Author: Rob Staton (Page 1 of 432)

This is a guest article by Curtis Allen…

Record: 3-1

Thoughts

The Seahawks are nothing if not consistent.  Another 3-1 quarter propels them to a 9-3 season record and puts them in solid contention for 10-12 wins and a playoff spot.

Two beatdowns (Cardinals and Vikings), a win on the road against a plucky Titans team and a heartbreaker of a close loss to the Rams made for some exciting watching.

Turnovers dominated the highlight reels and the running game started to get in gear.

Sam Darnold had more lowlights than highlights and the defense held its edge as one of the best in the NFL.

The stretch run will determine much about this team.  Strap yourselves in.

MVP

1. Demarcus Lawrence

How often can you point to a defensive player and say, “he won us the game today” and it not being more of a metaphor than a solid reality?

Lawrence did that twice this quarter, with monster games against Arizona and Minnesota.

The quarter stats: 10 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 8 Quarterback Hits, 1.5 sacks, 16 pressures, 1 forced fumble, 2 fumble recoveries, 2 touchdowns.

The touchdowns against Arizona put the Seahawks up 28-0 minutes into second quarter.  One of his touchdowns was the very next play after he sacked Jacoby Brissett, putting the Cardinals into a third and long situation.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the only other Seahawk to have a two-touchdown game this quarter.

Against Minnesota, consider the impact of this three-series sequence:

— Seahawks up 3-0: Vikings in the Red Zone.  Lawrence forces Brosmer into an Ernest Jones pick-six.

— Next, Seahawks up 10-0:  Lawrence sacks Brosmer on Third Down to kill the drive.  Seahawks sneak in a Field Goal before the half with a 17-yard drive.

— Next, Seahawks up 16-0: Vikings have crossed into Seahawks territory.  Lawrence gets chipped out of the play but closes like a freight train on Aaron Jones and forces a fumble with a thunderous tackle.

What a performance.

And that does not even include his contributions to the run defense.

His salary cap hit this year is $7.6 million.  There isn’t a team in the NFL that would not gladly write that check in exchange for two wins.

That, my friends, is the very definition of value.

2. Leonard Williams

12 pressures, three sacks, 12 tackles, three tackles for loss, and seven Quarterback Hits this quarter.

Williams had an eight-pressure game against the Titans.  Only two NFL players have had a nine-pressure game this season.

I am running out of superlatives to describe how good (and how critical) Leonard Williams has been to the Seahawks defense.

3. Kenneth Walker

Walker and Zach Charbonnet are still job-sharing but Walker has significantly improved his performance this quarter.

He especially was the unsung hero of the Vikings game.  With Jaxon Smith-Njigba having a season-low day and Sam Darnold under near-constant pressure, Walker kept the offense from freezing up.  He had five first downs, broke two tackles and was a pressure release valve in the passing game.

On the quarter, he led the Seahawks with 23 first downs to go with 4.83 yards per carry and seven broken tackles.

With Sam Darnold having a rough quarter, the running game quietly filled the gaps on offense and has done more than enough to complement a very tough defense.

Honorable Mention

Jason Myers was perfect in PATs and 14 of 15 in Field Goal tries, including 54, 56 and 57 yarders.

We all know what the miss was.  He makes that 61-yard try against the Rams and he is more than an Honorable Mention.

Rookie of the Quarter

1. Grey Zabel

A knee injury scare only highlights how fantastic he has been this season.

He was able to recover quickly enough to get back in the following week with a minimum loss of effectiveness.

Two penalties this quarter (a false start and a holding) only serve to highlight he has only been flagged four times all season.

Zabel is a lock for Rookie of the Year for Seattle.

2. Nick Emmanwori

Last quarter we saw a lot of fireworks from Emmanwori.  This quarter lacked those game-changing wow plays but he was still extremely effective.

He played 95% of the defensive snaps this quarter and had half a sac and led the Seahawks with six passes defensed.

He had only one missed tackle and Quarterbacks had a 61.9% completion rate when targeting him.

Playing with a rotating cast of Linebackers and without Julian Love to partner with this quarter, Emmanwori was very solid.

3. Everyone Else

The quarter was not a very good one for the rest of the rookie class.

Elijah Arroyo had a career-low quarter of targets with only six and his snaps dipped a little.  He had two catches for 10 yards and no First Downs or Touchdowns.

Robbie Ouzts and Nick Kallerup had some nice blocks.  Tory Horton missed the entire quarter on Injured Reserve.

Jalen Milroe has not gotten on the field in a while (which is actually a good thing – it appears the Seahawks have abandoned the package of plays idea).

Successes

1. Situational Run Defense

In key moments when establishing the run is vital (The first half of Arizona, Tennessee and Minnesota games, the second half of the Rams game) opponents ran 42 times for 116 yards.

That is just 2.76 yards per carry.

In the Rams game, their offense badly needed to bleed the clock, as Matthew Stafford was not having his typical MVP-type game.  The Seahawks allowed 33 yards on 11 attempts and gave the ball back to the offense enough times to win the game.

The defense made the opposing offense one-dimensional and did not allow them to control the game even in the least.

Setting the table for the pass rush to get after the Quarterback and give the ball back to the offense is more than just something to achieve.  It is a philosophy that Mike Macdonald and Aden Durde have drummed into this team, and the results this quarter were fantastic.

