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12/15 18:08 CST Seahawks' struggles on offense continue as the playoffs loom
Seahawks' struggles on offense continue as the playoffs loom
By ANDREW DESTIN
AP Sports Writer
RENTON, Wash. (AP) --- Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald would prefer not to have
to rely on Jason Myers quite so much.
Myers scored all of Seattle's points on Sunday, kicking a franchise-record six
field goals in an 18-16 win over Philp Rivers and the Indianapolis Colts.
He has converted 24 of his last 25 field goals. His coach would like to see
more touchdowns.
"It's not what you want," Macdonald said, "but when needed, it's great to have
them."
The Seahawks (11-3) were struggling on offense before Sunday. Seattle hasn't
scored an offensive touchdown in the first half since Jaxon Smith-Njigba's
62-yard TD catch against Tennessee on Nov. 23. Its last first-quarter touchdown
came in a win over Arizona on Nov. 9.
"We've got to improve, be better, start faster," Macdonald said. "We'll look at
our openers here. Couple games where our openers weren't hitting as well as we
want. We'll look at it. But, we want to start fast."
The Seahawks scored six points in the first half for the third straight game.
They once again failed to establish the run, totaling 3 yards on nine carries
before halftime. Seattle finished with a season-low 50 yards rushing; Kenneth
Walker III had 17 yards on nine carries, both figures his fewest of the season.
"We didn't run it the way we wanted to," Macdonald said. "It's kind of a little
bit of everything right now. A little bit late in the year to be saying that.
So, I mean, we got to pick it up, really, on all fronts."
The struggles come with the Seahawks all but assured of a playoff berth.
They're preparing to face the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night with the NFC
West lead on the line.
"We just need to get together and understand the game plan and execute at the
end of the day," Smith-Njigba said. "And I'll leave it at that."
What's working Wide receiver Rashid Shaheed came up big in the final minute. He returned a kickoff 28 yards to the Seattle 37 and caught a pair of passes from Sam Darnold to set up Myers' decisive field goal. Shaheed finished with seven receptions for 75 yards. Shaheed got off to a slow start after being acquired in a midseason trade with New Orleans, but he and Darnold have been building a rapport, Macdonald said. "His attitude every day, get the reps, make sure every rep is meaningful," Macdonald said. "This time of year, you don't get a whole ton of full-speed reps. You got to manage our practice output, things like that. So, you got to make the most of what you get. It's going to take time. I think that's what we're seeing."
What needs help Seattle was 2 of 13 on third down, leading to Myers' six field goals and four punts by Michael Dickson. The Seahawks rank 19th in third-down efficiency this season. "We thought we had a good plan, and we didn't get it done," Macdonald said. "So, can we game-plan it better? Yeah, maybe. Can we call it better? Yeah. Maybe in some spots, can we execute better?
Stock up Second-year defensive tackle Byron Murphy II leads the team in sacks with seven and is tied for fourth in tackles for loss. He had four tackles Sunday, and his numbers didn't tell the whole story. "Byron Murphy played a tremendous football game," Macdonald said. "He was absolutely dominant. Probably single-handedly won us the football game on defense. He absolutely played lights out."
Stock down Safety Julian Love, who injured a hamstring early in the season and missed eight games, has not been his typically impactful self since returning to action on Dec. 7. Love has combined for two tackles the last two weeks.
Injuries
LB Derick Hall (hand) and T Abe Lucas (right arm/shoulder) were injured Sunday but returned to action. Macdonald said both are fine. Macdonald said it was possible that T Charles Cross (hamstring) will play Thursday. It's not clear whether WR Tory Horton (calf), who hasn't played since Nov. 2, will play again this season.
Key number 4 --- Times in franchise history the Seahawks have won without scoring an offensive touchdown. Seattle also won without a touchdown last season, beating Chicago 6-3 on Dec. 26, 2024.
Next steps After Thursday's massive game against the Rams, the Seahawks are on the road the final two weeks of the regular season, at Carolina and San Francisco. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
What's working Wide receiver Rashid Shaheed came up big in the final minute. He returned a kickoff 28 yards to the Seattle 37 and caught a pair of passes from Sam Darnold to set up Myers' decisive field goal. Shaheed finished with seven receptions for 75 yards. Shaheed got off to a slow start after being acquired in a midseason trade with New Orleans, but he and Darnold have been building a rapport, Macdonald said. "His attitude every day, get the reps, make sure every rep is meaningful," Macdonald said. "This time of year, you don't get a whole ton of full-speed reps. You got to manage our practice output, things like that. So, you got to make the most of what you get. It's going to take time. I think that's what we're seeing."
What needs help Seattle was 2 of 13 on third down, leading to Myers' six field goals and four punts by Michael Dickson. The Seahawks rank 19th in third-down efficiency this season. "We thought we had a good plan, and we didn't get it done," Macdonald said. "So, can we game-plan it better? Yeah, maybe. Can we call it better? Yeah. Maybe in some spots, can we execute better?
Stock up Second-year defensive tackle Byron Murphy II leads the team in sacks with seven and is tied for fourth in tackles for loss. He had four tackles Sunday, and his numbers didn't tell the whole story. "Byron Murphy played a tremendous football game," Macdonald said. "He was absolutely dominant. Probably single-handedly won us the football game on defense. He absolutely played lights out."
Stock down Safety Julian Love, who injured a hamstring early in the season and missed eight games, has not been his typically impactful self since returning to action on Dec. 7. Love has combined for two tackles the last two weeks.
Injuries
LB Derick Hall (hand) and T Abe Lucas (right arm/shoulder) were injured Sunday but returned to action. Macdonald said both are fine. Macdonald said it was possible that T Charles Cross (hamstring) will play Thursday. It's not clear whether WR Tory Horton (calf), who hasn't played since Nov. 2, will play again this season.
Key number 4 --- Times in franchise history the Seahawks have won without scoring an offensive touchdown. Seattle also won without a touchdown last season, beating Chicago 6-3 on Dec. 26, 2024.
Next steps After Thursday's massive game against the Rams, the Seahawks are on the road the final two weeks of the regular season, at Carolina and San Francisco. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
