The Seahawks continued their slide today in Kansas City, losing to the Chiefs 24-10.
Here are five takeaways from the loss.
1
Seattle needs reinforcements in the trenches
The Seahawks got absolutely pummeled at the line of scrimmage in the first half on both sides of the ball. That was the main reason why they got into a 17-0 hole and eventually lost the game. This offseason the front office should be looking to upgrade the interior offensive line as well as the edge rotation. Geno Smith was sacked twice, hit seven times and hurried a lot. Meanwhile, the Seahawks only got to Patrick Mahomes for one sack and three hits. They showed some signs of life run blocking in the second half, but overall this was another disappointing performance in the trenches.
2
DK Metcalf was unstoppable in first half
The one exception to the rule of futility in the first half was the play of wide receiver DK Metcalf, who had an exceptional showing under tough circumstances. He caught six of seven targets, totaling 71 yards. He was also inches from making a late touchdown catch that could have changed the complexion of the game going into the half but couldn’t keep both feet inbounds. Metcalf only had one catch after the break, though.
3
Ken Walker caught on in second half
It was the other way around for rookie running back Ken Walker. He had absolutely nowhere to run early in the game and got stuffed at or behind the line of scrimmage on nearly every play. However, the offensive line finally showed up in the third quarter and helped get Walker going. He finished the afternoon with 107 yards on 26 carries but no touchdowns.
4
Not OC Shane Waldron's finest hour
For the second week in a row Pete Carroll’s coaching staff appeared to be totally out of their league. In particular offensive coordinator Shane Waldron’s playcalling was utterly confusing. The horizontal passes he calls continue to fail but he refuses to abandon them. He also called consecutive runs on 2nd and 16 and 3rd and 7. To be fair, it’s tough to call any scheme when you’re consistently losing at the line of scrimmage. However, this was far from Waldron’s finest game.
5
Injury updates
Several players suffered injuries during today’s game. Here’s a quick rundown:
RT Abe Lucas: Thigh
RB Travis Homer: Ankle
S Joey Blount: Knee
WR Marquise Goodwin: Wrist
The worst of them appears to have been Blount, who was quickly ruled out for the rest of the game. The other three were listed as questionable to return.
Next up, the Seahawks host the Jets on New Year’s.
