Sam Darnold shares powerful validation for Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak

It's still very early, but, new Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak looks to be the real deal.

Kubiak hasn't been perfect, as the season opener against the San Francisco 49ers was especially rough and the run game is still trying to get going.

Through three games, though, the Seahawks' offense seems to be playing with a different energy so far. That was especially evident in their 44-13 blowout victory over the New Orleans Saints (Kubiak's former team), and while the offense definitely received help from the defense and special teams, they still scored their most points since 2022. That's impressive no matter how one slices it.

One of the reasons for the Seahawks' success over the past two weeks has been their fast starts, as in both games, Sam Darnold and co. marched down the field on the opening drive and scored touchdowns. As Darnold explained after the Saints game, that's not a reflection of Kubiak as an in-game coach, but his preparation during the week as well.

Sam Darnold praises Klint Kubiak's preparation

Sep 8, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak reacts against the Carolina Panthers during the pregame at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

"It's huge. Just the preparation, like you said, that we put in throughout the week, that's how you want to start the game," Darnold told reporters. "You go through your openers and you go through certain things that you want to do against their defense.

"You know, sometimes, especially early in the season, you're not necessarily sure exactly what you're going to get from their defense. I feel like our guys did a really good job of executing no matter what the circumstances were, even it was a different look than what we practiced. I thought just execution was at a high level today."

Against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2, the Seahawks marched 65 yards on eight plays with Darnold finding rookie Tory Horton for a 21-yard score. Then against the Saints, they marched 55 yards on six plays with Darnold finding Jaxon Smith-Njigba for a 12-yard score. That came after a roughing the passer penalty on Saints defensive lineman Bryan Bresee erased a third-down stop.

Every team likes to play with the lead (well, in theory at least), but the Seahawks seem well prepared to protect it with their strong defense, doubly so if they can get the run game going. As such, scoring on the opening drive is definitely a recipe for winning football.

Sam Darnold praises Klint Kubiak's preparation

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