The Seahawks are 3-2, but the record has come with a sting. Two of those losses went down to the final possession, and a team that looked so sharp a year ago has spent too much time flirting with sloppy football. That leaves Mike Macdonald’s group heading into a short week with little room for drift as they travel to Denver on Thursday night.
If Seattle is going to steady itself after a tough divisional loss, it has to clean up a handful of issues fast. The Broncos are waiting, and the Seahawks need answers in a hurry.
The first one starts with the ground game. Seattle still hasn’t found a way to run the ball with real efficiency, no matter who’s carrying it.
Emanuel Wilson has been the most effective back, but the offense is still grinding too hard for too little on the ground. Denver’s defense offers at least some opening there; the Broncos are allowing 145.2 rushing yards per game, which ranks 29th in the league, and the Chargers’ committee just posted 4.6 yards per carry against them last week.
Up front, the question gets even bigger. The Seahawks’ offensive line is plainly missing Anthony Bradford.
Even before the injury, he was not exactly viewed as the strongest piece of the unit, but Seattle has clearly lost some of its edge in the trenches without his size and toughness. The Broncos’ front seven hasn’t been as stout as it was last season, yet there are still some problems waiting there.
The 49ers controlled the line of scrimmage last week, and Grey Zabel and Jalen Sundell could be in for a rough night trying to handle D.J. Jones and Zach Allen.
Then comes the quarterback. Which Sam Darnold shows up?
There are two versions. One gets the ball out on time, makes smart reads, and avoids forcing something that isn’t there.
The other hangs onto it too long, starts drifting in the pocket, and invites trouble with errant throws. Seattle needs the first version.
Darnold has regressed since the Super Bowl-winning season, and even though Patrick Surtain II is set to miss the game, Denver’s defense is coming off a Week 5 performance in which it forced three turnovers.
Seattle also needs somebody other than Jaxon Smith-Njigba to be dependable when the pressure rises. Smith-Njigba is always going to produce, and he will answer the call.
But he also showed in Week 5 that he’s not a superhero. That drop was ugly, and it underscored the bigger issue: the Seahawks do not have another consistently trustworthy target to lean on when the game tightens.
This offense can’t afford to be one injury, or one rare mistake, away from major problems.
And then there’s the defensive side, where Josh Jobe’s night against Mike Evans was rough from start to finish. Jobe was beaten on almost every big play, allowing five first downs and a touchdown on six catches. It was a tough watch, and it leaves a simple question hanging over Thursday night: how long is the leash?
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 🡒]