Who are the real Seahawks?

How good are the Seahawks and who should they keep next season?

If the season ended right now, or if it just continues without any dramatic results, the Seahawks would finish with a better defense than they’ve had in at least four years. Given that Seattle fired the head coach in January and installed new coordinators, new playbooks, and a rotating cast of new starters, are the Seahawks at least “good enough” to call it a successful first season under Mike Macdonald even if the team does miss the playoffs?

Or is “accepting averageness” Seattle’s biggest reason for another season of averageness?

The Seahawks are 19th in yards allowed, which would be their highest ranking in that category since 2018. They are 15th in points allowed, which would be tied for the second-best since 2019. And with a +2 point differential (-38 last season), Seattle may just need an “OK” finish to have their best season in that regard since 2020.

I want to do what Seaside Joe does best, which is not answer, but ask:

Every week at this time, I ask Super Joes subscribers for mailbag questions, but I also want to open it up to Regular Joes too because Sunday night’s loss to the Packers is the type that probably changed some fan opinions about the Seahawks in immediate order. This Monday’s first Seaside Joe will be a series of poll questions and an opportunity to leave your thoughts/questions in the comments section below, with survey results and more answers to come later this week:

If you’re a Super Joes subscriber and you want to post a question or opinion today, I can guarantee it will be answered or reposted (maybe edited) in the followup newsletter this week. Join Super Joes here:

Was Sunday night the “real” Seahawks?

The Seahawks were down 14-0 after the first quarter and 20-3 at halftime, so despite a late fourth quarter “Hmmm…” after Zach Charbonnet’s touchdown (Seattle’s only touchdown), the Packers had a 90%+ chance to win for more than half of the contest.

At home, in primetime, with no significant injuries going into the night except for Kenneth Walker, the Seahawks were manhandled by a team that is in third place in its own (stacked) division. What fans think should matter more than what anyone else thinks, so fans: Was last night an anomaly or did the Seahawks show that they’re not ready to compete with playoff teams?

The Seahawks were down 10 points when Sam Howell threw a pick that soon turned it back into a 17-point deficit, so a better QB might have cut the lead instead of add to it. But would a better QB alone have made a difference in the final result?

Final 3 games: What’s acceptable?

The Seahawks final three games:

• Week 16: vs. 11-2 Minnesota Vikings (pending MNF)

• Week 17: at 4-9 Chicago Bears (Thursday Night Football)

• Week 18: at 8-6 Los Angeles Rams

DK Metcalf’s future in Seattle

If DK Metcalf does the same thing that all 27-year-old star receivers do entering a contract year, then we should expect that he’s going to want an extension in 2025. It’s an issue that Seaside Joe brings up because it will be the second-biggest Seahawks player talking point of the offseason and it will have a huge impact on the roster when John Schneider’s decision is made.

There are six receivers making $30 million per season: Justin Jefferson ($35), CeeDee Lamb ($34), A.J. Brown ($32), Amon-Ra St. Brown ($30), Tyreek Hill ($30), and Brandon Aiyuk ($30).

What fans should watch for:

Will DK Metcalf’s underwhelming production make him cheaper (DJ Moore’s $27.5 million per season is a negotiating point) or drive him out of Seattle even faster?

Metcalf had 3 catches for 28 yards against the Packers. He hasn’t had 100 yards since Week 4 and even if that’s an arbitrary round number (he had 99 yards against the Falcons), the production doesn’t match the hype:

• Metcalf is 23rd in yards (840)

• Tied for 69th in touchdowns (3)

• Has fumbled twice

• Since the start of October, Metcalf is 40th in receiving yards (474), 134th in success rate (49.1%), and outside the top-100 in touchdowns (1)

If the reason for this is “because he plays for the Seahawks”, then won’t that just drive him and the Seahawks to find a trade partner? Or do the Seahawks just need to trust that his best days are ahead of him and that if the team does have to replace Geno Smith or does part ways with Ryan Grubb, that having a weapon like DK Metcalf will make the offense that much better as other parts are moved around?

Geno Smith’s future in Seattle

It may not be a great idea to compare Geno Smith’s body of work to the 20 passing plays called for Sam Howell last night and come to the conclusion that “Obviously the Seahawks need to extend Geno, just look at what the backup did!”

The 2023 Minnesota Vikings are the model here:

• Went 4-4 with Kirk Cousins and had a functional offense

• Went 2-0 in Josh Dobbs’ first 2 starts with 58 points

• Lost 6 of their last 7 with Dobbs, Nick Mullens, and current Seahawks backup Jaren Hall without a functional offense

So should the Vikings have re-signed Cousins because they were atrocious with Dobbs, Mullens, and Hall (combined 14 INT in nine games)? We know the answer clear as day now:

The Vikings are better with Sam Darnold, who they signed for $10 million.

The Falcons are worse with Kirk Cousins, who they signed for $180 million.

Howell, Dobbs, Hall, and Mullens being career backups doesn’t mean that the starter is “irreplaceable”. It just means that the team has to find another starter who is just as adequate and while that is a risk, it’s not as unlikely as it seems. There is no better example of this THAN Geno Smith.

That being said, Cousins and Geno are their own quarterbacks and require their own assessments. Seahawks fans have now seen 50 starts by Geno Smith, so you’re as qualified to assess Geno’s value as anybody.

Geno is signed through 2025 and not as sure of a thing to hold out for more money as DK because as a quarterback he’s more likely to get a payday in 2026 if he bets on himself despite being 35-36. I’ve seen the “$50 million” number out there but I think that’s only because it’s a pretty number. Cousins signed for $45 million per season and Baker Mayfield signed for $33 million per season, so I would put the number somewhere in there.

Seattle doesn’t NEED to do anything with Geno’s contract, they have all the leverage, but there’s no telling what could happen when a player is about go take hits for 17 more games and knows that if he was a free agent, he would get paid more than what he’s due. Perhaps especially if Geno is going to miss several games now because of an injury.

Results to come this week, so be sure you are subscribed in order to get the results! Do you have poll questions you want put to the audience? Let me know in the comments!

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