For quite some time now, the Seahawks have given the impression they wish to be a tough, physical team. That was often the message under Pete Carroll, who regularly preached the importance of a good running game. We’ve heard the same thing from Mike Macdonald since he took over.
Yet here we are, nine games into the season, and the Seahawks are not close to becoming the team they wish to be — either stylistically or in execution. They are too often beaten in the trenches, they are throwing the ball more than any other team in the NFL and rather than shape into form, they’re on a 1-5 run that has included some incredibly disappointing defeats.
Let’s compare this to two other teams.
When Jim Harbaugh took over the Chargers, he made it absolutely clear what the identity of the team would be. They were going to be a trenches-based, physical football team. They would run the football. He appointed Greg Roman, his long time assistant, as offensive coordinator. They drafted a right tackle in the top-10, despite having the chance to invest in someone like Malik Nabers (and receiver was a need for them).
Today they ran the ball 39 times against the Titans, throwing only 18 times. That’s despite having Justin Herbert at quarterback. They dispatched the Tennessee Titans 27-17 — a team with the same number of wins as the shambolic New York Giants, who beat the Seahawks recently.
The Chargers are now 6-3 and the Harbaugh brand of football is well established already. You can see clear progress. They’re on a 4-1 run with the only defeat being a two-point loss to the Cardinals when they were featuring several players carrying injuries. They are handling their business and you can see continued growth. The playoffs seem inevitable as does the chance to be competitive for the next few years.
Meanwhile the Pittsburgh Steelers have also invested in their offensive line. They’ve put together a good defense. They run the ball more than every team in the league apart from Philadelphia. They put the emphasis on their quarterback to play point guard, distribute the ball and make explosive plays.
Today they impressively beat the upstart Washington Commanders to move to 7-2. They ran the ball 43 times, compared to 29 pass attempts. This was despite trailing for long stretches of the game. The Steelers are completely comfortable with who they are and what they want to be.
These two teams are, by all accounts, the kind of teams the Seahawks presumably aspire to be. Not 100% identikit replicas. But something similar. So why have they struggled so much to get anywhere close?
Perhaps I’ve just got this wrong? After all, Macdonald is from the Ravens tree and they’re playing a better version of Seattle football. They rely on Lamar Jackson, the defense isn’t great, the O-line isn’t great and they’re streaky. But they have the reigning NFL MVP and he might win the award again this year. They run the ball the fourth most in the league — mainly because of Jackson but also because they find ways to feature Derrick Henry.
I think until the Seahawks commit to who they say they want to be, they’re going to be a little bit lost. At the moment I think they feel inclined to ‘do what it takes to try and win’ and that nearly always means putting the ball in Geno Smith’s hands and hoping he delivers, often against the odds. Yet they’re 1-5 in their last six. The idea of contending is fanciful at this stage. They need to work out who or what they are, commit to it, and set the platform for 2025 and beyond.
If you want to play like the Chargers and Steelers, do it. Once you’ve established that, structure your off-season resources to make your team as effective as they can be. Until you have total clarity on your chosen identity and actually put it into action — you’ll always be stuck playing the way the Seahawks currently are.
