Seahawks Playbook Podcast

By Bill AlvstadSports News Sports News Football

Seahawks Playbook Podcast episodes

October 06 Seahawks Week 4 - What We Learned After Win Against Chargers
Seahawks fans, thanks for joining Bill Alvstad and Keith Myers to discuss what we learned coming off the week 4 win vs the Chargers. Who played well, who struggled and what about those penalties! We'll also try to make sense of the running back moves the Seahawks ended up making this week prior to our match up with the 49ers.
BIG PLAYS THAT DECIDED THE GAME |
THE EARLY RESET
• Drake Thomas intercepted Herbert on the first play.
• Darnold immediately threw an interception of his own.
SPECIAL TEAMS CREATED THE SPARK
• Connor O’Toole recovered a muffed punt.
• Wilson scored on a 23-yard screen pass on the next play.
SEATTLE TOOK CONTROL
• Shaheed: 28-yard rushing touchdown.
• Ernest Jones IV: interception that set up Wilson’s rushing touchdown.
• Horton: 6-yard touchdown reception to make it 27–6.
THE FINISH
• Nwosu forced the fumble.
• Hall recovered it to seal the win.
HOST QUESTION:
“Which play best explains why Seattle won?”

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40 min
October 02 Game 4 Preview Show - Chargers at Seahawks
Seahawks fans, thanks for joining Bill Alvstad and Keith Myers as we take a look at the week 4 match up between the visiting Los Angeles Chargers and the Seattle Seahawks

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51 min
September 28 Tough Loss. Big Questions. Final: Seahawks 31 - Commanders 33
Seahawks fans, thanks for joining Bill Alvstad and Keith Myers as we share our thoughts on the loss to the Commanders. What are the big questions to come out of this game, and how does the team move forward?

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38 min
September 26Seahawks Game 3 Preview Show - Seahawks at Commanders
Game frame — Sunday Sept 27, 10 a.m. Pacific, Northwest Stadium, FOX. Seattle 2–0; Washington 0–2. This is Washington’s home opener.
CENTRAL MATCHUP | Can Seattle restore Darnold to a productive offense while an altered safety group denies Marcus Mariota the vertical plays that could keep Washington close?

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31 min
September 16 Seahawks at Cardinals Game 2 Preview
Seahawks fans, thanks for joining Bill Alvstad and Keith Myers as week preview the week 2 match up between the Seattle Seahawks and the Arizona Cardinals.

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47 min
September 12Seahawks Week 1 - What We Learned
SEAHAWKS WEEK 1 — ADVANCED STAT SHEET
Seattle 13 • New England 10
OFFENSE — EFFICIENCY OVER VOLUME
The basic box score undersells Seattle's offensive performance. New England ran 67 plays to Seattle's 48, yet Seattle averaged 5.9 yards/play versus 4.1 and finished at +0.063 EPA/play, compared with New England at –0.145 EPA/play.
Drew Lock
16/22 — 72.7% completions

187 yards

8.5 yards/attempt

1 TD / 0 INT

113.3 passer rating

Best passer rating Lock has posted as a Seahawk with 20+ attempts.
Podcast takeaway: Lock wasn't merely a game manager. Considering he entered five plays into the game with virtually no preparation as the starter, 8.5 YPA without a turnover is excellent QB2 production.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba
8 receptions

122 yards

15.3 yards/reception

45-yard TD

11th 100-yard game since the beginning of last season, including playoffs

Four TD receptions of 40+ yards since the beginning of last season.
Here's the remarkable number: JSN produced 42.8% of Seattle's 285 total offensive yards himself.
That's WR1 usage and WR1 efficiency.
Jadarian Price
10 carries

