The Seahawks’ uneven start has people seeing a familiar script.
Three losses in four games will do that, especially when the conversation turns to a team that looked built for bigger things. Around the league, fans have started drawing a line between Seattle’s early stumble and what happened to last year’s Philadelphia Eagles.
The comparison begins with how the Eagles eventually found their stride. In February 2025, Philadelphia’s defense smothered the Kansas City Chiefs on the way to a 40-22 Super Bowl win.
That team was elite on both sides of the ball, but the defense was the engine, finishing first in the NFL in yards allowed and second in points allowed. The offense did its part too, powered by AP Offensive Player of the Year Saquon Barkley, and the result was a 14-3 record.
What makes the parallel pop is how rocky the Eagles were before everything clicked. They opened 2-2, including an ugly Week 4 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Then the switch flipped. Philadelphia won 16 of its next 17 games and took three of its four playoff wins by double digits.
The only postseason team to really push them was the Los Angeles Rams.
The quarterback talk has followed both teams, too. Jalen Hurts and Sam Darnold have more in common than people might want to admit.
Both were central to their teams’ Super Bowl runs, and both are still treated with skepticism by national outlets even after winning it all. Before the season, Pro Football Focus had Darnold and Hurts ranked 14th and 15th among quarterbacks.
After a rough stretch, the same doubters who went quiet during the playoffs tend to come back loud. The criticism just looks different for each passer.
Darnold gets hit for being too aggressive and turnover-prone. Hurts, who threw only six interceptions in 2025, drew the opposite complaint: too conservative.
The biggest shakeup on the Eagles side was at offensive coordinator. Kellen Moore left after 2024 to become head coach of the New Orleans Saints, and Philadelphia promoted Kevin Patullo from within.
That move never really settled in. His play calling came under heavy fire, and by late November Eagles fans were chanting “Fire Kevin!”
during games. Nick Sirianni stayed with him throughout the year, but Patullo’s run lasted just one season before he became the passing game coordinator for the Miami Dolphins.
Even so, Philadelphia still finished with a winning season. An 11-6 record was enough to take the NFC East, and plenty of their losses were tight ones. The problem came later, when the pressure of repeating as champions caught up with them and their run ended in the wild-card round against the San Francisco 49ers.
That’s the warning light blinking for Seattle now. Mike Macdonald has preached “complementary football,” but the Seahawks need that idea to become real fast.
Unlike the Eagles’ situation, the NFC West gives Seattle no cushion. If the offense doesn’t clean itself up, the schedule could leave the Seahawks out of the playoffs altogether.
In Other News...
NFL Just Confirmed Seahawks Fans Had Every Right To Be Furious
Late in Seattles matchup with San Francisco, Jaxon Smith-Njigba took a hit from 49ers safety Malik Mustapha that never drew a flag on the field, even though it was later deemed a violation for hitting a defenseless player. The lack of a penalty at the time left Seahawks fans with plenty to gripe about, especially in a game where every late snap carried extra weight.
The NFLs review backed up that frustration, fining Mustapha $6,998 for the play and effectively confirming the missed call. No other players from the game were fined, but for Seattle supporters, the bigger point is hard to miss: the league looked at the same hit and came to the conclusion many in the building already had. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Backfield Picture Could Get More Interesting Than Fans Realize
Week 6 is bringing a little more uncertainty to the running back landscape than usual, and it is the kind of wrinkle Seahawks fans can keep an eye on even if the names involved are elsewhere. Quinshon Judkins, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, TreVeyon Henderson, Alvin Kamara and Rico Dowdle are all listed as questionable, with practice participation varying from player to player as teams sort through injuries and workload concerns heading into the weekend.
Jadarian Price adds another layer to the picture, even though he is still on injured reserve for now. His coach said a return could come as early as Week 8, which means the backfield conversation is only getting started in a league where availability can change the depth chart fast. For a Seattle team always watching the market and the ripple effects around it, these are the kinds of updates that can quietly shape what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Have A Pass Protection Problem Fans Cant Ignore
Through six games, the Seahawks offensive line has already become one of the clearest pressure points on the roster, and the latest reminder came in a rough afternoon against Denver. Pro Football Focus charted 26 pressures allowed on quarterback Sam Darnold, who was under duress 27 times overall, a number that underscored just how often the pocket collapsed before plays could fully develop.
It was not just one spot breaking down, either. Charles Cross, Abraham Lucas, Jalen Sundell, Grey Zabel, Christian Haynes and Beau Stephens all had their share of pressures allowed, while George Holani has also had trouble in pass protection. For a team trying to build any kind of offensive rhythm, the issue is no longer isolated enough to shrug off, and it is starting to shape every conversation about how the offense can function going forward. [Read more 🡒]