The Seattle Seahawks are now on a three-game losing skid, and they haven’t looked particularly good in any of them. Seattle has a litany of issues in all phases of the game right now, but one is standing out as a deeply concerning trend: this team, particularly the offense, is starting out slower than molasses in January.

Over the offseason, Mike Macdonald challenged Geno Smith to take the next step as a leader. The Seattle Seahawks' rookie head coach wanted the 12th-year quarterback -- a fiery competitor who hasn't always kept his cool in the heat of the moment -- to be what Macdonald called "the voice of poise" in adverse situations.