Sam Darnold finishes masterful first drive vs. Commanders with 13th touchdown pass
So far, so good for the Seattle Seahawks against the Washington Commanders.
After forcing Washington to punt on their opening drive after just one first down, the Seahawks gave the ball to Sam Darnold, and he delivered a masterful first possession, ending it with his 13th touchdown pass of the season.
What was most impressive was how Darnold put Seattle's various pass-catching weapons to work, even as half the team's wide receivers have been ruled out for this game.
The 12-play, 90-yard drive included a couple of completions to league-leading receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who also broke off a run for a first down.
Darnold also completed passes to tight end AJ Barner and running back Ken Walker for first downs and multiple throws to rookie receiver Tory Horton Jr., including the touchdown to finish it off.
Darnold was a perfect 6/6 on the drive, totaling 67 yards and a touchdown and a 152.8 passer rating. We really can't overstate how well Darnold is performing right now. He's reading the defense, making the right decisions, and putting the ball just where it needs to be. Darnold is quarterbacking at a level that the Seahawks franchise has simply never seen before.
The run game was also effective for the Seahawks on that first possession, with Walker totaling 26 yards on five carries (5.2 yards per attempt).
It wasn't exactly perfect, though. The Seahawks were flagged for three penalties on the drive, including a 15-yarder for a cut block on Robbie Ouzsts and procedural flags on right tackle Abe Lucas and left tackle Charles Cross.
The Seahawks lead 7-0 early in the second quarter.
Broncos HC Sean Payton Issues Clear Notice After Win Over Texans
Sean Payton was not pleased following the Denver Broncos’ win over the
The Broncos had a field goal blocked and a muffed punt. Fortunately for the Broncos, the Texans were only able to convert those turnovers into 6 points. Still, Payton noted that the Broncos struggled in field positioning, too, again pointing to his special teams.
It all seemingly pointed to either a coaching or execution issue.
Sean Payton Sends ‘Damning’ Message on Broncos’ Special Teams
Payton met with the media after the hard-fought 18-15 victory. He noted the challenges of the Broncos being without All-Pro cornerback Pat Surtain II, the adjustments to Texans quarterback
But the team’s special teams snafus and the Texans’ effectiveness irked Payton.
The Denver Post’s Luca Evans called
“We’ll look at that on film, all of that. Without watching it on tape, my concern was just the late subs. It was a little bit sloppy in the kicking game. We’ll get that cleaned up, or we’ll find someone else that can do it,”
“The thing that was troubling me a little bit was, we went into it wanting to play as much of the game on their side of the field. And I felt in the kicking game, we didn’t do enough to leverage the field position battle, and defensively, fortunately, we held up. So, if you really paid attention to the game, I felt like our drives were starting to the far right or left, and their drives were starting more towards midfield. And fortunately, our defense took care of that. “
However, Payton’s ire was not believed to be aimed at special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi.
“From what I gather postgame, #Broncos coach Sean Payton was referring to personnel,” The Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel reported
Payton could be seen instructing Broncos kicker Wil Lutz to send the ball the “right through” the uprights, smirking as the player confirmed he received the message. Lutz drilled a 34-yarder to win the game for the Broncos.
Michael Bandy muffed the punt. However, Payton praised him after the game.
He filled in for injured All-Pro Marvin Mims. Mims suffered a concussion late in Week 8 against the
Payton may not have been talking about Rizzie on Sunday. The Broncos still have plenty of work to do in that phase, getting outgained 147 yards to 106 yards on kick and punt returns in Week 9.
Sean Payton: Monday All ‘About Recovery’
GettyDenver Broncos head coach Sean Payton looks on against the Tennessee Titans.
Payton and the Broncos are on a short week. Their AFC West rivals, the
“Everything about tomorrow is recovery, walkthrough. We’ve learned a little bit more over the years,” Payton said, referencing his time with the Cowboys. “Whatever we did wasn’t right. I think we’ve learned a little bit more about the time from this game, and how we have to get these guys mentally and physically recovered from it. And then, fortunately, we’re playing at home.”
Unfortunately for Payton and the Broncos, they are unlikely to get Surtain back next week.
So, keeping their healthy players fresh is even more critical in his absence. They also escaped this contest without any further personnel losses, which is good news.
