The Seahawks have won the Super Bowl, and in doing so, Sam Darnold has shut up all the skeptics that have haunted him throughout his career.
The Seattle Seahawks have claimed Super Bowl XL with a dominating 29-13 performance over the New England Patriots in Santa Clara.
Mike Macdonald's defense suffocated the Patriots' offense, grabbing seven sacks and having three takeaways, while Sam Darnold did what he had to do as the leader of Seattle's offense.
Coming into the game, all eyes were on Darnold to see if he could replicate his NFC Championship performance. While Darnold didn't get close to his numbers from that game, he did manage to play mistake-free football.
The numbers weren't pretty, but it matters little now that the Seahawks are NFL champions.
Darnold would go 19-of-38 for 202 yards and a touchdown, while taking just one sack in the biggest game of his career. That'll do.
Sam Darnold, Super Bowl champion. It has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?
“It’s unbelievable,” Darnold said on NBC. “Everything that happened in my career, to do it with this team, I wouldn’t want it any other way. So proud of our guys, our defense, I can’t say enough great things about our defense, special teams, I know we won the Super Bowl, but we could have been a little better on offense, but I don’t care about that right now. It’s an unbelievable feeling.”
Yes, running back Kenneth Walker (27 att, 135 yards) played a huge role in the outcome of the game, but Darnold played the role of bus driver to perfection.
With the Seattle defense doing a number on the Patriots' offense, to the point where at halftime, New England had just 51 total yards. Darnold just had to make sure he didn't drive this Ferrari into a ditch, and he didn't.
While Darnold started the game throwing into very tight windows, he led a nine-play, 51-yard drive to open the game with a field goal.
It was a defensive struggle, but Darnold did as he did all postseason, and played within himself, and perhaps more importantly, didn't put his defense in a bad spot, often leaning on Walker.
Not having a turnover meant the Seahawks defense was always starting drives in great field position, and they made the most of it.
Darnold has been doubted all throughout his career, and you can make the case that it was fuel for him in the Super Bowl, but we know, due to his comments earlier in the week, that it was never about that.
Now, as a Super Bowl-winning quarterback, Darnold has done something Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, and Joe Burrow haven't, and that is something special.
Having been doubted at every turn, Darnold has led the Seahawks to a Super Bowl win, ending several narratives that have plagued him throughout his career.
Sam didn't "see ghosts" as he did in the playoffs last season. Sam didn't go "pumpkin mode" in big games this year; he did exactly what he and Seattle knew he could do.
And that's playing winning football.
Now, as the season ends, Darnold is a Super Bowl winner, and once and for all, has shut up all those who have doubted him.
Redemption tour complete.