The Seattle Seahawks have fallen to 3-2 on the season following their 32-29 loss at home to the now 5-0 San Francisco 49ers. Plenty of old (or should I say, recent) ghosts came back to haunt this Seahawks team, and once more, Seattle could not get out of its own way.
Now the team heads to Denver on a short week to take on a Broncos team that is also 3-2. Seattle will need to win not just to keep pace with a Niners team creating serious separation in the NFC West, but also to notch a common opponent win, as San Francisco beat Denver in Week 4.
But before we can look ahead, we need to talk about the game that just occurred. Here is Seahawks Wire's top takeaways from NFL Week 5.
No. 1 - The turnovers are officially an alarmingly serious issue
When the Seahawks lost to the Washington Commanders in Week 3 they turned
the ball over three times and the Commanders scored 21 points off them. Frustrating, yes, but that felt more like "classic, fluky NFL" especially with it being A) Sam Darnold's first game back and B) awful weather. But in Week 5, the Seahawks coughed it up four times and the Niners scored (you guessed it) 21 more points off three of them! This is now a major problem and it's absolutely burying Seattle, directly contributing to their two losses this year. And if you want to get really nit-picky, Emanuel Wilson and Rashid Shaheed had a fumble each last week in the win over the Chargers. Seattle didn't lose either, but they are putting the ball into harm's way far too often. The Seahawks need to figure out how to protect the football better, because right now they're reckless.
No. 2 - Seattle's ground attack is stuck in neutral
Another week, another game when the Seahawks struggle to run the ball. Seattle's rushing offense isn't just struggling because they keep putting the ball on the turf, they also struggle to get yards. The Seahawks rushed for 89 yards as a team in Week 5, and 61 of those came from Emanuel Wilson who also had a touchdown. Seattle is getting little to no production from any of their other ball carriers and it's making their offense one dimensional, and when it's one dimensional then it's more pressure on an already struggling Sam Darnold. The Seahawks need Zach Charbonnet back in the worst way, but looks like they will have to wait at least another week.
No. 3 - Lack of faith in Sam?
It's been a shaky start to Sam Darnold's 2026 campaign to say the least. Darnold's action in Week 1 was limited to five plays before leaving with an injury. He then missed Week 2. Since his return, Darnold has thrown seven touchdown passes but has tossed five interceptions in the three game's he's played... including two games with two picks! When the Seahawks were trailing 32-29 in Week 5 to the Niners, I felt something I hadn't in a long time. Actually, let me revise that. I didn't feel something for the first time in a long time: confidence in Sam Darnold and this offense to deliver. Even against the Washington Commanders, had Seattle got one final stop on defense and the ball back to them, I had no doubt they would have marched down the field to win. But on Sunday? I just had a nagging feeling. I'm not selling any stock on Darnold or this offense, not yet. However, they absolutely need to start clicking. They are far too talented to be playing this way.
No. 4 - Seahawks are in familiar territory
The Seattle Seahawks are 3-2 after five games, which include a home loss to the San Francisco 49ers where Sam Darnold couldn't deliver late and a wild shootout loss. Oh, I'm sorry, I was actually writing from my notes from last season. Let me describe where the Seahawks are at this year: The Seattle Seahawks are 3-2 after five games, which include a home loss to the San Francisco 49ers where Sam Darnold couldn't deliver late and a wild shootout loss. It's not a perfect 1:1 comp, but it's eerily similar. Yes, Seattle has issues this year they didn't in 2025 and this season is an entirely new challenge. They are in a bit of a hole early on, but they have proven they can climb out and thrive over the course of a campaign. The NFL season is a marathon, not a sprint, and the 12th Man should still be confident. Which brings me to my final point...
No. 5 - The 12th Man should still be confident in this team
I know, I know... Sunday was beyond frustrating and folks probably don't want to hear this right now. I get it! I promise you, I truly get it. That being said, I cannot ignore the fact this team has played mostly sloppy football, is often penalized, can't run at all, and is addicted to giving the ball away... and they're 3-2 with two losses that could have easily been wins. They lost due to self-inflicted wounds. Name any other team in the league, aside from perhaps Buffalo or Kansas City, who could turn the ball over four times and still be in position to attempt a game-winning drive. I know this is what makes it extra frustrating that this team could easily be 5-0 and they're not because of themselves, but the half-class-full mentality here is the fact these issues feel coachable and if they get a little bit healthier at the running back position. Now, don't get me wrong. These rosy feelings of "gosh, they feel close!" will vanish quickly with each passing week they aren't corrected. There is only so much you can stretch this particular talking point out. Although I feel as if we are still in that window, the Seahawks need to figure out how to right the ship in a hurry.
This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Seahawks top takeaways from 32-29 loss to 49ers
