If the Seattle Seahawks could use the coin toss to postpone a home game like a kickoff, they just might do it.
Entering Monday night’s game against the visiting Houston Texans (2-3), the Seahawks (4-2) are 3-0 on the road to extend their franchise-record road winning streak to nine games.
Meanwhile, they are 1-2 this season at home after going 3-6 last year at Lumen Field in coach Mike Macdonald’s first season at the helm.
“We have to win at home,” Macdonald said. “We have to defend our home court. We know that. It’s really important that we play better at home. It’s been a big priority since I was hired. It hasn’t come to life yet. We’re committed to bringing it to life.”
The Seahawks won 20-12 last week in Jacksonville, limiting the Jaguars to 273 total yards of offense and sacking Trevor Lawrence seven times.
There were some tense moments late in the game, as the Seahawks’ two losses — to San Francisco and Tampa Bay — came when they blew their lead in the final two minutes, but their defense held strong against the Jaguars.
“It’s been a priority for us,” Macdonald said of closing out games. “We didn’t hesitate. Our guys were great. I think you could sense on the sidelines that they wanted the opportunity to go play, and that’s all you can ask for as a coach.”
Sam Darnold continues to shine, throwing for 295 yards and two touchdowns in Jacksonville. Darnold has the third-best passer rating (116.0) in the NFL, behind Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson and Detroit’s Jared Goff.
“Sam is fantastic,” tight end AJ Barner said. “He does a heck of a job. How consistent he is, how hard he plays, how he leads – we have a very special quarterback here, and I think people are starting to find out. We’re going to keep rolling with him.”
The Texans opened the season with three one-score losses before rebounding with lopsided wins over Tennessee (26-0) and at Baltimore (44-10). Quarterback CJ Stroud was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week after the game against the Ravens, in which he threw for 244 yards and four touchdowns.
Texans coach DeMeco Ryans, whose team just finished its bye week, said it’s too early to worry about the AFC playoff race.
“It doesn’t occur to me at all as to where the other teams in the AFC are, what their record is,” Ryans said. “It’s still early in the season. A lot of teams have had very good starts to the season. But we all know that, and that’s our goal, it all depends on how you finish the season.”
Like the Seahawks, the Texans rely on their defense.
“Our defense did a really good job because of the players and the work they did,” Ryans said. “We have exceptional players, exceptional men, not just players who come out. But they work the right way. Every week, every day in practice, they work together. When they play together, it’s a tough unit to beat.”
Both teams enter the game relatively healthy, with Seahawks linebacker Derick Hall (oblique) the only player forced to sit out practice Thursday.
–Field level media