2. Consistent Competitive Play and Depth

A third straight 3-1 quarter demonstrates the Seahawks are focused and prepared far better than last season, when they had a 1-5 stretch which included a loss to the eventual 3-14 Giants and several games that were close but just slipped through their fingers.

Just about every team in the NFL has at least one loss per year to a lesser opponent that could have been avoided.  The Seahawks’ three losses this season were by two, three and four points to three well above-average teams.

Mike Macdonald has this team focused and competing in every game, no matter what is thrown at them.

A secondary reason is the intuitive coaching that makes the best use of their great depth, so a key injury or two does not derail a quarter or a season.

This quarter, the Seahawks had these players miss all four games: Julian Love, Jarran Reed, Eric Saubert and Dereke Young.  They also missed Jalen Sundell (three games), Ernest Jones (two games) and Josh Jobe and Tyrice Knight each missed a game.

Those losses would hurt any team.  Yet once again, others have stepped up.  Ty Okada, Byron Murphy, Olu Oluwatimi and Drake Thomas among others have met the moment and allowed the team to continue playing well.

Do not take that for granted.

3. The Rams game

I personally hate the ‘coulda shoulda woulda’ reasoning.  “Take out that 90 yard run and they only gave up 38 yards rushing!”

I am making an exception because the Seahawks played so thoroughly well in the Rams game.  If not for that one thing (or I should say those 4 things), this game is a healthy win and a statement that they are ready to break through into the top echelon of the NFC.

The defense held Matthew Stafford to his worst passing day to date (53.5% completion percentage and only one pass longer than 20 yards), they had goal line stands, Coby Bryant forced Puka Nacua to fumble for only the second time in his career and Jaxon Smith-Njigba did this.  They are the only offense to hang over 400 yards on the defense in regulation play.

Darnold leads Rashid Shaheed just a little more on a deep pass, and they do not have to settle for a field goal.  The Rams punter does not make the kick of a lifetime to the one-yard line, the Seahawks have a shorter field to work with to win.  Jason Myers puts a little more juice and accuracy on that kick as time expired….

I know the scoreboard is the only thing that matters.

But this game felt like the closest the Seahawks have ever come to the legendary slugfests they had with the Jim Harbaugh Niners in Pete Carroll’s glory days.

Mike Macdonald is closing the gap.  It is excruciatingly slow but it is happening.

Challenges

1. Turnovers I

Last Quarter I wrote:

This is a bigger Achilles heel than the lack of a good run game now.

This is a lurking danger that needs attention right away.  It could derail a good playoff spot or a deep run in the playoffs if the Seahawks are not careful.

Sometimes I hate it when I am correct.

Turnovers are so very critical.  You can do so, so many things right and still lose if you turn the ball over.

2.Turnovers II

Four Interceptions thrown by Sam Darnold sunk them in the biggest game of the season.

Aside from the Rams game, Darnold had one more interception and four fumbles, losing three of them this quarter.

He personally accounts for eight turnovers (five interceptions and three lost fumbles) in four games alone.

Unacceptable.

3. Pass Protection

The Offensive Line – which entered the quarter leading the NFL in least sacks conceded – had a rough one to bring them back to the middle of the pack.

Sam Darnold faced pressure all day in the Rams and Vikings games.

Ironically, he did not take a sack in the Rams game and he probably should have instead of making a couple of the throws he made.

He was pressured 12 times for a 26.7% rate.

The Vikings sacked him four times and he fumbled one of them.

In the Titans game he was pressured nine times for a 33% rate.

The team got a reality check that their Offensive Line challenges – long the Achilles heel of the team – are still there.  This unit is a work in progress.

Fourth Quarter Games

@ Atlanta

Indianapolis

LA Rams TNF/Rivalry Uni’s

@ Carolina

@ San Francisco

Goals for the Fourth Quarter

1. Win the Tough Games

Closing out the year with five wins in five games is a very tall order.  They have been 3-1 every quarter so far.

The key may be the fifth game.  If they go 3-1 again, how will the fifth game go?

Losses to both division teams mean the Seahawks got swept by their two main competitors.

They simply cannot allow that to happen.  It could seriously hinder their chances of making the playoffs and/or at least winning one game.  Combine that with a loss to Tampa Bay earlier this year, and you have a Seahawks team that is still on the cusp of taking the next step, but not quite ready to sit at the grown-up’s table.

The Seahawks cannot be their own worst enemy this quarter with a bushel of turnovers.  A baseline of protecting the ball, running with a modicum of success and playing tough defense must be established.  At the very least they can hold their heads high if they do those things.

But we want more.  And there should be more.

2. Stabilize the Offensive Line

Sacks and pressures are not all created equal.  When the game is on the line, this line must be up to the challenge.

I think at this point, it is more about playcalling and sniffing out blitzes and finding hot reads than about asking the linemen to individually improve.  Routines are locked and the trade window to upgrade has come and gone.

It is very possible that with Robbie Ouzts now back and Eric Saubert almost ready to return from Injured Reserve, the running game and pass protection will simply improve from those two elements returning to the offense.

At any rate, down the stretch the Seahawks will face a Falcons team that blitzes just slightly less than the Vikings, a very deep Colts Defensive Line, Derrick Brown and their two division rivals who can cook up some problems on defense.

It is not unfair to say those matchups will determine how far the Seahawks can go the rest of the way.

