The Seahawks walked out of Week 4 with a win over the Chargers, but it was the kind of game that left plenty of questions hanging in the air. Seattle scored 30 points in a penalty-heavy, messy outing, and Sam Darnold’s afternoon captured the whole thing in miniature: rough start, uneven middle, and just enough recovery to keep the result intact.
That opening sequence said plenty. Darnold threw an interception on his first offensive play, setting the tone for a day that never really settled into rhythm.
He did bounce back and settle somewhere in the “fine” range, but the offense never looked fully connected. Even so, the scoreboard still mattered most.
Thirty points is usually enough to win, and it was here. The bigger concern is whether that formula can hold up once Seattle runs into sturdier defenses.
Week 5 against the San Francisco 49ers could be the real test for this group.
The turnover issue is hard to ignore. Darnold led the NFL in turnovers last season with 20 - 14 interceptions and six fumbles - and while there are easy explanations for how that happened, the number itself still looms large.
In Seattle’s first two games, when Drew Lock was mostly the quarterback because Darnold was hurt on the first series of Week 1 and missed Week 2 entirely, Lock didn’t turn it over. In the last two games, Darnold has already coughed it up three times, including that opening interception against the Chargers.
There’s also a clear distribution problem in the passing game. Darnold attempted 22 passes in Week 4, and 14 of them went to Jaxon Smith-Njigba and three non-wide receivers.
That’s too narrow a funnel for an offense that needs more answers. Rashid Shaheed was more effective when he lined up in the backfield as a running back, finishing with one catch for 20 yards.
Cooper Kupp had one reception for 13 yards. Tory Horton’s lone target became a six-yard touchdown.
Smith-Njigba still drew nine targets, but it was his least productive game of the season. The ball has to move around more.
And no, this doesn’t create a quarterback controversy. Social media may keep pushing for Drew Lock, but that isn’t going to happen and isn’t a realistic path for Seattle.
Darnold led his team to a Super Bowl and may still be working through a new offensive system under Brian Fleury. If the turnovers keep piling up, the Seahawks may eventually have to ask bigger questions about Darnold’s long-term future.
But that is not the same thing as handing the job to Lock. The next starting quarterback could come through the draft in the next year or two.
In Other News...
Seahawks Have A Real Chance To Add Another Defensive Game Changer
Khalil Macks name is already starting to surface as the kind of midseason trade chip that can shake up the market, and Seattle makes plenty of sense as a possible landing spot. The Chargers 0-4 start has only added to the speculation, while the Seahawks have built enough of a pass rush to at least imagine how another proven edge presence could fit into the mix.
For Seattle, the appeal is easy to see: a contender looking to keep pressure on opposing quarterbacks could use another defensive difference-maker, especially if the price comes in the form of draft picks. The question now is less about whether the Seahawks would have interest than whether the Chargers decide to listen, and how much it would take to pull a player like Mack out of Los Angeles. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Fan Crossed A Line With Justin Herbert Heckle
The Chargers 0-4 start has already put Justin Herbert under the microscope, with the quarterback fighting through an uneven opening month under Jim Harbaugh and Mike McDaniel. Herberts early numbers have reflected the turbulence, and when Los Angeles came to Lumen Field in Week 4, the frustration around the offense spilled beyond the field and into the stands.
One Seahawks fan was caught on video directing a food-related insult at Herbert during the game, an example of how thin the line can get when a star quarterback is struggling and a road crowd senses it. It was the kind of heckle that can travel fast because of who it was aimed at, and it added another odd footnote to a Chargers season that has already been short on comfort and long on scrutiny. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Suddenly Have A Tough Elijah Arroyo Question
Elijah Arroyo entered the season with the kind of draft pedigree and internal praise that usually signals a real role, but the Seahawks have barely had him involved through four games. The tight end has only one catch on one target, and his snap count has been limited enough to make him more of a background note than a featured piece of the passing game.
For a Seattle offense still sorting out its weekly identity, Arroyos quiet start raises a practical question as much as a developmental one. John Schneiders public confidence in him suggested the organization saw a bigger future ahead, yet the current usage says the staff is still deciding how, or even whether, to fold him into the game plan in a meaningful way. [Read more 🡒]