3 Takeaways from Seahawks' Week 10 Loss
The Seattle Seahawks turned in the worst performance of their losing run Sunday.
For the first time in 2020, the Seahawks failed to score 20 points, and as has been the case all season, their defense was unable to make stops.
By losing to the Los Angeles Rams, Seattle dropped into treacherous waters in the NFC wild-card race. The Arizona Cardinals took first place in the NFC West on Sunday through their last-second victory over the Buffalo Bills.
Most of Seattle's issues Sunday were on the offensive side of the ball. Russell Wilson struggled with turnovers and did not receive a ton of protection from his offensive line.
Wilson did not have much support from his running back group, either, as Alex Collins, Travis Homer and DeeJay Dallas all finished beneath the quarterback in the rushing-yard column.
Russell Wilson's Turnovers Came at Worst Possible Times
Each of Wilson's three giveaways occurred in Los Angeles territory.
The first turnover may have been the most deflating one of the trio since it came two plays after Jamal Adams forced a fumble in the second quarter. Instead of cashing in on the takeaway down one score, Wilson was picked off by Darious Williams on a play that began at the Los Angeles 22-yard-line.
Four plays into the final period, Wilson was credited with a lost fumble after a bad snap was recovered by the Rams on their side of midfield. On the next drive, Wilson pushed the Seahawks back over midfield before he was picked off by Williams for the second time.
Seattle got the ball back once after the final turnover, and it resulted in a 39-yard field goal by Jacob Myers. The Seahawks did not recover the onside kick that followed.
In their three defeats, the Seahawks have turned over the ball on 10 occasions. In its six victories, Seattle had four giveaways.
Offensive Line Did Not Help Wilson
In addition to the three turnovers, Wilson was sacked on six occasions.
Sunday's sack concession marked the season's worst total of takedowns given up by the Seahawks offensive line.
The last time Wilson was sacked on six occasions was the Week 12 win over the Philadelphia Eagles in 2019.
In the past two weeks, Wilson has been taken down 11 times, which is a concerning trend after he was sacked more than three times twice in the first seven contests.
A matchup with the Rams is a nightmare for any offensive line, but Seattle has been effective in defending Aaron Donald and Co. in the past. In their first meeting last season, the Seahawks held L.A. to one sack.
On top of figuring out their turnover issues, the Seahawks need to come up with better protection to prevent sacks so they can get back to their winning ways in a crucial Thursday night clash with Arizona.
Running Back Group Was Ineffective
If you take Wilson's 60 rushing yards out of the equation, the Seahawks would have produced a season-low total on the ground.
Collins, Dallas and Homer were unable to replicate the production Chris Carson and Carlos Hyde bring to the gridiron.
Collins scored a touchdown and had a long run of 13 yards, but he only managed 43 yards on 11 carries. Dallas produced eight yards on two touches, and Homer was only utilized in the passing game.
In Week 9, the trio earned 52 rushing yards in the 44-34 loss to the Buffalo Bills.
If Carson and Hyde are unable to go Thursday night, the Seahawks need to find a better way to get their running backs involved or open space for them to run through to have success in the passing game.
Even if the top two running backs return, Seattle may need to call on one of Dallas, Homer and Collins to spell them in certain situations as they work back to game fitness.
If the Seahawks fail to produce an efficient rushing attack for the third straight game, they could drop the season series to the Cardinals, which could be a crucial tiebreaker in the NFC West and wild-card races.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. Statistics obtained from Pro Football Reference.