeating the Penn State Nittany Lions in the 2017 Rose Bowl game at Rose Bowl. | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

The USC vs. Penn State matchup in the Rose Bowl was an instant classic as Darnold threw five touchdowns and 453 passing yards, leading USC to a 52-49 win over the Nittany Lions.

Darnold's career path since leaving the Trojans has not been a straight and narrow one, despite being the No. 3 overall pick coming out of USC in the the 2018 NFL Draft. Viewed as a prototypical quarterback prospect, Darnold struggled to adjust to the NFL during his time with the New York Jets, but something has clicked for the former Trojan in recent seasons.

Darnold has been on four teams in four years despite finding his stride during a stint with the San Francisco 49ers in 2023. If he continues to play at this elite level, however, Darnold might be staying in Seattle for the long haul.