I mentioned in the preview for this game that a bit of overreaction is natural in Week 1. I believe the time without watching the regular season makes us eager to get angry in case of a loss and excited in case of a win.
Realistically, things are likely to change a lot during the season. They could even change significantly for Week 2 (not that I believe that). So let’s take a closer look at the Seattle Seahawks’ performance in their home loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
All data used in this article
was taken from PFF.
The Bad
The OL needs to be this team’s priority
Things don’t happen randomly. You can’t bet on Anthony Bradford as your starter and expect your OL to be solid. The result couldn’t have been any different.
Ken Walker had barely received the handoff and the defender who had easily passed Bradford already had the RB in his sights. There’s nothing that can be done.
A play in the red zone. The guards have no one in front of them, so their goal is to block the LBs at the second level. Zabel and Bradford can’t execute the block, and the LBs can stop the run.
Jalen Sundell was a standout in the preseason but couldn’t repeat his performance in his debut. On this play, he shows all his explosiveness and speed, getting to Fred Warner, but he can’t sustain the block.
The same old stunt problems continue to recur. Zabel can’t stay ahead of Bosa, and the hit lands on Darnold.
Another season, and Charles Cross continues to have anchoring issues and struggle against stronger defenders.
Abe Lucas allowed two pressures in the game, one of which was the final one that resulted in the loss. I believe he chose the wrong pass set for much of the game, allowing Bosa space to use his speed to power, and the RT is moved back.
Klint Waldron, Ryan Kubiak… the same mistakes happen
If you watch the game without paying attention to the players, you could easily think you were watching Ryan Grubb or Shane Waldron’s offense. An offense without any adjustments and without any sense. There didn’t seem to be a game plan because nothing seemed to have been planned.
The Seahawks called two play-action plays that resulted in a 21-yard gain and a 5-yard run by Sam Darnold. I expected the Seahawks to be among the teams that used play-action the most. That’s the idea Kubiak sold when he said we would be a team focused on the run game.
Speaking of which, less than 41% of plays were under center. He simply managed to complicate simple things, like put his 3rd string QB to run a draw.
An example of this. Notice how much unnecessary stuff happens. He puts Darnold in motion unnecessarily, he puts Kupp in to block an edge… In short, he could have called simpler screens. He tried to create unnecessary additional complexity, and it didn’t work. On four screen calls, he totaled -7 yards.
It seems like every decision he made didn’t work out. I’m not a fan of leaving a guy with Nick Bosa’s explosiveness unblocked coming from the backside. This didn’t work throughout the game, and he couldn’t adjust. This was the play before the game-losing fumble.
Of the offense’s 234 total yards, 124 were focused on just one player. Seahawks were 3/10 in third downs. The Seahawks drafted a TE in the second round and took four TEs to the final roster, simply not utilizing the short game. I’ve seen plenty of miscalls from OCs, but Kubiak took it to another level.
Sam Darnold needs to do more
Darnold isn’t the solution to the Seahawks’ problems, but it’s annoying to follow a social media feed filled with fans who seem to be rooting for the QB to fail just to prove their point that Geno Smith would be a better QB.
Geno didn’t want to re-sign with Seattle, and he didn’t spend two lines thanking the franchise that was responsible for making him some big money in a career that was doomed to failure.
Back to the Seahawks, which is really what matters. Darnold made accuracy errors, like in the play above. There’s a contact that throws off the timing of the route a bit, but the QB wasn’t under imminent pressure and had time to connect.
Darnold has already repeated one of his biggest mistakes from last season. He gets stuck on a WR. Last year it was Justin Jefferson, this year it looks like it will be JSN. He doesn’t read the other side of the field and loses Cooper Kupp, who runs a good route behind Warner. To make matters worse, even with a defender in the zone watching him, he passes the ball and nearly gets intercepted.
Several mistakes in one play just to end the game. He doesn’t feel the pocket pressure easing, doesn’t hold the ball tightly enough, and worst of all, has another reading problem. He’s stuck on the left side and lost Cooper Kupp on what would have been the game-winning TD. Perhaps Kubiak’s best call, with AJ Barner’s route opening up space for Kupp. That was a TD.
Can we ask for more from the defense?
The defense is far from being to blame for the loss. They kept us in the game as much as possible, but there’s still room for improvement. The main one is converting pressure into hits and sacks. In the play above, the defense looks like they’ll be able to box out Brock Purdy, but they can’t get the sack.
