Seattle Seahawks: 5 Things That Must Be Fixed as Soon as Possible

By now, we know that the Seattle Seahawks aren't looking like the recent Super Bowl contenders we've come to know them as. 

But they still have plenty of time to regain their composure, and addressing the following five issues should help put them right back on track. 

Let's do this. 

1. Fourth-quarter letdowns 

In its last two losses, Seattle has crumbled in the fourth quarter. Against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Seahawks led by 17 points, only to watch a furious Bengals' come-from-behind victory in overtime. 

It's easy to blame the defense for blowing that large of a lead, and the unit deserves some of the blame. But remember that the offense failed to score a single point after about the halfway point of the third quarter.

In terms of the defense, it should only be a matter of time before the Legion of Boom gets back to its elite form now that Kam Chancellor is back.

When that happens, the 12th Man hopes opposing players won't get wide open at the end of games as the Carolina Panthers' Greg Olsen did here:

In terms of the offense...

2. Inconsistent targets to Jimmy Graham

After the Seahawks seemingly went all-in during the offseason to acquire tight end Jimmy Graham, it's puzzling that they haven't consistently thrown the ball his way more often so far this season. 

Graham's targets this season look like this: 

Graphic created by the author using stats taken from Pro Football Reference.

Yes, Seattle runs a much different offense than the New Orleans Saints do (Graham's former team), and he could still be getting the feel of the system, but some of the numbers are confusing.

For instance, in a Week 2 loss to the Green Bay Packers, Graham was only targeted twice. That's not enough, especially against a powerhouse team like the Packers.

Or how about in Week 5's three-point loss to the Bengals, where Graham only saw five passes? You'd think that in a game that close, giving Graham more chances could make a difference.

Going forward, as he becomes more comfortable in the Seattle offense, it wouldn't be surprising to see more of these happen:

"

Jimmy Graham scores the grown man touchdown! http://t.co/b9KFHR5b4Q

— FanSided GIF (@FanSidedGIF) September 27, 2015"

3. Patchwork offensive line

The offensive line is a wreck right now, and it's a big reason why the Seahawks aren't controlling games the way they have in the past.

According to a recent article in the Washington Post by Jeff Dooley of Pro Football Focus, the Seahawks own the league's absolute worst offensive line. Quarterback Russell Wilson has been sacked a league-high 31 times. 

No, they're not trying to kill him. But considering center Drew Nowak and right guard J.R. Sweezy both played defensive tackle in college, it's amazing Wilson hasn't been sacked more.

You can thank his mobility for that.

Going forward, the Seahawks might try to tailor their passing game to shorter, higher-percentage throws. Especially to that Graham fella. Just saying.

4. Underwhelming wide receivers

For as mediocre of a season Graham has had so far in 2015, it's amazing that he leads the Seahawks in both receptions and yards. 

That means the wide receivers are underachieving. Or that the offensive scheme isn't involving them enough. 

Either way, the receiving corps needs to find a way to have a bigger impact going forward. 

Jermaine Kearse is having a good season despite only hauling in one touchdown catch, as he's averaging 16.1 yards per reception. 

Rookie wide receiver Tyler Lockett has been an intriguing new piece in the offense, but he is only averaging 2.4 receptions and 31 receiving yards per game. It's time for him to use his speed and physical ability, as shown on the kickoff-return touchdown below, on offense. 

For a rookie taken in the third round of the 2015 NFL draft, Lockett is having an impressive season. But with the offensive line struggling, the Seahawks aren't going to run the ball as effectively as they have in previous years.

Lockett can and should be a focal point of this passing attack moving forward, whether it's on short or vertical passes.

5. Turnover ratio

The Seahawks are even this season in terms of turnover ratio, as they've forced nine turnovers but have also turned the ball over nine times. That has to improve going forward.

Wilson has five interceptions, and that number is mostly the product of a shoddy offensive line. Still, though, he can't continue throwing passes like this one if the team hopes to improve its turnover ratio: 

On that play, it would have been smarter to just throw the ball away.

However, as aforementioned in this piece, when this secondary jells (and it will), it will create turnovers. It's what the Legion of Boom does.

So far, the Seahawks defense has three interceptions on the season. With a favorable Week 8 matchup against a reeling Dallas Cowboys team, there might not be a better time all season to increase that number.

Seattle will fix most of the above issues in time. Head coach Pete Carroll will get the best out of his guys and have them playing quality football when the team needs it most down the stretch. 

Still, after a rough 3-4 start to the season, the Seahawks can't overlook these issues.

Infographic created by the author using stats taken from Pro-Football-Reference.com. Follow Ethan on Twitter @ebai_today for NFL coverage and analysis.