The Seattle Seahawks have played four games in 2026. The combined record of their opponents currently stands at 4-12. We can probably conclude from this that the defending champs have not really faced much of a challenge yet.
The fact that they lost one of those games to the 1-3 Washington Commanders – playing with a backup quarterback – is mildly unsettling, but no cause for panic.
Losing to the San Francisco 49ers this weekend would be a different story.
Four issues the Seattle Seahawks must correct for Week 5
There would be no shame in losing the game. The 49ers look like the best team in the NFL right now, one of just three unbeaten clubs. They have already dispatched the AFC and NFC runners-up in 2025 – the Rams and Broncos. Besides, there are no must-win games in early October.
But Mike Macdonald has to be concerned about how his team has performed over the last two weeks. They seemed generally uninspired in the loss to Washington and downright undisciplined last week against the Chargers. Despite winning the game, it was the other team that actually looked stronger in the fourth quarter. That simply cannot happen again.
Finish in typical Seahawks fashion
Let’s begin with that last point. The Chargers entered Week 4 as the worst fourth quarter team in the league. The Seahawks were the best. That flipped entirely on its head last Sunday. The Chargers outscored Seattle 10-0 in the fourth quarter.
They began the final frame with a 16-play, 85-yard scoring drive that extended from late in the third quarter until the fourth quarter was halfway over. The next time the Chargers had the ball, they went 74 yards in eight plays for a field goal. Meanwhile, the Seahawks ran a total of 12 plays and gained 21 yards in the final 15 minutes.
The elephant in the room
One of the biggest reasons Los Angeles was able to hold onto the ball at the end was penalties. 14 penalties for 150 yards is clearly unacceptable. Many were 15-yard personal fouls. Several extended drives that otherwise would have stalled.
The Seahawks play a very aggressive brand of defense, and the occasional penalty may be a necessary evil. But there is a danger of aggression getting out of hand. Seattle has been flagged for 35 penalties in four games, tied for the seventh most in the league.
Those penalties have added up to 327 yards, the third most in the league. That means the Seahawks are getting flagged for major penalties at an alarming rate. They have the most unnecessary roughness calls (five), along with a couple of roughing-the-passers. Macdonald needs to find a way to maintain the aggressiveness while reducing the major penalties.
Brian Fleury continues to struggle in one major area
Seattle finished in the middle of the league in third-down conversion rate in 2025. With Klint Kubiak calling the plays, they converted just under 40% of the tries. Through four games this season, that number has dropped to 31% -- second-worst in the entire NFL. Brian Fleury is clearly still feeling his way through his early days as a play-caller, and this is one of his biggest challenges.
Thus far, Fleury has played things very close to the vest. In short-yardage situations, he uses a run-heavy alignment and then runs inside the tackles. Defenses load the box and, more often than not, have stuffed the running attempts.
The offense is missing both Zach Charbonnet and Anthony Bradford, which adds to the challenge of simply overpowering a stacked defense. We should probably see more variety and misdirection in these plays going forward.
Is it time to worry about Jason Myers?
Myers had one of the best seasons in franchise history in 2025. But he went through a few brief periods of struggle. That may be happening now. This is nothing to be overly concerned about yet, but it bears watching. Myers did not miss an extra point last year. He has converted 159 out of 163 over the past four seasons. So missing one last week was unusual, but nothing to worry about.
Except …. He also missed the target area on one of his kickoffs. The Seahawks' defense bailed him out, but it is a troubling sign. Again, this is not a problem right now. Myers remains a fine kicker. He has yet to miss a field goal this year, and usually, he executes kickoffs quite well.
But this week, Seattle plays San Francisco in a game that could ultimately determine the NFC West. Seattle recovered from a home loss to the 49ers last year, but this year, Kyle Shanahan’s squad looks different.
While Seattle ranks 31st in third-down efficiency, San Fran leads the league. Mike Macdonald has to have his men play better if he wants to avoid falling two games behind the 49ers, barely a quarter of the way through the 2026 season.
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