The Seahawks took a big step up in competition versus the Packers and failed. They need improvement in so many areas, it's practically dizzying. These are a few of the major problems that must be fixed before they take on the Vikings.
Hopefully, Mike Macdonald has a better idea than I do of what the Seahawks need to fix before they face the Vikings in Week 16. I mean, he's been a highly successful football coach in college and the pros since he was 24 years old. So this is hardly an attempt at advice from a fan.
Still, it's now abundantly clear that the Seahawks four-game win streak after the bye was as much an artifact of the schedule as it was any real improvement of the team. The Packers had only lost to the top three teams of the NFC: the Eagles, Vikings, and Lions. Meanwhile, the Hawks have only beaten one team with a winning record - the Broncos - and that was the first game for QB Bo Nix.
Seattle Seahawks need to step it up all over the field
Things won't be much easier this Sunday as Seattle takes on Minnesota. At 12-2, the Vikings are a lock for the postseason. They feature one of the league's best running backs in Aaron Jones, and one of the top receivers in Justin Jefferson. It doesn't quite seem real, but Sam Darnold is in the top 10 of virtually every positive category for NFL quarterbacks, often the top five. Meanwhile, the Vikes defense is fourth in fewest points allowed. So the Hawks definitely have a tough game ahead of them.
Quarterback
The first issue is at quarterback. While some 12s won't see this as good news, Geno Smith was a full participant in Wednesday's practice. Considering how Sam Howell performed stepping in for Smith, this is great news. I don't believe we can judge Howell on one game, especially as Green Bay knew Seattle was in passing mode on virtually every play. But he had to be more prepared than what he showed in that game. Yes, Smith threw another awful pick. But he was also 15-19 despite being under near-constant pressure. If Smith avoids that one what the heck play, the Hawks are in good shape here. The question, of course, is can he?
Offensive line
One of the keys to Geno Smith maximizing his strengths - accurate deep passes - is how well the line blocks for him. While he's had a few rough games this season, Charles Cross has clearly been Seattle's best offensive lineman in 2024. He played well against the Pack, as did Abe Lucas. Just as they envisioned when they drafted the bookend tackles in 2022, Cross and Lucas have anchored the Seattle line.
Unfortunately, no one else has consistently matched their performance. The Hawks were down to their third-string center for much of the game. Jalen Sundell wasn't charged with any pressures, but didn't open any lanes for the running game, either. Left guard Laken Tomlinson was charged with two sacks and two hurries, and he's one of the reasons Zach Charbonnet only ran left once in eight carries.
Third-string right guard Sataoa Laumea got absolutely destroyed by Green bay's pass rush. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) charged Laumea with one sack, two QB hits, and seven hurries. Those 10 pressures resulted in an unbelievably bad pass protection grade of 1.6. To clarify, that's one point six. His run blocking held up, but man. Let's just say the Seahawks need to figure out how to block pass rushers. The Vikings are tied for fourth in the league with 42 sacks, while the Hawks are tied for third-worst, allowing 47 sacks.
Cornerback
Who had cornerback on their bingo card for problem area coming into 2024? Not me. The Packers exposed the Hawks weaknesses to near perfection. Green Bay's perfection, not Seattle's. Even Devon Witherspoon gave up a couple of big passes, as shocking as that may be. But he certainly wasn't the problem.
Josh Jobe has played fairly well overall since he stepped in for an injured Tre Brown. He's had a few rough outings, notably in his first game against the Cardinals and the Jets, of all teams. He certainly didn't pay well against the Packers, either. If he can snap back to his form of the second Cards game, the Hawks will be alright.
Ah, but what about Riq Woolen? To say he had a bad game Sunday night would be saying the Titanic had an issue with a leak. It's too painful to recall everything that went wrong in that game for Woolen. Let's just say if there was a way to misplay a ball or commit a penalty, Woolen found it. It was easily the worst game of the season for him.
Mike Macdonald has an explanation for Woolen's poor play, and it doesn't speak well for the player or the coaching staff.
Macdonald: “It's a play-to-play mentality. When he’s locked in, I think he’s as good as it gets. And then when he’s not as locked in, then that’s when some technique errors show up. But it has nothing to do with his ability. It’s all about just the approach pre-snap.”
— Brady Henderson (@BradyHenderson) December 18, 2024
Umm...why is a professional football player not locked in on every play? And why hasn't the coaching staff figured out how to get him to that level? Woolen had a comment about the criticism he's taken for his recent play. It was something along the lines of, "I don't give a **** anymore. I really don't care." Social media being what it is, some 12 will see the headline and assume he's talking about his play. Clearly, he was talking about the criticism itself, not how he's playing.
Woolen did attempt to pass off his performance as just a few bad plays. The problem, of course, is that a cornerback cannot have a few bad plays. Especially not those bad plays he made versus the Packers. But at least he closed with this acknowledgement: "“But that’s what happens when you are a great player. You’ve got to play at a standard. And I just didn’t play to that standard versus Green Bay.”
He could have added "At one time a great player", but at least he's self-aware enough to see that he made some serious errors Sunday night. If Woolen can get it together, and the O-line can get it together, and Smith can stop throwing awful picks, the Hawks have a solid chance in this game. And to quote Chef Gino D'Acampo, "If my grandmother had wheels she would have been a bike."