Seahawks Draft Blog

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Instant reaction: Don’t be fooled, this was an embarrassing loss

October 10, 2024 / / 0 Comments

The Seahawks didn’t look ready to play again today, as was the case against the Giants. I don’t write that glibly or without consideration.

As with the New York game, they flirted with a comeback. Yet they need to try and fight back because of the way they’re starting games.

And what about that ending? A 76-yard run to kill the game. Nothing sums up the current day Seahawks better than that play.

They gave up 229 rushing yards today, after giving up 175 against the Giants and 185 against the Patriots. Let’s be honest, the Lions could’ve run for way more than the 116 they earned — instead they leaned on Jared ‘no incomplete passes’ Goff.

A period of grace is fine for a new staff. Things need to improve though — and fast. The shoddiness of the play is being paired with confusing game-plans, bad execution and poor body language.

I hate to say it but after watching the defense against Detroit and the total team performances against New York and San Francisco, I’m beginning to worry. They look worse in the last three games than they did at their worst last season.

This feels like an inexperienced staff making a lot of mistakes and learning the hard way. That’s to be expected. But it’s no excuse for failing to get off a block, make a tackle, complete an easy pass to convert a third down or make a tricky catch.

Listening to jubilant 49ers fans chanting ‘let’s go Niners’ in Lumen Field was reminiscent of the Steelers fans celebrating last season.

San Francisco had their way with the Seahawks for long stretches here. It was close for a bit thanks to a kick-off return touchdown and a blown call by the ref’s not to give the 49ers the ball on a botched fair catch.

Don’t blame injuries. Every team has injuries — in particular the 49ers. They are decimated. The Giants moved the ball well enough without their top two playmakers last weekend. The Rams beat this 49ers team with far more serious injury problems than Seattle. The Cardinals also beat this San Francisco team.

At times they look like they’re allergic to tackling. They get pushed around. They never come close to forcing a turnover and rely totally on luck when one occurs (see: the Giants fumble return). They had no sacks today and the pressure felt anaemic. They look low-energy when things start to go wrong.

Mike Macdonald only had two seasons as a NFL defensive coordinator before becoming a Head Coach. It’s starting to show. He’s inexperienced. This is his defensive unit and at the moment, it’s awful. Nothing about what we’re seeing at the moment is encouraging. You need a reason to have faith for the future. At the moment they seem to be scrambled, searching for answers and not finding any.

The offense is a streaky, befuddled frustration. I’m starting to think the Lions performance was more a review of Detroit’s defense than anything else.

On Sunday they allowed a situation to happen where they only ran Ken Walker five times in a game tied at half-time. Today, they didn’t seem to have much of a creative plan at all. Run it up the gut, after spending all week telling the media they wanted to run more. I bet the 49ers didn’t see that coming. Here’s an idea — be balanced and creative in both games. Of course it also helps if the defense can get the ball back to the offense.

When the runs didn’t work, Geno Smith would throw an inaccurate pass and out comes the punting unit.

Smith wasn’t great against the Giants but he was bad here. He was inaccurate. He missed easy throws. He threw two interceptions and now has a 6/6 ratio for touchdowns and picks. He’s very capable of having streaks of absolute quality as we saw at the start of the season. Yet as with the previous two seasons, he also has sequences where he looks like he did today.

There was a stark difference between the two quarterbacks tonight. Brock Purdy was scrambling around, looking like a legit playmaker and dicing up the Seahawks. It did feel like he made up for some of the key San Francisco players missing.

Smith is an athlete but he’s not a big creative scrambler and extender. He felt locked into the pocket. His accuracy, for some reason, was really off tonight. Nothing’s changed for me. He’s a good bridge to the future — but the future the Seahawks must seek. He’s far from the only problem or the biggest problem, though.

I think I finally gave up on DK Metcalf ever reaching his physical potential on the downfield shot before half-time where he just seemed to have no idea how to use his size, length and hands to make a play. The drops, the fumbles, the inconsistent play. He’s a fantastic athlete and can be a brilliant home-run hitter. He’s not ever going to be the physically dominant force Mike Evans is and Julio Jones was.

This is a roster constructed after the Russell Wilson trade. That deal brought a bevvy of draft picks and cap relief. That the same issues continue to show up on both sides of the ball year after year, speaks to the possibility that they’re not as good as I and others have thought.

The Seahawks look a soft touch again. Finesse with a desire to be something different.

The form at home says it all. They’re no good in Seattle. Teams used to dread travelling to the North West. Now, year after year, it looks like a lovely day out for a lot of opponents. The sea of red jersey’s filling the expensive seats at the front is emblematic of a franchise that has lost its sparkle. It genuinely feels like the mystique of this former cauldron has all but gone.

This three-game losing streak worries me. There are so many questions and there’s little cause for optimism. They won three games they were supposed to win and they’ve failed every test since.

Curtis Allen’s week six watch-notes (vs San Francisco)

October 10, 2024 / / 0 Comments

This is a guest post by Curtis Allen

It is eerie how similar this week’s matchup against the San Francisco 49ers is with the last time they played them in Seattle, Week Twelve’s Thanksgivings Day game last year.

The Watch Points for that game discussed several of the needs and feelings of a Seahawks team coming off a frustrating loss to an inferior opponent (the Rams).  It was a loss littered with mistakes and poor play, questionable play calls on offense, culminating in a last-second field goal try that did not go their way.

The Seahawks needed to balance out their run/pass mix on offense.

Turnovers were a problem.

They needed to tackle better and generate more pass rush on defense.

All these concerns are once again at the forefront of everyone’s mind as the Seahawks prepare for a critical matchup.

What is at stake in the next few games?  Putting themselves in a position to grab a playoff spot to be sure.  But more than that, beating two division opponents at home may allow the Seahawks to build up a lead in the division and a head of steam that will be hard to close the gap on come December.  Better playoff seeding is also at stake right now.

A win puts the Seahawks two full games ahead of the Niners and gives them the tie breaker as well.  It also means San Francisco will have lost four of their last five going into two very tough games, one against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs and one against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football.  The Niners could go into their bye week 2-6 or 3-5, needing to practically run the table to get a good playoff seeding.

It all starts tonight.

So those points above are still the main points for this game.

They simply must get the running game going.

The Seahawks’ staff and players have spent the week doing an I Am Spartacus routine over who is responsible for their stunning lack of running plays on offense.

It does not matter who is ultimately responsible.  It does not matter if the whole stadium and both teams know the Seahawks are going to be leaning more on the run than they have to this point.  It must be addressed immediately.

San Francisco is conceding 4.7 yards per rush this year, good for #21 in the NFL.  It is being achieved mostly through the combination of tough 2–5-yard runs with some explosives mixed in.  Arizona had six 10+ yard runs in their win last week.  Minnesota had four in their win.

