3 quick takeaways from Seattle Seahawks ugly loss to the Bears

The Seattle Seahawks are having their worst season in more than a decade. Here are 3 quick takeaways from their latest loss.

I do want to say that I hope Seattle wins their last two games just as I hope they win every game in every season. But with my last takeaway here, those wins shouldn’t affect the future.

But after watching the last two weeks, is there any real hope that the Seahawks will win either game against the improving Lions and a Cardinals team that has more talent. The best Seattle can do is 7-10 but 5-12 would not be surprising.

Here are some thoughts from Seattle’s latest ugly loss.

Three quick takeaways from the Seattle Seahawks loss in Week 16

The Seahawks defense is a lie

Seattle is now 7th in the NFL in points allowed at 20.5. On the surface, this might look good. Pete Carroll is probably going to make the argument against the needed defensive changes this offseason and points to how many points the defense gives up. Seattle’s defense, however, is far worse than points-allowed.

Per Football Outsiders, Seattle’s defense is 25th in DVOA. This is a truer measure of how successful a defense is but also helps imply what might happen in the future. Also, Seattle’s defense allows an opposing offense to keep the ball so long it actually limits how many points are scored overall. Seattle allows 3:11 minute drives on average, 31st in the league. Seattle is good in the red zone and this cuts down on an opponent’s touchdowns so fewer points.

But Seattle is so bad at getting opponents off the field that it puts more pressure on Seattle’s terrible offense to be good all the time. Against Chicago, Seattle allowed the Bears to hold the ball for 38:25 to Seattle’s 21:35. The Bears were 7 for 14 on third downs, many of these third-and-long. If Ken Norton, Jr. still is the defensive coordinator in 2022 then next year should be Pete Carroll’s last season as head coach.

Offensive weapons shouldn’t re-sign with Seahawks

Seattle is very bad offensively. Some of this is due to injuries but most of it is due to Russell Wilson not being good and not getting any younger and a very poor offensive design by Shane Waldron. The talents of DK Metcalf and Gerald Everett are wasted in the Seahawks scheme. Everett is a free agent after this year. Metcalf will be after 2022.

Metcalf is still just 24 years old and could have a Hall of Fame career. But Metcalf has had no more than 6 catches in any game this season and had zero touchdown receptions since Week 8 before his one TD catch against the Bears. Against a not-good Bears defense, Metcalf had 2 catches on 5 targets and no targets after 11:09 in the third quarter. Inexcusable. If I am Metcalf, I am done with Seattle after next year.

The team needs changes no matter how the last two games go

Before Seattle won two straight games in weeks 13 and 14, the Seahawks needed to make changes this offseason. Then Seattle won two straight and my fear was late-season success would cover up the sins of this team. Seattle needs to redesign its offense. It needs a more aggressive defensive coordinator who knows best how to use players like Jamal Adams and Carlos Dunlap.

If Seattle wins its last two the team will have gone 4-2 over its last six games. That shouldn’t change this offseason and the changes that are needed. I never want Seattle to lose and I hope they do finish 4-2 but changes can’t go undone.