Seattle Seahawks fans learned quite a bit in Week 5, and some of it was actually good. Quarterback Sam Darnold might not be perfect, but with a little help from his defense, he can be a winner. Without fantastic defensive play, though, he might not be.
Darnold threw an interception with the score tied at 35-all against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The issue was that it came fairly deep in Bucs territory, and Tampa Bay only needed a field goal to win. They did 38-35. It was Darnold's second turnover in the last minutes of a game that could have changed the outcome for Seattle.
But Darnold was mostly terrific. It wasn't his fault Seattle lost. Instead, the defense was a banged-up bunch that allowed Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield to have an easy time of it. Mayfield was a ridiculous 29 of 33, throwing the ball for 379 yards and two touchdowns.
Losing Riq Woolen in Week 5 was crippling to the Seattle Seahawks
Would that have happened had cornerback Devon Witherspoon and safety Julian Love not missed the game with injuries? Maybe not, but a player Seattle lost in the game might have been more glaring.
As much as Riq Woolen has rightfully received criticism for his coverage issues this season, as well as his tackling and run support problems throughout his career, what the Seahawks learned in Week 5 was that the players backing up Woolen are not good, especially second-year player Nehemiah Pritchett.
Having Pritchett on the field was a benefit for the Buccaneers. He couldn't cover, and couldn't tackle, and Mayfield took advantage of him constantly. If Woolen has to miss time, Seattle is doomed in its current alignment.
Even if Witherspoon returns, and backup Derion Kendrick proved in Week 5 that he is no real replacement for Witherspoon, there would be a gaping hole at one outside cornerback spot. Riq Woolen hasn't been great, but he is a lot better than whatever Seattle has at depth.
Moving forward, defensive issues could be a huge issue for the Seattle Seahawks. Edge rusher Derick Hall was also injured during Week 5. Love and Witherspoon must return by Week 6 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, or Seattle is looking at a 3-3 record. In a tough NFC West, that might be enough to sink the team this season.