Seattle Seahawks Preview
What will it take for the Hawks to finish the season in Miami?
The Seahawks were on the verge of winning the NFC West with a 12–4 record in 2019, despite playing a RB they had just signed off the street. From the six-yard line Russell Wilson hit TE Jacob Hollister on a slant, Hollister lowered his head to secure the with, but 49ers LB Dre Greenlaw brought Hollister down inches shy of the goal-line on the final play of the game. So instead the 49ers won the NFC West title and secured home field advantage throughout the playoffs; and the 49ers would go on to the Super Bowl while the Seahawks lost on the road in the Divisional Round to the Green Bay Packers. What difference would that yard have made for the fortunes of both teams?
On the flip side, the Seahawks also had a score differential (which is considered a key indicator for how good a team can be) of only +7, which was good for 9th best in the NFC. They won 10 of their 11 games by just one score. It also isn’t difficult to imagine a world where a few breaks don’t go the Seahawks way and they don’t even make the playoffs (and barely beating the Eagles who played a third string QB might support that argument).
All that to say, predictions of how the 2020 Seahawks will end up have a wide range of outcomes. Having Russell Wilson and Pete Carroll seemingly guarantees the Seahawks will have a winning record, but here are 5 areas things the Seahawks need to finish the season in South Florida.
1. Improved pass rush: The secondary should be one of the best in the NFL so an average pass rush will make this a top 5 defense. However, the Seahawks finished T-30th in sacks last season with only 28 and lost its biggest pass rushing presence in Clowney While Clowney only had 3 sacks he also received a lot of attention. Last year Rasheam Green led the team with just 4 sacks — that is not going to be good enough if the Seahawks want a shot at a ring; and S Jamal Adams can’t be the only pass rushing improvement. Can Bruce Irvin, Benson Mayowa, rookie Jordyn Brooks, rookie Alton Robinson and an improved L.J. Callier improve the pass rush? Consider me a pessimist here.
2. Improved offensive line play: In 2019 the Seahawks allowed pressure in 2.5 seconds or less on 26.9% of pass plays, which was third worst in the NFL. Pro Football Focus also ranked the offensive line 27th in the NFL. That was before the line added three new starters — with no Exhibition games to play in together. Not to mention it is debatable that the three new starters are upgrades. Ethan Pocic has failed multiple times to lock up a starting spot on the offensive line, but is the starting C in 2020. Damien Lewis is slated at RG and has been getting rave reviews out of camp, but he is a rookie drafted in the third-round so mistakes will happen. Finally, Brandon Shell was the splashy free-agent signing made by the Seahawks who will start at RT, but word out of camp is he is struggling with the Seahawks pass rushers, which as discussed above isn’t all that hot. This isn’t even considering LG Mike Iupati hasn’t made it through a full season since the Obama administration. Perhaps Solari can work some magic with these guys or BJ Finney can become the guy the Seahawks expected when they signed him, but that is a lot of ifs.
3. Offensive play calling: Brian Schottenheimer has been fine as the OC, but needs be more flexible and creative for the Seahawks to reach the next level. The offense must find a way to play better in the first half whether that be throwing the ball more or not. They can’t constantly rely on Wilson to bail them out at the end of games. Schottenheimer also needs to be better at adjusting his calls based on what the opponent’s defense is showing. The days of running or throwing the ball 7 times in a row, regardless of whether or not it is effective, can’t continue. The play calling from the 2018 Cowboy and 2019 Packers games needs to go by the wayside. The ball also needs to find its way into DK Metcalf’s hands more, and preferable deep down the field.
4. Improved run defense: The Seahawks weren’t particularly good at rushing the passer or stopping the run last year, which makes the 11–5 record even more shocking. The rush defense was ranked 22nd in 2019 giving up more than 117 yards/game. When teams can run the football on the Seahawks it also impacts the offense — as it becomes magnitudes more difficult to wear down an opposing team’s defense with the running game, if the opposing team’s defense is never on the field. The LB core is stout and having Jarran Reed for the entire season should, but depth on the DL is a major concern. Without depth it is easier to wear down a DL and open even bigger running lanes later in the game. To be a Super Bowl contender the Seahawks really need the defensive line to grow leaps and bounds in stopping the opponent’s OL from getting to the second level. Can anyone on the roster outside of Reed and Poona Ford clog the running lanes? Because it won’t matter how good that secondary is if the QB doesn’t have to throw the ball.
5. Keep Wilson healthy: This is obvious, but can’t be emphasized enough. Wilson has been a strong MVP candidate each of the past two seasons — and may have won the award if it weren’t for two of the best performances by a QB from Patrick Maholmes in 2018 and Lamar Jackson in 2019. Most teams can’t be competitive if the backup QB must play multiple games, but Wilson is absolutely the engine that makes this offense run. This team might not average 14 points/game without him. Losing Wilson would have to impact the defense mentally too — knowing they couldn’t give up more than 20 points to win. Wilson has done a spectacular job of avoiding big hits through his first 7 seasons — and that can’t change if the Seahawks hope to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.
There are a lot of things that need to fall in place perfectly for this team to improve on last season’s 11–5 record. In fact, it feels like the Seahawks are a team primed for a drop-off this season. The scoring differential from last season, less talent on both lines (on paper at least) and playing in probably the toughest division in football have the makings of a 7–9 or 8–8 team. However, Carroll and Wilson always seem to find a way.
Wilson will find a way to lead the team to a 10–6 record and the 6th seed in the playoffs. Probably another exit in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. Not really a down year, but still not taking advantage of a franchise QB. However, I would happily be wrong and cheer on a run to the Super Bowl if all of the above question marks get answered positively.
