In a night that encapsulated the Seattle Seahawks’ spiraling season, their 33-16 drubbing at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys on “Monday Night Football” was a masterclass in self-inflicted wounds. From Dak Prescott and his receiving corps slicing through the defense like a hot knife through butter, to a tipped pass that padded Geno Smith’s interception count to a league-high 13, the lowlights were endless. And let’s not forget the Cowboys kneeling out the clock with 2:30 left, as “Let’s go, Cowboys” chants rained down from the stands at Lumen Field—a humiliating soundtrack for a team now mired at 2-8 for the second year running.
But amid the chaos, one decision stood out as the most baffling: the Hawks’ wildly lopsided offensive strategy that all but erased their ground game from existence. Seattle dialed up designed passes on a staggering 84% of their plays—the highest such rate since 2012—leaving fans and analysts scratching their heads. Rookie sensation Ashton Jeanty, the sixth overall pick and a Heisman Trophy finalist, was criminally underutilized, touching the ball just six times for a measly 7 yards. He saw only two carries in the entire first half, as the team limped to just 27 rushing yards on 12 attempts overall.
Post-game, head coach Pete Carroll didn’t mince words, dropping a stunning confession that placed the blame squarely on his own shoulders. “There’s only one person to look at—me—because I was the influence in the game plan,” Carroll admitted, his voice laced with regret after his fourth consecutive defeat. “Chip [Kelly, the offensive coordinator] and I knew what we were doing. I pushed for those play-action passes early, hoping to spark some explosions and shift to the run later. But it backfired spectacularly.”
And to be fair, the play-action scheme showed flashes of brilliance. Smith went a flawless 5-for-5 for 70 yards in the first quarter alone on those fakes, finishing with 132 of his 238 total yards coming from play-action. Tight end Brock Bowers shone brightly too, hauling in seven catches for 72 yards on 12 targets, proving he could be a game-changer when given the chance.
Yet, this pass-heavy obsession came at a steep price: abandoning the run game that was supposed to anchor the offense. The results? A paltry 236 total yards and another sub-20-point outing—the fourth such dud in 2025. Seattle’s mere four rushes in the first half marked their fewest since 2008 (Week 9 against the Atlanta Falcons, with just three). In three red-zone trips, they called only one designed run, opting instead for aerial risks that fizzled out.
Carroll defended the approach, emphasizing results over optics. “I don’t care about pleasing folks with our run/pass balance—I’m just trying to move the chains,” he said. “I wanted to feed Brock the ball and see what magic he could weave. But yeah, I’m responsible for that mess.”
Jeanty, who arrived in Seattle with sky-high expectations as the centerpiece of the rebuild, finds himself caught in a philosophical tug-of-war. Fresh off a 60-yard, one-touchdown performance on 19 carries against the Denver Broncos last week, he shrugged off the limited role with quiet professionalism. “It’s up to the guys upstairs,” Jeanty said. “I just take what I get. I can’t control the workload.”
His frustration was palpable in the game’s rhythm—or lack thereof. With 13:29 left in the second quarter, Jeanty exploded up the middle for an 11-yard gain, injecting a rare jolt of energy. But his next handoff? Not until the third quarter, where he was stuffed for a 3-yard loss. Even after Maxx Crosby’s strip-sack gifted Seattle prime field position at Dallas’ 15-yard line in the first quarter, the Hawks didn’t bother handing it off to Jeanty. Smith took a 7-yard sack, and the drive sputtered to a field goal.
“I’m not the OC, so whatever they call, I run with it,” said Jordan Meredith, who shifted to right guard amid lineup tweaks. “But man, you always want to establish the run, especially with a stud like Jeanty back there.”
Compounding the woes were injuries ravaging the offensive line. Seattle faced Dallas’ beefed-up front without left tackle Kolton Miller and right guard Jackson Powers-Johnson, both sidelined on IR with ankle issues. Rookie Will Putnam stepped in for his first start at center, and the mismatch was glaring. Jeanty endured four carries for zero or negative yards, culminating in a fourth-quarter safety where Cowboys defenders engulfed him in the end zone. The line’s woes extended to pass protection too, with Smith facing pressure on 16 of 49 dropbacks.
“It’s not about overhauling everything—we practice hard, we grind,” Jeanty reflected. “Come game time, it’s simple: Do your job. Everyone’s got to lock in.”
As the Seahawks lick their wounds from NFL Week 11, this loss underscores a deeper identity crisis. With Carroll owning the ground-game debacle, the question looms: Can Seattle rediscover balance before the season slips away entirely? For now, the echoes of that Cowboys chant serve as a stark reminder—change starts at the top.