Déjà Boo: Sam Darnold Didn’t Think He’d See Ghosts On The Field Again. Then He Faced The Rams

The biggest crippled of Week 11 was undoubtedly nan matchup betwixt nan Los Angeles Rams and nan Seattle Seahawks. Both teams came successful pinch 7-2 records, and were seemingly evenly matched connected some sides of nan ball, pinch move offenses and stingy defenses. In nan end, it was a protect conflict that nan Rams won, 21-19, by nan tegument of their teeth.

Seahawks backmost Sam Darnold, who had played at a near-MVP level this season for nan astir part, did perfectly thing to thief his squad – and plentifulness to wounded them. Darnold matched his profession precocious pinch 4 interceptions, completing 29 of 44 passes for 279 yards, nary touchdowns, those picks, and a passer standing of 45.5.

The past clip Darnold faced nan Rams it was erstwhile he was pinch nan Minnesota Vikings successful past season’s playoffs, and he endured a 60-minute nightmare. In nan Minnesota Vikings’ 27-9 loss, Darnold was sacked 9 times, pressured an incomprehensible 25 times, and completed 25 of 40 passes for 245 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception, and a passer standing of 77.6.

On Sunday, it wasn’t needfully unit that doomed Darnold arsenic overmuch arsenic it was nan Rams dropping into coverage. The past clip Darnold threw 4 picks successful a crippled was successful October 2019. In that crippled he was miked up, and astir apt wished he wasn’t – he uttered his infamous quote astir “seeing ghosts”. Darnold wasn’t sacked erstwhile successful this game, but he mightiness person been amended disconnected taking a fewer takedowns arsenic opposed to the ill-advised interceptions he threw.

Los Angeles’ defense didn’t blitz a batch because it didn’t person to – instead, protect coordinator Chris Shula had his guys dropping into sum six and 7 astatine a time, blurring Darnold’s reads, and forcing him to process astatine a level that is supra his station.

So, really were nan Seahawks still successful this 1 until nan end? Seattle’s defense played marvelously for nan astir part, limiting imaginable MVP Matthew Stafford to 15 completions connected 28 attempts for 130 yards, 2 touchdowns, nary interceptions, and a passer standing of 89.9. But erstwhile you’re facing a squad of this caliber, you can’t expect to move nan shot complete that often and bump up your triumph total.

That said, were it not for Ethan Evans’ 50-yard punt that put nan Seahawks down their ain one-yard statement pinch 1:50 left, Darnold and nan Seahawks mightiness person won. The Seahawks sewage to nan Los Angeles 49-yard statement pinch seconds remaining, which near kicker Jason Myers pinch a 61-yard section extremity effort he couldn’t rather make.

These 2 NFC West opponents look disconnected again successful Seattle connected 18 December, and we expect that to garner akin “Game of nan Year” hype. Because moreover astatine their worst, that’s really bully these teams are, moreover without nan involution of nan supernatural.

Myles Garrett harried Lamar Jackson each time connected Sunday. Photograph: David Richard/AP

MVP of nan week

Myles Garrett, edge, Cleveland Browns. Yes, nan Browns mislaid 23-16 to nan Baltimore Ravens connected Sunday, chiefly because Cleveland had Dillon Gabriel (until he suffered a concussion) and past Shedeur Sanders astatine quarterback. But if there’s 1 subordinate who tin extremity up arsenic MVP connected a losing broadside it’s Garrett, nan champion protect subordinate successful football, nan Browns would person been obscurity adjacent a position to win. Garrett did what he usually does successful this crippled – he shredded each blocking scheme, and made nan quarterback’s life miserable. In this case, nan backmost was Lamar Jackson – not precisely an easy feline to bring down – who he sacked 4 times, adding 1 backmost deed and 3 hurries successful 27 pass-rushing snaps.

Over his past 3 games, Garrett has a preposterous 10 sacks and 17 full pressures, which adds up to 1 of nan top stretches for a pass-rusher successful history. The only different 2 players to lucifer his sack full successful a three-game play are Richard Dent successful 1984, and Derrick Thomas successful 1997-1998. Dent and Thomas are successful nan Hall of Fame, and Garrett whitethorn arsenic good commencement getting his golden overgarment tailored.

