Seahawks offense ‘far ahead’ of expectations in Year 1 under OC Klint Kubiak

It was a game that featured a combined 73 points and 889 yards of total offense. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers got a late takeaway followed by a 39-yard field goal by Chase McLaughlin on the final play of the game to knock off the Seattle Seahawks. Mike Sando of The Athletic had some observations following Sunday’s barnburner in the Pacific Northwest.

“The Buccaneers’ 38-35 victory at Seattle told us what we already knew about Tampa Bay,” said Sando. “Here’s what we learned about Seattle. Sam Darnold, meet Tony Romo from Week 5, 2013.”

Sando did a little reminiscing and recalled a game from 12 years ago when an eventual Hall of Famer and an undrafted free agent went toe-to-toe at AT&T Stadium.

“Fans of the Denver Broncos and Dallas Cowboys won’t forget the epic 2013 game between the teams,” explained Sando, “a shootout Romo’s Cowboys lost 51-48 despite Romo passing for 506 yards with five touchdowns and one interception. The one interception, with 2:04 remaining in a tie game, enabled Peyton Manning’s drive to the winning field goal. It also helped solidify Romo’s reputation for risking the football in key moments, before people realized what Romo was up against in Dallas.”

Oct 5, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) throws downfield against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second half at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

“Darnold performed similarly for Seattle in that 38-35 defeat to Tampa Bay on Sunday,” added Sando. “He completed 28-of-34 passes for 341 yards with four touchdowns, no sacks, an incredible escape on fourth-and-two and, alas, a late deflected interception in a tie game. Tampa Bay then drove to kick the decisive field goal as time expired.”

Sando’s real focus here is the progress the Seahawks’ attack has made since the start of 2025. “The big revelation for Seattle is that its offense, after struggling against San Francisco in Week 1, appears far ahead of where anyone reasonably could have expected it to be with a new coordinator (Klint Kubiak), new quarterback (Darnold) and an overhauled receiving group."

"Since Week 2, Seattle ranks fourth in offensive points per game (29.8), fourth in EPA per play (+0.14), first in yards per play (6.6), third in offensive touchdowns (14) and first in yards per pass attempt (9.7).”

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