Heavy on Seahawks
For the second straight game, the Seattle Seahawks will be playing on a short week, but head coach Mike Macdonald does not have time for excuses. Macdonald emphasized that “nobody cares” that the Seahawks have had less rest than their opponents in recent weeks.
“It doesn’t matter how hard it is,” Macdonald told reporters on October 7, 2024. “Nobody cares, we got to work harder. That’s the way it is. It’s an opportunity to go make it right in four days. That’s really what we need to focus on.”
The Seahawks faced the New York Giants in Week 5 with a sizable gap between the rest for both teams. Seattle played the Detroit Lions on Monday Night Football, while the Giants took on the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday Night Football in Week 4.
Up next, the Seahawks face the San Francisco 49ers on just four days rest as the two rivals square off on Thursday Night Football. The good news is the Niners will also be playing on four days rest.
Mike Macdonald Is Frustrated With the Seahawks Rushing Attack: ‘You Got to Have More At-Bats in the Run Game’
Seattle got off to a hot start under Macdonald by winning the team’s first three games but are now on a two-game losing streak. One of Macdonald’s main frustrations is over the Seahawks’ struggle to run the ball against the Giants. Ken Walker had just 5 carries for 19 rushing yards versus New York.
“You got to have more at-bats in the run game,” Macdonald explained during his weekly radio show with Seattle Sports’ “Brock and Salk.” “We got to give the ball to K-9 [Walker] more, period – Zach as well. There’s no going around it.
“There’s definitely, going back at it, some more opportunities as drives start to get going where we can kind of get back to normal operation and make sure we’re giving Ken the ball. So again, those [decisions] are going to vary from game to game, but we can’t be just handing the ball off to him five times. That’s a disservice to him.”
Geno Smith on 49ers-Seahawks Clash: ‘We Got to Be Ready’
As for the Seahawks players, Geno Smith explained how he plans to attack the Week 6 matchup against the 49ers. Minutes after Seattle’s loss to New York, Smith was already looking ahead to facing the Niners.
“Lead by example, as I’ve always done,” Smith detailed his approach heading into the 49ers clash during his October 6 press conference. “Do what I always do, get better, work harder. Can’t wait for tomorrow. It’s another opportunity for me to work on my game, become a better leader and get the guys going, man. It’s early in the season.
“Obviously back-to-back losses [is] not the way we wanted it to happen, but it’s where we are. So, we got another opponent coming in, [and] we got to be ready.”
The Seahawks are a 3.5-point home underdog versus the 49ers in Week 6. Both teams are looking to bounce back from Week 5 losses.
San Francisco has had a surprisingly slow start to the season at 2-3. Despite the two-game losing streak, the Seahawks sit at 3-2 atop the NFC West standings.
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