Though they made the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season in eight seasons, Seattle failed to reach the NFC Championship game for a fifth consecutive season. Can the latest acquisitions be enough to help them return to glory?
Quarterback Russell Wilson was nothing short of sensational this past season. Wilson carried the team basically by himself with not much help and had them in position to have home-field advantage and a first round bye. Unfortunately, the team struggled down the stretch and fell short against the Green Bay Packers in the divisional round of the playoffs.
Seattle’s title window is starting to dwindle so there’s urgency for the organization to win now which led to filling numerous holes on both sides of the ball this offseason to return to the Super Bowl.
Offense
Wilson threw more touchdowns than any other quarterback since 2017 and was selected as 2nd team All-Pro. He threw 31 touchdowns with a career-low 5 interceptions and led the NFL with five-game winning drives. The clutch gene he has along with the winning mentality of the organization led them to double-digit win campaign despite all of the odds.
Tyler Lockett remains as Seattle’s top receiving target but ti rising star DK Metcalf who was the one showing the promise at the end of the year and in the postseason. On top of this, the addition in veteran tight end Greg Olsen and speedster Phillip Dorset gives Wilson more quality targets at his disposal.
The achilles heel of the team remains in the trenches where they are extremely inconsistent and leaves Wilson under extreme duress. The team brought in three new starters to hopefully be a solution. Only time will tell whether or not this bunch can rise to the occasion. Hopefully the running backs and tight ends can provide help in pass protection to give Wilson more time.
Defense
Defensively, Seattle was poor in all facets and being formerly known as one of the best defensive teams in the league this came as a significant surprise. Most notably was their lack of quality to get to the quarterback where they finished with just 28.0 sacks as a team. The pass rush still remains a question mark with the loss of Jadeveon Clowney but the selection of rushers in the draft can provide some stability.
One of the biggest moves of the offseason was bringing in safety Jamal Adams from the New York Jets in a trade. Adams can lineup all over the field and will pair up another acquisition in the secondary in Quandre Diggs. These two compliment each other beautifully as one is a bruiser while the other is a ball-hawk. These moves should return the secondary to prominence.
The strength remains at the linebacker spot with Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright who are two of the best in the game. Now with the selection of Jordyn Brooks, they have one of the best groups in football. The defense has the tools to be much better than last season which will alleviate some of the pressure on Wilson.
Overview
The Seahawks will showcase themselves this season as one of the best teams in the NFC. Unfortunately, I find them to come up just short of winning the division behind San Francisco. This team undoubtedly has a chance to win the Super Bowl this season. It will all come down to their quarterback.
Wilson is the focal point of the team and will need to be spectacular for them to make a run at the Super Bowl. The Seahawks odds to win the Super Bowl are at +2000 according to DraftKings Sportsbook. This is a fair assessment with the moves made by the team this offseason.
Prediction: 11-5, 2nd in NFC West, Wild Card Berth
The Seahawks will finish with the same record as last year and be in a fight for NFC West crown which will come down to the last week of the season in my opinion.
The questions’ loom in the trenches on the offensive and defensive lines which could limit their potential. Still with MVP-contender in Wilson, everything is on the table for this team to have a chance to be a title contender.
