Against the Bills, we saw for the first time what Ryan Grubb’s Seahawks offense looks like without their primary deep threat. It wasn’t pretty, as Seattle scored a season-low 10 points as the running game continued to be stuck in the mud and Geno Smith’s pass-catching options were limited. Now in addition to DK Metcalftight end Noah Fant is out with a groin injury.

Fant is on pace to have his best season with the Seahawks, having racked up 27 receptions for 285 yards in eight games. He never exceeded 500 receiving yards with Seattle. Metcalf, before spraining his MCL in Week 7, was nearly matching his career-high yards per game average of 81.4 set in 2020. He was averaging 81.1 yards per game and was the fourth-leading receiver in leader of the league.

Although Metcalf’s production has fueled the offense, his impact as a decoy is just as important. The Bills had a lot less respect for the verticality of Seattle’s offense with Metcalf absent, and rightly so. If the running game struggles again against the Rams, the Seahawks offense will have a hard time not being tracked.

Metcalf’s absence amplifies this fact even more. Seattle is 29th in rushing yards per game (89.3) and is coming off a team-high 32 rushing yards against Buffalo. That was the fewest rushing yards since the Seahawks lost 37-3 to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 9 of last season.

If Smith is forced to carry the load, the lack of balance makes Seattle’s offense much easier to defend. The offensive line’s struggles only made things worse once passers could pin their ears and sell out in the run. We saw it against the Bills and at different points throughout the season, even with Metcalf on the field.

The Seahawks running back room is too talented to struggle this much eight games into the season. Grubb and the offensive staff are aware of this, but they have not yet found a solution. This solution must be found quickly if this offense is to realize its potential.

This is especially true if the racing game fails to start. Smith’s up-and-down year had another bad day in Week 8, as he completed 21 of 29 passes for 212 yards and an interception. Center Connor Williams hasn’t helped his cause on several occasions, but Smith ultimately needs to be better, regardless of the state of his body. porous offensive line.

From the start, Smith was one of the main catalysts for the team’s 3-0 start. Now that Seattle has lost four of its last five games, he has put together some of his worst performances since donning a Seahawks uniform in key losses for the team.

Smith has just eight touchdown passes (seven interceptions) on the season, which ranks him tied for 16th in the league. He has to start scoring points, even if there are forces working against him. Seattle needs Smith at his best if this team is going to get back on track.

The Seahawks’ new linebacker got off to a hot start in Week 8, recording a team-high 15 tackles. But he was only with the team four days before game day. Ernest Jones IV has a chance to be even better against the Rams – his former team – with a full week of practice under his belt.

The revenge aspect cannot be avoided either. Los Angeles opted to trade Jones to the Tennessee Titans for peanuts rather than give him a second contract. Then he was traded again to the Seahawks.

“I was really surprised,” Jones said Thursday of the Rams trade. “The word I used was definitely shocked at the decisions they made, but they taught me a lot in that process. Taught me a lot of things about business: you’re never safe, no matter what you’ve done. So that’s kind of what I learned in this position.

Veteran defensive tackle Jarran Reed said Wednesday the Seahawks were “edgy but balanced.” They’ll need that energy Sunday as the team tries to avoid dropping below .500 for the first time this season.

The offense has its issues, but the defense needs to be better with Mike Macdonald leading the unit. They need to stop Rams running back Kyren Williams so they can go after Matthew Stafford. Combined with the needs of the offense, these will be the keys to victory against Los Angeles.

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