Seahawks offer ardent defense of Sam Darnold after his 4 INTs - ESPN

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — As Ernest Jones IV was walking by Sam Darnold on his way to his postgame news conference Sunday at SoFi Stadium, the Seattle Seahawks middle linebacker offered the quarterback a few words of encouragement.

Then Jones backed Darnold with passion and profanity.

«Sam's been balling,» Jones said. «If we want to try to define Sam by this game, Sam's had us in every f---ing game. So, for him to sit there and say, 'That's my fault,' no it's not. It was plays that defensively we could have made… opportunities where we could have got better stops. It's football, man. He's our quarterback. We've got his back, and if you've got anything to say, quite frankly, f--- you.»

Jones' defense of Darnold came after the quarterback delivered his worst performance of what has otherwise been a brilliant first season with the Seahawks. In a battle of 7-2 teams that would give the winner sole possession of first place in the NFC West, Darnold threw four interceptions and no touchdown passes in Seattle's 21-19 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

«I can't turn the ball over as much as I did today,» Darnold said. «I'll learn from it, watch the tape, grow from it. You've got to give credit to the Rams. Obviously, they're a really good defense, a really good team. But I've got to be better, personally.»

The Seahawks entered Week 11 as the NFL's third-highest scoring team despite 16 turnovers (including 10 by Darnold), which were tied for second most. They couldn't survive four more giveaways against one of the leading MVP candidates in Matthew Stafford and a stingy Rams defense — though they almost did.

Backed up at his own 1-yard line with one timeout and 1:41 left in the game, Darnold drove the Seahawks 56 yards to set up a 61-yard