It is mission critical that the Seahawks successfully run the ball on San Francisco.  It keeps the defense fresh, minimizes some of their Offensive Line issues and allows them to have a little more control of the game.

And this is an important starting point for their success.  It is fair to say that in their current five-game losing streak against the Niners, not once have the Seahawks felt like they had any control of the game.  The best way to defend a Kyle Shanahan offense (and a Sean McVay one, for that matter) is to keep the ball away from them.

Unleash Ken Walker.  Let Zach Charbonnet lower his shoulder and get some tough yards.

And a secret source of rushing yards:  Geno Smith.  Sam Darnold and Kyler Murray regularly took off running and burned the defense when presented with the opportunity.  In a game where Stone Forsythe will be lining up against Nick Bosa, Smith will need to process quickly and go for it more liberally than he has so far this season.  Like this:

The second point:  turnovers.  The Seahawks are underwater at -3.  The Niners were +10 last year but are currently even at zero.

In two of the Niners’ losses, they lost the turnover battle.  In their third they were dead even and forcing a fumble at the one-yard line kept the game competitive.

The defense is on pace for a similar number of takeaways as 2023, so it appears the offense must be the challenge.

It is.  The difference this year is quite simply Brock Purdy.  He is on pace to shatter his career-worsts for interceptions and fumbles.

The Seahawks can redeem themselves nicely with a couple of key turnovers on defense.

That begins with the third key point from last year:  Good tackling and putting pressure on the Quarterback.

The Seahawks have made confident statements this week about correcting their run fits and tackling angles.  They really struggled against the Giants on Sunday.  We will see if they improved, as the team with some of the hardest offensive players to tackle is their next opponent.

George Kittle, Deebo Samuel and Jordan Mason force you to wrap up and not let go.

It is not just the Seahawks that have had problems bringing them down.  Have a look at this clip where Marlon Humphrey – a player who has only three missed tackles in his last 32 games – tries to just knock Deebo over with physicality:

That was from the Ravens’ masterful 33-19 win over San Francisco last year – the one that really cemented Mike Macdonald as a choice candidate for head coaching jobs.  It just illustrates that the Niners bring intensity and physicality to their games.  And even in games that the opposition handily wins, there are going to be moments the defense does not come out on top.

That game was also an excellent illustration of attacking the Quarterback and making him adjust his timing.  They sacked Brock Purdy twice, pressured him eight times and picked him off four times.  This game was over by the middle of the third quarter.

Would it surprise you to know that the Ravens only blitzed Purdy eight times?  It sure surprised me.

The Ravens got pressure with their front four and had Purdy feeling pressure that was not there most of the game.  He could have had even more interceptions – he hit Raven defenders in the hands and they were not able to secure the ball more than once.

Can Macdonald do that with his Seahawks squad?  They have been badly banged up and will be missing important pieces Uchenna Nwosu and Byron Murphy.  However, it does appear that Leonard Williams is much closer to being functional and Boye Mafe and Derick Hall are likely to play.

San Francisco’s Offensive Line is not much better than Seattle’s (although to be fair, Trent Williams and Charles Cross are not in the same class).  Brock Purdy is facing a slightly higher Pressure Rate than Geno Smith is.  There should be ample opportunities to make him uncomfortable.

That said, look for Macdonald to dial up some occasional clever looks.  Many of their schemes on defense so far this season have been closer to base than delving into deception packages.  It is possible Macdonald has been playing a bit of a long game, with the twin goals of getting this defense installed in live games and in anticipation of opening up some ideas against a division rival.

What kind of ideas?

Have a look at this play.

Macdonald has Roquan Smith, Patrick Queen and Kyle Van Noy crowding the line of scrimmage with three down linemen pre-snap, looking like a big blitz package.  But none of them go at the snap.  They all retreat to coverage and instead Kyle Hamilton (perfectly synching to the snap) comes roaring in off a nickel coverage spot.

Hamilton gets illegally chop-blocked by McCaffrey and then Aaron Banks decides to flop his 324 lbs on him to make sure he is down.

Meanwhile, Nmandi Madubuike and Odafe Oweh beat their men (really, outlast them with a relentless motor) and chase Purdy, who has taken too much time to process who is doing what on defense.

Purdy is forced into a contested throw that Marlon Humphrey bats away and right into the arms of…Kyle Hamilton, who has gotten up and doggedly gotten back into the play.

It is smarts.  Desire.  Toughness.

That is what it will take to defeat the Niners.  Do the Seahawks have it in them?  We will find out.

Those are the major points.  Scheming is important, but this team simply needs to execute better and raise the level of their intensity to meet the moment.

A couple of additional notes that could also be a crucial factor:

Win the Red Zone Battle

The San Francisco offense has been struggling mightily in the red zone, currently ranking #29 in Touchdown Efficiency with 40.9% of their trips resulting in six points.  Just for reference, last year they were easily #1 in the NFL with 68%.

Kyle Shanahan has expressed bewilderment at their lack of scoring, noting that they have yet to have success in the run or pass game in the most critical part of the field.  How critical?  They went 1-for-6 last week against Arizona in a game they lost by one point.  Does not get more critical than that.

It is not too difficult to discern what a major part of the issue is.  They really miss Christian McCaffrey.  Last year, he had twelve red zone touchdowns (eight running, four receiving).  The rest of the team combined?  Also twelve.

Look at his work last year in that Thanksgiving Day game:

You just cannot replace that level of skill, toughness and desire and the Niners are feeling it.  Also exacerbating the problem is that in five games, they only have one touchdown from outside the red zone on offense.  One!

Adding to that, the lack of time in the pocket is also an issue.  Quarterbacks frequently scramble to buy time and eventually find an open receiver – it is just an inevitability that a skilled player will get open.

This is where the ‘get pressure with four and flood coverage’ plan is at its most critical.  Purdy does not have the strongest arm or the quickest legs.  What he does have is accuracy and touch in tight windows.  Do not allow him the time to deploy those weapons.

The Seahawks have been successful defending in the red zone, currently ranking #11 in the NFL.  That is a small sample size, however, which includes Bo Nix’s first game, Miami and their mess of an offense, and the Giants fumbling the ball at the one-yard line.  The Seahawks gave up five red zone touchdowns to Detroit and it is fair to say the Niners are far closer to the Lions on offense than those other teams.  If they still rank #11 coming out of this game, it will be a good day’s work.

On offense, the Seahawks are #10 in the red zone and that is a legit number.  Four different Seahawks have red zone touchdowns and they are scoring from outside the red zone just as much as they are in it.

They must keep it up and find success with it.

Looking at what kind of play that has worked against the Niners defense this year, a short crossing play where the receiver sort of gets lost either behind or beyond the line of scrimmage has been regularly effective (particularly in the Minnesota game, where a lot of defensive attention is on Justin Jefferson).  Plays like this crosser with A.J. Barner are a prime example:

This can work in any region of the field to move the defense’s eyes around.

