As we approached this NFC West battle in Desert on Thursday Night Football, I had a sinking feeling that we would be in for a fiercely fought defensive battle between two divisional rivals with strong defenses in desperate need of getting a win to keep up within a very tough division. The Arizona Cardinals lost a tough fought game against the 49ers, and I felt they’d be very determined to defend their home turf against a Seahawks team coming off of a huge blowout win against the Saints. Additionally. from their perspective, I felt it was likely that they would carry extra motivation in getting the monkey off their back with all the games in a row they’ve lost to Seattle in recent years. When a divisional rival has your number, you mark that home game against them on your calendar with the intention of taking it to them with extra pepper in your hot sauce.
So, I really didn’t feel that, in anyway, this game on TNF would be a gimme for Seattle even though they seem to have the Cardinals number. In fact, heading into the match, I felt that if Seattle was going to pull off their third win in a row, it would probably come with perhaps a 17-13 type of result.
Thursday Night games are typically very weird. Often times, they are very sloppy with slop coming from both teams. If the game is fairly evenly matched, the team that usually win these short week games is the one who commits the lesser about of mistakes, and gets the better play out of their quarterback.
We can lament the INT return fumble that Coby Bryant coughed up and gave the ball back to Kyler Murray and the Cardinals in good field position. We can also pull our hair out of the illegal blocking penalty called on Jaxon Smith Ngijba that took away a late TD from Zach Charbonnet that would have collectively put the game out of reach for the Cardinals, and forced us to settle for a field goal. I think both of these mishaps kept this game more within reach than I would have liked to have seen on the road against a decent Arizona club.
It also chopped my hide quite a bit seeing Ken Walker get drawn into a stupid taunting penalty by a defender that cost us points. It was also infuriating, as the game progressed, seeing him run backwards circles behind the line of scrimmage into tackle for losses. Just bang the bloody thing up towards the line of scrimmage as best as you can, for goodness sake. Not every run will be a success, just don’t turn the flipping thing into a worse play by trying to make chicken salad out of chicken shit.
And perhaps even more infuriating than K9’s needless collection of pirouettes into lost yardage was seeing Riq Woolen continue to draw penalties in coverage and give up explosive passes. After watching Seattle’s defense pretty much handle Murray for three quarters, seeing the plunky little passer purposefully target Woolen when the Cardinal offense went into desperation mode in the fourth and finding plenty of success gave me a full dosage of PTSD from opening weekend.
A couple weeks ago, I wrote a piece pondering whether the Seattle Seahawks had a K9 and Riq Woolen problem, and a lot of my concerns went away after a quality win on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers when K9, in particular, had a great game. After watching this game against the Cardinals, however, my concerns about both players have returned. I think K9 is one of the most schizophrenic runners I have ever watched, fully capable of exciting runs that get you pumped up, and then within the same game, he’ll do things that make you want to see him pulled. With Woolen, I just find his lack of consistency too souring for my taste, especially when Seattle appears to have strong depth behind him.
Okay, these are all the negatives in this game that I have gotten off my chest. I could include a couple offensive play calls from Klint Kubiak that I didn’t love, and a missed field goal from the otherwise sensational night of Jason Meyers, but that really would be nitpicking.
The Seattle Seahawks won this game because they made less mistakes than the Arizona Cardinals did, and they won this game because Sam Darnold was a better QB than Kyler Murray was on Thursday Night. It is that simple.
I thought both teams fought very hard on defense, and both offenses showed out in their moments, but Seattle did what they needed to do better than what Arizona needed to get done. While the game should have been won more handsomely by Seattle in many respects, they did just enough, and they fucked up less. I will take it.
Winning in the NFL is always a good thing, and losing always sucks. Now we get a breather of ten days before Seattle faces yet another tough opponent at home against Tampa Bay.
Here’s some of my more positive takeaways for Seattle heading out of this desert battle. As much as it sucked watching their quality lead evaporate late in the game, there are also some quality silver linings coming out of this one.
Sam Darnold Continues To Shine
I really dig how Darnold has played these first four games of the year for Seattle’s offense. I think he’s shown a lot of command and poise, and I love his timely playmaking abilities when he extends out of the pocket making throws downfield, and out of pressure, at critical junctures. This is how you want to see your QB1 play.
He was also the best player on offense on Thursday night, between both clubs, and I don’t think it was close between him and Murray in terms of QB play. Darnold showed better accuracy, poise under pressure, and he put up better production on significantly less passing attempts than Murray did, and it did this against an equally tough defense.
Make no mistake, Arizona has a very good defense with a much improved defensive line, and their linebackers and safeties are all very good football players. Generally, I thought Darnold boxed very smart against a defensive scheme that can be tricky to pass on. He largely took whatever was there, but he was also savvy enough to recognize when there were opportunities further downfield. His pass to JSN down the sideline with less than thirty seconds to go for a chance to kick a game winner was a big time money throw from any NFL quarterback, and he delivered it on the dot.
The more I watch Sam Darnold play in this offense, the more I feel like he’s a quarterback that Seattle will want to hang onto for the longer haul, and build around. He’s only 28, and there is a reason why he was taken third overall in the NFL draft in 2018. He just feels like an NFL prototypical franchise quarterback, and I genuinely look forward to watching him play.
Elijah Arroyo And AJ Barner Flashed Big Play Potential
On the night, I thought both of Seattle’s tight ends played really good games. AJ Barner had three nice grabs and a beautiful touchdown, and rookie Elijah Arroyo had two impressive grabs for 44 yards.
I know that Barner is a pretty good tight end, but Arroyo is a big target at TE with insanely gifted abilities to get downfield on vertical throws, and explosive catch and run opportunities. When Seattle drafted Arroyo, I got excited because I knew these sort of downfield plays would be coming from him, eventually.
Last night, against a tough Cardinal defense with great safeties, he really flashed, and this was, in my opinion, one of the hidden little gems of the game. As we get further into games this year, I think we are bound to see more high level playmaking from this youngster, and get ready for that fun to take place.
Let us remember that he is still a rookie, and tight end is a position in this a scheme that has a lot on its plate. Once the lights come on for this guy, and he has the pass and run plays in his bones, he has the physical talent to be a superstar tight end in this league right up there with the guy who plays in Arizona and the fella who plays in the Bay Area.
I look forward to seeing Arroyo and Barner continue factoring in as pass catchers in this offense. This was a good sign.
The Seahawks Sacked The Shit Out Of Kyler Murray And Intercepted Him Twice
First off, Chenna Nwosu posted a terrific game against the Cardinals both in terms of a pass rusher and run stopper. That was very timely, too, as Seattle lost their regular base defense speed rusher DeMarcus Lawrence early in the match with a hamstring injury. Chenna’s play spoke a lot for him, but also for the quality depth, in general, that Seattle currently has on their defensive line.
Seattle’s defense dropped Kyler Murray six times in this match, and they picked him off twice. Despite giving up 20 points in the end, I think these stats alone proved how really dominant Seattle’s defense largely was for the night.
If it weren’t for some offensive mishaps late in the fourth quarter that took points off the board and gave Arizona new life, and Murray a chance to make plays with his legs and arm, I think Seattle’s defensive effort would have felt greater. In the end, they did enough against a dangerous quarterback.
I say this also acknowledging that I personally don’t have that much belief in Murray as a quarterback, and have been out on him for a few years now. The main reason why is because, while I see him as a rare bonafide playmaker, I think his tendencies are to play big games early in the season, and then go cold later on after wear and tear takes hold. He’s like a little Bruce Lee video game character through the first eight games of the year, but by midseason, after being hit numerous times by defensive tackles and edge rushers who run like BMWs, he becomes a different player.
But early in the year, Kyler Murray can be a scary ass little fucker to play against, and he is still one of the very best athletes in the league who can threaten to take over games if you allow him to do so. In this game, Seattle did a lot to harass him and keep him largely ineffective until the fourth quarter. This should be celebrated despite the late game collapse in coverage by Woolen and company.
The next time these two teams face each other will be mid November, when Kyler starts to typically turn into his annual second half of the season pumpkin. Really glad that we have Sam Darnold, though.
For the night, Murray had to pass 41 times to collect 200 yards through the air with 2 late scoring TDS and 2 INTs. You tell me if that was a great night for him early in the season when he is known to play his better ball.
By Winning, Seattle Is Awarded A Valuable Mini Bye Week
After dropping a disappointing home opener against the hated San Francisco 49ers, Seattle’s schedule was to play three games in eleven days with two of those games in the road against quality opponents. The Seahawks have now won all three of those games. This is quite a contrast to last year when Seattle dropped three games in a row in the span of ten games.
Scheduling matters in the NFL. It matters especially to the human bodies that play this violent sport. Seattle has sustained itself very well in this stretch, and will have ten days to properly prepare to host a tough Tampa Bay team.
This is going to benefit Seattle. It is going to allow coaches to self scout the team more and make corrections. It will allow these players a chance to rest and heal. It will allow the players and coaches to study the Buccaneers a bit deeper.
This mini bye could allow the John Schneider and the front office an opportunity to bring in other players from outside via trades, or free agency. It feels to me that the New Orleans Saints could be on the verge of selling if they lose in Buffalo this Sunday, and we are probably all expecting that they will. It is worth keeping in mind that Klint Kubiak was their OC last year, and knows their offensive players very well.
Could the long time Seahawk terrorizer Alvin Kamara be had for a mid round pick? Could Chris Olave also be made available?
As I continue to find myself flummoxed about K9’s play, part of me wonders if an older back quality like Kamara would help settle him down. As for Olave, I know that his concussions concern, but the thought of what Sam Darnold could do in a passing attack with JSN, Cooper Kupp, Tory Horton, and Olave entered into the mix entices quite a bit. Could both players be had?
It’s an interesting thought as we approach a point in the season were really bad clubs start eying their rebuilds. For now, however, I suggest that you enjoy this win against the Cardinals, if you are a diehard Seattle Seahawk fan.
And if you are not a diehard Twelve, why on Earth are you even reading this stuff? Seriously.
It has been a long while since the Seattle Seahawks have faced an inferior opponent at home, and have handily taken care of business in a big, thorough ass kicking sorta way. In recent years, they would face a bad team like the New York Giants, or the Carolina Panthers at home, and they would lose in a very sloppy lack luster way. They did this numerous times in the last few years of Pete Carroll, and they did this very thing last year under Mike Macdonald.
The big residual effect of these type of home losses, over time, is that Lumen Field has no longer been the house of horrors for visiting teams that it has long been known to be, and now visiting opponent fanbases have felt more eager to make the long trip up to Seattle. The Seattle Seahawks needed to start putting a stop to this, and a very solid 13-44 ass kicking of the New Orleans Saints is a solid way to begin this very process. Bravo.
As I sat in my seat provided to me by my very special Seahawk Santa Buddy that is not too far away from the Seahawk benches, I soaked in all the vibes of the day. The crowd was full and very engaged, the Seahawk sideline was joyful, and together, and the level of team play on all three phases of the game was fantastically electric.
This felt like an important building block home win that Mike Macdonald and crew have been waiting for. If Seattle manages to be a playoff team this year, this might be the game we circle back towards and say “it started right here.”
If Seattle can manage to beat the Cardinals in Arizona on Thursday Night Football, they will have a mini bye week before they face a quality Tampa Bay Buccaneers team, and if they manage to beat the Bucs at Lumen Field, traveling fan bases might begin to think twice about pouring into this town. I know this sounds like a lot of putting a lot of the cart before the horse with this young season, and but it’s a fun thing to think about as a Seahawk fan who wants nothing more than to really see Lumen Field return to being a proper home field advantage again.
I’m not in the mood to nitpick a big time beatdown of the Saints, so folks can talk about the whacked out time of possession, and a lack of a run game if they wish, but I’m not so much into it. Instead, allow me to offer my thoughts about some of the big time contributors out of this win, and why their contributions potentially loom big moving forward.
Sam Darnold is proving to be a solid fit in this Klint Kubiak offense
Make no mistake about it, this was one very solid outting from Sam Darnold. No, he didn’t throw for gaudy yardage, or a ridiculous amount of touchdowns, but he didn’t need to do that, either. Instead, he needed to be the model of efficiency, poise, and timely playmaking-ness, easily guiding Seattle’s offense to 37 points against a defense that was selling out to stop the run, and forcing him to pass.
As I watched from my seat, I thought his effort against the Saints defense was very reminiscent of the game Jared Goff had against the Seahawks in Detroit last year on MNF. In that game, Goff was a perfect 18 of 18 passes for 292 and 2 TDs, and he pretty much did whatever he wanted to against the Seattle defense that was down a few starters. In this game yesterday, Darnold was 14 of 18 passes for 218 yards and 2 TDs, earning a near perfect 154.2 QB rating while completing 77.7 percent of his passes. He was very good.
The narrative that Sam Darnold is a pressure sensitive quarterback is starting to look more like a massive pile of horseshit that’s been heaped on him by lazy narrators. Over the past two weeks, against good defensive fronts, he has made big time throws under pressure, and Pro Football Focus had him rated as the second best quarterback throwing against pressure in the league last year.
I get it that this is only three games now, but it my eyes, Darnold feels like a very solid fit for the Klint Kubiak offense, and he feels like a guy who could continue to be a good fit here for a number of years, playing well into a second contract. He’s big enough to see the entirety of field, easily targeting all areas. He’s plenty mobile, and throws well on the run. He’s accurate downfield, and he gets the ball out quickly.
He could be for Seattle everything that Goff has become for Detroit. I believe that, and I would gladly take that.
I think this game was an important one for him to show everyone at home “hey, I got this.” Let’s keep it going.
Tory Horton is going to be a big factor for Seattle’s passing and return games.
Sunday morning, I texted various friends that I felt this game against the Saints would be Horton’s coming out party. I wasn’t wrong.
Tory Horton is a playmaker. After this game, his high level instincts as a returner are now known to casual fans who didn’t follow him at small college Colorado State. Fans are also becoming increasingly aware of his keen abilities as a receiver, as this game has proven, again, how adept he is at catching touchdown passes, and passes across the middle of the field.
He is showcasing here what he showed through college; good hands, dependable route running, speed, and natural athleticism, and a run after catch ability that is vital to a timing based passing offense.
In his podcast last night, Richard Sherman described Horton as the steal of the entire NFL draft, and I don’t think that’s hyperbole. I think Sherm is just excited about the reality that he sees.
Had Tory Horton not injured his knee during the season last year, and tested fully healthy during the scouting combine, I think Horton probably would have been a high second round pick, possibly a fringe first rounder. His talent and production in college would have warranted that. Instead, teams got nervous about his knee and also probably the fact that he played at a small level college, and he slid to Seattle’s pick in round five. He could be this year’s Puka Nucua, though, and it is interesting that, like Nucua, he has the very sage Cooper Kupp here as a mentor working with him.
