It's not time to panic yet for the Seattle Seahawks, who are only 3-3 on the season, struggling on offense, and not looking to be as dominant as they were last season. What hasn't changed, for the most part, is their defense. That said, collectively, these are not the same Seahawks.
The good news for the Seahawks is the bad news for their division rivals, the Los Angeles Rams: they're not very good right now, and an identity crisis may be on the horizon, not to mention injuries and questionable coaching decisions. The Rams' current state is why the Seahawks shouldn't be panicking about anything.
That said, that doesn't mean they can continue like they are, and Mike Macdonald knows this. Conversations between him and other players and coaches have taken place since their loss to the Denver Broncos last week, and out of those conversations, Macdonald remains excited for what's to come.
Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald speaks words of encouragement
The players and coaches Macdonald met with over the last few days were quarterback Sam Darnold, offensive coordinator Brian Fleury, and passing game coordinator Jake Peetz. However, the fourth name might come as a surprise, but also not, given the status and reputation he has within the Seahawks locker room: wide receiver Cooper Kupp.
In an effort to rediscover their offense, Macdonald said these conversations were candid and productive, aimed at improving their offense. Furthermore, Macdonald expressed his excitement about where the Seahawks are heading, despite their slow start to the season.
"I'm proud of the couple of days of work that we put in," Macdonald said to the Seahawks media on Monday. "I think we had some honest conversations and an honest process. I think we're definitely more aligned as a team than we were a few days ago, and I'm excited about where we can go, honestly."
In keeping with the theme of "where we can go," the Seahawks will be going up against the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs in Week 7. Given how the Chiefs are playing this season, with the help of Kenneth Walker III, the Seahawks are in danger of suffering their third consecutive loss.
Of course, it's entirely possible the Seahawks’ offense has their best game of the season and still lose. If that's the case, they can take that offensive momentum into the remainder of the season. If they keep playing like this and Darnold can't rein in the turnovers, then maybe there is a deeper issue Macdonald will have to dig into.
At the end of the day, Macdonald's vote of confidence in his team and coaches is a sign of hope. Hope that Seattle can dig itself out of this hole. They're unlikely to catch up to the San Francisco 49ers at this point, but the Rams are falling backward as fast as they can. Seattle has some breathing room to figure things out.
If Macdonald is excited, hopefully some Seahawks fans can latch onto it and pass it around.
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