Oct 17, 2021; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko on the sidelines during the first quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Seahawks add pair of coaches to offensive staff

The Seattle Seahawks are adding Andrew Janocko as quarterbacks coach and John Benton as offensive line coach, NFL Network and ESPN reported Monday.

Janocko and Benton are following new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak from New Orleans.

The hires are part of Seattle’s revamp of their offensive staff after firing former offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb after one season.

The Seahawks are retaining wide receivers coach Frisman Jackson, according to ESPN.

The Seahawks finished the 2024 season 28th in rushing (95.7 yards per game) and 18th in points per game (22.1).

–Field Level Media

Sep 8, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA;  New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak reacts against the Carolina Panthers during the pregame at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Report: Seahawks hiring Klint Kubiak as offensive coordinator

The Seattle Seahawks will name former New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak to the same role, NFL Network reported Sunday.

Kubiak, who turns 38 next month, was the Saints’ offensive coordinator for one season but chose to leave while New Orleans is in the midst of a search for a new head coach.

The Saints ranked 21st in the league total offense and 24th in scoring offense in 2024. When Kubiak served as the Minnesota Vikings’ offensive coordinator in 2021, they ranked 12th in yards and 14th in scoring.

Kubiak also worked as the passing game coordinator for the Denver Broncos (2022) and the San Francisco 49ers (2023) before catching on in New Orleans. He is the son of Gary Kubiak, the former Texans and Broncos head coach who won a Super Bowl in Denver.

The Seahawks fired offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb after one season, in which they went 10-7 and narrowly missed the playoffs.

–Field Level Media

Oct 10, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb watches pregame warmups against the San Francisco 49ers at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Reports: Seahawks fire OC Ryan Grubb

Offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb was fired by the Seattle Seahawks on Monday, according to multiple reports.

The Seahawks finished the 2024 season 28th in rushing (95.7 yards per game) and 18th in points per game (22.1).

First-year head coach Mike Macdonald hired Grubb after also interviewing then-UCLA head coach Chip Kelly and being denied an interview request for Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka. Kelly was hired as Ohio State offensive coordinator.

With no NFL playcalling experience, Macdonald shrugged off the risk of hiring Grubb on Feb. 13, 2024.

Grubb spent the previous two seasons at the University of Washington serving as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. He initially agreed to join former Washington coach Kalen DeBoer at Alabama before the opportunity arose to stay in Seattle with the Seahawks.

DeBoer helped Grubb climb the ranks as a college coach at University of Sioux Falls, where they team from 2007-2013 to win two NAIA championships, and then at Eastern Michigan, Fresno State and Washington.

–Field Level Media

Jan 5, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) scrambles away from Los Angeles Rams linebacker Byron Young (0) and throws for a touchdown in the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Seahawks notch season-ending win over playoff-bound Rams

Geno Smith threw four touchdown passes, including a 16-yarder to Noah Fant with 3:19 remaining, as the Seattle Seahawks completed their season with a 30-25 victory against the NFC West champion Los Angeles Rams on Sunday afternoon in Inglewood, Calif.

The Seahawks (10-7) finished with the same record as the Rams (10-7), but the division was decided last weekend because Los Angeles had the edge in the strength-of-victory tiebreaker. The Rams will get the No. 4 seed in the NFC playoffs.

Smith completed 20 of 27 passes for 223 yards. Zach Charbonnet and Kenny McIntosh combined for 108 yards rushing, with Fant and fellow tight end AJ Barner each making five receptions and scoring once.

The Rams rested several starters, including quarterback Matthew Stafford. Jimmy Garoppolo, making his L.A. debut, was 27-of-41 passing for 334 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.

Garoppolo threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Johnson with 12:43 remaining, but he misfired on a two-point conversion attempt that would’ve tied the score.

The Rams’ Joshua Karty kicked his fourth field goal, a 38-yarder with 7:29 left, to give Los Angeles a 25-24 lead — its first of the game.

A limping Smith led the Seahawks on an eight-play, 70-yard drive for the decisive score, with Fant making a leaping catch before being upended at the goal line.

Garoppolo guided the Rams to Seattle’s 9-yard line in the closing minute, but his pass on fourth-and-3 fell incomplete.

The Seahawks led 17-13 at the half as the teams traded scores.

Smith opened the scoring with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Jake Bobo.

Karty kicked a 37-yard field goal with 37 seconds left in the first quarter to make it 7-3.

Seattle extended its lead as Smith avoided the rush and threw a 20-yard scoring strike to DK Metcalf.

Garoppolo tossed a 6-yard TD pass to Tyler Higbee to pull the Rams within 14-10.

Jason Myers kicked a 56-yard field goal for Seattle, and Karty answered with a 58-yarder on the final play of the half.

Karty added a 57-yarder midway through the third quarter to pull the Rams within 17-16.

The Seahawks responded with a 4-yard TD pass from Smith to Barner with 3:00 left in the third to make it 24-16.

Second-year Seahawks receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba made four catches to equal Tyler Lockett’s franchise single-season record of 100 set in 2020. Defensive lineman Leonard Williams had two sacks to become the first Seahawk with double-digit sacks (11) for one season since Frank Clark (13) in 2018.

–Field Level Media

Nov 3, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Los Angeles Rams linebacker Jared Verse (8) sacks Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) during the second quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Seahawks chase 10th win in finale against stingy Rams

Not surprisingly, the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams will take different approaches into Sunday’s regular-season finale in Inglewood, Calif.

The Rams (10-6), who already have clinched the NFC West title, plan to start backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to rest 16-year veteran Matthew Stafford for the postseason. Coach Sean McVay announced that move Wednesday, though he said the Rams haven’t decided which additional starters will get a break.

For the Seahawks (9-7), who even with a win Sunday would lose the tiebreaker against the Rams, first-year coach Mike Macdonald said it will be business as usual.

Macdonald deflected questions about why the Seahawks fell short of the playoffs at his weekly news conference.

“Right now is not the time to diagnose all that type of stuff,” he said. “Right now is the time to, let’s go to work this week, let’s make the best of this opportunity. We’ve got one more opportunity to keep taking the field as a team. Put our best foot forward, get to 10 wins. Let’s focus on that. And then once the season’s over, which is going to happen earlier than we want, we’ll digest all that stuff and make the proper conclusions and all that type of thing.”

Macdonald said he had no plans to rest any veteran players.

“We are going to go play to win the game,” he said.

After finishing 9-8 each of the past two seasons, the Seahawks would like to get to 10 wins.

“There’s a standard here of what we’re trying to establish and show off our football character of what type of team we are, what type of people we are, and how we’re going to play,” Macdonald said.

Second-year receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba needs five catches to surpass Tyler Lockett’s franchise record of 100 receptions set in 2020 and defensive lineman Leonard Williams needs one sack to become the first Seahawk with double-digits since Frank Clark in 2018. Quarterback Geno Smith can still earn three $2 million escalators in his contract with 10 wins, 4,282 passing yards (he’s 185 away) and a completion percentage better than the 2022 season’s 69.75 (he’s at 70.23 percent).

The Rams would get the No. 3 seed in the NFC playoffs with a victory or could drop to No. 4 with a loss.

After a 1-4 start, they have won nine of 11 games to claim the division title. They did so with a 13-9 victory against Arizona last Saturday that was clinched by Ahkello Witherspoon’s last-minute interception.

“We didn’t do a whole lot great, to be honest with you,” said Stafford, who passed for 189 yards. “Didn’t run it great. Didn’t throw it great. But found a way to get a win and get enough points.”

The Rams have scored more than 21 points just once during their five-game winning streak. But the defense, under first-year coordinator Chris Shula, has held its past three opponents to fewer than 10 points, the first time the franchise has accomplished that feat since 1975.

“I want to make more plays to make sure they don’t have to do as much as they did (against Arizona), but I’m proud of them,” Stafford said of the Rams’ defense. “It’s awesome to watch where they were in training camp to where they are now. Shula is doing a hell of a job. We all knew he would. Those guys are playing hard for him.”

The Rams had just one player miss practice to start the week, offensive lineman Rob Havenstein (shoulder). The Seahawks were a bit more banged up Wednesday with offensive tackle Abraham Lucas (abdomen/knee), tight end Brady Russell (foot) and cornerback Josh Jobe (knee) sitting out.

–Field Level Media

Dec 26, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) is sacked by Chicago Bears defensive tackle Byron Cowart (93) during the second quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images

Dominant defensive effort sends Seahawks past Bears

Jason Myers kicked two field goals and Seattle’s defense did the rest as the Seahawks kept their slim playoff hopes alive with a 6-3 victory against the host Chicago Bears on a rainy Thursday night at Soldier Field.

