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Sam Darnold Asked for the Greatest Hits
Sam Darnold’s plan to stop throwing interceptions is to stop improvising his way into them. He took the idea to Brian Fleury almost as soon as Sunday’s 32-29 loss to the 49ers ended, and on Tuesday Fleury said Seattle will lean on plays “that we have a lot of experience with” from camp and the first couple of weeks, the ones Darnold is “comfortable making swift decisions and progressing through.”
The reason is not subtle. Darnold has five picks in three games since coming back from the glute injury, and opponents have scored off four of them. Seattle has turned it over twice in its three wins and seven times in its two losses. That’s the whole season, and it fits on a Post-it.
4 of 5
Darnold’s interceptions since his Week 3 return that opponents have turned into points.
I’m into it. Fleury’s first month was a motion buffet, bodies shifting everywhere, which is great fun until your quarterback is still reading the menu when the ball is snapped. Darnold won a Super Bowl by knowing where to go with it. Giving him the greatest-hits album instead of the deep cuts is the most sensible thing anyone in Renton has said in a week.
“For me personally, I’m going to try to be as decisive as I can be,” Darnold said, before adding the part every quarterback learns the hard way: “And if you don’t, you’ll pay.” He has paid in Landover and he has paid at Lumen. The bill does not come with a payment plan.
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Giving him the greatest-hits album instead of the deep cuts is the most sensible thing anyone in Renton has said in a week.
Denver is a fair test. The Broncos sacked Justin Herbert five times Sunday, and Seattle is still a 2.5-point road favorite. Run the stuff you know, get it out before the rush gets there, and let a defense that hasn’t allowed five yards a play to anybody handle the rest. Boring would be lovely right now.
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AROUND THE COOP
Around the Coop
Irv Charles came off injured reserve Tuesday and should make his Seahawks debut in Denver. Velus Jones Jr. got cut to make room and re-signed to the practice squad that afternoon, the NFL’s version of being asked to wait in the car. A gunner, finally. The kickoff unit says thanks. Seattle Sports
Denver could be missing three starting defensive backs Thursday. Patrick Surtain II and safety Talanoa Hufanga look like long shots, and Riley Moss is uncertain. JSN is playing on a limited ankle, and he’s still the healthiest guy in that matchup. Yahoo Sports
Seattle ran on 60 percent of its first downs against the 49ers, by Locked On Seahawks host Dan Viens’s count, and spent the afternoon in second-and-long. Darnold took five sacks. You don’t need a coaching license to connect those dots. Athlon Sports
Drake Thomas was a non-participant again Tuesday on a report that’s pure estimate, since nobody actually practiced. Chazz Surratt (calf) stayed out too. Thomas played the whole second half Sunday on that ankle, so the paperwork looks worse than the player. SI
NFC WEST SCHADENFREUDE REPORT
RAMS
Sean McVay spent Tuesday insisting the kicking “wasn’t the reason that we didn’t win exclusively,” and then the Rams cut Harrison Mevis. Mevis missed two field goals Monday, including the overtime 48-yarder Greg Rousseau blocked, and Los Angeles replaced him with Blake Grupe off the Jets’ practice squad. “This is the greatest team sport,” McVay said, and the rest of the team kept their jobs. Welcome to L.A., Blake. Don’t unpack.
NINERS
San Francisco is so short on receivers that Ian Rapoport floated a reunion with Jauan Jennings, who has two catches for nine yards in four games with Minnesota this season. The Vikings signed Odell Beckham Jr. last week, which PFT read as a message to Jennings. So the unbeaten Niners’ rescue plan is trading for the guy Minnesota just moved down the depth chart. Nine yards. Brock Purdy is going to need a strong imagination.
CARDINALS
Jeremiyah Love, the third overall pick, has a 29 percent route participation rate, and Mike LaFleur says he isn’t sure about getting him more involved in the passing game because Arizona needs the extra blocking. You draft a home-run running back in the top three and then park him next to the right tackle to absorb blitzers. Somewhere a Notre Dame highlight tape is filing a missing persons report.
SEACHICKENS TRIVIA
This undrafted safety out of Colgate tied for the NFL lead with nine interceptions in 1993, the second of his back-to-back Pro Bowl seasons in Seattle. Who is he?
Tap to Reveal the Answer
Eugene Robinson. He didn’t start a single game as a 1985 rookie, then started all 16 the next season in a secondary that already had Kenny Easley and Dave Brown.
THIS DAY IN SEAHAWKS HISTORY
2001
October 14, 2001
Seattle Hangs 34 on Denver at Husky Stadium
Twenty-five years ago today, Mike Holmgren’s Seahawks beat Mike Shanahan’s Broncos 34-21 at Husky Stadium. Shaun Alexander broke a 60-yard touchdown run early in the first quarter, Reggie Tongue returned an interception 55 yards for a score, and Alex Bannister scored on a blocked punt. Denver answered with an 86-yard punt return touchdown late, proof that special teams have been keeping this franchise up at night for a quarter-century. A road win in Denver Thursday would make for a nice anniversary present.
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Run what you know. — The Rooster