While I wouldn’t mind seeing Seattle be a bit aggressive going after another established receiver through a trade over the next few weeks, I also have a sneaking suspicion that Horton’s role in this offense will only increase more as the season unfolds, and he gets more and more comfortable in this scheme. He has a look and feel of a classic Sean McVay style receiver who can stretch a defense as well as run every pattern with precision underneath.
I am very excited about this guy.
Jaxon Smith Njigba is officially the Rising Superstar of this Team
In terms of Seattle baseball, it can easily be said that this is The Year Of Cal Raleigh. The Mariners are red hot at the time when it matters most to be red hot as the playoffs approach, and nobody in Seattle sports is hotter than Cal Raleigh is right now. This has been a historic year for him in terms of home runs, and it feels like a historically special year for this much maligned baseball franchise that people love dearly up here.
It is, again, very early on the Seattle Seahawks football season with just three games played, but Jaxon Smith Njigba is on pace for about 1700 receiving yards this year, which would make for an incredible season. He registered 124 yards against the Niners, 103 yards against the Steelers, and on a day when he was battling the flu, he caught 5 passes for 96 yards, and a touchdown against the Saints, and he was pulled by the fourth quarter when the game was well in hand. So, it stands to reason that his production could have been much more, and if he sustains this level of production, it could easily be said that this is the Year Of JSN, as well.
I don’t know why more Seahawk fans are not more over the moon excited about JSN, thus far. Maybe it is the years of Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf playing in tandem here following the many Doug Baldwin years, but for my money, JSN looks like a guy who has everything a receiver needs to be a top end, annual pro bowler in this league for a very long time. He’s a superb route runner with great hands and enough speed to do every route asked out of a playbook.
Perhaps it is because he is so natural and fluid as a receiver, and catches so many routine passes over the middle that fans are a bit lulled by his steadiness. Maybe not being paired with a playmaking height disadvantaged quarterback like Russell Wilson, we haven’t seen the circus toe tapping sideline catches out of him yet like Baldwin and Lockett became famous for because Russ couldn’t see and did not target much the mid areas of the field. At any rate, I think the dude is fucking awesome.
Like Sam Darnold, he feels like a perfect fit for this Kubiak style west coast offense that values precision over top end physical traits. I’ve written this before, but I think if you look at the history of top shelf receivers that have come out of west coast offenses over the decades, for the most part, they share a lot of commonality with JSN in terms of physical stature, pass catching abilities, and abilities after the catch.
So, I am just going to say that I think it is now okay to put your DK or Tyler Lockett jersey in cotton balls for now, maybe save them for your kids when they grow older, and go get yourself that number 11 Seattle Seahawk jersey. If kick ass receivers is your football jam, I think you should.
The Offensive Line played better than your eyes told you they were in this game and that’s sweet
Ken Walker had a struggle of a day running the football. I won’t sugar coat it. He didn’t have many creases to hit it up inside, and every time he tried to stretch it to the outside, every Saints defender seemed very ready for it.
The Saints defensive front felt sold out to stop him, forcing Sam Darnold to beat them through the air. The mindset of defensive coordinator Brandon Staley seemed to be “if we take the run game away, I don’t believe Seattle’s QB and receivers will beat us.”
Seattle’s quarterback and receivers torched the Saints defense, and Seattle’s offensive line very much played its part in that process. Against yet another good defensive front, they passed blocked well again. This is the proper lens you need to look at this game with.
Now, perhaps as the season wears on, defenses will be leery to commit extra players in the box knowing that Seattle does, in fact, have a quality veteran quarterback helming the offense, after all, and Seattle’s run game with open up more. Until then, however, let’s applaud this young line for hanging in there to help out the passing offense.
Darnold looked quite comfortable dropping back, and firing the ball out quickly against a defense that was trying its best to send extra his way. That is a testament to him, for certain, but that is also a testament to a young offensive line that appears to be quickly developing a nice pass blocking chemistry with each other, which is not something I was expecting right out of the gates in this young season.
I think they are finally getting proper NFL coaching with this new staff. In fact, I think it is looking more and more like the talent was there for a decent offensive line to emerge, but the coaching simply was where it needed to be to make it happen for them.
Through three games, against three good defensive fronts, Anthony Bradford has looked really good in pass protection. He has been the exact opposite of that in previous years. This new staff appears to be reaching him where previous staffs have failed. If you can turn Bradford into a respectable pass blocking right guard, you know a thing or two about coaching and developing offensive linemen.
Seattle’s offensive tackles, again, looked like a competent tandem this Sunday, and against yet another quality defensive line. When was the last time you have seen this in Seattle? 2013, maybe?
Yeah, don’t underestimate how valuable it is for Seattle to have their O line looking this un-bad this early in the season with all the offseason changes that took place between the coaches and players. This is positive stuff that we should now start feeling good about.
As the season wears on, I think we will see better consistency out of the run game. It was a tough one against the Saints, and it might be a tough one on TNF against a good Cardinals defense, as well, but I am encouraged by a lot of what I see, so far. Each game is an opportunity to build cohesion, and if that has to be against tough defensive fronts, so be it.
The Mike Macdonald Defense Is Becoming The Badass Motherf#ckers We Need
Admit it. When you saw the free safety Julian Love wasn’t going to be playing in this game, you got nervous about that, didn’t you?
Already down Devon Witherspoon, and Nick Emmawori, you got uncomfortable thinking about how Spencer Rattler and Chris Olave could potentially come into Lumen Field and spoil your afternoon, especially with the history that Alvin Kamara has against Seattle defenses.
No, Devon Witherspoon? Well, let me introduce you to Derion Kendrick who through two games, has filled in and looked outstanding at nickel cornerback. Let me also introduce you further to Josh Jobe, who has been playing boundary corner like a solid pro bowler.
No, Julian Love? Well, here’s this Ty Okada cat who laid heavy hits against Saint receivers, and was second on the team in tackles and gathered a half of a sack.
To Rattler’s credit, I thought he played admirably in a tough situation, down big on the road, but Seattle allowed shallow underneath stuff while generally stopping up the run pretty well, and forcing him into bad throws on third downs. In many ways, this defense looked very vintage Legion Of Boom in this game, allowing some yards and time of possession, but not allowing many points, and at times, looking like an overwhelming swarm of bad intentioned orcs being shot out of cannons into the fray of bloody combat.
Through two games, Seattle has been without their best cornerback on the field, and a rookie defender who they view as their special weapon against the run and pass. Against the Saints, they were without their top safety.
They held the Saints and Steelers offenses to a grand total of 30 points in these two games (a 15 point scoring average). This is a level of defense that you can win a championship with, and soon enough they will have Spoon, Love, and Emmanwori all back in it together.
Mike Macdonald knows how to coach a motherf#cking defense. He does this by having his hoard of talented defensive tackles in proper positions that allow linebackers and defensive backs to make plays. He does it by having his defensive backfield properly knowing assignments and diagnosing plays. He does it with badass alpha dogs like Ernest Jones and Leonard Williams wrecking the afternoons of running backs. He does it by hurrying quarterbacks into desperate heaves of the football.
When Seattle made the hire of Macdonald, I was good with it, but this is the defensive effort that I needed to see come to life out of the hire. Right now, it feels like a brilliant move from John Schneider bringing this bright young coach to Seattle.
If you can consistently play defense like this, Seattle will be winning more games at home again, and Lumen Field will feel like a nightmare for visiting fans. Yesterday, Lumen was the loudest that I have heard it in a while, and the Saints felt genuinely overwhelmed with it all. It is right in the world that this level of defense should be the ring leader of it all.
Seattle’s Special Teams is special!
Seahawk fans can stop stressing out about Jay Harbaugh, and start celebrating the young coach. He has Seattle’s special teams looking badass-tical.
From Tory Horton’s franchise record breaking-ly long punt return for a touchdown, to D’Anthony Bell’s blocked punt, to Chazz Suratt’s heady punt return blocking and coverage tackling, to Jason Meyer’s dependable field goal kicking, Harbaugh is shaping Seattle’s special teams into a top shelf unit in this league, thus far.
It has been a long time since I have sat in a seat at Lumen Field, and felt this out of mind excited about what I was witnessing out of the Seattle Seahawks special teams in this level to totality. As if the strong defensive effort wasn’t enough, or the complete efficiency that Sam Darnold played with, Seattle’s special teams could easily be considered the star of the day.
Through three games, Seattle has had really grand special teams play. This is as good of a recipe as any to winning football moving forward. Let’s keep this going.
Fans need to let go, and let Jay Harbaugh into their hearts. He’s a good coach. He’s got this area of the team going in ways the further make football a fun watch. Embrace it.
Final thoughts
Vitally important win against these Saints. It is vital to get winning ways back to Lumen Field again, especially after a bad home record last year, despite going 10-7 on the year. Now, let’s start stacking up home wins while winning on the road.
As this season progresses, Seattle’s already strong defense should only get better with getting key players healthy again. Their defensive line rotation is deep, and their secondary and linebackers are well coached. Your eyes should be able to tell you this by now, and you don’t need to hear it from me.
Seattle has played against three pretty good defensive fronts, and their offensive line has held up against them, for the most part, pretty well. That should breed confidence in them as they will have more good defensive fronts in coming games.
Sam Darnold, and these receivers, and tight ends are showing signs of clicking together nicely. The more success they have the less likely defensive coordinators will feel an impulse to crowd the box to stop the run. This is something to keep in mind as we get further into the season.
K9 didn’t have a great day running, and really neither did George Holani, but rookie Jacardia Wright got action late that was interestingly productive when the Saints knew Seattle would run the ball to kill clock and yet he still broke off nice gains. This poses an interesting thought in my mind, as well.
I think this was a game where Seattle could have used Zach Charbonnet maybe more than K9 who was looking to hit it outside more instead of cutting back inside. I know K9 had the big game against the Steelers last week that we all marveled about, but part of me continues to wonder if this zone blocking thing is for him. It is hard to tell because of how dedicated NOLA was at stopping him, and how that opened up opportunities with play action from Darnold downfield, but it bears some consideration.
Seeing the way Wright ran late made me wonder what a healthy Zach Charbonnet would have brought to the game. Hopefully we get him back for the Cardinals on Thursday.
It also made me wonder if Wright is someone who warrants more consideration as a runner in this offense moving forward. I thought he looked awesome in the preseason. He did nothing against a strong Saints run defense late in this game to make me think his preseason success was any aberration.
But that is neither here nor there. This game, yesterday afternoon, was the thorough kick ass win against New Orleans we needed to see as fans, and the team needed to feel at home. It felt like a building block win, in fact. So, let’s build off of that.
Now let’s go get it done against Kyler Murray and the Cardinals. Let’s host the Bucs and make that game a nightmare for Baker Mayfield.
Let’s make Lumen Field a house of horrors again for the opposition. This is what Seattle Seahawk football at home is meant to be about.
As I sat down, and watched the John Harbaugh vs Pete Carroll on Monday Night Football, as I am sure a high percentage of other Seahawk fans did, I was left with the distinct impression of PTSD watching Geno Smith, on the very first play of the game, force a bad throw into coverage for an interception. Geno would go on through this game forcing numerous other passes into unfavorable coverage, ending the game with 3 interceptions, 0 touchdowns on 24 of 43 passing attempts for 180 yards and the league’s worst passer rating over the weekend. He could have had even more interceptions on the night with the amount of turnover worthy throws he tossed.
Now, I do not want to put too much into one game, and I think it is possible that this could be the year that Justin Herbert and the Chargers finally overtake Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs for the AFC West division, and Geno Smith could have a nice bounce back game this weekend, but I will also say that I have watched a lot of Geno Smith over the past few years, and the game he had on Monday Night was symbolic of why I was okay with Seattle trading him off into the loving arms of Pete Carroll. That game felt like the type of Geno Smith game he has when things go awry against a quality defense.
When things get tough against a good defenses, I’ve often seen him get impatient with the football, wanting to force things downfield instead of taking the simple underneaths, and when turnovers and sacks generate through the course of the game, and they are losing badly in the fourth quarter, I’ve seen many camera shots showing him sulking on the bench in a manner that maybe you don’t want to see out of your team leader, as was the case last night in Vegas, yet again. This is what Geno is prone to in games against strong opponents.
Now, I don’t know about you, different people are into different things, but one of the things I really loved about watching peak Russell Wilson in Seattle was his innate ability to stay calm and neutral under immense pressure packed situations. He wasn’t always perfect as a passer in games such as this, but I think his ability to keep his emotions in check helped Seattle win a bunch of high pressure games through the course of his time here. In the three years that I watched Geno as his replacement, I never got that same sense, and often times, I saw the exact opposite, and I say this as a person who regularly defended Geno on this blog.
Geno Smith has world class abilities to throw a football. His arm talent is elite, and he is one of the most athletic quarterbacks in the league, even at age 34. There is just an inner composition about him, though, that gives me a lot of pause.
I think the truth about Geno Smith is that, while he might be one of the best pure passers in the league, he comes with maybe the largest scale of arm arrogance; this belief that he can make every highlight level throw he attempts against dicey coverage. Then when shit goes south in games as a result, so does his demeanor, and leadership. The Raiders will win numerous games this year because of his arm talent, but they will, no question, lose games this year because of his tendencies, too.
Conversely, I think the QB situation here in Seattle is an interesting one for the Seahawks, and it is one that I will be willing to stay patient with as the season unfolds. I am not willing to say that Sam Darnold is definitively an upgrade over Geno Smith, or Jalen Milroe is destined to develop into the next Jalen Hurts, but I will say that I really like Seattle’s processing of making a shift at quarterback with the hopes of finding a longer termed solution than the probably felt they had with Geno Smith.
And I totally get it if you are not overly enthusiastic about Sam Darnold, if you have doubts about whether Jalen Milroe can ever blossom into a quality NFL starter, and Drew Lock is an after thought. I understand it if you are going to have a strong eye on the quarterbacks in college this year with a belief that if Seattle ends up with a losing record in 2025, it wouldn’t be the worst thing.
I am not here to sway doubters of Darnold and company as to whether Seattle has their long term quarterback already rostered. I am just here to say that I find the quarterback room of these three guys kind of a cool one, and I do have some optimism that someone can emerge, and fit what Mike Macdonald wants at the position long term. All three guys have athletic traits that can work well in a run heavy play action offensive attack. All three guys have some variance of youth on their side. All three guys have multiple years on their deals.
Let me quick profile each one to help explain why I dig ’em as much as I do.
Sam Darnold; his floor is Derek Carr, and his ceiling is Jared Goff
Talent wise, I think Sam Darnold is, in many ways, fairly similar to what Derek Carr was in this league. He’s tall, with a good arm, good mobility, he throws a pretty deep ball, and he can get the ball out on time. With good pieces around him, he can win you games, and get you into the playoffs, and that was proven pretty decisively last season in Minnesota.