Some Other Brief Notes:

— The Niners are banged up in their backfield.  Charvarius Ward is questionable with a knee injury.  Even if he is active, it could be a challenge to keep up with the receivers.  With Talanoa Hufanga going on Injured Reserve, the Niners are thin at the Safety spot.  Ji’Ayir Brown and Malik Mustafa are being forced into the lineup.  They have had moments of good play but PFF is grading both in the 50’s thus far.  The deep middle of the field should be an area where the Seahawks attack with regularity in this game.  Noah Fant needs to be utilized in this way.  Calling my shot: I wonder if these youngsters would bite on a Flea Flicker type play.

— Special Teams once again could be critical.  Dee Williams has not impressed as a punt returner and the coverage teams are in the bottom ten of the NFL.  The sting of a blocked field goal try at the worst possible time Sunday still lingers.  A ‘didn’t significantly alter the game’s outcome’ would be an improvement at this point.  The Niners will be breaking in a new kicker as Josh Moody is out with an ankle injury.  They had to go for it on a Fourth-and-23 at Arizona’s 27-yard line last week because they had no kicker.  It obviously failed and again, they lost by one point.

— I do also think the offense will try some more creative things in this week’s game to shake up the defense and keep them off guard.  Hopefully it will be better than Deejay Dallas trying to throw the ball into a tight window at a critical point in the game.  That said, designing plays and sequences that give Nick Bosa extra blocking attention or simply move away from his side of the field are a fair expectation.

— Look for some explosive plays in passes to the Running Backs.  Both Walker and Charbonnet are good pass catchers and can move well in space.  If they give Walker enough room he will break one.

Scouting notes week six: Eye-catching O-liners, a player the Seahawks might target, Luke Lachey notes, Cam Ward is what he is & more

October 9, 2024 / / 0 Comments

The offensive linemen catching my eye

It’s arguably Seattle’s biggest need area and while the 2025 draft isn’t going to be loaded with options, some are emerging.

I’ve been increasingly impressed with Iowa center Logan Jones. He’s tough and physical at the point of attack, locates his hands properly and he has the athleticism and strength to hold position. He’s extremely athletic and explosive — reportedly jumping a near 37-inch vertical, setting a school squatting record of 695lbs, running a 1.53 10-yard split and a 4.09 short shuttle.

I watched some of his stuff from last year and thought he needed major technical work but he’s definitely improved in 2024. I still think he can be better when reaching up to the second level and connecting with his blocks — but in terms of scheme fit, upside, production, toughness and power — Jones could be a strong option for the Seahawks given their uncertain future at center. I have Jones graded for day two. Parker Brailsford is a very similar player and has a history with Ryan Grubb and Scott Huff. He could also be a good option if he turns pro.

I’ve written a lot about Tyler Booker at Alabama, a former five-star recruit with massive size and plus athleticism. He’s not the quickest when he has to pull and get on the move but he’s not clumsy getting into space. He moves well. As a straight-up blocker he can destroy opponents 1v1. If strength and technique are problems Christian Haynes is struggling with, there’s little sign Booker will share those issues. Haynes didn’t have a prototype body for the NFL, Booker does.

I also think Booker is a perfect character fit for the Seahawks. He could be a genuine option for their top pick in the draft, especially given the way the O-line is playing.

Alternatively, Donovan Jackson at Ohio State had his best game of the season against Iowa on Saturday. He is reportedly also very athletic — jumping a 30 inch vertical and a 9-7 broad, to go with running a 1.59 10-yard split. He was once considered a likely first or second rounder until a subpar 2023 season. The Iowa game was a reminder of what he can do. Jackson is another early-round option for the Seahawks. If he continues to play the way he did against Iowa, he will go quite early.

I think we all want to see physical toughness up front. Jack Nelson at Wisconsin is someone who could play guard or right tackle, even if he plays left tackle in college. He very rarely gets into awkward positions, enabling him to get into opponents and contain. I think if he’s given more square-up opportunities he could excel. For me, he’s a day-two pick. I’ve talked him up a lot.

If the Seahawks end up picking early, it could bring Kelvin Banks into play at Texas. He’ll likely kick inside like Alijah Vera-Tucker because he simply doesn’t have a tackle frame. He’ll likely go in the top-20. Jonah Savaiinaea at Arizona also likely needs to move inside from right tackle. He should go in the top-50.

I currently have Ohio State left tackle Josh Simmons graded as my top tackle eligible for 2025. He is the best pass-protecting blind-side blocker by some distance in my opinion — and I’m not sure why he continues to be ignored by a lot of draft media.

I have a lot of other names on my horizontal board but very few O-liners are standing out. It’s thin gruel and you might need to aggressively pursue the players you like early if you want to make sure you don’t miss out. It’s not looking like a great O-line draft but there are options.

Get Luke Lachey in Seattle

I graded him highly a year ago but a bad leg injury meant he didn’t declare. I’ve now watched three Iowa games this season and on each occasion, Lachey has stood out.

I love the way he blocks — both at the line of scrimmage off the edge and also when he needs to get on the move. He just has a knack of locating targets, locking on and finishing. I haven’t seen a better blocker at his position. It’s not surprising given his bloodlines — his dad is former first round offensive lineman Jim Lachey.

Athletically he also has untapped potential in Iowa’s constantly dismal passing game. I genuinely believe, like TJ Hockenson, Sam LaPorta and George Kittle before him, he could come into the league and shock people with his pass-catching skills. He has ideal size and he can get on the move. He’s a very reliable hands-catcher and when he needs to make an athletic move to finish a play, he can do.

There are a few players in the draft I know I’ll probably be banging the table for — although testing and the Senior Bowl impacts things. Lachey is one of my favourite players in the draft. The Seahawks still aren’t getting any bang for their buck from Noah Fant. I’d consider moving on and replacing him with another Iowa Hawkeye. If Lachey lasts beyond round two, I think he’d provide outstanding value.

Ricky White III is one to watch

Sometimes you watch a player and just think, ‘who the f**k is that guy?’ — they stand out that much. UNLV receiver White III fits that bill.

I watched his performance against Syracuse and was blown away. I’ve since watched three more games. He’s a really good player. He has a long, lean frame with bags of juice. His body type reminds me of a poor-man’s Ceedee Lamb or maybe Nuk Hopkins. In terms of speed he can attack the red-line and get downfield. He does create separation. His body control is good and he can contort to the ball and make awkward catches. I like his catching technique — he grabs the ball with his hands away from his body. White III is adept at finding soft-spots in coverage and running away from defenders.

I came away incredibly impressed and immediately stuck a solid day two grade on him — putting him in the same bracket as Emeka Egbuka and Xavier Restrepo. Testing will matter but there’s just something about White III that makes me think he’s destined for an excellent pro career. People are sleeping on him.

