The Seattle Seahawks have plenty of areas to address following their disappointing Week 8 loss to the Chicago Bears.
While the defeat exposed several areas of concern, three storylines stood out — Sam Darnold’s problems with interceptions, the lack of expected production from AJ Barner and the development of a new offensive line pairing.
1. Sam Darnold still turns the ball over too much
Darnold’s inability to consistently protect the football remains a concern. He threw one interception against Chicago, bringing his season total to nine. He has now thrown at least one interception in six of the seven games that he has played this season. Seattle cannot afford that level of inconsistency from its starting quarterback. His execution down the stretch against Chicago was not sharp either, particularly
when the team needed him to make plays and give the offense an opportunity to compete. Darnold has an issue that he will need to fix to put the team in the best position to win moving forward.
2. The Seahawks need more from AJ Barner
Outside of Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle has struggled to get consistent production from its other receivers, and AJ Barner may be the one who needs to step up most urgently. Rashid Shaheed, Cooper Kupp and Tory Horton have all yet to establish themselves as dependable contributors this season. Barner was expected to take another step forward this season, but that development has yet to happen. He finished with two receptions for 23 yards against Chicago and has 21 catches for 203 yards on the season. Seattle needs considerably more from him moving forward.
3. Grey Zabel may need time to get in sync at right guard
Grey Zabel’s first appearance at right guard this season was not picture-perfect. However, there is reason to remain optimistic. He has played well in all this season and has considerable potential, though Zabel may need time to adjust to playing on the right side of the line after having a down performance in Week 8 against Bears superstar defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons. Additional time may help Zabel develop the rhythm necessary to get accustomed to playing on the right side of the line and form an elite combination with Quenton Nelson at the guard slot.
This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: What we learned from Seahawks in Week 8 loss to Bears