3. Get Other Players Involved More

I think every third quarter, I write this goal out for the team.  For whatever reason, NFL teams always have players that just cannot get into the flow of games or have trouble getting snaps and touches.

The Seahawks have many of these this year.

Elijah Arroyo, Boye Mafe, Devon Witherspoon, Derick Hall and Cooper Kupp are just some of the many names the Seahawks could really get a boost from.

To be sure, they get snaps and have roles and have collected stats.  But when the lights are shining the brightest, when Leonard Williams and Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Sam Darnold are carrying the team, just a little extra something from each of those guys could go a very, very long way.  Who will be the hero this year?

Somebody among that group needs to make a game-turning play.

Check out my latest conversation with Puck! Coming tomorrow, Curtis Allen’s third quarter report card…

Please check out this week’s conversation on Seattle Sports below! And if you can, head over to the YouTube page and leave a like and comment:

A mock draft published in December is not an exercise in trying to guess what will actually happen in April.

You’re highlighting players. You’re assessing the positional strengths and weaknesses. You’re looking at options for teams. It’s a discussion starter, not an actual prediction.

Last week I tried to do one just for fun. I’m not publishing it. The 2026 class is so bad it was virtually impossible. I was fitting players with third round grades into the first frame. It was a legitimate struggle to find 32 worthy candidates.

There’s not even any respite in shortening things to a top-10 mock. The better players in this class do not play premium positions.

I get the sense that hard liquor will be passed around draft rooms next Spring. Teams are going to be weighing up using premium assets on bad value additions.

Let’s put it this way. The first round is going to be full of teams feeling like they’ve got $50,000 to spend on a new car. Yet the only cars available are worth $10,000. So, they spend the full $50,000 on the $10,000 car. Because they have to.

It’s going to be the hardest draft I’ve covered since starting the blog in 2008. It’s that bad. Don’t be fooled by those in the draft media business trying to convince you otherwise. They know they need to talk this up. Good luck with that. This is going to be a horror story Wes Craven would be proud of.

No top quarterback prospects. No top left tackles. No blue-chip pass rushers. The best player is a linebacker and the second, third and fourth placed rankings will likely be set between a safety, a running back and a right tackle.

When you get to about pick #20, there’s going to be no desire to even use these picks. My guess is teams will end up taking random fliers on good testers from the combine and pro-day circuit. We might see the premium position players pumped up as teams just to try and salvage what they can. It could be chaotic.

The Seahawks only have four picks at the moment and I think that’s partly by design. By the time they get beyond their third round selection, they might be onto priority free agent graded players on day three.

So what will it mean?

We might see more trades than ever when free agency starts. Teams will think they’re better off shifting out of the draft and using their best asset — their first round pick — to attack the veteran market.

Selling teams will inflate price tags accordingly because they’re unlikely to want loads of picks in the 2026 draft. They’re likely to do what the Jets did in the Quinnen Williams trade. They took a 2026 second rounder and preferred to have one of Dallas’ 2027 first round picks instead.

The good teams will face a dilemma. How prepared are they to overpay a little and give up 2027 stock to enhance their roster in 2026, knowing the options to improve via the draft will be limited?

If you were close in 2025 but didn’t win a Championship, you’re going to want to take the next step.

Let’s say the Raiders are open to finally trading Maxx Crosby but they want a high pick in 2026 and 2027. You have to balance out two thoughts. Acquiring someone like Crosby could help a team take a huge leap next season and give you a better shot at winning a Super Bowl. It’s hard to imagine how this draft class can do that. However, you might need to accept giving up stock in 2027 to take that shot.

People are already saying the next draft will be far better but it’s too early to say. A lot of the bigger name quarterbacks remain unproven. Pass rushers Dylan Stewart and Colin Simmons appear legit, as does receiver Jeremiah Smith and cornerback Leonard Moore. It could be a lot better but perhaps only at the top end for certain. The overall depth of the class is to be determined — and good teams are unlikely to find themselves in a range to pick Stewart, Simmons, Smith or Leonard.

Some will argue a big splash should be avoided simply because Seattle’s past history isn’t great. The Percy Harvin, Jimmy Graham and Jamal Adams trades didn’t deliver as intended. Yet their more recent history — calculated moves for Leonard Williams and Ernest Jones — have paid dividends.

A lot of fans are suggesting the Seahawks just continue to add on the O-line. I will never complain about focussing on the trenches. What I would say, though, is there are two problems. The class is so weak, don’t be surprised if any good O-liner — interior or tackle — is pushed way up boards. The desperate need for linemen and a weak overall draft could force teams to reach for these players.

For example, there’s talk that the likes of Peter Woods (disappointing), Caleb Banks (injured) and Blake Miller (average) could all be taken earlier than people realise. The reason is they are all trenches-based players who at times in their college careers have shown a degree of high potential.

Secondly, as much as I like players like Gennings Dunker, if they do not test well it is going to be difficult to justify drafting a player who would typically be taken well into day two a round earlier than is typical.

You might say you don’t care — but it’s the GM who has to deal with the blowback if the player looks and plays like a day two pick (or worse). Put it this way, imagine ‘just taking Christian Haynes’ in round one in a weak draft.

I really like Dunker and I’m not condemning him to the status of Haynes. However, we need measurements and testing data. It’s unclear how much upside he possesses. Grey Zabel went in the top-20 partly because he had outstanding physical testing results.

