The Seahawks are in a position this week they haven't found themselves in very often over the past decade, a team looking to avoid a third straight loss.
The Seahawks last lost three straight in October of 2011, and since then they've lost consecutive games only 10 times, including these past two games, and the previous nine times that losing streak stopped at two. So it's no surprise that, with a trip to the Bay Area coming up to face the 49ers, there is what Seahawks coach Pete Carroll described as a "real serious" vibe around the VMAC this week.
"It's real serious," Carroll said. "They want this to go the way our expectations are designed. That means we have to play better, and everybody knows that. Coming out of the meetings on Monday, showing the film, showing where the concerns were, the plays we could have made, and the decisions we could have made, everybody is tuned in. We are trying to tune in forever, but I think there is a little bit of a different feel about it. They want to prove it; they want to prove that we are on the right track and that we are going to win a bunch of different games."
It hardly comes as a surprise that Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, who shares Carroll's optimistic view of the world, both expects the Seahawks to respond well to their recent struggles, and also to grow from them.
"I think that every opportunity is a lesson to learn something," said Wilson. "You are always gaining knowledge and understanding more. Not everything is a failure, everything is an opportunity to grow individually and collectively as a team. You continue to learn the game. I love adversity and I know our football team does too. We can handle it and we are looking forward to answering the call and try to play our best football."
Wilson has not lost three straight games since 2009, his sophomore season at NC State, and neither he nor the Seahawks has any plans to let their recent losses snowball into bigger struggles.
"You have to stay the course," Wilson said. "So many times, people will panic and will get worried and frustrated. The best thing to do is stay the course, be honest, and figure out how we can get better, and then keep going for it. This league is challenging, every game is challenging. We play in arguably the best division in football, every week is tough. We look forward to the challenges of it all. I think the language is everything too, how we pick each other up, how we communicate with each other, and how we continue to stay focused on the task at hand. We have been playing some really good football and there are some things that we can get better at, that's the truth. It's not anything more complicated than that, but now it's taking those things that we can get better at and improve week-to-week on those things."
For Wilson and the offense, the main thing to improve upon is the way the production has dropped in the second halves of games. The Seahawks offense has been one of the best in football in the first half of games this season, scoring 21 points in Week 1, 24 in Week 2 and 17 last week, but the Seahawks have managed only 13 second-half points in three games, including none in last week's loss to Minnesota, and have yet to score in the third quarter.
"We just have to execute, it's not anything that we have to go fishing for," Wilson said. "Obviously, we have the ability to do that, we have done that throughout the game and earlier in the game. I think we just have to execute. I think it's the opportunities too, the more opportunities the better, but I also think it's about catching that rhythm and staying out of third and long situations. Sometimes it's been longer distances, I'm thinking about the third quarter of last game where we had third-and-17 or something like that. Those are always tricky to get but we just have to stay the course. We know what we are going to do, how we can do it, what our mindset is, and what we are capable of."
The defense, meanwhile, is looking to get back playing like it did in the second half of last season, and even the first six quarters this season, and stop giving up the big plays, long drives and frequent third-down conversions that have been a problem over the past game and half.
Linebacker and defensive captain Bobby Wagner, who like Wilson has never experienced a three-game losing streak in the NFL, expects his defense to fix the issues that have hindered them so far this season, and said this week he has had good conversations with his teammates that give him confidence the turn is coming.
"I spoke to everybody. I feel like we're all on the same page. I think that was the most important thing, communication is definitely the number one thing," Wagner said. "We've just got to get out of our way. These last two games defensively we've been in our own way. Whether it's the penalties or our execution, we need to get out of our own way. We have the talent, we have the players, we have everything we need to be a great defense, we just need to get out of our way."
Safety Jamal Adams said the turnaround starts with confidence, and he sees that in Seattle's defense in part because players know they can go from struggling to dominant in a hurry, having done so just last season. And he fully expects that turnaround to happen, starting this week.
"It's just getting back to who we are as a defense," Adams said. "Our mindset hasn't changed. We understand who we are, and we've just got to get back to believing in that, everybody, playing our style of play. Starting this week, things will change."
The Seattle Seahawks take on the San Francisco 49ers for Week 15 of the 2022 season. Take a look back at some of their previous matchups.
