Sam Darnold had an amazing night, leading the Seahawks to a 38-14 win over the Commanders on Sunday Night Football. Darnold started strong, completing his first 17 passes, and ended the first half with 16 out of 16. He finished the game with 21 completions out of 24 attempts, throwing for 330 yards and four touchdowns, although he did have one interception. In the fourth quarter, Drew Lock came in to close out the game.
Two of Darnold’s touchdowns went to rookie receiver Tory Horton, including a 4-yard score late in the first quarter and a 25-yard TD in the second. Another touchdown came just 11 seconds later after the Seahawks forced a fumble on a kickoff, allowing Darnold to hit tight end Elijah Arroyo for a 26-yard score. He also connected with Cody White for a 60-yard touchdown, bringing the score to 28-0.
With this performance, Darnold tied a franchise record for consecutive completions. Jason Myers contributed with a 41-yard field goal at the end of the second quarter, and AJ Barner added a 1-yard touchdown in the third quarter, completing Seattle’s scoring.
On the flip side, it was a rough night for the Commanders. Quarterback Jayden Daniels suffered an arm injury in the fourth quarter while being sacked. His left arm was placed in an air cast as he left the field for an X-ray. Daniels had already missed three games this season due to injuries and was under constant pressure, getting sacked four times. Before his injury, he completed 16 of 22 passes for 153 yards and rushed for 51 yards and a touchdown.
Seattle’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba had a solid outing too, with eight catches for 129 yards. He tied Steve Largent’s franchise record with six 100-yard games this season and became one of only five players in Super Bowl history to have at least 75 receiving yards in each of their first eight games. He’s also one of the youngest players to reach 900 receiving yards in that timeframe.
Currently, the Seahawks are 6-2 and will face the Cardinals next Sunday. The Commanders, now at 3-6, will host the Lions, but they’ll have to do it without their starting quarterback, which raises questions about their upcoming performance.
In light of these developments, teams won’t just consider this game as a one-off. Coaches and analysts may highlight the impact of injuries on team performance. Reports indicate that injuries can lead to significant declines in team success; the NFL has seen a 40% increase in injuries over the past decade, which can drastically change a team’s dynamics mid-season. As teams strive for playoff spots, the health of key players becomes crucial.
For further insights on football injuries and their impact on team success, you can check out this research study.
