Super Bowl LX: Sam Darnold doing all he can and mildly succeeding for Seahawks

Super Bowl LX was going to be a tough game for every player and coach, but this game was going to be determined by Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold.

Darnold has had a stellar postseason for the Seahawks, but this Super Bowl against the New England Patriots was the key to victory. So far, Darnold hasn’t been explosive, but he’s been good enough as the Seahawks take a 9-0 lead into halftime.

As bad as it sounds, one of the biggest keys for the Seahawks is to make sure Darnold doesn’t put the team into bad situations. Through the first half of Super Bowl XL, versus the Patriots’ great defense and their secondary, Darnold hasn’t made crucial mistakes that have hurt the team.

In the first half, Darnold completed 9-of-22 of his passes for 88 yards and a quarterback rating of 52.8. A good portion of his passes haven’t been ideal, but he has been serviceable for Seattle’s offense, leading them to three field goal drives.

The best part of Darnold’s play is that he is avoiding bad plays like turnovers and taking bad sacks. He hasn’t turned the ball over yet in any of the three games this postseason, and he hasn’t caused a negative play.

It helps to have a reliable running back like Kenneth Walker III to make big plays and extend the drives. He has run for 94 yards on 14 carries for an average of 6.7 yards per carry. After a solid run or two, offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak takes him out.

Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold looking for a play versus the Patriots. — Feb 8, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) drops back to pass against the New England Patriots in the first half in Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

There are some parts of Darnold’s performance where he could be playing better. He missed star wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba on a deep coverage bust that could’ve turned into a touchdown. This was the play where Darnold missed a sack or two.

He isn’t facing a delicate defense of New England. The Patriots finished the regular season with the fourth-ranked scoring defense in the league (18.8 points allowed per game), sixth in rushing yards allowed per game (101.7), and ninth in the league in passing yards allowed per game (193.5).

There is a lot of pressure for Darnold as he is on the biggest stage of his young career. He is on the verge of completing one of the biggest comebacks in NFL history.

At this point, Darnold has to ensure he can’t lose the game for the Seahawks. He can’t turn the ball over, and he can’t force his passes out into bad situations.

Darnold has a chance to cement his name in Seahawks royalty by giving the Seahawks their second-ever Super Bowl title in franchise history.

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