Is The Seahawks Window Closing?
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
It all started with a run that literally shook the city.
Six years ago the Seattle Seahawks, a 7-9 divisional champion, faced off against the offensive juggernaut in the New Orleans Saints, who won 11 games and were probably playing the best football in the NFC down the stretch. However, the Saints defense couldn't stop anybody and went to Seattle where they let Marshawn Lynch run all over them, including a run for the ages as well as the young defense making key stops on Brees, beat New Orleans. Add in a young, but improving defense on top of that, and you had a team ready to take the next step. Three years later, Seattle held up the Lombardi Trophy.
Seattle's secondary over the past few years has been one of the best ever secondaries in football history.
In this decade of the NFL, we haven't really had a "Team of the Decade" just yet like we had in 2000 with New England, 1990's with Dallas, 1980's with San Francisco, and so on. I am not a betting for money man. Never have been, but if I was I would have chosen the Seahawks as the team of the 2010's. Why? They had probably the best defense of this era and the saying is, "defense wins championships." Having the likes of Richard Sherman, Brandon Browner, Earl Thomas, and Kam Chancellor (AKA the Legion of Boom for their hard hits and talking all the time) while you had linebackers of Bruce Irvin and Bobby Wagner while having defensive linemen of Michael Bennett Plus, they ran the ball like nobody's business with Marshawn Lynch and had a smart play-caller in Russell Wilson. It was the formula for success, and they were champions using that formula. To add on top, the Seahawks players, much like the true Seahawk fans, had a chip on their shoulder, always feeling overlooked and slighted for really being on the West Coast and nobody gave them much attention. So what you really had was exciting football.
Did this moment change Seattle's fortune of being a dynasty?
So why hasn't been there that dynasty in Seattle? Was it the comeback Brady had on Seattle in the Super Bowl and of course the goal line interception by Malcolm Butler? Did it take that edge off the Seahawks? The next year Seattle got off to a sluggish start (Super Bowl hangover?), including blowing leads in the 4th quarters to the Bengals and the Panthers at home. While Seattle rebounded somewhat, there seemed to be something missing. Lynch missed a few games and when he was there, he wasn't performing at a high level. The defense just seemed to lack something as well. Seattle finished second to Arizona in the division, but still found their way into the playoffs. When they got to the playoffs, they took down the Vikings in frigid Minnesota, thanks largely to Blair Walsh's missed chip-shot. When they got to Carolina, the Panthers spanked them in the first half and while the Seahawks made it a game in the 2nd, it was too late.
This year, the Seahawks looked to recover without Lynch, who retired. They exacted a small measure of revenge on New England, winning in Foxboro (somewhat similar to how they lost the Super Bowl to the Pats). But there were problems as well. Despite the big win in New England, the Seahawks had road woes in Los Angeles, Tampa Bay, and Green Bay while tying Arizona. So the road bit was an issue. The defense didn't seem as intimidating as before, even with Earl Thomas in the lineup. And the team was bickering on the sideline during games. Wilson played hurt for most of the year and the offensive line had major holes, not to mention an inconsistent running game. They won the incredibly weak NFC West and took down an overachieving Detroit Lions squad, but when they got to Atlanta, it seemed like the wheels fell off.
For the second time this year, Sherman and the Legion of Boom had difficulty stopping Julio and the rest of the Falcons offense.
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Atlanta, for the second time really this season, TORCHED Seattle's defense, putting up 34 offensive points and 422 total yards on them. It is the first time I have really seen somebody just own the Seahawks defense in a long time. People in Seattle argue it would have been different had Thomas been there, but even in the first meeting, Ryan threw for 335 yards (as opposed to 338 yards in the playoff) and 3 TD's while Seattle could not muster a turnover. To add on top of it, the Seahawks once again this season lost their cool. Michael Bennett was eye-poking Jake Matthews while even the likes of Richard Sherman looked like he was beaten even in the first quarter. Adding on, Seattle was exposed with their offensive line for a good portion of the game, and the Falcons really took over after the first quarter. And what you got was a decisive win by Atlanta.
So now it begs to see if really Seattle's window is closing. I know Seattle fans are a bit chippy and probably this may ruffle their feathers because they probably think a healthy Seahawks team would have put down the Falcons, Cowboys, Packers, and whoever else in the NFL, but the defense does not have that same vibe as they had 3 years ago, nor even Wilson has the same vibe he had 3 years ago. Fortunately they are in the NFC West where the 49ers and Rams are a mess at this point while Arizona is an unknown commodity right now so would the Seahawks win the division again next year? Probably. But there are issues on the Seahawks. There has been talk of the Seahawks wanting to renegotiate Chancellor's contract (which has 1 year left), to which it doesn't seem like he is willing to do. Thomas also has 1 year left as well. Granted, the Seattle defense, as well as Wilson are all still under 30 (most of them are around 26-28 years old), but Thomas is already hinting retirement and how Chancellor is talking, it doesn't necessarily seem like he is expecting to be back in Seattle for the long haul thanks in part to possible salary cap issues.
Do I think the Seahawks are just going to turn off the switch and go 4-12 or 3-13? Absolutely not. And given their division, they are probably a 10-6 team again next year, barring serious changes/injuries. But I don't think of them as one of the NFL's elite teams anymore. The offensive line is a problem, which means if it isn't addressed over the off-season and given how Wilson is a running quarterback, he may not survive another season like he had this year. The running game was up and down all year (mostly down). After the loss to Atlanta yesterday, it seems like Seattle's edge is lost, especially on defense. And if the defense has lost that edge, whether by injury, attitude, or something else, the Seattle's chances at the Lombardi trophy will continue to dwindle.
-Fan in the Obstructed Seat
