Seahawks Coach Backs Sam Darnold Despite Costly Interceptions in Week 6 Loss to Broncos

The general expectation for a defending Super Bowl champion is that it will remind fans it wasn’t a flash in the pan. Sam Darnold, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and the rest of the Seattle Seahawks had this on their mind mere moments after they lifted last year’s Vince Lombardi trophy.

That was because there were already doubts whether the ‘Hawks would have had their way if the Los Angeles Rams had managed to score in the fourth quarter of the NFC Championship Game.

They were without a doubt the best team in the league, and many felt that the Washington-based team had it easy when facing the untested New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX.

While those doubts should generally fuel a spark within the team, the Seahawks find themselves struggling with a 3-3 record. The last of those losses came at the hands of the Denver Broncos, and almost everyone had their fingers pointed at just one person.

I think we have a lot of faith in Sam… He’s done a lot of great things this year, but obviously turned the ball over more than we want to… He’s definitely part of the solution rather than the opposite.

Mike Macdonald told Brady Henderson

With this statement to the ESPN reporter, the head coach emphasized the organization’s support for their starting quarterback. Mike Macdonald did agree that Sam Darnold has struggled with interceptions, but it is a result of the entire offense’s problems, rather than just the signal caller’s fault.

This is generally what every team does, as they have to support their most important player no matter how ugly it was when Darnold’s interceptions cost the Seahawks a game they could have won.

Dan Orlovsky raises questions about Sam Darnold’s decision-making

The loss to the Denver Broncos was the second in succession, and both had Sam Darnold throwing two interceptions. Since both were close games, questions are being asked about whether the 29-year-old was truly lucky last season.

Sure, the loss of offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak can be attributed to their struggles. But while analyzing tape from the Broncos game on NFL Live, Dan Orlovsky noted multiple instances where Darnold could have done better.

The ESPN analyst pointed out that the USC alum had made several of those throws with ease last season. This time, most of those sacks and QB hits raise questions about whether Darnold is losing his focus and not keeping track of what is happening around him.

Sam Darnold has been pressured 55 times, contacted 33 times, and sacked 13 times in the last 12 days. While no team, somehow, is worse targeting their TE’s @Seahawks #nflive https://t.co/i75Wq5QXDT

— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) October 16, 2026

Orlovsky pointed out that while his eyes are generally looking for superstar wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba, that should not be their go-to play every time. This has allowed opposing defenses to pick him apart, which explains the seven interceptions in the five games Sam Darnold has played so far.

Analyst points blame at Seahawks offense for Sam Darnold’s struggles

While Dan Orlovsky pointed out Sam Darnold‘s faults, his colleague, Field Yates, decided to look at the Seattle Seahawks offense as a whole. That led him to say this:

They’re a chemically unbalanced offense, and that’s not going to work with Sam playing the way he is.

Field Yates said

The analyst pointed out that the organization did not do their bit in helping a Super Bowl-winning team keep what made them winners. Now, not only does the offense have to make up for their run-game deficit, but they are not helping Darnold stick to what makes him good.

"They’re a chemically unbalanced offense, and that’s not going to work with Sam [Darnold] playing the way he is." —@FieldYates on the Seahawks’ offense 👀 https://t.co/mzPF4QMQyX

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) October 16, 2026

Yates believes that the one-dimensional offense needs to dig deep and figure out how to fix their problems on the offensive line and the passing attack that tends to make it easy for top-tier defenses to rip them apart.

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