The Seahawks just dropped another game, 32-29, to the Niners at Lumen Field. But that close loss is part of a much bigger, much uglier picture: turnovers. In their last three losses, to the 49ers, Rams, and Commanders, the Hawks were beaten by a combined total of only eight points, yet they lost the turnover battle by an alarming 11-4.
Sam Darnold’s Costly Picks
Look, Sam Darnold has his share of the blame, and you can’t ignore it. Out of those 11 giveaways in the last three losses, Darnold was responsible for a full eight of them through his interceptions. Eight picks in three games? That’s a clear issue with ball security, and he’s gotta clean that up fast. While Darnold absolutely deserves criticism, he’s not the only one fumbling the ball, literally and figuratively.
The Macdonald Era’s Unshakeable Turnover Habit
But as frustrating as Darnold’s picks are, the problem goes way deeper than any single player. Under Head Coach Mike Macdonald, who took over in 2024, there haven’t been many consistent weaknesses for this team. But the one thing that has been a relentless, high-volume issue? You guessed it: turnovers. Here’s a stat that’ll make your jaw drop: the Seahawks have turned the ball over at least twice in a game a whopping 20 times since 2024. That’s 20 games out of 39 regular season matchups, and 20 out of 42 overall games if you count the playoffs. Roughly half of every game under Macdonald has been a multi-giveaway day for the Hawks. We’re talking about a serious negligence when it comes to protecting the football, something that even led to Riq Woolen fumbling his last Seahawks interception right back to the Minnesota Vikings.
And get this, you do not want to see the Seahawks lumped in with the Cleveland Browns in any negative category, but here we are: only the Cleveland Browns have turned it over 2+ times more often than Seattle since 2024. Ouch. The only time this team has gone consecutive games without a turnover under Macdonald was that stretch from Week 18 against the San Francisco 49ers in 2025 through Week 1 against the New England Patriots this season. That five-game run, which included winning the NFC West, the Super Bowl, and a win on banner-raising night, was the outlier, not the new normal. And that’s the kicker.
We’ve seen what this team can do when they protect the rock, but right now, the ball security issues are holding us back from winning those nail-biters. It’s not just about one player; it’s a consistent trend that needs to change for the Hawks to be who we know they can be.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Field Gulls.
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