Stacy Rost: Sam Darnold meets the moment for Seahawks

There’s a lot to be said about this Seattle Seahawks team, and most of those points fairly start with the league’s No. 1 scoring defense. They may not have looked like it Sunday, but it’s a large part of what got Seattle here.

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It also continued another NFL tradition. In conference championship games where the league’s top scoring offense meets the league’s top scoring defense, the defense is an undefeated 3-0 (2025 Seattle, 2014 Seattle, 1981 Philadelphia). Defense wins championships, after all.

But for as good as that unit was this year, it’s hard not to think about what quarterback Sam Darnold did.

Darnold was the elephant in the room for most of the buildup to Super Bowl 60. That started all the way back in Week 1 with questions about whether he could repeat his success from the Vikings. Doubt continued when he became one of the league’s most explosive passers (though also made plenty turnovers). And it was present once again heading into the first NFC title game for Seattle in 10 years.

Every critic and every analyst felt in their bones that the Seahawks’ defense could get it done… but would Darnold cost them a trip to biggest game in football?

Darnold met the moment in an efficient Week 18 game (with no interceptions) that won Seattle the NFC West and the top seed. He also met the moment in the divisional round, getting his first playoff win. But the defense was so dominant in those games, and Darnold’s stat line was less gaudy, that calls for something bigger and better remained. Call it moving the goal posts or call it wanting to feel sure, but whatever it is, people wanted more from Darnold.

He gave it to them. Because on a night when the defense allowed far too many explosive plays, it was instead the offense that won Seattle the game and sent them to Super Bowl 60. Darnold went toe-to-toe with the MVP frontrunner, Rams QB Matthew Stafford. He finished the night 25 of 36 for 346 passing yards and three touchdowns with, most notably, no interceptions again. He didn’t buckle under pressure from a Rams defense that had forced six picks from him this year. He was hit hard on key throws, including a touchdown to Cooper Kupp.

If he doesn’t look like a franchise quarterback to you, that’s fine. But he sure looks like one that can help you win a Super Bowl.

More on the Seattle Seahawks

• Seahawks’ ‘Dark Side’ defense has its legacy moment
• Turning Points: The plays that won Seahawks the NFC Championship
• Seahawks avoid disaster after Riq Woolen’s taunting penalty
• On to the Super Bowl! Seattle Seahawks win NFC title
• Seahawks chair Jody Allen raises 12 Flag for NFC Championship

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