Seahawks QB Sam Darnold Calls Turnovers 'BS', Vows to Improve

Another multi-interception performance by Sam Darnold stood out in the Seattle Seahawks’ primetime 17-14 overtime loss to the Denver Broncos on Thursday, particularly because of when they occurred.

Darnold’s two picks came in the fourth quarter and overtime, and both were on drives where the Seahawks had a chance to take the lead. As they have all season, the Seattle defense silenced the Broncos, but the turnovers sank them.

“No way to sugarcoat it; that one sucked,” Darnold told reporters after the game. “I can’t turn the ball over. That’s obviously at the forefront of my mind, but there’s just a lot we can do better … We’ve just got to be better all-around, and that starts with me.”

Darnold now has seven touchdowns and seven interceptions in essentially four games played. He only threw two passes in Week 1 before suffering his glute injury that held him out the rest of the game and the following two.

Turnovers have held back an already-struggling offense that seldom generates a run game and can’t consistently score. If it doesn’t get cleaned up, the Seahawks won’t remotely rival their excellence in 2025.

“It wasn’t a performance that was good enough to win the game — by our team,” Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said. “But our quarterback leads the team, and I bet you Sam will be the first one to tell you that, but that’s just what it is.”

There are no two ways around it: Darnold and the offense lost the Seahawks the game. Following their second-quarter touchdown drives of 74 and 79 yards, the Broncos punted on seven straight drives outside of at the end of the first and second halves. They kneeled out the clock on those possessions.

Macdonald said Darnold owned the loss. Darnold was asked why it was important he do that for the team.

“I just think it’s BS for me to keep turning the ball over, and it’s not fair to our defense, not fair to our special teams group, not fair really to the entire team,” Darnold added. “So, I’ve got to be better that way.”

Seattle outgained Denver 353-168, but was doomed by Darnold’s untimely interceptions. The Broncos totaled just 25 yards of offense in the second half and only needed eight yards on their lone overtime possession to kick the game-winning field goal.

Darnold struggled most of the game, but the Seahawks made it 14-11 with 5:41 left in the game after an 11-play, 67-yard touchdown drive. The Seattle defense forced another three-and-out, setting the offense up with a prime opportunity to score a go-ahead touchdown.

On the fifth play of the Seahawks’ next drive, Darnold threw a bad interception to Broncos cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine. But the defense still held up with another three-and-out stop.

After forcing overtime and receiving the ball, Darnold sunk the Seahawks by giving the Broncos the ball on Seattle’s 43-yard line. It was another pick, this time into triple coverage. Denver won it four plays later.

“I think he’s trying to throw a hole shot in cover two, and we’ll look at what they were playing and how they made the play. But we have to take care of the ball,” Macdonald said. “Sam knows that; he told the team that. Gotta take care of the ball.”

The Seahawks, now sitting at 3-3 after losing three of their last four games, have a mini bye week before returning home to face the Kansas City Chiefs (4-0) at 5:20 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 25, at Lumen Field.

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