The Seahawks (9-7) pulled within a half-game of the NFC West-leading Los Angeles Rams (9-6). Seattle, which has already been eliminated from wild-card contention, is rooting for the Rams to lose to the visiting Arizona Cardinals on Saturday night. That would set up a winner-take-all finale between the Seahawks and Rams next weekend at SoFi Stadium.

Seattle sacked Bears quarterback Caleb Williams seven times, allowed just 179 total yards and grabbed a game-clinching interception in the final seconds.

Myers kicked a 27-yard field goal on the game’s opening drive and added a 50-yarder with 21 seconds left in the first half to make it 6-3.

The Bears’ Cairo Santos booted a 42-yard field goal with 2:32 left in the second quarter to tie the score at 3-all.

The Seahawks were without starting running back Kenneth Walker III (ankle), who was placed on injured reserve earlier in the day. Zach Charbonnet rushed for a game-high 57 yards on 15 carries in his place, and Kenny McIntosh added 46 yards on seven attempts.

Seattle quarterback Geno Smith, hobbled by a knee injury, completed 17 of 23 passes for 160 yards and didn’t commit a turnover.

The Bears (4-12) took their 10th consecutive loss, a streak that began when they allowed a Hail Mary on the last play in an 18-15 loss to the host Washington Commanders on Oct. 27.

Williams finished 16 of 28 for 122 yards and the one pick. D’Andre Swift rushed for 53 yards on 12 attempts, and DJ Moore made six catches for 54 yards.

It appeared Williams might lead the Bears to a late score, as he converted a pair of mid-range passes in the final 2:15.

Facing an all-out blitz, he hit Moore for 14 yards on fourth-and-5 from Chicago’s 35, then scrambled and found Rome Odunze between three defenders for a 15-yard gain on third-and-14.

Facing fourth-and-10 with 20 seconds left from Seattle’s 40, the Bears eschewed a potential tying 57-yard field-goal try, and Williams’ wobbly pass under pressure from Coby Bryant’s cornerback blitz was intercepted by Riq Woolen to seal the outcome.

The fans at Soldier Field got one chance to cheer late in the third quarter.

Cornerback Kyler Gordon dragged down Seattle tight end Pharaoh Brown after a 4-yard reception, got up with the ball and jogged 62 yards to the end zone with seemingly all the Seahawks thinking the play was over. Referee Scott Novak announced the call on the field was the ball came loose and raised his hands above his head to signal a touchdown, sending the fans into a frenzy, but a video review determined Gordon was down by contact after recovering the fumble.

–Field Level Media

Dec 22, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) during warmups before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker III (ankle) out vs. Bears

Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III has been ruled out of Thursday’s game against the host Chicago Bears due to an ankle injury.

Walker returned from a two-game absence due to an ailing calf on Sunday before injuring his ankle in the Seahawks’ 27-24 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

Zach Charbonnet is set to shoulder the load in the backfield for the Seahawks (8-7), who have lost two in a row heading into Thursday’s game against the Bears (4-11).

Seattle is in a must-win situation. Even if the Seahawks can top Chicago and beat the Los Angeles Rams in Week 18, they still might miss out on the postseason because of the strength-of-victory tiebreaker.

Walker, 24, leads Seattle in carries (153) and rushing yards (573) to go along with seven rushing touchdowns.

Charbonnet, 23, has a team-best eight rushing touchdowns to go along with 106 carries for 453 yards.

The Seahawks also ruled out tight end Brady Russell (foot) and safety K’Von Wallace (ankle) for Thursday’s game.

The Bears will be without defensive backs Elijah Hicks (ankle/foot) and Tarvarius Moore (knee), running back Travis Homer (hamstring) and offensive lineman Teven Jenkins (calf).

–Field Level Media

Dec 22, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks tight end Noah Fant (87) celebrates after a first down against the Minnesota Vikings during the second half at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Seahawks strive to keep playoff hopes alive vs. Bears

The Seattle Seahawks have only one path to the playoffs: winning the NFC West.

Seattle finds itself heading into a must-win game against the host Bears on Thursday night, and even if the Seahawks can top Chicago and beat the Los Angeles Rams in Week 18, they still might miss out on the postseason because of the strength-of-victory tiebreaker.

If Seattle (8-7) was to get past Los Angeles for a 10-7 finish, the teams would split their season series 1-1, have matching 4-4 records against common opponents and would hold the same in-conference record, leaving strength of victory to determine the fate of the Seahawks and Rams.

