Seattle says its mini bye weekend helped the team focus on small improvements as it prepares to host the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night.
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The Seahawks say a mini bye weekend gave them time to get into the “fine details” they believe are needed to play cleaner, more complementary football as they prepare to host the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night.
Seattle enters Week 7 with a 3-3 record after spending part of its extra time in conversations among coaches and players about where the team stands right now. The club’s three defeats this season have been by a total of eight points, and players say they know they are close to the style of play they want to sustain.
Safety Julian Love said Wednesday that Seattle is “close,” pointing to both the good shown on the field and the “really bad things” that still show up too often. He added that even when the Seahawks win, they feel they are still “chasing kind of this clean football, complementary football for a full game.”
Receiver Cooper Kupp said the benefit of the weekend was that it set the team up to go out and play “some good football” and “more efficient football.” He also tied Seattle’s focus to handling execution and discipline, saying the emphasis is on doing the “little things” and having all players doing the jobs they are assigned.
Seattle has faced offensive challenges at times through six weeks, including 10 turnovers in its three losses. Quarterback Sam Darnold has been sacked 10 times in those games, and the rushing attack has experienced inconsistencies.
Cooper Kupp said the Seahawks believe there are not huge aspects of the game that need to change, but instead “plain and simple” details such as playing better football, executing assignments, and being consistent without committing penalties.
On Monday, head coach Mike Macdonald said he and his staff reviewed the offence’s scheme as they looked for solutions, adding that the issue is not whether the Seahawks run “bad plays,” but rather how they get to the plays, how they run and execute them, and how they choose plays.
Macdonald’s comments came as Seattle continued its preparation with practice on Wednesday, October 21, at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seattle also emphasized that small improvements can come through better alignment and collaboration, with players saying the “minutia” is where good teams separate themselves—details that are harder to see unless you are working together in the building.
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