Seattle, WA
What Must Happen For Seattle Seahawks to Win NFC West in 2024?
After narrowly missing out on the playoffs last season, the Seattle Seahawks intend to compete for an NFC West title immediately under new coach Mike Macdonald in one of the NFL’s toughest divisions.
With a blend of proven experience and rising young talent, the Seahawks have many of the pieces in place to make a run at the 49ers, who have won the division each of the past two seasons, as well as the Rams, who returned to the postseason last year after a one year hiatus. But several critical areas that dogged the team last season will have to be shored up to create a legitimate opportunity to win the rugged NFC West.
What will it take for that ambitious goal to come to fruition for Seattle? Here are five keys to Macdonald’s squad winning the west in 2024:
Only two years ago, Cross and Lucas became just the third pair of rookie tackles to start for the same team in Week 1 and they wound up starting 17 total games together for Seattle, including a wild card round loss to San Francisco. While both players endured typical rookie growing pains, they finished the season strong, providing optimism that a long-maligned offensive line finally had foundational pieces at the bookend spots to build around.
Unfortunately, both players exited a season-opening loss to the Rams last September with significant injuries. While Cross only wound up missing three games with a sprained toe, he likely played most of the season at well below 100 percent, while Lucas only played in six games with lingering knee discomfort that eventually led to surgery in January. Even when healthy, each player took a step back performance-wise, as Cross allowed 42 pressures and six sacks and Lucas surrendered 17 pressures in just six starts.
For the Seahawks to have any shot at threatening the 49ers or the Rams in the NFC West, Cross and Lucas not only need to stay on the field, but they have to demonstrate substantial growth under the tutelage of new line coach Scott Huff. If Geno Smith finds himself under frequent siege with both tackles struggling or backups unable to fill the void again, it won’t matter how much talent the team has at the skill positions and the offense won’t stand a chance at coming close to full potential.
Staying in the trenches, Seattle’s chronic offensive line issues haven’t been limited to the tackle positions as they have played musical chairs in the interior. Over the past five seasons, the team has had four different Week 1 starters at center and right guard, and that ugly trend will continue again with a new starter projected at both positions on September 8. Making the situation even more unideal, four-year starter Damien Lewis left in free agency, leaving another opening at left guard that will likely be filled by veteran Laken Tomlinson.
If there’s a reason for optimism, however, the Seahawks have invested significant draft capital in the trenches over the past two years. Former Rimington Award winner Olu Oluwatimi played well in his lone start behind former starter Evan Brown as a rookie and looks poised to step into the lineup as a potential long-term option at center. Next to him at right guard, Anthony Bradford started 10 games as a rookie and now will have quality competition to fend off in third-round pick Christian Haynes and second-year blocker McClendon Curtis.
Of course, as has been evidenced by several previous draft whiffs by the franchise, youth only will benefit Seattle if Oluwatimi and one of Bradford, Haynes, or Curtis seize a starting job in training camp and steadily improve over the course of the season. With NFC West opponents featuring plenty of firepower on their defensive lines in the interior, a youth movement has the potential to backfire without proper development and instruction, putting a lot of pressure on Huff entering his first year as an NFL coach.
After finishing in the top-10 in scoring offense in 2022, the Seahawks took a significant step backward last season, plunging to 17th overall. Though offensive line injuries certainly contributed to that regression, the team’s inability to sustain or finish drives served as the biggest culprit behind the decline in performance putting points on the scoreboard.
One of the worst teams in the NFL at executing in key situations on offense, Seattle struggled to move the chains and earn a new set of downs all season long, ranking 23rd in the league with a dismal 36.23 percent third down conversion rate, which led to the worst average time of possession. In addition to not being able to consistently extend drives, the Seahawks also bombed inside the opposing 20-yard line, regularly turning six points into field goals or turnovers and ranking 26th in red zone touchdown rate.
Considering the Seahawks have a Pro Bowl quarterback in Smith, a talented running back tandem in Ken Walker III and Zach Charbonnet, and one of the NFL’s premier receiving corps featuring DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, such dreadful numbers are inexcusable. With offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb now calling the shots, nothing may be more critical to his odds at success as a first-time NFL play caller as well as Seattle’s NFC West title hopes than fixing that situational wretchedness.
Numerous factors led to the decision to move on from former coach Pete Carroll back in January, but a strong argument can be made that a porous, helpless run defense sealed his fate more than anything. For five weeks to open last season, the Seahawks showed marked improvement after finishing 30th in run defense in 2022, jumping into the top five in yards allowed, yards per carry allowed, and 10-plus yard runs allowed.
But those strides wound up being little more than a disheartening mirage. Once outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu went down with a pectoral injury in Week 7, Seattle’s run defense suffered a historic meltdown. Closing out the season losing four of their final seven games, they yielded at least 136 rushing yards in each of those contests. During that span, they surrendered a mind-blowing 1,226 yards and 13 rushing touchdowns with teams averaging five yards per carry.
