After an NFL week 4 loss to the Rams in St. Louis, the Seattle Seahawks (2-2) have a week to regroup and improve their cohesion before they travel to Chicago to take on the Bears on Oct. 17 at Soldier Field.
Here's what reporters are saying about the Seahawks after their loss on Sunday.
Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times says week 4 was one to forget for Seattle...
Nothing to save Seattle's offense from itself Sunday in St. Louis whether it was the questionable first-half calls that resulted in two turnovers on downs or the second-half performance that could only be described as putrid.
The Seahawks lost 20-3 at the Edward Jones Dome, ending Seattle's 10-game winning streak over St. Louis with a discernible dud of a performance. Seattle's offense didn't score a touchdown, didn't even cross midfield in the second half.
Greg Johns of the Seattle PI writes that there were struggles on both sides of the ball...
A patchwork offensive line that had done surprisingly well in the first three weeks didn't hold up as well in this one as Matt Hasselbeck was sacked four times, the run game again produced only 64 yards and rookie Russell Okung was replaced after two quarters as his injured ankle wasn't quite ready for prime time.
On the flip side, Rams rookie quarterback Sam Bradford was given time to pass for 289 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The Seahawks got four sacks, but failed to mount much consistent pressure and the result was predictable.
Johns also recaps the Seahawks' defensive woes...
He isn't thrilled that the Seahawks' defense ranks 25th in the NFL in yards (374.8) and 29th in pass defense (302.0) per game.
"There's things we can fix, things we can do better and things we can grow in time," Carroll said. "Unfortunately, there's no time for patience."
Danny O'Neil writes that there was some progress for rookie offensive lineman Russell Okung, who has been troubled by injuries...
"He could have gone back in the game, but he was getting more sore," coach Pete Carroll said.
Okung practiced all three days this week, which led to the decision to start him instead of using him just for spot duty. He was limping noticeably by the end of the first quarter, and while he left the game, Carroll didn't characterize it as a setback so much as the next step in his recovery.
"We got almost a half out of him," Carroll said. "That's something he needed desperately as we moved forward. I think he's going to be all right. It isn't a reinjury situation."
Eric D. Williams of the Tacoma News Tribune notes that the Rams dictated the game...
"They were able to dictate the game, and that was the sad part," Seahawks safety Lawyer Milloy said. "We have to get more balance as a team, especially on the road. Obviously when we go home, we have our 12th man with us and all of that. But we've got to bring that energy here on the road with us."
For a fourth straight week, Seattle failed to execute consistently on offense, managing just 257 total yards of total offense.
How bad was Seattle's offense? The Seahawks never crossed the 50-yard line in the second half.
Williams also writes that Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck is starting to admit that he's not very good...
Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck admitted after Sunday's loss to St. Louis that he has yet to get comfortable in the new scheme installed by offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates.
"I've got to get better," Hasselbeck said. "I need to own this offense a little bit more, master it a little bit better. The week that we had of practice was great, but we've got to play that way on Sundays."
A staff writer over at the Tacoma News Tribune writes up the successes of St. Louis Rams rookie quarterback Sam Bradford...
Bradford finished Sunday with the biggest passing game of his short pro career, completing 23 of 41 passes for 289 yards and two touchdowns, and helping his team beat Seattle to start 2-2 for the first time in four seasons.
His lone interception was an ill-advised toss into the end zone that was picked off by rookie safety Earl Thomas, a former Big 12 nemesis from Bradford's days at Oklahoma, while Thomas played for Texas.
Clearly there is a lot of work to be done in for the Seahawks during their Week 5 bye week.