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Watch All 4 Sam Darnold TD passes in a perfect, historic half of football vs. Commanders

Like Michael Jordan shrugging after making 3s in the NBA Finals, Seahawks' QB Sam Darnold lit up the Commanders in the first half Sunday night.
Richie Whitt|
Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

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And to think, the 12s feared the Seattle Seahawks' offense would miss Cooper Kupp.

Nothing against the former MVP receiver, but Sam Darnold is humming along at an uncanny, record pace in Sunday night's game against the Washington Commanders. The Seahawks scored on all five drives in the first half, kicking a late field goal to put the icing on an almost two quarters of football that led to a shocking 31-7 edge.

MORE: Seahawks get bad injury news on star receiver before Sunday night game vs. Commanders

The offense amassed 330 yards, second-most by any team in the NFL this season. Darnold is the firsrt quarterback with four touchdown passes and 0 incompletions in a half since Ryan Tannehill of the Miami Dolphins in 2015.

In a remarkable stat lne that looks like it belongs more in Madden than an actual game, Darnold in the first half was 16 of 16 for 282 yards and the four scores: two to rookie Tory Horton and one each to Cody White and Elijah Arroyo. That's right, all that record-setting damage and not a single touchdown to NFL receiving leader Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

In front of primetime audience on NBC that just must become believers in Darnold now, he turned the first half into a pat-'n-go pre-game warm-up session. Literally, the ball didn't hit the ground on one of his passes until an incompletion on the third play of the first drive in the third quarter.

Sam Darnold Just Played a Perfect Half of Football in Washington

And it wasn't just the results, it's that all four touchdown passes were perfectly placed to hit his receivers in stride. The first was a 4-yarder to Horton. Then a gorgeous 25-yarder to him again. Same to Arroyo for 26 yards. And the cherry on the Sunday sundae: a 60-yard catch-and-run to White, who is filling in for the injured Kupp.

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There's being in the "zone," and then there's wherever Darnold was in Sunday night's first half. It's as impressive of a half of quarterbacking as the 12s have seen in the history of the Seahawks. He obviously set the franchise record for consecutive completions in a game.

Only 3 NFL quarterbacks have had 280+ yards passing and 4+ TDs in a full game this season. Darnold did it in one half.

Amber Searls-Imagn Images
Amber Searls-Imagn Images

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Richie Whitt
RICHIE WHITT

Richie Whitt has been a sports media fixture in Dallas-Fort Worth since graduating from UT-Arlington in 1986. His career is highlighted by successful stints in print (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Observer), TV (NBC5) and radio (105.3 The Fan). During his almost 40-year tenure, he's blabbed and blogged on events ranging from Super Bowls to NBA Finals to World Series to Stanley Cups to Olympics to Wimbledons to World Cups. Whitt has been covering the NFL since 1989, and in 1993 authored The 'Boys Are Back, a book chronicling the Dallas Cowboys' run to Super Bowl XXVII.

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