To put it simply, the Seahawks are struggling to formulate an offensive identity outside of All-Pro wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
... Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the NFL's reigning Offensive Player of the Year and the league's leading receiver entering Week 6, began stacking catches and yards in the fourth quarter, but he had only two catches for 11 yards on five targets in the first half as Denver built a 14-3 lead. The Broncos mixed zone coverages and threw different looks at Darnold, limiting the clean looks at his top receiver early.
Without the home-run threat of Walker, Darnold needs to be a more important cog in the offense instead of a complimentary piece. So far, that’s proven a tall order as Darnold has completed 60.4% of his throws for 1,033 yards (6.9 YPA) with seven touchdowns against seven interceptions. ... In reality, Seattle could make a move at the Nov. 10 trade deadline, but Darnold isn’t going to have the same rushing attack without Walker. He’s likely not going to have a strong second option in the passing game. It’s largely on him to make things work as the best quarterbacks do. If he can’t elevate his game, as we saw him do last year in the NFC championship game against the Rams (346 passing yards, three touchdowns), Seattle has a long road and a narrow path ahead.
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