This might be harder than I thought

I underestimated the learning curve for the Seattle Seahawks new coaching staff.

That’s the first of three things that I’ve learned over the first half of this season, and honestly, that’s probably my fault.

I should. havebeen more cognizant of the fact that not only was Mike Macdonald a first-time head coach, but his offensive coordinator is new to the NFL, too. It’s added to the already considerable challenges the Seahawks have faced through the first nine games, and with Seattle on a bye this week, I thought it’s a good time to take everyone’s temperature regarding how things are going.

There’s an exit poll at the bottom of this newsletter, and I’m interested to hear what you think of the new coach so far. But first, I’ve got a link to my latest column in The News Tribune before I start telling you what I’ve learned and what I’m still trying to figure out.

📗 Quick reads 📗 

I am old enough to remember a time when no one had to worry about Seattle’s offensive line. That was 2005 when Steve Hutchinson and Walter Jones were anchoring what was the best line in the league, and I was in my first year covering the Seahawks, having switched over from the Sonics beat. I was naive back then. Very naive.

Man, I hope USC gives Lincoln Riley a lifetime contract. First he spent the first half of Saturday’s game at Husky Stadium trying to throw the ball against one of the nation’s best pass defenses instead of giving the ball to Woody Marks. Then — after Marks chewed up the Huskies in the second half — Riley came out of that game deciding he needed to change quarterbacks, benching Miller Moss. Riley is that guy playing checkers while everyone else plays chess.

📝 Three things I learned 📝 

1. It’s not just the players who are adjusting to a new system.

   Perhaps I was overly optimistic, thinking that Mike Macdonald might do for Seattle’s defense what Sean McVay did for the Rams offense in 2017. Maybe I overestimated the quality of the personnel the Seahawks had on hand.

   I thought the Seahawks would make the playoffs this year under Mike Macdonald, but in doing so, I think I overestimated the impact of having a head coach, an offensive coordinator and a defensive coordinator who had never held those positions before. At least not in the NFL.

   Now, the Seahawks also have Leslie Frazier on staff. He’s someone with extensive NFL experience, someone who’s even been a head coach. But Macdonald and DC Allen Durde are in the first year in those positions and while Ryan Grubb was previously an offensive coordinator, that was in college.

   That means that not only are players learning a new system, but these guys are learning on the job, too.

2. We need to stop citing Geno Smith’s passing yards to dispute any criticism of his play.

   Yes, he’s leading the league in pass yards, but this reflects the situation of Seattle’s games as much as it does Smith’s skill. The Seahawks are throwing the ball because they have to. They’re frequently playing from behind, and they know that their ground game is inconsistent. I certainly don’t believe Smith has played poorly, I also don’t see the 2,560 yards to absolve him of all responsibility for the inconsistency of this offense, either. Put a little differently: I don’t think he’s the problem. I’m also not sure that he’s the solution to everything if Seattle could just get its pass protection in order, either.

3. D.K. Metcalf’s absence showed his importance.

   He’s the most impactful player on the team outside the quarterback. It’s not just his production as a wide receiver, but the way defenses must pay attention to him. You saw these past two games how much harder it was for Seattle to move the ball when he was out. I know people are sick of Metcalf’s penalties. I know that he has tendency to fumble. He’s such a physical, fast player that he makes a huge difference to this team. Now, it’s possible in the offseason that the Seahawks will deem him too expensive for their situation, but it’s my belief that NFL teams don’t get better by letting their best players go and I am more certain than ever that Metcalf is one of their very best players.

🧩 Three things I’m still trying to figure out 🧩 

1. Is Geno Smith going to be Seattle’s starter next season?

   The one question I thought would be answered this season was about Smith’s future in Seattle. But given the almost constant pressure he’s faced, I don’t feel like I have any better idea about whether Seattle should agree to the contract extension that Smith has every right to expect after this season.

   Smith is a good quarterback. Every game he makes four of five incredible throws. He’s also thrown some absolutely back-breaking interceptions with last week’s being the most egregious example.

   I know he can be the starting quarterback on a playoff team. I don’t know if he’s capable of being the starting quarterback on a team that makes a deep postseason run, which makes extending him after this season a somewhat tricky proposition.

   I’m inclined to believe that Smith is good enough that you pay the price to keep him until you know you have someone better. Smith’s price, however, is about to go up, and I remain of somewhat mixed feelings about whether Seattle should pay that price this offseason.

2. Should Seattle have re-signed Damien Lewis?

   The four-year, $53 million contract Lewis signed with Carolina made him the 10th highest-paid guard in the league, according to Spotrac. It’s a hefty price for a player who’d never made a Pro Bowl, and I can understand how Seattle came to the conclusion that it was a prohibitively high cost. It’s tougher to understand when you see that the Seahawks have wound up in a situation where they’re starting Laken Tomlinson on a veteran minimum deal and then spending $6 million in training camp on a one-year deal for a center who was coming off a significant surgery AND has had trouble snapping the ball to the quarterback. I can tell you this definitively: Seattle wouldn’t be in a worse situation up front if it had paid Lewis.

3. Will Abe Lucas be back?

   Seattle was in a hole at right tackle before the season ever started. First, Lucas’s recovery from offseason knee surgery was slower than the team had hoped. Then, George Fant — whom Seattle added to provide some depth — has been unable to finish either of the games he’s played this season. Then, Stone Forsythe suffered an injury to his hand, which means that for most of the past three games, Seattle has been relying on rookie Mike Jerrell at that spot.

   Macdonald said Monday there’s a chance that Lucas will play in the next game, however, he was listed as not practicing on Friday, which gives me hesitant to assume he’ll be back. If he is, that could help stabilize the situation up front.

Thanks for reading today’s newsletter. If you’d like to add something that you’ve learned from these first nine games or point out something you’re trying to figure out, please feel free to leave a comment. Otherwise, please take a second to answer my survey, which will help inform my future address on “The State of the Seahawks.”

📝 Exit poll 📝