The Seahawks didn’t just lose in Week 3 - they came out flat and spent the rest of the afternoon trying to dig out of it. By the end, there were almost as many culprits as there are halibut at Pike Place, and a few players walked away with their stock taking a real hit.
One thing to keep in mind: this isn’t a full-blown collapse watch. A few of these guys could easily flip the script next week against the Chargers. Still, the tape from Week 3 wasn’t kind, and several players now have some work to do before they feel secure in their roles.
Jadarian Price is the one name here that still feels most likely to rebound. He’s also the easiest to excuse, at least to a point, because five plays is a tiny sample to judge anyone by.
But the problem is hard to ignore: he put the ball on the ground again. Ball security was an issue in his senior year at Notre Dame, too, when he had three fumbles on just 119 plays.
That’s the kind of habit he has to clean up fast.
The right guard situation is messier, and it’s fair to lump Christian Haynes and Beau Stephens together here. Neither one was charged with a pressure allowed, but the Seahawks’ run game never really got rolling.
At best, it was a stroll. Anthony Bradford still brings power as a run blocker, but he remains a liability in pass protection and keeps collecting penalties.
Haynes, meanwhile, still hasn’t shown the next step forward that Seattle needs. If the Seahawks are looking for a sturdier answer, the call is obvious: bring back the kind of player who can anchor things, like J.R.
Sweezy or D.J. Fluker.
Josh Jobe’s slide feels more noticeable because he started the year with such a high point. That game-saving interception against the Patriots looked like the kind of play that can steady a season.
Instead, he followed it with an ordinary showing against the Cardinals, and then a rough one against the Patriots. After that performance, it’s hard to imagine his agent circling that tape as a selling point when contract time comes around.
Rashid Shaheed had the biggest opportunity of the group and didn’t do much with it. The early-season explanation was that he hadn’t developed the same chemistry with backup QBb Drew Lock that he had with Sam Darnold.
Well, Darnold got the start, completed 31 passes for 379 yards, and Shaheed still managed only two catches for 14 yards. There was the catch on the penalty, but he bobbled it while being driven out of bounds.
That came on top of a drop against the Cardinals and a fumble on a kickoff return.
The return game numbers aren’t helping either. Through three weeks, his average kick return is down by almost three yards.
His punt return average has fallen from 16.2 last year to 9.6 now. At this point, Tory Horton deserves a lot more chances on offense and special teams.
Any one of these players could turn it around in Week 4. But after what happened against Seattle, there’s no hiding the fact that they all need better football right away.
In Other News...
Seahawks Backfield Questions Make One Veteran Trade Idea Worth Watching
Seattles backfield remains one of the more interesting spots on the roster as the season moves along, and the conversation around possible upgrades has started to widen beyond internal options. A veteran Tennessee running back is part of that discussion, along with names like Tony Pollard, David Montgomery and Rachaad White, all of whom bring different combinations of production, contract status and fit. For a team trying to sort out its ground game, the appeal is easy to understand, especially with run blocking still a concern and the margin for error shrinking.
The Seahawks are not being linked to a confirmed move, and this is still firmly in the speculative stage, but the idea is worth monitoring because the choices come with real tradeoffs. Some options would add proven production, while others would require a bigger commitment and raise questions about cost, ball security or how quickly they could settle in. For now, it is less about a deal being close than about which kind of back Seattle would actually want if it decides the room needs another jolt. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Quietly Addressed A Fan Frustration That Matters Right Now
After hearing from fans who had a hard time making out questions during press conferences, the Seahawks are making a small but noticeable change to how those sessions sound. New owner Neal Khosla said the team plans to add two additional microphones, a simple fix aimed at improving audio clarity for the people following along at home.
It is the kind of behind-the-scenes adjustment that does not change the standings, but it does speak to a team trying to pay attention to the details around it. The move comes as Seattle works through the aftermath of a close loss to the Washington Commanders and turns its attention to the Los Angeles Chargers, with every bit of communication carrying a little more weight right now. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Have A Growing Concern At Right Tackle
The Seahawks have spent real resources trying to build something sturdier up front, and Abraham Lucas has been central to that plan at right tackle. Since arriving as a former third-round pick, he has offered the kind of run-blocking the team wants, but his work in pass protection has been a different story, with pressure issues showing up early and often in the opening games of the season.
Seattles coaching staff knows the problem is there and is already trying to patch it with extra practice work and scheme help. The question now is whether those fixes are enough to steady one of the lines most important spots, or whether right tackle becomes an even bigger concern as the season moves deeper into the schedule. [Read more 🡒]