The Seattle Seahawks enter their mini-bye with plenty to sort out and not much margin for error.
After the Thursday Night Football loss, Seattle sits at 3-3 and has dropped three of its last four games. That’s already as many defeats as the team had all of last season, and they’ve reached that mark in only six games. The biggest issues showing up right now are hard to miss: a shaky run game, turnovers, Sam Darnold’s costly interceptions in crunch time, and what the source describes as improper player usage, especially on offense.
The timing, though, at least gives the Seahawks something they badly need - space. They have 10 days to get ready for the unbeaten Kansas City Chiefs at home, while Kansas City comes in with six days of rest after beating the Los Angeles Chargers. Seattle also has a familiar face waiting in that matchup: former starting running back and Super Bowl LXI MVP Kenneth Walker III.
And that’s where the season can swing one way or the other.
If the Seahawks use the extra time well, they could come out against the Chiefs with one of their best efforts of the year and begin cleaning up the problems that have dogged them through six weeks. That would also set them up for a road trip to the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football in Week 8, followed by a home game against the Arizona Cardinals and then a visit to the Las Vegas Raiders.
Seattle’s stretch after the Chiefs looks manageable on paper, and the Raiders game adds another layer because they’ll be facing head coach and former Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. If the offense gets its communication and usage issues straightened out, the Seahawks could be sitting at 6-4 or 7-3 when this stretch is over.
But the other path is there too, and it’s ugly.
If the offensive coaches and players keep missing each other, the fixes may not stick. And even if Seattle makes changes, that progress can disappear fast if the Chiefs take control and force the Seahawks back into bad habits.
The warning signs are obvious. If Darnold keeps making the same late-game mistakes, if the offensive line continues to lose ground at the line of scrimmage, or if the running backs keep putting the ball in danger or missing open lanes, Seattle’s offense will stay stuck. That would leave the Seahawks scraping for scoring chances against the teams coming up.
In that version of the schedule, Seattle could lose its next two, beat Arizona, and then fall to Las Vegas. That would put the Seahawks at 4-6 heading into the bye before they face the undefeated San Francisco 49ers in Week 12. If things go even further off the rails and Seattle loses to Arizona too, the team would be 3-7, with only a highly unlikely path left to the playoffs.
In Other News...
Seahawks Suddenly Have A Tight End Problem They Can't Ignore
Elijah Arroyos shoulder injury has pushed the Seahawks into a spot they cant really gloss over at tight end, especially with the severity still being sorted out after the recent game. Seattle moved quickly by signing veteran Josiah Deguara to the practice squad, a clear sign the team wanted another body in the room while it waits for a better read on Arroyos timeline.
The timing makes the situation more delicate because the Seahawks are also waiting on another key offensive update in running back Zach Charbonnet, who has been sidelined with an ACL injury. Even if Arroyos absence turns out to be manageable, Seattle is suddenly navigating depth concerns at multiple spots, and what happens next at tight end could shape how the offense handles the next stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Defense Has One Frustrating Flaw Fans Can't Ignore
The Seahawks have spent enough time around the top of the league conversation defensively to know where the frustration is coming from. But the red-zone numbers have become impossible to overlook, with Seattle allowing touchdowns on 75% of opponents' red-zone drives this season, a sharp drop from last year's 50%. In the overtime loss to Denver, that issue surfaced again when the Broncos finished both of their red-zone chances with touchdowns, leaving Seattle to chase the game in a spot where its defense has usually been expected to hold firm.
Brock Huard added to the criticism after the game, pointing to specific plays where the Seahawks failed to keep Denver out of the end zone. For a unit with bigger ambitions, the concern is not just the single loss but the pattern underneath it, one that keeps showing up in the tightest moments and keeps turning strong defensive stretches into costly breakdowns. Until that changes, Seattle's defense will keep inviting the same uncomfortable questions. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Are Taking A Chance On An Overlooked Run Game Fix
The Seahawks added a couple of familiar-looking pieces to the practice squad this week, signing undrafted rookie fullback Jackson Acker and tight end Josiah Deguara. It is the kind of move that usually flies under the radar in midseason, but for a team still looking for answers in the run game, it stands out as more than just roster churn.
Acker brings the sort of size and speed that can matter in short-yardage and in creating cleaner paths for the backs, which is part of why Seattle is taking a look. The broader issue has been the Seahawks' recent rushing struggles, and the team may be hoping this new mix of personnel can give them another option as they map out what the ground game looks like in upcoming games. [Read more 🡒]