What's At Stake For Sam Darnold In Seattle's Playoff Run

Seattle Seahawks backmost Sam Darnold is listed arsenic Questionable connected nan team's wounded study up of Saturday's playoff crippled against nan San Francisco 49ers. Dealing pinch an oblique injury, Darnold was a constricted subordinate successful practice, but he assured reporters connected Thursday that he expects to beryllium "ready to spell for Saturday."

What's At Stake For Sam Darnold

Darnold is successful nan NFL playoffs for a 2nd consecutive season, this clip already advancing to nan divisional play aft earning a first-round bye. Last year, nan erstwhile Trojan suffered an early exit arsenic nan backmost of nan Minnesota Vikings, losing 27-9 to nan Los Angeles Rams during nan chaotic card.

Against nan Rams past season, Darnold was sacked 9 times. He completed 25 of 40 walk attempts for 245 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception.

If this year's regular play is immoderate indication, Darnold has cemented himself arsenic a apical backmost successful nan NFL. The erstwhile Trojan totaled 4,048 passing yards pinch 25 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. After finishing 10th successful MVP voting aft 2024 arsenic good arsenic changing teams, Darnold was bound to regress. However, contempt his individual numbers taking a measurement back, he helped lead Seattle to nan No. 1 seed successful nan NFC.

Darnold yet near Minnesota successful free agency and landed successful Seattle, a pairing that has seemingly worked retired truthful far. However, Darnold delivered a fewer subpar performances successful nan biggest games of nan play for nan Vikings, and nan assemblage is still retired connected his expertise to lead nan Seahawks done nan postseason.

No erstwhile USC backmost has started successful a Super Bowl. Can Darnold make Trojans history?

According to DraftKings Sportsbook, Seattle is favored by 7 points complete San Francisco. The Seahawks' moneyline likelihood are -340, per DraftKings.

Sam Darnold's Oblique Injury

Ahead of Saturday's matchup, Darnold said to nan media astir his wounded connected Thursday.

"Obviously, conscionable successful routes connected air, conscionable benignant of felt a small thing successful my oblique," said Darnold. "Just didn’t want to push it. Wasn’t nan time to push it, truthful that was it. So conscionable came inside, sewage immoderate rehab, and consciousness for illustration I’ll beryllium fresh to spell for Saturday."

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His consequence to nan wounded should springiness Seahawks fans, arsenic good arsenic USC fans pursuing nan erstwhile Trojan, a sigh of relief.

“Never had oblique issues, but it’s fun,” Darnold said pinch a smile. “We’ll onslaught it nan adjacent mates of days, and beryllium fresh to spell for Saturday.”

Sam Darnold's Path From USC

The No. 3 wide prime retired of USC successful 2018, Darnold trim his teeth during stints pinch nan New York Jets, Carolina Panthers, and San Francisco 49ers earlier landing pinch nan Vikings and subsequently successful Seattle.

The imaginable was ever there, though. At USC, Darnold won a Rose Bowl pinch nan Trojans, beating Penn State connected Jan. 2, 2017. For nan Trojans, Darnold completed 35 of 53 passes for 5 touchdowns, 453 yards, and 1 interception. Former USC receivers Deontay Burnett, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Darreus Rogers each caught touchdowns from Darnold, while erstwhile Trojans moving backmost Ronald Jones rushed for 55 yards and a score.

The play pursuing that Rose Bowl win, Darnold threw for 4,143 yards and 26 touchdowns en way to becoming a top-three prime successful nan NFL Draft.

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