As the Jacksonville Jaguars prepare to host the Seattle Seahawks in Week 6, we sat down with John Gilbert of Field Gulls to learn more about the opposing side.
Question 1: From the outside looking in, it seems that Sam Darnold is playing even better than he did last year. Has he exceeded expectations in Seattle so far? Is there any part of his game you’d like to see improve?
Absolutely zero doubt that Darnold is playing out of his mind so far this season. Klint Kubiak has schemed the offense near perfectly
to Darnold’s strengths, and with both Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp able to get open almost on demand, it’s been a recipe for success. Add in a sprinkling of just enough production from AJ Barner and Tory Horton, and the production of the offense has been welcome after the struggles of 2024.
With that said, he’s played so well that regressing to the mean would not be a surprise. That doesn’t mean he’s going to all of a sudden revert back to his level of performance with the Jets, just that it’s improbable that he will be able to continue to produce at the level he has for the remainder of the season. There certainly won’t be any complaints if he does, just that it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone if he eventually has a game that fans would like to forget.
As far as an area where fans would like to see him improve, a lot of the haters who were upset with the decisions to trade Geno Smith and sign Darnold have been more than happy to point out that the Seahawks two losses both came in games where the offense had the ball with a chance to take the lead, but Darnold turned it over. With that said, he was under pressure on both turnovers, and he wasn’t on the field when the opponent took the lead in either game, so exactly how much blame can one place on him for the failures of the offensive line and defense? At the end of the day he’s a 28-year old with immense physical talents, and hopefully there’s still a lot of upside for him and his performance in the coming years.
Question 2: Same question for the head coach — while it’s only his second season, has Mike Macdonald exceeded expectations so far? Is there anything glaring that he must improve upon?
There were certainly a lot of fans who questioned the decision of the team to move on from Pete Carroll after the 2023 season, but Macdonald has revitalized and rejuvenated the defense to the point where those voices have been silenced. Yes, the Bucs put up 38 points in Week 5, but that was in large part because of poor injury luck and half the defense, including the majority of the starting secondary not being on the field because of those injuries.
Macdonald has the team playing a physical, aggressive style fans like, while playing disciplined and avoiding penalty flags, so there’s been little about which to complain for most fans.
Question 3: What is the Seahawks’ biggest strength and weakness at the moment?
For as long as most fans can remember, the offensive line has been the biggest weakness for the team, but heading into Week 6 the group of all rookie-contract offensive linemen the team is starting is outside the bottom 10 in most major offensive line metrics. There are certainly times when the youth and inexperience of the group shows through, and it may still be the weak link of the team as a whole, but it’s performing better than in any recent season and there is no shortage of excitement about the potential of the unit going forward.
Having said that, with injuries having waylaid much of the secondary, as far as the Week 6 matchup against the Jaguars is concerned, the defensive backfield could be the weak link. Devon Witherspoon has missed three of the last four games, Julian Love has missed two of the last three games, and Nick Emmanwori and Tariq Woolen were limited in practice Wednesday after missing time in the loss to Tampa Bay. If the group isn’t healthy for the game, that’s the weakest link.
On the flip side, the biggest strength has been Jaxon Smith-Njigba. He’s constantly been open, and Darnold has been looking his way regularly. As a matter of fact, even with JSN hasn’t been open, Darnold has looked his way and it’s often times worked out well for the offense so far, as JSN is putting up the type of production fans dream of from first round receivers.
Question 4: Who’s an under-the-radar player or two that Jaguars fans should watch for on Sunday?
For all the accolades and production that JSN and Darnold are getting, AJ Barner is a 2024 fourth round pick who has already worked his way into the top ten in Seahawks franchise history for touchdown catches by a tight end. It’s certainly not a storied group, but Barner has hauled in eight touchdowns in his first 22 games, leaving him just ten shy of Jimmy Graham’s franchise record of 18 with more than two and a half seasons left on his rookie contract. In short, Barner’s name is very likely to come up when Seattle is in short-yardage or goal-to-go situations Sunday.
On defense the name for Jaguars fan to be aware of is Josh Jobe. A former undrafted free agent who spent two years with the Philadelphia Eagles, Jobe has grabbed the attention of a lot of fans with a pair of interceptions and multiple passes broken up in his time in Seattle. Of course, he’s also tied for the second most flags thrown his way with four already so far this season, but part of that comes with the territory with as aggressive as the Seahawks secondary plays under Macdonald.
Question 5: Do you expect the Seahawks to cover as 1.5-point underdogs, and do you like any bets/props for the game?
It’s kind of a running joke on Field Gulls that when I pick the Seahawks to win, they lose, and when I pick them to lose they win. Thus, I’m picking the Jaguars to win and cover to the tune of something along the lines of 27-23, thus effectively guaranteeing a Seattle win.
Thanks to John for taking the time to answer our questions!
What are your thoughts on Week 6’s matchup, Jaguars fans? Let us know in the comments!
