Many Seahawks fans packed Lumen Field in great anticipation to see the newest version of their favorite team. I imagine many questions filled their minds.   

Can Mike MacDonald take the next step? Are Cooper Kupps best behind him? Was Sam Darnold a one-year wonder?   

Well, those questions may not have found their answers on Sunday after the Seahawks lost to the San Francisco 49ers 17-13. Win or lose, only putting up 13 points in a football game is always underwhelming. As a team, the Seahawks only put up 84 rush yards and a touchdown. Darnold put up 150 pass yards – 124 going to Jaxon Smith-Njigba – and no touchdowns. Kupp hauled in two catches for a whopping 15 yards.   

The Seahawks’ offense certainly did not meet any expectations set for them heading into this season. There were some critical errors by the Seahawks’ defense throughout the game, but more importantly, in the fourth quarter. They gave up a big pass play along the sideline that flipped the field position for the 49ers, and ultimately were outplayed on the go-ahead touchdown caught by Jake Tonges.  

The Seahawks were able to respond and make progress moving the ball downfield. Darnold found Smith-Njigba along the sideline for a big gain, and they were knocking on the door of the red zone. However, Nick Bosa was able to break through the trenches and force a Darnold fumble to seal their victory.  

The Seahawks’ defense looked rough. In addition to the fourth-quarter errors, they struggled to stop the 49ers on third down and allowed them to convert two fourth downs. Their time of possession was over 37 minutes, while the Seahawks’ was 22 minutes. The Niners recorded 24 first downs while the Seahawks’ offense only gained 14.

Kupp’s performance was disappointing. A receiver of his caliber ought to be more involved in the offense. He was only targeted three times all day. It’s hard to get a read on Kupp’s potential in this offense when he does not seem to be included.  

There are still positives for the Seahawks to take away from this game. Darnold finished with a 70% completion percentage. He was accurate and did not turn the ball over when throwing, minus his fumble. Smith-Njigba looked amazing and gave a glimpse into the potential of a new quarterback-receiver duo forming in Seattle.   

The Seahawks have a playoff-caliber team. It is not the time to hit the panic button. It’s only week one, and like many teams across the NFL, there is a lot of rust to shake off. Several playoff-caliber teams struggled themselves, like the Detroit Lions, Houston Texans and Los Angeles Rams.   

It’s going to be important for the Seahawks to fine-tune their defense and find ways to get Kupp involved. The defense needs to be more efficient in shutting teams down on third down. It’s also one thing to give up big plays in a game, but when it happens in the fourth quarter, it becomes a critical error. They will be tested when they face a high-powered offense in the Pittsburgh Steelers in week two.  

If the Hawks can make Kupp more of a threat in this offense, it will allow other options to open up for the rest of the receiving room. Building a stronger run game is a crucial step to making this happen as well. Defenses can’t cover everything when they have to respect both aspects of the offense.   

It’s not time to panic, but the Seahawks must respond immediately.