The overconfidence oozing off the Seattle Seahawks for the last few seasons is disappearing. Having a losing record through week 5 will do that to you, and knowing it’s been a referee mistake that cost them another loss will hurt their bruised ego even more.
A defense that’s good but not so scary anymore, an offense that can’t operate because of three things: An offensive line that can’t block for the run or pass, a running back that’s probably starting the inevitable decline and a quarterback that might be perfect when it comes to pouros O-Lines due to his escapability, but who knows, he might be on the road to becoming the next Colin Kaepernick.
Kam Chancellor is back, but it doesn’t mean everything is fine for the Seahawks. They allowed the Cincinnati Bengals and Andy Dalton to rip them apart in the fourth quarter and somehow gave up a 17-point lead. This is something that just doesn’t happen, or rarely does, especially not to defenses often talked about as one of the best in the history of the league. Maybe it’s teams figuring them out, or possibly it’s the Seahawks having a hard time acknowledging that they need to make some changes, both in schemes and possibly personnel.
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I don’t buy the “not taking games seriously” theory that’s been presented. Sure, it might be a need for some more serious attitude on the field that will help them regain their swagger, but it can’t be just that, unless these players are more than satisfied with the contract renewals, extensions and pay raises they’ve gotten over the last three years. The Super Bowl victory turned them from a young, hungry, excellent team to a group that’s harder and harder to keep together.
The offense is the bigger problem. The Seahawks are 13th in total offense, but they’re scoring just 22.2 points per game. Wilson struggles getting the ball downfield. The addition of Jimmy Graham hasn’t helped as expected, while it took away a major part of the offensive line. With no big-time receiver to get the ball to, Jimmy Rawls at running back, along with Wilson trying to escape pass rush, has turned into the team’s best offensive weapon. The Seahawks do lead the league in rushing yards, but it doesn’t have a lot to do with Lynch, averaging just 3.4 yards per carry.
Quick fixes? It’s never that simple, but getting the offensive line to stop allowing so many guys through is the main issue. Wilson has been sacked more than anyone else in the NFL so far this season (22 times) and although he’s better than anyone in avoiding the hit, it’s just not going to keep the Seahawks afloat in a tough NFC West. Chasing the Arizona Cardinals isn’t impossible (they’re 4-1) but the Rams aren’t going anywhere and turning things around to finish at the top of the conference seems almost impossible this time.
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