After a rocky performance in the season opener against the San Francisco 49ers, it seemed like it might take some time for the Seattle Seahawks’ new offense under offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak to mesh properly. It’s understandable, especially considering quarterback Sam Darnold was a new variable as well.
With a cross-country trip to Pittsburgh waiting on the other side, plenty of football fans on the national scale assumed, incorrectly, that the Steelers’ defense would right their Week 1 wrongs at Seattle’s expense. While early turnovers pointed toward that outcome, by the end of the game, Kubiak’s squad had put together a full performance and picked up the win.
It certainly wasn’t all pretty. But the outcome is one Seahawks fans are pleased enough with if improvements continue to roll in week after week.
A balanced attack highlights growth in the Seattle Seahawks' new system
Outside of Darnold’s two turnovers, the consistency and balanced distribution from the quarterback were exactly what Kubiak’s offense needed. He finished just shy of 300 yards and had two scores, and with 66% of his passes completed, a fair stat line against a talented, if not overrated, Steelers defense.
But beyond that, Darnold dished out passes to six different receivers, with Jaxon Smith-Njigba getting just one more target than Cooper Kupp. After a disparaged target share last week, Darnold built some much-needed chemistry with Kupp, who was primarily covered by Jalen Ramsey, connecting on seven passes for 90 yards on nine targets - just one fewer target than Smith-Njigba.
Of course, with Kubiak’s offense, it all starts on the ground game. The Seahawks didn’t get off to a hot start on the ground, even when targeting the seemingly weak left side of the Steelers defense that was exposed against New York last week. Still, Kenneth Walker III finished with his first 100-yard performance since Week 1 of last season.
Still, there’s room for clean up. Zach Charbonnet led the way in carries, getting 15 to Walker’s 13. But where Walker averaged 8.1 yards per carry and topped the century mark, Charbonnet didn’t even average a full yard, totalling just 10 yards on the ground himself. Kubiak needs more balance in the run game, even if one back can shine brighter from one week to the next.
Naturally, just as one shaky performance doesn’t define Seattle for the season, neither does a rebound in Week 2. Seattle needs to sustain some consistency after showing how balanced and efficient the plan of attack can be against Pittsburgh.
Luckily, a real opportunity to build on the performance awaits in Week 3 against the hapless (and winless) New Orleans Saints.