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A Work of Art: Sam Darnold’s Passing Display vs. Saints Turns Heads

Seahawks QB Sam Darnold's passing chart vs. Saints is a work of art

In his best game with the Seattle Seahawks, Sam Darnold picked apart the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.
Sep 21, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) throws the ball during the first quarter against New Orleans Saints at Lumen Field.
Sep 21, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) throws the ball during the first quarter against New Orleans Saints at Lumen Field. / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
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Sam Darnold had by far his best game with the Seattle Seahawks in the team's Week 3 win against the New Orleans Saints.

Darnold, who mostly played well in Week 2 after a quiet Week 1, is continuing to look more and more comfortable in Klint Kubiak's offense. He completed 14 of 18 passes for 218 yards and two touchdowns in Seattle's 44-13 blowout victory over the Saints.

It was also about the type of completions, as he effortlessly moved the Seahawks' offense and finished drives after the special teams unit set them up for success.

According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Darnold averaged 10.3 air yards per completion against New Orleans. He had a career-high 77.8% success rate, and only two of his completions came on throws behind the line of scrimmage.

Darnold has completed 52 of his 74 passes on the season (70%) for 663 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions. Only one of those picks, which both came in Week 2 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, was an outright bad throw. The other was on a deflected pass in the backfield that fell into the hands of a Steelers defender.

The run game hasn't been as efficient as the Seahawks hoped early on, which has forced Darnold to do more in the early season. It could take some time before that ground game picks up, so Seattle needs their $100 million quarterback to earn it some wins in the meantime. Against the Saints, especially, he has done exactly that.

Darnold and the Seahawks should be able to sling the ball against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 3. Arizona has allowed at least 300 passing yards in each of its last two games.

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Minnesota Vikings vs Dallas Cowboys Week 15 NFL 2025: Latest Odds, Injury Report & Score Prediction
The marquee Sunday Night Football matchup in Week 15 pits the Minnesota Vikings (5-8) against the Dallas Cowboys (6-6-1) at AT&T Stadium. Kickoff is set for 8:20 PM ET on Sunday, December 14, 2025. This is a must-win game for Dallas to keep playoff hopes alive. Quick Match Info (Updated Dec 10, 2025) Date & Time: Sunday, Dec 14, 2025 – 8:20 PM ET Venue: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX (retractable roof – weather not a factor) TV (US): NBC / Peacock Current Records: Vikings 5-8 | Cowboys 6-6-1 **Head-to-Head: Cowboys lead all-time series 19-15 and have won 5 of the last 6 meetings Latest Betting Odds (Consensus – BetMGM, DraftKings, FanDuel) Bet Type Vikings Cowboys Notes Spread +6.5 (-110) -6.5 (-110) Line moved from -7 to -6.5 Moneyline +240 -300   Total (O/U) Over 47.5 (-110) Under 47.5 (-110) Trending toward 47   Best value bets right now: Cowboys -6.5 or Under 47.5 Key Injury Report (as of Dec 10 evening)     Team Player Position Injury Status Cowboys CeeDee Lamb WR Concussion protocol Questionable (65-70% to play, may wear guardian cap) Cowboys Tyler Guyton OT High ankle sprain Doubtful Cowboys Jadeveon Clowney EDGE Hamstring Questionable Cowboys Trevon Diggs CB Knee soreness Questionable Vikings J.J. McCarthy QB Cleared concussion protocol Will start Vikings Justin Jefferson WR Healthy 100%   → If Lamb is limited or out, Vikings +6.5 becomes very playable. Key Stats & Trends Cowboys average 29.3 PPG at home (best in NFL) Vikings average only 16.8 PPG on the road this season 7 of Dallas’ last 9 home games went OVER the total Vikings are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games as +6 or bigger underdogs Expert Score Predictions ESPN FPI: Cowboys 27 – Vikings 19 (73.2% win probability for Dallas) SportsLine 10,000 sims: Cowboys by 7.8 points USA Today: Cowboys 28–20 Bleacher Report: Cowboys 31–23 Our Final Prediction: Dallas Cowboys 30 – 20 Vikings → Cowboys cover -6.5 | Game goes slightly OVER 47.5