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The Seahawks blew a game against the Washington Commanders by giving away 21 points after turnovers. Today, they repeated the act in a damaging loss.

The 49ers are now 5-0 with a road-win tiebreaker over both the Rams and Seahawks. Look at their schedule. It’s a tantalising run for a team that has shown, somehow, that it can cope with back-breaking injury losses.

For the long term battle for the NFC West, this was more than just a mere disappointment. It impacts the division. The Seahawks have a far harder schedule than the 49ers coming up. It’s not a mountain to climb yet — but it could quickly turn into one if they’re not careful.

Let’s focus on the here and now though, rather than what might happen in the future. Seattle’s offense appears broken. Here’s why:

— Sam Darnold is playing badly. He’s throwing interceptions at a rapid rate. Tom Brady spent most of today’s game lambasting the way he played. He doesn’t look right — and it’s a concern. There will be people saying put in Drew Lock but this can’t be a musical chairs situation, all because Lock played a good game and a half in relief. What happens if Lock comes in and struggles? You’ve just created a load more drama within the quarterback room and it will seem like you’ve lost control. The Seahawks need their starting quarterback to up his game and get back on track. He simply has to improve immediately.

— The supporting cast surrounding Darnold also has to be way better. It felt like he was under pressure on every drop-back today — and that was without Nick Bosa playing. The offensive line had too many whiffs in pass-pro and wasn’t reliably mauling a banged-up opponent up front in the running game either. It still doesn’t excuse some truly baffling Darnold decisions but he surely has to be feeling the pinch given how often he had to try and extend plays today. This was supposed to be a unit ready to take the next step this year and after five games they’ve been a let down.

— The running back situation is a mess and we can safely say now that they’ve got this one wrong. They knew Zach Charbonnet wouldn’t be ready to start the season. I don’t think shopping in the bargain bin for insurance, simply to avoid losing a comp pick, was right. Emmanuel Wilson tries his hardest but he’s a thumping running back who hits the hole hard but never creates, pushes the pile or ever feels like he’ll produce explosive runs. Now he also has a fumble to his name. George Holani, unfortunately, doesn’t appear remotely close to being good enough. His fumble before half-time was back-breaking. Not only that, the way he dropped the football when faced with a potential touchdown catch-and-run was baffling. Granted the Seahawks complemented this duo with a first round pick but before they even got to the draft they should’ve added a better veteran than they did, to cover for Charbonnet. I suspect they’ll be deeply regretting that now. It wasn’t worth protecting a later round comp pick for this situation at running back.

— It’s a major concern that they seem totally and completely reliant on Jaxon Smith-Njigba. They cannot get the other weapons involved. Holani was the second leading receiver with four catches for 24 yards. Rashid Shaheed had another quiet day with two catches for 23 yards. Seattle is paying him $17m a year — $3m more than the 49ers are paying Mike Evans. This was supposed to be AJ Barner’s big third year yet he was basically a non-factor again — three catches for 20 yards. Cooper Kupp had two catches for 15 yards. Elijah Arroyo had one target and no receptions — while Tory Horton barely got on the field. It’s understandable that they feature Smith-Njigba — but it’s not like he had 15 targets today and everything funnelled through him. They only threw his way eight times. It all just seems broken. Either JSN does something great or there’s a problem. They aren’t blending all of their weapons into a coherent plan. They aren’t challenging opponents in any way really other than ‘try to cover this one great receiver’.

— Questions will understandably begin to be asked of the offensive coordinator. The buck ultimately stops with Brian Fleury, even if he can’t carry and throw the football for his players. When you’re turning the ball over a lot, aren’t getting key players involved in the passing game, can’t run the ball very well and your blocking is very average (at best) — you start to wonder if the man tasked with leading the offense is capable of figuring all of this out in his first gig with no prior play-calling or repair work experience.

It’s not just about the offense though. For example:

— The defense in three consecutive games has given up some key late drives. They made amends last week with a sack-fumble but today they couldn’t. It was painful watching Mike Evans constantly abuse Josh Jobe 1v1 with seemingly no thought to try something (or someone) different to cover Evans. The 49ers had lost all momentum and were on the ropes and still found a way to put 10 points on the board late on. Credit to them as much as anything but it did feel like the Seahawks were one stop away from blowing things open — and that was the moment they suddenly had no means of covering a very talented but visibly banged up 33-year-old.

— I still don’t think there’s enough off the edge. Byron Murphy had two great sacks today and you know what you’re going to get from Leonard Williams. I didn’t feel DeMarcus Lawrence, Derick Hall, Uchenna Nwosu or Dante Fowler as pass-rushers. None registered a sack. I appreciate the Seahawks are creative, physical and find different ways compared to most to create pressure. You just need some quickness and speed at times. It’s not there.

— Sometimes you can be too aggressive. I understand why the Seahawks used their timeouts at the end of the first half, thinking they could steal one last drive when trailing 14-13. However, you’d played really badly on offense and the 49ers’ punter had been sticking it on the 10-yard line consistently. Just let the clock run out, regroup, have the first possession to start the next half and go from there. Seattle’s desire to be aggressive led to the fumble in the end zone and the game suddenly racing to 21-13. I know hindsight is amazing but be honest — didn’t you just think as they were handing off to Holani, ‘don’t fumble!’. Sadly it was all so predictable.

The biggest concern is how all of this adds up. It’s three messy games in a row. Last season when they had bad defeats they would bounce back. I don’t think they are — if anything, they’re getting messier with each week.

Twelve months ago they were throwing the ball very well and with Ken Walker and Charbonnet you felt there was always a chance they’d work out the run. I’m not sure how you fix this offense on the fly. It feels very difficult to say, ‘stop throwing picks, stop fumbling and block better’. That’s the whole operation.

I’ve also scoured the OurLads depth charts looking for impactful trade options and I have to say — I’m struggling. To the extent that I don’t want them to make some overly aggressive, foolhardy trade chasing this season.

In the past this would be the time to just run through Marshawn Lynch. When the Eagles got back on track two years ago, they leaned on Saquon Barkley (who, I’ll remind people who want to trade for him, is currently injured).

The Seahawks are already reliant and leaning on Smith-Njigba and alone it isn’t working. It feels like they need a top playmaker in the backfield. Can Charbonnet provide that? Or a combo of Charbonnet and Price? Possibly — but I’m not overly optimistic, especially given Price’s indifferent start and we don’t know if Charbonnet will be able to play at a great level fresh off returning from injury.

If Ken Walker continues to play at the level he is with the Chiefs it’ll be all the more painful. He is leading their rushing attack and frankly, right now, is just the type of feature back the Seahawks need. I understand why he isn’t still in Seattle and I backed the decision not to break the bank to try and keep him. But it’s OK to say maybe I got that one wrong — and perhaps so did the team.

I genuinely hope I’m wrong but I fear this season is already heading in a certain direction. They are far too talented to be a bad football team. They might have too much to do, however, to be a great team.

I’m surprised by how sloppy they are, though. They’re taking a wrecking-ball to their own foundations in the form of turnovers — with no capability so far to turn the machine off and start repairing. This is crushing their identity, philosophy and the connected nature that made them the most complete football team a year ago, and ultimately Champions.

It might get worse before it gets better. You better believe Sean Payton will be treating Thursday night’s trip to Denver like his own private Super Bowl, given Bensinger-gate from a few weeks ago. Then it’s the Bears and Chiefs.

I said recently this could be a 2014-type season — some early adversity but then finding a way to bring it all together when it matters, just in time for a run. At the moment I’m not confident that’s what we’re witnessing. I think some of the problems are going to be a lot harder to fix — especially when you can’t just hand it off to Marshawn.

This is a guest post by Curtis Allen…

Now comes the true test.

The first of four games against their division rivals is sure to be one to watch.

The Niners come into the game undefeated, clearly getting a boost from a signature win against the Rams in Australia to open the season.  Despite losing a staggering number of personnel to injuries once again, they have been able to play effective football.

The Seahawks at 3-1 are not yet fully formed but are progressing.  A Super Bowl hangover is not evident.  Yet they need to keep establishing the run to balance their team play on both sides more at this point.

