3 things we learned from Seattle Seahawks Week 15 loss to Rams

The Seattle Seahawks fell to 5-9 in 2021 with a 20-10 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 15. Seattle will have their first losing season since 2011.

Some may point to Russell Wilson’s injury for the lost year, but this would not completely be the truth. Seattle needs to make some offseason changes for the betterment of the future of the franchise.

On Tuesday, however, the Seahawks lost for several reasons. One had to do with key players like Tyler Lockett being on the COVID/reserve list. But Seattle never scores much against the Rams anyway, so Lockett playing may not have made much of a difference. At least, not enough for Seattle to win the game.

We did learn a few things on Tuesday, though. And, of course, they weren’t all good.

Three things we learned from the Seattle Seahawks Week 15 loss to the Rams

Jordyn Brooks is cementing himself as Seattle’s best first-round choice since 2010

Since Earl Thomas was chosen with the number 14 pick in 2010, Seattle’s first-round choices have been mostly not great. The Seahawks have only had six first-round picks, mostly trading them to add later picks in the draft. The choices include James Carpenter, Bruce Irvin, Germain Ifedi, Rashaad Penny, L.J. Collier and Brooks.

Carpenter, Irvin and Ifedi were decent players but may have had their best years in the NFL with teams other than Seattle. Penny might have been good but is seemingly always injured or on the verge of being so. I have no idea what is going on with Collier this season. But Brooks is now a full-time starter at linebacker and should be for many years to come with the Seahawks.

Brooks struggled some in pass coverage but he never played that much in college and is still adjusting to the NFL in that aspect. But he is as good of a tackler as Bobby Wagner is right now. On one series in the second half, Brooks basically blew up the whole series by himself with a tackle for loss on first down, a flat-out stick of the running back on second down and this forced the Rams to throw an incompletion on third. Brooks is a future Pro Bowler.

Shane Waldron wasn’t the man for the job

Head coach Pete Carroll is getting good at making excuses, unfortunately. Last night the issue wasn’t Waldron because it never is; It was that Seattle was missing Tyler Lockett and Russell Wilson and D.K. Metcalf had some miscommunication.

But Seattle had 214 total yards and averaged 4.0 yards per play (second-lowest of the season). The team scored 10 points. He also made an atrocious play call in the second half on 3rd-and-6 running a sweep with Rashaad Penny that was to the short side of the field. Seattle, of course, had 4th-and-6 on the next play.

Seattle has now had 267 yards or fewer in seven games in 2021. They are 30th in third-down conversions (34 percent). Seattle is 24th in scoring (20.1 points per game). This is a team with Russell Wilson as its quarterback. Yes, Wilson was injured for a part of the year but they actually average fewer points with him than they do without him (20.3 without and 20.1 with). Waldron needs to be a one-year experiment in Seattle.

Quandre Diggs is a must-re-sign this offseason

Quandre Diggs has played like – at worst – the second-best player on the defense this year. He got his fifth interception of the season and now has 13 picks in 2 ½ seasons in Seattle. Diggs will also be just 29 years old when the 2022 season begins.

On Tuesday, Diggs had 7 tackles as well and is currently fourth on the team in tackles (82). This is from a free safety which means he is the closest thing the Seahawks have had to Earl Thomas since Thomas left in 2017. Plus, Diggs is popular and currently leads the NFC in Pro Bowl votes for a free safety. Diggs needs to be extended three more years after 2021. Not doing so would border on being criminal.