Value matters to GM’s. Their reputations are built on good drafting. Nobody wants to be placed in a situation where you know you aren’t getting value. The reality is 20 first round picks selected next April could bomb.

Trading for a big name is a surer bet to success and the chances of ‘winning’ a trade are going to be higher than ‘winning’ with this draft class. Yet supply will not meet demand in the trade market and the price of doing business will be high.

It’s a dilemma and will set off what could be a fascinating start to the new league year, leading into one of the more underwhelming drafts any of us have experienced.

My prediction for the Seahawks is they will be very busy at the combine checking in on various players. They and others might set up a sliding scale of potential trade targets, with the Crosby types at the top, moving into second tier options — perhaps players like De’Von Achane — and beyond.

How the rest of this season plays out will likely determine how aggressive they want to be. I think it’s coming though.

Ah, Greg Olsen. Oh how the former Seahawks tight end and current Fox announcer divides opinion. Some think he’s the best in the business, others not so much. The truth is probably somewhere in-between.

I have mixed views on Greg. I found his early-season take on how teams attack the Seattle’s offense by setting out to defend the run (and why that was a mistake) fascinating and insightful. I also find his views on ‘going for two’ and ‘never taking the points’ frustrating enough to want to boil my own head.

Today’s broadcast particularly irked me though.

Olsen and his colleague Joe Davis didn’t seem to be picking up on what actually happened in the first half. Every drop-back made by Sam Darnold was an adventure. The Brian Flores-guided Vikings defense was doing an exceptional job making Darnold’s life thoroughly miserable. Each play there was the threat of a sack-fumble, tip-drill interception or a Darnold injury.

Equally, the Vikings had nothing on offense. They weren’t going to score unless the Seahawks turned the ball over and offered them a gift.

Once the Seahawks had established any form of lead, they could run three times and punt on every possession and still win this game.

Faced with these facts, the sensible thing to do in order to get a comfortable win — which is surely the aim — was to play conservatively on offense and let the rest take care of itself. There’s no reward for style points. In a season filled with upset wins, there was no reason to give Minnesota any chance to claim another.

Yet with a 10-0 lead at the end of the first half, Olsen and Davis were bemoaning Seattle’s lack of urgency and play-calling on their final possession. ‘They should be throwing, they should be attacking!’

Why?

Every week in the NFL is a separate entity. An exclusive, unique ‘test match’. Get the win and move on. If you can do it with a complete performance that earns rave reviews on the shouty TV shows for the rest of the week, that’s a bonus. The key though is to win. In that moment before half-time, there was absolutely nothing suggesting it would be wise for the Seahawks to try and unlock their passing game in the final 60 seconds of the half.

Get into position to kick the field goal, lead 13-0, adjust and regroup at half-time.

None of these points were raised. Instead we had accusations of overt conservatism. After half-time, when the Seahawks proceeded to claim another three points via a second successful field goal, Davis exclaimed, “It’s only six points from two drives!” — as if this were some kind of problem.

Olsen added this killer line: “Field goals are going to get you beat.”

He was speaking about future bigger tests against superior opponents. Yet he contradicted himself moments later when he noted, “You have to find multiple avenues to win.”

The second line is true, the first is not. There is nothing to suggest the Seahawks won’t find themselves in a tight defensive battle in the playoffs. In that scenario, conservatism might be necessary on offense (field goals might be too).

The Eagles, after all, kicked three field goals against the Packers and Rams in two tight playoff games a year ago. They kicked four more in the Super Bowl. So while they battered the Commanders with a flurry of touchdowns in the NFC Championship game, there were moments in their four games where the 10 completed post-season field goals were useful.

For some reason it’s the trendy belief to sneer at a field goal as some kind of Jurassic age concept.

Last week Olsen complained about the phrase ‘take the points’, saying:

“I hate when commentators say it, I hate when coaches say it, I hate when the media says it. I don’t know what ‘take the points means,’ it doesn’t make sense to me.”

I’m confused by Olsen’s confusion. If you go for it on fourth down, there is at least some chance you will not convert and could come up with zero points. Occasionally, in certain situations, kicking a field goal to take three points might be useful. There is something to be said for not coming away empty handed from drives — particularly in low-scoring or close games.

The Detroit Lions snubbed two field goal opportunities on Thanksgiving against Green Bay and ended up turning the ball over on downs. They lost by seven points. On what ended up being their final possession, they had to kick a quick field goal just to make it a one-score game to have any shot. Had they kicked their field goals earlier, they could’ve put everything on that drive to potentially win the game — instead of hoping to stay in it. I refuse to accept there’s a 0% possibility that would’ve have had an impact on Green Bay too — knowing their opponent was driving for the lead.

I also appreciate any counter anyone would present saying they could’ve or should’ve gone for it on those fourth downs. Yet that’s not what you get from Olsen or his acolytes though. To them, there is only one answer. No debate, no discussion. You’re stupid for thinking otherwise. Thus you get, “I don’t know what ‘take the points means,’ it doesn’t make sense to me.”

It’s frustrating. It’s tapping into the ‘very online’ culture of the day. Never give an inch. Act like the other side is stupid or unhinged for disagreeing. Or in this case, see them as a footballing dinosaur.

There’s a definite ‘smartest guy in the room’ energy around some NFL fans and media currently.

