Why Sam Darnold is key to Seahawks beating 49ers, clinching No. 1 seed

It feels like an eternity ago that Sam Darnold and Jaxon Smith-Njigba were lighting opposing defenses on fire with long touchdowns and big gains weekly. That's because it's been nearly two months since we've seen what was once the most dangerous passing offense in the league.

Through the first nine games of the season, Darnold averaged 9.9 yards per pass attempt and Smith-Njigba was gaining 15.9 yards per reception. In the last seven games, however, Darnold is averaging just 7.1 yards per attempt, while Smith-Njigba is gaining 13.4 yards per catch.

Opponents have learned how to stop the Seahawks' explosives. It's opened things up for the running game as a result, but Darnold in particular has struggled.

Over that same seven-game stretch, Darnold has completed just 63.2 percent of his passes for 1,588 yards, eight touchdowns and eight interceptions. He's turned the ball over a total of 10 times in that stretch and has an NFL-high 20 giveaways this season.

Dec 7, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) and quarterback Sam Darnold (14) celebrate after a touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Coincidentally, former Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith has the second most (18).

As the season progressed, you hoped to see some improvement in Darnold's turnover issues. But they've only gotten worse, if anything. When the Seahawks face the San Francisco 49ers for the NFC's No. 1 playoff seed and NFC West title on Saturday, they will absolutely need him to have his best game in the last two months.

Mistake-free Darnold critical vs. elite 49ers rush defense

The 49ers have given up just 103.3 rush yards per game this season (6th), which isn't far behind Seattle's elite unit (3rd) that hasn't allowed a rusher to reach 100 yards in 25 straight games.

Seattle had just 84 rushing yards on 26 carries (3.2 yards per attempt) against the 49ers in Week 1, and San Francisco has held opponents to under three yards per carry twice this season.

The last game the Seahawks' run game really struggled in was against the Indianapolis Colts, running the ball 22 times for a total of 50 yards (2.3 yards per carry). That, outside of the 38-37 overtime win against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 16, was also the closest game Seattle has had since Week 11.

Put simply: The Seahawks' offense has struggled when the run game doesn't get going. And even when it does, the first halves of games have been slow.

Dec 14, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Indianapolis Colts safety Cam Bynum (0) tackles Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (26) during the third quarter at Lumen Field. | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

If that happens versus the 49ers, the pressure will be on the defense to win them another game. Darnold has to play a turnover-free, productive game if the Seahawks want to beat San Francisco and earn an extra week of rest.

Luckily for the Seahawks, the defense has been up to the challenge lately. Minus the Rams game in Week 16, Seattle has given up just 8.75 points per game since Week 13. Even with the outlier, they've allowed 14.4 in that stretch.

The 49ers' offense is rolling, posting 31 points per game over its current six-game win streak. If a shootout ensues, Seattle may need more late-game heroics from Darnold.

Thankfully, Darnold was up to the task against the Rams. But this will undoubtedly be the biggest game of his career as he tries to reach the Divisional Round for the first time. He has to be nearly perfect.

Mistake-free Darnold critical vs. elite 49ers rush defense

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