3 big questions for Seattle Seahawks in Week 2

The Seattle Seahawks will hit the road for a Week 2 matchup against Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers.

A Week 1 loss to the San Francisco 49ers left us with more questions than answers, particularly on offense, and Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh serves as a landing spot to get a few of those answered.

Did Week 1 loss show that Seahawks need more star power?

1. Can “The JSN Show” get a co-star?

You knew Jaxon Smith-Njigba would lead the charge this year on offense. But you were hoping there’d be a bit more from high-profile veteran Cooper Kupp – certainly signed to be more than just a tone-setter – or perhaps from promising rookies Tory Horton and Elijah Arroyo.

Instead, Smith-Njigba accounted for nearly 83% of quarterback Sam Darnold’s passing yardage last Sunday. His 124 receiving yards were the second most of his career, and while it was a promising start to the season for a player who’s expected to carry the load here, it was discouraging for an offense that’s hoping to be a bit more democratic with its target share. Kupp finished with just 15 yards on two receptions.

“We’ve got great players on our offense,” head coach Mike Macdonald told Brock and Salk on Monday morning. “I mean, some guys that haven’t really proved it yet, they haven’t done it, but they’ve done it in practice. Guys like Tory and Elijah. Cooper Kupp’s gonna get open, man. He’s done it all camp; he’s a great player. We’ve got great tight ends. I think our backs can come alive in the pass game. So, we’ve got plenty of guys where the ball can go to, and did. And it will moving forward. We’re gonna be just fine.”

It’s OK if Seattle’s pass game is “The JSN Show” sometimes, but a one-man show is desperately in need of a supporting cast in Week 2. The good news? At least a few more faces could join the fray. Macdonald sounded optimistic that receivers Jake Bobo and Dareke Young could make it back Sunday. But Macdonald isn’t just spinning yarn with his take on Kupp. The former Ram did have a great training camp, and should be more involved against the Steelers.

2. Josh Jobe is competing for snaps. Will he see more on Sunday?

It’s hard to imagine he won’t at cornerback.

After Riq Woolen found himself on the losing end of the 49ers’ most explosive pass play and a game-changing touchdown.

“I really believe Riq was trying to attack the football,” Macdonald told reporters Monday of the final touchdown. “I guarantee Riq is the number one person that he wishes made the play too.”

Purdy making magic happen 🪄

Jake Tonges with the hands 🙌

📺: FOX
NFL+ // https://t.co/KTh0i4oaLh pic.twitter.com/26IBNBe9MT

— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) September 7, 2025

Macdonald mentioned technique being an issue with the long completion while body positioning was the issue on that second play. And while Woolen’s physical ability makes it easier to forgive, those mistakes combined with a great game from Jobe threaten his time.

“You go out and you produce, why would we not play you?” Macdonald said.

3. Will the Seahawks offense look like, well, it was supposed to?

No one is promised – nor should expect – a perfect offense in Week 1. Particularly not for a team with a new starting quarterback and a new offensive coordinator. There were going to be drops, incompletions, and mistakes. But you’d also expect there would be… play-action. A wide-zone offense. A better run game. Things that looked like an approach that was promised.

It wasn’t there Sunday.

Darnold used play-action on two of his dropbacks, a 7.7% play-action rate that was the lowest in the league. As a comparison, the Vikings led the league in play action percentage in Week 1 at 41.7%, per TruMedia.

Macdonald didn’t appear happy with that.

“We need to action more,” Macdonald said. “We need more movement. So we’ll call it and we’ll execute it when called.”

A quick Seahawks-Steelers preview: Three numbers to know

• 22 – The number of forced fumbles the Steelers’ defense generated last season, tied with the Eagles for most in the league. T.J. Watt led the charge here with an NFL-high six forced fumbles.

Why it matters: the Seahawks fumbled three times in Week 1, losing two, with the last being a game-sealing recovery for the 49ers. Every team is focusing on cleaner execution in Week 2, but a team focused on improving time of possession (something Macdonald highlighted as the most telling stat from Sunday) can hardly afford less time on offense.

• 182 – The rushing yards surrendered to the Jets by the Steelers’ defense. The Seahawks won’t have the same threat at quarterback (New York’s Justin Fields had nearly 40 rushing yards in the second quarter alone). That’ll be a noteworthy difference here.

But this was still a defense that gave up some explosive runs, including gains of 18, 17, and 16 yards for running back Breece Hall, who averaged 5.6 yards per carry on the day. And that wasn’t weighted toward the first half – Hall averaged 9.8 yards per carry (four carries for 39 yards) in the third quarter.

• 4 – The number of touchdowns thrown by Aaron Rodgers. The oldest player in the NFL might not be the MVP of years past, but Pittsburgh’s passing attack was incredibly efficient against a good Jets defense. He was 22 for 30 (73%) for 244 yards and no interceptions, and that was with quite a bit of pressure. The Jets levied seven quarterback hits and four sacks.

We’ll all be watching for DK Metcalf on Sunday for a revenge game against his former team, but keep your eyes on 19. Calvin Austin III, who saw his playing time and production more than double last year, built on that with a four-catch, 70-yard day that included this beauty:

Aaron Rodgers back shoulder throw to Calvin Austin

PITvsNYJ on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/z7EE8u5B1m

— NFL (@NFL) September 7, 2025

3 big questions for Seattle Seahawks in Week 2

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