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NFL coach predicts Sam Darnold will never totally shed bad panic plays

Seattle Seahawks’ QB Sam Darnold was picked off four times in Sunday’s loss to the Rams. The eight-year NFL veteran has yet to solve his turnover issues.
Russell Baxter|
Nov 16, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) rolls out to pass during the first half against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Nov 16, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) rolls out to pass during the first half against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

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It was arguably the biggest game of the season to date. The Los Angeles Rams held off the Seattle Seahawks, 21-19, thanks in large part to a ball-hawking defensive unit. Coordinator Chris Shula’s unit picked off Seattle signal-caller Sam Darnold four times in the two-point victory.

NFL writer Mike Sando of The Athletic took a look at Darnold’s disappointing performance on Sunday. His own first takeaway regarding the eight-year pro is that “the panic gene is part of Darnold’s DNA until he proves otherwise.”

“Darnold took nine sacks against the Rams in the playoffs last season,” stated Sando. “Those were not all his fault, of course, but they fed the narrative surrounding his big-game readiness. Darnold took no sacks Sunday, but this was his third career game with exactly zero touchdown passes and four picks, more than anyone else since 2000 (there have been 56 such games total).”

Sam Darnol
Nov 16, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) runs away from Los Angeles Rams linebacker Byron Young (0) during the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

This season, Darnold has thrown 17 TD passes and been picked off 10 times. It’s worth noting that this is the sixth time in eight NFL seasons that the 2018 first-round pick by the New York Jets has totaled dpuble-digit interceptions. In 93 regular-season games, the talented but erratic performer has turned over the ball exactly 100 times (78 interceptions, 22 lost fumbles).

“Sam is just going to have that in him for life,” stated a veteran coach (via Sando). “He will play great. He will play good. Then he is going to have those plays. The problem is, when you get established as a playoff team, everyone is scared to death that is going to happen.”

Sando explained that another coach took a look at each of Darnold’s four interceptions from Sunday. When it came to his final miscue, the coach referenced a pair of former Dallas Cowboys from the 1970s. The coach saw “just complete panic. No reason to throw this. We are jumping like Roger Staubach throwing to Golden Richards.”

Something that never gets old when it comes to this game is taking care of the football. It’s something that Darnold still hasn’t mastered during his eight-year career.

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Russell Baxter
RUSSELL BAXTER

Russell S. Baxter has been writing and researching the game of football for more than 40 years, and on numerous platforms. That includes television, as he spent more than two decades at ESPN, and was part of shows that garnered five Emmy Awards. He also spent the 2015 NFL season with Thursday Night Football on CBS/NFLN.