RENTON, Wash. — Most players want nothing to do with watching film or going over future game plans during their bye week.

Consider Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck an exception.

While the rest of his Seattle teammates are off getting away from the game during this week’s bye, Hasselbeck will carry around a laptop filled with plays and film, planning to spend a significant chunk of his time off studying.

It makes sense. Through four weeks, Seattle’s offense has been extremely inconsistent.

“We clearly need to be better, we know that. It’s been made clear, it’s evident,” Hasselbeck said. “We can be so much better, we really can, but we have to do it. We got to come out here with a little more passion, a little more energy, a little more confidence, and just cut it loose. You have to play smart, but you also have to cut it loose.”

Just a few years ago, Hasselbeck was at the helm of one of the most powerful offenses in the NFL, thanks to a dynamic run game that was made effective by Hasselbeck’s skill for throwing in former coach Mike Holmgren’s offense.

Now Hasselbeck is on his third offensive coordinator in three years, and for the first four weeks has dealt with an ineffective run game, a makeshift offensive line and no established deep threats at receiver.

In the infinitely winnable NFC West — where seven or eight wins might be good enough for a division title — Hasselbeck understands the importance of getting Seattle’s offense rolling.

“We have to find consistency and I’m looking for that to come out of the running game and I’ll probably be saying this for weeks until we get this done,” Seattle coach Pete Carroll said. “And we’re going to do everything we can to get that generated.”

It’s been an odd first four weeks for Carroll in his return to the NFL after nearly a decade dominating college football at Southern California. There were his smiles and fist pumps in Seattle’s 31-6 season-opening route of San Francisco that seemed to expose all of the 49ers’ flaws and in one week ended the belief the Niners were the clear division favorites.

There was Leon Washington announcing he’s back from a grotesque broken leg with two kickoff returns for touchdowns in the Seahawks’ 27-20 win over San Diego, where Seattle’s offense had just 26 yards and one first down in the second half.

But underlying a 2-2 start is a defense struggling against the pass and an offense that seemingly can’t get anything started. Last Sunday’s 20-3 loss to St. Louis was the third time in Seattle’s previous eight games — dating back to last season — where the offense was held to seven points or less.

Seattle ranks 25th in total offense, 21st in passing and 27th in rushing.

“It’s still a work in progress obviously for us and we’re not at all pleased with where we are,” Carroll said. “So I think there’s still some figuring out, yeah. And I think until we really settle up front I think it’s going to continue to feel like that.”

There are a number of reasons why Seattle’s offense is so far mostly punchless. Much like the entire Seattle roster, its offensive line has been a revolving door of new bodies shuffling in and out.

Carroll believes the line he wants going forward will take the field in Chicago next week. Rookie left tackle Russell Okung was on the field for 26 plays against the Rams and appears finally recovered from a high ankle sprain that cost him nearly six weeks. A year after having microfracture surgery on his right knee, Chester Pitts was re-signed this week with the belief he’ll be able to move into the left guard spot. And right guard Stacy Andrews now has a full month in Seattle’s system following his trade from Philadelphia.

Stability there could be the biggest key in getting Seattle’s offense started.

“The offensive line, more than anybody, they want continuity. The challenge to them is, well if you want continuity then everyone needs to practice, get out of the training room and get on the field,” Hasselbeck said. “And I think that’s what everyone is excited about. I know the offensive line is excited about having everybody at full strength, and as they go we go in a sense.”

Chicago’s also likely to see the debut of Marshawn Lynch in the Seattle backfield. Acquired from Buffalo earlier this week for a pair of future draft picks, Lynch is the physical, between-the-tackles runner the Seahawks lacked early this season. Undersized speedster Justin Forsett earned the starting nod, but in Seattle’s zone blocking scheme and with the offensive line getting little push, Forsett wasn’t the best option to be an every-down back.

Seattle’s gone five seasons since its last 1,000-yard back, when Shaun Alexander rushed for nearly 1,900 yards during his MVP season in 2005. Lynch already has two 1,000-yard seasons in his three full seasons.

And Forsett doesn’t mind now sharing the load too much. Lynch was his teammate at California and a groomsman in his wedding.

“He has so much ... I’d say his power,” Forsett said. “He’s a strong guy, probably one of the strongest guys I’ve ever been around and you can tell by the way he breaks tackles and he runs with a lot of heart. You don’t see that too often.”