Carr never got enough credit that I think he deserved as a NFL quarterback, and I think a lot of that was due to injuries, and being part of a bad Raiders organization. If Carr had been drafted by a better organization with great coaching, like the Rams with McVay, and the 49ers with Shanahan, he could have had a very different outcome in his career, I believe.
At the very least, for a few years, anyways, I think Darnold can have Seattle clicking in a quality game manager role much like Carr was in 2022 with the Raiders when he led them into the playoffs. I also think he can be a lot more here if things really do take off for him in terms of further development, which they might, in fact, do.
As I wrote this, I was very tempted to make the ceiling comp for Darnold that of one Matthew Hasselbeck. Hass was at the same age of 27 in Seattle when the game finally clicked for him after years of struggling. As we know, once the lights came, he enjoyed long a nice run as Seattle’s franchise quarterback, and part of me definitely believes this sort of success can be had for Darnold here with a good support cast around him, and proper coaching.
For the purposes of what Mike Macdonald wants this offense to truly be, however, I think a very fair ceiling comp for Darnold is present day Jared Goff, who I would label as perhaps the best game managing quarterback in the league right now. I think peak Jared Goff is exactly who and what Darnold can be here, if all goes well, with the caveat that Darnold possesses more athleticism that what Goff offers and can therefore do a bit more as a runner.
As we know, Detroit runs a very run heavy offense that relies mostly on building play action passes off of the run. It will be scorched into Seahawk fans’ minds for a long time that MNF game last Fall when Seattle went to Detroit and Goff was a perfect 18 for 18 for 292 yards and 2 TDs.. ALL OFF OF PLAY ACTION PASSES while the Lions ran for 120 yards on the night (talk about PTSD).
Like Goff, Darnold very much wants to function in a play action offense. At this stage, Goff is, by far, the more polished passer, but Darnold probably has the stronger arm, and he definitely has the superior athleticism. All he might need now is a coaching staff who believes in him, and an offense that is tailor built for what he does best as a passer.
While fans can fantasize about the upside of Jalen Milroe, it is very possible that Darnold’s scars in the league are very good scars at this point, nicely built up calluses that help him properly process against the league’s defenses, and he will only get better over time, seeing the game faster, and being more in command of this offense year to year. With an offensive philosophy that suits his strengths, there is a distinct reality out there that he grabs hold of an opportunity, he doesn’t look back, and he has a nice long-ish tenure here.
Drew Lock; his floor is Drew Stanton, and his ceiling is Ryan Tannehill
Drew Lock isn’t much on the mind of most Seattle fans these days. Most are probably more likely to be day dreaming of Jalen Milroe being ready to take over in a year or two, or they are slowly warming up to Darnold more after this nice win on the road against the Steelers, or they are just day dreaming about drafting Arch Manning.
That said, Lock has fans inside the front office of Seattle, and he has a big fan in GM John Schneider. If you were to watch all three of these passers throw in gym shorts throwing against air to receivers, it would be more easy to see why he has front office fans. He very well might have the best pure arm talent out of the three, and he has athletic traits to match it, as well.
The throw he made two years ago, in the fourth quarter against the Eagles, down the sideline to Jaxson Smith Njigba against tight coverage, was high level NFL stuff. He might not ever materialize into a starter again, but I will always remember that throw from him.
It is throws like that one that can have a GM and a coaching staff believing that there is something there in him that can be further developed. It is just that, in his few times as a starter, he can also make throws that leave you wondering what he was even thinking about.
As it stands, I would say that it is a long shot that Drew Lock ever develops into a quality NFL starter, but I do think he can have a long Drew Stanton type of career as a quality backup. This would be a very safe and reasonable floor comp for him.
Years ago, the Arizona Cardinals ended up with Carson Palmer as their QB and they were a royal pain in the ass for the Seahawks and others in the division. Palmer bounced around from Cincinnati to Oakland to AZ before finally having some quality success, and Stanton proved a great backup for him. In games when Stanton played, he played pretty admirably in place of Palmer, I thought. I can see Darnold and Lock having a similar dynamic in Seattle for a while.
I can also see a wee bit of a scenario where Lock takes over for maybe a injured Darnold, and plays well enough in this run centric play action scheme where the coach wants to stick it out with him, and suddenly we have a Tennessee Titan Ryan Tannehill situation from a few years back when free agent Tannehill took over for presumptive starter Marcus Mariota, and then didn’t look back. While I don’t think this is a very likely scenario, you never know.
In 2012, we all know that John Schneider was into drafting Russell Wilson, but he was supposedly also very enamored with Tannehill, and was hoping to draft him in round one, if he fell to Seattle. Tannehill wasn’t the greatest pro, but he had very similar toolsy traits to Lock. He was tall, athletic, with a live arm that could effortlessly flick it downfield.
We know Schneider likes Lock a lot, and he is a great locker room guy. What happens if Darnold gets seriously injured, and Lock steps in and plays well enough to make Seattle a quality playoff team? I dunno, but I suspect that it could make for an interesting offseason.
Jalen Milroe; his floor is Taysom Hill, and his ceiling is Jalen Hurts
I would love to make Jalen Milroe’s ceiling comp that of one Lamar Jackson. It would be really fun to say that, and then try to dream that glorious ceiling into existence. I think we have to be realistic about this rookie, however.
I appreciate it that Milroe appears to have a fan in the head coach, and Mike Macdonald knows what a quality duo threat quarterback does to any defense. Macdonald has seen first hand what Lamar does on Sundays, and he just watched what Jalen Hurts did in the Super Bowl with top defense and run game.
I also think it is somewhat fair to suggest that Milroe could grow to become a quarterback like Jalen Hurts, someday, but it will likely take a lot of work in terms of his development for him to get there. I think it is highly unrealistic to think of him someday becoming Lamar Jackson, however. It would be like me saying that ceiling comp for Sam Darnold is Josh Allen, and that ceiling comp for Drew Lock is Justin Herbert.
I also am dubious to believe that the Kubiak scheme would ever be a proper fit for Milroe. This is a scheme entirely built on timing, accuracy, and anticipation throwing, and I don’t know how much Milroe can consistently ever do that. Peak Russell Wilson had problems doing that, and I think Super Bowl winning Hurts has issues with that, as well.
If he was thrust into the QB1 role right now, Seattle would have to depend even more so on the run game to stay ahead of the chains and away from third and long. Kubiak would probably have to limit his playbook, significantly.
In fact, I sorta believe that, for Milroe to ascend to QB1 in Seattle, and excel at it, the most realistic path might be for Kubiak to leave for a head coaching gig with perhaps Sam Darnold following him via a trade. Maybe then Macdonald would look towards Milroe, and decides to bring in a new offensive coaching staff who would run a Hurts style offense with more emphasis on designed QB runs and run pass option stuff to get Milroe comfortable doing what he naturally does best. In a situation such as this, maybe Milroe excels much like Hurts, and this becomes very exciting stuff for all Seahawk fans moving forward.
I would say, at the very least, while he develops behind the scenes, Milroe can carve out a very vital role in the Seahawks offense as a Taysom Hill style quarterback who comes on the field in short yardage situations, and in change of pace moments. In that, however, I think Kubiak and Macdonald must be smart about it.
I didn’t love how quickly they rolled out with the Milroe Package in the first offensive series against San Fransisco, and his QB draw was immediately snuffed out in result. It felt very forced to me, and ill timed.
I also found it interesting that Seattle chose to make him an inactive player against the Steelers this weekend, opting for tight end AJ Barner to serve in the tush push QB role, instead. It could be a sign that Milroe needs further behind the scenes development just to dependably become a Taysom Hill player for Seattle.
If Seattle someday does simply get Taysom Hill like production out of Milroe, and nothing more, then his selection in the third round last Spring will have been a good one. If he actually does blossom into a quality NFL quarterback, however, then that puts John Schneider into the Hall Of Fame for being able to find two starting quarterbacks for this franchise in round three.
Right now, I think the jury is needs to be appropriately out on him. If Darnold gets unfortunately injured, Drew Lock will be the starter in his place. The team is very clear on that. This is the right way to handle Milroe. He needs a proper redshirting.
But for now, it is fun to dream about what Milroe could someday become here in Seattle, if the window of opportunity ever opens for him, and he grabs hold of it, and never lets go of it. Until then, however, a whole lot of things need to line up for him to get there. We should be real about that.
Closing thoughts
Nobody knows what is going to materialize out of this quarterback room, and I think that is perfectly fine. Seattle is not tied long term to any of these guys, and that is smart.
But I like their processing of punting on Geno Smith and bringing in these guys for a good long look. It seems, tactically, very smart by John Schneider to do this, taking educated gambles that don’t hinder the franchise long term until someone emerges as The Guy.
Personally, I think it would be a huge boost for this team if one of these QBs emerges as the long term answer, though, and I don’t really care which one it is. If I were a betting man right now, I think I would be more apt to wager on Darnold than the others, but let’s see how the whole season goes first.
At the end of the day, I just think it would just be great if we have the position settled, and are annually picking impact players in round one of each draft either for the trenches, or elite skill player athletes. I think this is as good of a way as any to succeed in this league.
Not every great NFL organization is built around a young quarterback who was a high first round pick. Kyle Shanahan has never turned the keys of his offensive off to this type of player. Philly didn’t just win a Super Bowl with one. The Lions are relying on a quality retread QB, and the Rams have never drafted a QB high with McVay as their coach. Coach Holmgren never had one in Green Bay or Seattle with all of his successes. Peak eighties 49ers had a former third round pick leading their team, and nineties 49ers had a first round pick bust who they traded for leading them to titles.
And we all know what happened for the Patriots decades ago when they turned to little known sixth round pick Tom Brady in favor of injured established starter Drew Bledsoe. Rewind to nearly a quarter century ago, and virtually nobody saw that coming.
This is my food for thoughts about Sam, Drew, and Jalen, though, however which way this shakes out. I think these are all pretty likable dudes who will be easy for most fans to root for.
Each guy has talent, and question marks. It is what it is, and while it might not be an ideal situation for fans because of the unknowns, I am comfortable with not knowing what we really have right now.
One thing is for sure, however; whoever sits at the QB1 situation for Seattle long term is destined to play with a kick ass defense under Mike Macdonald. Maybe that is what we really should all be getting excited about more and more. It’s a fun thought.
Today is a very good day to be a Seattle sports fan. The Seattle Mariners have swept the Angels to gain full leadership of the AL West, and the Seattle Seahawks traveled to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and pounded the dreaded Steelers significantly enough to show football pundits that perhaps their offense isn’t as anemic as the narrative was built up to be after a tough home loss to San Francisco last weekend.
A few days ago, I wrote a piece about Ken Walker and Riq Woolen that was possibly the single most critical article I have ever taken to write about individual players on this blog. While my intention wasn’t to make it a total hit job, I wanted to illustrate a number of reasons why I felt perhaps they weren’t working out in the new schemes Seattle has adopted under Mike Macdonald. I questioned K9’s ability to fit inside a primarily zone blocking scheme, and I questioned whether Woolen had the discipline needed to operate consistently in Macdonald’s complex defense.
Towards the final moments of the game yesterday against the Pittsburgh Steelers, I joked with friends that K9 must had read my blog. Of course, he did not, but I am sure he heard the criticism that was all over radio waves last week, on podcasts, and written by much bigger fish out there than what this little blog is.
Walker had himself a critically important game on Sunday in Pittsburgh. He played with purpose, and with such a decisiveness that I cannot even recall the last time I saw this out of him. Maybe his rookie year?
He didn’t dance behind blockers waiting for a big whole to open up so he could run to daylight. He didn’t look hesitant or unsure. He hit creases, violently, and for most of the day, carried Seattle’s offense on his back. A total reversal of what he showed last week against San Francisco, and in many stretches last year.
This is the type of running Seattle needs to fully see their offense open up. This is an offensive scheme that is entirely built on the run, and K9 has the type of talent at running back that he could be one of the brightest ones in this league, if he plays pissed off for greatness on a regular basis. When you have a back doing that, it opens everything on the offense up for a reliable veteran quarterback such as Sam Darnold.
Football is not a game for the hesitant. It is a sport dependent on the willingness to stare violent intentions in the face, and throw it back on the opponent. It is a blood sport with helmets and shoulder pads, and with strategy that resembles conventional warfare.
It is a game that scares soccer moms, and speaks to the inner barbarianism inside us that compels us to take muay thai classes. It is the yin to our yang.
If Ken Walker has now understood that his mission to a big free agent pay day is to trust his offensive line enough to play decisive with bad intentions on second level tacklers with regularity, he will undoubtedly seize the RB1 role in this offense over Zach Charbonnet. If both guys can bring it like this, then I think we could be looking at something special brewing in Seattle this year.
When linebackers and DBs are thinking about K9, it gives Cooper Kupp catch and run opportunities as was on display through much of the game. It also opens up tight ends, and it allows JSN to get downfield on one on one situations for deep shots such as the one that Darnold brilliantly hit him with late in the game to set up K9’s backbreaking outside toss run to the end zone that stunned Steeler Nation.
All of this happened on Sunday, in a tough road environment for Sam Darnold, who, save for a couple bad interceptions, had himself a quality day guiding the Seattle offense. It was important for him to have this type of outing, as well.
Darnold was, without a doubt, the better quarterback in Pittsburgh yesterday. He looked more poised than Aaron Rodgers did, and as the game wore on, he looked like the passer who would prove better down the stretch. He was decisive, gritty when he needed to be, and I think this is a quality game for him to further build chemistry with Kupp, and company.
As mentioned in a piece I wrote after the loss last week, this offense will likely take time to find itself this season, and in that, it will take a number of games for Darnold to find his chemistry with his receivers. In this game, he looked like he was taking encouraging steps forward with that. Now let’s build off of it, and get those two INTs out of our game.
Rodgers, however, to my eyes, from the get go, appeared old and flustered, and typically salty enough for Steeler fans to now be a bit concerned. This was from the opening series that the Steelers had the ball and he led them to a field goal score, as well.
He doesn’t move like he used to, his efforts to get outside the pocket feel more labored, and it felt like he knew he was going to be in for it all game long against Seattle’s dominating defensive tackles and quick edge rushers. He was, and by the end of the game, he looked like he wanted to retreat into a hippie yurt somewhere in central Oregon to meditate about his next appearance on the Joe Rogan Podcast.
Seattle didn’t blitz him much probably because they were without their do everything corner Devon Witherspoon, but they really didn’t need to blitz him, either. Their front four rushers did enough. You know you have something when you can dependably rush four to affect the passer. We will touch more on that in just a minute, so hold this thought in your mind a bit.
