The Seattle Seahawks (3-3) are taking this mini bye week seriously and utilizing the rest of the week to properly prepare for the Kansas City Chiefs (6-0). The Seahawks showed how vulnerable the offense was with their lack of a run game, inconsistencies at the offensive line and the mental regression of quarterback Sam Darnold. Seattle has lost three of the last four games due to the serious imbalance of problems on the offensive side of the ball.
This is a problem the Seahawks needed to address during the ten days in between the 17-14 overtime loss to the Denver Broncos and the Week 7 matchup versus the Chiefs. There is still hope the Seahawks can turn this rough stretch around, especially after the attention to the problems that was focused on.
Mike Macdonald Shows His Ability to Command
Head coach Mike Macdonald said after the loss to the Broncos, he’ll be at the front of the offensive meetings to indicate what the biggest concerns of the offense are. He has faith in his coaching staff and leaders to turn the tide of the offensive inefficiencies, but three losses in four games should be a cause for concern. Macdonald has also stated that he is not planning on making the change at the first-string quarterback, but his answer didn’t shut down the fact that the option is on the table.
The Seahawks Already Making Some Changes
In terms of the actual changes to the offense, the Seahawks signed two players before full practices for Week 7. Seattle signed veteran tight end Josiah Deguara and rookie fullback Jackson Acker. They may not be household names, but they could have huge implications for how they impact the offense and how the team implements its philosophy.
Acker is a full-time fullback with lots of starting experience at fullback and running back while in college. Acker’s signing comes as second-string fullback Brady Russell has been taking fewer reps at the position. Tight end AJ Barner has been playing a lot of the fullback position in the backfield and less as a pass-catcher at the line of scrimmage. If Acker is capable of playing and starting, he could be a reliable blocker in the run and passing game while Barner goes back to a traditional tight end.
Deguara’s signing comes after second-year tight end Elijah Arroyo was placed on IR for the shoulder injury he suffered in the loss to Denver. In seven years in the league, Deguara has caught 53 receptions for 471 yards and three touchdowns. He could be a player the Seahawks could call up for emergencies, or he could rise up to the number three tight end behind Barner and Eric Saubert.
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