Seahawks PFF grades: Jaxon Smith-Njigba on top, Sam Darnold hits rock bottom

The Seattle Seahawks took a really frustrating loss yesterday. They saw Sam Darnold throw four interceptions, the defense stood firm and allowed only 21 points, and they had a chance to win it on a long field goal at the end. For some, the PFF grades vindicate the performance, and for others, it's a contest to forget.

Sam Darnold's Linsanity run ended

It's certainly extremely hyperbolic to call Sam Darnold's resurgence a "Linsanity run," but he did come crashing back down to earth Sunday. He now has seven turnovers in the last two games, and he might've been solely responsible for the loss Sunday. He earned a justified 39.2 grade, lowest on the entire roster.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba soared with little help

The offense was not very good on Sunday, mainly because Darnold struggled mightily. But Jaxon Smith-Njigba's OPOY campaign continued. He had nine catches for 105 yards, and he earned the highest grade on the team. 84.0 isn't what he usually gets, but it's still a stellar grade.

Grey Zabel came out on bottom again

The PFF grades seem to routinely disagree with Grey Zabel's perceived performances. He's looked good, but that hasn't translated. Yet again on Sunday, Zabel, per the PFF grade, was abysmal. If not for Darnold, he'd have been the worst player on the field, but a 42.9 grade is pretty disappointing either way.

Derick Hall topsped defense

Derick Hall was the best player on a defense that really put in a sturdy outing despite all the offensive turnovers Seattle had. They only allowed 21 points, with Hall right in the middle of it. His 82.5 grade is. the only 80+ grade on defense, thanks to his strong run defense and tackling.

Ernest Jones cratered in loss

Ernest Jones came to Darnold's defense with an expletive-filled rant after the game. Somewhat ironically, he was also pretty awful on Sunday. His 43.9 grade was the worst on that side of the ball. He was really good tackling (79.8), but horrible run defense (36.1) tanked his overall grade.

Running backs looked good

Zach Charbonnet and Kenneth Walker are one of the better two-headed rushing attacks in the NFL. That proved to be true again on Sunday. Walker was second-best on the offense with a 76.0 grade. He was great in the run game (76.6), but also really strong in the passing offense (70.0). Charbonnet was fifth on offense with a solid 67.0 grade.