Cam Ward is what he is

The hype for Cam Ward reached ridiculous proportions a couple of weeks ago, with broadcasters during games suggesting he could be the #1 overall pick next year.

I’ve tried to push back at this with a detailed breakdown (both here and here) but that’s the sad thing. The over-the-top hype has robbed me of a chance to say he’s taken a step forward this season. Instead of acknowledging that and praising Ward, you end up fighting the hyperbole.

Saturday’s game against California highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of his game.

There’s no denying that he has a playmaking flair and it’s always been there. A Cam Ward highlight reel at Washington State was worth watching. It’s the same in Miami — and he’s flourished playing for a team heavily favoured in all of its games so far.

Yet there are still glaring technical flaws and examples of Ward trying to do too much that will impact his stock when it comes to the NFL.

I’ve noted a few times how he has a tendency to drift in the pocket and go backwards. Here was a classic example from the Cal game:

Ward has a relatively clean pocket here. There’s no immediate pressure. If you freeze the video at three seconds you’ll see he has an open receiver beyond the line to gain (near the left hashmark) and two checkdown options on either side of the field. The commentator claims he looks “so calm, so patient” but the opposite is true. He’s flustered here. His primary read, presumably, isn’t open. So rather than stay poised and go through the progressions, his internal clock panics and he starts to retreat because he probably thinks he’ll get sacked. In reality, the protection is good enough for him to remain in the pocket for longer, then extend with a lateral movement.

The one thing you don’t do is drop back 18 yards behind the LOS while glueing your eyes to one read. Once the defensive linemen break from the blocking, they have a free run to attack you. He tried in vain to get the ball out and fails — but it would’ve been intentional grounding and/or a dangerous, panicked pass to throw anyway.

This is how he reacts in a non-threatening pressure situation against California. What’s he going to do in a muddy NFL pocket? You can’t have him drift like this or reject open targets because he’s stuck on a read. We showed how badly he was doing it against Florida and he’s still doing it now. He has open targets to throw to from a clean pocket and he’s hopping up and down on the spot then retreating.

Then there’s the ‘trying to do too much’ angle as we saw with the pick-six:

This is the kind of turnover we saw at Washington State. You can’t throw these passes. They’ll be easy fodder in the NFL. It’s long been a part of his game.

Ward did a tremendous job helping his team fight back but I’m not convinced he’s enough of a physical specimen to overlook some of these issues that have travelled from the PAC-12 to the ACC. His upside is good not great. I’m not sure he will kick these habits to be a top starter. This isn’t conducive with a player teams take in round one, which is why I maintain he’s more likely to end up in the round three range where teams will feel more comfortable drafting to develop.

Miami has used two lives now against Virginia Tech and California. Ward and his team remain unbeaten but I think it’s important to offer some perspective on a player being talked about as a likely first rounder — when the reality might be something different.

The top player in the draft

I think Ashton Jeanty is pound for pound the most talented player eligible for the draft. Everything about him is exceptional — the combination of power and speed, his contact balance, his ability to break tackles, the way he runs away from defenders. Jeanty is an exceptional prospect.

He’s now forced 49 missed tackles in five games. He would’ve hit the 10-per-game mark had he not been rested for the second half on Saturday against Utah State. He’s forced 10 more missed tackles than the second ranked player on the list. He leads the NCAA for yards after contact (7.95). The second ranked player, Kaleb Johnson, is at 5.60. Jeanty has 20 explosive runs — four per game (again, it would be higher if he wasn’t pulled after winning games for Boise State by half-time).

Travis Hunter is uniquely talented given his ability to play two positions at a very high standard. Yet Jeanty is pretty much playing at an other-worldly level at the moment. He won’t be the first player taken due to his position but I would suggest that as of today, he has a great chance to go in the top-10.

I think the Seahawks will draft this player…

John Schneider attended the Michigan vs Washington game on Saturday through convenience. Why wouldn’t he pop down the road to watch a game featuring legit future NFL players?

However, I do think he’ll have been keeping a close eye on Josaiah Stewart the Michigan pass rusher. I think there’s a good chance he’ll end up in Seattle.

Look at how Seattle’s pass rush depth is taking a big hit this year. They clearly wanted a good rotation going into camp. When they traded away Darrell Taylor, they immediately traded for Trevis Gipson to replace him.

Testing and measurements will be important for Stewart’s stock but the fact he’s excelling for Wink Martindale, Mike Macdonald’s mentor, and having the kind of impact he is — I think he’ll be very much on their radar. He also has the kind of personality and character they like.

Stewart had another sack on Saturday, taking his total to five in five games. He’s currently PFF’s highest graded pass rusher in college football. His pass rush win percentage is 31.3% — also the highest mark.

It’s very easy to imagine they could zone-in on Stewart based on fit, character and production.

Quick hitting notes

— Add Bowling Green tight end Harold Fannin Jr. to the expanding list of attractive players at his position eligible for the draft. I was really impressed watching his tape this week and believe he’s a day two talent. Miami’s Elijah Arroyo also looks very much like he’s moving into day two contention along with the likes of Lachey, Tyler Warren, Mason Taylor, Mitchell Evans and one or two others.

— I think I have a few players ranked/rated differently to draft media. Josaiah Stewart is my favourite edge, at least until we get confirmed measurements and testing numbers. Impact wise, he’s the only game-wrecker I’ve seen so far. TJ Sanders is my DT2 behind Mason Graham and I think that’s an obvious one personally. Garrett Nussmeier is my QB3, Kaleb Johnson and Nicholas Singleton are my RB2 and RB3, Josh Simmons is my top ranked tackle.

— I’m shocked how mediocre Alabama’s defense appears to be. Typically they have some big dudes up front to get excited about, or some top secondary talent. Deontae Lawson the linebacker packs a punch but I think his lateral agility and speed is a bit sluggish. He’s not someone I think likely goes on day two unless he tests better than expected. Jihaad Campbell is a better athlete but he’s high-cut. Keon Sabb has levelled out after a good start. Georgia are in the same boat. You expect better from both.

Finally, if you missed my latest piece with Puck Sports this week, please do check it out:

Could Jadeveon Clowney help the Seahawks?

October 8, 2024 / / 0 Comments

The Seahawks have a pass rush problem.

Uchenna Nwosu is now on injured reserve and will miss at least the next four games. Boye Mafe missed the last two games and isn’t a sure-thing to feature against the 49ers. Derick Hall picked up an injury against the Giants. After trading away Darrell Taylor, Trevis Gipson’s impact has been minimal to put it mildly. Meanwhile, interior threats Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy are carrying injuries (Williams didn’t look healthy on Sunday).

Per PFF, the Seahawks are the 19th best pass rushing team. This is despite having the fifth most sacks (17), the second most pressures (60) and fifth most QB hits (37). Despite the numbers, they just aren’t testing opponents. They seem to lack that one player who can impact and wreck a game. Minus their key players, this is especially true.

