Sam Darnold doesn't have to prove himself this week (to me)

Seahawks could get chance to right their wrongs against both division rivals this year

And now, the highly anticipated part III of this week’s Super Joes Q&A responses.

La’au: This is an opinion based question that can bring up some emotional responses. Perfect question for this week. Who is the Seahawks biggest rival and why?

Me personally 2012-2015 cemented the 9ers as the worst team in the NFL. I root for the Hawks and whoever is playing them. Sherm and the tip, Crabtree’s sorry ass, past 9er dynasties…that red makes me throw up in my mouth…visceral reactions. I’m kidding but not really.

I was going to say that the Rams have been so much more of a roadblock to Seattle’s success since Sean McVay was hired in 2017, which is probably true, but then I remembered that the Seahawks have also lost seven of their last eight games against the 49ers.

The Seahawks are 1-3 against the 49ers and Rams in the playoffs all-time, so it’s fitting that you ask this question now at a time when Seattle might have a chance to face both of them in order to get back to the Super Bowl.

Rivalry or not, if the Seahawks were able to beat the 49ers in Week 18 and the Rams in the playoffs it would go a long way towards establishing a power shift in the NFC West. Historically speaking, the NFL (and most team sports I know of) has always had this pattern of putting one side on top of the other and staying that way for years, if not decades.

What would your answers be?

West Seattle Tim: Are there any current Seahawks (players or coaches) that would stay on the team if the team wins the Super Bowl that wouldn’t be on the team with an early exit? Or does their playoff run not mean anything as far as job security? And I mean this as far as the Seahawks releasing or trading them, not coaches getting poached.

For many people out there it’s as though Sam Darnold has already lost to the 49ers and won’t win a playoff game, as if he’s the most typecast quarterback in the NFL storybook.

(Even if you hate Grant Cohn, he has a point about the media and opposing fans not taking the Seahawks as seriously as they would if the quarterback wasn’t Sam Darnold. Doesn’t mean that people are right, that’s just what the perception is until he proves them wrong.)

Well, I still don’t think that the Seahawks would change a thing in their quarterback room this offseason even if Darnold does choke.

You didn’t ask me about Darnold specifically, but that’s probably the biggest up-in-the-air question on the team based on postseason success. I think Darnold is 100% locked in for 2026.

In terms of free agents, a guy like Rashid Shaheed really needs to use this extended runway to build up some more goodwill as an offensive weapon. I know fans want to believe and expect him to be re-signed and that’s totally fine, but the least he could do is make himself some money on that contract.

Sometimes a really good playoff run can also work the opposite way. As in, what if Riq Woolen had 3 interceptions in the playoffs? Seattle might think he’s too expensive after that and let another team pay the contract; I always think of Dexter Jackson, the former Bucs safety who shockingly won Super Bowl MVP in 2003 and signed an overpriced free agent contract with the Cardinals a month later.

On potential cap casualties, I don’t think Cooper Kupp can save himself. And a lot of people are gonna hate this but what has Uchenna Nwosu done to be worth $20 million next year? Well, if he had a dominant postseason that could help.

On coaches, I suppose a Super Bowl win could lead to a team trying to poach Seattle’s coaching staff for coordinators if they aren’t promoted by the Seahawks. For example, Karl Scott as a defensive coordinator or Justin Outten as an offensive coordinator. Both are still in their early 40s.

Bret: With another week of Josh Jones, is Cross looking more average or is Jones simply better than expected? It seems like average left tackles are paid lavishly, so has your opinion regarding Cross changed at all in light of the last few games?

Charley Filipek: VERY good point, Bret. Might Mr. Cross take a more reasonable new contract if he really wants to continue with this great group as part of the Hawks.

I’m honestly not sure which opinion you mean because I haven’t really been that rigid about Charles Cross’s value or future with the team except to say that he’s already got a fully-guaranteed $17.5 million fifth-year option with the Seahawks in 2026. All they could do is trade him. They wouldn’t release him and they have no reason to rush any decisions unless some other desperate team offers them a first round pick for Cross.

It just does not seem like Seattle is highly incentivized to do anything except let Cross be the left tackle again and Cross is not incentivized to sign an extension that pays him under market value knowing that if he waits to 2027 he will get to go to the highest bidder (which is always an overpay). He’s not bad and his 2026 salary is guaranteed. If he isn’t worth extending in 2027, then let him leave in free agency and the Seahawks could get a comp pick.

