Ernest Jones Defends Sam Darnold After Seahawks Loss
In SoFi Stadium, after the match, Seattle Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV expressed his unconditional support for quarterback Sam Darnold. Jones passionately defended Darnold after a game where the quarterback had a performance below expectations.Jones’ defense came after Darnold had his worst performance in what has been a brilliant first season with the Seahawks. In a matchup between teams with a 7-2 record, vying for first place in the NFC West, Darnold threw four interceptions without touchdowns in Seattle’s 21-19 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.“Sam has been playing incredibly. If we want to define Sam by this game, Sam has kept us in every game. So, for him to sit and say, ‘It’s my fault’, no, it’s not. There were plays that defensively we could have made… opportunities where we could have made better stops. It’s football, man. He’s our quarterback. We back him, and if you have something to say, frankly, go fuck yourself”.
Ernest Jones IV
The Seahawks, who entered Week 11 as the third-highest scoring team in the NFL, couldn’t overcome the four turnovers against the Rams’ defense. Despite this, they almost managed to win. With the marker against them in their own 1-yard line, with a timeout and 1:41 on the clock, Darnold led the Seahawks 56 yards to set up a 61-yard field goal attempt that, if successful, would have given them the victory. However, Jason Myers missed the attempt. Seattle’s defense held Stafford and the Rams to 249 yards and 2 of 11 on third down. The Seahawks gained 414 yards but went 1 of 4 in the red zone. Darnold completed 29 of 44 passes, both season highs, for 279 yards. Wide receiver Cooper Kupp, who caught three passes for 23 yards in his first game against his former team, praised Darnold for staying “steady” despite his struggles. Coach Mike Macdonald, when talking about how Darnold put the Seahawks in a position to win at the end, said: “I’m not surprised. That’s Sam. He’s done it since day one with us, and he’s a supreme competitor and he’s a great quarterback, and he’s our quarterback. We love him.” The Seahawks’ loss broke their streak of 10 consecutive away wins, dating back to last season. The Seahawks will play against the Titans (1-9) in Nashville next Sunday. “We’re going to bounce back,” Macdonald said. “We’re going to come back and attack this week like we would if the field goal had gone in. Encouraged by our group, obviously very disappointed that we lost. We want to be able to win a game like that given all the circumstances, but we didn’t. But it’s a long season and we’ll move on.”“I can’t turn the ball over as much as I did today,” Darnold said. “I’ll learn from it, watch the repetition, grow. You have to give credit to the Rams. Obviously, they’re a very good defense, a very good team. But personally, I have to get better.”
Sam Darnold
