Another brutal loss to the San Francisco 49ers, 32-29, just dropped our Seattle Seahawks to 3-2, and it felt way too familiar. We choked one we absolutely should’ve won, riddled with offensive turnovers, leaving us unable to close out a game that was right there for the taking. This 3-2 record mirrors last season’s Week 5 standing after a similar 38-35 home loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Sure, we went on an incredible 14-1 run after that Week 5 loss last year to win the Super Bowl, but let’s be real, repeating that miracle is highly unrealistic.
Ball Security Is The Only Road Forward
The scoreboard might make it look like our defense got shredded, but anyone who watched knows they actually played really well and kept us in the game, even forcing two turnovers themselves. The truth is, it was the offensive turnovers that dug us into a hole we couldn’t climb out of. Three touchdown drives that spanned a total of less than 30 yards are almost impossible to overcome. Settling for five field goals, even with Jason Myers nailing every single one of his kicks and extra points, is just a recipe for failure. Just one more touchdown instead of a field goal on any of those drives would’ve totally changed the outcome.
Turnovers are always a factor, but they’re a *huge* problem for the Seahawks under Mike Macdonald right now. We took excellent care of the ball at the end of the 2025 season, and that was a massive reason why we brought home the Super Bowl trophy. Sam Darnold’s interceptions are a clear issue, but honestly, the running back fumbles were even more egregious. We were spoiled with guys like Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet, who just didn’t cough up the ball. This game, both Emmanuel Wilson and George Holani fumbled once, and Holani nearly fumbled again trying to run down the sideline. Until we take care of the damn ball, we won’t be the team we want to be.
Fleury’s Offense Needs A Pulse Beyond JSN
Offensive Coordinator Brian Fleury was brought in to keep Seattle playing “Seahawks Football,” which means running the ball and being efficient in the passing game. Right now, the efficiency is lacking, and relying so heavily on Myers is a symptom of a deeper problem: we need touchdowns. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is still absolutely our only viable threat on offense, hauling in five catches for 102 yards and a touchdown against the Niners. Yeah, he had an uncharacteristic drop on third down during the final drive, but realistically, we wouldn’t have even been in the game without him. Brian Fleury has to find a way to get others more involved in this offense and take some pressure off JSN.
The Dreaded Sam Darnold Conversation Begins
With Darnold’s performance, brace yourselves, Seattle, because a “Sam Darnold Conversation” is officially on the horizon if he keeps playing like this. Darnold is going to want an extension in the offseason, and John Schneider has proven he can make very tough quarterback decisions in the past. When you’re looking at what Brian Fleury wants for “Seahawks Football,” you have to wonder if there’s another quarterback out there, or even already on the roster, who could play that style at a fraction of the price. The ball security simply has to improve across the board, starting with the guy under center, if we want to turn this season around.
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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