The Seahawks are starting a stretch of very winnable games – if only they weren’t in even worse shape than some of these upcoming opponents.

Other than a pick-six and correct call on a coin flip (the main reasons they are not 0-2), pretty much everything has gone wrong for the Hawks so far.

Their defense is one of the very worst in the league, their running game is still stumbling along and their roster is torn up with injuries that give little confidence that they will turn around their weaknesses any time soon.

The defense is 31^st in the NFL at 422 yards per game. That includes 325 passing. It is 29^th in the league at 30.5 ppg and has the worst red zone defense and worst third-down defense (60.7%). The pass defense has just two sacks and has given up three 100-yard receivers.

The running game is near the bottom at 83.5 yards per game, and the Hawks are converting just 35% of their third downs.

Injuries are really becoming a problem: Both OTs are out, the entire line is banged up, tight ends Noah Fant (ribs) and Will Dissly (shoulder, doubtful) are hurt, and DK Metcalf (ribs) is playing injured. On defense, Riq Woolen (chest), Coby Bryant (toe), Boye Mafe (knee), Devin Bush (shoulder) and Jamal Adams (knee) are all out or trying to come back from the sideline. Quandre Diggs (hamstring), Julian Love (hamstring) and Jarran Reed (groin) are questionable for Sunday against Carolina.

If the Seahawks don’t start getting some guys back and get their defense and running game going the right direction, they will struggle to come out ahead in the easiest stretch of their season.

They are beginning a run of very winnable games – after Carolina come road games vs. the New York Giants (on MNF) and Cincinnati and home contests vs. Arizona and Cleveland. The Giants (1-2, with Saquon Barkley hurt) and Bengals (0-2, with Joe Burrow hurt) are struggling, Arizona (0-2, without Kyler Murray) is downtrodden and the Browns (1-1) just lost ace back Nick Chubb.

The Hawks are favored to beat the Panthers, but it won’t be easy with all of their troubles. Instead of facing rookie QB Bryce Young, the Hawks will see veteran Andy Dalton, who beat them last season with the Saints and surely will be able to take advantage of Seattle’s weak pass defense.

The Panthers are averaging 5 yards per carry and 127 per game and probably will look to keep running it, too.

The Hawks have focused on stopping the run and surprisingly have held ballcarriers to 2.9 yards per carry, with a long run of 16. But they also have surrendered four rushing TDs, tied for third most in the NFL. It will be interesting to see whether they hold up against Carolina.

The Panthers have been running to protect the rookie QB, but Dalton now steps in. And he has a stout, ninth-ranked defense backing him – one that could really give Geno Smith and the Hawks some trouble (the Panthers have eight sacks in two games).

Of course, one area where Carolina might be vulnerable is the running game. The Panthers are giving up 132 yards per game, so maybe there is hope for a breakout game by Ken Walker III.

Even if the Seahawks can hold serve at home against the Panthers, they really need to start putting Humpty Dumpty back together and improving their terrible defense before they face the really tough part of their schedule.

After Cleveland, it gets very hard: at Baltimore, vs. Washington, at L.A. Rams, vs. San Francisco, at Dallas, at San Francisco, vs. Philadelphia. At this early stage, it’s easy to see the Hawks going 1-6 in that stretch and being something like 5-9 and already eliminated before they play their final three games.

That’s a lot of doom and gloom for Week 3, obviously, but the Seahawks can brighten their situation with a win (no matter how ugly) against Carolina and then getting some guys back for the Giants, Bengals, Cardinals and Browns.

They need to win at least three of these next five to stay in the hunt as they enter that tough gantlet in November.