As for Riq Woolen, I thought he had himself a good bounce back game, as well. Like K9, he needed this to be a quality outing.
On the whole, I thought all the defensive backs shined in coverage, and it appears that perhaps Seattle’s depth at cornerback is better than folks were anticipating with Spoon being out. This, in my mind, might be one of the more sneakier encouragements to come out of this game.
Josh Jobe continues to be one of the best kept secrets in the league at cornerback, and Shaq Griffin held in admirably, as well, as did newcomer Derion Kendrick (who was a late addition waiver claim from the Rams). Kendrick, in particular, seems to have picked the complexities of the Macdonald defense up fast, and if this is so, he gives Seattle a depth at corner to where Seattle see an opportunity for decent mid season trade, potentially.
Could the Raiders come sniffing around Riq Woolen with Jakobi Meyers on the table who has requested a trade out of Sin City? Would Miami come calling about Riq offering Jaylen Waddle in exchange?
Even though Cooper Kupp had himself a quality bounce back game in Pittsburgh, demonstrating his intended role in this offense, do we trust him to hold up for an entire season, or does Seattle look for opportunities to add a veteran receiver from another team who fits what Seattle wants to do, offensively?
I think these are interesting questions to keep in mind as we get further into games and it is better revealed to us what these Seattle Seahawks are this year. Right now, even though I loved what Kupp did in this game, what JSN continues to do, and what rookie Tory Horton showed, I still wonder if this offense is one receiver away from really getting to where I think Kubiak and Macdonald want it to go this year.
I know this is just two games into the season, and we still don’t totally know what we have in the Seahawks right now, but here is the Big Positive Thought that I have brewing.
I believe the Mike Macdonald defense is getting pretty legitimate in Seattle, right now, this season. Not legitimate in the “yeah, pretty good” sorta way, but in the legitimate “holy shit, I do not want to see my quarterback play against that” sorta way.
Last week against the 49ers, Brock Purdy was hurried and flustered much like Aaron Rodgers just was. Had Woolen not made a couple critical mistakes in coverage late in the fourth quarter, I think Seattle would have walked away with a win despite their offense not doing much. In fact, part of the problem against the 49ers was that Klint Kubiak kept a pretty safe dialed back approach to the offense with Darnold, and it wasn’t until points were needed late, that we really saw the passing opening up more downfield with Darnold delivering.
Sam Darnold, even with the Jets, has always been a good downfield passer, and this week, on the road in a very tough environment in Pittsburgh, Kubiak opened up the offense more, and allowed Darnold to push it downfield against a pretty good Steelers defense. It wasn’t perfect with that one bad INT intended for Cooper Kupp, in particular, but got multiple players involved, and it made the offense more of a scoring threat, and generally, Sam delivered.
There will be a host of games on this schedule where Seattle will not be playing defenses that are nearly as good as they have played in back to back weeks, and there will be offenses who won’t be as good, either. As Kubiak’s offense starts to settle in more, I think there are likely going to be games this season where Seattle could look pretty dominant as a young football team, barring significant injuries.
Will that be enough to win the division?
Maybe, the season is long, and I think there are still question marks as to how healthy Matt Stafford can stay with the Rams, how healthy the 49ers can be, and how real the Cardinals are.
I do not want to get ahead of my skis with the Seahawks right now, but I will say that I feel much better about them winning ball games when I know that they have a defense that can consistently pressure the quarterback by playing a two shell defense, and also stop the run with those backend looks. Seattle has a lot more talent up front than I think they are being recognized as having, and their backend looks like they are being coached at a very high level.
Coaching matters in the NFL, and it matters more than any other team sport, in my view. I think Mike Macdonald is a really, really good football coach, and people are eventually going to start seeing that more and more the further we get into games this year.
In this game, in Pittsburgh, Aaron Rodgers saw it. You could tell, from the get go, that he could see it, and he wasn’t feeling easy about it, either.
And DK Metcalf couldn’t do jack shit it with it, as well. He was largely shut down, and from a fan perspective, for a guy who wanted out of Seattle for supposed greener pastures, that was quite a delightful watch. Have fun being expensive and mid in Pittsburgh where fans won’t likely be as forgiving as they are out here.
I had a feeling heading into this game that Seattle would play Pittsburgh pretty tough, and maybe sneak out a quality win on the road. I didn’t necessarily see this level of ass kicking, though.
I dig it, and while I am sure some will say that this final 31-17 score on the road is deceiving with that botched kickoff return by the Steelers that gave Seattle seven extra points, Seattle’s offense still managed to score 24 points in this one, and might have managed more if not for a missed field goal and a dump fourth and one play in the red zone that led to Darnold’s second INT. Things to clean up, for sure, but damn..
Gimme more K9, and for the love of everything good in the world, please keep Robbie Ouzts on the field in front of him. We can do good things with that, I think.
Is it time to rip the K9 bandaid off this offense?
While I am reluctant to put too much stock into a week one loss at home against a tough division rival in the San Francisco 49ers, enough time as passed where dust has settled on a couple thoughts that I have regarding the Seahawks as a team this year.
One thought is that, if it weren’t for the misfortune of a small hand full of bad plays (an early third down drop by Cooper Kupp, a run after catch fumble by JSN, a couple bad coverage plays by Riq Woolen, and Abe Lucas getting trucked into the throwing hand of Sam Darnold by Nick Bosa), the Seahawks could have walked out of Lumen Field with a quality win over San Francisco. Things feel bad after any loss, and they feel worse with a loss at home against a hated rival, but often times, the game itself may not have been as bad as it initially felt. I really believe that this game was one of those.
The other thing that I have been mulling over is that perhaps now is the time for Mike Macdonald to turn the page on a couple of Pete Carroll holdovers who simply haven’t been living up to the hype, and fitting these schemes. I wonder if running back Ken Walker is, at all, system fit for Seattle, and I have the same concern over cornerback Riq Woolen.
Firstly, let’s have a good old fashioned glass half full look at last Sunday’s game
As mentioned in a game recap piece I wrote on Monday, even though the final score of this 17-13 loss at home to San Francisco felt grim, I left the game with an impression that maybe Seattle didn’t really play as bad as some would think, and in another match, they might have easily walked away with a quality win. Today, with more dust settled, I feel more steadfast in this belief.
The Seahawk defense was set to be the star of the day. They pressured Brock Purdy more than he had ever been pressured in a game, and that caused two interceptions. In a world full of coulda woulda shoulda, had Riq Woolen sustained his technique on a sideline ball to Ricky Pearsall, or had he made a dedicated attempt to intercept a desperation throw by Purdy in the corner of the end zone, Seattle could have held San Francisco to 10 points, and walked away with a gritty win where the defense would have been the major storyline.
As for the knee jerking fans who wanted to dump on Sam Darnold afterwards (I saw a lot of your online), the advanced analytics of Pro Football Focus had him graded has the fourth best performing NFL quarterback in week one with an elite 82.6 grade, and he was the top performing Seahawk offensive player in the game, just ahead of Charles Cross, and JSN. While I recognize that in the divided society that we live in, people use PFF analytics to support views on players that they want to defend, and then they want to dismiss PFF grades as hoo-ey when they don’t align with their narratives, I tend to put a lot more stock in their metric grading as the truest judge in the court of public opinion.
Their metric system isn’t just raw data, it looks at the data inside the prism of what plays were called and what the intention was behind them. With this in mind, PFF had concluded that Darnold pretty much did everything he was asked to do to go win a ball game. He took care of the football (the strip sack wasn’t on him), he was decisive getting the ball out to the right places, and he was generally pretty accurate.
Had Cooper Kupp been able to haul in an early third down pass that hit his hands, then late in the game made a stronger attempt to stretch out for a critical third down that kept possession, had JSN not coughed up the football on a catch and run screen towards the red zone, Darnold’s raw stat lines probably would have looked a lot better. He was not the problem for Seattle’s offense.
Now for the K9 bad stuff on Sunday and thoughts as to what Seattle should do moving forward
I think Ken Walker was problem this last Sunday against the 49ers, and I think he’s been a problem for a while. Let me expand my thoughts.
Brian Nemhauser of Hawkblogger mentioned on his podcast the other day that Seattle uses different blocking concepts for when Zach Charbonnet is in the game than what they do for Ken Walker. On top of that, Field Gulls just came out with an article displaying how K9 has a tendency to misread a lot of the zone blocks in front of him, and his impulse is to always look to kick things to the outside instead of properly going where his blocking should lead him towards.
Okay, let’s think about this and really breakdown what happened on Sunday.
Seattle’s lone touchdown scoring drive happened when Charbonnet was the featured runner. Let’s review the plays that happened on that drive.
First play of that series was a six yard run by Charbonnet. Second play was a five yard Charbonett run, and first down. Third play was a 21 yard Darold pass to JSN. Then it is another five yard Charbonnet run. Ken Walker mixes in for a four yard run (good). Third and one, tight end AJ Barner is used as a wildcat QB (interestingly not Jalen Milroe), they gain two yards, and a first down. Four yard run by Charbonnet, followed by another four yard run by Charbonnet, followed by a negative gain by Charbonnet on third down that forces fourth and goal.
Seattle passes on fourth, draws a pass interference, and a new set of downs at the goal line. Next play was Charbonnet punching it in at the one yard line behind left guard Grey Zabel. This concluded a lovely, well managed, well executed touchdown scoring drive.
None of the runs by Zach Charbonnet during this drive were super flashy, but most of them were good positive gains that any offensive coordinator would be happy to take, especially on the early downs getting them to third down and manageable situations for a mature NFL quarterback to operate out of. They were strong, and decisive runs, too.
Decisive is the operative word that I want to use for Klint Kubiak’s offense. It requires it from its quarterback, but it equally requires it from its runners, as well. See the right read quickly and hit it. This touchdown scoring drive is pretty much how you would like to draw it up for this scheme.
Now, let’s look at some of K9’s day on Sunday in comparison to the drive described. Fair warning, it is not fun.
The third possession of Seattle started with a toss run to K9 on the outside right that 49er linebackers read well, and it was a one yard loss, and the next to plays were incompletions that led to a punt. This series was the exact opposite of the touchdown drive led by the running of Charbonnet. The fourth offensive series that followed was even worse.
In the fourth series, the first play was a screen pass to K9, again to the outside right, that All Pro linebacker Fred Warner read well, and it was a negative five yard play that put Seattle in second and fifteen. Adding insult to injury, the very next was an inside draw to K9 that was a minus three yards making it third and eighteen. The third down pass was yet another minus three yard pass to K9. Yikes.
In this damning series, it was three plays, all directed to K9, that led to a whopping negative eleven yards for the Seattle offense. It felt like the San Francisco defenders were completely inside Kubiak’s playbook, possibly knowing exactly how Seattle would try to get K9 going, and they attacked it accordingly.
Now, let’s go back to this notion that Seattle uses different blocking methods for Charbonnet and K9 to fit what each runner’s strengths are, and comfortabilities. I want to break down their final possession just before haft time for you.
Seattle gets the ball back with a chance to grab the lead. First play of the series is a six yard run up the middle by Charbonnet, and it is followed by a 22 yard pass to JSN, there is a nine yard pass to Kupp, a 4 yard run by Charbonnet, an incompletion, and then a brilliant nine yard bootleg run by Darnold that sets up a Jason Meyer field goal that gives Seattle a halftime lead, and good vibes heading into the half.
Notice, if you will, that at that critical juncture in the game, the Seattle coaches trusted Zach Charbonnet over K9 to be on the field executing plays that led to a go ahead score before the half. Let that firmly sink into your mind, and think about why that was the decision.
I am not going to go into all the offensive stats that generated during the second half of this game, but it was basically a lot more of the same as described above. The first offensive possession for Seattle included a K9 run for no gain, and the next time they had the ball Charbonnet gained six yards on a carry, was stopped for no gain, Darnold made a nice third down throw to JSN, and it eventually led to the JSN fumble that was costly. The greater point is that it was largely a continuation of positive results when Charbonnet was featured as a runner, and troubling results when Walker was the guy.
This is purely my opinion on both Seattle running backs, but it is backed by what I saw last year, and what I saw out of this game on Sunday. I think Zach Charbonnet is the guy who you should take to the alter and marry in this offense, and Ken Walker is a fella you can be compelled to flirt with because of some top shelf athletic intangibles, but you maybe should not commit towards, if you want this offense to run optimally as designed by Klint Kubiak.
Charbonnet will give you significantly better decisiveness as a runner, he will offer significantly more toughness inside, and he’s got enough wheels on him to kick it outside, as well, when it is required for him to do so. He does more, he offers more, and most importantly, he does what this scheme asks him to do. He is who you marry.
Far too many Seahawk fans and members of Seattle media have gotten too swept up by the memories of K9’s rookie year, and the home run threat he provides in open space, but there has been enough time, and history that has shown that, with each year with him here, he has gotten less, and less productive as a player. Part of that is definitely due to injuries, but even in that, I wonder how much of his history of injuries has led to more indecisiveness out of him, and how much unwillingness he has to firmly stick his nose inside like Charbonnet does for tough gains.
If he is playing protective, seeking out the big play instead of the tough yards required, he is a problem. If he just does not have the innate instincts as a runner to see the proper places he needs to go, and needs different blocking than Charbonnet does, I think he is also a problem, and ultimately, Mike Macdonald has to be the one to make a tough call.
I know that this is just one game to start the season, and maybe this weekend he does some cool stuff on the road against the Steelers that makes up for it, but I wouldn’t be willing to bet much at that, at this point. The Steelers bring a very physical brand of football on defense, and I think they are more talented up front than the 49ers are in totality.
If I were Mike Macdonald, I would be calling upon on a lot more I formation featuring Robbie Ouzts in front of Charbonnet than I would mixing in Walker. I would consider sticking with that format and using more George Holani with it, as well.
But I am not an NFL head coach, and I don’t know all the ins and outs of play calling. I just see what I see on my television set, and whenever I am at games. I like what I see a lot more from Charbonnet than I do from Walker, and I have felt this way for about a year, now. His flashy is not as flashy as K9’s flashy, but his style just feels more dependable, and reliable.
Even more importantly to the bigger picture of this team, I also think that it is highly problematic if the coaches are having a young offensive line block one way for Zach, and another for K9. It is putting more on their plates, and it is giving defenses very obvious tells as to what to expect when each back is in the game.
If a major goal for this team this year is to get a young line gelling together and becoming good together, wouldn’t it be best for them to put less on their plates when run blocking? And is it not a massive hinderance to the development of the line to tell defenses that Seattle will do one thing for Zach when he is in the game, and then something completely different for K9?
Part of the beauty of this whole Kubiak/Shanahan/McVay style offense is to keep looks the same, but then run different things off of those looks, building, and orchestrating a variety of plays of them to keep defenses unsure and on their toes. There is a rhythm to that designed to lull defenders, and then surprise them. If the defenders see that certain things get called for one back, and other things get called for the other, does that not diminish the ability for this offense to function in its truest intents?
