Sam Darnold Reflects on 'Seeing Ghosts' Remark in 2019 Patriots Game After Seahawks Reach Super Bowl

In 2019, a frustrated Sam Darnold said he was "seeing ghosts" against the New England Patriots while playing for the New York Jets.

Darnold will face the Patriots again this year, but in the Super Bowl.

After he led the Seattle Seahawks past the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC championship, he addressed that remark.

"I almost forgot about it, so thanks. No, you're joking. You're good. No, I think for me, I, you know, there was a lot that I didn't know back then," he said. "So you know, I'm just gonna continue to learn and grow in this great game. You know there's a lot of stuff I can get better from today, even.

"I feel like I missed some throws out there that I shouldn't miss. You know, there were some things offensively that I feel like we can do better, so we're always looking to get better. I'm always looking to get better, so that's the great part about this game is, you know, you win an NFC championship, and you win games throughout the season but it's always ways you can look to get better."

In a matchup against the Patriots in 2019, a mic'd-up Darold was caught on the sideline saying, "I'm seeing ghosts" during a rough performance. The New England defense forced Darnold to throw four interceptions and fumble once in a 33-0 loss.

Darnold admitting that the Patriots were wreaking havoc on him turned into a viral moment that followed him for much of his career.

But that was Darnold's second season in the league, and a lot has changed since then. After a breakout year with the Minnesota Vikings last year, Darnold is an established starter and arguably one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.

He threw for 4,048 yards and 25 touchdowns this year, leading the Seahawks to a 14-3 record and the top seed in the NFC. The former No. 3 overall pick, who many had written off as a bust until last year, is far from the young quarterback who struggled against the Patriots in 2019.

These days, it's rare to see Darnold get too rattled. He was near perfect on Sunday against the Rams, throwing for 346 yards and three touchdowns.

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Now Darnold is looking to lead Seattle to its first Super Bowl victory since 2013, and it seems unlikely he'll be seeing ghosts against the Patriots this time around.