Sam Darnold Looked Like Sam Darnold Again In Seahawks Loss To 49ers

Oh, Sam Darnold. The former New York Jets draft bust resurrected his career with an incredible year last season with the Minnesota Vikings. He parlayed that into a lucrative contract with the Seattle Seahawks. 

In Week 1, though, Darnold looked much more like the version we saw in New York for three seasons (or the one in Carolina for two years) than the version he showed in Minnesota last year. 

The Seahawks had a chance to upset the San Francisco 49ers, who missed two field goals—including one blocked—that let Seattle hang around. However, San Francisco scored the go-ahead touchdown with 1:34 left on the clock. 

That gave Darnold a chance to play the hero, despite not performing particularly well throughout the game. Going into the final drive, the veteran quarterback had less than 100 yards passing. But he came out firing, hitting Jaxon Smith-Njigba for a 50-yard completion to set the Seahawks up in prime position. 

The throw to JSN reminded everyone of the Sam Darnold that led the Vikings to a 14-3 record and NFC North Championship last season. 

But, a few plays later, the Jets/Panthers version of Darnold re-emerged. 

While Nick Bosa was credited with a sack and a forced fumble, replays showed that Darnold actually hit his offensive lineman with the ball which caused the game-ending fumble. 

Of course, had Bosa not manhandled the right tackle and pushed him backwards, the fumble wouldn't have occurred. But it's funnier that Darnold fumbled after hitting his own lineman rather than having the ball stripped by a defender. 

He finished the game 16-23 passing for 150 yards, with more than one-third of the yards coming on two plays on the final drive. While Darnold didn't throw an interception, he did have that crucial lost fumble with a chance to win the game. 

Sam Darnold’s late fumble ended the Seahawks’ Week 1 comeback bid against the 49ers, reminding fans of his Jets and Panthers struggles despite last season’s resurgence with the Vikings.

(Amanda Loman/Getty Images)

The phrase "when someone shows you who they are, believe them" gets thrown around a lot in modern conversation. But it applies here. We know who Sam Darnold is, he showed it in his first six NFL seasons. Sure, he had one good season playing for a talented and well-coached Vikings squad. 

However, Darnold's career 59.7% completion percentage prior to last season showed us who he was. The Seahawks should have believed him.