I don’t like it at all. This is why I am out on K9 right now.
Now for the Riq Woolen issues
As for Riq Woolen, I feel like I am equally ready to turn the page on him. I will be very blunt about that, and I have always been drawn to his big play potential.
Like K9, he has all world physical traits to be a dominant player, but he just lacks way too much consistency for me to want to rely on him figuring it out, and if Mike Macdonald really does love Josh Jobe, and he likes others on the roster, as well, I am ready to move on. I am squarely to this point.
This is year four for Woolen, and he had a full season under Macdonald to learn the complexities of this defense scheme. He has also had a full offseason to further grow even further in it, and while I know this is just one game to start the season, good lord, he still showed lapses in basic fundamentals that other DBs in this scheme do not seem to show.
Josh Jobe, like Charbonnet, feels more reliable, and I suspect that if Shaq Griffin got into games, he would offer more consistency in coverage and against the run, if not any real big play potential that Woolen provides. On top of this, I don’t know how much of this particular scheme depends on big play potential at cornerback over doing all the fundamentals correctly. In Baltimore, I don’t think Macdonald had any big play shutdown guys playing cornerback in his league leading defense in 2023. His playmakers were his safeties, and inside linebackers.
Riq Woolen will always tease with his high level playmaking abilities. His length and athleticism makes him a league wide rarity, and the fact that he’s a former receiver, he has very natural abilities to make plays on the ball once it is launched downfield, and he finds himself in decent position.
The main issue is playing with the requisite discipline to put himself consistently in good position. If he could just do that, he has the talent to be the best cornerback in the league, but going into year four now, he has yet to show he can.
Personally, I don’t think it is that hard to imagine that had Shaq Griffin (who played decently as a starter for the Vikings last year) been covering Pearsall down the sideline last Sunday, he would have kept better position, and that the play would have resulted in an incompletion. I think it is also possible that had he been in coverage in the corner of the end zone as Purdy carelessly lobbed up that pass, his veteran instincts would have taken over and he would have made a stronger play on the ball than the half hearted attempt Woolen gave on that play which contributed to a fluky touchdown grab.
If most fans are willing to place most of the blame on Sunday’s loss to Woolen, I wouldn’t argue against that. He has too much talent to not live up to his potential, and this is year four for him to prove that he deserves a big payday on the 2026 offseason.
These two brain farts should not happen him at this stage, and that fact that they occurred in the season opener at home, against a fierce rival, in a contract year to boot, feels almost more unforgivable, and damning. If we see him benched next week, I wouldn’t be upset.
That said, I have a split mindset when it comes to him, as well.
On one side of my brain, I would hope that the embarrassment for being viewed as the main culprit for a tough loss would be the thing to finally make him pissed off for greatness as a player through the remainder of this year, and on Sunday, in Pittsburgh, he plays his ass off against DK Metcalf and Aaron Rodgers. If I am to wager anything of significance that this would happen, however, I would be incredibly stressed out by that, however.
This leads to my more dominant mindset on Riq which is heaped in great reluctance to ever trust that he will ever put forth all the necessary efforts to be consistently great. I am so hestitant about him that if Pete Carroll came sniffing around dangling a third round pick like he did with Geno Smith, and he was dealt next week, I think I would be feeling pretty good about it for Seattle if that deal were made.
I do believe that Woolen, given his youth, his physical traits, and the premium position that he plays as an outside cornerback, would net significantly more value for Seattle in a trade than Ken Walker would, at this point. In a more simplified defensive scheme, that doesn’t ask as much out of defensive backs as Macdonald requires, I think it is possible that Woolen could do better somewhere else than here.
Here, in Seattle? I am dubious to see it with him, at this point. He should know by now what is required out of him by Macdonald, and he should be more serous minded than what his play demonstrated last Sunday.
Josh Jobe appears to get it. Woolen should, by now, get it, and be playing his ass off in a contract year. This feels like a turning point for him here now where he must decide if he is in, or out.
My conclusive thoughts on what I most need right now out of the Seahawks come hell of high water
At the end of the day, while I would love to see this roster comprised of blue chip players everywhere with elite traits shooting out their nostrils, I want a roster full of what I think Mike Macdonald guys are. I want good football players, who above everything else, are smart, disciplined, serious minded guys, and committed to playing the best brand of football together as they can collectively do.
I don’t need a world class athlete at quarterback if he is not ready to properly read and dissect an NFL defense. I don’t need a wildly athletic runner if he cannot properly see the holes, and lanes he is supposed to attack. I don’t need some long freaky fast corner if he cannot stay fundamental in his coverage skills, and I do not need a tall burner receiver if he cannot run required routes and catch with reliable hands.
I need good, dependable football players across the board, and if there is a smidgen of blue chip talent in there at a few spots, then I think that should be enough to make this team a truer contender down the line. This is the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions.
Right now, I am good to see what we got with Darnold. I love what we got with JSN. I am eager to see Zach Charbonnet assert himself as our featured runner, and I feel better about Josh Jobe at corner than I do today with Riq Woolen. There is a long list of other guys on this team that I feel good about, too. I love me some Big Cat Williams.
I just need this team to comprise of 53 Mike Macdonald players to suit up every Sunday, and once that happens, I will judge more sternly what kind of coach I think Macdonald is. This year, even more so than last year, must be about this very thing.
It is time for Mike Guys, and you are either in, or you are out.
Let me start this whole thing off by saying that I think it is worthwhile for any diehard Seattle Seahawks fan to watch that Dallas Cowboys Netflix show America’s Team, as much as the subject and title might offend. It is incredibly well produced, but more importantly, it offers tons of insight into how a proper championship quality team gets built over the duration of about three to four years.
Three years is probably how long it takes a good head coach to see their vision of how they want their team to win fully take hold. Could happen sooner, as was the case of Sean McVay in LA, but most often, it takes about three or four years.
That is how long it took Pete Carroll here, and Mike Holmgren years before. That is how long it Jimmy Johnson years ago in Dallas, and that is how long it took Kyle Shanahan with the dreaded 49ers. This is how long it could take Mike Macdonald here in Seattle now, and that felt evident after yesterday’s dud against San Francisco.
As the dust has settled upon yet another disappointing home loss to these pesky 49ers, I cannot summon that much anger as I reflect on this 17-13 defeat. Was this a blown opportunity to beat a bitter division rival? Sure, and that blows, but.. I dunno.. also feels like a game that could prove teachable for a young team and a young coaching staff, and maybe this is the Cowboys Netflix show rubbing off on my perspective.
Truthfully, I’m not even really all that upset that Lumen Field was that packed with 49ers fans. I mean, I hate that it was, but I also think, what are we, as Seahawk fans, really expecting at this point?
It is what it is. The Niners are now the significantly more established team, with more top end talent, and Seahawk season ticket holders, perhaps many of them transplants now who work for Amazon and Microsoft, feel more compelled to sell off to Niner fans to turn a profit than be at the game themselves. It sucks, but there is only one way to turn this back around in favor of the home team.
This all changes when the Seattle Seahawks give 49er fans strong reasons to stay at home in Northern California. For the first time in a while, I do feel like those reasons could be coming sooner than later, as bad as this loss feels, and this game was an indicator.
Seattle’s defense, generally speaking, played good enough to win this game had in not been for some fourth quarter coverage issues (Riq Woolen, please come down to the principal’s office). As for their offense, while they were not great, they flashed potential, and nearly pulled off a come from behind win at the end. It didn’t happen, but I don’t think most 49er fans were necessarily feeling tons of confidence right before that strip sack of Sam Darnold happened in the final seconds, as he guided Seattle straight up the field into the red zone with plenty of time to score a game winning touchdown.
I know a lot of frustrated Seahawk fans won’t see it this way, but when the game was over, I kinda thought that in another match, Seattle would take these Bay Area clowns, and really, it was a game that could have gone either way. We shall see if that’s true in their end of season rematch down in Santa Clara.
This was not an easy game for the San Francisco 49ers, who some have projected as being the top team in the division based on talent, experience, and ease of schedule. This is probably the best positive that Seattle fans can take from another disappointing outcome.
Seattle fought them tough. Maybe that is not going to make a lot of Twelves feel assured about new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, and new QB1 Sam Darnold, but at the end of the day, I never thought this game would make or break either team this year.
I think the truth about the Seahawks offense is that it will likely be a process of finding itself through the first half of the season, much like Mike Macdonald’s defense did last year. I had hopes that they would come out of the gates on fire, but I am now tempering expectations. My new more rooted in reality view is that it might take to the end of October before we start seeing it gel.
Darnold is brand new to these receivers, and linemen, and runners. Klint Kubiak is probably still assessing what kind of offensive attack he can lean into with the talent on the team, and maybe he overthought scheming against his old boss Kyle.
I will say that I was pretty surprised (and annoyed) about how much of a mixed bag of looks concepts that Kubiak chose to use in this game. By everything that I kept hearing coming out of training camp, and seeing in games, I thought we would see way more Darnold under center, playing out of I formation with a fullback, getting the ground game going, and using play action out of it.
From the jump, it felt as though we got into a lot of the same crap we saw last year with Ryan Grubb’s calling plays. Lots of shotgun, drop backs, empty backfield passing, and stupid screens that weren’t working, and really not nearly enough trying to lock in and build off of the run.
Darnold’s best plays of the day seemed to be when he was allowed to go downfield, and when he was rolling out of play action. Zach Charbonnet seemed like Seattle’s most effective runner, and yet they head scratching-ly kept going to Ken Walker with seeming hopes of getting him going. JSN seemed like Seattle’s best deep threat, yet they were trying to get him going on screens instead of having him route up DBs downfield off of play action passing.
I think all of this frustrating stuff is probably symptomatic of Kubiak and Mike Macdonald needing to further iron out the newness of this offense, and figuring out what best to do with this personnel. I can forgive them for this game, but I don’t think I will be very forgiving if in week six against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the offense still looks this way.
We cannot have another year of erratic offensive play, especially with a schedule as favorable as this one appears to be. If this happens, it is squarely on Macdonald and nobody else.
Who knows if Sam Darnold is a franchise QB for this team, but it seems like he is used best as an under center play action guy. Maybe commit to him mastering that before trying to “trick opponents” with things further in the bag of the playbook.
Perhaps hold back on trying any Milroe Package stuff until the regular offensive starters all got the basics down like clockwork through the course of a game. I was hoping to see what the rookie could do, but that QB sneak play early in opening drive of the first quarter was a dud of a play when other parts of the offense seemed to be initially working, it felt head scratching to watch, and painfully forced. If it would have worked, we would be celebrating it today, but Milroe on the field pretty much signals what the play will be to any talented All Pro linebacker such as Fred Warner.
I also think it would be nice to decide who the main running back is between Walker and Charbonnet, and roll with him. For my money, it looked like Charbonnet was destined to be the hot hand against the 49ers until they shifted to K9, who was ineffective. I think it is possible that Charbonnet is the better fit for this scheme in terms to how he sees and reads the holes, but because K9 is the more dynamic athlete, perhaps they are trying to see if they can get him going. I think they need to decide on one being the primary guy, and for my money, I think it should be Zach.
I also cannot stress it enough how important it is to be what your state you want to be on offense. If your head coach says that he wants a tough as nails running style offense, then be that. Sam Darnold is not making so much money that you need to feel like you need him out of shotgun to get things going through the air. You can be more stubborn about getting the run game going, use that fullback, and tight ends.
And where were the much anticipated tight ends in this game, anyways? San Francisco had their top guy knocked out, and still found ways to get their reserves going.
Be what you say you are going to be.
I’m not going to criticize the defense much in this one. Nope, won’t do it.
They fought hard, but were on the field way too much, and you could say they struggled on third downs, but I would also say they clearly weren’t supported much by the offense. Against the well oiled offensive machine of the 49ers, who have been dominating with this offense for years now, they still managed to give Brock Purdy fits all day. They gave an effort worthy of a quality home win.
It was just the offense that didn’t deliver, and it is what it is. Nothing more, or less.
Ultimately, however, I would also say that now is not the time to panic about it, either, comparing Darnold to what Vegas did with Geno Smith against the Patriots, and all this other stuff that some fans and media will, inevitably, feel compelled to do. Let’s just resist that impulse, and think about the greater picture and process of this team moving forward with Macdonald at the helm.
If you are an overly stressed out Seahawk fan right now, or an underwhelmed one, then get even more behind the Mariners as they push for the playoffs, and then keep your fingers crossed that Kubiak, Darnold, K9, JSN, Charbonnet, and Cooper Kupp and company will settle in together better after September. I still think there is a good chance that they all will.
And I still believe this could be a fun year for Seahawk fans.
This Sunday, at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington, the Seattle Seahawks will face their dreaded foe the San Francisco 49ers. The forecast for the game is usual for early September in Seattle, a high of about 70 degrees, with some chance of rain. It is also in the forecast that 49er fans will be traveling well, and the stands will be packed with them.
Would it shock me if Seattle drops this game to San Francisco, and Seahawk fans will have to suffer all the obnoxious Bang Bang Gang crap that 49er fans will throw their way?
Absolutely, not. San Fransisco has been the class of this rivalry for a number of years now, and while their roster is older now, and isn’t projected to be as strong as it has been in recent years, they will come into Lumen with extra motivation to squash any upstart attempts by the younger Seahawks team. The 49ers need this year to be special for them perhaps more so than Seattle does given the amount of money they have paid into players who are getting older, and therefore, the clock on their window for a title is ticking more loudly. If they have another down year, it could spell the end of the Kyle Shanahan tenure.
I would also say, however, that I wouldn’t be surprised, at all, if the Seahawks end up beating them pretty handily in this one, sending the legion of 49er Faithfuls departing for their hotel rooms before the final whistle is blown. Objectively speaking, Seattle feels like one of the bigger X factor teams that is tough for prognosticators to get a handle on, and therefore, could be surprise contender. The Seahawks will have tons of motivation to beat the 49ers and send a message to their fanbase, warning them of buying tickets to travel all the way up to the PNW expecting any more easy wins.
I would also say, as a longtime fan of this team, it would be extra gratifying if they did decisively handle the 49ers in a few days, setting a tone early for everyone to see that they are going to be a tough out for any team to play this year. It would be extra, extra gratifying watching all the 49er fans who spent upwards to $300 a ticket, thinking this was going to be a cakewalk for their team, depart the stadium stunned and angry, and suddenly full of doubt. I would enjoy getting bunched in the face by any angry 49er fella just to look him in the eye and smile, knowing my guys kicked the crap out of his. Football is that stupid and ridiculous like this sometimes.
