Schlereth: Seahawks’ Sam Darnold has ‘redemption game’

The noise was starting to get loud around Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold.

After a strong two-game showing from backup quarterback Drew Lock while he was out with a glute injury, Darnold returned to the field and began showing the turnover problem that plagued him through the early stages of career and cropped up at times last year.

‘One of a kind’: Seahawks’ Emmanwori showcases unicorn skill set

The ninth-year pro threw two interceptions in his Week 3 return against the Washington Commanders, including a pick-six in the fourth quarter that sealed the Commanders’ 33-31 win. And after a win over the lowly Los Angeles Chargers in Week 4, Darnold had consecutive two-interception games that cost the Seahawks in back-to-back three-point losses to the San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos.

But against two-time MVP Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in primetime on Sunday, Darnold bounced back with a strong showing, completing 20 of 28 passes for 257 yards and one touchdown to one interception.

While it wasn’t a perfect game from Darnold because of the pick the threw in the red zone late in the first half that cost Seattle at least three points, it was still one worthy of being deemed a redemption game, according to three-time Super Bowl champion offensive lineman Mark Schlereth.

“I think it’s a redemption game,” Schlereth said Monday during his weekly conversation with Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob. “Obviously, you’d like to have that one back, and I don’t know what the call was, but normally when you’re running a mesh concept in the end zone – when you’ve got one receiver coming from the right, one receiver coming from the left – they’re supposed to cross at about five or six yards deep in the end zone. And both those guys kind of ended up bumping into each other right on the end line there of the end zone.

“So, I don’t know if the route combination was screwed up, if they didn’t run it correctly – I’m not really sure. But that’s one you gotta just fire out the back of the end zone.”

Darnold bounced back from that mistake and played a turnover-free second half, completing 7 of 10 passes for 79 yards and adding a key 10-yard scramble on a third down to extend a field goal drive in the third quarter.

“The bottom line, though, is your ability to bounce back from that and not let it affect you, I think is huge,” Schlereth said. “So, he played much better (Sunday) night. He did look the part. He looked really, really sharp. So, I thought that part was the redemption part. And every now and again, you’re gonna make a boneheaded mistake. He’s just gonna make less of those boneheaded mistakes going forward.”

Hear the full conversation at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Listen to Wyman and Bob weekdays from 2-7 p.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app. 

Seattle Seahawks news and analysis

• ‘Unguardable’ Jaxon Smith-Njigba outpacing his historic 2025
• The numbers behind Seattle Seahawks’ defensive masterpiece vs Chiefs
• Seattle Seahawks Injury Updates: The latest on Shaheed, Cross and more

Related

Brock and Salk: Reported Quenton Nelson trade a ‘steal’ for SeahawksReport: Seahawks trade Colts for 8-time Pro Bowl guard Quenton NelsonRaiders’ Kubiak addresses QB situation with date vs Seahawks coming up‘One of a kind’: Seahawks’ Emmanwori showcases unicorn skill setSeahawks Status Report: What’s working, stock up, stock down and moreNFC West: Banged-up 49ers limp into bye week after 1st loss