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Most improved player: WR Freddie Swain

How they've improved: Last year's sixth-round pick has been the Seahawks' third receiver while rookie Dee Eskridge has been sidelined since the opener. Swain is easily outpacing his 2020 numbers, with his two touchdowns in five games already matching last year's total. One of his touchdowns was on a scramble play against the 49ers on which he showed good awareness of how Russell Wilson had gone off script. -- Brady Henderson

The Good Ship Carroll is taking on water. The Seahawks fell to 2-3 with a home loss to the division-rival Rams, then learned that Russell Wilson could miss at least a few games after undergoing surgery on the finger he injured in Thursday's game at Lumen Field. The Seahawks are a team searching for an identity: Pete Carroll loves to run the football and ride with his defense, but the rushing attack is average and the defense is in the conversation for the league's worst. Wilson is the one who has always held it together -- take Seattle's superstar quarterback out of the mix and there's nothing left to hold onto.

With Russell Wilson down for at least a month with a finger injury, they have issues. With their defense, Geno Smith is going to have to play big.

They've lost QB Russell Wilson for an indefinite period. They lost for the first time in their highlighter green jerseys. And they're on the precipice of a lost season if Wilson doesn't prove to be "one of the great healers of all time," as coach Pete Carroll contends.

Breakout player: Consider us cautiously optimistic about second-year pass rusher Darrell Taylor, who missed his entire rookie season recovering from a leg injury. He's been the Seahawks' most consistent pass rusher, with one sack in each of the Seahawks' five games. They will need plenty more of that in coming weeks if they have to win games with defense while quarterback Russell Wilson recovers from finger surgery.