The Seattle Seahawks have been one of the most pleasant surprises of the NFL season.
Mike Macdonald has proven to be a good head coach, orchestrating an underrated defense and putting together an efficient offense operated by an MVP-caliber quarterback.
Nevertheless, pundit Stephen A. Smith has a big concern about Sam Darnold.
“[Mike Macdonald] hasn’t coached Sam Darnold in the playoffs,” Smith said.
.@minakimes: “This Seattle Seahawks team [isn’t scared] because they have been going on the road and dominating teams.” @stephenasmith: “[HC Mike MacDonald] hasn’t coached Sam Darnold in the playoffs.” 😅 pic.twitter.com/xXfhgiKvlt
— First Take (@FirstTake) November 6, 2025
Smith doesn’t believe that Darnold has what it takes to get the job done when it matters most.
Truth be told, it’s hard to disagree with that statement.
Of course, Darnold isn’t the same struggling player he was when he entered the league with the New York Jets.
Then again, after a stellar 2024 regular season, he struggled in the two biggest games of the year for the Minnesota Vikings.
He failed to help the team clinch the NFC North, and he had his worst performance of the year in their playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
That being said, he’s seemingly done more than enough to earn the benefit of the doubt in Seattle.
While history might not be on his side, he’s a more experienced player now and likely learned from those late-season failures.
The Seahawks should continue to be a strong contender to win the NFC West, and entering Week 10, they might be one of the best teams in the entire conference.