But if you’re referring to a specific statement I made and didn’t respond to it, please jog my memory:

Largentium: How likely is it that the Niners stack the box, bracket cover JSN and dare Darnold to connect with anyone else?

49ers Defensive Coordinator Robert Saleh was asked if Deommodore Lenoir would “shadow” Jaxon Smith-Njigba and what the positives/negatives are of that strategy:

“It’s easy for the guy who travels. I got that guy, I’m going to travel wherever I want. But we’re a zone-based defense, right? So if it was man coverage, that’s easy for him. But it is a little bit more difficult for the other guys. How does every else align? Because we’re not—do you go match where everyone just picks a number? If that number’s not on the field, do you pick a different number? Or is it we’re all going to line off of D-Mo (Lenoir) and if D’Mo’s in the slot does that put the nickel at #1 where he’s not used to being? So techniques change with your man principles because now you’re in different locations.

Alright now put yourself in zone. You’re trying to match up where (JSN) is and now D’Mo’s in the slot does that mean Upton (Stout) is now playing corner-third, which he hasn’t done all year? There’s a lot of new techniques that you’re going to ask a guy to do. So it’s very expensive, not for the guy traveling but for the guys not traveling. Can it be done? Of course. Do we have it in our inventory? Absolutely. Can we? Maybe.”

In another question, Saleh admits that JSN has become better than he thought he’d be coming out of Ohio State, that he’s “unbelievable”, and “a challenge for anybody in man coverage”. Grant Cohn thinks that maybe Saleh will have Lenoir go man-to-man against JSN on third downs specifically.

JSN leads the NFL in yards per route against man coverage.

From the sounds of it, Saleh doesn’t have “better answers” for how to stop JSN than other defensive coordinators. In recent weeks, the Seahawks have faced Lou Anarumo, Chris Shula, Ejiro Evero, and Jeff Ulbrich (who was Saleh’s DC on the Jets) and JSN averaged 8 catches for 93 yards. These are good, experienced defensive coordinators. Saleh doesn’t have a magic spell.

Some struggles aside, the Seahawks had a game with 37 points and a game with 38 (in OT). In recent years, 37 points felt like a miracle for Seattle, no matter the circumstances. Of course the defense and special teams deserve some credit for those games but we’ve seen Walker have a big game in there, Charbonnet have a big game, Shaheed and Barner came up with big plays too.

Is San Francisco’s strategy is to force someone else on the Seahawks besides JSN to beat them, there’s good evidence out there that someone WILL.

(It also helps that the 49ers are dead last in creating pressures and sacks and 25th against the pass.)

So whatever big ideas they have to slow down the Seahawks, the 49ers haven’t been able to stop anyone lately and especially not big play receivers. Besides, nobody’s been better at forcing Seattle turnovers than the Seahawks themselves.

One more thing: Cooper Kupp’s 2021 season

Last thing on this topic. Kupp won Offensive Player of the Year in 2021. He led the league in every major receiving category. And L.A.’s other skill players dropped off with injuries one-by-one. The only thing opposing pass defenses had to do was stop one guy and they still couldn’t do it: Kupp had 478 yards and 6 TDs in four playoff games that year.

I’m skeptical that a bottom-8 pass defense can do it to JSN.

IdahoFred: Are the Rams linemen very seriously injured? I know we play the 9er's next, I was just asking about their line health as to how they end the year and may do in the playoffs. Sometimes you have insights into Ram's issues. It wouldn't bother me if their injuries handicapped them going forward.

Left tackle Alaric Jackson is expected to return and start on Sunday after missing one game. Right guard Kevin Dotson, the player who Derick Hall stepped on, isn’t going to play this week due to an ankle injury that happened on the infamous step. He was in a walking boot up until Thursday. Returning before the divisional round would be a surprise.

These are the only serious injuries I know about. Right tackle Rob Havenstein is on IR but probably already lost his job to Warren McClendon. Tight end Tyler Higbee was designated to return this week and could be back for the playoffs. Safety Quentin Lake, who signed a three-year, $42m extension on Thursday, is expected back for the wild card round.

Seaside Joe 2496