Jordan Love absolutely balled out in Week 4, looking way calmer in the pocket than we’ve seen in the last couple of weeks. Seriously, after the nerves started to show in the fourth quarter of Week 1, when it felt like he’d lost all trust in his offensive line and was moving around in pockets he clearly didn’t trust anymore, Week 4 was a total turnaround. That whole vibe? Gone.
Love’s Calm Is Back, And It Changes Everything
You saw it clear as day. That MarShawn Lloyd hurdle over the Buccaneers defender? Dude, Love was running a quick-game pass there, ball’s supposed to be out *fast*. But he was comfortable enough with the offensive line giving him an extra second or two to actually find his checkdown. In previous weeks, he’d probably be scrambling around, hoping for a miracle. That’s a huge step for his confidence and for the whole offense’s rhythm. The only really questionable throws were a deep shot to J. Michael Sturdivant, which honestly might have been Sturdivant’s fault for slowing down, and another deep shot to Matthew Golden. Even the interception? That wasn’t on Love at all. The deep thirds defender just totally broke his assignment, leaving Jonnu Smith wide open. It was a perfectly designed quick read, quick throw game plan, and a defender going off-script just caught them out, kinda like that pick against the Cleveland Browns last year.
The Run Game Finally Shows Up When It Counts
But here’s the kicker: they can actually run an offense now! The run game finally did enough to force the defense to respect it on play-action reps. And let’s be real, that’s arguably the single biggest benefit of running the ball effectively. Was it pretty? Nah, not always. The backs mostly went down on first contact, even when they were one-on-one with cornerbacks in those duo schemes. But who cares? They did *just enough* to make play-action a real threat, something that definitely wasn’t happening last week against the Atlanta Falcons. This is the first time since Week 1, when they were trying that poor outside zone and boot action offense, that the running game actually complemented the pass game. Except for that 4th and 1 at the goal line, where Rhyan totally blew a block and the defensive tackle didn’t even *think* about the run, just went straight for Jordan. That’s the kind of mistake you can’t have, but overall, there’s progress.
So, heading into Week 5 against the Chicago Bears, this is a whole new ballgame. With Love looking composed and the run game finally a factor, they’re going to challenge Chicago in ways the Bears probably aren’t ready for. This is where we see if this Week 4 performance was a fluke, or if this team has finally found its stride.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Acme Packing Company.
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