On Sunday, Garrett besides became nan only subordinate successful NFL annals pinch 12 aliases much sacks successful six consecutive seasons since nan sack became an charismatic NFL statistic successful 1982.

Video of nan week

We’ll get into nan vagaries of Minnesota Vikings backmost JJ McCarthy’s wide crippled successful a minute, but 1 of nan 2 interceptions he threw successful Minnesota’s 19-17 nonaccomplishment to nan Chicago Bears had an affectional constituent to it. With 42 seconds near successful nan first half, McCarthy tried to link pinch Jordan Addison successful nan extremity zone, but Chicago cornerback Nahshon Wright was having nary of it.

Why was Wright truthful affectional aft nan interception? Because John Beam, his caput coach astatine Laney College successful 2018 earlier Wright transferred to Oregon State, was changeable and killed past week. Clearly, Coach Beam near his people successful each nan correct ways.

Josh Allen accounted for six touchdowns connected Sunday. Photograph: Jeffrey T Barnes/AP

Stat of nan week

Three and three. The database of quarterbacks who person had 3 passing touchdowns and 3 rushing touchdowns successful nan aforesaid crippled is beautiful short. In truth only 2 person done truthful successful nan full history of nan NFL. Otto Graham of nan Cleveland Browns against nan Detroit Lions successful December 1954 to triumph nan NFL title successful a 56-10 rout, and Josh Allen of nan Buffalo BIlls … who has now achieved nan feat twice. Allen’s first came past play against nan Los Angeles Rams successful a 44-42 Bills loss. And he did truthful again connected Sunday successful Buffalo’s 44-32 triumph complete nan Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a triumph that kept nan 7-3 Bills wrong fighting region of nan 9-2 New England Patriots successful nan AFC East.

At its astir disorganized, nan Bills’ discourtesy relies excessively overmuch connected Allen, while everyone other waits astir to do thing … anything. But erstwhile you person a limb for illustration Allen, and you’re hopeless to win, you thin to propulsion style points retired nan window. Allen’s capacity was particularly important because nan Bills elected to make receiver Keon Coleman, nan 33rd wide prime successful nan 2024 draft, a patient scratch because he missed a squad gathering this week. Coleman was expected to beryllium nan missing portion successful Buffalo’s discourtesy arsenic a large heavy threat, but erstwhile he’s disconnected missing different things, nan Bills person to usage nan 1 limb they cognize they tin trust on. In Sunday’s game, Allen besides tied Cam Newton for nan astir regular-season rushing touchdowns by a backmost successful NFL history, pinch 75.

Elsewhere astir nan league

– Vikings caput coach Kevin O’Connell whitethorn beryllium wondering astir his offseason backmost plans. The Vikings selected McCarthy pinch nan 10th wide prime past year, and they’re still waiting to spot connected nan section what they imagined successful nan pre-draft process. McCarthy’s assemblage tape often brought a second- aliases third-round people to mind, but arsenic O’Connell is possibly nan NFL’s pre-eminent backmost developer, astir were inclined to springiness him – and McCarthy – nan use of nan doubt. McCarthy missed past play pinch a knee injury, which gave O’Connell nan opportunity to resuscitate nan careers of Darnold and Daniel Jones. The Vikings were going to beryllium committed to McCarthy connected a no-matter-what basis, leaving Darnold and Jones to find homes elsewhere, and nan second-year subordinate has done small to warrant his team’s religion astatine this point. He engineered an astonishing comeback against nan Chicago Bears successful Week 1 contempt an unimpressive stat line, fell to world against nan Atlanta Falcons successful Week 2, past missed nan adjacent 5 games pinch a precocious ankle sprain.

“I deliberation adversity is 1 of nan top things for individual growth, corporate growth, immoderate it is,” McCarthy said postgame. “I deliberation it [can] really abstracted teams, aliases bring them tighter together. And I consciousness for illustration this team’s being brought tighter and tighter together each and each week.”

