AJ Barner calls Seahawks' slow start in blowout win 'unacceptable'

The Seattle Seahawks (10-3) left Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta feeling great after defeating the Atlanta Falcons 37-9 on Sunday. Seattle remains in the hunt for the No. 1 seed in the NFC and a chance to win the NFC West Division for the first time since 2020.

While the Seahawks finished on a strong note in Atlanta, they started off flat and on a rough note. In the first half, the Seahawks accumulated 116 total yards on offense through the first five drives. One of the drives resulted in an interception from quarterback Sam Darnold.

The offensive line allowed two sacks, five tackles for loss, and two quarterback hits from the Falcons’ constant blitzing. Both of those sacks allowed were by left tackle Charles Cross.

Darnold, meanwhile, continued his bad habits of forcing his throws and panicking under the pressure from the Falcons. Darnold was 5-of-11 for 37 yards and an interception in the first four drives before he and the offensive line settled down. He was 4-of-4 for 28 yards to help put the Seahawks in a game-tying field goal at halftime with a 6-6 score.

The Seahawks’ momentum turned around as Rashid Shaheed took the second-half opening kickoff back 100 yards for a touchdown. That was the moment that the Seahawks sparked a huge 36-point performance in the second half.

While the Seahawks are pleased with the performance in the second half, starting with Shaheed’s kickoff, the same couldn’t be said about the first half. Seahawks tight end A.J. Barner was asked about Shaheed’s return to create the spark needed.

In the locker room in Atlanta: TE AJ Barner on the #Seahawks offense after 6-6 halftime tie ends 37-9 over Atlanta: “It’s not acceptable to start the way we did. It has to be better.”

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December 8, 2025
"Blew the game open, that's what we expect from Shaheed and we got to start better though. It's not acceptable to start the way that we did, it needs to be better. The finish was great, shoutout to 22 (Shaheed) for taking that back."
"It can be a little tough, flying across the country, waking up and having a game at 10 am but it is what it is. Got to do what you got to do to get your mind and battle right and that's something we need to continue to work through myself included as a second-year player, to figure out what works for you."
The Seahawks accounted for 149 total yards in the second half, with some drives starting in great field position because of the three defensive turnovers forced. Darnold became more composed and played incredibly in the second half, completing 11-of-15 of his passes for 184 yards and three touchdowns.
He found solid connections to wide receivers Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Cooper Kupp, and Shaheed. The offensive line played a lot more consistently in the second half as well. They only allowed two tackles for loss and one quarterback hit.
This is the Seahawks’ fourth game this season where they’ve scored 30 or more points in a half. The rest of the league has combined for six.
When the Seahawks create some momentum, they can be a hard team to beat. They almost defeated the Los Angeles Rams in Week 11 despite Darnold throwing four interceptions.
The second half performance was a good time to break bad habits created in the last three games, but the Seahawks have to find a way to play consistently through all four quarters if they want the divisional title, the No. 1 in the NFC, and a Super Bowl title.
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