Matt Calkins: Seahawks' Sam Darnold has chance to vanquish Rams -- and his critics

Matt Calkins, The Seattle Times on Jan 24, 2026

Published in Football

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RENTON, Wash. — It can feel silly, picking at the performances of someone in the top 10 in the world at what they do. A Pro Bowl quarterback playing for a conference championship should have pundits permanently on mute.

But this is sports. This is entertainment provided by world-class athletes with eight and nine-figure contracts living out their dreams. So it is without guilt that I write that the reputation of Seahawks QB Sam Darnold still has one boulder to barrel through to complete its transformation. Actually, make that one boulder to Ram through.

That blue-and-gold team from Los Angeles, after all, has been Darnold’s nemesis over these past two otherwise glorious seasons. The Rams sacked Sam — then with the Vikings — nine times last year en route to a first-round playoff victory. They intercepted Darnold four times at SoFi Stadium last November in a 21-19 win over Seattle.

Darnold threw another two picks — both in the second half — when these teams met again last month. And though he was sublime in the overtime touchdown drive that gave the Seahawks a 38-37 victory that night, from a QBR standpoint, it was still his fourth-worst game of the season.

The truth is, the Seahawks haven’t really needed Darnold to play well since that OT thriller. Their defense, special teams and running game have been so dominant that middling stat lines from their signal-caller were acceptable.

Yes, Darnold was efficient in Seattle’s 41-6 win over the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional playoff round last weekend, but they’ll need even more from him against the Rams in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday. He has to have his best game against the team that has given him the worst fits.

Of course, Darnold isn’t going to cough up any quotes that feed narratives regarding his big-game struggles or efforts against Los Angeles. Asked if there was anything unique about the Rams earlier this week, he downplayed it like a 20-year PR vet.

“Like I said, they’re a really good team. Obviously it’s the NFC Championship, so two best teams in the NFC going at it. It’s a really good opportunity to just play good football, have that kind of next-opponent, next-game mentality,” Darnold said. “We look at it as another game.”

This might very well be an honest response. Just because personalities across sports media have zeroed in on the “Can Darnold exorcise his Ram demons?” storyline doesn’t mean he thinks about that.

But Sam’s still human. He’s still hyper competitive, too. So while leading his team to its first Super Bowl appearance in 11 years would be the main dish for him Sunday, silencing critics would be a delectable dessert.

Some might ask “Wait … he hasn’t silenced them yet?” And that’s a fair question. Because without Darnold, the Seahawks (15-3) wouldn’t have attained the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC.

He finished fifth in the NFL in passing yards this season (4,048) and was second in yards per attempt (8.5). He had nine games with a passer rating of at least 110.9 and two that were over 140. He was a clear upgrade over Geno Smith, who the Seahawks traded last offseason.

But … he also led the league in turnovers with 20. And he was just so-so in the Seahawks’ two biggest regular-season games — the aforementioned win over the Rams, and the 13-3 win over San Francisco to win the division in the regular-season finale.

Combine that with the two crucial losses the Vikings suffered at the end of last season — much in part due to Darnold’s play — and there is still a morsel of a stigma that can morph into a mountain with a poor performance Sunday.

I’m not saying this is fair. But I don’t make the legacy rules, either. I know how the media will spin it if Sam underperforms in a loss and how the general public will perceive it.

Darnold’s teammates and head coach have each attacked the Sam storylines in their own way. Mike Macdonald has been consistent that the narratives have zero impact on Darnold’s mentality or the team’s view of its quarterback. And then there was linebacker Ernest Jones IV after Darnold’s four-pick game vs. the Rams in November: “He’s our quarterback, we got his back, and if you got anything to say, quite frankly, (expletive) you.”

You’re not going to get any words close to as spicy from Darnold himself. But as Marshawn Lynch once said “I ain’t never seen no talking winning nothin’.”

Darnold doesn’t need to talk. He just needs to play well. He does that, and his team is likely in the Super Bowl.

The stigma of vulnerability disappears after that. The label of immortality could soon follow.

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