Unless you gave O’Connell immoderate powerful truth serum, he’d ne'er admit that he’d alternatively rotation pinch Darnold (well, possibly not this Sunday’s Darnold) aliases Jones. But a definite level of buyer’s remorse would beryllium appropriate.

– The Green Bay Packers hit nan New York Giants 27-20 to push their grounds to 6-3-1 connected nan season, which keeps them successful nan NFC North race, on pinch nan Bears and Lions. But tin this squad beryllium taken earnestly arsenic a Super Bowl contender? The variance successful capacity tin beryllium maddening. Green Bay came into this crippled having mislaid their past two, and Jordan Love was little than awesome successful each of those contests. Love wasn’t overmuch amended successful this win, completing 13 of 24 passes for 174 yards, but his 2 second-half touchdown passes made nan quality against a Giants squad resetting aft nan firing of caput coach Brian Daboll, and starting Jameis Winston astatine backmost successful spot of nan injured Jaxson Dart.

Had Winston not thrown a back-breaking interception successful nan extremity area pinch 40 seconds near successful nan game, nan Packers whitethorn person struggled to climb backmost against a squad they should beryllium capable to hit handily. Something to retrieve erstwhile nan postseason comes along: High variance doesn’t mostly get things done.

– It was a bad time for Cam Newton and records. Not only did Allen necktie Newton’s rushing touchdown mark, but Bryce Young dusted Newton’s single-game Carolina Panthers grounds for passing yards – though Young needed overtime to do so. Newton had nan people pinch 432 yards successful a 30-23 nonaccomplishment to nan Packers backmost successful 2011, and he threw 3 interceptions successful that game. In Carolina’s 30-27 overtime triumph complete nan Atlanta Falcons, Young completed 31 of 45 passes for 448 yards, 3 touchdowns, nary interceptions, and a passer standing of 123.2 – nan champion and astir complete crippled nan 2023 first wide prime has played truthful acold successful his NFL career. The Panthers (who won a full of 5 games successful 2024) are now 6-5, and they person 2 upcoming games against NFC South rivals nan Buccaneers, who lead nan section astatine 6-4.

– The Chiefs person been 6-4 doubly successful nan Andy Reid/Patrick Mahomes era – successful 2019 and 2021. In each of those cases, they recovered to triumph nan Super Bowl. What they’ll do pinch this 5-5 people aft their 22-19 nonaccomplishment to nan Denver Broncos connected Sunday remains to beryllium seen. But this is nan biggest spread immoderate Chiefs squad nether existent guidance has recovered itself in, and neither nan 9-2 Broncos nor nan 7-4 Los Angeles Chargers are going to vanish arsenic postseason contenders. The Chiefs person a agelong history of playing pinch their nutrient until nan games really count, but arsenic Yogi Berra erstwhile said, it gets precocious early retired there.

– The Lions thought they were going to get nan shot backmost and pinch it a last effort to necktie nan crippled erstwhile they trailed 16-9 precocious successful nan 4th fourth against nan Eagles connected Sunday Night Football aft Jalen Hurts grounded to complete connected 3rd down. But nan Lions were nan taxable of a very dubious walk interference call, helping nan Eagles to tally retired nan clock. That telephone aside, nan Eagles defense looks superb arsenic nan playoffs attack and Jared Goff was fixed very small clip to group himself each night.

– Finally, successful an appealing spot of miscellany, Jacoby Brissett of nan Arizona Cardinals group nan NFL’s regular play grounds pinch 47 completions successful nan Cardinals’ 41-22 nonaccomplishment to nan San Francisco 49ers. Brissett passed nan regular-season people of 45, group by Drew Bledsoe of nan New England Patriots successful 1994, and Jared Goff of nan Los Angeles Rams successful 2019, and tied Ben Roethlisberger’s 47 completions successful nan Pittsburgh Steelers’ 47-38 playoff nonaccomplishment to nan Cleveland Browns successful January 2021.