TAKING STOCK: SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

BY ADAM GREENE

Coming into last season, I felt that the Seattle Seahawks were headed for a precipitous fall and could very well be looking at the top pick in the April 2023 NFL Draft. I considered Geno Smith, and how well he’d played while Russell Wilson was injured the season before, and dismissed it completely. I had no expectations for Seattle other than their team watching the playoffs, metaphorically, at home with me.

That’s not what happened. But was I so wrong or did the Seahawks benefit from a surprisingly easy schedule and the complete injury collapse of the Los Angeles Rams? I’m a firm believer that the reason there’s so much postseason turnover every year is plenty of those teams don’t deserve to be there. They luck up, through all the factors I listed above, and sneak into a Wild Card spot with a record barely above .500. Those teams, in their first playoff game, always get exposed and last year’s Seahawks were no different, losing 41-23 to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Wild Card Round.

And the truth is, the Seahawks, even with the surprise of winning nine whole games when I thought they’d win, at most, three, shouldn’t have made the playoffs at all. Their season finale victory over the injury-obliterated Rams came 19-16 in overtime and was so poorly officiated in Seattle’s favor that the NFL had to address it publicly.

Along the way, Seattle did have some solid wins over 2022 playoff teams in their midseason run, knocking off the Los Angeles Chargers (who were also one and done in the playoffs) 37-23 and the New York Giants 27-13. Their 48-45 shootout victory over the Detroit Lions gave them the tiebreaker and helped them secure that final Wild Card spot, with some help from the refs, in that final OT win over LA.

The truth is this was a team that should have maxed out around five victories. They stumbled into four more, probably thanks to the fact that Pete Carroll, who I thought would be taking his farewell head coaching tour a year ago, is still pretty good at the job.

Smith went 9-8 as a starter in the regular season and earned a Pro Bowl nod I the process. He completed 69.8 percent of his passes for 4,282 yards, 30 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Which are outstanding QB numbers for anyone, let alone a guy that was seen as a bust for the last decade. Smith added 366 yards and a TD on the ground. Kenneth Walker III rushed for 1,050 yards and nine touchdowns. DK Metcalf caught 90 passes for 1,048 yards and six scores. Tyler Lockett had 84 grabs for 1,033 yards and nine TDs. 

Ychenna Nwosu and Darrell Taylor co-led the team with 9.5 sacks apiece. Nwosu added 66 tackles, 12 for a loss, four passes defended, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Taylor had 26 tackles, eight for a loss, one pass defended, four forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. Jordyn Brooks recorded 161 tackles, three for a loss, five passes defended, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. Tariq Woolen picked off six passes with 63 tackles, one tackle for a loss, 16 passes defended, three fumble recoveries and one defensive touchdown.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

2022-23 Record: 9-8

Playoffs: Lost to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Wild Card Round

2023 Super Bowl Odds: +2800

2023 NFC Championship Odds: +1200

2023 NFC West Odds: +200

NOW WHAT?

The Seahawks’ big offseason change was bringing back future Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Bobby Wagner on defense. It’s a nice move and Wagner is still a star, but his ability to affect wins and losses took a hit when he was healthy all year for the Rams and they still won five games. We’ll know immediately if Seattle can replicate their regular season success a season ago, because their September and October schedule is downright brutal.

From Sep. 10 to Nov. 5, the Seahawks face the Rams, the Lions, the Giants, the Cincinnati Bengals, the Cleveland Browns and the Baltimore Ravens. The only reprieves they have come in Week 3 when they host the Carolina Panthers and Week 7 when they host the Arizona Cardinals. That looks like a 2-6 start to me and a 3-3 open at best.

The back half of the schedule? We’ve got the Rams again, two against the 49ers, the Philadelphia Eagles, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Dallas Cowboys. I think the 3-5 win season I predicted last year, is probably happening this year.

THE DRAFT

Over the last decade, the Seahawks have been the NFC’s answer to the Baltimore Ravens, a team that seems to never have a bad draft. They earned an A- grade from me with their most recent performance in the NFL’s Annual Amateur Player Selection Meeting. They opened the first-round grabbing Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon, then, with their second first rounder, picked wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njiba from Ohio State. Round 2 saw them take edge rusher Derick Hall from Auburn and then, because Pete Carroll is still the team’s head coach, they took UCLA running back Zach Charbonnet.

FREE AGENCY

In addition to Wagner’s return, the Seahawks brought in defensive end Dre’Mont Jones from the Denver Broncos, safety Julian Love from the Giants, linebacker Devin Bush from the Steelers, guard Evan Brown from the Detroit Lions and defensive end Mario Edwards from the Tennessee Titans.

NFC WEST

Just three seasons ago the NFC West had the reputation of being the toughest division in all of football. With the Arizona Cardinals in full tank mode and the Los Angeles Rams trying to bounce back from an injury-obliterated season, that’s not the case in 2023. I do think the Rams will be back and surprise people. I don’t think the 49ers are going away, but the Seahawks probably are. I don’t see them making the playoffs again this season.

Follow Adam Greene on Twitter @TheFirstMan.

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