The Seahawks sit at 1-2 to start the season after suffering a tough loss to the Minnesota Vikings on the road in Week 3. Seattle failed to score in the second half and struggled on defense from start to finish, creating plenty of cause for concern just three weeks into the 2021 campaign.

Hawks lose: Takeaways: D the issue again | Fast Facts

As we do after every Seahawks game, we have collected the instant reactions to the loss from 710 ESPN Seattle’s. Read what they have to say below, and tune in to 710 ESPN Seattle all day Monday for full Seahawks coverage beginning with The Mike Salk Show at 6 a.m. and The Pete Carroll Show at 9:30.

Mike Salk – The Mike Salk Show

If we debated last week which unit was most responsible for the loss, that shouldn’t be much of a question after getting blown up in Minnesota.

Pete Carroll’s defense did very little right in giving up 30 more points to the Vikings. They were run on, thrown on, out-hit, outmaneuvered, out-thought, out… well, you get the idea.

The Seahawks have invested in their defense. Yet the linebackers struggled against screens and in zone coverage despite that group being comprised of their highest-paid defensive player (Bobby Wagner), a first-rounder (Jordyn Brooks), and the second-rounder they nearly drafted in the first round (Darrell Taylor).

Their secondary struggled versus noted gunslinger Kirk Cousins despite the investments of safeties Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs and second-round pick Marquise Blair, who missed Sunday’s game due to injury.

And their defensive line generated no pressure and was run through by backup running backs despite the offseason money spent on Kerry Hyder Jr., Carlos Dunlap, Al Woods and others.

But let’s be clear, this was a total team failure. After a hot start, the offense sputtered and failed (once again) to adjust. The coaching decisions were equally questionable, including a fourth-and-7 punt in the fourth quarter and a timeout before a field goal down two scores.

The NFL waits for no one, and the Seahawks will need to get this figured out in a hurry before heading to San Francisco to face their archrivals next Sunday.

Bob Stelton – Wyman and Bob

For the second week in a row, we’ve watched this Seahawks team play some incredibly inconsistent and ugly football.

At this point, I have almost zero expectations when it comes to the defense. While I don’t think it’s an elite defense by any stretch, the Seahawks have too much talent on that side of the ball for them to be as inept as they are. If they are playing guys that continue to make the same mistakes every week, then sit them down. I don’t care what their name is or how much they’re being paid.

That goes for the coaches, as well. If this is truly “Pete’s defense” and defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. is just doing what he’s told, then Pete needs to relinquish control of it. If this is Norton’s defense and what we’re watching (and have been watching for a few seasons now) is a result of his coaching, then he needs to be moved out of that position. Either way, a change (or changes) needs to be made before this season gets away from them.

As for the offense, they have yet to score in the third quarter this season and have just six total points in the second half of the last two games, including one overtime session.

Although you could argue that scoring 30 points last week should be enough to win, scoring 17 points in the first half and being shut out in the second half just isn’t going to get it done like this week.

It’s time for players and coaches on both sides of the ball to be held accountable for what this team has been so far this season. If changes need to be made, then make them before it’s too late to save the season!

The Groz – 710 ESPN Seattle host emeritus

For the second week in a row, the Seahawks utterly collapsed in the fourth quarter. The difference this week is the collapse started in the second quarter, and the Seahawks were routed by Minnesota 30-17 in a game that was not nearly as close as the score would indicate.

After a nice 30-yard run by Chris Carson put the Hawks up 17-7 with 12 minutes to go in the first half, the offense simply ceased to exist. The rest of the way they managed no points and just five first downs.

Having someone who has never called plays before (offensive coordinator Shane Waldron) appears to be a serious problem. Russell Wilson takes a huge amount of the blame, as well. He is the fail safe, the veteran QB who can react to what he sees at the line of scrimmage and make the right calls. Well, not from where I’m sitting.

The defense was a disaster all day. As I tweeted during the game, whatever the Seahawks are doing with Jamal Adams and Carlos Dunlap is not working. The D allowed 453 yards, forced zero turnovers and let the Vikes convert about 75% of their third downs. Just for good measure, you had a missed field goal, as well.

As far as I’m concerned, I didn’t see anything that makes me feel like this is a good football team. It is just two games, but it’s two really bad ones. And at the age of 70, Pete Carroll is going to have to use all his experience to turn this thing around.

Mike Lefko – Producer, Wyman and Bob

If there were questions last week about whether the loss fell on the offense or the defense, they were answered this week: This one is clearly on the defense.

Ten points on two consecutive drives from the end of the second quarter and opening drive of the third flipped a three-point lead to a seven-point deficit, and by the time Russell Wilson touched the ball in the second half, nearly nine minutes had ticked off the clock. The Vikings’ offensive line completely owned the day, opening space for backup running back Alexander Mattison to rush for over 100 yards and giving Kirk Cousins enough time in the pocket to get his receivers open. No one benefited more from an upright Cousins more than Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who took advantage of an overmatched Tre Flowers to rack up 118 yards on nine receptions.

The defense just couldn’t get off the field. The Vikings were 9 for 14 on third down and put together scoring drives of 8 1/2 minutes and 7 minutes in the second half.

The Seahawks’ offense disappeared in the second half again, but this time I put it more on the situation. Playing from behind with limited possessions enabled the Vikings defense to pin back their ears and make the Seahawks one-dimensional.

The opening drive of the game showed a perfect blend of establishing Chris Carson and finding ways to get DK Metcalf involved in the game. The next step in this acclimation for Shane Waldron is now finding ways (and doing it quickly) to keep that creativity and run/pass balance sustained for an entire game.

It’s gut check time for the Seahawks. The next two weeks against the 49ers and Rams will define this season.

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