The 2024 Seattle Seahawks had yet another up-and-down season resembling the purgatory of mediocrity they seem to have been stuck in for the past few seasons.
That said, there’s no reason to start ringing the alarm bells and call for a rebuild. After all, this is head coach Mike Macdonald’s first year.
However, with a young, talented roster, each year without a deep playoff run only creates concerns. So, how can the clock be turned back to the glory days of the Legion of Boom?
Offensive Struggles
This team’s woes start with the offense.
There have been issues at the quarterback position, with Geno Smith having his worst year to date in Seattle.
But there is one big reason for that. The offensive line play has been abysmal, surrendering the third-most sacks and the ninth-most pressures this season. What makes it worse is that Seattle wasn’t blitzed at a high rate, either.
Part of this is due to the unbelievable number of injuries the unit has endured this season. There have been nine different starters on the offensive line this year, and Seattle finished the season with three of them on injured reserve. With that kind of rotation, you just can’t build the chemistry needed to function efficiently throughout a season.
Not to mention, center Connor Williams retiring midseason certainly didn’t help things.
How to fix the trenches
With the season now wrapped up, the Seahawks hold the 18th pick in the draft (as usual).
That’s not a great spot to be in. However, a few potential prospects, such as Alabama’s Tyler Booker, could make a difference. No matter who it is, an offensive lineman should be picked first. Thankfully, the draft isn’t the only place where improvements can be found.
Under Pete Carroll, Seattle was never a big spender in free agency, but a big name is targeted every now and then. The 2012-13 offseason springs to mind when Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett were signed in less than a day. This year, offensive linemen like Trey Smith and Ronnie Stanley could hit the open market. Due to cap space, some serious moves would need to be made to make that happen. Unfortunately for Hawks fans, that means Tyler Lockett‘s time in Seattle is most likely up.
Hurting Geno Smith and the running game
Assuming the offensive line struggles can be addressed, then we can truly analyze Geno Smith.
This season has been a real mixed bag for him. While he set franchise records for completions, attempts, and passing yards, he also had a very poor 21:15 touchdown-to-interception ratio. And it would’ve looked a lot worse had he not had a great game in Week 18 against the Rams’ backups. His decision-making has always been questionable, but the pressure he’s had to deal with this season only heightened those issues.
Smith isn’t the only one seeing a dip in performance due to poor offensive-line play. Running backs Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet haven’t had great years either. Walker has had his fair share of injury concerns but hasn’t played well when healthy. Charbonnet has only looked slightly better.
When you look at the numbers, you find that Walker averages 1.7 yards per carry before contact. Compare that to last season’s 2.7, and the picture is clear. The point of having a powerful, bruising back is to somewhat make up for a lackluster offensive line. Giving them less than two yards to work with is too much to expect, though. For reference, Derrick Henry averages 3.1 yards before contact.
Coaching Issues
Coaching has clearly been an issue, too.
Offensive Coordinator Ryan Grubb was let go the Monday after beating L.A. Mike Macdonald was quoted saying, “It’s just my vision for our offense, I think, is just ultimately was different than where I thought (Grubb) thought it was going.”
Macdonald also spoke on his vision for the offense, saying, “We want our offense to be a physical unit and dictate terms to the defense, and play complementary football and get the ball to our playmakers frequently, and let our quarterback play fast.” If this sounds familiar, it should. That’s the exact kind of offense Pete Carroll successfully implemented during the Legion of Boom era.
This defense certainly isn’t at that level, but it’s not a failing unit. Coming out of the bye week, they’ve only allowed over 300 total yards three times. They’ve also often stepped up and saved games.
There’s a familiarity to the Caroll era with this team. The defense is playing hard, and the offense is only kicking into gear late in games. Only now, there’s no Russell Wilson to create a miraculous game-winning drive.
So give Geno Smith as much help as possible, and there’s something to fear in the Pacific Northwest.
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