Love Is Out, Emmanwori Is Questionable, and Washington Gets to Test the Seam

Sam Darnold is back under center, which matters. But the more pressing question heading into Washington is who's playing safety behind him. Julian Love remains out. Nick Emmanwori, who was listed active as recently as my last note on this, is now a question mark in the backend — and what's filling that gap is thin. D'Anthony Bell and AJ Finley are the names on the depth chart, with Ty Okada behind them. That's not a group that was built to start against a team with any kind of vertical passing game.

The concern isn't abstract. Love logged 43 tackles and two interceptions in ten games last season — a reliable presence in the middle of the defense. Emmanwori was a key piece of the championship run before the ankle surgery that shadowed his entire offseason. Losing both of them at the same time, even temporarily, leaves Seattle leaning on players who weren't in the rotation when this team was winning a Super Bowl.

Darnold's return steadies the offense, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba and the rest of that receiving group give Seattle a real chance to outscore problems in the secondary. But Washington will know where to look. If there's a practice-squad call-up in the safety rotation, that's the seam they'll target early, and Seattle's coaching staff will have to scheme around it rather than personnel their way out of it.

This is the kind of week where the defending champions look a little more mortal than the record suggests.