This week were joined by Mookie Alexander from our Seahawks sister site, Field Gulls, to help us preview Chargers-Seahawks! Mookie is one of the best in the business so we greatly appreciate his help and expertise!
Without further ado, let’s get into it!
1.) The Seahawks lost starting quarterback Sam Darnold in Week One but still managed to beat the Patriots and then stay afloat with a win in Week Two while Drew Lock took over. In Week Three, Darnold returned but the Seahawks lost a close one to the Commanders.
What have you learned about this team through the first three weeks and has that changed your preseason expectations at all?
My preseason expectations of another Super Bowl run (except they don’t repeat) are unchanged. Darnold looks like he’s in for another strong season and other than the awful pick-six he threw, he played very well given the lack of a running game against the Commanders. The passing game will likely be the strength of the offense over the inconsistent rushing attack, just as it was for much of last year. Defensively there’s almost an incomplete grade because they shut down the Patriots and Cardinals, but those are not particularly impressive offenses. The Commanders scored 33 points but a lot of that came off short fields and a pick-six. With that said, the defense wasn’t at their best against the Commanders and part of that was being down starting safeties Ty Okada and Julian Love. I don’t expect Okada back this week but Love definitely will be back and he’s a pivotal part of Seattle’s defense. The interior of the defensive line is as strong as ever with Byron Murphy II, Leonard Williams, and Jarran Reed, and that’s where the Seahawks have the biggest advantage in this game and really against most of the rest of the league. The biggest regression we’ve seen is the Seahawks special teams, which has not covered kickoffs well and is struggling to do anything with punt returns.
Seattle is still a top team until proven otherwise, and I think the Commanders game is a blip on the radar. Mike Macdonald has proven to be such a top-flight coach so quickly that I think he’ll “make it right” given his obsession with attention to detail.
2.) Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba is on a whole other level compared to the rest of the NFL. How has he become arguably the best in the league so early in his career? How does he manage to produce week-in and week-out at an elite level?
He’s an elite route-runner with supreme footwork and terrific hands. As a rookie, he was mostly a screen pass guy and couldn’t really generate consistent separation. Something clicked when they lost to the Los Angeles Rams in 2024. JSN dropped a pass that led to an interception, and then finished the game with 7 catches for 180 yards and 2 touchdowns, showing off his YAC threat and his ability to separate deeper down the field. After that game, he essentially became the top target over DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, and his Offensive Player of the Year performance in 2025 proved the Seahawks were right to build the passing offense around him. And yes, Chargers fans, it’s not lost on me that Seattle got JSN one pick before Quentin Johnston. I have evidence of my desire to avoid drafting QJ, and unfortunately the Chargers didn’t heed my warning.
While JSN is not known as a super speedy player, he’s faster than advertised and has mastered the art of not telegraphing his route tree. There’s a Hard Knocks clip compiling his route breaks and you can see why he’s such a successful receiver. The Seahawks have had a deep history of very good receivers, and their gold standard is Steve Largent. I think when all is said and done, JSN will be the best receiver in Seahawks history and join Steve in Canton.
3.) If you were Chargers defensive coordinator Chris O’Leary, how would you attempt to put a cap on JSN and the rest of the Seahawks offense? Who are some other offensive players you would also have to watch out for?
Well, stopping JSN has really only been done by Brian Flores’ incessant blitzing and selling out his coverages exclusively to him. The Patriots did a good job in the Super Bowl but Darnold also missed a few plays he normally makes, plus JSN left the game briefly due to injury. You can run bracket coverages and do whatever you can to clog up passing lanes in zone defense. This probably means some sim pressure looks and more disguises. O’Leary should also consider not loading the box so heavily to stop the run; when Seattle struggled at times last season, it’s because defenses didn’t commit so many numbers to the run game and instead paid more attention to Seattle’s passing attack.
Of course, the Seahawks are more than JSN, and a name to watch is tight end A.J. Barner, who just caught 5 passes for 69 yards and was quietly Seattle’s second-leading receiver in 2025. He’s a quality blocker (which is what he was known for out of the draft) but offensive coordinator Brian Fleury is finally getting him more involved as a receiver again, and he’s been a security blanket for Darnold. When Seattle runs play-action boots, look for Barner underneath for easy-access throws. I’d also keep an eye on Tory Horton, who missed half of last season with an injury and barely played the first two weeks, but he had 3 catches for 48 yards against the Commanders. With Rashid Shaheed struggling for targets and effectiveness, Horton may build off of last week and showcase some more of what made him a fifth-round steal of a receiver. Horton can also return kicks and housed a 95-yard punt for a touchdown last season.
4.) Same question as above but flip sides of the ball. If you were offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, how would you go about trying to attack this Seahawks defense? Which players would you attempt to avoid? Which players would you try to exploit?
The Seahawks are terrific at defending long passes but they have been vulnerable to passes under 10 air yards, ranking 27th in success rate. McDaniel should utilize the short passing game as much as possible, particularly with his running backs and tight ends (which, I admit, is a problem on the TE front given Gadsden’s dropsies). Screen passes have caught the Seahawks out in their rare blitzes. Seattle’s pass rush from the edges is fine but not elite, but the interior rush still means Herbert will likely be pressed for time, so McDaniel has to scheme up quicker throws. Herbert’s arm is fantastic but waiting for something to open up downfield is probably going to end disastrously. Ladd McConkey, if healthy enough to play, will likely present challenges for Seattle’s corners (particularly Josh Jobe, who’s good but penalty prone). There’s really not much else to say regarding the Chargers receivers. Running the ball with Omarion Hampton is likely a waste of time and downs against Seattle’s front, so going into the teeth of the defense is like an invitation to punt.
5.) Let’s top this off with a final score prediction. How do you see this game shaking out? Will it be lopsided or closer than you think?
I think the Chargers defense can make it close but the lack of offense is going to be the downfall. Let’s go with 24-14 Seahawks in which maybe a tie score at halftime turns into a 24-7 lead before the Chargers tack on a garbage time score to lose by a little less. Seattle has been turnover prone throughout Mike Macdonald’s tenure (except for the literal playoff run to the Super Bowl, amazingly) and the Chargers did just get five turnovers last week, so that’s essentially the path to victory.
