When the Seahawks demolished the 49ers, it wasn't about just the score. For Sam Darnold, it was a story nearly a decade in the making.

Following the win, the 28-year-old addressed the media about how much this win meant to him. 

“It’s huge. I don’t take anything for granted. It’s just a special group, I think that’s the biggest thing, and that’s why it means so much. You know, they were tight before I got here. You make so many great relationships throughout this process. That locker room, these coaches, that’s the reason why I play this game.”

After 8 years in the NFL, Darnold finally had his first playoff win. As a third overall pick from the 2018 Draft, the Jets had high expectations from him, but it wouldn't work out. Last season, he came close. He led the Vikings to a 14-3 record but lost to the Rams. In fact, with this season, he became the only QB alongside Brady to have back-to-back 14 win season.

As for the 49ers game, Darnold’s performance wasn’t great. He threw for 124 yards and scored a touchdown. However, the former Jets’ QB also got sacked twice.

This season, Darnold crossed the 4000-yard mark again and threw 26 touchdowns. It will be interesting to see which team he will face between the Rams and the Bears. 

Sam Darnold Talks About Pre-Game Preparation 

During the practice session on Thursday, he felt discomfort in his left side while throwing the ball. Following the huge win over San Francisco, the 28-year-old described how he felt ahead of the high-pressure game. 

“I didn’t go out for a non-padded warm-up… think that kinda stirred some questions. I got to throw in here. Did the same thing, did my routine here. I practiced in the locker room. We have a huge space there, I was just throwing back and forth, got warmed and was able to go out there in pads and throw it.”

Now, he prepares for his first Championship game. Do you think he will go through to the Super Bowl? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

Written by

Kalp Thaker

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar