3 biggest overreactions to Seahawks Week 3 game versus Panthers
By Paul Taylor
Overreaction No. 2: The offense can't convert on third downs
As of Tuesday morning, the Bills have the best third-down conversion rate in the NFL at 51.22 percent. Almost at the other end of the spectrum are the Seahawks. After three weeks of action, they rank a lowly 28th in the NFL, at just 30.30 percent.
For some more context, the Seahawks weren't particularly great in this area last season. They finished the 2022 campaign ranked just 20th, at 38.32 percent. The season before they were just 23rd, with a 37.31 percent conversion rate on third downs.
With this in mind, Sunday's effort was in keeping with this lack of productivity in crucial circumstances. The Seahawks finished the game a lowly 3-for-13 on third downs. Even the ultimate optimist Carroll admitted the situation is starting to concern him.
Along these lines, the Seahawks were particularly awful during the first half versus the Panthers. They went just 1-for-8 on third down during the opening 30 minutes, while also going 0-for-3 in the red-zone. This contributed to having to settle for four Jason Myers field goals. (Although it was good to see Myers back in form with five field goals, given the recent criticism he had received.)
However, as worrying as the third down issue might be for those concerned, not all hope is lost. At least not yet. Consider how the Seahawks offense turned things around after the half-time break on Sunday.
When the game was on the line, the offense stepped it up by scoring 25 points in the second half. They went 3-for-6 on third and fourth downs combined, helping to sustain drives for longer. The result was replacing field goals with touchdowns, going 3-for-3 in the red-zone.
We won't go as far as to conclude the third down conversion rate doesn't need improving overall. However, it's too early to be concerned this is an issue that can't be fixed. The second half on Sunday showed it can be resolved, especially when considering the weapons Carroll has at his disposal.