In the Seahawks vs Vikings game, Seattle’s conservatism was seen as a case study for future failure. I’d argue it was a sign of restraint, clear thinking and awareness — things that can be important in high-pressure games down the line.

What would Olsen or Davis had said if, in an act of frustration, the Seahawks instead tried to throw the ball to lead 17-0 instead of 13-0. Darnold is hit, injured, the ball’s turned over and returned for a touchdown. It’s now 10-7 and the Seahawks are starting Drew Lock for the rest of the season.

Sure, it’s a worst case scenario (although one that didn’t exactly feel unlikely given the way the first half went). Seattle’s actions eliminated it as a possibility and helped avoid any back-breaking drama at the end of the half.

Olsen even admitted as much later on by effectively saying there are many ways to win — just as not every single fourth down decision is a straight forward ‘go for it’ scenario.

I feel sometimes people like Olsen act like every game is basically the same and if you abide by a set-list of rules (when to go for it, what plays to call, how aggressive to be, what formations to use, how to treat the running game etc) then you’ll win every time. Or maybe not — but at least the cool kids online and in the media will highlight what a brilliant new-age mind you are.

Only recently Olsen was trying to convince people that the McShay and Shanahan coaches only want you to ‘think’ they want to feature the running game. They actually don’t. I read that take and wasn’t sold on that at all. I’ve listened to enough interviews with McVay over the years to believe he sincerely values the run — and you see it in the way his teams have played. There’s always been a significant commitment to a strong running attack and a physical edge to the McVay Rams.

I doubt Mike Macdonald’s persistent reference to the run’s importance is just a clever ruse, played out through countless press conferences for the purpose of leading other coaches down the garden path.

It does all get a bit tiring. It’s the same with the dull comments about running the ball on 2nd and 10 that you see constantly on Twitter. Or ‘running backs don’t matter’. Or the latest obsession with point differential (even though teams play easier or harder schedules throughout the league, meaning it’s never an apples to apples comparison).

There’ll be something else next. It feels like we’ve lost the ability to just watch a game of football, enjoy it for what it is and root for a win. Someone, somewhere, is always making the wrong decision and must be pointed at and laughed at.

For what it’s worth, I’m not anti-analytics in the slightest. I think any right-minded coach has to be aware of analytics, data and it should form a significant part of game-planning and in-game decision making. Nor do I think every coach or team gets everything right or shouldn’t be challenged.

We don’t have to demonise running the ball and field goals though — or lose the ability to acknowledge that what the Seahawks did today was the right call.

In 2013 — the greatest season in Seahawks history — there were ugly, conservative wins against the Panthers (12-7), Titans (20-13) and Rams (14-9). We don’t often remember those games when there’s a Super Bowl pasting to enjoy instead. NFL regular seasons are long, 17-stage battles. Every game is different.

Today, the Seahawks saw what this contest was and acted accordingly. This was a day when the defenses ruled. Get ahead, cut off any chance of a response, control the game.

Sometimes you’ve just got to accept the situation and get out with a win. Never take a 26-0 victory for granted. Don’t linger on pointless things like a great Flores defense being a great Flores defense or Jaxon Smith-Njigba having a setback on a potentially record-breaking run.

The Rams lost and the Seahawks capitalised today. That’s all that matters.

If you missed our post-game stream, where this was also discussed further, check it out below:

This is a guest article by Curtis Allen…

There is always something very familiar about the Vikings whenever they are matched up with the Seahawks.

Whether it is a rematch of a particularly hard-fought game, encountering each other when playoff implications are on the line or a player who is facing his old team — the matchup always seems to have an extra something to it.

Today’s game checks all three of those boxes.

Last season’s Week 16 game cemented the Vikings as a top seed and was another game Seahawks fans came away from thinking ‘if only.’  This season it appears the fortunes have reversed for these two franchises as their paths have diverged wildly after two of the bigger offseason makeovers in the NFL.

As a result the Seahawks are firmly in the Wild Card race and are trying to keep up with the Rams.  The Vikings have lost five of their last six.  Their Turnover Differential in that stretch is a dismal -10 and their Quarterback situation – the envy of the NFL last year – has turned sour, while Sam Darnold has found a home and a very effective system in Seattle.

Undrafted Rookie Max Brosmer will be making his first NFL start at Quarterback and the Vikings are struggling to put a healthy Offensive Line together.

This should be a comfortable win for the Seahawks.  If not with a wide margin on the scoreboard, with statistics and the knowledge that they have the game in hand.

How can they do that?

Exercise Patience on Offense

The Vikings’ last three losses (to Baltimore, Chicago and Green Bay) have been remarkably similar.  Their opponents have made a firm commitment to run the ball and would not waver despite not regularly gashing the Viking defense on the ground.

The Vikings currently sit at #12 on run defense with 4.0 yards per rush conceded.  Yet these three teams only were able to gain 3.73 yards per carry in their wins.  So where was the effectiveness?

First Downs and explosive runs.

Those three teams recorded 37 First Downs on the ground.  Despite their low average conceded, the Vikings currently sit at #30 in the NFL with 99 Rushing First Downs conceded (they are two short of being dead last).

They also recorded 11 runs of ten yards or more in those three games.  The Vikings are #24 in the NFL in explosive runs conceded with 40 on the season (Seahawks defense is #2 with only 20).

It is not hard to see the Seahawks queuing up a ‘hat on a hat’ blocking scheme with Robbie Ouzts leading the way for a healthy gain, not unlike this run by Keaton Mitchell three weeks ago.

