The Seattle Seahawks are headed into a week that could ask something different from Sam Darnold.
For most of the season, the offensive blueprint has been pretty straightforward: lean on the run, stay in manageable third downs, and let Darnold work off play action. That approach helped the Seahawks win a lot of games last season, including the super bowl. But right now, that formula doesn’t look like enough.
The problem starts in the backfield. Emanuel Wilson is starting, but he’s described as a limited back who doesn’t fit the offensive scheme.
George Holani is behind him, and he’s also limited and clearly playing injured. Velus Jones Jr. is in the mix too, even though he isn’t really a running back.
Robert Henry Jr. just arrived a few days ago. That’s a thin group to begin with, and the blocking in front of them hasn’t been much better.
There have been some signs of improvement against the Chargers, but the run game still has plenty working against it. Anthony Bradford is missed, and the lack of a true fullback is a real issue. With that setup, trying to force a run-heavy plan can lead straight into third-and-long.
So the answer may be to open it up and let Darnold take more shots. The San Francisco 49ers present a good chance for that.
Their pass rush has been one of the worst in football with Nick Bosa on the sideline, and they’re also down at least one defensive back starter. The passing game should have room to work.
Opposing defenses have mostly been content to crowd the box and dare the quarterback to make them pay, whether it’s been Drew Lock or Darnold. The 49ers may take the same approach.
At some point, though, that has to be punished. The Seahawks did it last season, and they’ll need that version again.
This is the kind of game that could matter when Darnold’s next contract comes up. If he pushes for an extension in the range of $55 to $60 million a year, performances like this one will be part of the conversation.
It’s a divisional game with first place on the line, and it’s not the kind where he can simply steer the offense and stay out of the way. If he’s going to get to the top of the market, he has to show he can carry more of the load.
That’s the bar here. A quarterback on a top-end deal needs to win when the team asks him to do more than manage. He needs to make the big throws, create explosive plays, and keep points coming when the ground game isn’t carrying the offense.
Darnold has done it before. The most obvious example from last season was the NFC Championship Game, when most of the team fell short of its standard but Darnold didn’t.
The Seahawks need more of that, especially against division opponents. If turnovers come with it, so be it.
What matters this week is seeing a confident quarterback willing to attack.
In Other News...
Seahawks Offense Has A Clear Weak Spot They Need To Fix
The Seahawks have found something real when they lean into heavier personnel packages, the kind that put fewer wide receivers on the field and ask the offense to play with more muscle. In those looks, the unit has graded well in EPA per play, success rate and explosive play rate, which helps explain why the group can look so much sharper when it is built to run through balance instead of spacing alone.
The trouble comes when Seattle gets lighter and spreads the field with three or more receivers, where the offense has not been nearly as efficient and the third-down work has lagged. Fixing that split is the next step, and one obvious way to do it is to get cleaner answers against the blitz, since more reliable pressure-beating execution could keep the Seahawks from getting pushed into the same predictable passing situations that have slowed them down. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Suddenly Face A Huge Week 18 Defensive Concern
With Week 18 looming, the Seahawks are still sorting through a defense that already had plenty on its plate before the injury report complicated matters. Seattle and San Francisco both came into the week with notable names either limited or absent from practice, and the list includes impact players on both sides as the teams work toward Sundays matchup.
For Seattle, the concern is especially pointed because the defensive front has been tracking a few key statuses all week. Leonard Williams was unable to practice after opening the week in a limited role, and Chazz Surratt was one of the Seahawks two DNPs while several others either remained limited or were getting rest. The final injury report should bring some clarity, but for now the Seahawks are waiting to see how much of their defense will actually be available. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Defense Is About To Face Its Biggest Test Yet
Brock Purdy has opened the 2026 season in elite form, pushing the 49ers to a 4-0 start while sitting near the top of the league in passer rating, passing success rate and expected points added per dropback. Through four games, he has also been among the most efficient quarterbacks the NFL has seen in the 21st century, and he heads into Week 5 tied for the league lead in passing touchdowns as San Francisco prepares for a divisional trip to Seattle.
The challenge waiting for him is a Seahawks defense that has spent the first month of the season looking like one of the leagues most disruptive units. Seattle leads the NFL in several defensive categories and has been especially effective at generating pressure on early downs without leaning heavily on the blitz, a formula that has made this matchup one of the more interesting tests on the schedule. For the Seahawks, the next step is simple enough to define and much harder to pull off: make Purdy play from inside the pocket under real heat and see whether his start can keep rolling. [Read more 🡒]