The Seattle Seahawks fell to 3-2 with a difficult loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 5. Too many turnovers deep in Seattle territory crippled the team. Now, the 49ers lead the NFC West by two games.
Lots of season is left, of course. Last season, Seattle won the Super Bowl and also lost a difficult game in Week 5. In other words, just because head coach Mike Macdonald's team is off to an underwhelming start doesn't mean the season is over.
Next for Seattle is a difficult game in Week 6 on Thursday Night Football against the Denver Broncos. Sam Darnold has to play better for Seattle to win the game; otherwise, the Seahawks could find themselves in a real battle to make the playoffs this season.
Winners and losers from the Seattle Seahawks' difficult loss to the San Francisco 49ers
Winner: Byron Murphy II
Murphy had his best game of the season and was unblockable for much of the game. He finished with two sacks, three quarterback hits, and three tackles for loss. He was worth every bit of being chosen in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. The issue was that the rest of the defense didn't play as well as normal, especially in critical moments, but that isn't Murphy's fault.
Winner: Nehemiah Pritchett
Pritchett continues to play better every week. Against the 49ers, he made a fantastic move to undercut a pass and get an interception. He looked far more like a CB1, which he isn't and shouldn't be, than Josh Jobe. Jobe was abused by Mike Evans, and that kind of thing cannot continue if Seattle is to be successful.
Loser: Josh Jobe
Speaking of Jobe, a review of the tape is going to show that he wasn't lost on coverage, but worse, he was simply beaten in tight coverage. A top corner cannot allow that to occur, and Jobe has played worse with every passing game. Would keeping Riq Woolen have been better than re-signing Jobe this past offseason? The answer is a clear yes at this point.
Loser: George Holani
Holani finished with seven yards on four carries and also had 24 yards receiving on four catches. The main problem was that Holani made the kind of mistake that no player should make. He didn't secure the ball several times, but especially in the end zone in the first half, he had the ball knocked out of his hand, and the 49ers fell on it for a touchdown.
The Seattle coaching staff has to be driven mad by the running backs coughing the ball up this season. For the last three seasons, Zach Charbonnet and Kenneth Walker III have never fumbled (literally), and Holani, Emanuel Wilson, and Jadarian Price all have. That needs to stop.
Loser: Sam Darnold
The first half was brutal. He threw an interception to begin the game (not the first time he has done that this season) and had another interception later. For whatever reason, Darnold is not playing at the same level he was last season, and that is saying something. He led the NFL in turnovers last season with 20, but he is making them more at times, like Geno Smith used to.
Loser: Elijah Arroyo
A second-round pick in 2025, Arroyo hasn't developed into the kind of receiver that the Seahawks hoped he would be. He was targeted once in Week 5 but failed to run a crisp route, and that is partly what led to Darnold throwing one of his interceptions.
Loser: Tory Horton
What exactly is going on with Horton? He tends to catch passes that turn into touchdowns and first downs, but he doesn't get many targets. He didn't see any in Week 5, and the reason he doesn't make an impact is unknown. Jaxon Smith-Njigba needs help, and that help could be Tory Horton.
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