52 yards

5.2 YPC

Long of 13

2 catches
George Holani: 8 carries, 29 yards, 3.6 YPC.
That supports our preseason expectation: Price should be viewed as Seattle's primary back, even if Fleury uses a committee.
Charles Cross — quietly one of the performances of the game
This absolutely belongs in today's show.
27 pass-blocking snaps. ZERO pressures allowed.
According to NFL Next Gen Stats, this was Cross' third career game without allowing a pressure.
Considering Seattle unexpectedly had its backup quarterback playing almost the entire game, Cross keeping the blind side clean was enormously valuable.
DEFENSE — THE DARK SIDE DID IT AGAIN
Overall
10 points allowed
277 total yards allowed
4.1 yards/play
3 interceptions
3 fourth-quarter interceptions
9 tackles for loss
3 fourth-quarter sacks
Seattle accomplished that despite New England possessing the football for 34:17 and running 19 more offensive plays.
And here's one of my favorite Macdonald statistics:
Seattle is now 14–0 under Mike Macdonald when winning the turnover battle.
That includes postseason games.
That's no longer statistical noise.
THE DRAKE MAYE PRESSURE NUMBERS
This is probably the best advanced-stat discussion for Keith.
Seattle pressured Maye on 38.1% of his dropbacks.
Under pressure:
3/8 — 38 yards — 4.8 YPA
His PFF passing grade under pressure was just 28.4.
But here's where Macdonald changed the formula from the Super Bowl.
Seattle blitz rate
Super Bowl LX: 20.8%
Week 1: 31.0%
Interestingly, Maye actually handled the blitz reasonably well—7/11 for 54 yards.
The bigger story was actual pressure, regardless of how Seattle created it. Once the pocket broke down, Maye's efficiency collapsed.
And there is an important nuance:
Two of Maye's three interceptions came from clean pockets. All three of his turnover-worthy plays came when Seattle did NOT blitz.
That's fascinating because it means the turnovers weren't simply the product of Seattle overwhelming Maye physically.
Macdonald's coverage structures were affecting him mentally as well.
DEFENSIVE STANDOUTS
Julian Love may be my defensive player of the game.
He finished with an interception plus two tackles for loss—the first game of his career in which he recorded multiple TFLs and an interception.
Ernest Jones IV piled up 13 tackles, tied for his second-highest total as a Seahawk.
Nehemiah Pritchett delivered the first fourth-quarter interception, which completely changed the emotional trajectory of the game.
Josh Jobe delivered the closer—intercepting Maye in the end zone with only 21 seconds remaining.
And Seattle's pass rush deserves credit for getting stronger rather than weaker as the game progressed. The Seahawks recorded three sacks in the fourth quarter after Maye had largely avoided pressure early.
SPECIAL TEAMS — DON'T SKIP THIS ONE
Michael Dickson
5 punts
45.4 net yards/punt
3 punts inside the 20
1 inside the 10
0 return yards allowed
And that came against Marcus Jones, one of the NFL's premier return specialists.
That's hidden field position that helped Seattle survive a game in which its offense struggled to stay on the field.

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41 min
September 08Seahawks Game 1 Preview Show - Patriots at Seahawks
WHEN SEATTLE HAS THE BALL
Player spotlights + offensive matchups | 9–21 minutes
THE PASSING GAME
Sam Darnold — quarterback: His second Seattle season begins with Fleury calling plays. Key decision: take the available completion when New England disguises pressure, then attack when protection holds. Watch whether his first read survives the post-snap safety rotation.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba vs. Christian Gonzalez: The premium coverage matchup when their alignments intersect. Use motion, stacks and condensed splits to challenge clean press coverage. Ask whether moving JSN creates a better matchup or simply brings Gonzalez with him; do not assume a full-game shadow.

Rashid Shaheed — the space creator: His August 25 comments highlighted a growing deep-ball connection with Darnold. A vertical route can open underneath space even without a target. Test Carlton Davis III when isolated, but locate safety Kevin Byard before taking the shot.

Cooper Kupp and Tory Horton: Kupp is an option for the third-down discussion against slot corner Marcus Jones; use formation and route combinations to create separation. For Horton, watch whether limited opportunities produce a meaningful change of pace. Neither needs a huge target total to matter.
THE RUN GAME AND PROTECTION
Jadarian Price — primary-back expectation: Build the game plan around Price from day one. Watch his decisiveness, explosive gains, pass protection and red-zone usage. Holani and Wilson are supporting options in our preview; the unofficial depth-chart order should not drive the analysis. This is our projected role, not a confirmed carry allocation.

