Sam Darnold vows to ‘let it rip’ in NFC title game

RENTON — Drew Lock and not Sam Darnold taking first-team snaps for the Seahawks days before they play in the NFC championship would normally be cause for the football equivalent of civil-defense alarms to blare across the Pacific Northwest.

But that set-up worked out fine last week for Darnold and Seattle.

Just as he did Thursday and Friday last week before Darnold got his first career postseason win Saturday in the team’s blowout of San Francisco in the divisional round, the Pro Bowl quarterback watched portions of practice Wednesday. He rested his left, oblique injury. Lock, the veteran backup and former Denver Broncos starter, ran some periods with Seattle’s starting offense, four days before the 15-3 team’s NFC title game against the Los Angeles Rams (14-5) at Lumen Field (3:30 p.m., FOX television, channel 13 locally).

Wednesday was the latest installment of the Seahawks’ maintenance and care plans for Darnold, as they “navigate” — coach Mike Macdonald’s term — Darnold’s oblique injury he first felt six days ago.

“Feeling really good. Just attacking rehab these last couple days, (and) obviously will be throughout the week,” Darnold said.

“Like I said, just got to continue to prepare and get my body right for Sunday.” Darnold has an extra day off to rest and rehab this week. Seattle played on Saturday night last weekend. The Rams won in overtime at Chicago Sunday night.

darnold

Darnold said it’s important for him to get some practice time this week on the field, not to totally shut it down until game time Sunday.

“I think it’s always important to get reps throughout practice, walk-throughs (in the mornings),” Darnold said. “So reps are always vital throughout the week.”

Yet that doesn’t mean he must throw each day.

“He’s not going to be a full-go the whole week, but we have a plan,” coach Mike Macdonald said. “We’re going to work through it, see how the day goes; then kind of take it day by day and take it to (Thursday).

“But he won’t be like throwing every ball every play for the whole week, no.”

Darnold did not join Lock and rookie third-string quarterback Jalen Milroe in throwing Wednesday afternoon before stretching began at the start of practice, as Darnold otherwise always does. Darnold came out later. He hopped, jogged and stretched with his teammates, but did not throw in the short time reporters were permitted to watch the first minutes of practice.

Last week, Darnold did not throw from the time Thursday in practice he felt discomfort in his left, non-throwing side throwing a pass to a receiver until about an hour and 45 minutes before Seattle kicked off against San Francisco Saturday.

He then completed 12 of 17 passes in a game in which the Seahawks jumped to a lead on the opening kickoff, romped to 175 yards rushing and relied on their dominant defense to cruise into their first conference championship in 11 years.

lock

Lock replaced Darnold in the fourth quarter for the final six of 53 offensive snaps of the blowout of the 49ers.

Wednesday, Darnold said he did not have any ill effects from playing two days after getting hurt.

“Felt great,” he said.

Now the 28-year-old Darnold is in the first conference title game of his eight-year NFL career. Sam Darnold vs Rams

He’s playing a Rams team he gave a career-high four interceptions to in November. He gifted L.A. two of its three touchdowns on drives of 4 and 25 yards in the Seahawks’ 21-19 loss in Inglewood, California.

Last month at Lumen Field, Darnold rallied Seattle from 16 points down with 10 minutes left into overtime. Darnold’s pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba across the back of the end zone for a touchdown, then his two-point conversion pass waiting for reserve tight end Eric Saubert to go from blocking to pass receiver late in the play sent the Seahawks to a wild, 38-37 win over the Rams.

In the two games against the Rams this season, Darnold’s first as Seattle’s franchise QB, he’s completed 51 of 78 passes (65.4%) for 549 yards, two touchdowns and six interceptions, with four sacks. That’s below his season completion percentage of 67.7%.

Darnold’s passer rating against the Rams is 62.4. His rating is all games this regular season was 99.1.

Darnold threw for 4,000 yards, made his second consecutive Pro Bowl and made Jaxon Smith-Njigba the NFL’s leading receiver with 1,793 yards this regular season. Wednesday, the Pro Football Writers Association named Smith-Njigba the league’s offensive player of the year.

But Darnold also led the NFL with 20 turnovers.

He has played five games this season without an interception or a lost fumble. The Seahawks are 5-0 in those games. That includes their last two games, dominations of San Francisco to win the NFC West in week 18, and then last weekend to reach the conference finals.

“For me personally, comes down to protecting the football, being smart — and getting the ball out of my hands, at the same time,” Darnold said.

Yet coach Mike Macdonald keeps telling him to “let it rip.”

He wants his quarterback to push for big plays, and sees some of the turnovers the “cost of doing business,” as the coach likes to say.

Sam Darnold: ‘Let it rip’

No, the Seahawks aren’t about to go conservative with Darnold’s passing game to Smith-Njigba, speedy Rashid Shaheed, trusted veteran Cooper Kupp and six-touchdown tight end AJ Barner. Not even with Darnold’s left side hurting.

“I think I’ve been saying it all year: I’m going to turn it loose,” Darnold said. “If it’s there and we get the coverage for the right play and I feel like it’s there, I’m going to let it rip.

“Just being smart with the football is always at a premium. I got to take care of the football at the end of the day, that’s where my mind is at.

“(But) if we get the right coverage and the right play and I feel like a guy is open, I’m going to let it rip.”

The Rams ended Darnold’s 2024 season and 14-3 season with Minnesota in the first round of the playoffs. L.A.’s defense sacked him a playoff record-tying nine times in that game 12 months ago.

This time he’s playing them for a place in Super Bowl 60, Feb. 8 in Santa Clara, California.

“Obviously, third time playing these guys. Really good team. Really good defense. Really good scheme. Good players,” Darnold said. “So like always, we’re really excited about this opportunity to play these guys.

“Just got to have a really good week of practice. For me, I got to continue to attack all the things that I need to attack. You know, just get ready like I said to play these guys— but also just getting my body right, getting my body right to be ready for Sunday.”