Coming off a huge Week 4 win, the Seattle Seahawks followed it up with a disheartening loss on Thursday Night Football. Through the first quarter of the season, the Seahawks have consistently run into the same problems. Just when it seemed they were turning the corner, they shot themselves right back in the foot. In spite of that, the game was still a toss-up. Meaning, it could have gone either way.
In fact, their Week 5 game is kind of a synopsis of the season; they play well enough to win, but do enough bad to lose. That has been what is most frustrating about the early 2021 season. The Seahawks now fall to 2-3 and move back into last place of the daunting NFC West.
Along with the loss, came a huge injury sustained to Russell Wilson. While there is no timetable for his return, it is safe to assume there is a dark cloud reigning over Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington.
Here are three takeaways from the alarming Week 5 loss.
3 takeaways from Seahawks Week 5 loss versus Rams
What do we make of this defense?
In 2020, the Seattle Seahawks defense got off to a very similar start to that of the 2021 defense. They let up over 400 yards per game, are on pace to be historically bad and then flip the switch at the halfway mark of the season. The reason being is because the halfway mark of the season is typically right after the trade deadline and as we have seen in years past, the Seahawks always have something up their sleeve. But, the problem in 2021 thus far is that the offense hasn’t been able to overcompensate for the poor defensive performances.
In the first half of the Week 5 game against the Rams, the defense truly did a stellar job. The pressure up front rattled Stafford a little bit, which was on display with the 3 or 4 early overthrows. Quandre Diggs had another interception, giving the Seattle offense an extra opportunity at scoring the ball. I thought D.J. Reed put together his best game of the year, playing with an extreme amount of confidence. As highlighted numerous times by the FOX commentary team, Reed was aggressive in coverage, playing on the line of scrimmage and not 8-10 yards back.
Is that a potential fix to this defense? In the second half, we saw Robert Woods just continually slice his way through the defense on a simple over route. Do the Seahawks need to go more man-to-man? Does Ryan Neal need to see more playing time? In Week 4, against San Fransisco, Neal was all over the place on third down, making great plays in coverage guarding George Kittle. Yet, it was as if he was in the early Halloween spirit last night and became a ghost.
Regardless, the Seahawks defense has issues and they don’t have time to wait until the trade deadline. Especially, with an injury to Russell Wilson. Whether they have to consider a trade or sign a free agent, with 10 days until the next game, now is the time to strike.
Too many missed chances
Football is a game of inches and the team that executes better, typically wins regardless of talent. The Seahawks had so many opportunities in Week 5 against the Rams. As advertised, the game was a slugfest. Two physical teams going at it in an early October game with a lot on the line. What has made the Seahawks so good at winning one-score games is their unique ability to overcome the odds and execute at an elite level. Unfortunately, that was not the case this past Thursday.
The Seahawks opening drive got put to a halt when they punted on 4th and 3 just past midfield. Watching the game, I’m sure many 12s were thinking the same thing I was on that 4th and 3 – go for it! Well, we all really should have known better as the Seahawks ended up punting it away.
But, the Seahawks did prove themselves right for not going for it on 4th and 3 when they ran it to Aaron Donald’s side on 4th and 2 in LA territory. Anytime is it 4th down and Russell Wilson is your quarterback, you put the ball in his hands. QB sneak, RPO, play-action or just a basic passing play, trust that Wilson is good enough to get the job done.
Despite the poor play calling on 4th down, the Seahawks were still in good shape nearing the end of the first half. Up 7-3, Seattle had the ball with just over a minute left. This was the golden opportunity to double dip as they got the ball to start the second half. The drive was kicked off with a beautiful wheel route to DeeJay Dallas on a well-designed play.
Then, the frustration kicked in. With just seconds remaining, Wilson sprinkled some of the Action Green magic maneuvering through the pocket and finding Tyler Lockett in the back of the end zone. Only for it to be called back by a ticky-tack holding call. This forced Seattle to settle for a field goal and to make matters worse, they missed.
That was a huge momentum shifter. In the second half, Matthew Stafford hit a 68-yard bomb to DeSean Jackson on a third down. It was more of a chuck than a designed play and poor coverage by Jamal Adams allowed Jackson to complete the catch and follow it up with 30 more yards on the ground. The Rams score and go up 9-7.
On the following Seahawks drive, Wilson has Lockett on a double move — which was a gorgeous route — and overthrows him by about two yards. On the same play, Wilson ends up hurting his finger and misses the remainder of the game. That truthfully summarizes the frustrating Week 5 loss.
Where do we go from here?
First, it is worth noting that Geno Smith did a fantastic job last night. Although the Rams defense isn’t what it was last year, Smith came in on his first drive and led the Seahawks on a 99-yard drive capped off with a D.K. Metcalf touchdown.
Smith didn’t have a single incomplete pass and looked very poised against a swarming Rams defense that was looking to end the game. Smith is a seasoned vet and may be the quarterback moving forward. Of course, Russell Wilson’s health is the largest question looming over this organization today.
The second biggest question mark is the defense. Media outlets will rip the defense today and more notably, Pete Carroll, for going consecutive seasons with a horrendous defense. But, let’s not act as the season ended on Thursday night. Yes, the defense has some major holes. Yes, the Seahawks are back in last place of the division. However, Seattle has a prime chance of getting back on track over these next three weeks.
Two of their next three games are on primetime. Week 6, they go on the road to Pittsburgh to take on the struggling Steelers and in Week 7, on Monday Night Football, they face the stagnant Saints in Seattle. In Week 8 — prior to the bye week — they face the Jaguars at home. Say what you want about Pete Carroll, but they have one of the best primetime records over the last decade. The Seahawks have a really solid chance to turn this season around over the next month.
Lastly, can we please stop acting as Wilson will never suit up in a Seahawks uniform again? 12s need to stop with the farewells and appreciation posts. This is a long season and there is a lot of football left to be played. We don’t know what moves are going to be made and what adjustments will be set in place in the upcoming weeks. Most importantly, we don’t know what lies ahead. But, don’t fool yourselves; we all love the adrenaline rush we get when we watch Seattle.