Breaking down where the Seahawks stand in key areas

Oct 12, 2024, 10:17 PM

Seattle Seahawks Artie Burns pass breakup San Francisco 49ers Deebo Samuel 2024...

Seattle Seahawks cornerback Artie Burns breaks up a pass intended for 49ers receiver Deebo Samuel on Thursday night. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

(Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

BY CAMERON VAN TIL

Seattle Sports

The Seattle Seahawks have had a mixed start to the Mike Macdonald era.

Through the first three weeks of the season, they were sitting at 3-0 as one of the NFL’s surprise teams after handling a favorable opening slate. But things have changed quickly, with three losses in an 11-day span dropping Seattle to 3-3 and exposing some warts that need fixing.

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After their latest defeat to the NFC West rival 49ers on Thursday night, the Seahawks now head into a mini-bye before traveling to Atlanta for a Week 7 matchup next Sunday. The extra time provides an opportunity for Seattle’s banged-up defense to get healthier. It also gives Macdonald & Co. a chance to regroup and make adjustments after a brutal recent stretch.

With the Seahawks just past the one-third mark of their season, here’s a look at where they stand among the NFL’s 32 teams in a number of key statistical areas.

BIG PICTURE

The Seahawks rank 11th in the league in scoring at 24.3 points per game, but that’s partly due to averaging the fourth-most possessions per game. Their 1.91 points per drive is middle of the pack at 17th.

On the other side of the ball, Seattle ranks 25th in scoring defense at 25.0 points allowed per game. Through the first three weeks, the Seahawks surrendered just 14.3 points per contest. But that came against an underwhelming cast of opposing quarterbacks – Denver rookie Bo Nix, New England journeyman Jacoby Brissett and Miami backups Skylar Thompson and Tim Boyle. During their three-game losing skid, the Seahawks have allowed a league-high 35.7 points per game. That dramatic increase coincided with various injuries and facing a pair of high-powered offenses in the Lions and 49ers.

TURNOVER PROBLEMS

The Seahawks have committed a league-high 10 turnovers and generated just four takeaways, including just one takeaway in their past five games. Their minus-6 turnover differential is tied for 29th in the league. It was especially prevalent on Thursday night, when they went minus-three in the turnover margin during their loss to San Francisco.

LEAKY RUN DEFENSE

Seattle’s run defense has struggled mightily, especially while missing some key defenders up front over the past three games. The Seahawks rank 27th with 144.7 rushing yards allowed per game, which includes a league-high 124.5 rushing yards per game allowed to running backs, according to Pro Football Reference. Seattle has surrendered 175-plus rushing yards in three of its six contests – 185 to New England, 175 to the New York Giants and a jarring 228 to San Francisco. Even more concerning: Those numbers came despite the Seahawks’ past two opponents missing their starting running backs.

SLOW STARTS

The Seahawks got off to fast starts in Week 2 and Week 3, exploding for back-to-back 17-point first halves against New England and Miami. But since then, their offense has sputtered to just 13 points combined in the first halves of their past three games. That’s put them in halftime deficits of 21-7 against Detroit and 16-3 against San Francisco.

GENO WATCH

Geno Smith is averaging a league-high 296.3 passing yards per game, but that’s come with a league-high 41.8 pass attempts per contest, as Seattle was forced to air it out and play catch-up against the Lions and 49ers. Smith has been pretty efficient, ranking 10th in completion rate at 68.9%. However, he is tied for the league high with six interceptions and is credited by Pro Football Focus with seven turnover-worthy plays. He still has had a decidedly above-average start to the season, ranking 10th among quarterbacks in PFF grading and 11th in ESPN’s QBR metric.

DK’s UPS AND DOWNS

With a trio of big performances in Weeks 2, 3 and 4, DK Metcalf became the first player in franchise history to record three consecutive 100-yard receiving games. For the season, he ranks eighth in the league with 78.2 receiving yards per game, putting him on pace to top his career-high 1,303 receiving yards from 2020. However, it’s been a bit of a mixed bag. For one, Metcalf has lost a costly fumble in each of the past two games. Also, he has just 31 receptions on 54 targets, which equates to the fourth-lowest catch rate among the league’s 40 most-targeted receivers.

O-LINE ISSUES

The Seahawks have struggled once again in pass protection, ranking 27th in PFF pass block grading. They are better in PFF’s run block grading, ranking slightly above average at 14th. Former first-round pick Charles Cross is PFF’s fifth-ranked tackle, but none of Seattle’s other four starting offensive linemen are graded in the upper 45% of their respective positions.

WHERE’S THE RUN GAME?

The Seahawks have had major trouble getting their rushing attack untracked. In the first halves of their six games, their running backs have totaled just 108 yards on 42 carries for an average of 2.6 yards per attempt. Making matters worse, the double-digit deficits against Detroit and San Francisco prompted Seattle to mostly abandon the run, which has contributed to a league-low 31.6% designed run rate. Add it all together and the numbers are not good: The Seahawks rank 27th with 96.5 rushing yards per game, including just 72 rushing yards per game from their running backs.

However, there has been increased involvement from Seattle’s running backs in the pass game. Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet have averaged 58.8 receiving yards per game, nearly double their combined 30.4 average from last season.

ANOTHER DEFENSIVE ISSUE

So far, defending tight ends has once again been a problem for the Seahawks. Seattle has allowed 57.3 receiving yards per game to tight ends, which is third-most in the league, according to Pro Football Reference. That includes four different tight ends who have topped the 45-yard receiving mark: Tennessee’s Hunter Henry (109), San Francisco’s George Kittle (58), Detroit’s Sam LaPorta (53), and the Giants’ Theo Johnson (48).

A BRIGHT SPOT

The Seahawks have been banged up with injuries along their defensive front. But when healthy, their pass rush has been relatively productive. They rank ninth in the league with 2.8 sacks per game. And according to Pro Football Reference, they are fourth in pressure rate (31.6%) despite ranking just 15th in blitz rate (25.5%).

Former second-round pick Derick Hall has had a breakout start to his second season, recording a team-high five sacks and 16 pressures, along with two forced fumbles and three tackles for loss. He is tied for fifth in the league in sacks and tied for sixth in pressures.

Boye Mafe has also had a strong start, totaling three sacks, 12 pressures and four tackles for loss despite missing two games. And veteran Leonard Williams has been a disruptive force when healthy, logging 1.5 sacks and 12 pressures despite missing nearly two full games.