The Seahawks head into Week 7 with the Chiefs coming to Seattle, and the question hanging over the matchup is simple: who can this team actually count on right now?
There’s a lot riding on Sunday night, even if nobody wants to say it outright. Kansas City is good.
Seattle is, too. The Chiefs bring a strong defense to the table, but Seattle’s defense is better.
Patrick Mahomes remains one of the league’s top quarterbacks, while Sam Darnold is still trying to find himself after a rocky stretch. And the problems in Seattle don’t begin and end with Darnold, either.
If they did, Mike Macdonald would have likely turned back to Drew Lock by now and given Darnold time to sort through whatever has been going wrong. Instead, every loss seems to feature a different player making the costly mistake.
So with that in mind, here’s how the trust levels shake out entering Week 7.
Nick Emmanwori is back near the top where he belongs. He’s listed as a safety, but Seattle has used him all over the field - edge rusher, cornerback, slot corner, linebacker, and safety.
Against Denver, he piled up seven tackles, including one for a loss, along with two quarterback hits and a sack. The only real concern is health.
If he’s anywhere near full speed, that’s bad news for Kansas City.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba stays planted among the Seahawks’ alphas. He’s leading the league in receiving yards and touchdown catches, which is exactly the sort of thing Seattle fans expected and everybody else probably shouldn’t be shocked by anymore.
His routes are clean, his speed is deceptive, and he keeps making defenders pay. The Jerry Rice comparison stays off-limits, but the point stands: Smith-Njigba was supposed to be a little slow out of college.
That has not shown up on Sundays.
George Holani also climbs after a much-needed response. After that ugly outing against the 49ers, it would have been easy to write him off.
Fumbling in your own end zone will do that. But Mike Macdonald stuck with him, and Holani answered against Denver with five carries, two first downs, and Seattle’s only touchdown.
That’s enough to put him back on the radar.
Rashid Shaheed lands in the proving ground after finally showing some production as a receiver. He caught five passes for 66 yards against the Broncos, and that part of the day was encouraging.
The problem is that he also put the ball on the ground twice, including one fumble that wiped out a drive at the Denver 35-yard line. The talent is there.
The consistency isn’t.
Anthony Bradford is another player under the microscope. He’s set for his first game back from injury, and the challenge is real.
Kansas City’s run defense sits just outside the NFL’s top five, and with Zach Charbonnet and Zadarin Price still sidelined, Seattle needs Bradford’s strength to help create room for Emaneul Wilson and whoever else gets carries Sunday night. The pass protection piece still has to hold up, too.
Tory Horton slips after a rough showing that explained a lot. For weeks, the mystery was why he wasn’t seeing more targets when he seemed to do something useful every time he touched the ball.
He had only five catches, but the production was there. Then came Denver, where a lazy route led to a Sam Darnold interception.
The comparison to Tyler Lockett has been shelved for now.
Darnold himself drops further than anyone else. The numbers tell the story plainly enough: through Week 6 last season, he had 11 touchdowns and three interceptions.
This year, it’s 7 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. That’s not the same level of play, and Seattle needs a lot more from him immediately.
At the bottom, Christian Haynes and Beau Stephens stay grouped together. Neither one seized the right guard job during a month-long run of chances.
Neither was a disaster in pass protection, but neither was a difference-maker, either. Bradford hasn’t been perfect, but at least he can help in the run game.
For now, the right guard audition looks to be over.
In Other News...
Seahawks-Chiefs Just Got One More Problem For Seattle To Handle
Heavy rain is now part of the buildup for Sunday nights meeting between the Chiefs and Seahawks in Seattle, adding one more layer to a game that already carries plenty of intrigue. The forecast calls for wet conditions at kickoff, which could affect footing, ball security, and the overall feel of a nationally televised matchup at Lumen Field.
For Seattle, it is another variable to manage in a game where every small edge matters. The Seahawks will know the conditions as well as anyone, but rain can still reshape play-calling and execution, especially against a Kansas City team that is used to making opponents adjust on the fly. [Read more 🡒]
Jaxon Smith-Njigba Is Forcing The Chiefs Into A Tough Reality
Jaxon Smith-Njigba keeps making opposing defenses adjust, and the latest reminder came from Kansas City defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who acknowledged the challenge of trying to slow down the Seahawks receiver. For Seattle, that kind of attention is a sign of how far Smith-Njigba has come as a featured part of the passing game, and it also underscores how much stress he can put on a defense that has to account for him on every snap.
The Chiefs are hardly the only team seeing that reality now, but their conversation about matching up with him fits a broader league-wide theme: receivers who force coverage changes can reshape game plans before the ball is even snapped. Seattle has been looking for exactly that sort of offensive edge, and Smith-Njigbas growing influence is starting to create it in a way that opponents are openly admitting is difficult to handle. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Are Headed For A Free Agency Squeeze Fans Will Debate
At 3-3, the Seahawks are staring at a familiar roster decision window, and this one could be trickier than most. Several players who have mattered to the season are moving toward free agency, which means Seattle is about to sort through not just who fits on the field, but who fits its long-term budget and depth chart.
Uchenna Nwosu has played well enough to make himself expensive, while Drew Locks work as a backup has put him in line for a multi-year deal. The picture is less settled for Ty Okada, whose standing is clouded by both his performance and Bud Clarks emergence, and Anthony Bradfords absence offered a reminder of how much he matters up front, a factor that could help him land another contract. [Read more 🡒]