Seahawks have a lot to fix in short week
The Seahawks came out on the wrong end against the Rams again. They just have a few days to fix some glaring errors before they face the Packers.
At first glance it’s hard to say the Seahawks need work. After all, they ran for 273 yards in Los Angeles, and that was without Chris Carson or D.J. Fluker. Guess I was wrong about how critical they were to the run game, huh? Russell Wilson threw three more touchdowns, the fifth time he’s pulled that off this season. Unfortunately, Wilson also made a critical turnover that was the difference in the game, and that can’t continue.
Tackle Duane Brown took the blame for letting Dante Fowler hit Wilson on the play. It’s true that Wilson was blindsided by Fowler, but this is hardly the first time the Seahawks have had a turnover at the worst possible time. Not that there’s ever a good time to hand the ball to your opponent, but six minutes left in the game is not optimal.
More from Seattle Seahawks News
- 4 prospects Seahawks could reach for at No. 20 in 2023 NFL Draft
- Seattle Seahawks Mock Draft: Post-first wave of free agency
- Seahawks podcast: A review of the first week of free agency
- 4 experiments the Seattle Seahawks could cut short in 2023
- 3 pros and cons of Seattle Seahawks drafting Anthony Richardson
All too often this season, Seattle has played just well enough to lose. The late strip sack in Los Angeles and the pair of pick six gifts from Wilson against the Bears and Chargers were the difference in each of those three losses. Change those three plays and the Seahawks are very likely 7-2 instead of 4-5. Or at least in much better shape for the playoffs, because their postseason chances are pretty dismal right now.
These are mistakes they have to fix. Brown and his buddies on the line need to protect Wilson, and the task won’t get easier against the Packers. Green Bay has piled up 31 sacks so far, and six players have at least two to their credit. That’s five more than the Rams in one less game. Without Aaron Donald, Los Angeles would have just 13.5 sacks. So the heat will be even hotter on Wilson Thursday night.
Seahawks need to stuff the run
The Seahawks need to contain the run, too. Giving up 120 yards to Todd Gurley is hardly a mortal sin, but they did a much better job containing him in the first meeting. The problem is that Seattle has been too inconsistent against the run. For every game like Detroit (held Lions to just 34 yards), there are two that saw the opponent go off for 150.
The Packers Aaron Jones may not be Gurley or Melvin Gordon, but he sure is running like them. After Sunday’s demolition of the Miami Dolphins, Jones is averaging a gaudy 6.8 yards per carry. In his worst game he carried the ball eight time for 41 yards to average over five yards. You could argue he’s running as well as anyone in the league right now.
Of course, he isn’t the only Aaron Seattle has to worry about. Aaron Rodgers has thrown 17 touchdowns and only been picked off once. He’s as deadly as ever, but outside of Davante Adams the Packers can’t boast the top-notch receiving corps they have in the past. Still, Rodgers is as dangerous as any quarterback has ever been, especially late in the game.
The Hawks need to get after Rodgers and force him into a few bad decisions. Sorta like what the Bears and Chargers did to us. Did I say Seattle had a lot to fix? Actually, they just need to clean up a few things. The line needs to keep the pocket clean for Wilson. The defense needs to contain the run and not give up breakaways. And it sure would be great to get some pressure on Rodgers. Whether that’s a few things or a lot, we’ll find out on Thursday night.