Seahawks Need 'More Bobo' to Resurface to Beat Rams

Mostly quiet during his sophomore season, the Seahawks can't afford for Jake Bobo to go M.I.A. again in the absence of DK Metcalf in Week 9.

Aug 10, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jake Bobo (19) runs the ball in for a touchdown past Minnesota Vikings cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. (23) during the second half at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images / Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Heading into the start of the practice week on Wednesday, Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald believed star receiver DK Metcalf would have a great shot to return to play after missing a Week 8 loss to the Buffalo Bills with an MCL sprain.

Unfortunately, just two days later, Metcalf's status remained "cloudy," per Macdonald, and he hadn't progressed in his recovery as originally anticipated. With him still unable to practice at the end of the week, the Seahawks opted to rule him out on Friday, leaving the team without one of their best players for a second straight week as they aim to right the ship with the Rams coming to town for a crucial NFC West clash.

As demonstrated last weekend with quarterback Geno Smith targeting running backs and tight ends on 15 of his 27 pass attempts, Seattle's offense isn't the same without Metcalf's field stretching presence. But Macdonald acknowledged that the team probably is better prepared for his absence this week with a more clear idea of how they will compensate for him being on the sidelines.

"I think that's a fair statement, just having an extra week, kind of like when you have just at any position group, if you're able to have some consistency, being able to bank some of those reps, how we're going to game plan it, that sort of thing," Macdonald said. "It was still one of those deals where we still weren't sure throughout the week. So now that it's clear how we're going to operate, that's why we decided to just list him out right now." 

There may not be a more freakish size/speed athlete in the NFL than Metcalf, so the Seahawks obviously can't expect one of their reserves to be able to step into the lineup and replace all of his production or offer the same rare downfield explosiveness in the passing game. Offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb will need to utilize a by-committee approach more effectively than a week ago to offset the loss of such an impactful player.

With that said, Seattle doesn't stand a chance at beating Los Angeles on Sunday if the rest of the team's receiving corps can't pick up the slack. In particular, after enjoying another strong training camp and preseason in August, Jake Bobo needs to reemerge as a viable weapon for Smith to lean on after a sluggish start to his sophomore season.

Given the talent ahead of him, including Tyler Lockett and budding star Jaxon Smith-Njigba, nobody should have expected Bobo to receive a ton of targets from Smith. Somewhat ironically, he's on pace to come close to equaling his 19-catch, 196-yard stat line from his rookie season with nine catches for 81 yards in eight games.

Barely averaging one catch per game, however, Bobo's contributions haven't felt near as impactful for the Seahawks so far this season. After scoring a pair of touchdowns last season as a rookie, he has been a non-factor in the red zone, and just five of his catches have moved the chains.

Most notably, despite playing a season-high 39 offensive snaps as the primary benefactor of Metcalf being out, Bobo was near-invisible last weekend against Buffalo. He finished with one catch for 15 yards on a single target, making that lone reception on a drive that ended with a field goal in the second quarter. If you blinked during that play, you may not have even known that he was on the field.

With Metcalf as well as tight end Noah Fant inactive for Sunday versus the Rams, the Seahawks can't afford for Bobo to be a ghost again in a matchup that should cater well to his strengths and skill set.

Though he lacks Metcalf's speed and explosiveness - he isn't even in the same country in that regard, let alone zip code - the 6-4 Bobo should be a size mismatch for the Rams secondary on the outside and in the slot. Cornerbacks Darius Williams and Cobie Durant are each 5-11 or shorter, while he still has four inches on nickel cornerback Josh Wallace as well, creating opportunities for him to win in contested catch situations.

Los Angeles has also been playing musical chairs at linebacker, recently placing Troy Reeder on injured reserve and plugging undrafted rookie Omar Speights into the starting lineup. Given the lack of experience and overall struggles the unit has had defending the pass this year, Grubb would be smart to scheme for Bobo to attack the middle of the field on digs, crossers, and other in-breaking routes with hopes of getting him matched up on linebackers.

In the grand scheme of things, Bobo isn't the only player who needs to step up with Metcalf and Fant out this week. Laviska Shenault only caught one pass last week himself and with his ability to manufacture yards after the catch, Grubb has to find ways to get him more involved via screens, quick passes, and even in the run game. Practice squad call up Cody White also could see his first action, offering a little more size and speed as a downfield target.

But after earning the "More Bobo" moniker with his steady play and reliability last season, more than any other player tasked with trying to replace Metcalf's production, the Seahawks need Bobo to prove once again that he's more than a preseason darling and show why he became a fan favorite in the first place. Considering the opponent and what is at stake in a tight division race on Sunday, there couldn't be a better time for him to rediscover his rookie form reeling in targets like a vacuum and racking up first downs to sustain drives and help keep the Rams offense on the sideline.

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