SEATTLE – On Sunday, the Seahawks had so much new to debut.
A new offensive coordinator (Klint Kubiak). A new reliance on a run-first scheme. A new quarterback (Sam Darnold), wide receiver (Cooper Kupp) and left guard (Grey Zabel). A new look at Lumen Field, where green poms were spread throughout the stadium, the 12s’ own terrible towels.
A new season, with all its hope and hype.
The same fatal flaws.
So, are the Seahawks new and improved … or just new?
For fans, the most disappointing part of the 17-13 loss to the San Francisco 49ers may have been how hauntingly familiar everything felt.
Again, the Seahawks were betrayed by an inconsistent running game, which managed 84 rushing yards and 3.2 yards per carry against a supposedly susceptible defense. Again, Seattle corner Riq Woolen’s lapses proved lethal, as he allowed a 45-yard completion and an incomprehensible 4-yard touchdown on San Francisco’s final drive. Again, a red-zone turnover sank Seattle’s offense.
Again, the new-look Seahawks lost at Lumen Field. While the stadium abruptly emptied Sunday afternoon, a legion of red-clad fans in the east stands stayed and celebrated.
“I’m very disappointed,” said Seahawks nose tackle Jarran Reed, who finished with five tackles and two quarterback hits. “I don’t like nothing about the 49ers. I just want to win so bad, especially at home. We want to protect home field.”
Easier said – and read – than done.
Seahawks fans, of course, have seen and heard it all before. The Seahawks were 3-6 at Lumen Field last season and are 16-19 at home since 2021. Their 95.7 rushing yards per game sat 28th in the NFL in 2024, due in part to since-axed offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb’s stubborn predilection for the passing game.
On Sunday, a new rushing resolve didn’t deliver results. Though they ran on 26 of 50 offensive plays, both Zach Charbonnet (47 rushing yards, 3.9 yards per carry, 1 TD) and Kenneth Walker III (20, 2.0, 0) never got going.
When asked if the Seahawks’ struggles were byproducts of a stout San Francisco defense or excusable early hiccups, right tackle Abraham Lucas instead accepted responsibility.
“I could say that, if I want to take the pressure off,” he said. “But for us as an O-line, it’s just on us to be more consistent down the stretch. We had great flashes and pockets of what we came to do and what we can do. We just have to do that more consistently, drive after drive after drive.”
Of course, flashes and pockets don’t win divisions.
Speaking of which: Woolen’s inconsistency continues to haunt the Seahawks cornerback.
After Woolen surrendered a personal passer rating of 136.7 in last season’s home loss to the Packers, Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said: “When he’s locked in, I think he’s as good as it gets. Then when he’s not as locked in, that’s when some technique errors show up. But it has nothing to do with his ability.”
On Sunday, Woolen’s ability was evident, as the 6-foot-4 speedster accelerated to deny San Francisco wide receiver Ricky Pearsall a second-half touchdown. But his errors were equally inexplicable, as Woolen misjudged a 45-yard completion to Pearsall down the sideline and later lost a jump ball to backup tight end Jake Tonges for the go-ahead score.
Woolen’s flashes and pockets are superhuman. His lapses lose games.
The Seahawks didn’t deserve to win anyway. Even without standout tight end George Kittle for much of the game, San Francisco outgained Seattle 384 to 230 in total yards and dominated time of possession 37:58 to 22:02.
Flashes and pockets are all the Seahawks had. They had a blocked field-goal attempt by Julian Love and leaping interceptions by linebacker Ernest Jones IV and cornerback Josh Jobe. They had a flicker of Lumen Field luck, as a 27-yard Jake Moody field-goal attempt rocketed off the left upright. They had a 40-yard rainbow from Darnold to wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba that provided the fleeting whisper of a comeback win.
They had new names and numbers … with similar struggles. After former Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith led the NFL with four red-zone interceptions in 2024, Darnold lost a fumble at San Francisco’s 16-yard line with less than a minute left to diffuse the drama.
The point here is not to draw concrete conclusions from a disappointing debut.
Maybe new is better, and chemistry takes time. Maybe the running game will grow, Darnold will do his part and Kupp will contribute more than two catches for 15 yards. Maybe Woolen’s flashes and pockets will outlast his lapses. Maybe the Seahawks will get back to beating good teams at Lumen Field.
Maybe these really aren’t the same Seahawks.
But that’s not for me or you or any Seahawk to say.
“It sucks. There’s not much you can say,” Seahawks tight end AJ Barner offered Sunday. “But it’s got to get better. It will get better. If we are who we say we are, then we’re going to make it right.”