3 concerns for the Seahawks heading into Week 5 versus the Saints
By Lee Vowell
The Seahawks are a somewhat surprising 2-2 heading into Week 5. The Saints are 1-3. But Seattle has several reasons to be concerned on Sunday.
Seattle is still trying to find what its true identity is this year. Before the season many were thinking that Seattle was going to run the ball too much but would hopefully have a bunch more defensive aggressiveness that would help overcome the offensive shortcomings.
If you thought this, and you aren’t alone, you were wrong. Way wrong. The Seahawks offense is quite good so far and the defense is atrocious. Or is it?
No matter, if Seattle moves to 3-2 with a victory over the Saints on Sunday, they would be one game ahead of Russell Wilson’s Broncos in draft pick order in 2023. Worst case? Seattle is on track for two high picks in next year’s draft with a loss.
Three concerns for the Seahawks in Week 5
Concern 1: The Seahawks are so up and down both offensively and defensively
We feel better good about Geno Smith and the Seahawks offense right now, don’t we? But should we? Seattle, through the first three games of 2022, scored just 6 points combined in the second halves of those games. That’s not winnable football. Seattle did score 24 points in the second half of Week 4 but this was against the Lions and they are worse defensively than even Seattle is.
Geno Smith has been very accurate and very good in most games. He wasn’t transformative in Week 2 against the 49ers but that was a let-down game for the team after facing Russell Wilson in Week 1. Plus, the 49ers defense is really good so even Aaron Rodgers could be excused for not being great against San Francisco.
And the defense wasn’t awful against the 49ers either. They allowed 373 total yards which isn’t bad. The defense allowed 16 first downs in Week 1 which isn’t terrible. The defense isn’t as bad as it showed against the Lions (remember an early turnover by Seattle on a punt and a fake punt by Detroit really helped them) and the offense isn’t as good as it was against Detroit. But if there is a happy median, Seattle can beat New Orleans.