By Mazvita Maraire Posted on

Can the Seahawks Fix Turnovers and Stop Mahomes on SNF?

After back-to-back losses to the Niners and the Broncos, the Seahawks are looking to buck the losing trend and return to winning ways against the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday Night.  To right the ship, the Seahawks need to change several disturbing trends quickly.

TURNOVERS

While it’s not all his fault, quarterback Sam Darnold has thrown seven interceptions in five games.  Darnold has thrown an interception in four of his five starts. He went interception-free only in the season opener against the Patriots.  Darnold left the game with a hip injury after the opening series.  Darnold has been sacked 14 times this season, and the team as a whole has given up 16 sacks. More worrisome, though, is the ten sacks Darnold has taken in the last two games. There is a direct correlation between the sacks and interceptions.  The sacks are having a clear impact on Darnold’s decision-making.  While some argue Darnold’s decision-making is leading to the sacks and interceptions, the bottom line is that the offensive line has not been at its best.

CAN ANTHONY BRADFORD MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

Right Guard Anthony Bradford was activated to the 53-man roster Saturday afternoon. Bradford was placed on injured reserve on  September 23rd with knee and hop ailments after suffering the injuries in week one against the Patriots. He was inactive for the Seahawks  Week Two win over Arizona on September 20th.    Christian Haynes and Bea Stephens rotated snaps in Bradford’s absence but never got in sync with the rest of the line.

“ I am happy to return and help the team,  Bradford said after Friday’s practice.  “ I am  feeling  good and  ready to make an impact.”  Head coach Mike Macdonald believes Bradford’s return will improve the cohesion and performance of the offensive line.

“That could help. Those guys have played a lot of snaps next to each other. I know they have a good relationship. It’s nice to get the starting five back together,” said Macdonald.” The guys (Christian Haynes and Beau Stephens) did a good job filling in for him. But AB (Anthony Bradford) earned this job for a reason. He’s played good football for us, especially during training camp.”

CAN RUSH AND COVERAGE CONTINUE TO WORK AS ONE

After giving up 130 total offensive yards in the first half against the Broncos, the Seahawks defense completely shut down the Broncos’ offense in the second half. The Broncos managed just 38 total offensive yards in the second half. The Seahawks defensive front dominated the Broncos’ offensive line, and the back end shut down the Broncos’ receivers. The defense forced six Broncos punts. To shut down a Broncos offense led by Bo Nix is one thing. To repeat the same feat against the NFL’s top-ranked offense led by Patrick Mahomes is a whole other story.

“He’s seen it all. He’s seen looks and how you’re going to try and disguise things to get to him. Intelligent quarterback. Knowing where to go with the ball. Been in that system quite a while now. That’s his; he knows it like the back of his hand,’ said Ernest Jones during his  Wednesday media briefing. When you’re dealing with a guy, also, that can make all the throws, can run, we have a hell of a guy coming into our house on Sunday. Have to go out there, play disciplined football, eliminate one portion of the game so that we can focus on getting after Patrick Mahomes and whatever the case may be.”

BALANCED OFFENSE

In addition to Mahomes, the Seahawks will look to slow down the Broncos’ run game, led by former teammate Ken Waker III. The Broncos’ run game averages 159 yards per game. The Seahawks have not allowed a 100-plus runner in 35 games.  If the Seahawks are to prevail, they need to be disciplined in their run and coverage scheme and, most importantly, set the edge and force Walker inside.

NICK EMMANWORI INJURY SCARE

Nick Emmanwori landed on Friday’s injury report with a hip issue and was listed as questionable. Head coach  Mike Macdonald was noncommittal when asked about  Emmanwori’s availability for Sunday’s game. That is understandable, given Emmanwori’s importance to the Seahawks defense. After the loss to the Broncos, the Seahawks players and coaches spent several days refining their processes, leading to a productive week of practice. Macdonald is hoping all the work will lead to peak performance against the  Chiefs.

“We need to stay steadfast and try to improve and become better. So there’s no time to look backward. We should be looking forward and finding ways to make our team better and make ourselves better. Our guys had a great attitude. Hopefully we’ll see better results on Sunday,’ said Macdonald after Friday’s practice.

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