The Seahawks are heading into Week 6 with plenty to clean up, and the biggest question hanging over this Thursday night trip to Denver is simple: who can Seattle actually count on?
That answer is getting reshuffled fast. Some players are climbing, some are holding steady, and a few are losing the room. With the Broncos waiting at Mile High and Sean Payton on the other sideline, the Seahawks are in a spot where trust matters more than ever.
Byron Murphy II is making that case loud and clear. The Seahawks defensive tackle turned in a monster line against San Francisco: three tackles for loss, three QB hits and two sacks. That kind of production from the interior changes games, and Murphy is starting to look like a real force among NFL linemen.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba stays near the top for obvious reasons. Even with the late miss, he still finished with five catches for 102 yards and a touchdown.
There was also mention during the broadcast that his ankle was taped after his 16-yard run in the second quarter - the exact phrase used was, "heavily taped." So when he failed to come up with a leaping grab on a bad ankle after another off-target throw from Sam Darnold, there was at least some context there.
Smith-Njigba took responsibility for the miss, but Seattle would have been in trouble without him.
Jason Myers belongs in the trust bucket too. He was perfect on five field goals, and none of them were freebies.
His shortest was from 40 yards, the kick that tied the game at 29. With the offense doing its best to gift the game away, Myers accounted for 15 points and was Seattle’s most dependable weapon all afternoon.
Nehemiah Pritchett also deserves a longer look. He played only four defensive snaps, but his place in this group makes sense. The point is less about volume and more about whether he belongs there at all, and the answer is starting to look like yes.
Christian Haynes is another name moving up. Seattle’s third-year guard is closing in on Anthony Bradford in the competition for the job, and Pro Football Focus rated him the Seahawks’ best offensive player. The run-game work drew the praise, even if the holes were more gopher holes than anything wide open.
The other side of the list is where things get uncomfortable.
Brian Fleury is not under immediate fire at offensive coordinator, and no one is seriously calling for a change five games into the season. Mike Macdonald did not wait around to make a move with Ryan Grubb’s system last year, but that’s not the issue right now. Fleury still needs to get this offense moving.
Josh Jobe’s stock is sliding the wrong way. Mike Evans cooked him for 98 yards and a touchdown, and the perfect passer rating of 158.3 only made it worse.
The broader concern is that Jobe has gotten worse in every game since Week 1. That’s why trade chatter is starting to surface.
George Holani is also taking a hit. Before the San Francisco game, he was averaging 3.2 yards per carry.
After it, that number fell to 2.96. Then came the fumble in his own end zone, a mistake that only tightens the pressure in the backfield.
Sam Darnold sits in the middle of all this, which is exactly where the debate lives. He’s not being benched, and the feeling here isn’t that he should be.
But trust is the point. Darnold threw 20 interceptions last season, then steadied himself and was nearly spotless during the postseason run to the championship with zero turnovers.
The concern now is less about the picks and more about what’s happening before the throw. He doesn’t always seem to see the full field, doesn’t always work through his progressions, and can lock onto a target too early.
That has to change.
At the bottom, the tight end situation is hard to ignore. The rookie hasn’t made much noise as a pass catcher, which is a problem for a player billed that way.
He has only two targets through five games. And when you see Harold Fannin already up to 18 catches and three touchdowns, it’s impossible not to notice that Seattle passed on that kind of production in the second round.
In Other News...
Jaxon Smith-Njigba Just Became Seattle's Biggest Thursday Night X-Factor
Jaxon Smith-Njigbas week of practice offered a small dose of concern when the Seahawks receiver was limited by an ankle issue, but he heads into the matchup with Denver without an injury designation. That matters for a Seattle offense that has leaned on him heavily this season, with Smith-Njigba emerging as one of the teams most important playmakers through the first five games.
The timing only adds to the intrigue on Thursday night. Denver will be missing key defensive pieces in Pat Surtain II and Talanoa Hufanga, which opens a path for Seattle to keep feeding its top target if he looks like himself. For the Seahawks, the question is less about whether Smith-Njigba is available and more about how much damage he can do against a Broncos secondary that is suddenly shorthanded. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Suddenly Need A Spark From An Unsettling Backfield Situation
The Seahawks kept churning the bottom of the roster this week, signing running back Velus Jones Jr. off the practice squad and letting wide receiver Irv Charles go before bringing him back. It was the latest in a string of recent activations and releases involving the same players, a reminder of how fluid Seattles roster has become as it tries to navigate the back end of the season.
Jones has mostly made his mark on special teams this year, but the move also hints at a bigger role on offense if the team continues to be thin at running back. For a Seattle group looking for a spark, the backfield is suddenly one of the more unsettled spots on the roster, and the next few days could determine how much opportunity Jones gets to prove he can do more than cover kicks. [Read more 🡒]
Jaxon Smith-Njigba Brings Seahawks One Big Question Into Broncos Game
Jaxon Smith-Njigba gave the Seahawks a timely lift Wednesday by turning in a full practice session after being limited earlier in the week with an ankle injury. On a short week, that kind of update matters, especially with Seattle heading into Thursday Night Football against the Broncos and trying to keep its passing game on track.
Still, the abbreviated schedule leaves one real question hanging over the matchup. Full participation is a positive sign, but it does not automatically mean Smith-Njigba is fully over the ankle issue, so the Seahawks will be watching closely right up until kickoff to see how he responds. [Read more 🡒]