Check-In: At 4-5 heading into bye, Seahawks have plenty of work to do

SEATTLE (AP) — The story of the Seattle Seahawks’ 2024 season can so far be told in two distinct chapters.

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There was the hopeful 3-0 start, in which Seattle beat Denver, New England and Miami, each of which was playing with either a rookie or a backup quarterback.

Chapter two is the 1-5 stretch since, in which the Seahawks’ defense has struggled to stop the run and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb hasn’t been able to get Seattle’s run game working.

With quarterback Geno Smith leading the league in passing, not everything is bad in Seahawks-land. But coach Mike Macdonald — hired for his expertise on the defensive side — is leading a team that ranks in the lower half of the league in total defense, pass defense, rush defense and runs allowed.

NFL standings

The Seahawks have plenty of work to do in their final eight games.

• What’s working

The passing game has surpassed expectations, with Smith leading the NFL in passing yards and yards per game.

Smith has a 68.1% completion rate, has exceeded 360 yards in two games and has gone over 300 in two more. He’s put up those numbers while being sacked 28 times, fourth most in the NFL.

He has thrown some costly interceptions, but overall, Smith has given the Seahawks chances to win games that otherwise could have been blowouts.

• What needs help

The offense line has been hampered by injuries, penalties and silly mistakes. Right tackle has been a revolving door, with Abraham Lucas missing the first nine games after knee surgery, and George Fant going down in Week 1 with a knee injury. That forced rookie Michael Jerrell into a starting role.

Center Connor Williams has struggled to snap the ball reliably, with one high snap leading to a fumble that took the Seahawks out of touchdown range in the game against Buffalo. Smith also had to reach for a few inaccurate snaps in Sunday’s 26-20 overtime loss to the Rams.

• Stock up

Second-year WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba has come into his own with a pair of big performances, giving the Seahawks a third dynamic pass-catcher alongside DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. Smith-Njigba had 12 catches for 117 yards in Seattle’s Week 2 win over New England. He set a career high with 180 yards on seven catches against the Rams.

“He was all over the place,” Smith said. “He played with extreme fire. Shoot, he was just doing his thing. That’s who he is. We’ve got to continue to build on that. He’s a guy who is only going to get better and (I) really appreciate playing with him.”

Through nine games, Smith-Njigba is only 60 yards away from matching his rookie total of 628 receiving yards.

• Stock down

Last season with Macdonald as coordinator, the Baltimore Ravens’ defense led the league in points allowed, sacks, and takeaways, the first team ever to lead the league in all three categories. But he’s been unable to get anywhere near that level of success with Seattle.

The Seahawks’ defense ranks 23rd in the NFL in yards allowed and 27th in rushing yards allowed at 139.4 per game.

“We’ve got guys that fought, but we have to go to work and make this right because right now we’re doing too many things that, it’s not winning football, it’s not complementary,” Macdonald said. “And just the same mentality we’ve had every week, we’ve got to keep that going, and we’re going to find the solution at some point.”

• Key number

28 — The Seahawks rank 28th in the NFL in rushing with an average of 91.2 yards per game. Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet have combined for 611 yards.

Despite repeated attempts by Grubb and Macdonald improve the run game, the struggles have continued. Walker has 398 yards on 99 carries and is averaging an career-low 56.9 yards per game.

The Seahawks finished 28th in the NFL in rushing last season, too.

• Up next

The schedule continues to be tough after the bye when Seattle plays at San Francisco, the first of three road games in its next four.

Seattle Seahawks coverage

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• Huard: An added factor in Seahawks’ O-line struggles
• Why Macdonald feels Seahawks are ready to turn corner
• Diamond in the rough? Seahawks practice squad call-up shines
• The positive change Huard saw in Seattle Seahawks’ defensive scheme