This weekend was a gut-punch for the Seattle Seahawks as they lost 32-29 against the San Francisco 49ers.
There could be some encouragement for them, considering they had a chance to tie the game late despite multiple turnovers and a lack of an efficient ground game. Unfortunately, Jaxon Smith-Njigba was unable to haul in a pass from Sam Darnold that would have put them in field goal range. As if that wasn't heartbreaking enough, Cooper Kupp was stopped just inches short on fourth-down, ending their bid for a comeback.
Seattle has a quick turnaround with a Thursday Night Football showdown against the Denver Broncos. Before we completely turn our attention to that game, here's a Week 6 NFL Power Rankings roundup, which shows the Seahawks sliding.
Sports Illustrated
Ranking: 5 | Last week: 1
Connor Orr dropped Seattle four spots and accuratley says the offense needs Zach Charbonnet back on the field. Without him, their ground game has been a mess and that has a lot to do with their struggles.
"Per friend Sheil Kapadia at The Ringer, this was the worst offensive EPA in a game coached by Mike Macdonald. This is as much a Raheem Morris note as it is a Seattle note, but I don’t think Zach Charbonnet can hit the field soon enough," Orr wrote.
ESPN
Ranking: 4 | Last week: 3
Not a steep drop from ESPN, but the Seahawks are still trending in the wrong direction. Brady Henderson discussed the biggest problem for the Seattle defense this year, which he says is actually the turnovers by their offense.
"The biggest problem for the Seahawks' defense might actually be their offense; the 44 points they've given up off turnovers is tied for most in the NFL," Henderson wrote.
The Athletic
Ranking: 6 | Last week: 3
The Athletic also discussed the lack of a ground game in Seattle, although they also believe the return of Jadarian Price could make a difference. They also add that an improved run game would go a long way toward fixing their issues.
"The Seahawks felt the absence of Jadarian Price (chest injury) and Zach Charbonnet (PUP list) Sunday as their running woes continued. They managed just 68 yards on 24 designed rushes (2.83 yards per carry) for their backs. There are a lot of reasons to remain positive about Seattle, but the running game has to improve."
Bleacher Report
Ranking: 6 | Last week: 3
Mo Moton says the Seahawks need to regroup and while he touched on the ground game, his biggest concern is the turnovers. Since Sam Darnold returned in Week 3, Seattle's quarterback has five interceptions, something that can't happen going forward.
"The reigning champions must regroup. The Seattle Seahawks are turning the ball over at an alarming rate—nine giveaways over the last four weeks. Since Sam Darnold returned from injury, he's been part of the problem, throwing five interceptions in his last three outings," Moton wrote.
USA Today
Ranking: 3 | Last week: 3
Nate Davis kept Seattle where they were, which is surprising. That said, he's not worried about a three-point loss when they weren't at their best.
"Too high you say? Sam Darnold threw two more picks on Sunday, their depleted group of running backs fumbled two more times, and even Jaxon Smith-Njigba is dropping a key pass while running wide open and free. Oh, and LB Ernest Jones IV is once again defending Darnold − literally this time. You know the champs are quality. But Sunday's loss feels similar to last year's in L.A., which set off a 12-game winning streak that only ended two weeks ago. Don't be surprised if these 'Hawks take flight soon," Davis wrote.
Davis could be right that the Seahawks are ready to take off, but that's only going to happen if they take better care of the ball and get the run game going.
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