The Seahawks got the win they needed, but they did not make it easy on themselves.
Seattle beat the previously winless Chargers 30-23 in Week 4, a result that mattered a lot more than the final margin suggests. The Seahawks had already dropped a game to the Commanders in Week 3, so another loss would have made the NFC West picture even more uncomfortable.
Instead, Seattle survived a late Chargers push after building a 30-13 lead in the third quarter. The game was messy from start to finish, with 30 combined penalties and more than a few moments that left both sides out of rhythm.
Still, there were clear Seahawks standouts on a night that demanded answers.
Rashid Shaheed gave Seattle the kind of burst this offense needs from him. The Seahawks made a point of getting the player they re-signed this offseason more involved, and he delivered with a 28-yard run for a touchdown in the first half.
Seattle kept using him in that role after halftime, too. Even if he can get stuffed when he lines up at running back, his explosiveness changes things, and the Seahawks need to keep finding ways to use that skill set.
Emanuel Wilson also made the most of his opportunity. With Zach Charbonnet and Jadarian Price out, Wilson was the back Seattle could actually lean on when it needed steady work.
George Holani was available, but Wilson clearly handled the bulk of the responsibility. That could shift later, but for Week 4, the backfield belonged to him.
Ernest Jones IV continued to look like exactly the kind of linebacker Mike Macdonald wants in his defense. Jones picked off a pass, added a sack and led the team in tackles.
The interception was the easy headline, but the bigger takeaway is that he keeps showing up everywhere for Seattle. For John Schneider, the trade for Jones has to rank near the top of the moves he’s made since Macdonald arrived at the beginning of the 2024 season.
Josh Jobe rounded out the winner’s side by doing the simplest thing possible: not giving Seattle a reason to panic. The worst-case scenario for him would have been another rough outing, but instead he stayed mostly quiet. That’s a good sign for a cornerback who was needed in this game while the Seahawks elevated Trevon Diggs, and Jobe finished with three tackles.
The loss column starts with Nick Emmanwori, who turned a chaotic end to the first half into a bigger problem for Seattle. The Chargers appeared to mismanage the clock, but Emmanwori made things worse when he was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct after head-butting a Chargers offensive lineman.
Then, on Los Angeles’ first drive of the second half, he was called for a facemask that helped set up a touchdown. Seattle had seven 15-yard penalties in the game, and several of them kept the Chargers alive when the Seahawks should have had the game under control.
Mike Macdonald is almost certainly going to have something to say about that.
Jason Myers also landed in the wrong column after an otherwise strong start to the season. He had been solid through the first three games and looked fine in the preseason, but he missed an extra point early and then missed a 53-yard attempt in the second half.
He did convert his next kick after a Chargers penalty gave Seattle a fresh first down, but the miss was still a problem. At this point in the league, 53 yards is no longer some outrageous ask, and Myers has to make that chance.
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 🡒]