Seattle Seahawks fullback Dan Doornink (33) runs upfield during an NFL game against the San Francisco 49ers in San Francisco, Oct. 7, 1979. The Seahawks defeated the 49ers 35-24. (AP Photo/Al Messerschmidt)
San Francisco quarterback Joe Montana (16) passes during an NFL football game against Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, Nov. 25, 1985, in San Francisco. The 49ers won the game, 19-6. (AP Photo/Greg Trott)
San Francisco 49ers Ronnie Lott pulls down Seattle Seahawks receiver Steve Largent (80) for a short gain in the first quarter at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, Aug. 29, 1986. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
Jerry Rice (80) of the San Francisco 49ers dives into the endzone for a touchdown after catching a 30-yard pass from Joe Montana during the second quarter on Friday, Sept. 1, 1989 in Seattle, against the Seahawks. Unable to make the play for the Seahawks in Dwayne Harper (29). (AP Photo/Bill Chan)
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Dave Krieg gives the number one sign as he lines up behind Seahawks tackle Andy Heck (66) during the second quarter at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, Sept. 1, 1990. The Seahawks beat the 49ers 30-10. (AP Photo/John Mabanglo)
Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Sam Adams (98) fights his way through the blocking of 49ers offensive guard Derrick Deese (63) during a 9 to 13 Seattle Seahawks preseason loss to the San Francisco 49ers on August 26, 1994 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California. (AP Photo/Paul Spinelli)
Seattle Seahawks running back Ricky Watters (32) evades San Francisco 49ers' Monty Montgomery on a first-quarter run Saturday, Aug. 19, 2000, in Seattle. Watters made a first down on the play. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Seattle Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander (37) makes touchdown on Saturday, August 25, 2001, in San Francisco, California. The Seahawks defeated the 49ers 28-18 in a preseason game. (AP Photo/Al Golub)
Seattle Seahawks defensive back Reggie Tongue (25) moves in to finish off tackle on San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Tai Streets (89) on Sunday, December 1, 2002, in San Francisco, California. The 49ers defeated the Seahawks 31-24. (AP Photo/Al Golub)
Seattle Seahawks' Antonio Cochran (78) celebrates a fumble recovery by teammate safety Ken Hamlin on the first play after the 2-minute warning in the fourth quarter against the San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2003, in Seattle. The Seahawks won 20-19. At left is 49ers' Ron Stone. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Seattle Seahawks' Ken Lucas (21) grabs San Francisco 49ers Jamal Robertson on a run in the fourth quarter Sunday, Sept. 26, 2004, in Seattle. Robertson was held to no gain on the play, and the Seahawks won, 34-0. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
San Francisco 49ers' Shawntae Spencer, left, pushes Seattle Seahawks' Joe Jurevicius out of bounds on a first quarter pass reception, Sunday, Dec. 11, 2005, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Seattle Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander, front left, is brought down by San Francisco 49ers linebacker Manny Lawson, back, and linebacker Brandon Moore, right, in the second half of an NFL football game in San Francisco, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2006. San Francisco won 20-14. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck (8) smiles after greeting former teammate and San Francisco 49ers back-up quarterback Trent Dilfer after an NFL football game Monday, Nov. 12, 2007, in Seattle. The Seahawks won 24-0. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Seattle Seahawks running back Justin Forsett (30) is tackled by San Francisco 49ers running back Michael Robinson (24) during an NFL football game in San Francisco, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2008. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck (8) passes under pressure by San Francisco 49ers' Takeo Spikes in the fourth quarter during an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009, in Seattle, Wash. Hasselbeck completed the pass to T.J. Houshmandzadeh. The Seahawks won 20-17. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Seattle Seahawks running back Michael Robinson #26 during an NFL football game between the Seattle Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers December 12, 2010 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco Ca. The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Seattle Seahawks 40 - 21 in regular season week fourteen action. (Ap Photo/ Bill Nichols)
San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Justin Smith (94) bull rushes the quarterback during an NFL game against Seattle Seahawks offensive lineman Robert Gallery (72) on Saturday, Dec. 24, 2011, in Seattle. The 49ers won the game, 19-17. (AP Photo/Greg Trott)
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin (89) catches a pass in front of San Francisco 49ers cornerback Chris Culliver (29) during the second quarter of an NFL football game in San Francisco, Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
NFL Football: NFC Conference Playoff: San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks Game Action CenturyLink Field/Seattle, WA, USA 1/19/2014 X157457 TK1 Credit: Rod Mar
FILE - In this Jan. 26, 2014, file photo, Seattle Seahawks' Richard Sherman (25) tips a pass in the endzone intended for San Francisco 49ers' Michael Crabtree (15) in the final minute of the second half of the NFC championship NFL football game in Seattle. Seattle's Malcolm Smith intercepted the tipped pass. Sherman was fined $7,875 for unsportsmanlike conduct/taunting after he made a choking gesture after the play toward the San Francisco bench that he said was directed at quarterback Colin Kaepernick. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)
Seattle Seahawks running back Thomas Rawls (34) scores a touchdown between San Francisco 49ers middle linebacker Gerald Hodges (51), strong safety Jaquiski Tartt (29) and linebacker Michael Wilhoite (57) during the first half of an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner intercepts a 49ers pass near the goal line and heads upfield.