Jalen Sundell, Grey Zabel and Anthony Bradford: The interior matchup with Christian Barmore and Milton Williams may determine the offense. Keep the pocket firm and pass off movement together. A clean edge does little good if Darnold cannot step up.

Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas: With Landry unavailable, test whether Seattle’s tackles can handle the edge without constant tight-end help. Dre’Mont Jones, Elijah Ponder and Gabe Jacas remain assignments to respect. Successful solo blocks free receivers into routes.

AJ Barner and Elijah Arroyo: Barner provides the established tight-end option; Arroyo had an encouraging camp. Two-tight-end sets can create a choice for linebackers Robert Spillane and Christian Elliss: fit the run or carry a route. Watch seams, crossers and red-zone releases.
Keith’s chalk talk: “If Gonzalez limits JSN, who is your first answer—Shaheed, Kupp or a tight end?” Bill: name one early play you would call for Price.
REPORTING: SEA personnel | Unofficial depth chart | Shaheed interview | Fleury | NE personnel
WHEN NEW ENGLAND HAS THE BALL
Player spotlights + defensive matchups | 21–33 minutes
MAYE HAS MORE ANSWERS NOW
Drake Maye — quarterback: Watch Josh McDaniels’ answers: quick throws, moving launch points and scrambles. Seattle should disguise coverage while maintaining rush-lane discipline. A hurry that opens an escape route can become a loss.

J. Brown — primary coverage problem: Patriots camp reporting emphasized his outside work. Against Josh Jobe or another boundary corner, challenge the release and rally to slants and crossers. If Seattle gives safety help, who becomes exposed elsewhere? Witherspoon need not shadow Brown to affect him.

Romeo Doubs — the cost of extra help: His chemistry with Maye improved through camp. If Brown pulls the coverage, Doubs becomes an important isolated matchup. Ask whether Seattle trusts its opposite corner enough to keep the preferred safety structure.

DeMario Douglas / Kyle Williams: Douglas brings the slot matchup into focus for Devon Witherspoon; Williams supplied preseason vertical plays. Communication matters when motion or a bunch formation changes assignments. Avoid letting attention to Brown produce a free runner elsewhere.

Hunter Henry — drive extender: An underneath outlet for Maye. Watch Nick Emmanwori, Ernest Jones IV and Julian Love passing off routes through the middle. In the red zone, make Henry earn separation instead of losing him while defenders react to the quarterback.
SEATTLE’S ANSWER STARTS UP FRONT
Leonard Williams / Byron Murphy II / Jarran Reed: Attack the pocket through center Jared Wilson and the guards. Our priority is squeezing Maye’s step-up space while controlling the run. Interior disruption can let Seattle pressure with four and preserve bodies in coverage.

DeMarcus Lawrence / Derick Hall / Uchenna Nwosu: Rotate against Will Campbell and Morgan Moses; Dante Fowler Jr. adds another option. Campbell’s second-year development gets a real test. Mix power and movement, but keep an edge defender positioned to close Maye’s escape path.

Rhamondre Stevenson / TreVeyon Henderson: Stevenson’s camp showed value as runner, receiver and protector. Henderson offers a change of pace if healthy. Ernest Jones must help finish first-contact tackles; the secondary must recognize screens before a short throw becomes an explosive gain.

Julian Love / Ty Okada / Nick Emmanwori: With Bud Clark on IR, communication and depth warrant attention. Emmanwori’s actual role matters more than his unofficial depth-chart placement. Track who covers, fits the run and rotates deep.
Host debate: “Do you spend your extra defender helping on Brown, containing Maye, or attacking protection?” Each host picks one and explains the tradeoff.
REPORTING: NE camp scouting | SEA roster | NE roster breakdown | SEA depth chart
THE WINNING CHECKLIST
Special teams, five keys + host picks | 33–40 minutes
SPECIAL TEAMS CAN SWING THE REMATCH
Jason Myers and Michael Dickson: Myers made five field goals in the Super Bowl. Discuss Dickson’s field-position role and reliable points, while asking the offense to turn more scoring opportunities into touchdowns this time.

