In the biggest game of his career, Sam Darnold delivered his finest performance.
Darnold threw for 346 yards and three touchdown passes and played turnover-free ball in Seattle's 31-27 win over the Rams, vaulting the Seahawks into Super Bowl LX on Feb. 9 against the New England Patriots.
"You can't talk about the game without talking about our quarterback," Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said. "I mean he just shut a lot of people up tonight, so I'm really happy for him."
Finding himself in another thrilling shootout against MVP favorite Matthew Stafford, Darnold -- despite managing an oblique injury -- was ready for the moment. The two quarterbacks kept upping the ante, trading blows in a wild third quarter, with Darnold hitting Jake Bobo and Cooper Kupp for TD passes and Stafford matching with scoring throws to Puka Nacua and Davante Adams.
"Every time they went and scored, he came back," Macdonald said of his quarterback. "Made some big-time throws on third down, the two-minute drive, the four-minute drive. The guy barely practiced all week. Just really happy for him. He deserves it. He's been a rock for us the whole year. Just really happy for him."
Neither team scored in the final quarter, with the Seahawks stopping the Rams on fourth-and-4 at the Seattle 6-yard line with just under five minutes remaining. Darnold led the Seahawks on an 11-play drive, draining 4:29 of clock and helping prevent the Rams from mounting a miracle drive late.
Darnold credited the support he's received from up and down the roster as the reason he has been able to thrive with the Seahawks.
"It's great. I feel that support. Not only with their words, but with how everyone treats each other in the building," Darnold said. "I'm happy to be a part of this team, this group and this coaching staff, I'm really happy to be here. I'm happy to be in this position. I'm just gonna continue to do the best that I can to put this team in positions to win football games."
Darnold's right-hand man all game, as he has been most of the season, was Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who finished the game with 10 catches for 153 yards and Darnold's first TD of the night. The NFL's receiving-yards leader and Darnold have developed a tight bond in their first season together, with each elevating their games.
"The work Sam puts in on and off the field, in the film room, knowing what to expect, knowing how I can get open and get the ball and change the game, honestly I got to give him a lot of credit," Smith-Njigba told NFL Network's Stacey Dales. "I just want to make his job easier and be there for him, be open, get open and make it as easy as possible. It's been a great first year."
Often doubted, Darnold entered this postseason with the reputation as a journeyman on his fifth team in eight seasons and whose first playoff game ended in a nine-sack loss to the Rams last season. As the guy the Jets and Panthers both dumped unceremoniously. As, at most, the fourth-best quarterback of the 2018 NFL Draft class, with Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson winning MVP awards and Baker Mayfield leading two different franchises to playoff victories.
Now Darnold has a chance to be the first from that QB class to win a Super Bowl. He actually made the game two years ago as the 49ers' backup, but Darnold can win it as Seattle's starter -- and his focus is squarely on his team, not on his QB colleagues around the league.
"It's unbelievable," Darnold said. "Obviously, those are great players, but it's more so (about) the team. Just the hard work that we've put in throughout this season."
Darnold answered plenty of questions along the way this season in leading the Seattle Seahawks to a 14-3 record and earning the NFC's top seed, even while leading the NFL in turnovers this season.
Six of his interceptions came against the Rams. Darnold threw four interceptions in the Week 11 loss. In the Week 16 victory against them in Seattle, Darnold had two more. On Sunday, zero picks and zero fumbles. Darnold has twice thrown for more yards than he did Sunday in his career, including in a five-TD game against the Falcons. But no game has meant more in Darnold's career than Sunday's win.
Now with two impressive playoff victories under his belt, Darnold has turned in the third-highest passer rating (122.4) in a single postseason prior to the Super Bowl, behind only Matt Ryan in 2016 (132.6) and Patrick Mahomes in 2019 (131.5).
"I tell you what, I'm not a quarterback expert," Macdonald joked, "but that's some high-powered quarterbacking going on in that game by No. 14 for sure."
Darnold's support doesn't just come from his offensive teammates. After Darnold's four-INT game earlier this season, Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones vociferously defended Darnold, offering some choice words for anyone who was doubting him then. And now?
"Everything that I said, (I) stood on it," Jones said. "Sam's a baller, like I said, man. Doubt Sam if you want to. Sam's gonna show up every time. That's what we've known, and that's why I stood on that night for him, and I'd do it all over again."
Seahawks defensive lineman Leonard Williams, who labored alongside Darnold in those ugly days with the Jets, had nothing but bouquets for his quarterback, citing Darnold as the paragon for Seattle's ability to overcome adversity.
"His resilience, his poise, his leadership. He's overcome a lot," Williams said. "Still has doubters somehow, and once again, he's proven the doubters wrong."
Now Darnold is one win away from a career-defining victory. That it will come against the Patriots is no small irony. After all, he's 0-4 against them in his career, all blowouts and during his Jets days, throwing for one TD and nine interceptions.
During a four-INT game against the Patriots in 2019, Darnold was seen on camera that night saying he was "seeing ghosts." Asked about that game on Sunday, Darnold quipped: "I almost forgot about it, so thanks."
And after his performance in the NFC Championship Game, nearly everyone else has too.