The last two matchups with these teams were decidedly in favor of Seattle.  They were able to bottle up the Niner’s rushing game and force Brock Purdy to hold the ball in the pocket more than he likes to.

How consistent have they been?  On designed run plays, the Seahawk defense held the Niners to 3.2 yards per rush in each of the three games last year.

Mike Macdonald has been able to contain Kyle Shanahan’s offense.  How?

Let’s let Shanahan explain it:

This is the infamous Kyle Shanahan quote from #SB60 last season: “I know you guys want my expert opinion, but I haven’t scored a touchdown the last two times we’ve played them…” The last #49ers TD vs. #seahawks was the winner in week one in Seattle from Purdy to Tounges on 9/7/25 or 397 days ago. 1:21:34 of game time.

— John Lund (@JohnLundRadio) October 9, 2026

With a lighter defense that is still tough against the run, the Seahawks are set up very well to contain this offense.  Throwing deep or outside the numbers is just not Brock Purdy’s strong suit.  He is superb about getting the ball out quickly and using his feet to buy time.  He also relies heavily on receivers gaining yards after the catch.

The Seahawks are able to stack the box and the middle of the field with defenders.  They trust their corners to work with Julian Love to keep a lid on deep throws and San Francisco just does not have a real scary deep threat to give their underneath game some breathing room to work with.

It is not for lack of trying.  Stribling and Pearsall are currently on Injured Reserve.  Mike Evans is a great player but a bit of an odd fit in this offense.  Speed is not his top weapon and he is not a dynamic ‘yards after the catch’ player.  He can make contested catches with the best of them, but the offense has to really be working to get into position to use that skill regularly.

With versatile, quick and intelligent defenders populating the middle of the field, they are regularly able to take away Brock Purdy’s bread and butter pass:  the in-breaking route.

Look at what the Seahawks did against him in Week 18 last year:

One incomplete pass over the deeper middle of the field.  One!  You take away a player’s best play and you have him beat.

Left to his own devices, Purdy’s timing gets disrupted and he either has to check down to get ball out quickly, or he has to wait for his second or third option to open up and by then the pass rush has caught up to him.

Notice the stark difference in effectiveness when he has to wait:

Taking away his early reads with tight coverage and zone placing that makes him think twice about angles can be very effective.  Even more so when you have effectively shut the running game down and put him in a position where he has to make regular gains to carry the offense.

His average time to throw in the pocket is a league-low 2.3 seconds and his pressure rate is a miniscule 13%.  You can’t pressure the quarterback if he is regularly getting the ball out before you can even engage your blocker.  Therefore, blitzing may actually be a ‘medicine has a worse effect than the disease’ type situation.

Again, we are talking about a strong area here for Seattle.  They get 25% pressure on average with only 17% blitzing.  And Purdy is susceptible to interior pressure more than edge pressure.  He is able to tap dance away from edge rushers and get in space to buy a moment to square up and throw.  But when the pressure comes from the middle, he is not your classic tall, strong-armed quarterback that can stand there all day and throw bullets while getting manhandled.

Having Kyle Juszczyk out can really be a challenge.  He picks up blitzers, runs routes and clears the way for McCaffrey.  All very key things for this offense.

Some Other Things of Note

— Sort of a good news/bad news situation with Sam Darnold.  He has been dreadful under pressure so far this year in a smaller sample size than the other Quarterbacks.  The good news is the Niners are league-average in pressures and Nick Bosa will not play.  That is not to say Darnold will have all day in the pocket, but a mix of a good run game, adequate blocking from the Offensive Line and effective playcalling could produce a ‘signature’ game for Darnold.

— What will help?  Targeting the Linebackers in the passing game.  Fred Warner is giving up 8.7 yards per completion but is only being targeted 2.9 yards deep.  That means he is giving up almost six yards after the catch.  That is a wide disparity for a player of his caliber.  He is 30 and coming off a major injury.  It is possible he is a half-step slow.  Dre Greenlaw meanwhile does not have a pass defended and throwing it him in coverage is a pretty sure proposition (87.5% completion rate).  At any rate, it gets those two moving away from the line of scrimmage rather than towards it.  I think we can agree that is always beneficial.

— I am certain Jaxon Smith-Njigba will have his typical good game against San Francisco but with those defenders vulnerable in the pass game, it feels like if Brian Fleury can get A.J. Barner, Elijah Arroyo or even Cooper Kupp matched on them, that could really be productive.

— The Niners have been good at defending the run (conceding only 3.7 yards per attempt, a top-10 number) however the team strategy concept has been working to great effect so far this season.  The defense in four games has only had 19 snaps where they were behind on the scoreboard.  That naturally leans teams toward passing.  A real test would be if the Seahawks could get a lead and then lean on the run game, even if we do not expect explosive runs from a unit that is currently battered a bit.

This is a guest article by Curtis Allen…

Record: 3-1

Thoughts

In many ways, this quarter mirrors the 3-1 first quarter of 2025.

In those four games:

• The Seahawks had a preventable loss (San Francisco / Washington)
• Two wins were harder than they should have been (Pittsburgh & Arizona / New England & LA Chargers)
• There was a dominating blowout (New Orleans / Arizona)

They were adjusting to a new Offensive Coordinator.  The running game was a mess.

The Defense was excellent overall and dominant at times.

Injuries to key players hurt.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba proved to be even better than we thought he could be.

Why does it feel so different than last year’s first quarter, then?

Mainly it is perception.

Last year’s team entered the season after finishing 10-7, having a very good season but missing the playoffs.  In the offseason, the team was radically retooled with players at key spots and was supplemented by a fantastic draft class.

A 3-1 start was a good sign that progress was being made.  A new era was welcomed like a breath of fresh air.  This was finally, fully 100% Mike Macdonald and John Schneider’s team.

They kept improving, stacking 3-1 quarters to enter the stretch run at 9-3.  They peaked at the right time, running the table to bring home the team’s second Lombardi Trophy.

This year?

The team entered the season the reigning champions, with an impressive amount of their roster intact.  However, the rookie class has taken hits with two of their top three picks landing on Injured Reserve and the third slowly working his way into the lineup.

They are also playing with more of a target on their back as the reigning champs.  Plus their main division rivals look as tough and resilient as ever.

The road to the Super Bowl is considerably easier as the #1 seed.

To get there, they will in many ways have to emulate last year’s processes:  improve the running game steadily and measurably, maintain defensive structure, continue to successfully integrate depth players around injuries and round the offense into a shape that operates without turnovers at key times.

MVP

1. Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Easiest choice on the report card.  Smith-Njigba has exploded out of the gate.  Look at his trajectory against his Offensive Player of the Year season if he can somehow manage to keep this breakneck pace up:

He has done this with two games of backup Drew Lock and two games of less-than-peak Sam Darnold as his Quarterbacks.  You would think a receiver putting up video-game numbers would be paired with a legendary Quarterback, but he was not.

He is so open, so frequently that there is in-game discussion of why the Seahawks are not feeding him even more targets.

Keep progressing at this rate, and he could take a step into Calvin Johnson territory as the dominant Wide Receiver of his day.

2. Leonard Williams

The Seahawks made another major investment in Williams recently, locking him up through his age 35 season with a $90 million contract to keep him in Seattle.

Most Interior Linemen will begin to decline in the early 30’s.  Leonard Williams is still ascending.

His technique is sound.

His power and speed are intact.

In four games, he has three sacks, six more Quarterback hits and five tackles for a loss.

His leadership, his fire and his pure athleticism are the engines that make this defense so dominant.

3. Julian Love

In the three games he played this quarter, he has two brilliant interceptions, four passes defended and two tackles for loss.

While many things contributed to the Week One win against New England, Julian making key play after key play after key play was truly the difference.

His spatula-under-the-pancake interception against the Cardinals was a thing of beauty.

All three levels of this defense have leaders who can affect the game in different ways.  Love is the back end’s and the Seahawks felt it when he was out in Week 3.