This all said, a win or loss out of this game won’t make or break the season for either team, and the season is a long one with many storylines within teams to tell. In short, injuries happen, and the difference between good teams and bad ones, outside of coaching, is most often the quality of depth at key positions.
Could things unravel for the Seahawks this year in a competitive division against the Rams, 49ers, and Cardinals? Absolutely, they can. No question about it.
They could lose a couple key starters on the offensive line, and suddenly, they are depending on late round rookies and street free agents to start, and Seattle fans will lament over the offensive line, yet again. If they lose Jaxson Smith Njigba for the year, I could see that putting the team in a bind, as well. If Sam Darnold loses significant time, well then, get ready for the Drew Lock Show on Sundays because Jalen Milroe is likely going to redshirt this year, and who knows what comes out of that.
And this is just me thinking about the offense. If the defense were to lose Devin Witherspoon to injuries, if middle linebacker Ernest Jones misses games, or Leonard Williams ends up on IR, it could cause a regression to the side of the ball thought to be the strongest for Seattle, no question. It is a bit of a grim thought.
This is the gamble for every team in the NFL, though. Losing key starters sucks for every franchise, ask 49er fans about it last year, or Dallas fans. They know.
If Matthew Stafford’s back can’t stay healthy enough for him to be an effective quarterback on Sundays this Fall, it could spell the odd lost season for Sean McVay and the Rams as they then perhaps eye the 2026 draft for a new franchise quarterback. Perhaps it wouldn’t be the worst thing for them, if it all plays out this way, anyways.
Each NFL season tells its own story, though, and in that, it is folly to think what a team was in the previous year will carry through to the next. This is why I don’t put a lot of stock in projections and predictions for each team, the Vegas odds, and neither should you.
Here in Seattle, I think we have a football team that is tough for the national perspective to figure out. After finishing 10-7 in his first year as head coach, Mike Macdonald decided that his offense wasn’t cutting it. He fired his pass happy offensive coordinator and brought in Klint Kubiak to coach a more run centric attack to compliment his defense. Weeks later, QB1 Geno Smith, and WR DK Metcalf individually requested trades out of Seattle, they were granted, and collectively, they were replaced by Sam Darnold, and Cooper Kupp via free agency.
I will avoid getting drawn into debates as to who the better quarterback is between Sam and Geno, or who the better receiver is. There are plenty of strong opinions out there by folks who have voiced them loudly many times over the past months. I will just say that I like the upside of Sam Darnold a lot in this particular style of offense, and I think Cooper Kupp brings much needed leadership to Seattle’s young receiver room.
People are free to offer opinions on Darnold, Klint Kubiak, and Mike Macdonald. If you feel compelled to parrot skeptics over Seattle’s decision making process this last offseason, you are welcome to it. If you feel more compelled now to root for the Raiders because Geno and Pete Carroll are there, go for it. Jump back on the Seahawk bandwagon whenever it feels right for you to do it, I say. I will be here to welcome you back.
For me personally, being a long time, Gen X-y, Seattle Seahawk fan, I feel a genuine sense of excitement over this year that I have not felt in a while. It is fun to see a new regime take over, fully put into place their vision on a team, and watch it mold together. Thus far, I dig the vision of Mike Macdonald, and I don’t mind, at all, that he is a bit of a Harbaugh guy, and that cuts a bit against the gain of those who grew use to Pete Carroll.
If you are a fan of the Legion Of Boom era Seattle Seahawks, ironically however, I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t be excited about a return of the philosophy of having an offense built off of a strong run game, and playing strong defense. I would argue that, through the 50 year history of this franchise, this very philosophy has carried this team to all of its peaks, starting with the Chuck Knox era that began in 1983, picked up again by Mike Holmgren in the early 2000’s, and then established by Pete Carroll again by 2012.
If Geno Smith had no interest in being Macdonald’s game managing QB1 in a run centric scheme this year, and just wanted to get back with Carroll in Vegas going against Patrick Mahomes twice a year, then God bless him, and best of luck with that. Let’s see what Sam Darnold provides.
Here is what I like about the move to Sam Darnold and why I think it could pay off nicely for Seattle moving forward
If you really peel back the tea leaves with Darnold (which is something I do not think most of his critics have done), I believe you will see his underrated potential for Klint Kubiak’s play action scheme. He’s tall, and athletic with a good arm. He plays naturally under center, and functions well rolling out as a passer, and over the years, he has built up a quick release, has improved his footwork, and thus, has improved his accuracy.
Generally speaking, however, there is a narrative on Sam Darnold that reads, as follows.
I don’t know what version of Sam Darnold we are going to get.. will it be the Vikings Sam Darnold.. or the one with the New York Jets?
We see this statement from various NFL talking heads across the land who, in all likelihood, are not very invested in professional football played in the Pacific Northwest. It is an easy thing for them to spit out on airwaves when they are paid to comment on 32 NFL franchises, and I am willing to cut them slack for that. However, there are the nuances about Darnold that these sorts are not considering.
In 2018, Sam Darnold was taken third overall in the draft by a very bad Jets franchise, and he was placed into an offensive system designed to be run by Peyton Manning. There was only one QB on the planet fully capable of running that offense, and it was Manning, himself, and certainly not a 20 year old kid who played in a rudimentary play action style offense at USC.
Going against the world class Patriots twice a year with all of that on his plate, with not a lot of talent around him, and a guy ill suited to be a NFL head coach, Darnold was destined to fail in New York. In fact, he found himself in Carolina a few years later, coached by someone from college who was running a college spread system that he was also unfamiliar with. Again, Darnold was stuck on a bad team, playing in an ill suited system, and he was eventually replaced by Baker Mayfield who busted out of Cleveland.
The interesting thing with Darnold in Carolina, however, is that when Matt Rhule was fired in the middle of 2022, and replaced by an interim coach, Darnold regained his QB1 job over Mayfield, the Panthers shifted to a run centric, play action attack, and Darnold played decently during the second half of the season for them, guiding them towards playoff contention.
In 2023, he had offers from teams to compete for a starting job in free agency, but he purposely chose to go to San Fransisco to backup Brock Purdy for a year. He told Kyle Shanahan that he wanted to learn how to be a proper NFL quarterback in a scheme that suits him as a player. He spent a year learning from Kyle, went to the Vikings in the following year, and the rest is history. Last year was his breakout and he finished top ten in MVP voting, despite that bad loss against the Lions at the end of the season, and that ugly playoff loss against the Rams.
So, the Seahawks don’t have Justin Jefferson, and I get it. They don’t have Kevin O’Connell calling plays, and I am aware of that, as well.
But isn’t it still possible that Darnold, who just turned 28 years old in June, is starting to finally blossom as an NFL quarterback simply because of the proper coaching he has finally gotten matched with the appropriate scar tissue he has built up as a starter in this league?
I think it is, and there is a decent chance that he gets even better here over time. We shall see.
As for the whole How is Darnold under Pressure Debate.. well, again, I think there is a bit of laziness happening here with him in this regard. Skeptics will say that he is terrible under pressure, yet Pro Football Focus rated him as elite in the league last year under pressure. Is this an instance where the analysts at PFF are dumb on Darnold and naysaying talking heads know best? Or is it that the bulk of Darnold’s doubters have fallen victim of lazy narrations about him as a player over the years? I will let you decide.
If you are not convinced about the upside of Darnold in this offense, and are circling back to how much better the situation was for him in Minnesota than what he will have here, I’m onto you. Truth be told, I don’t think the situation last season in Minnie was that much better than what Macdonald and company are building up here, presently. Allow me to explain.
Jaxson Smith Njigba is destined for stardom and his crew will surprise this year
Let me start this off by saying that I understand your concerns about the Seahawk receiver room, and lack of star power it now has compared to recent years. I think you have cause for concern.
As I already mentioned above, if Seattle loses JSN for an extended time this season, it could be the thing that derails their season. I will be the first to admit that.
Cooper Kupp is still a good player, but he hasn’t stayed healthy for a season in many years now, and I don’t think he’s a guy you want to rely on making it through a full season. Rookie receiver Tory Horton has shown promise through training camp, but he is coming off of a knee injury in college, and I think it could be a bit of a fingers crossed hope that he stays healthy through 17 games, as well. Behind these fellas, we have possession receiver Jake Bobo, journeyman Cody White, and the unknown potential of Dareke Young.
If we are heading into a Week 16 matchup against the Rams, needing a win to stay in playoff contention, and our primary receiver in the offense is Jake Bobo, it’s probably going to be a nerve racking matchup for hopeful Seahawk fans. I can feel my blood pressure rise just thinking about it.
Seattle fans have been spoiled with the presence of DK Metcalf, and Tyler Lockett together. Even though JSN grew into the primary receiver role over them in 2024, not having either known commodity on this roster anymore takes away a major security blanket for most Seahawk fans. I get the anxiety, but conversely, I think ripping this security blanket away sorta has me more excited about this offense, and its desired new direction.
I love that the coaching staff and front office is banking on JSN fully being The Guy in this offense. When I look at the classic West Coast Offense, a system for which this offense is rooted in, it has never been an attack that has required a take the top of the defense off speed demon receiver. It was all about solid route runners who could get quick separation, who had reliable hands, and who had just enough of a size and quickness to get yards after catch and contact.
The GOAT WCO receiver, Jerry Rice was famously not a fast guy. He was a sudden possession receiver with strong hands, elite precision as a route runner, and interestingly enough, he was built similarly to JSN.
When Seattle first made the Super Bowl in 2005, sporting Mike Holmgren’s version of the WCO, their primary pass catcher was Darrell Jackson, a pure route runner, not a speed guy, also built similarly to JSN. When Seattle went to back to back Super Bowls over a decade ago, playing with a WCO, Doug Baldwin was their primary dude, purely a precision route runner, a bit smaller than JSN. Justin Jefferson plays in this style of offense with the Vikings, is built similarly to JSN, and also, isn’t a fast track fella.
I am telling you now, Jaxson Smith Njigba is tailor made by the hand of God, himself, to be a top shelf receiver in the league playing in this style of offense. He can play inside and outside, he can catch the quick outs, find the creases over the middle, and he can get deep. If Seattle gets a full season out of him this year, he will ascend to stardom in this league, and be thought of as one of the best. Bank on this happening.
He will be thought of in the same breath as Justin Jefferson, and Amon-Ra St. Brown. Book it.
As for the rest of this bunch of pass catchers?
When we are taking about Kupp, Bobo, White, and Young, we are talking about physical players willing to do whatever dirty work is needed as perimeter run blockers. We are also talking about tough guy over the middle inside the mouth of the lion pass catchers, and we guys with profiles who fit the mold of what the classic WCO requires.
With rookie Tory Horton, we are looking at a guy who has the talent to be the steal of the entire 2025 NFL draft, and could ascend to the second main option for Darnold by the end of this season. His potential is that promising.
But truth be known, when we look back to this season by the time January rolls around, I think we will be talking a lot about the tight ends, and it is going to be in a good way. The Kubiak offense, and the heart of the WCO pass game, features tight ends in big ways. People are going to be excited about rookie Isaiah Arroyo and the athleticism he provides, but if I am to pick a breakout player for the offense this year, I am picking second year player AJ Barner to wear that hat.
Last year, in a dysfunctional mess of a Ryan Grubb offense, I thought Barner showed a lot of promise. He was a good blocker coming out of Michigan, but he showed surprisingly reliable hands, and play making abilities as a pass catcher as a rookie. It is fun to think about what might lay ahead for him next in an offense that will now know more what it wants to be.
In an offense that will dedicate itself this year to being built on the run, the well roundedness of Barner is practically destined to flourish, and shine, I believe, and I say that with confidence. If all goes as well as I believe it can, I would not be surprised if he’s a pro bowler. I think this is out there for him.
We shall see, but I am excited to find out.
Why I expect Seattle to have one of the top running offenses in the league this year
Seattle’s revamped offensive line led by Charles Cross, Grey Zabel, and Abe Lucas, with massive and athletic Anthony Bradford, and Jalen Sundell is tailor made to become a potentially dominant zone blocking offensive line. All of these guys are athletes who combine size and power with speed and athleticism. It helps tremendously that they are being coached by guys who have PHDs in coaching up this style of blocking.
They can run inside zone, outside zone stretch, and power gap. If you don’t know all this football jargon, I’m just saying that this a young offensive line physically capable of doing a lot together as run blockers as they grow together as a unit.
Depth might be a concern at the moment, but let’s see how that shakes out as the season progresses. After week one of the season, teams can add free agents and they don’t have to guarantee contracts for the year. Typically, after week one, more transactions occur and rosters then become more set.
As it stands now, through these preseason games, heading into the week one matchup against the 49ers, I like what Klint Kubiak, and offensive line coach John Benton are cooking. Bradford feels reborn and reshaped, and Sundell feels like a potential hidden gem at center. Cross, Zabel, and the newly extended Lucas feel like potential cornerstone players for the offense.
While fantasy geeks will debate whether Seattle should start Ken Walker, or Zach Charbonnet at running back, I could honestly give two flips about it. With the potential of this young line, I think they could roll with George Holani, and be just fine.
Truth be told, I think we are going to see exciting production from all three backs, and I don’t think it will matter who starts. It is a system that produces great running back production, and this dates all the way back to the Denver Broncos in the 1990’s.
if I had to predict what Seattle will do at running back, I would lean toward Charbonnet and Walker splitting the bulk of the duties, and Holani mixing in here, and there, as needed. I suspect all three will have their moments of shining brightly in this scheme, and I am not even factoring in the potential of third string quarterback Jalen Milroe in the special packages Kubiak will have for him during the course of the season.
It will remain to be seen how much Milroe will be called on during each and every week in short yardage situations, and in and round the goal line, but I anticipate that it will be just enough to keep oppositional coaches spending extra time during the weeks to plan for his usage. Right now, I am cautiously optimistic about it. Could be the talk of the season, but it could also be just a bit of an extra wrinkle we see in games, here and there.
What I really want to talk about, however, is the glorious return of the fullback in Seattle and rookie phenom that is destined to be Robbie Ouzts. I have a sneaking suspicion that as Seattle attempts to pry the division title out of the old dead hands of the Los Angeles Rams in late December, one Robert Ouzts will have grown into a huge fan favorite both as a punishing lead blocker, and a play maker catching outlet passes and pulverizing tacklers as he charges upfield. I am here for that big time.
If this becomes truth, I will buy a Robbie Ouzts jersey and proudly wear it each Sunday moving forward with this team. I will be fully Ouzts-pilled as the cool kids like to say (I think).
I am ready for this to be a thing. I am ready to wear the Ouzts jersey on Sundays. Please, Sweet Lord, let it be a thing!
But the real reason for supreme over the top optimism for the Seahawks remains the defense
Defense wins championships. Don’t let any punky keyboard warrior tell you differently. Defense will forever always win you championships.
