Sep 7, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) hands the ball off to Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) during the second half at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Seattle Seahawks offense criticized by analyst after dismal opener

Originally posted on Seattle Seahawks on SI
By Zach Roberts | Last updated Sep 8, 2025 10:00 AM ET

After an offseason full of questions, the Seattle Seahawks' offense answered some of them, but not in a positive way. People wondered if the new offensive coordinator could create a run-heavy offense with two star running backs. People wondered if Sam Darnold was a fluke player last year, and if a Jaxon Smith-Njigba-led WR room could thrive.

Unfortunately, it's a negative on all fronts after one week. Yes, the San Francisco 49er defense is good, but the Seahawks offense was decidedly not. It is the sole reason they got a B- grade on Sunday because the defense was quite good.

CBS Sports insider John Breech was highly critical. "It's definitely too early to judge, but after one game, Sam Darnold doesn't seem like an upgrade over Geno Smith," he said. Darnold threw for just 150 yards in the game.

But with all that, he had the ball in the red zone with a minute or so to go to win the game with a touchdown, and he fumbled on a sack, which ruined the chances of a comeback in disastrous fashion. After a zero-yard rush, Nick Bosa sacked Darnold, forced the fumble, and recovered it.

"Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who hauled in 124 of Darnold's 150 passing yards, also lost a key fumble in the second half," Breech added. "The offense wasn't able to get anything going on the ground either on a day where the rushing attack averaged just 3.2 yards per carry."

That running game was supposed to be strong this year under Klint Kubiak and with both Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet featuring, but it certainly wasn't on Sunday. "If the Seahawks are going to have any chance of competing for a playoff berth this year, the offense is going to have to be much better," the analyst concluded.

It wasted a pretty stout game from the Seahawks defense. This is likely the formula for Seattle: make plays on defense to keep it close enough for the offense to steal a win. Unfortunately, only one end of the bargain was held up yesterday, and it's why the Seahawks are off to an 0-1 start in the Darnold era.

This article first appeared on Seattle Seahawks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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