As bleak as those numbers look and sound, the Seahawks have the personnel in place to quickly rectify this problem, starting with a talented defensive line that added first-round pick Byron Murphy II to go with Leonard Williams, Jarran Reed, and Dre’Mont Jones. If that group plays to their potential and veteran linebackers Tyrel Dodson and Jerome Baker do their jobs replacing Bobby Wagner and Jordyn Brooks, a bounce back should be on the menu, which would be a game changer for a defense that greatly underachieved in Carroll’s last few seasons at the helm.
While lackluster run defense doomed the Seahawks last season, Carroll’s defense unfortunately had other issues as well. Though they were respectable finishing with 45 sacks as a team, they finished in the bottom third of the league in 20-plus yard explosives allowed and ranked in the top four in missed tackles, giving up chunk plays and whiffing on tackle attempts far too often. Such numbers would have made members from the vaunted “Legion of Boom” hurl.
After leading the NFL’s best defense in Baltimore last season, Macdonald will have his work cut out for him trying to remedy so many issues. But as is the case stopping the run, Seattle has the talent on defense to suggest that a rapid turnaround in both aspects could be orchestrated with a new scheme and more dedication to fundamentals, starting with a star-studded secondary featuring do-it-all cornerback Devon Witherspoon, cornerback Riq Woolen, and Pro Bowl safety Julian Love as tone setters.
With Witherspoon being a weapon both in coverage and as a hard-hitting blitzer, Macdonald will look forward to the opportunity to unleash him as a defender opponents will have to game plan for. Woolen led the league in interceptions only two years ago, while Love came on strong late last season and led the team with four picks, giving the Seahawks a trio of playmakers who can turn the tide giving up big plays. Getting the most out of a pass rush led by Nwosu, Boye Mafe, Williams, and company should only further help the cause.
Seattle, WA
Seattle weather: 80s on the horizon before a long cooldown
SEATTLE – Offshore winds at the surface will warm us well into the 80s on Tuesday. This will mark the warmest day of the week with some spots warming to the upper 80s, especially in the Cascade foothills.
Offshore winds will warm many spots into the 80s on Tuesday.
What To Know:
The ridge will begin sliding to the east, opening the door for some high clouds to increase throughout the day. A disturbance will produce showers and even a few storms in Oregon. These will eventually move northward into western Washington, increasing showers and rumbles of thunder. There is also a chance for showers in Central and Eastern Washington as well.
A disturbance will push showers and even a few storms into the area beginning Tuesday night.
What’s next:
Tuesday will be the warmest day of the week. Days will quickly cool off beginning Wednesday with chances for showers through the weekend. Drier skies and mild weather will return by next Monday.
80s for Tuesday with a cooldown later in the week.
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Seattle, WA
Victim identified in deadly Seattle beer garden shooting on Lake City Way; suspect sought
SEATTLE — A north Seattle community is mourning the loss of a 25-year-old beer garden employee who was killed while closing the business Friday night.
Loved ones identified the victim as Quusaa Margarsa, known to many as “Q.” Seattle police are searching for the suspect but have not released details about the circumstances surrounding the killing, including whether investigators believe it was a robbery gone wrong or a targeted attack.
Police said Margarsa was working at The Growler Guys on Lake City Way NE on Friday night when he was killed. A co-worker discovered him the next morning.
“I want to know why. I think we all want to know why. What was the reasoning?” said Coreena Richards, a childhood friend of Margarsa.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE | Memorials, mourners honor young employee found dead at North Seattle beer garden
Throughout the weekend, friends, family members, and customers stopped by the north Seattle beer garden to leave flowers, candles, and messages at a growing memorial honoring Margarsa.
“Amazing, one of one — you’re never going to meet anybody like him,” Richards said.
Margarsa, a graduate of Nathan Hale High School, was a member of the school’s 2017 championship basketball team, according to the school’s alumni association. Friends described him as a “gentle soul” who was full of humor.
“He’s funny as hell. He was the life of the party. Very sweet, very kind,” Richards said.
Family members said Margarsa was preparing to celebrate his 26th birthday later this month and had been planning a birthday trip. Instead, his life was cut short while he was closing the beer garden where he worked. Police said Margarsa died of apparent gunshot wounds.
ALSO SEE | Seattle beer garden employee found shot to death inside workplace
“He was very sweet, very nice — a young guy with his whole life ahead of him. Very sad,” said Robert Bishop, a customer at The Growler Guys.
Days after the killing, customers continued to visit the memorial site, lighting candles and calling for answers as detectives searched for whoever was responsible.
“I’ve been on social media asking everybody, because it’s one thing for a mom to find out on Mother’s Day,” Bishop said. “Everybody in the neighborhood should be up in arms about this.”
