The Seattle Seahawks were taken to the woodshed for the first time since Mike Macdonald's first year as the head coach. Okay, so technically that isn't correct, as about 20 million people watched the whupping the Bears administered. A lot of players' stock is dropping after that game.
I would have called it a contest for a bit of variety, but this was only a contest in the loosest possible terms. Were there some bright spots? Sure, there were, but that's like saying Percy Harvin was great for Seattle because of that one return. For younger 12s, let's just say he was a bad investment.
The Seahawks are 4-4 now, and have a lot of questions that need answers fast. If you have an hour to spare, I can go into each of them, but the atmosphere is bad enough as it is. Yes, there were a few bright spots along with the bad, and we can't gloss over those. In fact, we didn't. But for now, I think I'll just look at the Seahawks, whose stock is dropping this week.
The market is crashing for these Seattle Seahawks
Sam Darnold
This isn't one of those recipe websites where you have to scroll 137 pages down to get to the ingredient list. So let's get to the point. Sam Darnold was awful. Yes, he did throw some absolutely great passes. He's getting $27 million this year, so that's the least he could do.
He threw more balls to shoestrings than to anyone not wearing 11 on their jersey. That's not even an exaggeration. In the first half, he passed for two yards to everyone else on the team besides JSN. He managed to find more defensive linemen's hands than his own tight ends'. No, the offensive line didn't help, but he has to play better.
Grey Zabel
To be fair, this is as much a group grade as it is for Zabel alone. More than any other part of a team, the offensive line has to operate as a unit, and it just didn't on Monday night. Zabel was moved to right guard to accommodate Quenton Nelson's arrival, and Josh Jones was subbing for the injured Charles Cross. So that's a lot of adjustments that didn't work out.
Still, Zabel was the main offender. He was charged with allowing one sack, a QB hit, and 47 pressures for the game. Okay, that last isn't true, but I'm sure Darnold felt like it was. Will Zabel be better next week? I'm sure he will be; he won't be facing Pro Bowler Jeffrey Simmons, and that will help. But this was an ugly performance.
Nick Emmanwori
Looks like I picked the wrong week to stop (insert Airplane joke here). I'll say I chose the wrong week to highlight Emmanwori's skills; that's for sure. He stumbled for just a moment in coverage and gave up the first Chicago touchdown. Later, he couldn't shed a blocker and allowed a first-down run on a key drive in the third quarter.
He capped that off with a critical personal foul with the game still in the balance. Seattle only trailed 20-17 with five minutes left, and had just stopped the Bears on third down. But instead of 4th-and-goal from the six-yard line, Chicago had 1st-and-goal at the two, and scored on the next play. Yes, he reacted to a shove, but the second guy usually gets the flag. He needs to always think: team first.
And a bushel basket of others
Josh Jobe continues to be a liability. Has he made a big play since Week 1? I mean for Seattle, not the opponent. Rodney Thomas II got the ball rolling the wrong way - literally - by taking a perfect Michael Dickson punt into the end zone, giving Chicago 16 extra yards to start a drive. And then there's Brian Fleury... yikes. Week 9 can't be this bad. Can it?
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