3 Takes as Seahawks Look to Recover From 1-2 Start

In this Week 4 edition of "3 Takes," reporter Ty Dane Gonzalez warns of what a loss in San Francisco could mean for the Seahawks, discusses why Dee Eskridge is so important to their offense and predicts a breakout for a Seattle defender.

As the calendar flips to October, the Seahawks find themselves in unfamiliar territory: the cellar of the NFC West. Following back-to-back losses to the Titans and Vikings, the defending division champions sit at 1-2 for the first time since 2018—two games off the leading pace already. 

While the team regroups for a Week 4 battle with the 49ers this Sunday, it's time for this week's edition of "3 Takes."

1. The Seahawks cannot afford to start intra-divisional play with a loss

It wouldn't be the nail in the coffin for their playoff aspirations, but starting out with three losses through the first four weeks of the season might realistically put Seattle out of contention for its second-straight division title. With the Rams and Cardinals both out to 3-0 starts—one of which is guaranteed a 4-0 start, barring tie—it might take 12-13 wins to claim the NFC West crown this year. That leaves the Seahawks with very little room for error the rest of the way. With a Thursday night bout against the Rams scheduled just four days after their trip to San Francisco, another heartbreaking loss on Sunday could send the Seahawks on a downward spiral to a disastrous 1-4 record. That cannot happen. 

2. In order to reach ceiling, Seattle's offense needs Dee Eskridge

Russell Wilson and company started out hot against the Vikings, but for the third week in a row, they became stagnant in the second half. The main cause for these woes isn't necessarily personnel related, but when Eskridge (concussion) went down versus the Colts, the Seahawks and new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron undoubtedly lost a key piece to their identity. Though they got back to it some in Minnesota, pre-snap motion has been limited in the two weeks since Eskridge's injury and Freddie Swain, although fairly productive in his absence, simply does not offer the same ability and dynamism his rookie counterpart does. Eskridge returned to practice in limited fashion on Thursday and could suit up against the 49ers. 

3. Poona Ford is due for a breakout

Ford currently boasts the third-most pressures (six) on the Seahawks, but he's otherwise been fairly quiet overall—in the box score, at least. However, his unit has struggled to control the line of scrimmage thus far, allowing the ninth-most rushing yards (856) in the league while struggling to consistently get to the quarterback. Ford has a tough matchup against a solid San Francisco interior offensive line, but it's high time he wrecks a game the way he's capable of. It certainly would give a struggling defense a much-needed boost.