Rookie of the Quarter

1. Jadarian Price

Price has looked very good in short stints.  His ability to accelerate and stop on a dime is as advertised.  He had several good runs, but you could sense he was just a step or two away from breaking a big one.  It is coming.

Unfortunately, he has fumbled twice and reinjured his shoulder and chest and is on Injured Reserve.  Combine that with an inability to get some push when bottled up and there are some things to work on while he recovers.

2. Beau Stephens

As Anthony Bradford has landed on Injured Reserve, the fifth-round rookie has performed a job share at Right Guard with Christian Haynes.  The staff has regularly mentioned that they want to get Stephens reps to accelerate his development.

Good idea, as both Haynes and Bradford are Free Agents in 2027.

He has proven to be more than just a hype man.

While Haynes has done fine, Stephens is arguably the future and getting him reps now could pay big dividends in terms of continuity into later this season and next.

3. Everyone else

Bud Clark is on IR, Julian Neal took Special Teams reps and Avery Smith and Montorie Foster Jr have gotten a few snaps here or there.  Not much to report.

Successes

1. 2-0 under Drew Lock

The banner was raised.  The fireworks went off.  The Super Bowl win was celebrated one last time.

Five minutes later, Sam Darnold lay on the ground in a heap and was taken to the hospital.  The stadium was full of foreboding.  It felt a little like a cross between a cruel joke and some kind of karmic tax collection.

Lock came in and looked rusty early on.

After halftime, he found his rhythm and confidence.  Quickly getting the ball to his offensive weapons proved successful, and some tougher throws executed with precision turned the tide.

The defense stepped up and made life miserable for Drake Maye and for a moment, all was not lost.

The following week against Arizona, the Seahawks would play their most complete game of the quarter, modeling their team approach for everyone to see:  study your opponent, test your jab a little, adjust accordingly and then attack without mercy.  Take the ball away, build up a lead and then close the game in punishing style with an epic 9-minute drive that featured run after run.

It was made possible because of a masterful game by Lock.  On his second snap of the game, he immediately clocked that Jaxon Smith-Njigba had broken through the Cardinal coverage and got him the ball.  No fear.  No hesitation.  Pure confidence and a beautiful arcing pass.

Later, the game called for precision lasers.  Lock delivered again and again.

What happened?  Brian Fleury had tapped into Lock’s potential in a way other Offensive Coordinators could not.

In a league where a game or two can make all the difference, we may very well look back on these two games where Lock stepped in a pushed the season to the heights it hit.

2. Defensive Continuity

Fifth overall in points conceded.  First overall in yards conceded.  First in passing yards conceded and interceptions.

25% pressure generated overall, but with only a 17% blitz rate.

I made this point last year.  There can be a tendency to copy & paste last year’s tremendous numbers into this year and focus on other things.

Just ask the 0-4 Houston Texans how that is working out.  They are #26 in scoring, #28 in passing yards conceded and #22 in plays faced.

It is far harder than just plugging in the same players and running the same system.

Offenses adapt, and you must adapt as well.

Mike Macdonald is doing that, taking maximum advantage of ‘guys who don’t look like they can play that position’ like Drake Thomas, Nick Emmanwori and others to vary his attack with the same personnel.

And it is working.

3. No Super Bowl Hangover

Champagne was poured.  Cigars lit.  Parades were had.

Gaudy rings were handed out at a lavish dinner.

$370 million in cash was spent this summer to bring most of this team back.  They signed the highest-paid Wide Receiver in the game.  The second highest-paid Cornerback.

Derick Hall, Rashid Shaheed and Josh Jobe got paid.

Jake Bobo and Drake Thomas got extensions.

Leonard Williams got a healthy extension.

The Seahawks got major Hollywood attention with a Hard Knocks season that was arguably the best of the series.

Can you feel any of that in the building right now?  At all?

Some snickered at Smith-Njigba talking about being happy to put the Championship year and the summer celebrations behind him and focusing on getting even better.

He’s done exactly that.

If you could script this team’s attitude to open this season the moment they walked off the field in Santa Clara with the Lombardi, I do not know if it could have been composed any better.

It is fair game to point at how teams like the Rams, Texans, Patriots and the Chargers handled their offseasons after very successful years.  The Seahawks compare favorably in many ways, be it attitude, execution or drama (or rather, lack thereof).

This team is no less hungry than it was last year.

Struggles

1. Third Downs

The offense currently rates a miserable #31 in the NFL on Third Downs.

Closing games out and chipping into deficits would be so much easier if they could just convert a handful more to get to the middle of the pack.

The running game is the big culprit here.  Last year in the first quarter, they had more run plays for zero or negative yards than anyone else in the NFL.

This year?  They have improved one spot to #31.

Last year in the first quarter, they had twelve runs of ten or more yards.  This year?  Eleven.

It is slow going.  They need the kind of improvement that last year’s team down the stretch provided.  Many remember Zach Charbonnet’s tough running and Kenneth Walker’s slashing runs through gaps late in the season.  But it took some time to get there, from the play calls to the execution.  The first quarter was dreadful.

This year is only slightly better.

The Seahawks have a longer to-go average yardage on Third Down than all but seven NFL teams currently.

Running successfully more often will help mitigate that.  Third and four opens the playbook far more than third and eight.

2. Penalties

The Seahawks have been flagged for 35 penalties through four games.  That projects out to 149 over the course of the season.

How did they do last year?

Do you really want to know?

Okay.

100. They had 100 penalties.

They are on course to have almost 50% more penalties this year than last year.

One thing to get out of the way: the league as a whole is a penalty mess right now.  The numbers are out of control.

That said, the Seahawks have been flagged for several penalties that they can control.

If the Seahawks do not get flagged for several key penalties against the Patriots, that game has a whole different look.  Seattle cruises to a blowout and the reigning champs look even more formidable.

The Commanders game.  The Chargers game.

Both were materially affected by penalties that the team is responsible for.

If there is one little crack in the armor of the Super Bowl Hangover, it is that they may have gotten a little sloppy.

Do you have any doubt Mike Macdonald will tighten things up?  That the league may finally settle and normalize a little?

I do not.

3. Darnold INTs

Darnold had back-to-back games with very poor choices that led to interceptions that could easily have been avoided.

It was the nail in the coffin that sealed the loss against the Commanders, and a golden opportunity to steal a possession from the Chargers at home and build an even more insurmountable lead was lost.

To be fair, in that Commanders game, Darnold responded to his interception with a red-hot drive to scale the length of the field in less than a minute.  It featured consecutive completions of 18, 11, 15, 17, and 7 yards.

We know how this script goes.  If Darnold plays well and avoids turnovers, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and the defense can be the difference in the game.  If he does not, the game is up in the air.

This may be a bit of rust that did not get worked out due to the injury.  It may not be.

Right now, as it stands, Smith-Njigba is so regularly getting open, the defense is so frequently shutting things down, and the running game is getting just-enough production, Sam Darnold does not need to play hero ball to win the game.

A couple of frustrating series where he wisely throws it away on Third down may tip the balance back to the Seahawks’ favor and allow them to close out games more effectively.

Quarter Two Games

This is a tougher stretch indeed — and the Seahawks will have to answer the call.  They have done it before.  They have also responded to lacklustre games with good, proper ones before as well.

Two small schedule things to note that are positive:

• The Seahawks get a mini-bye after the Thursday Week 6 game, a nice break in a tough stretch.  Also because their Bye Week is not until Week 11
• After they come home from the Denver game, they stay in Seattle for almost a month.  No travel for a month in the NFL is a great time to get healed up and prepped for the stretch run

Week 5 – SF

Week 6 – @ Denver (Thursday Night)

Week 7 – Kansas City (Sunday Night & Throwback Uniforms)

Week 9 – Chicago (Monday Night)

Second Quarter Goals

1. Beat San Francisco

We all know what needs to be done, we don’t need the lesson that beating the current best team in your division means.

As much as we love to think about those two beatdowns in Week 18 and the Divisional Round last year (with Kyle Shanahan joking at the Super Bowl that why is anyone asking him how to beat Seattle’s defense a particularly satisfying moment), it is time to put those into the history books and turn to the task at hand.

