Sam Darnold didn’t have his best game for the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday night. And has been the case three times in the year of 2025, the Los Angeles Rams’ defense gave the 28-year-old quarterback trouble.

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Darnold was limited to 270 yards on 22-of-34 passing, and his two touchdowns were offset by two interceptions.

But unlike in the first meeting between the Seahawks and Rams this season, when Darnold was picked off four times, and unlike last January when Darnold was stifled by the Rams and his Minnesota Vikings lost 27-9 to LA in the playoffs, Darnold was able to make the plays in the biggest moments to lead his team to an incredibly important 38-37 win in overtime over the Rams on Thursday.

Darnold’s stats from Thursday don’t jump off the page, his two interceptions weren’t encouraging, and he failed to lead the Seahawks to a first down in three separate drives in the fourth quarter with the game tied 30-30. But considering those three facts while seeing what he did in leading Seattle’s game-winning drive in overtime is what stands out about Darnold’s game to Seattle Sports’ Brock Huard.

“Pull the trigger,” said Huard, a former NFL quarterback and longtime football analyst, of Darnold. “I can’t tell you or the audience or anybody that’s not played quarterback how difficult that is to do when it’s going the wrong way.”

WHAT. A. TOUCHDOWN.

📺: @NFLonPrime pic.twitter.com/14GsHsAOnl

— x – Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) December 19, 2025

It sure felt likes things were going the wrong way for Darnold at various points in Thursday’s game. But even after throwing two picks and failing to get the Seahawks into field goal territory in multiple chances late in the fourth quarter, he answered the call with his back against the wall after the Rams took a 37-30 lead in overtime.

Darnold completed two passes for first downs in that final drive, then found Jaxon Smith-Njigba for a four-yard touchdown to cut the Rams’ lead to one. Then, Darnold hit tight end Eric Saubert for Seattle’s third two-point conversion of the night, giving Seattle the 38-37 walk-off win as it outscored the Rams after each had one possession in the extra period.

3 for 3 on two-point conversions. That’s a Seahawks WIN ‼️

📺: @NFLonPrime pic.twitter.com/86PIUakPUU

— x – Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) December 19, 2025

Huard related Darnold’s turnaround in overtime to basketball.

“They got me again after they got me four times the first time,” Huard said, putting himself in Darnold’s shoes after he was picked off twice just over a month after his four-interception game against Rams. “… And yet to come back and go, that’s OK, I’m gonna take the next shot. Go 0 for 8 in a basketball game – you’re going to shoot the ninth three-pointer? Go 0 for 6 at the free throw line and step up to the line with the game on the line. Are you going to shoot confidently?

“That’s pulling the trigger. That’s like, hey man, I gotta flush it. And that’s why these guys love him.”

Hear the full conversation from Friday’s edition of Brock and Salk in the podcast at this link or in the player below. Catch Brock and Salk live from 6-10 a.m. weekdays on Seattle Sports.

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