Sam Darnold On Preparing For Week 5, Offense's Progress Through Four Games

Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold met with the media as the Seahawks prepared for a "really good" 49ers team ahead of Sunday's matchup. He broke down why San Francisco leads the league in limiting explosive plays, explained his approach of staying on schedule rather than hunting big plays, and discussed his collaboration with Offensive Coordinator Brian Fleury on the game plan. Darnold also praised teammates Emanuel Wilson, Rashid Shaheed, Zach Charbonnet and Nick Emmanwori, credited Head Coach Mike Macdonald's situational practice work for Seattle's late-game comebacks, and said he must do a better job protecting the football.

Seahawks wide receiver Rashid Shaheed met with media to discuss taking carries out of the backfield in last week's game, a wrinkle the offense had worked toward for weeks. He credited the blocking of fellow receivers Cooper Kupp and Jaxon Smith-Njigba for his touchdown, traced his running back background through high school and his first years at Weber State, and explained how Offensive Coordinator Brian Fleury's vision for receivers in the backfield stresses defenses. He also addressed Smith-Njigba's role in the passing game, how he evaluates his own season, and his decision-making on punt returns.

Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV met with media ahead of Sunday's NFC West matchup against a 4-0 San Francisco team, downplaying rivalry and revenge narratives in favor of execution. He broke down the 49ers' athletic playmakers and decisive quarterback, detailed the players-only conversation he initiated after Sunday's penalty issues, and pointed to communication and checks as the defense's biggest focal point in what should be a loud game. He also praised fellow linebacker Drake Thomas and the mentality he tries to instill on the sideline.

Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald met with media to preview Seattle's matchup with San Francisco and update the roster. He praised new running back Robert Henry Jr.'s vision and burst, called defending the 49ers' efficient, explosive offense "an 11, 12-man job," and said the fix for third-down struggles is attacking the process together. He also offered availability notes on Leonard Williams, Irv Charles and Ty Okada and credited Offensive Coordinator Brian Fleury for his steadiness through early injuries.

Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp met with the media to preview the matchup with San Francisco and assess Seattle's offense a quarter of the way through the season. He broke down how the 49ers limit explosive plays by rarely blitzing and dropping seven or eight into coverage, and explained that beating that approach comes down to executing assignments, understanding where the space is, and reading and reacting. Kupp also praised teammates Rashid Shaheed and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, offensive coordinator Brian Fleury and head coach Mike Macdonald, while stressing that the offense has plenty of potential but must cut down mistakes and string drives together.

Seahawks defensive end Jarran Reed met with reporters ahead of Seattle's Week 5 matchup with San Francisco, detailing how the defensive front plans to handle the 49ers' misdirection-heavy run game and a mobile quarterback. He also confirmed the defense held a players-only meeting on Monday, led by veterans including Ernest Jones IV, Leonard Williams and Julian Love, to clean up avoidable personal fouls without sacrificing the group's physicality. Reed closed by praising the emergence of defensive tackle Byron Murphy II and the versatility of safety Nick Emmanwori.

Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald met with media following the team's latest game and ahead of a matchup with San Francisco. He emphasized the red zone as a focus area, praised the effectiveness of the run game and downfield blocking, and addressed the defense's penalties as a byproduct of playing on the edge. He also provided availability updates on several players, including Ty Okada, Irv Charles and Zach Charbonnet's return-to-play progression.

Head coach Mike Macdonald met with the media to reflect on a 3-1 start he called something he's "very grateful" for, while making clear the Seahawks are not yet playing to their own standard. He praised the run game and a defense that stayed together to finish, but drew a hard line on seven personal foul penalties he called "unacceptable on any level," promising to address ball security and discipline over the next 24 to 48 hours. He also offered updates on Sam Darnold's toughness behind too many quarterback hits and availability notes on several players heading into the coming week.

Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold met with the media to break down a hard-fought win over a really good opponent. He addressed an early interception, the physical hit he absorbed on a slide, the contributions of teammates stepping into bigger roles, and a penalty-filled afternoon. Darnold's message throughout was that the offense has cleanup work to do on tape, but the team's "next man up" resilience is why it keeps producing.

Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV met with the media following Seattle's win over the Chargers to address the defense's penalty issues, his first takeaway of the season and the unit's late-game finish. He said the group was frustrated by the flags that extended Chargers drives and plans to fix it through honest conversation and film study, while crediting the pass rush, coverage and a well-timed call from head coach Mike Macdonald for the defense's big moments.

Seahawks linebacker Uchenna Nwosu met with media to break down Seattle's win, detailing the game-clinching sack and the pass rush that "came alive." He credited the interior push from DeMarcus Lawrence and Byron Murphy II, praised safety Nick Emmanwori's continued big plays, and relayed head coach Mike Macdonald's message about learning from the penalty-filled stretches. Nwosu stressed that the defense remains connected and that cleaning up self-inflicted penalties on film is the next step.

Seahawks running back Emanuel Wilson met with the media following a two-touchdown performance in which he scored both on the ground and through the air, something he said he hadn't done since high school. He credited his teammates' blocking — including wide receiver Cooper Kupp — for opening up his screen-pass score, and reflected on arriving on a non-guaranteed one-year deal before growing into a larger role in the backfield. Wilson also pointed to film study as the reason the run game found success attacking the edges.

Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald met with media, calling it a "business as usual" week after a strong practice while emphasizing the process continues right up to kickoff (0:08). He delivered the injury report — running back Jadarian Price is out after re-aggravating a chest injury Wednesday, with safety Ty Okada and linebacker Chazz Surratt questionable (0:30) — and expressed confidence in his remaining backfield options. Macdonald also updated running back Zach Charbonnet's remarkable rehab progress without committing to a timeline (2:55), and praised defensive tackle Leonard Williams and fullback Brady Russell for their daily approach and value to the team.

Seahawks offensive coordinator Brian Fleury met with media to discuss his first full game calling plays with quarterback Sam Darnold, the offense's reliance on wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and why Seattle moved away from the run game after falling behind. He also addressed ball security with rookie running back Jadarian Price, the right guard rotation, and contributions from fullback Brady Russell, wide receiver Tory Horton and center Jalen Sundell.

Seahawks defensive coordinator Aden Durde met with the media to discuss the state of his defense, highlighting Leonard Williams, the value of interior disruption, and the development of young defenders like Nehemiah Pritchett and Maxen Hook. He also addressed the two third downs the defense surrendered on the final series and pointed to execution and detail as the fix, while naming red zone defense as a weekly point of emphasis.

Seahawks safety Julian Love met with reporters to discuss his calf injury and his push to play Sunday, the depth of Seattle's safety room with Ty Okada out, and the team's process-first mindset under Head Coach Mike Macdonald. He also praised Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Leonard Williams, and previewed the matchup with the Chargers and their quarterback who can make every throw.

Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba met with the media to discuss his route running, his pride in the complete parts of his game and his growing role across the formation. He credited his Texas high school roots for his creativity, praised quarterback Sam Darnold's red-zone decision-making and the versatility of the receiver room alongside Cooper Kupp, and welcomed running back Zach Charbonnet back to practice. Smith-Njigba said he is eager to play in front of the 12s at home again and that winning, not individual numbers, is what people remember.

Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold met with media to preview Sunday's matchup against a well-coached opponent with a strong defensive scheme, emphasizing that records don't matter and "it's all about tape for us." He discussed the opponent's versatile standout defender, the return of running back Zach Charbonnet, Anthony Bradford's engagement while working back from injury, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba's continued production against extra defensive attention. Darnold also addressed Sunday's lopsided pass-to-run split, his second interception, and how experience has helped him "feel the game."

Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp met with the media to discuss how targets are distributed in the Seahawks offense, Jaxon Smith-Njigba's fast start three games into the season, and the razor-thin margins that define NFL games. He also praised Tory Horton's potential, described offensive coordinator Brian Fleury's calm and consistent communication, and broke down his own touchdown.

Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald met with the media to open a week of preparation for the Seahawks' matchup against the Chargers. He walked through practice-schedule adjustments following the East Coast trip and provided health updates on Julian Love, Ty Okada, Zach Charbonnet and Irv Charles, while taking responsibility for improving game-planning and coverage calls after a loss. Macdonald also reflected on his season at Michigan and its influence on the team's "12 As One" identity, and offered evaluations of his offense, offensive line and coaching staff.

Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori met with the media to discuss his gradual return from offseason ankle surgery and how the ramp-up plan has brought him back up to speed. He explains the decision-making behind the procedure, getting limited snaps in Washington, and how he stayed sharp mentally and physically while sidelined during training camp. Emmanwori also addresses his growing role in a reshaped secondary under Head Coach Mike Macdonald and his ambition to become one of the best defensive players in the NFL.

Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald met with the media to review the tape, saying it produced "mixed emotions" — flashes of the team the Seahawks aspire to be in all three phases alongside shortfalls that demand urgent fixes (0:20). He addressed the offense's struggles against Washington's defense and the second-half adjustments once the game forced them to throw (5:31), gave injury and availability updates on safety Julian Love and running back Zach Charbonnet (3:06, 6:25), and defended players including running back Jadarian Price and cornerback Josh Jobe. Macdonald also called the special teams inconsistency through three weeks "not good enough" (15:15) and reflected on his lone season on the Michigan staff ahead of a reunion with his former boss (6:54).

Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold met with the media following Seattle's loss to Washington, pointing to turnovers and poor red-zone execution as the primary reasons for the defeat (0:01). He took accountability for his interceptions, said he felt physically great, and credited the Commanders' defense for a strong all-around performance that slowed the Seahawks' run game (0:26, 0:46, 1:42). Darnold also backed running back Jadarian Price after his fumble and praised wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and the tight end group, saying the offense will look at the film and in the mirror to clean up operational details (2:15, 2:37, 4:21, 5:19).

Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV described a disappointed locker room and sloppy execution "from the beginning to the end, all three levels," while crediting the opponent for making plays when it mattered (00:08). He broke down the final drive's third-down conversions, the defense's need to win quicker up front, and the ongoing hunt for takeaways. Jones IV also reflected on the red zone, his open-field shoestring tackle, and how this team has historically bounced back, outlining the week of work ahead (02:26).

Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald met with the media after the loss at Washington, pointing to a minus-three turnover margin and poor situational football as the difference in a game Seattle trailed by two points late. He addressed quarterback Sam Darnold's mixed day, a run game that never got going, a pass rush that didn't generate enough pressure, and red-zone struggles on both sides of the ball. Macdonald also backed running back Jadarian Price after his fumbles and praised safety AJ Finley for filling in on short notice, closing with a message to attack problems and "go through, not around."