San Francisco is 4-0 despite being hammered with injuries once again.  Brock Purdy plays incredibly well.

The game is in Seattle.  The Seahawks need to hold serve and get into the Niners’ heads once again.

The loser of this game will be looking over their shoulder at the Los Angeles Rams, and Myles Garrett is not far off from coming back.

Mike Macdonald needs to once again draw up genius plans defensively to keep the offense in check.  Brian Fleury will need to seize all his intel about how to find a weakness in San Francisco’s defense.

And the team must execute.  No turnovers.  No game-swinging penalties.

2. Connect the Offense Further

Right now, the offense is the Jaxon Smith-Njigba Show.  And that’s fine.  If he keeps getting open and producing at this rate, we can gladly accept cries of how the team is not distributing properly.

The problem would come when Darnold decides a risky chance on a throw to him is preferable to a near-guaranteed chance for other players.  Thankfully, he has proven to be a good distributor of the ball.

But it could tip and sway very quickly if Fleury, Macdonald and Darnold are not careful.

Getting the Offensive Line more connected in the running game will help tremendously.

Winning some more Third downs will alleviate things as well.  If you convert, there are at least three more offensive touches guaranteed.

3. Tune Up the Special Teams

This is the one area that could really make the difference down the stretch again.  The Rams somehow seem worse than they were last year.  If they come into that late stretch with problems still, Seattle must take advantage.

Right now, Jason Myers is fine but had a shaky game last week against the Chargers.  The Seahawks need him back at his near-perfect best.

The kicking coverage units have been average.

And Michael Dickson has had a few punts with chances to pin opponents deep that do not accomplish their task.

This is something that can be worked on and improved in-season. Hopefully, Special Teams aces like Chazz Surratt and Irv Charles return to health and contribute to the level we know they can.

The Georgia Bulldogs are a key team to monitor

I don’t think it’s any surprise that John Schneider recently went to watch Georgia in person. Once again, this is a team stacked with fearsome NFL talent.

Linebacker Chris Cole would be an ideal hybrid player for a system such as Mike Macdonald’s but by April he will be a top-10 lock. He was again excellent against Vanderbilt on Saturday and I’d pitch that he’s one of the most impressive players I’ve scouted since starting the blog in 2008.

He can attack the outside shoulder better than most pass-rushers, using gravity-defying balance to stay on his feet and bend to straighten to the quarterback. He will attack the B-gap with pure speed and power. Sometimes the right tackle simply can’t react in time to cut him off. His vision combined with his closing speed when he plays middle-linebacker — followed by his Cheetah like speed in pursuit — frankly has to be seen to be believed. When pulling tight ends run across the formation to try and seal the edge, he just blows them up.

Cole lined-up off the edge early on against Vanderbilt on Saturday and on a 3rd and 7 in the second quarter he showed a really nice dip and bend to get around the tackle and force a pressure. On one snap he contained the run and as the running back tried to bounce outside, he went after him and brought him down for a four-yard loss. When he needed to drop in coverage, he did so with ease.

There was a play where he lined up at middle linebacker, saw the run bounce to the outside and he flew to the sideline and forced the runner out of bounds. His acceleration and closing speed is absolutely remarkable and at an elite level. I can’t recall watching a linebacker play with this level of quickness.

He finished the game with two TFL’s, four pressures, three hurries and a hit.

He is one of the more exciting prospects I’ve studied in years regardless of position. A true X-factor weapon who can do so much for a creative defense. You can move him around anywhere. I refuse to believe there’s any chance he lasts long in round one. He is a true difference maker with the potential to be a star.

Safety KJ Bolden looks like a Seahawk. Against Vanderbilt, Bolden came flying downfield on one rep — working through traffic and absolutely hammering the ball-carrier, drawing ‘oooh’s’ from the crowd.

He had a very good 2nd and 10 hit on a run that broke through the LOS. Bolden got low on the tackle to send the running back to the turf, limiting the damage to a five-yard gain. On a 1st and 10 pass late in the third quarter, he also saw the intended target quickly — a slant — and rushed downhill to level the receiver. Again, it drew ‘oooh’s’ from the crowd. He broke up a crucial 4th down throw at the end of the third quarter too.

It wasn’t all perfect. He missed a sideline tackle on Vanderbilt’s first touchdown. He wasn’t quick enough to diagnose what was happening, wasn’t in ideal position to make the play, was late to the receiver catching the downfield pass and missed the tackle.

Bolden finished tied-first for tackles (7) and all were solo tackles. He’s a good player. His position often lasts longer than it should so he might be more in the pick #25-45 range than early round one — but he’s a player with real talent and the right attitude.

Cornerback Ellis Robinson IV had an interception at the start of the fourth quarter. He lost the rep early on the release but showed good recovery speed and ball-tracking skills to locate the ball in the air, over his shoulder, and complete a very difficult catch. Overall he gave up one 11-yard catch on three targets in the game. He hasn’t missed a single tackle in five games so far.

Linebacker Raylen Wilson also had seven tackles but only one was a solo tackle. He’s not at the upside-level of Cole but he’s a very solid, pro-style linebacker who is also worth keeping an eye on as the process develops.

It’s very easy to imagine any of this quartet fitting in Seattle — their playing style, their personalities. Georgia faces Alabama on Saturday in what will be a fantastic game to watch for next level scouting.

Alabama prospects continue to shine

For me, there’s no doubt that receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams is one of the best draft eligible players for 2027. People soured on him after a challenging 2025 season and they’re yet to adapt or shift their opinions. It’s overdue.

By all means hold the drops against him last season. He had too many. After five games though, here’s how he compares this season for drops:

Bryant Wesco Jr — 3
Jeremiah Smith — 2
Ryan Coleman-Williams — 1
KJ Duff — 1
Reed Harris — 1
Wyatt Young — 1
Nick Marsh — 1
Duce Robinson — 1
Evan Stewart — 1
Deuce Alexander — 0
Malachi Toney — 0
Charlie Becker — 0
Cam Coleman — 0

At what point do we just give a player the benefit of the doubt? He has improved this year. His catching technique is still not ideal — but he is not dropping a lot of footballs so far.

Here’s what he is — a truly dynamic, extremely rare athlete who is so remarkably sudden and quick. He is a player who can and will challenge defenses to account for him on every snap.

Remember — he’s an athletic freak. Reportedly he’s capable of a 44-inch vertical, an 11-2 broad jump and he’s been recorded at 23.1 mph on the GPS. He’s 185lbs and can squat 465lbs.

Against Mississippi State he scored a routine touchdown after being left wide alone — but his leaping jump to reach the end-zone was impressive. He also had a spectacular catch to the left sideline. It was thrown to back-shoulder but was high and off target. RCW reached out at full stretch, off balance, and made the grab agains Mississippi State’s top cornerback Kelley Jones. He extended his arms away from his body to make a difficult catch.

I hope the media — and NFL teams — continue to linger on what happened last season during a messy campaign for both the player and Alabama in general. Coleman-Williams is a high-character individual with unbelievable, difference making talent. If he lasts into the second half of round one — someone is going to end up with a colossal steal. I suspect as the process moves along he will re-establish his position as a high first round pick.

Outside linebacker Yhonzae Pierre has the body-type and playing style of a Seahawk but I just wonder about his pass-rush upside and production.

Regardless, on one rep he attacked the left tackle with great dip and bend, drew a clear hold, and his pressure arguably forced the quarterback to fumble the ball leading to a turnover. More of this please.

He also had a play on a key 3rd and long completion where he over-ran the edge, couldn’t get to the outside shoulder quickly enough, and was run out of the play by the right tackle. He doesn’t have the ankle flexion or the pure burst to beat the edge consistently. He can be stiff at the point where you want to see natural bend and straighten. At the end of the first half, he barged the right tackle back into the quarterback for a sack on third down but it was nullified by a hands to the face penalty by somebody else.