Shaheed / Horton and the coverage units: New England is missing Schooler and placed punter Bryce Baringer on IR after the initial roster announcement. Confirm the replacement punter before airtime. Seattle’s return opportunity still begins with secure catches and legal blocks.
FIVE KEYS TO A SEATTLE WIN
Protect the middle of the pocket. Keep Barmore and Milton Williams from creating immediate disruption. Use quick answers against pressure; take deep shots when the blocking and safety alignment justify them.

Make Maye play the full down from the pocket. Win with coordinated pressure, close escape lanes and tackle the checkdown. Do not let third-and-long turn into an easy scramble conversion.

Make the secondary defend every eligible receiver. Move JSN, threaten vertically with Shaheed and use Kupp/Barner/Arroyo when coverage dictates. Avoid forcing the ball toward one preferred matchup.

Finish drives and protect possessions. A useful show target: touchdowns on at least two of the first three red-zone trips and no giveaway on Seattle’s side of midfield. These are our benchmarks, not predictive statistics.

Win the hidden yards. Make New England drive the long field. Avoid return penalties, coverage breakdowns and pre-snap mistakes that waste the home-field advantage. Force the Patriots to create their own scoring chances.
PREDICTION ROUND
One swing player each: Pick someone beyond the quarterbacks and JSN. Candidates: Price, Arroyo, Murphy, Okada, Douglas or Ponder. Explain the specific play or matchup that makes the choice matter.

Seattle’s winning script: Steady protection, distributed targets and a defense that forces Maye to drive patiently. A balanced win need not resemble February’s six-sack performance.

New England’s upset script: Brown/Doubs win isolated routes, Maye escapes drive-ending pressure, and interior disruption makes Seattle settle for field goals. What would force each host to revise the pick?

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36 min
September 0710th Annual Win-Loss Prediction Show
Which prediction did we disagree on the most?

What's the toughest game on the schedule?

What's the biggest trap game?

What's Seattle's best upset opportunity if Keith has them losing somewhere Bill doesn't?

Do the Seahawks sweep Arizona?

Do they split with San Francisco and Los Angeles?

13 wins: realistic expectation for the defending champions, or is Bill drinking the preseason Kool-Aid?
The broad scheduling story is worth emphasizing throughout the show: Seattle has a very favorable home/road structure early, but the back half becomes much more demanding. The Seahawks don't take their bye until Week 11, then face San Francisco, Dallas, Philadelphia and the Rams twice during the final six weeks. That's the stretch that should ultimately determine whether this is merely a playoff team or a legitimate repeat Super Bowl contender.

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1 hr 12 min
August 29 Seahawks 53-Man Roster Prediction Show
Seahawks fans, thanks for joining Bill Alvstad and Keith Myers as we share our 53-Man Roster Predictions as well as the 16-Man Practice Squad. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com
for information about our collection and use of personal data for
advertising.
1 hr
August 24 Seahawks Team Update + Titans Game Review
SEAHAWKS PLAYBOOK PODCAST
TRAINING CAMP UPDATE + TITANS GAME REVIEW | SEAHAWKS 16 - TITANS 19 | AUGUST 23, 2026
THE BIG PICTURE
We have not played one single starter in 8 quarters of football played so far this preseason. That’s the biggest thing to remember.
KEY INJURIES
• Bud Clark - S: broken ankle; expected to miss
multiple months.
• Jake Bobo - WR: season-ending knee injury from
the joint practice.
• Mason Richman - OL: potentially long-term injury;
versatility loss at G/T/C.
• Impact: safety, WR and OL depth all become more
important entering cutdown week.
GAME SNAPSHOT
• 1st quarter: Lock to Arroyo, 36-yard TD.
• Wright breaks a 69-yard TD run.
• Jason Myers FG; Seattle builds a 16-3 lead.
• Seattle is scoreless the rest of the game.
• Tennessee closes on a 16-0 run.
• Final: Tennessee 19, Seattle 16.

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39 min

About Seahawks Playbook Podcast

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The Seahawks Playbook Podcast, features your host Bill Alvstad and co-host, Keith Myers. Where loyal Seattle Seahawks fans come to listen to thoughtful Seahawks football conversation and discussion!