The whole entire point of bringing in Klint Kubiak is to connect this offense to a potentially dynamic defense brewing in Seattle. Period, end of story. No questions about that, at all.
Am I a bit disappointed that the Seattle Seahawks didn’t ship two first round picks and Leonard Williams to Dallas for Micah Parsons?
No, I am not. I wanted him here, but that would have been too much for him. Parsons to Seattle, minus the best defensive tackle on the team would have been too much.
Give me Leo Wiliams, Jarran Reed, and Byron Murphy all day, every day, mixing in with edge rushers DeMarcus Lawrence, Derick Hall, Boye Mafe, and Chenna Nwosu. That’s the defensive line rotation, I am pretty good with it, to be honest.
Could they add another nose tackle to the mix? Absolutely, and they could add another veteran edge rusher, as well.
But at the end of the day, I want to see Mafe and Hall talk the next step as rushers off the edges, and I want to see Byron Murphy take a positive step forward at DT, as well. These guys are the present and future.
As is Ernest Jones and Tyrice Knight at middle linebacker, mixing in with Nick Emmawori who will see time as a chess piece moving around between nickel linebacker and safety. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see backup linebacker Drake Thomas take on a greater role on the defense, as well. Macdonald has talked glowingly about Thomas all throughout training camp, and I, for one, am a bit intrigued.
It is the backend of this defense that could be real stars, though. Devon Witherspoon is becoming an elite cornerback in this league, and could take a further step this year. The other corner, Riq Woolen still possesses the length and athleticism that make him a league wide rarity, and he is going into a contract season. That could easily spell bad news for the rest of the teams in this division, and this is not factoring in the steady play of safeties Julian Love and Coby Bryant, who are interchangeable, sharp minded, play-making pieces for Macdonald.
Emmawori is poised to be the x-factor chess piece, though, I suspect. Expect him to line up almost everywhere at linebacker, safety, and corner.
Personally, I suspect that Macdonald kept him intentionally in a very vanilla role during the preseason games. Fans and media were left with a “meh” sorta response on his impact in games, and I think that’s probably just how Macdonald would have it heading into opening weekend against the 49ers.
It is an interesting tell that Seattle is choosing to go a bit light at middle linebacker heading into the season. It makes me suspect that the usage of Emmawori is factoring, but we will see.
At any rate, I fully expect Seattle to have a top five-ish defense this year. They might make roster additions here and there as the season unfolds, but the defenders we see on the roster now are probably mostly the fellas we see factor into it.
They will utilize practice squad veterans like corner Shaq Griffin, and nose tackle Quinton Bohanna, as needed. The 53 man roster isn’t what it used to be with the practice squad expanded to 17 players with vested veterans being able to be added. Teams league wide use their practice squads as if they have expanded 70 man rosters. So, it is little worth stressing out about how you see initial 53 man rosters get announced.
But mark my words, Seattle will have an elite defense this year, one way or another. Mike Macdonald will make sure of that, and he will pair it with a dominant run game on offense. This combination almost always spells out a playoff team. It is okay to dream about that for Seattle this year.
My concluding thoughts about the Seahawks and their potential this year.
I think the NFC West is wide open for the taking, and in many ways, so is the NFC conference. Outside of the Eagles, again, maybe Green Bay with the addition of Parsons, maybe Washington, I don’t know who the sure fire real contenders are in the conference.
The Detroit Lions lost their offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator to head coaching jobs, and their All Pro center surprisingly retire. Can Dan Campbell, who is more of a culture guy than an X’s and O’s fella, get them in top contention with those losses? I am not sure.
Then there is the 49ers and Rams, who, honestly, I don’t understand why there is so much national hype over. The Niners are older and less talented than in years past, and Matthew Stafford is a 37 year old quarterback who now has to manage through a bad back for 17 games. While I can see both teams having big years, I can also see Seattle and Arizona being the top two teams in the division this year because of these factors, as well.
As for other outside the division NFC teams, I am not sold on the Vikings switching to JJ McCarthy at quarterback, and as much as I like Baker Mayfield in Tampa, I don’t know how much better they really are after losing their talented offensive coordinator to a HC gig.
Then you have the who’s who’s of Dallas, Carolina, Chicago, Atlanta, and the Giants. I don’t know what cream can be expected to rise out of this lot, and I am barely even thinking about the Saints.
So, yeah, I’m kind of sun shiny, rosey, good vibes optimistic about Seattle. I dig the potential of the coaching here. I am high on the defense, and I think people are sleeping on the offense. That is all perfectly fine.
In many ways, I feel like it’s a bit of a positive for Seahawk fans to have watched this lackluster effort from the Seattle Seahawk offense in this third and final preseason game. I like Jalen Milroe a lot, and I think he was as good as any developmental quarterback to have come out of this year’s draft, and I was fine with Seattle using their third round pick on him.
But he is a developmental quarterback, and I think it is important for Seattle fans to understand this. He is not Russell Wilson who came out of the third round of the draft thirteen years ago ready to start on a talented Seattle roster. He lacks polish as a passer, and it was evident in this game when he played against starters on the Green Bay defense, and then back end talent of the GreenBay defenders later on.
He wasn’t terrible, and I don’t mean to make this piece sound like a hit job against his day. There were plays he made with his arm, and legs, and he had a beautiful touchdown run called back after a hold, and that, in itself, is encouraging as to what he can become, but he is not ready to start NFL games. Not in my view, in the offense that Seattle that is reliant on timing and anticipatory throws. He works best when designed runs are called for him with frequency, when he is balanced by effective running backs, and he is not asked to throw out of the pocket on third and long.
Aside from the sacks he took in this game, and the fumbles that happened in various ways with him, I thought his day of throwing was fairly erratic, especially when he would try to get out of the pocket and throw on the run. He’s not the throw-on-the-run-master that Russell Wilson always was, and this was evident early when he badly missed on an open receiver as he tried to throw right while rolling out.
He will tease you with some beautiful dimes downfield, though, which was the case more in the second half. I just think that it is good to have some Seattle fans see what four quarters of Jalen Milroe would be like if he were to start as a rookie. It is fun to fantasize about his upside, but it is important to understand that Sam Darnold, and probably Drew Lock, as well, are way ahead of the curb over this guy, and he is appropriately the third string quarterback for a reason.
I feel like some who cover the Seahawks have built up an unreasonable expectation for fans on Milroe through their practice reports on how good he has looked Seattle’s third string defenders all through training camp. I was at the game last week against the Chiefs, and there was nothing out of Milroe that made me belief he was close to being able to start in this league, and in after this game, I feel less certain. That is fine. Seattle will finds ways to take advantage of his raw athleticism in other ways this year.
Seattle can use him in special packages, and I feel almost certain that they will, but to that, I say “Mother of God, youngster, hang onto that damn football.”
The best rookie on the football field for Seattle in this 7-20 loss against the Packers was, undeniably so, undrafted free agent defensive end Jared Ivy. People covering the team have been hyping him for a while, and I am now on board with him. He feels like a long, tough, Baltimore Ravens style defensive lineman who is just going to play pissed off and mean against the run, and plowing into quarterbacks. I hope he makes the final 53 man roster.
Aside from this lopsided loss, I thought the reserve Seattle defenders played pretty well. Milroe coughed the ball up twice early in the game, which gave the Green Bay offense the advantage of short fields to score with, and they did. Had the rookie held onto the ball during a sack and a QB draw, this final score could have been much closer than it was. Jared Ivy was a big part of Seattle’s valiant defensive effort on the day.
The other Seattle rookie I enjoyed watching was undrafted rookie running back Jacardia Wright. I have enjoyed him all preseason, and I actually prefer him over drafted running back Damien Martinez. Wright made the highlight play on offense with a great 64 yard run into the red zone that the offense could not capitalize on getting points off of.
Cut down day will be this Tuesday. I suspect Seattle will look at outside players to fill out depth, perhaps at middle linebacker, possibly guard, and perhaps they add another pass rusher.
On my bus ride home from last night’s game, this was the comment I saw a few times over when the Seattle Seahawks posted on social media that their offense had rushed for 268 yards against the Kansas City Chiefs (shout out to my Seahawk Santa pal for inviting me to sit in his kick ass seats with him again behind the team benches).
It’s just preseason, indeed. No nuance to any of this comment. No effort to display any ounce of buy into the new offensive scheme and coaching. Just a curmudgeon-y display of good old fashioned PNW freeze from a few fans who felt the need to stamp out any optimism from diehard Twelves who saw plenty of reason to celebrate a dominant preseason win against one of the best franchises in all of football.
I get it, though. For several years now the Seattle Seahawks have rested the realms of being a mid level NFL team. Not a terrible team, but nothing to feel overly excited about, either.
Being middle of the pack for multiple years in a row can have a draining effect on many fans. Your team isn’t ever terrible enough to think they are going to have a shot at drafting a franchise altering quarterback like a Jayden Daniels, and it is never good enough to believe that if it does slip into the playoffs, it’s going to make any serious run towards a title.
For my money, the surest way for Seattle to get above this middle of the pack rut is not to suck for a season, and then try to draft some young savior type who is going to play under center for the next decade of Seahawk football. For me, that is setting your franchise up for relying on the ultimate crap shoot gamble pro sports has to offer fans, and teams that commit to this horse shit strategy generally stay garbage franchises for a long time (see the New York Jets). I am not going to go through the long list of failed first round pick quarterbacks to demonstrate why the percentages aren’t great, most NFL fans should be aware enough to know these numbers. Instead, I am going to offer a more practical method becoming a dominant NFL franchise.
Play great defense, and run the holy snot out of the mother flipping football.
If your team can annually do these two things, your team should generally be good for 11 to 12 wins per season regardless of who is playing under center, and should be contending for division titles year in and year out. If you pair a top five defense, with a top ten rushing attack offense, your football team will be badass.
Football is not a patty cakes sport, so why allow offensive coordinators to dial up drop back passes like they are offering up lines of cocaine backstage of a Van Halen concert in 1984?
The Seattle Seahawks have been a mid level team for years not because they don’t have the next great NFL quarterback. They have been mid because they systematically have gotten away from the formula that won them a Super Bowl over a decade ago by placating to their then franchise quarterback instead of doubling down on their model. This is it, period.
After watching what the Seahawks did offensively against the Raiders last week, and then watching them further double down against the Chiefs last night, I have high confidence that, come hell or high-water, Mike Macdonald return Seattle Seahawk football to its glorious roots of over a decade ago. I am highly confident in that. Here is a list of things I have observed that are big confidence boosters for me as of this moment.
The Offensive Line feels badass and purposeful
For two preseason games in a row, the Seattle Seahawks offensive line has played surprisingly clean, connected, purposeful, and overall fairly badass. They have been doing this while their starting left tackle has stayed sidelined recovering from finger surgery to get him ready for the regular season.
You can go onto Youtube and watch any numerous film breakdowns are what they are going in these games, but generally it is a pretty easy to write synopsis.
Gray Zabel looks like a great first round pick at left guard, clearing defenders, making holes, sealing backside lanes for his runners, and being a reliable pass blocker. His former North Dakota State teammate Jalen Sundell looks more than capable at center, and Anthony Bradford looks like a completely different player at right guard knocking down front seven defenders, and playing with much better balance and technique. Abe Lucas looks healthy and dominant again at right tackle.
This is all, of course, good stuff to see, but the level of play hasn’t really dropped off when the reserves take the field. The execution has felt very similar. The running backs have continued hitting their lanes, and backup QBs Drew Lock and Jalen Milroe have had plenty of time to throw and hit receivers.
For me, I think the unspoken heroes in what has amounted to 268 yards of rushing Friday night are clearly longtime NFL offensive line coaches John Benton and Rick Dennison acting as OL coach and run game coordinator. Klint Kubiak was wise to bring these two fellas into the fold for Seattle when he took the offensive coordinator job. It is obvious that both men have coached up this line and run game at an extremely high level.
The real season is long and injuries happen, but there is reason to believe that Seattle will play better up front because their depth will be better coached up than in years past. Through these two games, it is okay to feel optimism about that now.
The Seahawk QB situation is better than national people think
I could write an entire separate piece about this subheading, and perhaps in the future, I will, but for now, let me just say the following. I think the Seattle quarterbacks are getting very good coaching out of Klint Kubiak and QB coach Andy Janocko. Here are some quick thoughts on each of Seattle’s passers as I have observed them.
Drew Lock has always had a talented arm, but it is his footwork that feels night and day better than it was two years ago when he was backing up Geno Smith. Of the three quarterbacks, he had the flashiest night stepping up into the pocket delivering accurate throws, making plays with his legs and arm.
If we would have seen this version of Lock coming into Seattle as part of the Russell Wilson trade, I think it would have been much harder on Pete Carroll to have justified anointing Geno as his starter, even if that was his deep down preference. I know Lock threw that bad pick against the Raiders last week, and perhaps that is always something that is going to sorta be in him, but I gotta be honest and say that through these two games, I have a lot more confidence in him as a quarterback than I have had previously, and I was at that game two years ago when he started against the Eagles, and beat them.
Jalen Milroe came out of college last Winter an extremely raw looking passer. His season started out promising at Alabama but it absolutely collapsed on him down the last stretch of games when his passing mechanics completely abandoned him. It was so bad that it was actually quite shocking that he declared for the draft, and when he was at the Senior Bowl practicing in front of NFL scouts and GMs, he looked terrible as a passer. Like, really rough, don’t draft him until the fifth round type of stuff. He didn’t look that much better weeks later at the NFL scouting combine. When Seattle drafted him in the third round, my immediate thought wasn’t that we just took our next Russell Wilson, it was that we just gave Klint Kubiak his new version of Taysom Hill.
Even though Milroe has made huge leaps forward through OTAs and preseason training camp as a passer under the tutelage of Janocko and Kubiak, I still see Taysom as his floor (which, in my view, is a good floor), but I also see Jalen Hurts as a fairly realistic ceiling for him. I think in a run heavy offense, a savvy coordinator can get by with Milroe as a good duo threat quarterback if he continues to develop as a passer, but he will have to be further developed.
Right now, I think he is appropriately Seattle’s third quarterback in this system. Kubiak’s scheme is QB friendly but it requires nuance with timing and rhythm to truly get into the playbook, and for as much as fans want to be excited about Milroe, I think the other two quarterbacks are a lot more ahead of the curb than he is.
When Milroe gets into the game, Kubiak shifts into more shotgun run pass option stuff that the youngster is clearly more comfortable with, but in that, it sorta also takes away from the window stressing stuff that this Kubiak/Shanahan style offense is known for. In a nutshell, for as much as I can future trip and get excited about Milroe, I am dubious to fully buy into the Kubiak scheme being ideal for him, but time will ultimately be the teller.
