Sam Darnold’s return didn’t give the Seahawks the result they wanted last weekend, even though he played well in Seattle’s 33-31 loss to the Washington Commanders. Now the Seahawks sit at 2-1 heading into Week 4, and the next challenge brings Jim Harbaugh’s Los Angeles Chargers to town.
It’s a matchup that puts Seattle in front of head coach Mike Macdonald’s former boss, and both teams are trying to shake off rough starts. But if the Week 4 expert picks are any indication, the betting line in the court of public opinion is leaning hard toward the Seahawks.
That confidence starts with the way Seattle responded to its loss and the way Los Angeles looked in its most recent game. Bobby Kownack picked the Seahawks and pointed to the motivation on both sides, but he wasn’t buying much from the Chargers after their showing against Buffalo.
"These Chargers? It’s impossible to dismiss all that plagues them.
They’re so offensively challenged that, even with the Bills turning it over five times, they only managed 16 points in their recent loss to Buffalo -- and that was the most Los Angeles has scored all season. Regardless of one takeaway-filled day, the Chargers defense isn’t performing up to its typical stellar standard," Kownack wrote.
The overall expert consensus tells the same story. Of the 38 picks listed, 31 are backing Seattle, a clear sign that the Seahawks are expected to rebound faster than the Chargers can turn things around.
That kind of split makes Seattle the clear favorite in this round of predictions, and Macdonald is the choice here as well.
In Other News...
Justin Herbert And Jim Harbaugh Have A Chargers Problem Getting Worse
Justin Herbert and Jim Harbaugh have spent the opening month trying to steady a Chargers offense that has not looked like itself, and the results have been ugly. A loss to the Seattle Seahawks pushed Los Angeles to 0-4, leaving the club last in its division and already fighting to keep its playoff hopes from slipping away. The issues have been broad, but the biggest concerns have centered on the offense, where third-down and red zone problems have kept drives from turning into points.
The Chargers have not helped themselves with injuries or the kind of chemistry you would expect from a unit trying to build under a new coach. Herbert has still been the face of the operation, but the rhythm around him has been off, and the lack of consistency has made every mistake feel bigger. For a team with January expectations, the early-season hole is becoming harder to ignore, and the pressure on Herbert and Harbaugh is only growing with each week. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Let Winnable Game Slip Away As Injuries Pile Up
The Chargers had every chance to make Sunday night a clean escape, but the game turned into a gut punch as injuries stacked up on the offensive line and the offense never fully stabilized. Even with the yardage advantage over Seattle, Los Angeles could not protect the football, and the mistakes kept opening the door for a Seahawks team that was willing to wait for the break it needed.
It arrived late, when Uchenna Nwosu forced the decisive fumble and Derick Hall came up with the recovery to seal Seattles 30-23 win. For the Chargers, the bigger concern may be what came before the final turnover, because losing multiple linemen and other key pieces in the same game only adds more uncertainty to a team already trying to find its footing around Justin Herbert after a night that included three of the four turnovers. [Read more 🡒]
Ladd McConkey's Status Just Became A Huge Chargers Concern
Ladd McConkey has already become a central part of the Chargers passing game, even while working through multiple injuries across the first three games of the season. The rookie has been on the field in a limited capacity, yet he still leads the team in catches and receiving yards, which says plenty about both his talent and how quickly Los Angeles has needed him to settle into a prominent role.
McConkeys situation matters even more because the rest of the receiver room has not offered much stability around him. Injuries and uneven production from other options have left the Chargers depth chart in a shaky place, making every update on McConkeys status feel bigger than just one players health. For a team trying to build a reliable passing attack, his availability has turned into one of the more important storylines early in the season. [Read more 🡒]