RENTON, Wash. — Eight plays were not enough for Ryan Grubb to find his groove.

Trailing the New York Jets 21-16 in the second half last Sunday, Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith took a snap on first-and-goal from the 4-yard line. What followed was an eight-play atrocity of execution errors, empty opportunities and short-yardage shortcomings.

A fade to wide receiver DK Metcalf that floated over the 6-foot-4, 235-pound target.

Three futile feeds to running backs Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet.

Two agony-extending Jets penalties, and two more timeouts.

A Smith pass that sailed wide of uncovered Seahawks tight end Noah Fant.

A slant to Metcalf that was batted away by sticky corner Sauce Gardner.

A 15-yard sack on fourth-and-1, an emphatic belly flop.

Eight plays. No points.

"We're still seeking that one play (that's our bread and butter in short-yardage situations), obviously," offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb said Thursday. "But I do think it's kind of forced us to evaluate the personnel situations in all those type of scenarios. So I think once you find your groove you can build things off of that and can continue to complement those things."

Twelve games. No groove.

After last week's 26-21 escape, the Seahawks rank 15th in the NFL in points per game (22.7), 19th in third-down conversions (37.2%), 22nd in fourth-down conversions (50%), 22nd in percentage of drives ending in a score (34.6%), 28th in rushing yards per game (88.7), and 29th in yards per carry (3.9) and average time of possession (28:30).

Despite last week's repeated pratfall, the Seahawks' 56.7% red zone touchdown rate sits a surprisingly respectable 12th.

But of the 10 worst teams in rushing, only the Seahawks own a winning record, with everyone else compiling a combined mark of 32-76 (.296).

Granted, the Seahawks' short-yardage struggles are easily explainable, given the constant cameos on their offensive line. Through 12 games, Seattle (7-5) has started four right tackles (Abraham Lucas, Stone Forsythe, Michael Jerrell and George Fant), two right guards (Anthony Bradford and Sataoa Laumea) and two centers (Connor Williams and Olu Oluwatimi), a carousel of inconsistency.

Even so, did Grubb expect to find a groove significantly sooner?

"Yeah, of course. That's fair," the 48-year-old assistant said. "I think that for us, we just haven't had the consistent success in those moments. I think the thing you've got to do is continue to search and try to find better answers. For us that's what we've committed to do."

Critics would say, after the length of a college football season, the Seahawks shouldn't still be searching.

They might also point to Smith's inconsistent output, as 3,241 passing yards (fourth in the NFL) and 68.8% completions (fifth) are offset by just 13 passing touchdowns (tied for 19th), 12 interceptions (second-most) and a 54.9 QBR (22nd).

And though wide receivers Jaxon Smith-Njigba (70 catches, 829 receiving yards, 4 TDs) and Metcalf (50, 763, 3) are enjoying productive seasons, the same can't be said for Noah Fant (30, 311, 0) and veteran wideout Tyler Lockett (41, 511, 2).

Supporters would say Seattle's offensive-line issues have put Grubb in an impossible position.

Detractors would swat away excuses while pointing out that Grubb brought offensive-line coach Scott Huff with him as well.

It's easy to see which side Smith is on.

"It's still early in the stages for us," Smith said of his partnership with Grubb. "But I'm so happy with the strides we've made over the course of the season. Also, our system we have in place I think is really good. I think we have a lot of answers. He gives the quarterback the ability to get to those answers. He empowers us to make plays on the field and be the quarterback and coach on the field.

"So Grubb and I, we talk every day. We're in the meeting room every day. We're seeing things the same way. The best part about it is, he understands as a quarterback it's not always going to be perfect. Sometimes you've got to just make things happen. I think he's given me a lot of grace with that. It's allowed me to go out there and be confident and just continue to play."

It certainly has not been perfect.

The good news, for Smith and Grubb, is the Seahawks can continue to play.

They have five games — starting with a critical rematch against Arizona (6-6) on Sunday, followed by home tilts against NFC contenders Green Bay (9-4) and Minnesota (10-2) — to win the NFC West and show the world why Grubb is worthy of a second season.

Yes, those are some significant stakes.

An improved running game and short-yardage operation would go a long way toward helping the Seahawks clear both bars.

"We have sound (short-yardage) schemes," Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said Wednesday. "How we're blocking those things, we have to execute better. I think we have to have, frankly, just a better plan going into it. We've got to work together on it. So that's something that's definitely a point of emphasis this week."

For Grubb and the Seahawks, this is a deciding five-game stretch. The team's previous three OCs — Shane Waldron (2021-23), Brian Schottenheimer (2018-20) and Darrell Bevell (2011-17) — had sizable stints in Seattle. But there's always another compelling candidate. There's always a college head coach who no longer wants to recruit, or a Power Five coordinator whose quarterback incinerated secondaries, or an NFL assistant with ties to Andy Reid or Kyle Shanahan or Ben Johnson or Sean McVay.

This is crunchtime for contenders and coordinators.

It's time for Grubb to find his groove.

"There's a reason I took this job, and (it's) the trust that I have in Mike (Macdonald)," Grubb said. "I think that's a huge part of any relationship, whether it's a working relationship or whatever. Certainly there's built-up reps, so to speak, with a guy like (former UW coach and current Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer) when I was with him for a long time. So when you hit those bumps in the road, they're easier to manage and get through.

"Certainly this season has provided a lot of growth opportunities for Mike and I, and I'm thankful for that. I think the relationship has gotten stronger, and the understanding of what we're trying to get done as a team just continues to build. So it's been fun, honestly."

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