The Seattle Seahawks will welcome the Los Angeles Chargers to Lumen Field in Week 4, and the matchup comes with plenty of questions around a team that has looked badly out of sync.
Jim Harbaugh has pointed to the way preseason reps were handled for the starters as one problem, but the issues run deeper than that. The Chargers also started over on both sides of the ball with new coordinators.
Mike McDaniel took over the offense, while Chris O’Leary replaced Jesse Minter on defense after Minter became head coach in Baltimore. The result, so far, has been an offense that simply hasn’t clicked and a defense led by a coordinator with limited experience at the college level.
Put together, it’s a team that looks underprepared.
The biggest concern remains Justin Herbert. He has been erratic, missing defenders he would normally recognize, and he appears uncomfortable in the offense.
That could be tied to changes in footwork from certain stances, though it’s not entirely clear. What is clear is that his interior offensive line has struggled and the talent around him hasn’t helped.
Even with that context, he has looked worse than he did last year, which is a surprise.
The Chargers’ interior offensive line has been hit hard. Right guard Cole Strange was described as a middling signing.
Center Jake Slaughter is a rookie who was drafted to move to guard before that plan was scrapped when Tyler Biadasz went down. At left guard, the team is down to former first-round bust Trevor Penning, with Kayode Awosika, Trey Pipkins and Branson Taylor all hurt.
Herbert needs better protection, and the run game could use some help, too.
There is still a path for Herbert to settle in. That would likely require a simpler offense, more willingness to take the checkdowns when they are available, and a return to using his legs the way he did last year.
As for how this game might play out, it’s hard to see it being tight. The Chargers have looked badly prepared, and the sense around the team is that the front office has let the coaches down with the roster, while the players have not fully responded to what Harbaugh is trying to build.
Upsets happen, but an 0-3 team that looked lost against Jacoby Brissett and the Arizona Cardinals would need a major turnaround to steal one on the road. The Seahawks are picked by at least a touchdown.
In Other News...
Seahawks Fans May Have A Week 4 Viewing Problem
The Seahawks get an early chance to test themselves against the AFC West this week, but fans outside the Pacific Northwest may have to do a little work to see it. Seattles matchup with the Chargers is set for CBS at 1:25 p.m. PT, and the regional broadcast footprint is limited, with coverage centered mostly on the Pacific Northwest and Southern California.
Andrew Catalon and Logan Ryan are on the call, and the timing is awkward for a fan base that will have to keep an eye on where the game lands before kickoff. The good news is that Seattle has several nationally televised games coming up, so this shouldnt be a season-long headache, but Week 4 could still leave plenty of viewers searching for an alternate plan. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Still Have One O-Line Problem They Havent Solved
The Seahawks did not do much to change the look of their offensive line this offseason, and that quiet approach has left one lingering question hanging over the roster. Their only notable addition was fifth-round pick Beau Stephens, a player who was viewed as a possible starter, but Seattle has kept him on the sideline and gone with Christian Haynes instead as it continues sorting out the interior of the line.
For a team trying to give its offense more stability, that decision keeps the spotlight on a spot that still feels unresolved. Even with Stephens in the mix, the Seahawks have not found a clean answer there yet, and one mock draft has already pushed the conversation forward by linking Seattle to interior lineman Kade Pieper in the 2027 NFL draft as a possible long-term fix. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Backfield Suddenly Has A New Reason For Hope
Zach Charbonnets return to practice gives the Seahawks a timely lift in a backfield that has been looking for stability early in the season. The second-year running back has been on the physically unable to perform list, but being designated to return opens the door for him to get back into game action as soon as Week 5, a welcome development for a team trying to sort out its rotation on the fly.
Seattles immediate plan still leans on Emanuel Wilson and George Holani at running back in Week 4 against the Los Angeles Chargers, but the depth chart has already shifted again. Rookie Jadarian Price was placed on injured reserve and will miss at least four games, so the Seahawks are heading into the next stretch with one less option and at least some hope that Charbonnets comeback can eventually settle things down. [Read more 🡒]