Seahawks' three biggest blemishes from their ugly win over Texans

While the Seahawks got the win, it wasn't a pretty case from a couple players and one assistant.

Oct 20, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. (51) forces a fumble from Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) in the end zone during the third quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Monday Night Football was a big test for the Seattle Seahawks, hosting a down but dangerous Houston Texans. It was a game the Seahawks likely should've won by at least, but many areas hurt the team in this sloppy 27-19 win. 

There were great performances that showed how well the Seahawks dominated the Texans. There were just as many bad performances that allowed the Texans to remain in contention and give the Seahawks and their fans some panic.

1. Offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak

Offensively, the Seahawks had more misses than hits after the first quarter. Kubiak's two-running back was successful for most of the game, but Seattle didn't run enough on either first downs or late in the game to eat the clock.

Seattle accumulated 133 total yards in the first quarter and 173 in the remaining three quarters. Instead of aggressively pushing the ball down the field with a running play or a play-action pass, Kubiak used trickery, which led to wide receiver Cooper Kupp throwing an interception.

The fourth quarter was a nightmare for the Seahawks. They had a chance to drive down the field, but three of the four plays were predictably passing plays. The final play was a fumble by rookie tight end Elijah Arroyo. The following drive resulted in an interception from Sam Darnold following an 18-yard run from Kenneth Walker III.

Seattle had a chance to kill the clock with five minutes left, but the team abandoned the run after one play for pass attempts, which included a sack on Darnold. Four turnovers, a blocked field goal, and inconsistent play-calling can't happen against elite opponents or in the postseason

2. Right guard Anthony Bradford

The Seahawks' offensive line had the tough task of suppressing an aggressive Texans' defensive line. While most of the linemen were good but not great moments for the Seahawks, Anthony Bradford had another rough performance. 

Bradford experienced some penalties that ruined momentum on potentially good drives. There were multiple times when Bradford looked lost out in the field and struggled to get to his blocks. One alarming play occurred when he ran into center Jason Slidell down the field and then collided with running back Zach Charbonnet after a quick catch, causing him to fall.

3. Quarterback Sam Darnold in the second half

Sam Darnold led the Seahawks to some solid moments and made some great throws early. As the game went on, however, Darnold not only felt the pressure from the Texans' defense but also made some mistakes. In the first half, Darnold was solid and efficient against the Texans’ highly efficient defense and made plays with his arm and his legs, but that was a different case in the second half.

Darnold completed 7-of-15 of his passes for 80 yards, an interception, and took two sacks. One sack was in the end zone on a forced fumble and recovery from Texans' Will Anderson for a Houston touchdown.

Darnold isn't to blame for most of the Seahawks' issues in the second half, but he has to be better at taking care of the ball and recognizing the pass rush when it's coming.

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