Devan Thompkins returned to playing a lot off the EDGE despite his big size. On one snap he threw off the tackle to make a play on the running back. He also had a big interior rush on the goal-line — beating the tackle to break into the backfield, dropping the runner for a loss of yards. Shortly after on second and goal, he capitalised on a blown assignment, exploding into the backfield and forcing a throwaway by the quarterback. Mississippi State had to settle for a field goal to end the half. He played a big part in that.

On the other side, Mississippi State outside linebacker Amaree Williams also continues to flash. He led the team in tackles (7) and he’s a player I am fond of.

Florida’s end to a great start creates mixed stock review for two players

Running back Jadan Baugh has been building a lot of momentum for the way he’s started the season — but I had a couple of reservations. Florida uses a multi-back approach and to be honest, every runner has had success. The game at Missouri would be a test. Can Baugh, in a situation where a tough, physical opponent would aim to shut down the run, still find a way to create and make some plays?

The answer was a convincing ‘no’.

You could tell from the first snap that Mizzou were going to get after him. He had no time, no room — but he couldn’t break out and create within the stifling environment. He had 12 yards on nine carries in the first half and finished with 12 carries for 13 yards. He played hesitant throughout.

It’s not all on him. Just in the way a quarterback can struggle if you don’t protect him, a running back at least needs a lane or two to make things happen. Florida’s running attack was completely shut down and increasingly, as the score grew, they had to move off it.

Baugh is a really good player — but when an opponent commits so much to attacking the interior you’ve got to find ways to get outside, break contain. He doesn’t have that initial burst and acceleration as a bigger back to reach the edge and turn up-field. Neither is he someone you can go to the screen game with in the passing game. He’s a head-of-steam player for me — and I think you just have to temper his stock slightly, amid all the talk of being RB1 or a high first rounder.

It’ll be interesting to see if other opponents can have the same success Missouri had. For a few years now you can rely on Mizzou to win many trench battles. Other teams will not be so effective and Baugh will have a chance to bounce back.

English defensive lineman Emmanuel Oyebadejo started the game off the edge. Remember, he’s 6-7 and 300lbs. This is what he was doing at that size:

Florida’s Emmanuel Oyebadejo is a terrifying sight. He’s 6’6, 300lbs rushing off the edge.

The Jacksonville State transfer has been a breakout player for Jon Sumrall with 9 pressures and 2.5 sacks in his first three games. https://t.co/ubgBBwkmP6

— Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul) October 3, 2026

Now — watching this game I think it’s evident he needs to work on his pad-level. It’s hard to stay low when you’re as big as he is to win the leverage battle. He’ll still need to find a way to win the combat 1v1 in both passing and running scenarios. He also needs to find a way to keep his frame clean to disengage and get off the block.

When lined up inside he wasn’t forceful enough on the punch so when he tried to get to the swim move, it was easy to defend because the blocker gained positional leverage and could stay engaged to finish.

Even so — Oyebadejo is just so interesting as a ball of clay who let’s not forget, only started playing football in 2023. On a 3rd and 8 late in the first quarter, he showed better initial hand placement and was quicker into the swim. He darted inside and broke to the quarterback, forcing Austin Simmons into an incompletion. Mizzou had to kick a field goal as a consequence.

Overall he played well with two pressures, a sack and a hurry. He has a great attitude and everyone I’ve spoken to says he’s extremely focused and a willing learner. It’s amazing to think what he could be in 1-3 years time.

A quick side note from this game — Missouri quarterback Austin Simmons was very impressive. He was decisive, on-time, accurate and throwing to all areas of the field. He threw with anticipation — completing passes into some really tight windows. The offensive scheme is a bit tricky sometimes and sets the table for the quarterback but he played extremely well when the call was a bit more demanding (mentally or physically). It is worth noting Florida’s passing defense was among the statistical worst in college football going into this game — but Simmons is someone who could consider taking advantage of some middling play by other quarterbacks and opting to turn pro. He has talent.

Kenyatta Jackson plays like a DeMarcus Lawrence replacement

Their body types are similar, as are their playing styles and alpha aura. Jackson is off to a fast start for Ohio State (three sacks in five games) and collected another sack against Iowa:

Ball‼️

Kenyatta Jackson Jr. knocks the ball out and No. 5 @OhioStateFB takes over deep in No. 14 Iowa territory.

Watch on CBS https://t.co/sOT0HfhnKi

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) October 3, 2026

Lawrence was taken 34th overall in 2014. He was an old-time blog favourite we viewed as a viable target for the Seahawks before they traded out of the 32nd pick (moving down twice before drafting Paul Richardson).

I suspect Jackson’s testing profile might put him in a similar range. Lawrenson’s 1.63 10-yard split at 251lbs was ‘OK’ and not in the preferred 1.5 range. We might see something similar from Jackson.

However — if the Seahawks want someone who could develop into a younger replacement, Jackson is the closest thing they’ll likely find.

Also against Iowa, he used a straight-arm to keep his frame clean and drive his blocker backwards for a good rep. He dropped quite deep in coverage on three snaps in the first half, helping force a throw-away on one and an incompletion on another. On a third he dropped really deep, then converted to rushing at the QB (arguably causing an un-flagged pass interference on a defender he was covering who he suddenly treated as a blocker to be disposed of). He was injured on that play but came back into the game on the next defensive series.

Also in the first quarter he power-rushed the right tackle into the turf. He can get around the edge he just doesn’t have great bend-and-straighten ability. Jackson had four pressures, three hurries and a sack in the game.

A quick mention for another player I like too — safety Earl Little Jr continues to quietly go about his business. He’s so consistent running to the ball-carrier to mop up tackles and end plays. He’s a very solid, dependable safety with a pro-future.

Notre Dame O-liner stars — but I’m not sold on CJ Carr

One of my favourite players in this draft cycle so far is Notre Dame’s converted left tackle (now playing left guard) Anthonie Knapp. He was outstanding again against North Carolina.

He’s listed at 6-5 and 305lbs and only gave up one sack manning the blind-side in 2025. He can reportedly jump a 33 inch vertical and a 9-2 broad — these are top numbers for an interior lineman.

He gets into position nice and quickly in pass-pro so he can set and engage. Knapp connects with the target even when angled awkwardly or moving sideways (not easy). He gets his hands into the right position, locked into an opponents’ chest, tight and inside. He gets into a pass-protecting set with ease and efficiency. He shows off a good, strong back to anchor.

He won’t just hang on blocks and looks for extra curricular activity. When the opportunity arrives he will dump opponents to the ground and finish. He knows how to turn opponents inside to create room on outside runs. He also shows good awareness and will come off one initial block to switch to another.

He generates some knock-back power and will drive opponents off the line. His lateral agility is OK —- he’s not a dancing bear, which is why a shift inside is a good fit — but he’s not a stiff either.

Knapp can absorb attempted swim/rip moves and not get beat, hold his ground and he doesn’t lose grip. His combo blocking is very useful on tape and he does get up to the second level and engage. There’s also evidence of him taking a straight arm, cutting it away and letting the defender overextend to lose the rep.

We all want to see linemen play with an edge in terms of physicality and playing to the whistle. He does that — and you see him let opponents hear it when he wins big.

There are some good interior linemen in this draft. Iowa’s Kade Pieper could easily be a high pick as a player who kicks inside to center, while his team-mate Trevor Lauck could move inside to guard and go in the first two rounds. Greg Johnson at Minnesota gets a lot of attention online (he recently shifted inside to center but is a more natural guard). Indiana’s Carter Smith has a future at guard and could go in the first two rounds, while Ohio State’s Austin Siereveld has already kicked inside (his more natural long-term home).

At the moment I have Pieper as an early round center and Knapp as my top rated guard. Both are clear top-50 types.

Notre Dame’s quarterback CJ Carr is often placed within the first round conversation but I have to say — I’m not sold.

He plays in a system that demands very little of him. If you watch the tape you’ll see that nearly everything is one-read. He’s not even using his eyes/helmet position to hold a safety on most throws. The ball is snapped, he has a primary target and his role is to get the ball to him. Often this is a quick snap and fire — on deeper routes he will sit and wait for his receiver to develop his route and uncover.

