The Seattle Seahawks didn’t have as nice a Thanksgiving as many of us.
As most of the country was settling in after a big Turkey Day meal, it was the San Francisco 49ers’ turn to feast. The NFC West leaders made quick work of their division “rivals,” beating them 31-13.
No Seahawks unit played well on Thursday, but the offense looked particularly inept, gaining just 220 yards and not scoring a single touchdown. After the game, head coach Pete Carroll made some comments about the offense that seemed to suggest offensive coordinator Shane Waldron isn’t getting the job done.
Pete Carroll Doesn’t Think Shane Waldron Is ‘Maximizing’ Seahawks Offense
Two field goals. That is all Geno Smith and the Seahawks could manage in the team’s most important game of the season.
In a showdown for first place in the NFC, in primetime, on the biggest NFL football day of the year, the 49ers defense dominated the Seahawks offense. Yes, the team was missing running back Kenneth Walker III and Smith was playing with an injured throwing arm and the 49ers have one of the best defenses in the league.
Still, the unit was anemic with 132 passing yards, 88 rushing yards, and the only touchdown coming from a Jordyn Brooks pick-six in the third quarter. After the game, Pete Carroll talked about his offense, and the problems he identified sounded a lot like ones that fall squarely on offensive coordinator Shane Waldron.
“I want to make sure we’re maximizing the personalities and have make sure we’re using the guys as well as we can use them,” Carroll said in his Friday press conference. “Make sure that we’re choosing the best routes for the guys — We have unique talents, and we’ve got to make sure we’re maximizing that. I feel like we’re not. I feel like we’re not seeing stuff.”
Carroll, a defensive-minded head coach, continued by identifying some specific areas where he thinks the offensive players could be put in a better position to succeed, specifically rookie first-round pick Jaxon Smith-Njigba and the tight end group.
“You saw the playmaking of Jaxon again last night, and he continues to show stuff that separates him from others and we just need to give him more chances.” Carroll continued. “We’ve got guys in different areas of our game that can do stuff, I think, better. Our tight ends can be used better than we’ve used them in the last couple weeks, so we need to get that going again. We have some real positives. We just have to make them come to life.”
When you’re talking about choosing routes, maximizing talent, and getting different players and position groups going, that falls on one person in the Seahawks case: OC Shane Waldron.
Waldron’s Seattle Offense Is Struggling
Injuries and quality opposition can make an offense look bad, but the Seahawks’ offensive struggles go beyond their Thanksgiving 49ers beatdown.
The Seahawks currently rank 16th in points scored (229) and 15th in yards gained this season (3,494), and when the dust settles on Week 12, they could be as low as 20th in scoring offense. The PFF grades are a little kinder to Waldron and his offense. They are 10th in offense with a 74.8 grade, but 15th in passing (74.0) and 14th in running (78.0).
What boosts them into the top 10 offensive marks are the grades their receivers have earned, as Carroll identified in his comments. The Seahawk’s receiver grades on the season is 77.1, good for sixth-best overall.
Much of the good grades and points put up come from early in the season, though.
In recent weeks, Waldron’s charges have struggled mightily. The team had three offensive touchdowns in its last four games, and two of those came against the Washington Commanders in Week 10, who just fired their defensive coordinator, Jack Del Rio, on Friday.
That Washington win was also the only time the team put up over 300 yards of offense in a game in the last month. And that is becoming a trend. In the Seahawks’ six wins on the season, they are averaging 28.5 points per game. In the five losses, it’s 11.6.
Carroll also nailed the need to do better with Smith-Njigba and the tight ends. The rookie WR doesn’t have more than 7 targets in a game this season, yet he’s been a difference-maker when he’s targeted. And the TEs — Noah Fant, Colby Parkinson, and Will Dissly — have just 43 receptions for 519 yards and no touchdowns this campaign.
With the Dallas Cowboys, 49ers again, and the Philadelphia Eagles coming up, if Waldron and the offense don’t figure something out soon, the OC could be on the hot seat.
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Pete Carroll Takes Subtle Shot at Seahawks OC Shane Waldron After 49ers Rout