The Seahawks lost a tough one in L.A. on Sunday, losing 21-19 to fall one game behind the Rams in the NFC West standings. But as tough as that loss was, the Seahawks did not return home discouraged, but rather excited about what is still to come for this team.

"Obviously we're disappointed, but it's very clear to me that we have a great team," Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said after the game. "We're going to learn to win games like that, and we're going to learn from weeks like this."

Next up for the Seahawks is a trip to Nashville to face the Tennessee Titans, but before we turn our attention to that game, it's time once again to open up the mailbag and answer some questions from you, the fans.

As always, thanks to everyone who asked questions this week, and apologies if I wasn't able to get to yours this time around. And remember, the mailbag is always open for submissions at Seahawks.com/mailbag.

@primetimequeso asks, "Who signed off on the Seahawks posting the unedited Ernest Jones presser and how do I go about buying them a beer?"

A: It was a group effort, and I won't bore you with all the details, but I will point out that this wasn't a single employee or intern (why does everyone think interns run all the social media accounts for NFL teams?). There were discussions/people signing off on the decision to post the unedited version of Ernest Jones IV's emphatic endorsement of Sam Darnold after the quarterback struggled in Sunday's loss.

If you missed it, Jones said in his postgame press conference, "Man, Sam's been balling. If we want to try to define Sam by this game—man, Sam's had us in every (expletive) game. So for him to sit there and say, 'Oh, that's my fault,' no it's not. There were plays that defensively we could have made, there were opportunities where we could have got better stops. It's football, man. He's our quarterback, we've got his back, and if you've got anything to say, quite frankly, (expletive) you."

If you want the unedited version, cover your kids' ears (or don't, I'm not here to tell you how to parent) and enjoy:

Jones' comments went viral in part because, quite frankly, it's just entertaining to hear people swear when you're not expecting it, right? But also, his strong words were just the latest example of how connected this team is. It could be really easy for a defense playing as well as Seattle's did on Sunday to start getting mad at an offense and a quarterback committing so many turnovers, which put the defense in a tough spot. Very few players would publicly criticize a quarterback if there were frustration bubbling up, but it would be easy to say nothing, or to give lukewarm praise to dance around the subject. But what Jones' emphatic and unambiguous support of his quarterback did is not only send a message to fans, media and anyone else listening that the team is behind its quarterback, it also sends a strong message to players in that locker room about the togetherness this team is playing with and counting on to help them play at their best.

And since it was a group effort, I would be more than happy to have that beer on behalf of our digital media team.

@MrEd315 asks, "In the spirit of Thanksgiving, what should the Seahawks be thankful for?"

A: I'd say quite a bit, starting with a 7-3 record that, even after a loss, has the Seahawks in great position to reach the postseason and well within striking distance of the division lead, especially with the Rams still having to come to Seattle next month.

If I had to start with one element of the team, I'd probably go with Mike Macdonald's defense, which has been so, so good this season despite pretty regularly playing without multiple key players in any given game, most recently Jarran Reed and Julian Love, who are both on injured reserve.

But also, let's not shortchange the offense, which has been one of the most explosive and highest-scoring units in the league this season. Sunday's game notwithstanding, Darnold has been outstanding, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba has emerged as the league's most productive receiver this season.

So yeah, again, I'd say there's a ton to be thankful for if you're a Seahawks fan.

@djrood1000 asks, "When did AJ Barner become WR1?"

A: OK, let's not get carried away. There's still a receiver on the team that leads the NFL in receiving yards, by a large margin.

Barner did, however, lead the team with 10 catches on Sunday and he had 70 yards, the second most on the team and the second highest total in his two-year career. And after a strong rookie campaign, Barner is emerging as a very, very good starting tight end in this league, a player capable of blocking in the run game and pass protection, and also of making plays as a pass-catcher. Oh, and he has also become a short-yardage weapon, taking snaps for QB sneaks.

"He's accepted the challenge," Macdonald said. "It's kind of like people on defense playing two different positions. You've got to learn all the blocking schemes and pass protections, be solid in running multiple routes and be sure handed when Sam finds you. He's been found in those situations, and it's great. That's a great example of Sam working through his progressions and finding him late in the down, and he's doing that at a high level. A lot of those catches that AJ had, he's not the number one in the progression and Sam's, clicking through it, and that's a positive. There are a couple of plays that we want back with AJ yesterday. He knows that, and he'll grow from it. He's been a tremendous asset to our team, and we expect him to take the next step."

@YouTube_Izu asks, "Is my No. 1 offensive lineman, Greyamous Zabel OK?"

A: Greyamous? Is that a new nickname now for him? Anyway, I'm guessing this question came in Monday before Mike Macdonald gave an update, but in case anyone missed it, the news on Grey Zabel is positive.

"Really fortunate," Macdonald said Monday. "We avoided a significant injury, which is really positive. The words I heard were day-to-day. You know how that goes, it could be day-to-day it could be a week, could be more than that. But nothing significant, which is a huge positive."

That positive news doesn't guarantee Zabel will be back for this week's game against the Titans, but it does mean that Zabel avoided more serious injury that could have keep him out for most if not all of the remainder of the season.

@homechix asks, "I wonder about the strategy when placing players on injured reserve? It seems like a couple of them could have been placed a week earlier. Is it waiting to see how an injury responds to treatment?

A: You are correct that there have been a couple of instances in which players don't immediately go on injured reserve, only to be placed on it a week or two later. In general, my guess is that happens when the team is hoping a player will respond to treatment/rehab quickly enough that he won't have to miss the required four games, but with a little more time, they realize that player will need more time to recover. In the case of Julian Love, however, there was a setback with his hamstring injury, Macdonald said, coming out of the bye week, leading the team to decide to give him a longer break to fully recover.

@pwn4democracy.bsky.social asks, "What's the word on Jalen Milroe's development?"

A: Quarterback is an interesting position, because an incoming rookie like Milroe can get a lot of attention during training camp and the preseason, but once the regular season begins, the spotlight shifts fully to the starter.

But while Milroe isn't generating headlines these days, he is doing good work in practice to grow and develop behind Darnold and Drew Lock.

Talking about the rookie class at the midway point of the season, assistant general manager Nolan Teasley said Milroe "is exactly who we thought he was in terms of the work ethic, in terms of the person. I think he's probably further along than we could have maybe anticipated. You see things in practice all the time that make you excited about what he brings to the table."

So while Milroe isn't a big part of the Seahawks current plans on gameday, they still see a lot of growth and a bright future for the former Alabama standout.