The San Francisco 49ers are getting Sam Darnold at the right time

It's that time of year when Darnold turns into a pumpkin.

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Teams that have started Sam Darnold have gone 27-6 in the past two seasons. However, the Minnesota Vikings saw Darnold start to fade before his worst two games closed out the season and the San Francisco 49ers are hoping to get the same outcome in Week 18 this year. 

Are the San Francisco 49ers getting Sam Darnold at the right time?

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Darnold started the season on fire and was in the running for the MVP. However, he has not strung together four consistent quarters since Week 11 when they played the Los Angeles Rams. The Seahawks have been able to keep winning despite it, but Darnold has not been good. 

In the first nine games of the season, Darnold had 17 touchdowns to 6 interceptions. He had a 71.1% completion rate, he was averaging 9.9 yards per attempt, and had a 116.5 passer rating. On top of that, he was taking 1.1 sacks per game. 

Since Week 11, Darnold has 8 touchdowns to 8 interceptions. He has a 63.2% completion rate, an average of 7.1 yards per attempt, and an 81.5 passer rating. His sacks per game is up to 2.1, a full sack more. 

Seattle has faced some defenses, including the Rams twice who are familiar with him. However, the San Francisco 49ers could be considered just as familiar. The majority of their offensive coaching staff was still around when the team had Darnold on the roster. 

Robert Saleh saw Darnold earlier this season, and they had a great gameplan that mostly held him in check. It was one of the worst games he had in the first half of the season. 

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So, one argument could be that Darnold will get a reeling 49ers pass defense, and it may get him back on track. The other argument is that the 49ers' defense is getting Darnold at the right time. They obviously have struggled in the past two weeks, but when they have faced lower-end quarterbacks, they have been able to hold their own.

When you look at season-long trends, Darnold does fit the bill. However, his stats after Week 10 would make him a lower-end option. 

The Seahawks defense has protected Darnold, and while they could hold the 49ers under their average of the past few weeks, they may not be able to hold them as much as some of the teams that they have beaten over this stretch run. The 49ers could get a big break with a bad Darnold game.