And that fifth tiebreaker belongs to Los Angeles.

“We just got to handle our part, which is win out,” Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV said. “Then, let the chips fall where they fall. Hopefully, we catch a little luck and we can get in there.”

Seattle dropped out of wild-card contention after a 27-24 loss to the Vikings on Sunday. Minnesota was down 24-20 with less than 4 1/2 minutes to go, but Sam Darnold threw a go-ahead 39-yard touchdown pass to Justin Jefferson with 3:51 remaining.

Jason Myers came up short on a 60-yard field-goal attempt with 1:55 left, preventing the Seahawks from drawing even.

“We got to win two, but it starts with one,” said Seattle quarterback Geno Smith, who had 314 passing yards, three touchdowns and two picks against Minnesota. “We got a tough Chicago team on the road. I know their record isn’t the greatest, but if you watch film on those guys, they got a tough team ask with a lot of the talent.

“We got to be ready coming off a short week, traveling on Christmas. Guys got to get their minds right and get ready to go.”

The Bears (4-11) have dropped nine consecutive games, most recently losing 34-17 to the Detroit Lions. Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams continued to shine, passing for 334 yards and two TDs.

“Every snap is valuable,” Williams said. “There are so many different situations that happen throughout games that you can learn from and that I’ve learned from this year.”

Williams has been building a strong rapport with wide receiver Rome Odunze, a fellow first-round pick in this year’s draft. The two hooked up four times for 77 yards against Detroit.

“From the moment you step on the field with a great player like him, you feel that confidence and I think that you feed off of that from one another and I think that we do that well,” Odunze said of his relationship with Williams. “But you’ve got to go out there and prove it on the field and we have to continue to do that.”

Both the Bears and Seahawks held walkthroughs on Tuesday.

Had Chicago had a full practice, running back Travis Homer (hamstring), left guard Teven Jenkins (calf) and defensive backs Elijah Hicks (ankle/foot) and Tarvarius Moore (knee) would have been unable to participate. For Seattle, running back Kenneth Walker III (ankle) and tight end Brady Russell (foot) were listed as non-participants.

–Field Level Media

Dec 22, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones (33) stiff arms Seattle Seahawks cornerback Coby Bryant (8) during a run play in the first half at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Vikings outlast Seahawks, stay tied atop NFC North

Sam Darnold threw a 39-yard touchdown pass down the left sideline to Justin Jefferson with 3:51 remaining as the Minnesota Vikings rallied for a 27-24 victory against the host Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.

The pass capped a four-play, 70-yard drive that took just 30 seconds after Seattle’s Geno Smith threw a 4-yard scoring pass to backup tight end AJ Barner to give the Seahawks their first lead of the afternoon.

Seattle’s Jason Myers came up just short on a 60-yard field-goal attempt with 1:55 left that would have tied the score. The Seahawks got the ball back with 55 seconds remaining, but Theo Jackson sealed the game with an interception on a deep pass intended for Seattle’s DK Metcalf on first down.

The Vikings (13-2) won their eighth game in a row and remained tied with Detroit atop the NFC North. The Seahawks (8-7) lost their second straight and dropped a game behind the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC West.

Darnold completed 22 of 35 passes for 246 yards and three touchdowns, two to Jefferson — who had 10 catches for 144 yards. Aaron Jones rushed for a game-high 67 yards on 18 carries.

Smith completed 31 of 43 passes for 314 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions, with Jaxon Smith-Njibga making eight catches for 95 yards.

Minnesota led 17-14 at the half.

The Vikings scored on the game’s opening possession, with Darnold throwing a 5-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Addison.

Seattle tied it early in the second as Smith hit Metcalf with a 25-yard scoring strike in the back-right corner of the end zone.

The Vikings regained the lead on a 14-yard pass from Darnold to Jefferson, also to the back-right corner of the end zone.

Will Reichard kicked a 52-yard field goal to put Minnesota up 17-7, before Smith hit Smith-Njigba with an 18-yard scoring strike with 20 seconds left in the half.

The teams traded field goals in the third quarter, with Myers converting from 43 yards on the opening drive of the half before Reichard kicked a 48-yarder to give the Vikings a 20-17 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

–Field Level Media

Dec 8, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) celebrates his touchdown to wide receiver Jordan Addison (3) during the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Playoff vibes shared as Vikings streak into Seattle

When the NFC North champion is finally crowned, the division title will have been earned.

