Even after the turnovers in key spots and inconsistencies on both sides of the football, the Seattle Seahawks stayed alive and had a shot to win late in all three of their recent losses.
That said, it doesn’t make three straight losses hurt any less. Especially after beginning the season 3-0.
“As frustrating as it is, and it hurts right after the game, it stings man,” Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said on Friday. “You feel like [you] failed the city; you’re bummed. That’s a natural reaction, it’s okay to be. You should be upset because it also means that you care.”
In Week 4, the Seahawks trailed the Detroit Lions 21-7 at halftime. Then, after trailing by 15 points late in the third quarter, Seattle cut the lead to eight and got the ball back early in the fourth quarter. The Seahawks couldn’t muster any points and lost 42-29, but they had their chances.
The following week, against the New York Giants, Seattle took an early 7-0 lead before the Giants scored 10 unanswered points. The Seahawks never re-gained a lead, but they kept it close. It wasn’t until Jason Myers’ game-tying field goal was blocked and returned for a touchdown with 55 seconds left in the game that Seattle’s hopes were put to bed.
Finally, versus the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday, Seattle fell into its biggest deficit of the season early in the third quarter at 23-3. A kickoff return touchdown and 94-yard scoring drive on their next two possessions positioned Seattle within striking distance trailing 23-17.
Seattle, extending its streak of forced 49ers punts to three, had two opportunities to drive down the field and take a fourth-quarter lead. Those two drives ended in a punt and then an interception thrown by Geno Smith. San Francsico went on to win 36-24.
“When you watch [the game film] back and you go back and you dissect this thing and where we’re at and how we’re able to stay in some of these games that we probably shouldn’t be in, absolutely, that’s a sign to be optimistic,” Macdonald said. “At some point, it’s going be the other way where ‘Hey, we’re trying to close these games out up a score, or multiple scores at the end.’ We can hang with anybody. But right now, we’ve got some fixing to do at home.”
The Seahawks don’t have a proper bye week until Week 10, but the mini-bye following their three games in 11 days allows them a 10-day break. That’s much more time to rest than the team had between any game from Weeks 4–6.
Currently, Macdonald and Seattle are focused on getting healthy and correcting the issues on both sides of the ball to be ready for their Week 7 road game against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, Oct. 20.
