Seahawks' new-look offense sputters in 17-13 season-opening loss to 49ers

SEATTLE — The Seattle Seahawks opened the season with a sluggish offensive performance Sunday, mustering just 230 yards and converting 3 of 10 third downs in a 17-13 home loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

With Sam Darnold making his debut as the Seahawks' starting quarterback and Klint Kubiak in his first game calling plays, Seattle struggled to move the ball consistently and to sustain drives, finishing with 15 fewer minutes of possession and 22 fewer plays than the 49ers. Each team committed two turnovers.

Coach Mike Macdonald, in his first season after being hired away from the Baltimore Ravens as Seattle's head coach and known for his defensive background, pointed to early-down inefficiency as a key problem. "We’ve got to maintain the ball better and be more efficient on early downs, convert more on third down," Macdonald said Monday. "Good two-minute at the end. I mean, some good stuff, but we got to operate more efficiently and be better on first and second down to give us some third downs where we can convert and keep drives going."

Darnold, who showed moments of chemistry with third-year receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, completed a game-high connection with Smith-Njigba, who caught nine passes for 124 yards. Beyond that duo, Seattle's passing game produced limited results. Four other receivers, including offseason addition and 2021 AP offensive player of the year Cooper Kupp, combined for 26 yards on seven catches.

"I felt like we weren’t as efficient as we wanted to be on first and second down; third down we got to be way better as well," Darnold said. "So not our best day (Sunday). We’ll bounce back and be better next week."

The running game, a stated offseason focus for the Seahawks, failed to provide balance. Seattle averaged 3.2 yards per carry on 26 attempts. Kenneth Walker III, who dealt with a foot issue much of training camp, totaled 20 yards on 10 carries. Zach Charbonnet led the team with 47 yards on 12 carries.

Seattle's defense, however, produced encouraging signs. Safety Julian Love led the team with 10 tackles, eight of them solo, and the unit limited the 49ers despite the loss. Macdonald, who built his reputation as a defensive coordinator in Baltimore, highlighted the defense's work while stressing the need for offensive improvement.

Special teams were a bright spot. Kicker Jason Myers converted both of his attempts, including a 48-yarder, punter Michael Dickson averaged 51.8 yards per punt and returner Cody White averaged 29.5 yards on kick returns.

Safety Nick Emmanwori was listed as week to week with a high ankle sprain, and the team said it will monitor his status over the next few days to determine whether he requires injured reserve.

The loss continued a long drought for Seattle at Lumen Field against the 49ers: it has been 1,373 days since the Seahawks last beat San Francisco at home, the most recent win coming on Dec. 5, 2021. Seattle will turn its attention to a road game Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers, where All-Pro receiver DK Metcalf, traded to Pittsburgh in the offseason, will make his first return visit to face his former team.

Macdonald acknowledged there were positives to build on but emphasized improvement is needed. "It seemed to me when we get it targeted and we’re all on the same page, we’re doing a lot of good stuff," he said. "When we have some indecisiveness, that’s when things got twisted a little bit, but a lot of positives."

The Seahawks will aim to find more consistency on early downs, a more effective ground game and better third-down conversions as they prepare for their next game and look to integrate Darnold and Kubiak's approach into a more productive offense.