The Seattle Seahawks suffered a 17-14 overtime loss to the Denver Broncos in "Thursday Night Football," giving the defending Super Bowl champions a 3-3 record.
It's not the start that head coach Mike Macdonald probably envisioned, especially after quarterback Sam Darnold and running back Kenneth Walker III helped them win the Lombardi Trophy. Walker has since departed for a spot where the grass is much greener this season, now playing for undefeated Kansas City.
Meanwhile, Darnold is struggling to lead his team to wins in big moments, including Thursday night's matchup in Denver.
During a postgame press conference, the Seahawks' coach was asked about Darnold needing to be more "decisive" in various spots during the games.
"I don't know. ... like, it wasn't a performance that was good enough to win the game, you know," Macdonald said, adding, "by our team, and the quarterback leads the team, but I bet you Sam would be the first one to tell you that. We love him; it's just that's what it is."
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In Thursday night's loss, Darnold threw for 278 yards, with two interceptions, and was sacked five times. He finished with a 58.0 QBR and a passer rating of 52.6 for the game.
While Darnold moved the offense downfield on several drives, his turnovers and failure to throw the ball away in several situations proved costly. There were significant moments when getting rid of the ball would've made a lot more sense than continuing to look around for an open receiver and getting sacked.
Darnold is also now tied with the Los Angeles Chargers' Justin Herbert and the New England Patriots' Drake Maye for the most interceptions in the league, having thrown seven. However, Herbert and Maye have thrown theirs across six games, whereas Darnold has played in just four full games and part of Week 1.
There are already calls for Macdonald to consider benching Darnold in favor of Drew Lock. After Darnold exited early against the Patriots in Week 1, Lock replaced him and guided Seattle to a 13-10 victory.
Lock then started in Week 2 against the Cardinals and led the team to a 31-7 win behind 235 passing yards and three touchdowns. He finished with an 87.4 QBR and a 139.1 passer rating, but against a team with a significantly weaker pass defense than Denver's.
The positive for the Seahawks is their defense, as they currently lead the NFL, allowing only 252.8 yards of offense per game to opponents. However, they'll need to address their own offense, which definitely begins with Darnold overcoming his struggles.
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