5 Reasons to Be Optimistic About Seahawks Entering Second Half

Currently in the NFC West cellar, it may be difficult to see a path for the Seahawks to climb back into the race, but positive signs exist.

Oct 20, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf (14) reacts with quarterback Geno Smith (7) after catching a touchdown pass against the Atlanta Falcons during the first half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Since opening the season with three straight wins, little has gone right for coach Mike Macdonald and the Seattle Seahawks, as they have slumped to a 4-5 record since the calendar flipped to October and plunged to the basement in the NFC West standings.

Considering those struggles and the fact that all three of Seattle's NFC West rivals have surged during that same time span, it may be difficult to see a path for Macdonald's squad to climb back into the division race, especially with a tough schedule in the final two months. But coming out of a bye week, there may be more reasons for positivity than meets the eye.

Why should fans be hopeful about the Seahawks' chances of righting the ship? Here are five reasons for optimism with the second half set to begin on Sunday with a road date against the 49ers:

1. A major reinforcement will soon be coming to boost Seattle's weakest link.

While the Seahawks have had more than their share of problems losing five of their previous six games, poor offensive line play deserves the biggest slice of the blame pie. Pro Football Focus currently has graded the beleaguered unit 25th in pass blocking grade and 20th in run blocking grade, while ESPN ranks them 25th in Pass Block Win Rate and 29th in Run Block Win Rate.

On an individual level, per PFF charting, Seattle has three players (Stone Forsythe, Anthony Bradford, and Charles Cross) in the top 10 among NFL offensive linemen in pressures allowed, leaving Geno Smith under constant siege. While some of that has to do with the team's high volume passing game, Forsythe and Bradford rank in the bottom 10 out of 147 qualified linemen in pass block efficiency rate and the latter is tied for fifth in sacks allowed. Aside from Cross and center Connor Williams, no other starters are in the top 50 in run blocking grade either.

But help could be on the way as early as Sunday in Santa Clara with tackle Abraham Lucas having a really good shot at finally returning from a lengthy recovery from knee surgery. If fully healthy, he should provide an immediate shot in the arm for Seattle's pass and run game, as he's just two years removed from finishing a respectable 27th in pass block efficiency rate and playing a key role in springing teammate Ken Walker III for 1,000-plus yards on the ground. Rediscovering his 2022 form could be exactly what the doctor ordered to get the offense untracked down the stretch.

2. Few teams possess the skill player firepower the Seahawks have on offense.

The aforementioned offensive line has prevented the Seahawks from maximizing their talent at running back, receiver, and tight end in the first nine games. But even with the subpar pass protection and run blocking, Smith leads the NFL in passing yardage and the trio of DK Metcalf, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Tyler Lockett remain on pace for over 850 receiving yards apiece, while Walker has somehow scored six touchdowns on the ground despite limited room to operate for the vast majority of the season to this point.

Compared to the rest of the NFC West, with the Rams maybe being the lone exception, at least on paper, the Seahawks have the most skill player talent in the division. While it will be easier said than done, simply having slightly better blocking would open things up for Metcalf, Walker, and company to do more damage in the second half, while adjustments from offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb also will be key to unlocking this unit's full potential. If those two things happen, this team still has the upside to put points on the board in bunches, which would be a perfect catalyst for a second half turnaround.

3. The addition of Ernest Jones has transformed Seattle's maligned run defense overnight.

Linebackers weren't the only ones to blame for the Seahawks dismal performance defending the run in the first seven games, but Macdonald wasn't shy voicing his concerns about subpar play at the second level before the team acquired Jones from the Titans in late October. During that span, they allowed at least 150 rushing yards in four different games, including getting gashed for 228 yards by the 49ers in a Week 6 loss at Lumen Field.

It's been a small sample size, but after having a full week of practice to continue getting more comfortable in a new scheme, Jones' arrival paid major dividends in a Week 9 loss to the Rams. Tallying nine tackles on his own, including a key goal line tackle for loss that eventually led to a field goal in the third quarter, he helped shut down Kyren Williams and limit his former team to 68 rushing yards and a paltry 2.8 yards per carry, the lowest mark allowed by the Seahawks all season long.

Seattle will receive a far stiffer test defending the run coming out of the bye with a now healthy Christian McCaffrey back in the lineup for San Francisco. But Jones has historically fared well against Kyle Shanahan's offense dating back to his time in Los Angeles and plugging him into the middle already looks to be game changer.

4. Better run defense will play into the hands of a feisty Seahawks pass rushing arsenal.

While Seattle has been mostly poor defending the run this season, the pass rush has generally been pretty rock solid behind stellar seasons from Boye Mafe and Derick Hall. Near the bottom of the league in blitz rate, according to Pro Football Reference, the front line has contributed to Macdonald's defense ranking sixth in pressures, 11th in pressure rate, and 14th in sacks.

There's room for improvement in those numbers, however, and recent sack production has dwindled after a strong start with the Seahawks producing one or fewer sacks in three of their past four games. Some of that has had to do with the fact other teams have ran the ball so well on early downs against them that Mafe, Hall, and Dre'Mont Jones didn't receive ideal opportunities to rush the passer on third downs. On average, opponents have only needed to gain 6.1 yards on third down, ranking 31st in the NFL ahead of only the Bengals.

There are other factors to consider that have contributed to these early down woes, including Seattle being one of the most penalized teams in the NFL. But if the Seahawks can even be average defending the run on first and second down, the front line should have more chances to pin their ears back and hunt quarterbacks, especially with Uchenna Nwosu potentially returning soon from injured reserve to add to the pass rushing arsenal.

5. Even in defeats, Seattle has started to find its groove creating turnovers in Macdonald's scheme.

If there's a silver lining to the Seahawks continued struggles over the past month, Macdonald's defense has finally turned over a new leaf when it comes to generating turnovers. Since Week 7, they have produced four interceptions and returned a forced fumble for a touchdown, a significant improvement from Week 2 to Week 6 when the team didn't have a single interception and coaxed a grand total of one turnover in a five-game stretch.

Turning opponents over was a major staple of Macdonald's defense in Baltimore, as the Ravens ranked in the top 10 in that category in each of his two seasons as defensive coordinator, including finishing first in 2023. Extrapolating the Seahawks previous three games over a 17-game season, they would be on pace to manufacture 28 turnovers, which would have tied for the fifth-most in the league last year, so there's clearly been positive progress on that front.

Quality defense in the NFL tends to operate under a domino effect with stopping the run leading to a better pass rush, which in turn tends to ramp up pressure on quarterbacks and create more prime opportunities to create turnovers. After a week to get their bodies right, the Seahawks will be hoping to maintain momentum on that front after finishing strong in the turnover department before the bye, which could be the difference closing the gap on opponents in the second half.

More Seahawks News

Seahawks LB Uchenna Nwosu Eligible to Return After Bye Week

Seahawks Midseason Report Card: How Have Devon Witherspoon, CBs Performed?

Seahawks Midseason Report Card: How Has Geno Smith Performed?