Carr doesn’t possess difference making physical tools in terms of arm, mobility and size. He does get the ball out quickly but again, it’s typically to his first read. He’s not required to make progressions and throw with much anticipation or complexity.

He’s not a player who plays out of structure. He isn’t going to improvise much at all and he won’t be a difference maker with his mobility or throwing on the run. He’s not someone who is going to make magic happen when the called play breaks down.

I’m not saying it’s all bad. He has shown a degree of high quality accuracy on some throws. He had a play vs North Carolina where he’s stood on the 36-yard line, he waited for his receiver to get downfield and layered the pass beyond the cornerback and safety. He fit it into the right area with timing and accuracy. It was a very pretty throw. It was still only one read on the play though. In the NFL, a safety might read his eyes and take that away with ease.

Carr throws with decent loft on fades and gives his receiver a chance. On the short/intermediate stuff he fires the ball out quickly enough to keep things ticking along. I just don’t see a first round caliber player though.

I don’t think he will turn pro as a redshirt sophomore. I would expect he’ll be back at Notre Dame next season. I just think there’s a fairly limited ceiling here and I don’t see a ton of upside. I don’t watch Carr and think — I can’t wait to watch this guy in the NFL.

I think it’s pretty clear that the best two quarterbacks in terms of the 2027 draft, so far, have been Trinidad Chambliss and Drew Mestemaker. I’m still not convinced I would take either with a high round one pick if I had a painful quarterback need. After that, I think we’re still waiting to see more from the likes of Dante Moore and Nico Iamaleava. I’ve made my thoughts pretty clear on Arch Manning. Darien Mensah is playing the percentages and benefitting from the situation in Miami. He’s doing a good job but I don’t believe he should be judged any differently than he was at Duke, where he also played well but without Malachi Toney was universally viewed as a mid-round pick.

Right now, if I was a team intending to draft a quarterback without a clear long term option on the roster, I’d be more inclined to tap into the great riches at the other positions in round one and then take a flier on USC’s Jayden Maiava in the rounds 3-5 range. You do see evidence of Maiava going through his progressions. He will manipulate and hold safeties with his eyes. He can scramble to extend and be creative. I like his drop and set technique and his throwing base when he gets his footwork right. Throwing over the middle, he has shown he can fit passes into tight windows.

There is some natural ability here and I think he can operate a NFL offense. I’m not sure he has the big-time physical tools to be special, or even to start at a high level in the NFL. Even so — there’s more natural flare and translatable tape than some of the other quarterbacks in this class.

I’ve done a full scouting report on Maiava and will get into more detail another time. If I was picking in the top-10 next year I would much rather wait on him at quarterback than go after some of the other names in round one.

Meanwhile, back to Notre Dame, linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asu still doesn’t look completely back up to full speed after returning from injury (and he’s only had half the snaps of the other big names on the Irish defense so far) but he had an interception on Saturday against North Carolina. Boubacar Traore got the hit on the quarterback to dislodge the football as it deflected up into the air. It was a very simple pick but it was good to see the hugely talented KVA making a play. He had three pressures and a QB hit as he works back to his dominating best.

I’ve not been blown away by Traore — and on this play the effort by the right tackle was laughable. He just fell over after the slightest bit of contact. Traore gets a good press in the draft media but I don’t see a lot of suddenness and burst. He gets stuck on too many blocks and for the type of player he is you’d like to see more quick wins as a speed rusher.

Other notes

— Saturday was my first real opportunity to focus on Clemson receiver Bryant Wesco Jr and I liked what I saw. He has a long frame but he’s still quick and dynamic into his release and he can separate with ease. I thought he looked very smooth and had a big day — nine catches for 152 yards. I’m eager to see more — he’s another name with legit potential, adding to a very deep looking receiver class full of day one and two talent.

— California’s incredibly talented safety Kingston Lopa left the defeat to UNLV with a concussion on the first defensive snap. Hopefully he’s not out for too long.

— Not many players hold their own against Malachi Toney but I thought Clemson cornerback Ashton Hampton certainly did. He’s a very talented cornerback in a group of four (Kelley Jones, Zabien Brown, Ellis Robinson IV, Ashton Hampton) behind clear CB1 Leonard Moore of Notre Dame. All five cornerbacks could go in the first round.

— South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers was again throwing behind and off-target in the Gamecocks’ latest loss, this time to Kentucky. He did make a spectacular 75-yard run in the fourth quarter to supercharge his team a little and that’s what he can do. He also made a big 3rd and 10 throw with a defender hanging off him — but then on a 4th down option run he simply dropped the football untouched and coughed up a fumble. It’s pretty clear at this point he needs a fresh start.

— Miami running back Mark Fletcher is a heck of a player. Tough, physical, runs through contact, enough speed and size. I really like him.

If you enjoy these long-read scouting reports — which take up most of my weekend and you won’t find anything like this anywhere else — please consider supporting the blog via Patreon.

As always — please check the video out and if you can, leave a comment and a like on the YouTube page…

For the last three years, the Seahawks have been very active ahead of the trade deadline.

In 2023 they acquired Leonard Williams. In 2024 it was Ernest Jones Jr. A year ago, amid plenty of speculation from the likes of Jay Glazer and Adam Schefter that something really big was brewing, they ultimately settled for acquiring Rashid Shaheed.

After four games, it does feel a little bit like the 2026 Seahawks could use an addition or two before November 10th. I’ve seen a few names already being speculated on but none really seem to fit the bill.

I think I’ve found one that might.

Firstly, we need to establish the kind of team that could be a seller. It’s typically a franchise resigned to the fact that this isn’t going to be their year, so they’re willing to look ahead, acquire stock and move on from players who are not part of the long-term future.

Situation also matters. If you’ve just hired a new, young Head Coach — making his life harder could make their life impossibly difficult as they settle into the role. It could also be that if your coach is under pressure and you’d rather avoid firing them, or have no plan to, removing their better players could simply ramp up the pressure further and give the impression you’re giving up.

I think there’s a perfect storm brewing with the player I’m going to suggest, where a deal might be possible.

So who is he?

YaYa Diaby, the 27-year-old EDGE rusher of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Buccs are facing a crossroads with their Head Coach Todd Bowles. He signed an extension until 2028 last year but his position seems less than secure now that they’ve started 0-4. It’s perfectly plausible that ownership will be considering a change and perhaps even making plans, short of an unlikely turnaround.

That turnaround is even less likely given the injury to Baker Mayfield. It’s unclear when he will return but they’re currently playing an undrafted rookie free agent in relief. If Mayfield misses an extended period of time the losing will likely continue, meaning that by the time you get closer to the deadline, the Buccs will have a sellers’ mindset and embracing the season as a write-off.

They had a challenging off-season with contract negotiations — Vita Vea requested a trade after talks initially broke down, plus Mayfield also had an extended contract stand-off. Both eventually re-signed but it wasn’t a smooth process.

This possibly impacted Diaby — who has been a steal for the Buccs after he was taken 82nd overall in 2023. He had 24 sacks, per PFF, in his first three years in the NFL — plus 153 pressures.

Diaby is in the last year of his contact and the feeling currently is the team is inclined to let him test free agency and establish a market. Tampa Bay is currently $20.7m in the red for effective cap space next year.

He had nine sacks last season and 62 pressures. No Seahawks defender had more in the 2025 regular season in either category.

This season, as with the rest of the Buccs, he’s started slowly. He has zero sacks and seven pressures.

He reminds me a little bit of Odafe Oweh. He was in his final year with the Ravens last season and after five games, also had zero sacks. He was traded to the Chargers for Alohi Gilman and a 2026 fifth-round pick. He then collected 7.5 sacks in 12 games for LA — turning a strong end to the season into a four-year $100m contract with the Washington Commanders as a free agent.

Perhaps the Seahawks could do something similar here? If the Buccs know internally they are not going to extend Diaby, given the financial situation they’re in, would they consider trading him now for stock in a loaded-looking 2027 draft?

For the Seahawks, you’d be adding a younger pass rusher who could come to Seattle with a real incentive. Finish strongly playing for one of the best units in the NFL and he could enter free agency next year with major momentum. If he didn’t cash-in with the Seahawks, the team would still possibly get a comp-pick if indeed the gamble pays off and he succeeds, then gets paid elsewhere.

