The Seahawks are six games deep into defending their Super Bowl title, and frankly, we are seeing some serious questions surface. We are sitting at a shaky 3-3, still in the playoff race, but right now the biggest question is not about this roster’s talent. It’s whether this talented squad can just stop beating itself and actually get back on track. Turnovers are piling up like crazy, and it’s making everything harder.
The Offense Can’t Get Out Of Its Own Way
It’s been a tough start for the offense, and all the problems are connected. Sam Darnold has struggled to find any consistency behind an offensive line that has serious protection problems. Then, the running game has been unreliable, making Darnold’s life even harder in the passing game. When we cannot stay ahead of the chains, defenses just get to dictate what happens. When protection breaks down, our quarterback’s decision-making window shrinks. And when possessions end in giveaways, even our excellent defense only has so many answers. No team in the league has allowed more points off turnovers than our Hawks, and that is a brutal stat. It’s why the spotlight is shining beyond just Darnold. How much of this falls on new offensive coordinator Brian Fleury? What adjustments is Mike Macdonald going to demand from his staff? We need to rebuild that complementary identity that made last season’s Seahawks so tough to beat, and we need it fast.
Who’s On The Hot Seat: Fleury or Darnold?
Andrew Destin, the new Seahawks beat reporter for The Athletic, gave some serious insight, telling us it’s all about “dollars and cents.” If the Seahawks are going to make a change, it’s going to be at offensive coordinator before they do anything at quarterback. Sam Darnold is getting paid over $30 million to be *the guy*. Mike Macdonald just came out last week after the Broncos game and basically said, “Yeah, he’s got our full faith. We fully believe in Sam Darnold.” The sentiment around the team is clear: they are not looking at Darnold as the issue that demands a benching.
Destin points out that Darnold is coming off the two best seasons of his career, and he’s also just coming off a glute injury. We are talking about only four games and change here, which is a tiny sample size in the grand scheme of things. So, if Brian Fleury isn’t the answer, that is who they would move off quicker than Darnold. It makes sense, right? You commit that kind of money to a quarterback, and you have to give him more than four games after an injury before pulling the plug.
So, heading into Sunday’s matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs, the stakes are sky-high. Can we finally stop beating ourselves? Can the offense find some rhythm, protect Darnold, and actually hold onto the ball? It’s time for the Hawks to find their identity again and prove they are still the Super Bowl champions.
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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