00:00Look, here's the thing.
00:02I think Darnold is more healthy than he's not.
00:06But I'll just say this, and I said it before, I'll just say this.
00:09That game last week showed me nothing.
00:12If you're a Seattle backer, you're part of the organization, you're a fan,
00:17you're a better in this game, you still are going into this game
00:22with the question of, I hope Sam Darnold doesn't turn into the old Sam Darnold
00:28today at 630, and that is the biggest question.
00:32It's not like Darnold lit up San Francisco's defense for 275
00:36and three touchdowns and no interceptions.
00:39He threw 145 yards.
00:41JSN had three catches for 19 yards and a touchdown.
00:45Nobody else caught a football outside of those playmakers,
00:49and it was the rushing attack of Kenneth Walker that had three scores on the ground.
00:54That's not going to answer the bell today when you know even at his worst
00:58Stafford last week threw for 258 and still put up 19 points.
01:03So the Darnold piece of it is so important, and I will admit, Joe,
01:09there was an element of the Darnold oblique that I wasn't even factoring.
01:15I'm going to an agreement on this.
01:18It's not a positive.
01:20No.
01:21You know what I mean?
01:22Like, he's not 50%, but Joe, he's not 100%.
01:26Like, he's on the record, not 100%, and I think we have seen from the Seahawks
01:35that they believe their pathway forward is defense and running.
01:42It's not that they're never going to throw the football.
01:45They're not a triple option team, right?
01:47This is the NFL.
01:49But please, Sam, do not throw the game away.
01:54And that was their plan in that Thursday night game, and he threw the game away.
02:01He still threw two interceptions.
02:04And I said, well, then how did they win?
02:05How, how, how?
02:06Rashid Shahid had a punt return touchdown.
02:13They then were able to get the football back.
02:16Rashid Shahid had a 31-yard end around, and Darnold hit a wide-open A.J. Barner,
02:24and they were able to tie that game due to the wonky two-point conversion,
02:29which was just ridiculous in hindsight.
02:32But okay, fine.
02:33Now, I will give him credit.
02:37He rolled sevens on that overtime drive.
02:40Absolutely just was surgical and did everything you needed.
02:46But Sam Darnold then has put up in this matchup against the Rams one impressive drive,
02:54and the rest has been very concerning.
02:58And I just think the gap between quarterback trust, Joe, is more than enough to get me to a Rams team
03:14who has not played their best football so far in this postseason.
03:18And I, I think it is more valuable to know that at one point the Rams were up 30-14,
03:26or I would say it's maybe as valuable that they blew, like they were up 30-14, they blew the game.
03:34Both of those are important facts.
03:37We've seen them match up well.
03:38We've seen them give Sam Darnold problems.
03:40And I'll tell you this right off the bat.
03:43I think Puka Nakua, 12 for 225 and two scores in that last meeting, I think he's going to be phenomenal again.
03:49Because I think for the Rams, Joe, this is a pull-no-punches game.
03:54They're going to think, no matter who makes it out of the AFC, we win this, it's ours.
03:59That's the perception, I think, right now for a lot of people.
04:02We'll see if it holds true.
04:04They might throw the ball to Puka Nakua 25 times.
04:06Jamar Chase style, right?
04:08Like, I think that is truly on the board here in this matchup.
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