The guy who I do believe is potentially an ideal fit for Kubiak continues to be Sam Darnold, and the opening drive of the offense in this game did nothing to dissuade my belief in him. It was one drive that was run heavy with only four passes for 34 yards, but Darnold was so smooth and decisive in his execution of those plays that it had me doubling down in my buy into him. I think a run centric play action offense is the perfect system for Sam Darnold to function in. He is tailor made for it. In this one series, I saw the same exact Sam who came into Lumen Field last December and confidently out dueled Geno Smith for a big time win for the Vikings when both teams needed that win for the playoffs and division titles.
Behind the scenes of the VMAC, it also feels like there is growing internal buy into Sam from current players, former players, and current coaches. Veteran leaders like defensive tackle Jarran Reed are talking about how excited they are to play with him. Mike Macdonald is stating how much of a pain in the ass it is to call the defense against him now because of how decisive he has become. Jaxson Smith Njigba recently commented about how he would rather play with a quarterback like Darnold who can throw with anticipation and have the ball out before he breaks on his routes.
Media members and fans can remain as skeptical as they want to, but in the last week, we had two appearances of Sam on Marshawn Lynch’s and Mike Robinson’s Get Got podcast, and Richard Sherman’s podcast, as well, and all three Super Bowl champs seem genuinely impressed with him. Sherman, in particular, who can be blunt in his criticism of the Seahawks, at times, seemed impressed as he vibed with Darnold talking X’s and O’s in this Shanahan style scheme. I am here to tell you now that Darnold does not go onto these popular podcasts if the hosts of them aren’t impressed in what they see and sense out of him.
For me, I think this all bodes well for the Seahawks moving forward. Time will tell if they have their franchise quarterback already rostered. I’m optimistic. I see good coaching happening. I see positive potential in each of these guys. I see them taking to this system. I’m excited to see what unfolds.
The Seahawk running back room is talented and deep
I love what I am seeing out of George Holani through two games. Heading into preseason, he was a total afterthought in my mind in a crowded running back room. I had bought into the draft hype of Damien Martinez, I was a Kenny McIntosh believer, and I loved the two headed monster of Zach Charbonnet and Ken Walker.
It is two preseason games with a much more productive run blocking offensive line, but it appears like George Holani is potentially a great fit for this outside zone blocking scheme that Kubiak wants to set the tone with, and build off of. Like, he just gets it, without hesitation gets it.
This scheme is known for producing a lot of quality looking running backs. Last night, it looked like Charbonnet could be a monster featured back in this offense running with speed, power, and decisiveness. Holani, on the other hand, looks like someone, at the very least, could be a quality change of pace relief runner who could probably handle some starting duties, if needed.
Martinez ran fine last night, much better than a week ago against the Raiders, but undrafted Jacardia Wright is pushing him for potentially that fourth running back spot on the roster. Wright has a physical sudden style that continues to impress and make plays. It would not stun me if he surprises and makes this roster.
This leaves me to Ken Walker, who we have not seen, nor will we in the preseason. I think he will be a part of this thing this year, but I am unsure of he will be the starter, and there is at least some outside chance that I am wondering if Seattle would be willing to include him in some sort of splash trade for maybe some sort of dominant edge rusher. My guess is not, but it is an interesting thought considering the depth and production we have seen through two games.
Seattle has a badass fullback situation brewing and I am here for it!
I cannot say enough about the fullback usage in this offense, and the impact rookie Robbie Ouzts appears destined to have on this offense both as lead blocker and pass catcher out of the backfield. Two preseason games in a row that he catches the pass out in the flat and charges upfield with bad intentions on tacklers. I’ve very quickly become a huge Ouzts fan, and I like what Brady Russell is doing in fullback duties, as well. I can easily see a scenario where both players are kept and Russell pulls double duty at a fullback/tight end in this scheme.
But I am severely tempted to make Robbie Ouzts my next player jersey that I purchase.
Jake Bobo is making this team and they will be better for it!
JSN will probably be the new face of the franchise at the end of this year, and I am incredibly high on rookie Tory Horton. I think Cooper Kupp will have a solid impact as a player and leader, and will provide a solid chain moving target for Darnold to look towards. I also like what I am seeing out of Dareke Young, finally.
That said, I don’t see a scenario where this team parts ways with Jake Bobo. He provides too much value in terms of impact as a blocker, team chemistry, special teams, and I think his route running prowess perfectly suits the Kubiak thing. I also think he could be a very positive red zone target for Darnold this year. I am saying this now, and putting myself out there a bit because this seems to be said annually, but I truly believe this is the year that we see More Jake Bobo in this offense. I think Cooper Kupp is going to have a positive effect on him, and we will see him pop more on Sundays, in result.
I think the bigger question is if this team carries Marquez Valdes-Scantling, or if Dareke Young surprisingly beats him out for the fifth and potentially final roster spot for receivers.
This defense is going to be a badass unit this year, no question about it
Through two preseason games, we are not seeing star defensive linemen Leonard Williams, DeMarcus Lawerence or Jarran Reed. Mike Macdonald sees no reason to play them. That is a really good sign.
We are seeing starting middle linebackers out there, and safeties. Our young duo edge rushers Boye Mafe and Derick Hall played some, and we got to see more of hybrid player Nick Emmanwori. Riq Woolen was out there for a bit at corner, and had decent pass defense. On the whole, nothing really wowed with these guys, but the scheme was kept noticeably simple, and the fundamentals of good tackling felt present.
The depth of defensive tackle feels really good with Brandon Pili and Quinton Bohanna, and this level of depth is perhaps one of the sneakier reasons why I have great confidence in Seattle’s defense this year. Having great DT depth allows Macdonald to move Leo Williams around more between DT and DE, and Mike Morris can mimic that. We could see Byron Murphy less at the nose tackle position and more at three technique where his natural athleticism can be more on display.
Having great DT depth allows your middle linebackers to make more plays, as well as safeties and edge defenders. For years, I have been pleading for Seattle to invest more at DT, and it feels like Macdonald sees the virtues of this with his defense.
Right now, I won’t lie and say the middle linebacker depth doesn’t concern me, maybe Seattle doesn’t need bit more at edge rusher. But I really think that the hallmark of most great defenses really needs to start up front in the gabs between center and guard and guard and tackle. This is where I think Seattle is potentially very, very good.
There could be more pieces of the defensive puzzle added before we get into real season games, and my guess is that there likely will, but these DTs got me feeling pretty damn good about life. I think we are one Jadeveon Clowney reunion away from having a sickly talented defense front. This is kind of the move I expect Seattle to make to round it out before week one. We shall see.
Closing thoughts
Yes, it is just preseason.
Yes there is a potential that Sam Darnold might turn into a pumpkin at some point.
Yes, the injury bugs could occur on defense and on the offensive line that could derail the Seahawks 2025 season.
We could also be struck by as massive asteroid in a few years and 80 percent of all animal life could all die off because of it.
You could also board a plane to Disneyland and the plane could crash and you could perish because of safety regulations slipping with air traffic controllers.
A new virus could hit us in a few years and the lack of federal dollars going to infectious research could catch us with our pants down, and lots of Americans could die in result.
You could be taking your family out to dinner next week, and be shot in public because of all the guns on the streets and lack of police numbers.
All of this bad shit could happen. All of it.
But since the dawn of time, there has been and always will be two different mindsets in life. There are those who will see life with optimism, and those who will not.
In my diehard Seahawk fandom, I will almost always see reasons for optimism, so take that for whatever it is. That said, I see more reasons for optimism this year than I have seen for many years in that past.
I don’t really care if Mike Florio doesn’t believe in Sam Darnold, and neither does former beat writer now national guy Shiel Kapadia, or local beat writer Michael Shawn-Dugar. It is fine. Hang your hat on whatever you choose to believe.
For me, I like the direction of this team. I dig what it wants to be, and what it thinks it can get out of the pieces. I love the clear vision.
Play good defense, and run the damn ball.
This is what I want Seattle Seahawks to always be about, and if you want this too, I do not know how you watched that game last night and were not excited about what you saw.
The older I get the more I try not to get overly hyped about a Seattle Seahawk rookie class, especially considering the there are 31 other fanbases in the NFL who believe their rookies are going to be special. It is the preseason, after all, and with that, hope springs eternal for most NFL fans as they view their teams.
49er fans believe this is the year that Kyle finally gets them a title with Brock Purdy and George Kittle. Cardinal fans are probably pretty optimistic, as well. I am sure Bears fans and Raiders fans have reasons for hope this year. I could go on, but you get my point.
This all said, as I watched last night’s preseason game occur against Pete Carroll’s Raiders (weird to say), I could not help but think how much GM John Schneider kicked the living crap out of the draft last April. I mean, I have really liked the last three drafts of Seattle’s, but I cannot remember watching a preseason game where this many rookies jumped off the screen at me in big ways. Let me go through the list and break each one down a bit.
Left Guard Grey Zabel
Seattle ran at will on the left side, and backup quarterback Drew Lock had a clean pocket to function out of for the entire time Zabel was in there. The best compliment you can give an offensive lineman is when you don’t notice because the ball was moving and the quarterback was kept clean.
Fullback Robbie Outs
I understand it this position is not the sexiest part of an offense for many fans, but I could not help feeling overjoyed seeing the return of the I formation with a bonafide fullback leading the way. I have a feeling that Robbie Ouzts is going to become an instant fan favorite, and there was a noticeable difference at the position when he was playing it over tight end convert Brady Russell. Ouzts is a natural blocker who sprung George Holani for his big touchdown run, and he also showcased his own playmaking abilities by grabbing a Drew Lock pass out of the flat, making a key first down, and absolutely clocking the DB who was trying to tackle him. Fans are going to love this guy.
Safety Nick Emmanwori
As I watch Emmanwori play in Mike Macdonald’s defensive scheme, I am not sure I feel a hundred percent right calling him a safety, but since that is his roster designation, I will roll with it. Geno Smith had one series of play with the Raiders, and made a nice pass play on a scramble out to his right, but the next time he looked to throw, he stayed in the pocket, and the blur on the screen of my television to his left was Emmanwori who shot right past his left tackle and forced a quick incompletion. Geno had no chance to get the ball off. Emmanwori also made his presence felt at the line of scrimmage as a run stopper, and looked fluid in coverage. It appears that this guy has the ability to play safety, off ball linebacker, nickel, and edge rusher in this scheme. In a word, WOW.
Wide Receiver Tory Horton
I am not one to overly attach myself to receivers like I see many other fans often do. Seattle has a rich history of receivers dating all the way back to the seventies and eighties with Steve Largent, and for most fans, this is the position that they cannot help most gravitate towards, buying their jerseys, and talking about with their friends. They are the playmakers. They make first downs, and touchdowns, and they help fantasy team owners win.
I am here to tell you now that I think Tory Horton has the stuff to be a new fan favorite. I really liked him coming out of college, I thought he would be a round two or three consideration for Seattle, but because of a knee injury, the struck gold getting him all the way back in round five.
In this game, he caught first down passes, and you saw his skill making a catch and run score in the red zone. Horton showed sure hands, route running, run after the catch juice, and playmaking vibes. It would not shock me in the slightest if after the end of this coming season, Horton is widely regarded as the steal of the 2025 draft. That’s how much I believe in him, and he showed me nothing in his appearance against the Raiders to dissuade that belief.
Tight End Elijah Arroyo
Arroyo made a first half grab of 10 yards or so out in the middle of the field and he was so fast and fluid in his route that I thought he was a receiver. He was largely outshined by other players on offensive who were either runners or catches, but this play jumped off my screen in a big way. I’m excited to see more.
Quarterback Jalen Milroe
It is impossible for me resist the training camp hype building off of Seattle’s third string quarterback. He is the most toolsy quarterback I have ever seen in a Seahawk uniform, more so than Russell Wilson. Anyone watching this game bore witness to his electrifying running abilities, but I thought in the times he threw, he generally showed well enough going through his progressions with good enough accuracy to think there is something positive there in him as a passer, as well.
His long scrambles were things straight out of a video game, but it was his play action roll out to his right on his lone touchdown leading drive where he hit his tight end down the seam that felt especially electric on the night. You could feel his threat as a thrower on the run, and how that can stress out defenders.
I am a Sam Darnold guy, admittedly, but the drive that Milroe led for a touchdown was so run heavy setting up play action that it left an impression on me that was kick ass to the point in which I could legitimately see a future where Milroe is QB1, and Seattle is playing in title games. He wasn’t perfect on the night. He took a sack when the year needed him not to in the end, he threw on fourth and short long and the pass was not completed when he could have probably made the first down with his legs, but this was a good game to build off of and learn from. Personally, I hope he gets that last preseason game where he is playing most of the quarters, if not all.
Final thoughts
I don’t know what is to become of Seattle’s quarterback situation this year or long term, but I cannot help but think that the solution might already be rostered and I didn’t fully think that in recent years with Geno Smith, as much as I really liked Geno. Last night, Milroe gave me hope that it could be him, but it also wouldn’t completely shock me if we ultimately see him push Sam Darnold into building off his 2024 Vikings campaign in a way in which it will be hard to unseat him further down the line. For the first time in over a decade, I am really fascinated by Seattle’s QB situation with all of its unknowns and possibilities.
I am not going to pit one Seahawk QB over the other in any of this. I embrace this situation with an open mind and heart. In the same breath, I will not fault a single Seahawk fan for being dazzled by Milroe and wanting him even more to become the guy. I totally get that.
But time will be the big teller in this, and I am excited to see what unfolds out of it. I think Seattle’s QB situation might be one of the sneakier ones in the league this year.
Aside from taking QBs, I thought through four quarters, I really felt Klint Kubiak’s offensive scheme, and I fell in love with it. I love the use of the fullback, the tight ends, the running backs looked liked they knew what they were doing, and where they were going. I feel like it really does have the makings of being a strong compliment to Mike Macdonald’s defense.
If I am to nitpick roster concerns a bit, I thought the third string Seahawk defense showed warts in coverage against third string rookie QB Cam Miller and made him look great at times, and I am a bit concerned about the depth at off ball linebacker, as well. This unit let the Raiders back in it when the second string defenders were largely kicking ass.
I was also a bit surprised and disappointed that we didn’t see more out of drafted rookie running back Damien Martinez as a runner. I was expecting more out of him with some of the hype. These next two preseason games could be huge for him because second year back George Holani looked stellar, and undrafted back Jacardia Wright also impressed quite a bit.
Kudos to the offensive line generally not sucking, and playing pretty well at times. It is either that they are improved with the new scheme and coaching, or the Raiders defensive front totally sucks. Could be a little of both. Probably is but we will see.
Okay, that’s it. I am going to spend the next week trying really hard not to be overly hyped about Milroe but I don’t believe I will be successful at it. I won’t blame you at all if you are having the difficulty.
12th Life 