The Seattle Seahawks are 6-5, but 3-4 in their last seven games. Things are trending downward in lots of ways. Part of the issue is that Seattle seems worse than in 2022 somehow, but certainly does not have the draft capital in 2024 that the team had in 2023.
For instance, while Leonard Williams has been very good for Seattle since the team traded for him a few weeks ago, he will ultimately cost the team a second-round draft pick while he is also unlikely to re-sign with the team next offseason. Williams will be a free agent after this season. Seattle appeared to be going all-in when adding him but that appears to be a huge mistake now.
Seattle also might be forced to get a quarterback in the first round of 2024 as well. Not that grabbing a quarterback is bad, of course, but Seattle doesn't want to feel forced to do so. Plus, while the Seahawks could end up with a losing record, they still won't have a top-five pick so Seattle will not have one of the top quarterbacks available in the 2024 NFL Draft. But here is some news for Sunday.
49ers receiver Jauan Jennings throws shade at Devon Witherspoon
Witherspoon has been mostly very good for Seattle in his rookie season. He is great in coverage and in pass rush and is a fairly good tackler. But against the 49ers, he should have stopped Jennings from picking up a first down by three yards deep in Seahawks territory but Jennings simply overpowered Witherspoon and got the first. Jennings is bigger than Witherspoon, but better technique by Witherspoon would have brought Jennings down short of the first. Otherwise, teams would simply throw short passes to larger receivers all the time and let them carry cornerbacks for 5 to 7-yard chunks consistently.
Post-game, Jennings posted on Instagram saying, "Pay them folks that much money to be missing tackles. #makingmillionsmiss" The post was definitely about Witherspoon as Jennings only caught the one pass against the Seahawks where he dragged Witherspoon for a first down.
Hopefully, since the Seahawks and 49ers play again in two weeks, an already naturally highly motivated Witherspoon will be even more so and create a turnover or two against San Francisco. Maybe even a brutal hit against Jennings would be nice as well for Witherspoon. Anything that can help Seattle win.
Seattle Seahawks chairperson Jody Allen is not the problem
I have seen a lot of extreme reactions on 12th Man Rising Facebook (and X, too, but X has always been the most toxic of social media sites and has only gotten worse) to Seattle's recent losing trend from 12s thinking the entire coaching staff should be fired to most of the players should be let go. Neither of these is likely to happen and most of the player leaving would be foolish and the team would basically start over like an expansion franchise.
But perhaps the most curious complaints are about Seahawks chairperson Jody Allen. One comment said, "And don't forget the owner she needs to sell the team," in response to a post about what changes need to be made. Another comment said, "I hope its what Jody Allen thought they were. Time to rebuild from the top down. New mgmt, coach, QB. They're embarrassing." Many comments complained that Allen has little interesting in running the on-field product.
Paul Allen's wishes were that the Paul Allen Trust which is currently chaired by Paul's sister, Jody, would sell both the Seahawks and the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers. But there was no timeline for when the teams should be sold. Eventually, there will be a new owner of the Seahawks, but I hope that the new owner, much like Paul and Jody Allen, leaves the managing of the on-field team to football team. Jody Allen basically just owns the team, but she is not the issue the team is struggling; She only signs the checks.
And sure, she could fire head coach and Vice President of Football Operations Pete Carroll, but I certainly hope she does not want input on who the new coach should be. That needs to be left to people who know more about football than she (or I) do. Changing ownership shouldn't have much to do with whether the team is good or bad unless the owner likes to meddle without having enough knowledge on exactly what to do.
Shane Waldron's struggles
Maybe offensive coordinator Shane Waldron is just at a bit of a loss because the offensive line has been so banged up or simply ineffective. He is limited on his play calls because he isn't sure how the offensive line will hold up. That is my hope anyway because otherwise, I am not smart enough to know what the issue is. The Seahawks are 19th in points per game (20.8), 16th in yards per carry (4.1), and 19th in quarterback rating (86.0). Seattle was in the top nine in all those categories in 2022.
Seattle has most of the same personnel back, and has added receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and running back Zach Charbonnet. It has hurt that right tackle Abe Lucas has been out since Week 1, but center Evan Brown was supposed to be an upgrade over 2022 starter Austin Blythe. Still, five times this season Seattle has failed to get more than 291 total yards in a game. And five times the team has scored 16 points or fewer. The offense is a mess and I am unsure if Waldron can fix it.
Bobby Wagner's issues
Bobby Wagner is one of the best Seahawks players I have seen in my many decades of watching the team. He should be a first-ballot Hall of Famer as well. But while Wagner still tackles well, and though he started the season aggressively, he is wretched in pass coverage and only has 2 tackles for loss in the last seven games. This year he has allowed 11.7 yards per completion, a 111.6 passer rating when targeted, and already a career-worst 339 yards receiving.
Taking Wagner out on obvious passing situations on third down is not going to be an option, but should it be? The problem is that Seattle does not have another linebacker who appears to be able to cover well, either. Watching Seattle give up chunk pass plays over the middle of the field while the linebackers are in zone will very likely keep happening.