Frankly, this is right in the Seahawks’ wheelhouse.  They are the #1 run-committed team in the NFL currently.  They just need to keep grinding away at it.  Since they are wearing their Throwbacks, they can look back to the time Marshawn Lynch would batter defenses for three quarters, not getting big yardage or many breakaways but then put the game away by running through a worn-out defense late.  That mentality would serve them very well.

There is a flipside to this — and another reason why they will need patience — the Vikings have conceded the fewest explosive pass plays in the NFL, with only 27 (for reference, Jaxon Smith-Njigba has 21 himself so far this season).

There is some context to this.  The Vikings blitz at an incredibly high rate (42.9% of plays) and generate regular pass pressure.  When they are not blitzing, they are giving you blitz looks and then backing out of them to keep the offense guessing.

They are in the middle of the pack when it comes to sacks but the blitzing is more of a total defense tool to influence offenses into the plays they want to defend – shorter plays in front of them they can limit the damage on.

One side effect of this play is they only have three interceptions on the whole season.  They are sacrificing one stat for more overall effectiveness.

That is not to say the Seahawks should not attempt any deep passes to Smith-Njigba or the other receivers.  It is just a strong recommendation that they can find success if they play deliberately and pick their spots.

While Sam Darnold’s effectiveness when being blitzed is dramatically worse than when teams do not, this can be balanced a bit by a plan that is run-heavy and allows him to use his quick release and familiarity from being around the Vikings to take some shots.

A second side effect of their constant blitzing and forcing teams into shorter throws?  They do not gain a significant advantage when they do blitz:

Those numbers are nearly identical.  If Darnold can find his quick-twitch targets like Cooper Kupp and A.J. Barner, they can move on this defense with ease.

If they can time up a screen pass to Rashid Shaheed or Kenneth Walker on a blitz by the Vikings, they could run all day there.

It does require patience though.  This game should be a runaway win — but it may take a little more hammering at the boulder to get it to split than it normally does.

Dealing With a Rookie Quarterback

It is always a challenge to see what a new Quarterback brings to the offense.  All the Seahawks have to work from is Brosmer’s college tape, some preseason reps and the eight passes he has thrown in the NFL.

I doubt that Kevin O’Connell is going to go to one extreme or the other with Brosmer.  He will not put training wheels on him, nor is he likely to ask him to throw forty passes either.  That said, the Vikings are one of the NFL’s most pass-dependent offenses.  Look for a lot of screen passes and other motions to make the game slow down a bit for Brosmer.  Having Ernest Jones back will be a great help in this area.  He has a quickness in diagnosing and attacking ball-carriers that can prevent the Vikings from gaining momentum with Yards after the Catch.

Typically, when a rookie or a backup enters the game, defenses call off the blitzing dogs a bit.  Young, untested players may have a hard enough time adapting to standard coverages and the speed defenders play with in the NFL.

This fits nicely with the Seahawk defense already, as they are a high-pressure, low-blitz defense.  I have no doubt Mike Macdonald will still have a blitz package at times, but may reserve it for key situations.

The Vikings run about 60% of their offense out of shotgun.  With Brosmer in, look for that number to grow to around 75-80% to give him as much processing time as possible.

With their speed on defense, a few key downs may be won by putting a press coverage plan in play to disrupt the timing of some passes and make Brosmer scramble a bit and go to his second or third read.  While he may occasionally make a play in this manner, the odds are good the defense can control this game and give the offense more shots to score points.

This is where the offense may help the defense even more than the defense can help itself.  One of the best ways to put pressure on a young Quarterback is on the scoreboard and on the clock.  If the offense can build a two or three score lead with a 9-minute drive or two while the Brosmer is getting settled in, the margin for error gets slimmer and the pressure will grow mightily.

This is a guest article by Curtis Allen…

With the trade deadline passing, the balance of the Seahawks’ salary cap spending is limited to Practice Squad movement and short-term replacements for players put on Injured Reserve.  It is a good spot to check on the status of their salary cap for next season.

By virtue of their two-year roster makeover that removed some of the team’s more expensive contracts, some excellent drafting and effective Free Agent spending, the team’s salary cap stands in excellent overall health.

Have a look at what is on the table for 2026:

Whereas last year the Seahawks started out the season under the cap, this year they are comfortably over and have plenty of room to take care of their needs.

Anthony Bradford has earned an extra $2.3 million on his salary for 2026 by earning a Proven Performance Escalator, for total compensation of about $3.6 million.  It should be noted that this salary is not guaranteed.  If the Seahawks want to trade him, cut him, or negotiate his contract down, they can do so, saving nearly all that cap money.

There is a potential for the Seahawks to take as much as $3.5 million more in cap charges on in 2026, as Sam Darnold’s contract has incentives in his contract.  I would say some of it is reachable.  I put in $2 million as a guestimate that Darnold will earn more than half of what is available.  Some of that includes money for NFC Championship game and Super Bowl wins.  I trust that no one would be upset with taking on those kinds of cap charges in 2026.

I allocated $17.5 million to complete the roster out and listed some of the popular choices among the upcoming different Free Agents the Seahawks will have and will likely consider retaining.  While they may not keep all those players, an equivalent can be found at a similar cost among the draft or in Free Agency (I think Eric Saubert is already signed for 2026, we just do not have his contract available yet).

The meat of the off season will be what they do with that $35 million they can spend.

Pending Free Agents and Extension Candidates

Have a look at the roster below from a three-year outlook.  Included are players yearly cap hits and Free Agent status with age included.

Prominent Unrestricted Free Agents include unsigned members of the 2022 draft class: Boye Mafe, Kenneth Walker, Tariq Woolen and Coby Bryant.

Of that group, we know that the Seahawks have talked about an extension with Bryant per Brady Henderson but are not eye to eye on his value.

What about the other three?  They all seemed like easy choices to extend after their rookie seasons but now the picture is clouded.

Boye Mafe has not been effective rushing the passer this year, and his run defense – a core tenet of Mike Macdonald’s defense, particular for edges – has been average at best.  The Seahawks made him available around the trade deadline and he only seems to be a Seahawk because some trade terms could not be worked out.

Kenneth Walker has struggled with injuries and explosive runs are very hit and miss with him.

Tariq Woolen has been benched at times and is currently sharing a job with Josh Jobe.

I doubt the Seahawks would absolutely rule out bringing any of those players back.  Very likely, they will prioritize other players ahead of them.  If any of them want to come back it would be on a team-friendly contract.

Who would they prioritize?  It seems in-pattern to talk with Rashid Shaheed on an extension first.  Given the price they paid to acquire him (fourth and fifth-round picks next season) and assuming he shines as a player who can fill all kinds of roles in Klint Kubiak’s offense, it is obvious to conclude they would talk to him.  This follows consecutive offseasons of extending in-season acquisitions Ernest Jones and Leonard Williams.

What kind of contract could Shaheed expect?  A couple of weeks ago, I speculated that a 3-year $40 million contract would be a range it would take to extend him.

That would mean about an $8 million cap hit in 2026.  That takes their available cap down to about $29 million.

Which is fine — but if they want to go big-game hunting this offseason, they will need more.

Fortunately, they have the means to free up a bunch of cap space and keep their core together through some extensions:

Per Over the Cap, the Seahawks can pick up a maximum of $31 million through extending Williams, Nwosu and Cross.  I trimmed that a little to $23.5 million, as the Seahawks do not typically take the max room on an extension.  It makes sense to have some guaranteed money up front to allow for flexibility later.

All three of these could be in line for extensions.

Leonard Williams is the defense’s heart and soul and a player who is playing his best football now.  He will be 33 years old in 2027 when his contract is up.  What kind of contract could he demand at that age?

A couple of comps: Javon Hargrave at age 32 got a two-year $30 million contract on the Free Agent market this year.  Hargrave had missed most of 2024 with a torn tricep.  Cam Heyward last year signed a two-year, $29 million extension with the Steelers at age 35.

I could see the Seahawks extending him with something like a two-year $40 million contract that pays his 2026 salary up front in terms of a signing bonus and has some roster bonuses worked in to give the Seahawks decision points for some protection against declining skills as he ages.

Uchenna Nwosu is still only 29 years old and has rewarded the Seahawks’ faith by putting together a fine season of rock-solid run defense as well as being a reliably good pass rusher.  He is on track to match his career-best 2022 season while only playing about 50% of the snaps on average (he played an astounding 78% of the snaps in 2022).  A three-year $50 million contract with some injury protection would lock up his remaining best years and give the Seahawks another piece to secure on defense.  There might be additional motivation to get an extension done if and when Mafe walks.

Charles Cross may never be a top-10 Left Tackle in the NFL but it does seem that the team is happy with his production and would like to lock him into an extension.  It will be very interesting to see how the Seahawks value him.  His $17.5 million fifth-year tender in 2026 is a bargain – that would put him at #16 for AAV for Left Tackles.  Also to know: 10 Right Tackles and 11 Interior Linemen make more on AAV than Cross.  That makes Cross the 37^th highest-paid Offensive Lineman.

There is a lot of talk that Cross will demand a contract in the $30 million per year range, which would elevate him to the highest-paid Left Tackle in the NFL.  Rashawn Slater is the current king of the mountain, having signed a $28.5 million AAV extension this year at age 26.

I just cannot see the Seahawks crossing the $30 million threshold to sign Cross.  

It will greatly depend on what he and his advisors think he is worth.  If he is firmly set on that top number, I can see the Seahawks standing on principle and exploring their options.

What about the Franchise Tag in 2027?  It would be very hard at this point to see it as an option for the Seahawks.  Why?  The current 2026 number is projected to be about $27 million and a standard increase would put it in the $29 million range.  Therefore, if the Seahawks do not value Cross at $30 million per season, the tag is not a great tool to advance negotiations, as it sets the floor for an extension.

As for tagging him and then letting him play out the season while they draft and develop a tackle behind him, that may be a potential option.  The cash and cap hit involved might be a hindrance to that strategy though.  If the team wants to be aggressive this offseason, that will include committing a very healthy chunk of their 2027 cap space to fit everyone in on the cap this season.  Tagging Cross might not be a viable option.

What kind of extension would work for both sides?  This summer I proposed a three-year $60 million extension for Cross, the primary value of which was to A) put a bunch more money into Cross’ pocket this year, have some financial protection against injury and get him primed for another extension at age 28 and B) give the Seahawks a chance to lock down a four-year starter at Left Tackle for three more seasons at a below-market rate.

That opportunity has passed.  And truth be told, it might be beneficial for both sides that it did.  For Cross, the obvious: he can make a whole lot more money by waiting.  For the Seahawks, it is not so obvious: they get another full season to evaluate Cross and see if he elevates his play.

What kind of compromise could the two sides make to get a contract done next fall?  I would guess a three-year contract between $75-85 million could be worked out.  Cross gets $25-28.3 million per season and the Seahawks get their Left Tackle locked up.

Making all those moves gives the Seahawks a war chest of about $51 million free and clear to work with.  They will be in the enviable spot of having plenty of young, developing talent and cap space to make strategic moves to greatly improve their roster.

What About Cooper Kupp and Sam Darnold?

Right now, OTC has Kupp with a $17.5 million 2026 cap number, with savings of $9.5 million if cut.

Given Kupp is far behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba as a target for Sam Darnold and his age is starting to become a question, some have wondered if Kupp would be cut in the spring.

That is highly unlikely.  His contract has $9 million salary that is guaranteed in February.  In essence, it is not guaranteed currently but it is as good as guaranteed (we discussed this in May here).

The closest the team has ever come to not letting that vesting date trigger was this year with Uchenna Nwosu.  The Seahawks needed cap room and Nwosu was coming off two very difficult seasons and was open to overtures from the Seahawks about reworking his contract to give the team relief yet allowing him to earn some of that money back.  It made sense for both sides to work something out.

So, unless Kupp and the Seahawks both have their backs up against a wall – unlikely – he will be on the team in 2026.

With Sam Darnold, it is similar but with a major caveat: Darnold and the team moved the roster bonus up from the typical mid-March to early February.  This is a way to force a decision on Darnold’s future sooner than normal and so Darnold and the Seahawks could both get their processes in motion about finding their next opportunity should the Seahawks decide to part ways.

It is safe to say that Darnold is staying in Seattle for 2026 at this point.

However, if the Seahawks want to get a jump on bulking up their cap space for 2026, they could convert Darnold’s $15 million roster bonus due in February to a pro-rated signing bonus, picking up another $11.25 million in cap room.

They also can pick up around $8 million more if they convert Darnold’s 2026 salary to bonus.  They could do this at any time leading up to Week One.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Devon Witherspoon

The Seahawks have until May 2026 to exercise the fifth year First Round option for 2027 on those two.

Just a reminder: It is a fully guaranteed year and the number is based on a formula that includes snaps and Pro Bowl selections.

Witherspoon’s number is $20.85 million for 2027.

Smith-Njigba’s is a little more fluid: He has met the snaps criteria to make his number $17.51 million.  However, an original ballot Pro Bowl selection this year will bump that number to $24.36 million.

That is the number I used for him on my chart below.  It is fair to project in ink that he will be a Pro Bowler with the season he is having.

Would the Seahawks tag both these players and push the negotiations for an extension to the fall of 2027 or even as far as March 2028?  It is possible.  That would follow what they did with Charles Cross.

My guess would be that in the current roster hierarchy of Cross, Smith-Njigba and Witherspoon, Smith-Njigba is the clear priority, Witherspoon is next and Cross third.

If Smith-Njigba were open to a contract extension, the Seahawks would happily sign him right now to a contract in the Justin Jefferson-CeeDee Lamb range and watch his contract get leapfrogged the next four years by other players (like they did with Tyler Lockett twice).  It just depends on what the player and his team want to do.  He might be very happy to let George Pickens, Drake London and Puka Nacua get their deals first to further establish his market value.

Devon Witherspoon is at a crossroads of sorts.  He has two Pro Bowls on his resume and is a very solid player.  But does he tilt the field or lock down a side like a top corner regularly does?  Will he take a bit of a backseat on the defense once Nick Emmanwori can be fully deployed?

Is he also willing to discuss an extension in 2026 and trade some market value for security?  Is the Cornerback market going to level off a little after a crazy one-year jump (Patrick Surtain got $24 million AAV in fall 2024, Derek Stingley and Sauce Gardner both topped $30 million less than a year later)?

Those are the questions both sides must answer next year.

Concluding Thoughts

I want to emphasize that this piece is an exploration of the possibilities, not necessarily a recommendation of what I think the Seahawks can or should do.

Each lever the team can pull and get some 2026 cap space might not be pulled.  But we need to know where the levers are and the benefits of pulling them.

Many fans are concerned about using and abusing the company credit card in the name of immediate gains to get some fantasy-roster style wish-fulfillment that rarely works out as desired.

The truth is teams that are not using their credit card (even moderately) are falling behind.  The salary cap is rising so quickly that intelligent teams must take advantage.

In the next two days, when you focus on NFL football, keep an eye out for two things: the ratings the league will pull for the four games played Thursday and Friday and the number of gambling commercials and other endorsements you will experience as you watch them.

The league is a monster, the current North American champion of pro sports.  The revenues it generates are just going to get greater.

The Seahawks drafting well and escaping mind-numbing contracts like Jamal Adams, Quandre Diggs and Geno Smith and reshaping their roster with flexible contracts that provide value opens tremendous opportunities for them to be competitive in the trade and Free Agency markets.  The current core of key players that are peaking and the amount of cap space resources they have available to them put them in one of the more enviable positions in the NFL.

Really great to catch up with the fellas today! Check it out…

Usual request — please like the video on YouTube and leave a comment on the page if you can!