Injuries have decimated the Seattle Seahawks’ secondary, and Sunday’s 38-35 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made that painfully clear.
Cornerback Riq Woolen left the game in the third quarter with a concussion and didn’t return, further depleting a unit already without Devon Witherspoon and Julian Love.
Before exiting, Woolen had played 97% of Seattle’s defensive snaps on the year and been a key stabilizing force. His absence opened the door for Nehemiah Pritchett, who struggled in coverage against a relentless Buccaneers passing attack.
Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield carved up the depleted defense, completing 29 of 33 passes for 379 yards and two touchdowns.
The Seahawks’ defense couldn’t keep pace. Despite a strong offensive showing from Sam Darnold, who threw for 341 yards and four touchdowns, Seattle’s inability to make key stops doomed them late.
Darnold’s interception with 58 seconds left allowed Mayfield to march down the field for Chase McLaughlin’s game-winning field goal.
After the loss, head coach Mike Macdonald shouldered the responsibility, per The News Tribune: “I have to do better with our defensive game plan and execution and how we call it. When you put up a performance like that, it means that I didn’t prepare them well enough,” Macdonald said.
“It hurts. It stings. It should, because our guys work extremely hard and they care. But we’re going to use this to move forward, and that’s the only thing we can do. We’re going to take it on the chin and move forward.”
Macdonald acknowledged that the offense and special teams performed well, but the defensive lapses were too costly to overcome. “Offense played great. Special teams played great. I’m sure there are things on that end, too, with penalties we got to fix,” he added.
Darnold’s teammates quickly came to his defense after the game. Running back Kenneth Walker and tight end AJ Barner praised his leadership and consistency, noting that one mistake shouldn’t overshadow an otherwise impressive performance.
Walker finished with 86 yards on just 10 carries, while Jaxon Smith-Njigba led all receivers with 132 yards on eight catches.
The Seahawks fell to 3-2 with the loss but remain confident heading into a pivotal Week 6 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Macdonald’s message was clear: accountability first, adjustments next.
