Seattle Seahawks Emphasizing Fundamentals for Offensive Improvement vs. Washington Commanders

The Seattle Seahawks fell flat in Week 9 vs. the Baltimore Ravens. Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron is adamant that improving the basics will be vital in rebounding.

There may be too much talent on the Seattle Seahawks offense for it to fail over the course of the season, but that doesn’t exempt them from the brutal dip they saw in Week 9 against the Baltimore Ravens.

Seattle had more turnovers (two) than touchdowns (zero) and managed just 151 total yards of offense. Subsequently, Baltimore steamrolled the Seahawks 37-3, continuing their hot streak and sending Seattle soul-searching ahead of Week 10.

While it may not be a referendum on offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, Seattle was badly out-coached last Sunday. Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald left quarterback Geno Smith without options, all while continuing to stop the run, leaving the Seahawks one-dimensional and desperately attempting to mount a comeback. They never even got off the ground.

Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith attempts a pass against the Baltimore Ravens / © Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Waldron spoke on Thursday about improving week-over-week and bouncing back from such a disappointing outing.

“We’re always going to emphasize all of these key areas every single week,” Waldron said. “Coach them, coach the basics once we get to Wednesday, whether it’s hand placement, whether it’s foot placement, route running, route technique—all of these things that are going to eventually lead up to gameday at execution at a high level.”

Honing in on fundamentals after a loss isn’t particularly surprising; rushing for fewer than two yards per attempt and completing under 50 percent of passes is bound to showcase technical flaws.

With improvement, Waldron hopes a cleaned-up offensive effort can help Seattle control third downs. If the Seahawks can remain balanced with the threat of both the run and pass (and not necessarily the split of play calls), they can make longer drives more frequent.

“We know that third down is that opportunity for us to gain more plays within the game,” Waldron said. “Have a chance to get more runs called on first and second down when the offense is able to extend those drives, so no doubt every week it’s going to be a high point of emphasis.”

Seattle converted a league-low 8.3 percent of its third-down opportunities in Week 9, epitomizing the year-long struggle. The Seahawks currently rank 31st in third-down success rate (33 percent), and 30th in both expected points added per play (-0.298) and conversion rate (31.9 percent).

That in part can be attributed to a run game that is banking on explosive plays rather than down-to-down consistency, further justifying Waldron’s comments.

Seattle will have the opportunity for a get-right game on Sunday when it hosts the 4-5 Washington Commanders. Washington is prone to giving up big plays on the back end, and trading away star pass rushers Montez Sweat and Chase Young only dampens the defense’s potency.