Seattle has adopted an identity as one of the league's
heavier-running teams, which it is. In fact, it’s the heaviest, ranking 1st
in rush rate through eight weeks. Interestingly, Seattle is fourth in passing
yards when leading, ranking behind the Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles
Chargers, and Indianapolis Colts. To be exact, 48.8 percent of Darnold’s
passing yards have been accounted for when playing with the lead. This is a
testament to how great Seattle’s defense has been, which has given Darnold a
balanced time of possession. A similar trend can be seen with Indianapolis.
Darnold has had finishes above 20 fantasy points; two have
been against poor pass defenses, such as Washington’s, one was against
Jacksonville, where Jaxon Smith-Njigba took the wheel, accounting for 55
percent of Darnold’s passing yards, and another was against Tampa Bay, which
ended up being a game with a 73-point total.
