GLENDALE, Ariz. — After their vaunted protection allowed the Arizona Cardinals to attain 17 straight factors, tying the rating late within the fourth quarter, the Seahawks managed to drag out a 23-20 win Thursday night time at State Farm Stadium largely because of the poise their new quarterback confirmed.
Dealing with a second-and-10 from their very own 40 with 23 seconds left, Sam Darnold hit receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba down the left sideline for a 22-yard acquire, establishing Jason Myers’ game-winning discipline purpose from 52 yards out as time expired two performs later.
“Sam made an ideal throw, actually,” Smith-Njigba stated. “Again shoulder throw. The nook was on prime of me, so he simply positioned it completely, and it was a straightforward seize.”
Darnold and Smith-Njigba positioned the Seahawks to place the sport away on their earlier drive, connecting for a 36-yard acquire down the fitting sideline on one other completely positioned throw. However Myers missed huge proper on a 53-yard discipline purpose attempt that may have put Seattle up 23-13, and Arizona then drove for the tying landing.
The Seahawks began the following drive at their very own 40-yard line after Arizona’s kickoff failed to succeed in the touchdown zone, and Darnold made them pay.
Like all Seahawks contracts, the three-year, $100.5 million deal they gave Darnold in March after buying and selling Geno Smith provides the workforce a possible out after one season, placing strain on their new quarterback to ship instant ends in 2025.
And he’s.
After finishing 18 of 26 makes an attempt for 242 yards and a landing Thursday night time, Darnold now has 5 TDs to 2 interceptions whereas main Seattle to a 3-1 begin.
“Sam’s enjoying out of his thoughts proper now,” coach Mike Macdonald stated. “You see him, he is simply such a cool buyer. However he is a man on a mission. He is so decided for us to be a terrific workforce and a terrific offense, and he is doing a terrific job main us.”
One of the spectacular facets of Darnold’s debut season in Seattle has been his potential to flee strain and create large performs whereas on the run, which he confirmed once more towards Arizona.
Late within the second quarter, he discovered rookie tight finish Elijah Arroyo for a 32-yard acquire whereas scrambling to his proper. On the subsequent play, he noticed an open swath of turf on a bootleg and ran for twenty-four yards.
These two performs positioned the Seahawks for a Zach Charbonnet landing run that put them up 14-3 at halftime.
“I am actually joyful he got here down with that one as a result of I feel I had 20 yards in entrance of me of inexperienced grass,” Darnold stated of his throw to Arroyo. “So I am actually joyful he made that play.”
The Seahawks’ halftime lead would have been bigger than 11 factors if not for 3 miscues. Coby Bryant fumbled away an interception again to Arizona, fellow security Julian Love dropped a straightforward choose and working again Kenneth Walker III took Seattle out of discipline purpose vary with a taunting penalty.
The Seahawks have been nonetheless in full management till Arizona stormed again, driving for touchdowns on consecutive possessions within the fourth quarter and necessitating the late-game heroics.
The Seahawks had an opportunity for the same end of their season opener, when Darnold’s 40-yard completion to Smith-Njigba acquired them within the purple zone towards the San Francisco 49ers. However the recreation ended when Nick Bosa strip-sacked Darnold and recovered the fumble.
“He is simply comfy in these moments,” Darnold stated of Smith-Njigba, his No. 1 receiver. “He confirmed that even within the San Francisco recreation. Clearly we did not get the job achieved after we performed them the primary recreation, however he confirmed his big-play potential not solely in two-minute however all through the sport. We’ve that rapport to the place we are able to belief one another with totally different routes and feeling leverage and all these issues.”
Smith-Njigba was second within the NFL with 323 receiving yards over the primary three video games, the very best begin to a season in membership historical past. He did not have a catch Thursday night time till late within the third quarter earlier than coming alive within the fourth. He completed with 79 yards on 4 catches.
“Jax, man, among the finest receivers within the league,” Love stated. “Folks must put some respect on his title. He is the true deal.”
Macdonald stated Seattle’s sideline had little doubt that Myers would make the game-winner regardless of his miss on the earlier drive.
“I golfed with him this offseason, and that is his mentality in golf, too,” Darnold stated of Myers, a single-digit handicap. “He’ll hit a foul shot and he’ll come again and stripe it on the subsequent one. He is acquired that mentality. He will get fairly annoyed when he would not make them, however then he comes again and it is virtually computerized when you realize he will are available and knock the subsequent one down.”
Darnold’s Professional Bowl season with the Minnesota Vikings ended at State Farm Stadium, which hosted their wild-card recreation towards the Los Angeles Rams because of the wildfires in Southern California. He was sacked 9 occasions within the loss, then hit free company after Minnesota determined to not maintain him through the franchise tag.
“It was simply one other recreation,” Darnold stated. “Clearly it is in the identical stadium, but it surely’s Week 4 and we did a great job in the present day, however there’s numerous stuff that we are able to clear up. However I’ll take pleasure in this three-day break or no matter we have got and watch some Ryder Cup, so I am excited for that. However it’ll be a great time to have the ability to simply put my toes up, chill out slightly bit and prepare to roll for subsequent week.”