The Buccs might be hesitant to do it knowing if they hold on to Diaby, they’ll get a good comp pick if he moves on. Yet they might prefer to have stock in the 2027 draft rather than wait until 2028. They also might need to get involved in free agency themselves, especially if they hire a new coaching staff, jeopardising their comp pick. Trading him now would be a good way to make sure they get something in 2027.

John Schneider regularly cites Buccs GM Jason Licht as one of his best friends in the NFL. That could aid negotiations.

Is he a fit for the Seahawks?

Coming into the 2023 draft he was seen as more of a power-rusher until he ran a blistering 4.51 at 6-4 and 263lbs — with an excellent 1.56 10-yard split. Arguably, that’s the kind of EDGE quickness the Seahawks have lacked at times. Dante Fowler has not had much impact through four games.

We know they put a lot of emphasis on run defense. Diaby has an average grade of 73.1 (per PFF) for run defense over the last three seasons — which is very reasonable. I’ve seen some Buccs fans lament that he’s a better run defender than pass-rusher. I suppose that both makes him a fit in Seattle but also someone who might not actually add the dynamic EDGE rushing that’d be useful to have.

I’m not convinced you’d get him as cheap as the Chargers did for Oweh. However, looking online, Buccs fans are frustrated with his play so far this season. He has struggled and looks like a player needing a fresh start. I’ve seen comments from people saying, ‘get what you can and move on’.

It might have to be a pure rental given how many other players you need to pay next year. It’d be tricky to reward Diaby, Sam Darnold, Byron Murphy and AJ Barner — although I suppose they have just had a calendar year where they pulled off paying Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Devon Witherspoon, Derick Hall, Rashid Shaheed and Leonard Williams. So it’s not impossible.

The downside would be giving up a pick for next year’s draft. It’s looking as deep as advertised — and this is undoubtedly one of the thickest drafts in terms of numbers I can remember studying — and I’ve done this blog for 18 years.

There is one thing to note though — it’s not a particularly deep looking EDGE class. The Seahawks face the possibility of losing DeMarcus Lawrence (retirement) and Uchenna Nwosu (contract) next year. They could be left with just Hall on the roster to play the EDGE. That’s not ideal — so adding a veteran at a good age who can provide a solution there, allowing you to focus on other positions early in the draft, could be a smart move.

Unlike other potential targets (Curtis mentioned Khalil Mack on X earlier today) — Diaby could be a player you have beyond just a few games this year. So it needn’t be something just to give you a short term boost.

We’ve seen the Seahawks pull off a heist before (Ernest Jones) so we know it can happen. What if the Buccs were willing to do a deal that presents a big opportunity for the player and team?

I think it’s an interesting name to keep an eye on, especially if the Buccs keep losing.

If you missed my stream with Jeff Simmons earlier today — check it out below:

Please note the later start time of 1:30pm PT…

The NFL, once again, has a refereeing problem.

It started today with the Jaguars vs Bengals game, where there were 24 accepted penalties. It continued into the Dolphins vs Vikings game, where there were 20 penalties — including, I believe, 16 in the first half.

It’s ridiculous that the Seahawks’ win against the Chargers outdid both — with 30 accepted penalties. The crew in charge of this game were also responsible for the Packers/Jets slop-fest in week two, where there were 27 called flags.

This has to stop.

Granted, there’s plenty of blame to be pointed at the Seahawks and Chargers today. Both were ill-disciplined and messy. Yet there were so many ticky-tack calls and at times it felt like there was a flag being thrown on every play.

A special teams tackle with incidental helmet contact? Flag. A missed field goal turning into a 15-yard penalty because a player jumped while touching a guard on the shoulder? Flag. Tackling a quarterback in any way, shape or form? Flag.

Penalties in this high-contact, ultra-aggressive sport should be egregious. They should slap you in the face like you’re being whacked by an Atlantic cod. ‘That was obviously a flag’ needs to be the order of the day.

Otherwise, let them play. This was an awful spectacle today. The opposite of entertainment. Each appearance by the Head official more difficult to stomach than the last.

Even at the end of the game, the key moment had all of the joy sucked out of it. Justin Herbert was sacked and fumbled. The Seahawks had the football and, seemingly, a win. Yet, once again, there’s a flag. The ref’s then stood talking for what felt like an age. You couldn’t celebrate because for all we knew, this would be a flag to extend the drive. Eventually, the Head ref took his position. Then he stood there for what felt like 30 seconds, silent. Finally he revealed it was a post-play flag on #69 for the Chargers.

Just bloody announce it. That penalty was totally inconsequential. Why was it discussed so much? Why the delay in announcing it? It spoilt what should’ve been a celebratory moment.

The NFL can’t watch that today and think this is what it wants to be. Fix this. No more games like Chargers/Seahawks or Packers/Jets. And the serious talk should start with this crew, responsible for both farces.

All in all though, this was a tough watch for more reasons than simply the refs. The Seahawks are a long way off their best.

They built momentum throughout last season and you could feel them getting better and better. All three phases connected to play supremely balanced, high-level football. They were the best overall team in the league.

It might not have been obvious this time last year — but you could feel something was building. You could eventually begin to plot a course to go all the way. There isn’t that feeling currently.

At the moment, everything just feels a bit off.

The offense played in fits and starts. Some great drives, some maddeningly frustrating ones — with nothing in-between. The final drive and attempt to finish the game felt timid and uninspired.

They neither did a good enough job feeding the ball to Jaxon Smith-Njigba today (five catches) but equally failed to get anyone else properly involved. Rashid Shaheed had one catch (kudos for getting him the rushing score, though). Cooper Kupp had one catch. AJ Barner had one catch. Tory Horton had one catch. You get the picture. They have too many good skill players to have a day like this against a pretty poor defense missing Derwin James.

The running game was fine, if lacking sparkle. But it felt like they could do more with their weapons today and they missed that opportunity.

Defensively they took their eye off the ball later on with silly mistakes. This didn’t feel like the boa constrictor they aim to be. There were really good moments — the two picks, some good sacks and some big hits. They also shouldn’t be giving up crazy plays on fourth-down, surrendering the perimeter in the running game and they surrendered a lot of running yards today overall.

On special teams, kick-coverage still seems far weaker than a year ago. Jason Myers missed an extra point and a field goal — before the penalty bailed him out on the second miss.

The Seahawks need to tighten up in all thee facets. They can be a great team again this year — but not playing the way they have the last two weeks.

I’m getting a bit of a 2014 vibe here. They have tough games coming up. They might lose a few and end up with a middling record. Twelve years ago they fell to 6-4 and used a loss in Kansas City as a kick up the backside to win-out, all the way to the Super Bowl. They might have to endure some short-term pain to regain their full mojo. Do they need a similar jolt to the system?

I hope it isn’t necessary. It’d be great to see them rejuvenated and back to their best against the 49ers and Broncos over the next two weeks. They’ll need to improve though.

This is a guest post by Curtis Allen…

America’s greatest reality show rolls on into Week Four.

The best part of a reality show will always be the shocking twists and turns.

The pre-season favorite Rams are 1-2 and Sean McVay’s behavior is erratic and concerning.

The Cleveland Browns are 3-1, the Raiders are 3-0 and the Houston Texans are 0-3.

Drew Lock was one of the most effective Quarterbacks in Week Two, for crying out loud.

It is in this climate that the Seahawks enter this week’s game against the shockingly 0-3 Los Angeles Chargers.

Fans of both teams have things to fear about their opponents this week.

For the Chargers, they are coming into a raucous stadium to play the defending Super Bowl champs.  The hosts have a healthy chip on their shoulders after losing to the Commanders and their backup Quarterback last week.  It stings and they do not want to let that feeling linger.  And while the Seahawks did lose, it was by only two points, meaning in their last four losses they have lost by a grand total of eleven points.  This game will by no means be easy.

