3 problems Seahawks must fix before the Week 3 game versus Dolphins

The Seattle Seahawks eked out a tough win on the road in overtime, but the opposition is only going to get better. Seattle has to fix three big problems to keep their perch at the top of the NFC West.

Neither the Broncos nor the Patriots were expected to be in the top half of the league this year. Denver lost again last week, while New England's upset over Cincinnati looks less impressive after the Bengals dropped their second straight game. Sure, either of those teams could improve, but it's not as if the Hawks knocked off the Bills, Chargers, or the surprising Saints.

A week ago, I wrote that the Seahawks had to address one glaring issue before squaring off against the Patriots. Sadly, that issue remains. In fact, it got even worse against New England. Unfortunately, two more weaknesses cropped up in the latest game. If Mike Macdonald and his staff can't fix all three problems, it might not just be a long day on Sunday. It might be a long season.

The Seattle Seahawks have to fix these three issues to win consistently

Yeah, I know the Hawks are 2-0 for the first time since 2020. I'm thrilled about that, and I expect them to go to 3-0 after this week's tilt against the Phins. But it won't be easy unless they play much better in these three facets of the game. Unlike Denver or New England, Miami has the personnel to make life difficult for Seattle, even with Tua Tagovailoa out. Miami will be led by Skylar Thompson, but the recently signed Tyler Huntley will back him up.

This game should certainly be an easier contest than expected with Tua out. Check out our own Jonathan Eig's terrific preview of the game for all the details. While Miami hasn't exactly been a holy terror versus opposing quarterbacks, they don't have to be against Seattle's weak offensive line.

Other than Charles Cross, who has been nearly perfect so far this season, the Seahawks have been mediocre in both pass-blocking and run-blocking. Bob Condotta gave the O-line a C in his grades for Week 2, but I think he was being magnanimous. Geno Smith was sacked three times and hit on seven more passes. That's not exactly unrelenting pressure but it's not exactly a clean pocket, either. The line, especially on the right side, has to block better for Smith.

As for the run-blocking, that was just as bad as the line's work in passing situations. That's the second issue the Seahawks need to fix this week. Against Denver, Kenneth Walker could bounce runs outside and turn the corner in the second half. Zach Charbonnet couldn't come close to his teammate's production last week. He just managed 38 yards on 14 carries. Yes, he had a couple of huge plays, but he needs to be consistent.

If Walker can't play and this line can't block better, the Hawks will be forced to lean on Geno Smith's right arm again. He had a terrific game versus the Pats, but it's unrealistic to expect that kind of production from any quarterback week in and week out. The Seahawks' offense is predicated on establishing the run. If they can't do it Sunday, expect the Dolphins secondary to have a solid game versus the Hawks' passing attack.

The third and final issue is tackling. After their performance against the Broncos, most 12s were rubbing their eyes. Surely that wasn't the Legion of Boom on the field, was it? There are definitely some encouraging similarities, but the wheels came off a bit against the Patriots. The most glaring issue was the 185 yards the Pats rolled up versus the Seahawks.

Coach Mike Macdonald took full responsibility for that in his post-game press conference. When asked if it was the scheme or the execution, he said, "It's both. "Scheme-wise, some things that without getting all the details, I'm putting that on my shoulders, on how we prepare or how we call it. In situations we're putting guys in, we can be better on that front, particularly me. And then on the other hand, there's just old school football fundamentals that we need to be better at in our front seven, our edge mechanics, how we're taking on blocks."

I do like a coach who accepts that he's the first one to take the blame when things go wrong. That's the thing, 12s. I don't think anyone can say that these aren't some pretty serious issues that the Seahawks have to fix if they're going to make the playoffs. The good thing is that I believe that Macdonald, his staff, and his players will address all three issues. We'll see a more fundamentally sound team this Sunday as the Hawks run their record to 3-0.

More Seahawks news and analysis: