If the Seattle Seahawks could use the coin flip to defer a home game like an opening 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 away from home to extend their franchise-record road winning streak to nine games.
Meanwhile, they’re 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 turf. We know that. It’s really important that we play better at home. It’s been an important emphasis since I was hired. Hasn’t come to life yet. We’re determined to make it come to life.”
The Seahawks won 20-12 last week at Jacksonville, limiting the Jaguars to 273 yards of total offense and sacking Trevor Lawrence seven times.
There were some tense moments late because the Seahawks’ two defeats — to San Francisco and Tampa Bay — happened when they blew leads in the final two minutes, but their defense held strong against the Jaguars.
“It’s been an emphasis for us,” Macdonald said of closing out games. “We weren’t shying away from it. Our guys were awesome. I think you could sense it on the sidelines that they wanted the opportunity to go out there and go play, and that’s all you can ask for as a coach.”
Sam Darnold continues to shine, passing for 295 yards and two touchdowns at Jacksonville. Darnold owns the third-best passer rating (116.0) in the NFL — trailing only Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson and Detroit’s Jared Goff.
“Sam’s fantastic,” tight end AJ Barner said. “He’s doing a heck of a job. Just 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 that out. We’re going to continue to ride with him.”
The Texans opened the season with three one-score losses before rebounding with lopsided victories against Tennessee (26-0) and at Baltimore (44-10). Quarterback C.J. Stroud was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week following the game against the Ravens, in which he threw for 244 yards and four TDs.
Texans coach DeMeco Ryans, whose team comes off its bye week, said it’s too early to worry about the AFC playoff chase.
“That doesn’t creep into my mind at all about where the other AFC teams are, what their record is,” Ryans said. “It’s still early in the season. A lot of teams had a lot of really good starts to the season. But we all know, and it’s our focus, it’s all about how you finish the season.”
Like the Seahawks, the Texans rely on their defense.
“Our defense has done a really nice job because of the players and the work that they put in,” Ryans said. “We have outstanding players, outstanding men, not just players who go out. But they work the right way. Every single week, every single day in practice, they work together. When they play together, it’s a tough unit to beat.”
Both teams enter the game fairly healthy, with Seahawks linebacker Derick Hall (oblique) the only player forced to sit out practice Thursday.