There’s not a lot they can do mid-season. None of the options are ideal. They’re not likely to bring in Haason Reddick and pay him a fortune. Anyone they add is going to come with question marks and compromises.

I mentioned this name on my stream with Jeff Simmons yesterday and it might not be ideal but is it worth considering?

Jadeveon Clowney.

Working with Mike Macdonald in Baltimore last year, he had the most sacks (9.5) in his career. He had an 85.7 PFF grade, putting him among the top D-line performers.

Could they rekindle that relationship?

He signed with the Panthers on a two-year deal. He might want to stay in Carolina, given he attended South Carolina. This might be about more than a competitive opportunity for the player. Yet does he want to play out his career slogging through two seasons on a team being battered every week? Would he prefer an opportunity to go and play for a more competitive franchise?

He also knows Seattle well from his one season there in 2019. I’m not sure if there’s bad blood between the parties after they failed to reunite for the 2020 season and beyond. It’s possible neither the Seahawks nor Clowney want to work together again.

Yet in this situation, with injuries stacking up, is it worth a call? Dan Morgan the Panthers’ GM knows John Schneider well. It wouldn’t break the bank in terms of compensation. A late round flier? Are the Panthers now in a position where they’d consider being sellers?

He did leave Carolina’s last game with a shoulder injury. That would need to be assessed. He has said since the weekend that he hopes to play against the Falcons in week six so it doesn’t sound too serious.

Per Curtis Allen, Clowney would only cost the Seahawks $1.27m in cap space and that will reduce by $106k with every passing week of the season.

They would inherit his $10m salary for 2025 but they can cut him and save $8m.

We all know he’s an inconsistent player. Yet he does provide the ability to wreck the odd game. Adding him to the rotation, with a coach he’s had success with, could offer a boost. He’s also consistently graded well for run defense, including an 80.8 grade when he was last in Seattle in that category.

The Seahawks’ defensive performance was so bad in the last two games, it’s hard to see how they rectify things without getting healthy or adding impact. Jadeveon Clowney isn’t a cure-all problem and you’d have to accept that he isn’t a fire and brimstone player, to say the least. He’s an athletic freak who does things at his own pace. Yet he’s shown he can be disruptive, particularly in big games.

He knows the scheme, the terminology, the language, the Head Coach, the city, the franchise. They could do a lot worse.

Instant reaction: Poor Seahawks deliver a reality check in home loss to Giants

October 6, 2024 /

This was supposed to be an opportunity to bounce back from Monday Night Football, get to 4-1 and prepare for a critical meeting with the 49ers.

Instead the Seahawks played one of their worst performances in recent memory and delivered a bucket of ice water to early excitement and optimism, sparked by a 3-0 start.

Losing to the 1-3 Giants at home is bad enough. The manner of the display, however, is concerning. It’s especially disappointing given Arizona’s surprise win in Santa Clara.

This is the second game in the row where the defense has looked incapable of making stops. It’s worse than last year at the moment. It’s starting to look like they merely benefitted from Bo Nix’s first start and the hapless Patriots and Dolphins to begin the year. The unit has been destroyed by the Lions and the Giants.

Yes, they’re missing starters. Other players are clearly not 100%. It’s still reasonable to expect a lot more than this.

And let’s not forget — the Giants didn’t have Malik Nabers or Devin Singletary.

The Seahawks looked defensively soft, just as they did on Monday. There was little energy. They couldn’t tackle, with Giants’ ball-carriers falling forward nearly every time.

Consistent pressure was non-existent — even against a struggling Giants O-line. When they took away the deep-ball early, New York simply leaned on screens, quarterback runs and underneath throws. After half-time, Seattle adjusted so the Giants attacked deep.

They ran for 176 yards. The Patriots ran for 185. Jared Goff didn’t have an incomplete pass against this defense.

Daniel Jones ran around like he was channelling his inner Lamar Jackson. Was he wearing a jersey made of wet soap? The Seahawks couldn’t bring him down.

It’s not unfair to expect a lot more from Mike Macdonald’s system. We’re seeing a lot of the same problems carry over from the end of the Carroll era. Where are the answers to the questions being posed? This is about as bad a two-game defensive stretch as you could possibly see.

The offensive performance was equally bad.

This felt like a cocky, arrogant offense today. They got +500 yards on Monday. They waltzed into Lumen Field today and it felt like they thought they could just turn it on again. I bet they’d deny that — but it’s definitely how it felt.

What was the plan? Just throw it around the yard? Everything Brian Daboll and the Giants did had a purpose. The Seahawks looked like a bunch of show ponies. Apart from when they were sulking on the sidelines, of course. The body language was dreadful today.

Macdonald talks about an identity featuring the run. How then can he justify an offensive plan like this, where it’s a total afterthought? How did Ken Walker only have five carries in this game? Ryan Grubb should be in his office first thing tomorrow explaining that.

D.K. Metcalf is a perfect example of the offense in its current state. He’s capable of big, flashy, explosive plays. But there’s also a bonehead error right around the corner.

He had a significant momentum-shifting fumble for the second week in the row. Maybe it’s time to give Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Tyler Lockett the whole ‘force-feed’ approach instead if they insist on it?

There was too much pissing around at the line of scrimmage. No-huddle, then a check to the sideline, then a change of play. It just seemed to make things muddled, including a couple of penalties as a consequence.

Geno Smith didn’t do a good job dealing with the pressure. He took some sacks that felt avoidable but admittedly, the O-line was crap again too. Seven sacks given up in total. But why was he asked to throw 40 times? It was hard to watch him slide right before the line to gain in the fourth quarter, only to see an epic fail on fourth down on the very next play.

Doesn’t that fourth-down call speak volumes? You need a yard and you’re messing around in play-action when you claim to want to be a physical football team.

They had a touchdown drive at the end with New York playing prevent but when they had a chance to win with one final drive — they couldn’t deliver. They didn’t deserve to. Perhaps feeling left out of the mess, special teams then gave up a touchdown on a blocked kick to tie.

I don’t know what Grubb was doing today. He and Macdonald were out-coached. The players were outplayed.

Once again, the trench battle was lost on both sides of the ball. If this is going to be a tough, physical team — well we’re still waiting for that.

You learn more in the last two games and Thursday night against San Francisco than you do beating up the remains of the Dolphins, winning Bo Nix’s first NFL start and scraping by a bad Patriots team.

The Seahawks were hammered by the Giants in their own backyard. The scoreline was only close because of a freaky 14-point swing on the one-yard line due to the fumble return touchdown. This feels worse than the Steelers loss last season. It raises plenty of questions. I said during pre-season they’d almost certainly drop a game they were expected to win with a rookie staff. I didn’t figure it’d be like this.

The honeymoon is definitely over. The season is far from over, thankfully. But they’ll need to be a lot better than this. What we saw today was bad. Real bad.

