Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold was hit on 14 of his 39 dropbacks and completed one of 11 passes for 13 yards with an interception while under pressure in a 34–17 loss to the Chicago Bears.
The Seahawks’ offensive line rotated after Seattle acquired All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson. Grey Zabel moved from left to right guard, and backup Josh Jones started at left tackle. Chicago’s defensive front included newly acquired defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons and edge rusher Montez Sweat, who returned from suspension.
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Zabel, a second-year player, started at right guard for the first time since his freshman year of college. Simmons beat him cleanly on Seattle’s first sack. Coach Mike Macdonald said sacks reflect team-wide responsibilities — including running back Zach Charbonnet’s misread of a blitz on the Bears’ third sack.
Darnold’s average time to throw increased to 2.89 seconds against Chicago, up from 2.45 seconds in Seattle’s 20–3 win over Kansas City. Both Macdonald and Darnold attributed the rise to tight coverage and limited passing windows. Darnold acknowledged missing opportunities to release the ball faster.
He has thrown nine interceptions this season. His pressure rate is 38.3% — sixth-highest in the NFL. Under pressure, he has completed 31.3% of his passes, with two touchdowns and five interceptions, and a Raw QBR of 3.9.
Last season, Darnold faced pressure on 30.4% of his dropbacks. When pressured, he completed 50% of his passes and posted a Raw QBR of 16.4.
Macdonald called Darnold “a warrior” and praised his physical resilience after repeated hits. Left tackle Charles Cross sustained an ankle injury in Week 7 and has a chance to return Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals. Cross did not practice last week and has not practiced with Nelson.
“It’s great to have Quenton,” Macdonald said. “You can see plays where he moves defenders and creates space — exactly what he does. Now we need all the pieces to function together.”
Photo: Washington National Guard / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
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