The Seattle Seahawks come out of their bye week with one of their most important games next on the schedule.

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The Seahawks look to keep themselves in the picture in the NFC West and avoid falling two games under .500 on Sunday when they travel to face the rival San Francisco 49ers.

It’s already evident Seattle is making changes coming off its bye, as the team released starting linebacker and leading tackler Tyrel Dodson on Monday.

Former NFL quarterback Brock Huard thinks the team has another change coming, but on the offensive side of the ball. Huard explained why he thinks the team will run more of its offense from under center rather than out of the shotgun during Blue 88 on Tuesday on Brock and Salk.

The first two reasons have to do with the talent the Seahawks will be facing this weekend.

“No. 1, when you sit in that shotgun, (pass rusher) Nick Bosa knows exactly where you are,” Huard said. “No. 2, when you have Fred Warner as a middle linebacker (on the other side) and you have tendencies behind your shotgun run game, there’s only so many things you can do out of that (and) you make life easier on that guy and you do not want to do that because he’s one of the best in the game.”

According to a report from The Athletic, the Seahawks were using the shotgun at the fourth-highest rate in the NFL at 80.4% heading into their bye week.

“I think that will change over the second half of the season,” Huard said. “It’s too much because when you get in the shotgun … it limits the amount of volume (of plays) and especially your run and play-action.”

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Huard also believes that switch will be part of first-year offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb realizing the adjustments needed to succeed at the NFL level.

“I think Ryan Grubb is learning about the guys and the resources and the coaches upon coaches upon coaches that study you and figure out every one of your tendencies,” Huard said. “You gotta do a little bit more variants. I do expect more under center.”

Listen to the full conversation at this link or in the audio player in this story. Tune in to Brock and Salk weekdays from 6-10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.

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The Chicago Bears fired former Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron from their OC position on Tuesday, hoping to shake up a unit that ranks among the worst in the NFL.

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Offensive passing game coordinator Thomas Brown was promoted to offensive coordinator.

The moves come with the Bears (4-5) mired in a three-game losing streak and the offense in a free fall after an offseason overhaul highlighted by the arrival of Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall draft pick.

Waldron spent the previous three seasons as the OC for the Seahawks under head coach Pete Carroll. Waldron was not brought back after the Seahawks moved on from Carroll in January, and landed with the Bears shortly after.

Bears coach Matt Eberflus said Monday that changes were coming in the wake of a 19-3 loss to New England at Soldier Field, though he wasn’t ready yet to announce them. He said the decision on whether to retain his offensive coordinator would be “mine alone.”

“After evaluating our entire operation, I decided that it is in the best interest of our team to move in a different direction with the leadership of our offense. This decision was well-thought-out, one that was conducted deliberately and respectfully,” Eberflus said Tuesday in a statement. “I would like to thank Shane for his efforts and wish him the best moving forward.

“Thomas is a bright offensive mind who has experience calling plays with a collaborative mindset. I look forward to his leadership over our offensive coaching staff and his plan for our players,” Eberflus said.

Waldron lasted just nine games. He was hired in January to replace Luke Getsy, who was let go after two seasons. Getsy was subsequently hired as the Las Vegas Raiders’ offensive coordinator and fired in November.

The Bears rank 30th in the NFL in total offense and 24th in scoring. Chicago has gone without a touchdown in back-to-back games for the first time since 2004. It’s been 23 consecutive possessions without a TD for the Bears since they scored in the final minute at Washington in Week 8, when they lost on a Hail Mary pass by Jayden Daniels. Williams was sacked a whopping nine times against New England, which came in tied with six other teams for the worst record in the NFL.

The offense has produced just two touchdowns in 34 drives in the three games since Chicago’s bye. The Bears won three in a row prior to their off week, and Williams and the offense looked like they were finding their rhythm, even if they were doing it against struggling teams.

Williams completed 74% of his passes for 687 yards and seven touchdowns with one interception during that run. In the past three games, the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner has completed just 48 of 95 passes without a TD.

Williams has often been under siege behind an offensive line that has played poorly and been hit hard by injuries. He has also hung onto the ball too long at times, rather than check down or throw it away to avoid a sack.

Waldron, meanwhile, seemed to abandon the run in some games. He was also urged by players to coach the team harder following a loss at Indianapolis in Week 3.

The Bears then went on their winning streak and headed into their bye with a 4-2 record. They’ve unraveled since then, and the schedule is about to get tougher. Six of the final eight games are against the NFC North, starting with Green Bay’s visit on Sunday.

The recent struggles have also turned up the heat on Eberflus, with fans chanting “Fire ‘Flus!” during the New England game. Chicago is 14-29 in his 2 1/2 seasons. It’s not what the Bears envisioned after going from 3-14 in 2022 to 7-10 last year.

General manager Ryan Poles gave the offense a big makeover in the offseason.

The Bears cleared the way to draft Williams by dealing Justin Fields to Pittsburgh. They made a blockbuster trade for a playmaking receiver for the second year in a row, acquiring six-time Pro Bowler Keenan Allen from the Los Angeles Chargers after sending the No. 1 pick in 2023 to Carolina for DJ Moore. Chicago got the Panthers’ 2024 first-rounder in that deal for Moore and used it to take Williams.

The Bears also added running back D’Andre Swift and veteran Gerald Everett to form what looked like a potent tight end tandem with Cole Kmet. But the offense hasn’t come together the way the Bears hoped.

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One of the primary buildings at the historic Camp Long in the West Seattle neighborhood of Seattle caught fire Monday night, causing an amount of damage that still needs to be determined.

The Seattle Fire Department (SFD) reported in a thread published on X just after 8 p.m. Monday a fire had been reported at the 5200 block of 35th Avenue SW. Nine minutes later at 8:17 p.m., the SFD stated the fire was reported on the first floor of the lodge. It also had a second floor and a basement. In its coverage of the fire, the West Seattle Blog confirmed that is the address of Camp Long.

Several minutes later, the SFD explained crews had to move to a “defensive attack” because a hole was found in the floor of the first story of the building.

The fire was out by 9:16 p.m., the West Seattle Blog reported, citing the SFD. That was also when the SFD published its final X post about the fire, saying there were no injuries reported and the cause of the fire is under investigation. Most of the crews who reported to the scene returned to service at that time, but several remained at the scene to monitor.

The West Seattle Blog also has multiple photos and videos of the scene detailing what members of the SFD had to endure to put the fire out and the aftermath once the fire was put out.

An SFD spokesperson told KIRO 7 crews were still assessing the damage late Monday night. The Seattle outlet also confirmed the SFD had parts of 35th Avenue Southwest and Dawson Street shut off as crews worked the scene.

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More about Camp Long in West Seattle

A city of Seattle property near the West Seattle Golf Course, Camp Long is a 68-acre park that has multiple uses. Among them, it “offers visitors an opportunity to enjoy nature” and “learn about natural history,” the city’s website explains.

Going further, Camp Long has multiple structures on the property, including 10 “rustic cabins” and the main hall that is an “ideal setting for ceremonies, parties and other special events.” The West Seattle Blog noted the lodge is more than 80 years old.

That main hall includes a brick fireplace and a tall ceiling and has a maximum capacity of 72 people.

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The response brought out several people who live near the park who were in shock about what saw at the site.

“We love Camp Long. We’ve lived here for almost 25 years. We’ve spent a lot of time here with our dog and families and this is just heartbreaking to see this happening today,” Carrie Antezana, who lives near the park, said to KIRO 7.

Steve Coogan is the lead editor of MyNorthwest. You can read more of his stories here. Follow Steve on X, or email him here.