Curtis Allen’s week five watch-notes (vs NY Giants)

October 6, 2024 /

This is a guest post by Curtis Allen

The Seahawks are coming off their first loss in Mike Macdonald’s tenure, a valiant effort on the road in Detroit that saw their defense overwhelmed by injuries and superior scheming and play calling by the Detroit offensive staff.

How they respond to that loss will give us a glimpse into their fortitude as a team and Macdonald as a coach. This week in press conferences Macdonald appeared a bit irritated about being asked about the Detroit loss, wanting the team to put it behind them. No doubt several glaring defensive mistakes have been on Macdonald’s mind and he is eager to get the team back out on the field and move on from that experience.

It would appear that the Giants are a prime candidate handed to the Seahawks on a silver platter for a ‘get right’ game to build up some confidence for the Thursday Night game against division rival San Francisco.

The Giants are the #29 scoring offense in the NFL currently and will be without top Wide Receiver Malik Nabers and possibly starting Running Back Devin Singletary.

How important are those two players to the Giants? Between the two of them, they are responsible for over 51% of the runs + targets on their offense. Wan’Dale Robinson is a distant third place at 16.5%. No other Giant even breaks 10%.

The shoe is on the other foot this week for the Seahawks, after missing a big chunk of their defensive line against the Lions and taking it on the chin. It is arguable Giants are in even a worse spot, with a pretty poor offense with their starters and having less offensive depth than the Seahawks had defensive line depth, will be hamstrung even more.

On defense, they are very similar to the Lions. They feature talent along the defensive line, but are vulnerable in the defensive backfield. Cornerbacks Deonte Banks and Cordale Flott are rated as two of the worst corners in the NFL through four weeks.

How should the Seahawks play this one?

Make Hay in the First Half

Through four games, the Giants defense has been historically bad defending the pass in the first half of the game. How bad?

They are conceding an 85.2% completion rate, with four touchdowns and zero interceptions for a gaudy 127.5 QB Rating. In the first quarter alone, quarterbacks are 22 of 24 for a 91.7% rate.

Their saving grace has been stiffening in the Red Zone and holding opponents to Field Goals. (Note: the Washington Commanders beat them by kicking seven Field Goals).
The Seahawks must take advantage. Come out firing, mixing the run and pass and establish a lead early in the game and put their injured offense in a bind. That is something well within the Seahawks’ capabilities, especially when you consider the Giants’ vulnerability at defensive back.

What about the talented pass rush trio of Dexter Lawrence, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Brian Burns?

Oddly enough, the Giants have not been able to generate a consistent pass rush without blitzing. Lawrence has been very good but Thibodeaux has been extremely hot and cold and Burns still seems to be settling onto his new team.

Their two best games from a pass-rushing perspective were against Washington (5 sacks on 12 blitzes for 26% pressure) and Cleveland (eight sacks on 19 blitzes for 29% pressure). The other two games, against Minnesota and Dallas? They only blitzed a combined 11 times and recorded two sacks while Sam Darnold and Dak Prescott picked them apart.

So, the Giants are better when they blitz, yes?

Actually no. Here is the other stat that will take some time to wrap your head around:

In four games, the Giants have blitzed on 42 plays. In those plays, they have conceded a 78.1% completion rate, 332 yards, four touchdowns, no interceptions and recorded 17 first downs.

The equals a 149.1 QB Rating. A perfect QB rating is 158.3.

Watch the Cowboys burn the Giants’ blitz attempt last week:

Dane Belton poorly telegraphs a blitz coming from the nickel spot. Deuce Vaughn slides over and picks it up and Prescott finds Cee Dee Lamb who has burned Banks and deep safety Tyler Nubin has taken a horrid angle.

That is about as good (and bad) as it gets.

Is it hard to imagine Geno Smith and D.K.Metcalf working out that kind of play, with one of the running backs alertly picking up the blitzer? It is not.

But the Giants must be at defending the run well, aren’t they? No. So far through four games they are giving up 4.7 yards per carry and 28 first downs on the ground, good for #24 in the NFL.

As Sea Mode in yesterday’s comment section pointed out, the Giants are next to last in conceding yards after contact. With Ken Walker and Zach Charbonnet, the Seahawks will have weapons for days on which to feast on this Giants defense.

If the Seahawks can take advantage of the Giants not unlike they did last year and build up a sizable halftime lead, they will be able to extinguish New York’s hopes of coming across country with a beat up squad and pulling off a shocking upset.

Keep the Game in Front of You on Defense

An unofficial look at Daniel Jones’ throws through four games shows that a high percentage of those throws targeted Nabers.

The Giants leaned heavily on Nabers to be their dynamic offensive weapon. With him out, there are not many opportunities to threaten all parts of the field.

Robinson is more of a catch-and-make-a-move type of receiver (although a good one) and Darius Slayton has not been used very much (he is on a trajectory for career lows in several categories thus far).

With their top Running Back also likely out, the Giants currently do not have a strength to rely on in order to weather these injury challenges.

As a result, the Giants will likely try to pick their way down the field, piece by piece. Daniel Jones will be asked to carry a much greater part of the offense. Brian Daboll has best utilized Jones when he is getting the ball out of his hands quickly and letting his receivers make plays with their feet.

So far, the Giants have almost completely ignored their Tight Ends in the passing game. Daniel Bellinger and Theo Johnson only have ten targets in four games between them. It is likely their number will get called ten times in this game alone. The safeties and linebackers will have to be alert in coverage.

In the absence of established runners, he will likely call Jones’ number in rushes more than he is typically comfortable with.

On defense, a pass rush is always good. But this Seahawks team would benefit most by having a flood coverage that is close to the line of scrimmage, surveying and watching Jones’ eyes as he takes the snap, and then closing quickly and securing the runner or receiver to the ground as soon as possible.

The Giants will no doubt try to throw the ball deeper downfield on occasion. But the game will be won or lost within five yards of the line of scrimmage.

This could be just the kind of seek-and-destroy exercise that could restore confidence in the defense and get them mentally ready for a crucial game on Thursday night.

Curtis Allen’s First Quarter 2024 Seahawks Report Card

October 3, 2024 /

This is a guest post by Curtis Allen

Record:  3-1

Thoughts

This team has shown growth, heart, grit and determination under new Head Coach Mike Macdonald.  Even though some old Seahawks ghosts still linger (a porous O-line and bad tackling in the run game) there has been significant development in both the offensive and defensive structures, allowing talented players to shine.  Winning the three games they should win this quarter will no doubt pay dividends when they face tougher opponents down the stretch.

MVP

1. ) Geno Smith

The passing game in this new offense has been a sight to see under Smith so far.  He’s getting the ball out quickly without sacrificing longer downfield throws.

