Dave Boling: With the Seahawks on a losing streak, it’s time to see what Mike Macdonald is really made of

SEATTLE – It’s fairly certain the Seattle Seahawks weren’t sandbagging in the first half, playing with such complete ineptitude that it would lull the San Francisco 49ers into a false sense of second-half security.

They certainly seemed convincing in their horrific tackling and blocking, and confusion on defense. The dumb football looked entirely natural.

On one hand, though, if the Seahawks hadn’t been so terrible in the first half, they never could have provided evidence of their resilience, character in the face of adversity (of their own making), and taught us all that it’s premature to write them off.

It ended up a 36-24 defeat, although Seattle closed it to 29-24 in the final 5 minutes of the game.

Their second-half rally, futile as it was, may prove to be an important turning point for the Hawks, coming off three straight losses.

They could have been down for the count at 23-3 early in the second half.

Maybe they learned that teams can’t play smart and tough for about 20 minutes and come away with an NFL win.

If so, fans can take consolation that the loss to the 49ers was a learning proposition that may help the Seahawks prevail in their tie atop NFC West standings.

If not, the message of this loss is the obvious – they have so many areas that need improving that it’s likely their promising 3-0 start will be long forgotten as fall turns to winter.

It was hard to tell in the first half which facet of the team needed the most criticism. Offense? Defense? Special teams? Coaching?

There was plenty of blundering to go around.

Yes, the Seahawks were operating without some injured players, but none was more important to their team than was Christian McCaffrey, the versatile back who was missing for the Niners.

On his 34th birthday, Hawks quarterback Geno Smith came out wearing black high top cleats. If it was a nod to the steely legacy of Johnny Unitas, it quickly went sideways as he was intercepted on the first Seahawks possession.

Smith had been borderline heroic in his consistent excellence for the Hawks this season, playing behind one of the least protective offensive lines in the NFL.

The defense, again tackled inconsistently – some guys making good sticks on one play, only to watch somebody run free on the next play. And worst, at times the defense was trying to stop professional football opponents with arm tackles.

Seriously. Arm tackles. Every high school coach in the country was likely screaming at the television. Come on guys, you can’t make arm tackles.

Sometimes, the entire defense seemed struck by brain cramps. Early in the second quarter, Niner quarterback Brock Purdy connected with Deebo Samuel for a 76-yard touchdown. He was so open, it was hard to deduce who had blown the coverage.

Samuel, a recent All-Pro player, is one of the most versatile and dangerous receivers in the league. Shouldn’t someone have mentioned in a meeting or film session that Samuel was someone they need to pay attention to?

On the Niners’ first drive of the second half, tight end George Kittle also was left uncovered for a 29-yard gain. Again, shoddy scheme or execution. Perhaps both.

This three-game losing streak is a real tester for the Hawks and new coach Mike Macdonald. Now we see what he’s made of.

He’s reputed to be sharp with strategies and techniques. But one of the hardest parts of being a head coach is finding ways to right the ship when it’s taking on water.

Macdonald now has to be rock solid. Players will be watching him now. If he waffles with his message, they’ll detect weakness. Of course, he can surely change the urgency in which the message is delivered.

This sort of thing was one of the great strengths of former coach Pete Carroll. He faced streaks of grief, too, but always managed to keep the Hawks from sinking too far.

“Our guys fought their tails off,” Macdonald said.

He’s right, they did. They fought back. There’s something to be gained from that.

It’s just not enough against the Niners on Thursday.

“We are 3-3 and we’re six weeks in,” Macdonald said. “We obviously haven’t played good football the last three weeks, but onward we go.

“That’s got to be the mentality.”