Si:am | Sam Darnold’s Lights-out Game Shows Seahawks’ High Ceiling

Good morning, I’m Dan Gartland. How did you watch Game 7 of nan World Series? Was it while dressed arsenic a fisherman astatine a statement wherever hardly anyone other cared astir shot for illustration I did?

In today’s SI:AM: 
🏈 Seattle’s connection win
😞 Jayden Daniels’ latest injury
⚾ Baseball’s modern dynasty

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At astir nan halfway constituent of nan NFL season, nary clear Super Bowl favourite has emerged. Preseason favorites for illustration nan Ravens, Chiefs and Lions person not lived up to expectations, and astonishment occurrence stories for illustration nan Colts and Patriots still person to beryllium that their beardown records are much than a merchandise of their anemic schedules. Among nan crowded group of NFC contenders is simply a squad that looks amended pinch each passing week: nan Seahawks. 

Seattle cruised to its astir awesome triumph of nan season connected Sunday night, beating nan Commanders, 38–14, arsenic backmost Sam Darnold sliced and diced nan Washington defense successful what was nan astir businesslike crippled of his career. 

Darnold completed 21 of 24 passes for 330 yards pinch 4 touchdowns and an interception. He was virtually unstoppable successful nan first half, completing each 16 of his walk attempts while throwing for 4 touchdowns arsenic Seattle jumped retired to a 31–7 halftime lead. His first incompletion of nan nighttime came connected his 2nd walk of nan 3rd quarter. 

Darnold didn’t recognize he was having a cleanable passing nighttime until personification told him astatine halftime and joked that he wouldn’t person thrown an incomplete walk if he hadn’t been jinxed. 

“Someone astatine halftime said to maine that I hadn't thrown an incompletion,” Darnold said. “So I deliberation he's to blasted for throwing an incompletion successful nan 2nd half.”

Darnold’s 87.5% completion complaint was his highest successful any crippled of his career (minimum 2 walk attempts), surpassing his erstwhile profession precocious of 82.4% group successful Week 5 against nan Buccaneers. The crippled besides marked conscionable nan 5th clip successful 81 profession starts that Darnold threw astatine slightest 4 touchdown passes. (His profession precocious is five, group successful Week 14 of past season.)

With nan win, nan Seahawks improved to 6–2 connected nan season, tied pinch nan Rams, Bucs and Eagles for nan champion grounds successful nan NFC. The biggest logic for their occurrence is their retooled offense, spearheaded by Darnold, who signed a three-year, $100.5 cardinal statement successful March, days aft Seattle traded distant incumbent starter Geno Smith. The Seahawks besides traded distant Pro Bowl receiver DK Metcalf and released seasoned Tyler Lockett and tight extremity Noah Fant. Darnold is doing conscionable good pinch nan Seahawks’ caller group of walk catchers, though. The apical target is still Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who is successful his 3rd twelvemonth successful Seattle and caller disconnected a breakout play past year. He’s starring nan NFL successful receiving yards this season. Former Rams prima Cooper Kupp is 2nd connected nan squad pinch 23 catches, followed by second-year tight extremity AJ Barner. Rookie fifth-round receiver Tory Horton had 2 touchdowns successful Sunday’s game, and wideout Cody White had a 60-yard touchdown drawback for his first people of his career. 

What sets nan Seahawks’ discourtesy isolated is its heavy passing game. Darnold leads each quarterbacks this play successful mean yards per effort and yards per completion, chiefly because Seattle is pushing nan shot down nan section much aggressively and much efficaciously than immoderate different squad successful nan league. The Seahawks are averaging 9.0 intended aerial yards per walk effort this season, somewhat down nan Rams, who lead nan convention pinch 9.2. Seattle, though, is connecting connected those heavy walk attempts amended than immoderate different team, averaging 8.6 completed aerial yards per completion. The Rams are 2nd astatine 7.5. 

With Darnold picking up correct wherever he near disconnected aft past year’s career-changing play pinch nan Vikings and nan defense continuing nan betterment it made past play nether defensive-minded caput coach Mike Macdonald, nan Seahawks person very fewer weaknesses. In an NFC wherever nary squad has looked infallible, Seattle is arsenic beardown a Super Bowl contender arsenic anyone. 

The champion of Sports Illustrated

The Dodgers are nan first squad since nan 1998–2000 Yankees to triumph back-to-back World Series. / Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated

… things I saw yesterday: 
5. This beautiful cross-court pass by Luka Dončić. 
4. A cleanable rainbow touchdown pass by Drake Maye. 
3. The Islanders’ two goals successful a span of 29 seconds precocious successful nan 3rd play to bargain a triumph against nan Blue Jackets. Matthew Schaefer had nan first, followed by Simon Holmstrom. Schaefer, who turned 18 successful September, was nan No. 1 prime successful this year’s draft. He had another goal earlier successful nan game, making him nan youngest defenseman successful NHL history pinch 2 goals successful a game, breaking nan grounds antecedently group by Bobby Orr. 
2. A one-handed touchdown catch by Raiders tight extremity Brock Bowers. 
1. Jaguars kicker Cam Little’s NFL grounds 68-yard section goal.