Does Seahawks QB Sam Darnold have MVP case?

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold is off to a fantastic start in his first five games with the team.

The Seahawks are 3-2 and in a great spot to grow with Darnold under center. Sports Illustrated contributor Gilberto Manzano listed Darnold at No. 5 in his MVP candidate ranking.

"The Seahawks were holding back Darnold until they finally unleashed him in the Week 5 shootout loss to the Buccaneers. Yes, Darnold’s late interception allowed Tampa Bay to steal the game, but Seattle would have lost by double digits if it weren’t for Darnold being perfect for nearly four quarters," Manzano wrote.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield. | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

The only players that are higher in Manzano's MVP rankings are Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua, reigning MVP Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills and Tampa Bay Buccaneers signal caller Baker Mayfield.

The Seahawks are still trying to get into their groove with Klint Kubiak as their new offensive coordinator and Darnold as their quarterback, so they need to figure out how to best maximize their potential.

Manzano suggests that the Seahawks should run more plays for Darnold as the season continues.

"Seattle aims to be a conservative team that relies on its defense and controls the clock on offense. But over time, we’ll likely see more games with Darnold bailing out a team, as it continues to tinker with its identity. The Seahawks will eventually realize that Darnold should be a big part of that identity," Manzano wrote.

"He has only 134 passing attempts, which is a lot fewer than Dak Prescott’s league-high 195 attempts. Obviously, the Seahawks shouldn't neglect the running game, but Darnold is averaging a league-high 9.3 yards per attempt and has been nearly unstoppable throwing in Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s direction. For the season, Darnold has completed 73.1% of his passes with 1,187 yards, nine touchdowns and three interceptions."

Darnold will have a chance to strengthen his case to be the league MVP when the Seahawks take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 6. Kickoff is scheduled for Sunday at 10 a.m. PT. Fans can watch the game on FOX.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold throws downfield against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

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