Analysis: Grading the Seahawks at the almost quarter pole of season
SEATTLE – With the Seahawks standing at 3-1 and entering a “mini-bye’’ – a weekend off following Thursday’s 23-20 win at Arizona – coach Mike Macdonald gave something of a state of the team address.
“We’re a good football team,” Macdonald said during his radio show Friday morning on Seattle Sports 710. “We could be a great team. We’ve got a lot of room for growth.”
That all feels accurate.
The Seahawks entered the weekend fifth in the NFL in points scored per game (27.8) and fourth in points allowed per game (16.8).
They’ve won two road games against teams that are a combined 4-1, blew out a rebuilding Saints team in the manner that good teams do, and are nine yards away from being undefeated.
It hasn’t been perfect – that 49ers loss could haunt them.
But the Seahawks taking a little break as they reach the almost-quarter pole of the season is a good time to hand out some almost-quarterly grades.
• Quarterback: Sam Darnold has almost been more than the Seahawks could have hoped for through four games, completing 70 of 100 passes and averaging a whopping 9.1 yards per attempt while displaying the kind of mobility that the team thought would make him a perfect fit for the offense of new coordinator Klint Kubiak. As this is written, Darnold is ranked first among all QBs this week by Pro Football Focus.
The only thing stopping him from a perfect grade so far is wondering if there was anything he could possibly have done to prevent the fumble at the end against the 49ers (maybe nothing, but Darnold himself allowed there might have been).Grade: A-minus.
• Running back: The Seahawks running numbers are not great – their average per game of 110.8 yards is 16th while the yards per carry of 3.6 is 26th and down from 4.2 of last season.
But in general, it seems as if the issues are more up front and involving the overall operation more than with the play of running backs Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet. Walker, ranked fourth by PFF, is averaging 4.2 yards per carry (58-244) a half-yard better than his 3.7 of last season. Charbonnet is at 2.5 (39 for 96) but has seemed to have even less room to run. Grade: B-minus.
• Receiver: Jaxon Smith-Njigba is rated No. 2 among WRs heading into the weekend by Pro Football Focus and on pace for 1,709 yards. His lowest receiving game of 79 against the Cardinals is better than the highest of his rookie season in 2023 (63). In other words, he’s become the WR1 the Seahawks envisioned when taking him 20th overall in 2023.
Cooper Kupp’s numbers (15-162) may not be to the level many expected. But he’s shown he can still come up with the clutch catch when needed and the guess here is he ends up having a few big games before the season is done.
Tory Horton (6-74, 2 TDs) has shown flashes and big-play potential with the hope consistency will come. Grade: B-plus.
• Tight end: The Seahawks’ tight ends aren’t putting up mammoth receiving numbers – a combined 13 for 175 and two touchdowns. But the contributions have seemed really timely, and with AJ Barner (7-81, 2 TDs) and Elijah Arroyo (5-82) in their second and first year in the NFL, there’s a realistic expectation for a lot more down the road. Eric Saubert has provided toughness and good special teams play to this group. Grade: B.
• Offensive line: The Seahawks’ OL feels like a conundrum. While the running game hasn’t really gotten going the way people hoped – especially after the first two preseason games – it’s shown some flashes (notably the second half of the Steelers game). And Darnold has had the needed time most of the time (the final play against the 49ers an obvious exception). Charles Cross has been the expected standout, ranked seventh among all tackles this week by PFF.
Right tackle Abraham Lucas is ranked 28th out of 69, while guards Grey Zabel and Anthony Bradford are 31st and 53rd, respectively, out of 74 and center Jalen Sundell is 26th of 36. But in what may sound like a broken record, this is a relatively young group – Lucas is the oldest at 26 with the rest 25 or younger – that should get better the more they play together. Grade: B-minus.
• Defensive line: Leonard Williams is again playing like an All-Pro – and maybe this year he’ll finally get that honor – while Byron Murphy II is playing like a first-round pick and Jarran Reed is steady as ever. Add it up and the Seahawks have been one of the best run-defending teams in the NFL so far (allowing 3.6 yards per carry, fourth-fewest) and garnering high pressure rates despite rarely blitzing. The only worry is keeping everyone fresh for the stretch drive. Grade: A.
• Rush end
The Seahawks didn’t have a sack from a rush end until the Cardinals game. But that doesn’t seem to illustrate how the Seahawks have generally gotten good pressure and forced QBs to throw quickly. And the sack numbers figure to go up now that Uchenna Nwosu appears back after his two sacks against Arizona, though the Seahawks have to hope DeMarcus Lawrence’s thigh injury is indeed not a big deal. Grade: B.
• Inside linebacker
Middle linebacker Ernest Jones IV ranks 15th of 70 linebackers from PFF, has two interceptions in four games along with a team-leading 33 tackles and is ably working as Mike Macdonald’s on-field communicator to get everyone set. But there’s been a shift at the weakside spot as Drake Thomas got the start and more snaps against Arizona than did Tyrice Knight, who missed much of camp with a knee injury and an unspecified medical issue. That spot may continue to be a rotation. Grade: B-plus.
• Safety
The lack of big plays allowed speaks to the job the Seahawks safeties are doing. And that’s with relying on backups Ty Okada and D’Anthony Bell to play significant snaps because of injury. Okada is ranked 22nd of all safeties in 89 snaps. The main nit to pick is just a few too many missed tackles. And this group should get a boost when Nick Emmanwori comes back likely as soon as the Tampa Bay game Oct. 5 after being sidelined with a high ankle sprain after just four snaps against the 49ers. Grade: B-plus.
• Cornerback: This spot has been a tale of two sides of the field. Josh Jobe has been a revelation and Devon Witherspoon has been solid when healthy, ranking 16th of all corners so far. Derion Kendrick filled in better than anyone could have imagined when he stepped into the nickel spot for two games, getting an interception in each.
But Riq Woolen remains an enigma. He has six penalties, two glaring misplays that helped cost the 49ers game, and has lost his spot as one of the two starters in the base defense to Jobe. But NFL Next Gen Stats also revealed that he has spent the third-most time in tight coverage, illustrating his one-on-one ability, as valuable a trait as any corner can have.
If Macdonald can smooth out Woolen’s rough edges this could be an even more elite group. Grade: B.
• Special teams: The wins over the Steelers and Saints turned greatly on special teams plays by the Seahawks, and while Jason Myers missed a field goal that could have put the Cardinals away earlier he did at least make the one that counted the most. Horton’s emergence as a punt returner is one of the better long-term revelations so far as the Seahawks haven’t had much consistency at that spot. Grade: A-minus.
• Coaching: There are always play calls here and there to dissect and the decision not to go for a late fourth-down against the 49ers and settle for a field goal was easily questioned when the Seahawks lost. But the bigger picture is that the defense seems to be taking another step forward in Macdonald’s second year coordinating it and Kubiak indeed appears to have an offensive plan that is getting the most out of Darnold and is staying committed to the run in a way that appears to help the rest of the offense, with the hope that production will soon follow. Grade: B-plus.