It was not the 41-6 blowout we all remember, but the Seattle Seahawks just took their fifth consecutive regular season home loss to the San Francisco 49ers, falling 32-29 in what was easily the most bizarre and damaging one yet. We’re talking continued turnover issues and straight-up lackluster execution that led to a well-deserved defeat. This ain’t last season, folks. The Hawks are now multiple games out of first place without a tiebreaker, and while October isn’t the end of the world, it’s getting mighty tough to see us repeating as NFC West champs with how things are looking on current form.
Defense Showing Up, Kicker Delivering Under Pressure
Look, it wasn’t all gloom and doom, especially when you squint at the defense. Byron Murphy II is playing out of his mind, flat-out All-Pro level. He’s blowing up runs, he sacked Brock Purdy twice, and he’s just elite. For my money, he was the best defensive player on the field for us, and he’s gonna get PAID next year. You love to see it.
Nehemiah Pritchett is another bright spot, totally balling out. He delivered a huge special teams wallop on Jacob Cowing to force a turnover, then snatched an interception off Purdy for his second turnover involvement of the game. This dude is one of the great stories for the Hawks in 2026, stepping up big time after Riq Woolen’s departure and earning his spot in the first-team rotation.
Ernest Jones IV? He’s the anchor, plain and simple. Not much to complain about from the overall defensive showing, despite some late run defense struggles and one particular player’s coverage issues. Jones was so good he even got Dre Greenlaw tossed for that silly headbutt. Ernest bagged another sack, kept George Kittle quiet with tight coverage, and led the team in tackles. When Ernest racks up tackles, you know it’s not just for show, it’s real impact.
And can we get a shoutout to Jason Myers? Five-for-five on field goals, and these weren’t just chippies. He nailed every extra point, too. After a very iffy outing against the Chargers, Myers absolutely stepped up and did his job, keeping us in this wild game. That’s the Myers we expect every single week.
The Darnold Dilemma and Fumbling Woes
Alright, but then there’s the other side of the coin, and it’s a big one. It’s officially time to worry about Sam Darnold. That was just plain bad. He’s seeing ghosts again, and honestly, it’s seriously worrying. We’re talking two more dreadful interceptions and some head-scratching sacks. Whatever positive plays he managed to make, they were completely overshadowed by the game-damaging negatives. I’m not in “Bench Sam Darnold” mode, and it feels wild that we’re even having this conversation for a second different era of starting quarterback with Drew Lock. But this version of Darnold? No way he’s worth a long-term investment. I gotta question if he came back too early from injury. He’s just not ripping passes with confidence consistently, and he’s barely taking any deep downfield shots. Something is clearly off, because this is the absolute worst he’s looked as a Seahawks quarterback.
And speaking of things that are off, it might be a wrap for George Holani. The guy has fumbled three times already this season, and he hasn’t even managed to get a single 10-yard run yet. Three fumbles before a meaningful gain? That just can’t happen.
So, where does that leave us? This 32-29 loss stings, especially being multiple games out of first place so early. The season isn’t over in October, there’s still a ton of football to be played, but the reality is stark: on our current form and with the remaining schedules, it’s getting harder and harder to see us bringing home an NFC West repeat. We need to turn this ship around, and fast.
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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