NFL4 Nov 20261 minute read

Seattle Searches for Answers After Offensive Line Shuffle

Sam Darnold faced heavy pressure in Seattle's loss to Chicago as a revamped offensive line tries to find its rhythm.

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Line reshuffle causes early growing pains

Seattle general manager John Schneider brought in All-Pro left guard Quenton Nelson last week, but the offensive line change did not pay immediate dividends. The move forced Grey Zabel to switch to right guard, while backup Josh Jones filled in at left tackle for the injured Charles Cross.

The result was a 34-17 defeat to the Chicago Bears, dropping the defending Super Bowl champions to 4-4. Seattle now sits 2.5 games behind the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC West. Schneider noted before the game that it would take time for players to get comfortable in the new alignment. The ground game also struggled to generate traction, as Zach Charbonnet and Jadarian Price combined for just 52 rushing yards on 16 attempts.

Darnold struggles under heavy duress

Quarterback Sam Darnold felt the heat all night against Chicago. He was pressured on 14 of his 39 dropbacks, completing just one pass for 13 yards and throwing an interception while under duress. Chicago sacked him three times and registered six official quarterback hits.

Darnold held the ball for an average of 2.89 seconds against Chicago, up from 2.45 seconds the week before in a 20-3 win over Kansas City. He admitted after the game that he missed opportunities to get the ball out quicker. Darnold has now thrown nine interceptions this season despite playing just six full games. He has been pressured on 38.3 percent of his dropbacks this year, completing only 31.3 percent of his attempts in those situations.

Coach Mike Macdonald backed his quarterback after the loss, praising his toughness after taking several hits. Macdonald also noted that left tackle Charles Cross, who suffered an ankle injury in Week 7, has a chance to return this week to face Arizona.

What it means for the next game

Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks (NFL, Sun, 08 Nov): Seattle Seahawks win 84%, Arizona Cardinals win 16%; projected score Seattle Seahawks 27, Arizona Cardinals 16. Our safest pick: Over 34.5 points.