For the Seahawks, they will be facing a talented Chargers team that is 0-3 and playing for their playoff lives in Week Four already.  Only one team started 0-4 and rebounded to make the playoffs: Ironically, it is the Chargers, in 1992.

A loss will almost certainly turn their hopes of being an AFC contender into a three-month discussion about Jim Harbaugh’s effectiveness, Mike McDaniel’s job status and Justin Herbert’s future in Los Angeles.

What is happening to the Chargers?

Chris O’Leary has replaced the fantastic Jesse Minter as Defensive Coordinator.  McDaniel replaced Greg Roman (they also added Adam Gase as a Passing Specialist).

They are really struggling to put their talents to use with effective coaching.  To use the coaching parlance of the day, they are “not connected” in a meaningful way.

Inconsistency, dropped passes, turnovers, and blocked punts.  They have nothing to really hang their hats on.  They rank in the middle to bottom half of the NFL in a lot of meaningful stats.

The Chargers are struggling with an identity crisis on offense.  McDaniel has one of the most physically talented quarterbacks in the NFL to work with, but so far as yet to really get the offense to make its mark.

It is very likely due to the adaptation to the personnel taking longer than expected.

In Miami, McDaniel’s offenses were masterpieces of execution.  Moving parts that kept defenses guessing, a Quarterback with above-average accuracy on simple reads, and an ability to scheme up a running game that could slash through the gaps.

It could all come together because the team had speed.  My goodness, the speed.  Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle at Wide Receiver and De’Von Achane and Raheem Mostert at Running Back.  All of those players ran a 4.2-4.3 40.

In Los Angeles?  Their primary weapons – Quentin Johnston, Omarion Hampton and Tre Harris – are all in the mid 4.4-4.5 range.  Lad McConkey clocked a 4.39 at the combine, and in a lot of ways has been their most effective player.  However, he now is fighting a foot injury and is questionable to play.

They are not really trying to run the same “fast” offense (telling stats like time in the pocket and depth of target are right in the middle of the pack), and what they have been running has not been effective.  Receivers struggle to get separation, the formations lack deception and the interior of their line might be the weakest in the NFL.

The classic tactic to mitigate a weak interior Offensive Line (lining up in shotgun) has been a struggle.  Herbert’s passing is badly affected:

This is a major issue.  Herbert has traditionally been most comfortable in shotgun, having run it on nearly 80% of his snaps in his NFL career.  If a 56% completion rate continues? This offense is sunk.

On defense, the Chargers are struggling to marry their pass rush with their coverage, particularly at critical points in the game.  They have generated turnovers (five last week versus Buffalo), but it has masked their inability to get off the field.  Teams have been easily getting chunk yard plays against them and letting opposing offenses dictate the pace of the game.

Their pass rush is average.  And I mean that in the most literal way possible.  They blitz 24% (#16 in the NFL), generating a 24.5% pressure rate (#13) and have seven sacks and 25 pressures so far (#17 and #18 respectively).

Their run defense was a source of pride until James Cook came in and ripped off 6.4 yards per carry and five explosive runs right through the middle of their defense last week.

The Seahawks have a decided advantage in chunk plays on both sides of the ball:

10+ yard plays allowed on Defense through 3 games:

Chargers 40 (#24th in the NFL) – 32 pass, 8 rush

#seahawks 21 (#1 in the NFL) – 16 pass, 5 rush

Created on offense:

Chargers 35 (#15 in the NFL) – 27 pass, 8 rush

#seahawks 43 (#8 in the NFL) – 35 pass, 8 rush

— Curtis Allen (@curtis93969) October 2, 2026

Los Angeles’ stats and performances would be acceptable if they were the Miami Dolphins, rebuilding from scratch and outpacing the absolute bottom of the league based on hard work and smart coaching.

But not for a team like the Chargers.

The Seahawks want to keep them on uneven ground for another week and come away with a win.  How can they do it?

Use Coaching Acumen to Your Advantage

The Seahawks have a clear advantage on defense.  Their interior Defensive Line is one of the best in the NFL.  The Chargers’ interior is one of the worst.

Mike Macdonald has to find a way to convert this disparity into a dominating performance.  Any quarterback – no matter how mobile or physically gifted – struggles when faced with constant internal pressure.

It is up to Macdonald and Aden Durde to make use of Byron Murphy, Jarran Reed, Rylie Mills and Leonard Williams in a way that can control this game.  Using his creative formations, stunts and blitzes through those interior gaps can keep this game in total control.

Several of Justin Herbert’s passes have been brilliant lasers – shots through tight windows that defeat the best of formations – and yet, Charger receivers have been unable to reel in these receptions to move the offense.  At some point, these receivers will have a game where they will not drop Herbert’s throws.

The Seahawks cannot look at the early results of the Charger offense and conclude the ineffectiveness will continue unabated.  They need to make sure Herbert does not have a chance to make the throws his skills allow him to attempt.  Employing their pressure packages and effective pass rush play can assure this will not regularly succeed.

Forcing Herbert into short, quick throws will allow defenders like Ernest Jones, Nick Emmanwori and Devon Witherspoon to exercise their athleticism and close gaps on ball carriers quickly and force the offense into Third-and-long situations.

On offense, Brian Fleury faces a very intriguing challenge.  Emanuel Wilson and George Holani are fine players, but not game-breakers with the potential that Jadarian Price has.  He will have to make do with an ‘average at best’ running game in order to deploy his offense effectively.

Can it be done?

Yes.  It can.

Have a look at the run chart for James Cook against this Charger defense last week:

Now, Cook is one of the league’s best running backs.  So no disrespect intended, but Joe Brady and the staff cooked up a tremendous game plan for Cook.  Look at that chart.  He did not have a single run that lost yards.

If you look at the highlight reel you will see that while Cook ran effectively, he frequently had very healthy spaces opened up by his Offensive line, and right through the very heart of the defense at that.

With a man blocking concept, which the Seahawks have run successfully, they can ground enough distance out on the run to balance their offense and avoid becoming one-dimensional.

It requires a proper setup in order to run at peak effectiveness though.

Does such a setup exist?

Yes.

Right now, through three games, offenses have absolutely torched the Charger defense by passing on First Down.  Currently, the Charger defense is #29 on yards conceded in the passing game on First Down, with a gaudy 9.3 yards per attempt number, a full 27% worse than the NFL average.

If there ever was a game where “throw to set up the run” was a valid philosophy, this is it.

George Holani is an effective receiver.  The Seahawks have Tight Ends to deploy at their will.  They can display creativity with Tory Horton and Cooper Kupp, and are in the possession of the most dangerous offensive weapon in the NFL in Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

There is a tremendous opportunity here to take this game to the Charger defense.  To come out with a calculated passing attack in the early downs.  It establishes the run game, makes Third Downs much more manageable, and keeps the enemy from employing stacked boxes to keep the run game in check.

It also sets up those three or four critical Third Downs that every game has.  Will that make them more effective?  Yes, it will.

When the opposition passes on Third Down, the defense concedes a First Down 48% of the time, a major dropoff from the league average of 40%.

Deployed properly, 20-22 runs for 75-90 yards will do just fine in keeping this offense on track.

Let the talented defense do the rest.

Here’s a rundown of what has happened since the Seahawks beat the Arizona Cardinals to move to 2-0:

— A video leak of Mike Macdonald talking ‘off the record’ about a disagreement with Sean Payton and the Broncos was published online, forcing the Head Coach to issue a public apology

— The Seahawks put in an uncharacteristic, messy performance to blow up their 12-game winning run by losing to the Washington Commanders (who were missing several key starters)

— The Head of the new ownership group, Vinod Khosla, reportedly made some clumsy comments during an interview about moving the team out of Seattle — suggesting, “never say never.” He has since clarified there are no plans to move the team in a Tweet — but blamed the media, rather than own what appears to be an ill-judged remark and a very avoidable own goal

— Jadarian Price, who has had a challenging start to his NFL career with two fumbles, is now set to miss at least the next four games with a chest injury after being place on injured reserve. It means that the Seahawks, currently, are getting virtually nothing out of their 2027 draft class

I don’t know about you — but I could do with a win against the Chargers to cleanse my palate.