Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold got spooked by one specific coverage and disguise for both the game-losing interception and a sack in Week 6 against the Denver Broncos. The Athletic’s Ted Nguyen identified the pattern in an article released Tuesday afternoon — and came up with an interesting idea to improve against it.
Part of this story became clear right after the game. Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph went on Emmanuel Acho’s Speakeasy podcast shortly after the game Thursday night and explained exactly what they did and why. Listen for yourself:
I hopped on FaceTime with @Broncos brilliant D Coordinator, Vance Joseph, immediately following his win vs the Seahawks. I asked him how they tricked Sam Darnold into throwing the game
sealing interception, you gotta hear his answer 🤯 🎥: @speakeasytlkshw pic.twitter.com/iW9abPJjPi
— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) October 16, 2026
Joseph established a consistent Cover 2 Man presence early in the game, then baited Darnold by playing Cover 2 Trap in key late-game moments. He showed a single-high safety look as the disguise. When Darnold saw Broncos safety Ja’Quan McMillian lined up as a box player, he anticipated there would be holes in coverage further downfield he could fit the ball into with his tight spiral and arm strength. That’s exactly what Joseph wanted. McMillian dropped back into deep coverage, and cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine took Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp out by “trapping” him — covering him short for just long enough to make Darnold think twice about throwing it. Abrams-Draine had no plan to cover Kupp long-term, though — he turned and ran with wide receiver Rashid Shaheed just enough to tighten Darnold’s throwing window. Nguyen referred to the hole shot as the “honey hole,” where it’s tempting and sweet if you successfully reach in, but can also turn into a mess. The Broncos made a mess of the Seahawks’ concept and execution with two defenders ready to pounce on the takeaway before Shaheed ever had a chance.
The book is now out on beating Darnold on the boundary. Disguise Cover 2 Trap with single-high and dare him to the honey hole. As Nguyen mentions in his article, the same look also resulted in a sack in the third quarter. On third-and-7 with 9:17 in the quarter, Darnold looked left and didn’t throw it, taking the sack instead of the pick. The checkdown to running back George Holani was open in both instances, but wasn’t a natural enough part of his progression for him to see.
It’s up to Darnold and offensive coordinator Brian Fleury to work together on the route concept this week. Fleury believed Darnold could execute it as an effective man-beater enough to call it in two of the game’s biggest situations. The great part about the chess match between offense and defense is that when your opponent executes a lethal move to your strategy, there’s always a counterinnovation. If Fleury and Darnold show that against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 7, the doubts will quickly turn to belief.
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This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: How Sam Darnold can beat the Cover 2 Trap that fooled him