The traditional counting stats are extremely good:  1,182 yards on a sparkling 72.3% completion percentage.  His 57 Passing First Downs lead the NFL.  Last year at this time, he had 45.  Who are the beneficiaries of the growth?  Tyler Lockett, D.K. Metcalf, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba have 13 more first downs this season than last year.

In other words, Smith is getting the ball to his playmakers more.

He has accomplished this despite shaky line play.  Smith is facing a 25.1% Pressure Rate which is down from 30.5% at this time last season.

What is the difference in the rate drop?  Smith himself.  He has run sixteen times and picked up eight first downs with his feet.  Last season?  Eight runs for zero first downs.  If he decides to stay in the pocket instead of running in half of those attempts, his pressure rate almost certainly rises to exactly last year’s rate.

Put another way, he is helping himself with the pass rush.

There are only three questions with Smith at this point:  Can he stay healthy behind that line?  Can he stay consistently excellent?  And the biggest of all, can he win a game in the playoffs?

2.) Boye Mafe

2023 saw him break out in a fine way and establish himself as a bright young star on the Seahawks’ defense.  This year, he has taken another big step forward onto the NFL stage and is making his presence felt on a consistent basis in games.

After three games he was on pace to nearly double his sack and pressure totals from last year, double his QB knock own and tackle for loss numbers and triple his QB hurries.

His 2024 numbers are up there among league superstars such as Nick Bosa, Myles Garrett and Aidan Hutchinson.  PFF also has him graded at 75.6 overall, which is showing he is not a one-trick pony.

Mike Macdonald has constantly talked about Mafe becoming a true three-down player.  He is well on his way.

The question for Mafe will be can he be consistent in his presence?  After his Seahawks-record sack per game pace last year was snapped, he went the next five games without a sack and only recorded four pressures in that span.

3.) Derick Hall

There is no need to compare Hall’s numbers this year to last year’s.  He has already beaten them all.  Not quarter to quarter.  For the whole season.  He has four sacks in four games, a forced fumble, he’s just outside the top-10 in the NFL in pressures and sports a 76.2 PFF grade.

Hall has proven to be a near-perfect bookend complement to Mafe.  The Seahawks now have that rare gem of dual threats that can provide pressure without blitzing at a crazy rate.

His progress was evident in Training Camp this year but he has applied every bit of that energy and skill when the games count.

We know that Hall is a powerful beast of an Edge.  But he has shown he has more to his game, with some speed and bend, particularly in his two-sack game against the Dolphins in Week Three.

Slipping around a Tight End and then blowing by a Left Guard who has pulled and has five steps to pick up speed is impressive indeed, as is the closing speed from the hash to wallop the Quarterback and end the half with authority.

This is the beginning of something beautiful.  The Seahawks have team control of Hall for 2025 and 2026.

Honorable Mentions: Riq Woolen, Leonard Williams

Rookie Of the Quarter

1.) Byron Murphy

It is no contest. Murphy has been the most impactful rookie by quite a margin.

Teams have shown Murphy one of the ultimate signs of respect immediately.  And by immediately, I mean in the preseason — double-teaming him with regularity.  This is on a team with Leonard Williams, Jarran Reed and Jonathan Hankins, not to mention the pass rushers outside.

And for good reason:

It would appear the hamstring injury he suffered is not serious and the Seahawks are just taking precautions with their top pick. Rightly so.  His future in this league is huge.

2.) Tyrice Knight

Knight is a perfect example of Mike Macdonald’s vision and coaching style.  He has demonstrated his skills quickly, fit into the defense and produced, and yet Macdonald openly knows and says that he has potential to be much, much better when he develops his game instincts.  He is doing that with live reps in regular season games.

With Jerome Baker having a nagging hamstring injury, Macdonald turned to Knight almost immediately in training camp as his fill-in, preferring Knight over more experienced Linebackers like John Rhattigan and Drake Thomas.

In the first four games of the season, Knight has a TFL and 22 regular tackles in two starts and has been a solid if unspectacular player for them with 59.9 PFF grade.

3.) AJ Barner

The Tight End has gone from not showing much on the practice field in camp to being a very nice emerging piece of the offense in both the run and pass game.

His first two games were primarily helping on blocking and special teams.

But the next two were impactful in the air as well.  Five catches for four first downs to go with that blocking – exactly what you want of your second Tight End.  Not to mention a very nice touchdown catch where he navigates his way through traffic to give his quarterback an easy target:

17 catches, 172 yards and a touchdown to go with solid blocking and special teams play.

Barner’s numbers?  No.  Will Dissly’s 2023 numbers in Seattle.  That is the bar to clear.

Barner is on his way already with 5 catches for 40 yards and a touchdown.  Dissly’s cap hit last year was $9.2 million.  Barner’s this year is $984k.

Successes

1.) Winning With a Whole New Coaching Staff

Forget the soft first quarter schedule for a moment.  This is the NFL and games won are hard-fought and deserved.

Just consider:  The Seahawks hired a first-time Head Coach and he brought in first-time Coordinators in all three phases of the team.  The coach picked coordinators he had not extensively worked with previously. They are 3-1. 

What is more, this coaching staff has the team playing hard, tough, confident football.  Adversity has come and been met.

Both the Offense and Defense have demonstrated clear progress from the previous regime and you can see their aims and goals coming into focus.

You can also see there are things that need improvement but the green shoots of progress are too plentiful to ignore.

2.) Getting Pressure Without Constant Blitzing

Currently, the Seahawks lead the NFL in Pressure Rate with a fantastic 35.9% number.

They are accomplishing that despite being right in the middle of the pack on Blitzing Rate, at fifteenth place with 23.9% of plays blitzed.

The beauty of it is it is a team effort.  Several players are producing pressure.

Derick Hall, Boye Mafe and Leonard Williams have enough pressures to place them in the top 20 defenders.  No other team has three of the top 20 players  and only Minnesota and Dallas have two in that group.

Dre’Mont Jones and Jarran Reed are also providing pressure.  That makes blitzers like Devon Witherspoon and Tyrell Dodson all that more effective when their number is called.

Uchenna Nwosu has not even entered the picture yet.

Also, there is still untapped potential in this group.  Macdonald has yet to really go all mad scientist with his defensive lineup scheming.  They are so talented and have such a firm grip on their basic assignments, they can roll out standard packages and still influence the opposing offense with regularity.

3.) The Explosive Passing Game

More than once this quarter, the Seahawks’ running game has been bottled up and limited.  Winning would depend on attacking through the air and required a high degree of efficiency.

The team has answered that call and then some.

The Seahawks are leading the NFL in passing yards, Metcalf and Smith-Njigba are in line for career-highs in targets and Lockett is not far behind them.

Are they running the same routes repeatedly?  No.  Have a look at JSN’s route tree in Week Two vs New England:

The complexity this offense is showing defenses is hard to untangle and work out as the season progresses.  Even if teams can begin to solve the scheme, their defenders still must defeat three Wide Receivers with skill profiles that not many teams have.