Sometimes, there seems to be a lack of cohesion in improvised stunts, and the team seemed disjointed. That Devon Witherspoon celebrating a play that was a success for the 49ers makes no sense. It’s worth remembering that on a TFL play in the red zone, the defense celebrated as if it were a fourth-down stop (only it was first).
Ty Okada needs to thank Malik Willis for the interception that earned him a spot at the 53. He came in on snaps to play big nickel after Nick Emmanwori’s injury. On this play, there’s a Cat Blitz (a blitz from the outside cornerback), and Okada has to replace Spoon. He arrives late and continues the advance. He even gave up a TD to George Kittle without putting up any resistance.
Just like the offensive line, the Seahawks also neglected the inside linebacker position. Tyrice Knight needs to get back to peak physical condition. The knee injury completely threw off his timing, and he looked unusually slow.
What’s next for Riq Woolen?
Obviously, I didn’t expect Mike Macdonald to open the press conference and openly criticize Woolen for the loss. But first, no one asked a pointed question, like they did with the 49ers about Jake Moody.
Something needs to be done. Woolen was drafted in the Pete Carroll era, one of the NFL’s most energetic cornerbacks. The cornerback has the dream prototype with size, speed, wingspan, etc. However, he lacks the mentality to be a real difference-maker. Just like in that play in the loss to the Rams (where Woolen also gave up the game-winning TD), Woolen continues to wait for passes to fall into his lap, instead of attacking the ball.
Ricky Pearsall talked a lot about his double-move postgame, but note that that wasn’t what triggered the play. Woolen had already recovered from the double-move, but he essentially stops without explanation and gives up the big pass.
First of all, this play should have been finished by the DL, but remember how difficult it is to finish sacks? That’s the result. The defensive line gets lost, can’t get to Purdy, and Woolen has a chance for the INT, but, again, he waits for the pass and gives up the TD.
The Good
Big game against Trent Williams
Trent Williams allowed eight individual pressures to the QB (25.8%), via @NextGenStats. Across all categories, it’s the most pressure he’s allowed in a single game since joining the 49ers in 2020.
Boye Mafe led the team with five pressures and one forced hold. In the play above, he essentially uses a ghost move, and Williams can’t stay in front of him. Mafe has a good angle and almost gets to the QB, with the LT almost committing the hold.
He uses a stutter step to throw off the OL’s timing and attacks with an inside move, bringing immediate pressure. Big play.
More snaps like this from Derick Hall. The 49ers slow him down with a TE, and it seems Williams underestimated the Seahawks defender. Hall shows great strength and gets to the QB. Unfortunately, the good play was nullified by a foul on…Riq Woolen.
Julian Love and Ernest Jones maintained their level of performance
Both of them were standouts on our defense. It seems they started 2025 at the same pace they finished the 2024 season, on a high note.
The only sack of the game came from Julian Love. He took advantage of the space created by Byron Murphy’s explosion, easily escaped Christian McCaffrey, and made the sack.
Ernest Jones had already deflected a pass before and dominated tackles alongside Love. On this play, he kept an eye on Purdy, the QB threw a meaningless pass, and Jones came up with Seattle’s first turnover.
NOTE: Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy also made their presence felt.
Will JSN be the lone star of this offense?
Yes, Jaxon Smith-Njigba had a fumble, a drop, and a bad backward pass, but our offense was built on him. I think I was surprised by how well he was able to break free from coverage on the outside, even though he wasn’t the fastest WR of the group.
The team’s only play-action pass. JSN sells the idea of running, taking an angle on the defender. This is simply to create space on the sideline, in the vacuum left by Tyler Lockett (something he lacked) when stretching the field.
NOTE: It’s worth noting that Cooper Kupp would be open on the backside dig, but Darnold never saw it.
It’s a small, quick move, but enough to create separation.
What a great release. He threatens outside, takes the cornerback off his timing right off the snap, realizes the safety is guarding the backfield, and exploits the space between the second and third levels of the defense.
Final Thoughts
There must be fans who think their team will be the new pick 1, and others who think the Super Bowl is already a reality. Kubiak needs to change everything he’s done. The defense is promising but could be burned by being on the field for so long due to a completely dysfunctional offense.