The Minnesota Vikings pulled even with the Detroit Lions atop the North and clinched a playoff berth with a 30-12 victory over the Chicago Bears on Monday night.

The Vikings (12-2), who have won seven consecutive games, play Sunday at Seattle (8-6), then close the season with divisional games against Green Bay (10-4) and at Detroit (12-2) with home-field advantage in the playoffs up for grabs in the conference.

“It’s going to be incredibly competitive down the stretch,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said. “We’re going to have to play well and continue to improve, chasing our best football.”

The Vikings didn’t overlook the Bears and know they’re in for a tougher time in Seattle, where they’ve lost five in a row dating to 2006.

“Just the maturity, people understanding how to handle success,” said linebacker Jonathan Greenard, whose first-quarter sack forced a fumble that led to a touchdown against Chicago, referring to the team’s recent surge. “Just making sure we give everybody the same respect as the best team in the league, because anybody can get beat on any given play or any given day, so we’re always going to give that same respect and bring that same fire.”

Aaron Jones and Cam Akers scored to give the Vikings two rushing touchdowns in a game for the first time this season. Justin Jefferson had seven catches for 73 yards, including a TD from Sam Darnold. Jefferson has 82 receptions for 1,243 and eight touchdowns this season, drawing attention that has opened up the field for No. 2 receiver Jordan Addison. He has 27 catches in the past four games.

“Just seeing us stacking the plays, stacking the good games together is really good to see,” Jefferson said. “Our potential is so high. Every game we’re expecting the offense to be the best on that field.”

There is much to be decided in the NFC West, too.

The Seahawks coughed up the division lead and had a four-game winning streak snapped in a 30-13 loss to Green Bay last Sunday night. Seattle is chasing the Rams and has been uncharacteristically fragile at home (3-5) in 2024, but 5-1 on the road.

“We know what type of team we are. We know what the goal is, what we’re trying to accomplish. Playoff ball is just putting the emphasis on what we said early in the year that we wanted to get done,” Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV said. “That’s win the division, go into the playoffs, get a home playoff game, one or two, or whatever the case may be.”

A 3-0 finish against Seattle, the Packers and Lions comes with a steep degree of difficulty but the reward for the Vikings would be the No. 1 seed and home field in the NFC playoffs.

The Seahawks stand in the way with expectations of their own.

“Everything is still in front of us. All of our goals,” Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba said. “We just have to get ready for (Sunday). Be ready for Minnesota and get a win.”

The Seahawks are one back of the Rams in the win column with a Week 18 trip to Los Angeles left as a potential division-deciding date next month.

Another window remains open to the Seahawks that could equate to sending the team on the road for the postseason. The Seahawks trail the current No. 7 seed Washington (9-5) by a game in the wild-card chase. Seattle holds a tiebreaker over the Falcons (7-7) because of a 34-14 win at Atlanta and swept the season series from the Cardinals (7-7). San Francisco (6-8) is not yet mathematically eliminated from the playoff picture but would lose a tiebreaker with Seattle because of a 1-4 record against the NFC West. The Seahawks are 3-2.

Seattle has another North opponent on deck. The Seahawks play at Chicago on a short week next Thursday, the day after Christmas.

Seattle was without leading rusher Kenneth Walker III (calf) for the second straight game and quarterback Geno Smith suffered a right knee injury midway through the third quarter and didn’t return in the loss to the Packers. Sam Howell struggled in Smith’s place, completing just 5 of 14 passes for 24 yards and an interception.

Coach Mike Macdonald said tests on Smith’s knee didn’t reveal anything major and the veteran was able to take the field for practice to start the week.

“We’re fortunate,” Macdonald said. “A lot of positive, optimistic signs coming out of the tests. Geno’s a beast, man. He’s in here working out in the morning, working through it. I know he’s still feeling it, but this guy is tough as nails and hopefully we’ll see him practice throughout the week, and optimistic that he’ll be ready for the game.”

Walker and Zach Charbonnet (oblique) sat out Wednesday’s practice along with tight end Brady Russell (foot), wide receiver DK Metcalf (shoulder), center Olu Oluwatimi (knee) and cornerback Tre Brown (hamstring).

Vikings defensive end Jalen Redmond (concussion) and cornerback Fabian Moreau (hip) were the only players to miss practice on Wednesday.

–Field Level Media