How Week 5 impacted the Seahawks

Seaside Bonus: The first head coach to be canned, has been canned

The Carolina Panthers fired Matt Rhule on Monday, ending months of speculation that the Panthers were going to fire Matt Rhule eventually. What chance did he really have to survive this season? After going 10-23 in his first two years, suffering through someone else’s belief in Teddy Bridgewater and Sam Darnold, Rhule was never given an improved roster to work with, either by the GM who was there when he was hired (Marty Hurney) or the one who is there now (former Seahawks exec Scott Fitterer).

For weeks dragging into months, Seahawks fans had discussions about the merits of trading for Baker Mayfield. I was vehemently against such a move but I don’t bring this up to show, “Oh wow, my gut feeling is better than your gut feeling.” My gut didn’t tell me that Geno Smith would be leading the NFL in passer rating through five weeks. I only mention Mayfield to emphasize once again that Carolina did Rhule no favors and he had no chance to survive.

Read Next/Now: Despite struggles, Seahawks have taught a masterclass in rebuilding with 2022 offseason

The Seahawks will face the Panthers in Week 14—seeing former Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks, now the interim in Carolina—and they will also be seeing them at every QB scouting event in 2023. The Panthers are 1-4, one of five teams that have a worse record than the Seahawks and Broncos, six if the Raiders lose on Monday. Despite trading for Mayfield and drafting Matt Corral, Carolina will be right back in the hunt for a quarterback again in the 2023 draft.

Will they have the foresight to scout the Coastal Carolina quarterback sitting right there in their own backyard? We’ll see. I know that UNC and South Carolina and NC State didn’t have it.

Monday’s Free Edition of Seaside Joe: This is how special Tariq Woolen and Kenneth Walker III are

Here’s how every game in Week 5 impacted the Seattle Seahawks. You can read recaps anywhere on the internet. This is not a weekly recap, just notes about how each game impacted the Seahawks in some way. This is a bonus post for Regular Joes each week.