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(Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
The Seattle Seahawks have a bye week after securing the No. 1 seed in the NFC. As a result, this week the team will watch the Wild Card Round as they wait to see who they will play in the divisional round.
Nonetheless, as they wait, some Seahawks players are reflecting on what they accomplished in the regular season. On Jan. 7, Seattle defensive lineman Leonard Williams spoke with reporters, and while he doesn’t play on offense, he did share his thoughts on what Sam Darnold has brought to the team.
“To me, it’s the way he works,” Williams said. “We talk about it sometimes. We’re flying on the plane, and guys are hanging out and having a good time, shadow boxing, messing around, and just see Sammy, he’s just sitting there watching film, taking notes, like he’s studying up until like the last second. I think that’s just the way he approaches work every day and it’s impressive.”
Seahawks Are Backing Sam Darnold Heading Into the Playoffs
The Seahawks have a bye week because of their Week 18 win over the San Francisco 49ers on Jan. 3 at Levi’s Stadium. All Darnold needed to do was make timely passes, hand the ball off to the effective running game, and not turn the ball over.
Meanwhile, the defense didn’t allow the 49ers’ offense to get going. Moreover, one aspect of his game that won’t show up on the stat sheet is his leadership. Jaxon Smith-Njigba shared an honest message about the Seahawks’ QB, highlighting aspects Williams mentioned.
“Sam led us [on Jan. 3],” Smith-Njigba told reporters. “Sam was an absolute dog today. His demeanor, his approach, everything about what he did today was great. Of course, we want to fix some things.
“Of course, there’s always going to be things to fix, but just from the time that we got here [on Jan. 20], really, the way we prepared, the way he prepared all week to make sure his guys were ready is one of one stuff. Super happy for him.”
Seahawks Favorite to Come Out of the NFC
Nonetheless, the Seahawks can follow the same formula they used against the 49ers in the playoffs: Darnold can make those timely passes to his weapons, lean on the run game, and let their defense continue dominating the opposition.
With the road to the Super Bowl running through Lumen Field, former NFL coach Bruce Arians weighed in on why he believes the Seahawks can get to the big game behind Darnold’s play.
“I think right now [Sam Darnold has] figured it out,” Arians said on the Jan. 6 edition of the “Pat McAfee Show.” “He’s put on the Superman cape. They got that running game rolling, showed up big last week against San Francisco. This may be the facilitator, get the ball out to the right guys, make some big plays with his legs.
“He and [Jaxon Smith-Njigba], man, that’s a dangerous combination. But when they got that running game going, with the defense they’re playing right now, and then the 12 up there in Seattle, watch out. It’s going to be tough.”
Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports writer for Heavy.com, covering the NFL, MLB, and college football. He has previously covered the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has freelanced for PSG Talk, covering Paris Saint-Germain. He also worked as an editor at Athlon Sports, focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo
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