As investigators work to solve what police say is Seattle’s 12th homicide of 2026, authorities have not said whether the attack was random or targeted. Police also have not said whether surveillance cameras at the business captured images of the suspect.
“You got nothing out of it. You gained nothing from this,” Richards said. “They took somebody very, very important to the people who knew him, loved him, and cared for him.”
Seattle police said the circumstances surrounding the killing remain under investigation. Anyone with information is urged to contact the department’s violent crimes tip line at 206-233-5000.
Seattle, WA
Cities Only Work if We Show Up
I have always been in love with cities. I joke with friends that I have crushes on cities the way they have crushes on good-looking strangers. Sometimes—as with Paris and London—my unrequited crush meant finding an excuse to move there. With Seattle, however, that initial attraction grew into a long-term relationship.
Liz Dunn
Phot by TRAVIS GILLETT
I arrived here as a “tech baby,” coming from Canada to work at Microsoft as a college intern. For a long time, I felt as though I were living in a bubble—until I realized I could pivot my career and work in and on the city I’d come to call home. Through my company, Dunn & Hobbes, I’ve done just that, spending more than 25 years building and renovating spaces for retail, restaurants, and creative work. I love old buildings—but what I love more is what happens inside and around them. I love making space for creative people and then watching them fully inhabit those places and thrive. I also love how a collection of structures on a block can become an economic and artistic ecosystem.
Working in real estate is not just about making deals—you’re crafting pieces of the city, and that comes with both impact and responsibility.
Small businesses are the heart and soul of any neighborhood. Research shows that locally owned businesses generate a much higher multiplier effect in the regional economy than national chains. Beyond economics, the independent shops, restaurants, and designers that comprise the core fabric of a city are the secret sauce that makes it feel unique.
Nowhere is that more evident than Capitol Hill’s Pike/Pine corridor, where I’ve conducted most of my work and lived out large chunks of my adult life. During the past 25 years, it has become a case study in what happens when you preserve character and invest in small business. The area was once filled with old auto-row buildings that had fallen into disuse. Instead of wiping the slate clean, local developers, including me, saw an opportunity for creative reuse. Those buildings turned out to be perfectly scaled for independent retailers and restaurants, creating a unique critical mass that offers a popular destination for locals and tourists alike.
What makes Pike/Pine special is its texture and grit—the layered history you feel in both the physical architecture and the spirit of the shops and restaurants. A large percentage of businesses are owned by members of the LGBTQ+ community, women, immigrants, and people of color. The density of independent retailers and studios—and the inclusive community that supports them—creates omething you can’t replicate with a formula. It evolved over decades, shaped by artists, musicians, designers and small entrepreneurs willing to take risks and plant their flags.
Today, neighborhoods like Pike/Pine face challenges that threaten the tightly woven ecosystem that makes them thrive. There’s a difference between gritty and too gritty, and during the past six years, it’s become harder to attract people. Foot traffic in neighborhood retail districts is dropping, even as downtown begins to recover with tourism. Small businesses are dealing with crushing cost pressures, many tied to public safety concerns and well-intentioned policies with unintended consequences. Public safety has been the elephant in the room—though I do believe we are starting to see improvements. At the same time, our habits have changed. Seattleites have been hibernating, whether because of repercussions from the COVID-19 pandemic or the convenience of delivery apps, streaming, and gaming.
And yet, people still deeply crave connection.
That’s why what’s happening in Pike/Pine right now is inspiring and hopeful. Many of the people who helped shape the neighborhood are still here, investing their time, money, and creativity because they care deeply about its future. We’re doubling down on what makes it special—art walks, a slate of new murals, the On The Block street fair, and Capitol Hill Block Party—all invitations for the community to come back out and re-engage.
This spring, on Saturday, May 16th, we’re launching something new: the Pike/Pine Spring Fashion Walk and Social. It’s designed to be an annual celebration that stretches across the neighborhood, anchored by a collection of activations at Melrose Market, and a runway show on the “catwalk” at Chophouse Row that will include Seattle fashion apparel leaders Glasswing, JackStraw, the Refind, the Finerie, and Flora and Henri. Neighborhood-based designer and brand activations up and down the corridor will include open studios, DJs, wine tastings, in-store pop-ups, and involvement from local college students—bringing in the next generation of designers and entrepreneurs. One of the goals is to remind everyone that Seattle still has amazing fashion “game,” offering a scene that is just as creative and diverse as anything you might find in New York or LA. At its core, this event is not about shopping. It’s about creating a reason for people to come together, to reconnect, and to experience the neighborhood as a shared space.
Because that’s the point. Cities work best when we show up—for them and for each other. Seattle’s culture is not something that exists just for us to consume; we are all participants in shaping it. So, my call to action is simple: come out. Walk around and meet your neighbors. Engage in what’s happening. It feels good—and it does good.
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