Challenges

1.) Game to Game Consistency

Here we come now to the downside of a major coaching change.  This quarter, the team swung wildly between brilliance and futility in seemingly a different area in each game:

— Week One vs Denver: the Offensive Line was a horrid mess.  Geno Smith was sacked on the first play of the season and on the second threw an interception under pressure.  They conceded two safeties in the first half.  They were directly responsible for seven Broncos points.

— Week Two at New England: it is the run game’s turn to be dreadful.  They conceded 5.14 yards per carry and eight runs of seven yards or more on defense against a team that telegraphed their intention to run.  On offense, 46 yards on 19 attempts forced Geno Smith to ‘fine I’ll do it myself’ and win the game with a passing tour de force.

— Week Three vs Miami:  Penalties.  A missed field goal.  The offense stagnated in the second and third quarters.

— Week Four at Detroit:  Explosive Runs conceded.  Explosive Passes conceded.  The defense was outgunned, outworked and dare I say out-schemed.

Granted, the Seahawks won three of those games.  Yet no one can say this team is a finished product. In every single interview Mike Macdonald has given he has acknowledged that.  He knows the team still has a long way to go.

Yes, their initial success has been very commendable.  But the team cannot afford these types of stretches when the schedule gets harder.  They must tighten things up considerably to keep succeeding.

2.) The Offensive Line

Starting Right Tackle Abe Lucas has yet to play and his NFL future is unknown.  The Seahawks wisely brought in a competent backup in George Fant, who immediately got hurt.  Stone Forsythe has not played well and has needed blocking help from the Tight Ends and Running Backs.

Center Connor Williams was a late addition and needed time to get into football shape and acclimate to the team.

Left Guard Laken Tomlinson has been a turnstile in pass protection.

Right Guard Anthony Bradford has been constantly flagged and has struggled to find his footing.  Third round Guard Christian Haynes has been the opposite of plug-and-play, failing to even get reps with the top line in training camp and being boom-or-bust when playing in games.

The Detroit game showed encouraging improvement.  Geno Smith dropped back 63(!) times and was only sacked three times.  The only lineman penalized was Charles Cross on an ineligible downfield and the Lions had an offset penalty, so it didn’t count.

That improvement must continue though.  Geno Smith being under that much pressure is playing with fire.  He took a couple of shots in that game that looked like they could have been bad.

3.) Special Teams

Michael Dickson is currently #10 in the NFL with a fantastic 49.3 yards per punt average – well ahead of his career 48.0 average.

The Punt Coverage team is not holding up their end of the deal unfortunately.  Dickson’s net average? 38.6 yards per punt, good for 29th in the NFL.  That is nearly 10% lower than his career average.

Only three teams in the NFL have a worse disparity between their punter’s Yards Per Punt and Net Yards per Punt.

They also are tied for the league lead in Touchbacks.

Is the Kickoff Coverage team any better?

No.

They are conceding 26.57 yards per return on seven returns.  Only one team in the NFL is conceding more yards on as many returns.

Dee Williams muffed a punt that gave the Broncos the ball at the Seahawks’ nine-yard line and led to a Field Goal.

Jason Myers missed a makeable 53-yard Field Goal try against the Dolphins and a 62-yard try against the Lions.  The 62-yard miss is hard to hold against Myers but the accuracy wasn’t the problem.  It is that he could not get the ball out of the end zone in a domed game in September.

Coach Harbaugh has his work cut out for him.  This unit needs to rapidly improve as soon as possible.

Dishonorable Mention:  Situational Playcalling on Offense

Some awareness needs to be added to the game plan.

Calling developing passing plays while at your own two-yard line is not advisable.  Particularly when your Offensive Line is playing so poorly.

Consecutive two-point try calls in the Detroit game that were lower-percentage plays.  Both failed – although admittedly it appears both the NFL and Mike Macdonald erred in not challenging the first one – and the Seahawks lost momentum.

Ryan Grubb could use a brief consult from Leslie Frazier.

Second Quarter Games

Home vs NY Giants

Home vs SF TNF (throwbacks!)

Road @ Atlanta

Home vs Buffalo

Home vs LA Rams

Goals for Second Quarter

1.) Beat San Francisco

This is job #1.  As much as we snicker when we see the Niners having injury and player contract issues, they are still the champs until someone knocks them off.  Every single season they go through a bout of ineffectiveness.  They almost always rebound and become the team that can steamroll anyone.

It could be argued that Mike Macdonald was hired not just to bring overall franchise success to the Seahawks but to ‘solve’ the offensive wizardry of Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay.  The Seahawks were 0-4 against those two teams last year and the miserable performances in those matchups were a big catalyst in regime change.

Splitting the season series is a reasonable goal.  The home game is the best place to start.

2.) Flip the Turnover Differential

A team winning three of four games with a -3 differential is not sustainable.

Interception problems should even out with an improved Offensive Line and some play calling acumen (and with more running – more on that below).

The Seahawk defenders have forced five fumbles but only recovered one.  If they keep working as they are, that pendulum of recovery should swing back their way.

The pass rush should provide more chances — between strip sacks (it is only a matter of time until the team is regularly getting them) and forced bad throws which lead to interceptions.

They have two interceptions as a team, both from unwise Bo Nix throws in his NFL debut.

Riq Woolen is doing his duty.  Teams have only targeted him eleven times in four games (completing three for a gaudy 27.3% completion rate allowed) and he showed he has not lot lost any speed or vision with his ‘teleporting’ across the field for his interception this season:

Devon Witherspoon needs to step up here as well.  He can cause havoc as a blitzer, jar the ball loose with a bone-crunching hit or step in front of errant passes.  He appears to still be adjusting to the new defense.  When he does, he will be a force to reckon with and a weapon that Macdonald can deploy all over the field.

3.) Even out the Offensive Balance

The Seahawks are the third-most pass-happy team in the NFL after four games with a 64.4/35.6 split.  For everyone’s sake, that needs some course correcting to favor the running game a bit more.

As fun as it is to see Geno Smith flinging it all over the field, there are too many factors that strongly argue for more balance.

The Offensive Line gelling together as an effective unit may be hastened by establishing the run as a greater part of their identity.

The Defense could use more opportunities to rest and be able to lean on opposing offenses later in the game.

And perhaps most importantly, Geno Smith’s health cannot be overstated as a team need.  He missed time with knee and hip injuries in the pre-season and has taken more than a couple of cringe-worthy hits in the first quarter.  As much as we would like to credit him forward for six years of sitting on the bench, he is not getting younger and injuries will be harder to effectively recover from in time to regain form.

In four games, they have run the ball 33 times in the first half, compared to passing 73 times.  There is where balance needs to be restored.  It does not have to be 50/50 or even favoring runs but getting Ken Walker and Zach Charbonnet warmed up and ready to rumble over defenders as soon as possible will only benefit the team.

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