INGLEWOOD, Calif. — As Ernest Jones IV was walking by Sam Darnold on his way to his postgame news conference Sunday at SoFi Stadium, the Seattle Seahawks middle linebacker offered the quarterback a few words of encouragement.
Then Jones backed Darnold with passion and profanity.
“Sam’s been balling,” Jones said. “If we want to try to define Sam by this game, Sam’s had us in every f—ing game. So, for him to sit there and say, ‘That’s my fault,’ no it’s not. It was plays that defensively we could have made … opportunities where we could have got better stops. It’s football, man. He’s our quarterback. We’ve got his back, and if you’ve got anything to say, quite frankly, f— you.”
Jones’ defense of Darnold came after the quarterback delivered his worst performance of what has otherwise been a brilliant first season with the Seahawks. In a battle of 7-2 teams that would give the winner sole possession of first place in the NFC West, Darnold threw four interceptions and no touchdown passes in Seattle’s 21-19 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
“I can’t turn the ball over as much as I did today,” Darnold said. “I’ll learn from it, watch the tape, grow from it. You’ve got to give credit to the Rams. Obviously, they’re a really good defense, a really good team. But I’ve got to be better, personally.”
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The Seahawks entered Week 11 as the NFL’s third-highest scoring team despite 16 turnovers (including 10 by Darnold), which were tied for second most. They couldn’t survive four more giveaways against one of the leading MVP candidates in Matthew Stafford and a stingy Rams defense — though they almost did.
Backed up at his own 1-yard line with one timeout and 1:41 left in the game, Darnold drove the Seahawks 56 yards to set up a 61-yard field goal try to win the game as time expired. But Jason Myers — who had made four earlier field goals — wasn’t close.
Seattle’s defense held Stafford and the Rams to 249 yards and 2-of-11 on third down. The Seahawks gained 414 yards but went 1-of-4 in the red zone.
“When it comes to us being backed up on the 1-yard line, that was just, ‘Let’s go play ball,'” Darnold said. “We’re still in this despite the turnovers and all the things that happened prior to that. That’s a huge credit to our defense, the way that they played all day. I just wish I could have played better for our defense and just everyone on the team.
“It stings and it sucks. It should suck. I’m just going to continue to grind and learn from this one the next couple days.”
Darnold’s Pro Bowl campaign with the Minnesota Vikings last season ended with a loss to the Rams in the wild-card round, when Los Angeles’ defense smothered him on their way to nine sacks. He entered Week 11 as the NFL’s leader in Total QBR in part because of how well he has avoided sacks. He didn’t take any on Sunday, but his apparent commitment to avoiding them might have worked against him.
On his fourth interception, he attempted a leaping dump-off pass to tight end Elijah Arroyo while trying to navigate a collapsing pocket.
According to ESPN Research, three of Darnold’s four interceptions came while he was under pressure.
“They do a good job of disguising shell and all those things,” Darnold said. “I feel like a lot of defenses do the same thing. I feel like their pass rush, their linebackers, their safeties just all being on the same page and playing really good football, they do it at a high level, they seem like really smart players.
“But again, those are self-inflicted wounds, turning the ball over like that. Sometimes, it’s just better to try to throw the ball away or even take a sack when nothing’s there.”
Sam Darnold entered Week 11 as the NFL’s leader in Total QBR but struggled with turnovers versus the Rams on Sunday. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
The Seahawks had run the fewest plays of any team this season while trailing. They trailed throughout on Sunday, though never by more than 11 points.
Darnold finished 29-of-44 — both season-highs — for 279 yards.
Seattle wide receiver Cooper Kupp, who caught three passes for 23 yards in his first game against his former team, credited Darnold for remaining “steady” despite his struggles.
“You can see just the trials that he’s been through … they’re not for no reason,” Kupp said. “There’s a purpose. He’s learned lessons, and he knows that there’s waves and there’s ups and there’s going to be valleys, there’s going to be plays that you want back, but all you can do is keep coming back, keep firing.”
Seattle coach Mike Macdonald said Darnold put the Seahawks in position to win at the end.
“I’m not surprised. That’s who Sam is. He’s done it since day one with us. And he’s an ultimate competitor, and he’s a great quarterback — and he’s our quarterback. We love him.”
The Seahawks’ loss snapped their 10-game road winning streak dating back to last season. According to ESPN Analytics, their chances of winning the NFC West dropped from 33% to 19%, though they have another game against the Rams in Week 16 at Seattle’s Lumen Field.
The Seahawks, now 7-3, will play the Tennessee Titans (1-9) in Nashville next Sunday.
“We’re going to recoup,” Macdonald said. “We’re going to go get back and attack the heck out of this week just like we would if the field goal went in. Encouraged by our group; obviously, very disappointed we lost. We want to be able to win a game like that given all the circumstances, but we didn’t. But it’s a long season, and we’ll move forward.”
