Simson Garcia | Sports Editor
With an 8-6 record, the Seattle Seahawks football season is in flux. With only a few weeks left until the playoffs, they lie in the flock of many other teams contending for the Super Bowl. Their season’s still in the air but as the phrase goes: any given Sunday, any team has a chance.
Up until this point for the ‘Hawks, it’s been any given play, any given athlete and any given will towards pushing them through to postseason play. But the season’s been anything but a given.
Quarterback Russell Wilson has been tasked with more to give from his shoulders this year. He has accounted for 82% of Seattle’s offense this season, a first in NFL history, which means he’s been passing and running for most of the teams plays.
Consider the next hypothetical miraculous play as a summation to the Seahawks’s season: After an opposing defensive lineman caught a stitching of Wilson’s jersey in efforts to tackle him down, the elusive Wilson would free from the grips of the 6-foot-4-inch 270-pound lineman, keeping the play alive. Before anyone on the field, in the stands or at home watching knew it, the “scramble drill” was in effect whereby Wilson then ran towards the sidelines evading more defenders, and finally threw a 30-yard dash across his body out towards receiver Doug Baldwin, who then snagged the ball for a first-down in tight coverage.
That pretty much sums up Seattle’s season so far. They’ve found ways to win, and at other unfortunate times, came up short.
For as long they’ve had success, it’s been through the heart of a player like Wilson and through such unbelievable plays. One could say Seattle’s had many other players like the MVP potential through his first six seasons. Many would argue defensive safety Earl Thomas being the heart and soul of the defense, as he has been for as many games he’s played. But he went down with a broken leg last year, which also helped break Seattle’s hopes at a second Super Bowl.
For a long while cornerback Richard Sherman was also the backbone of the defense. Now Sherman’s out for this season with a torn achilles. And many other key defensive ball-hawkers of the famed “legion of boom” defense have gone down with him. For most of the season and because of the injuries, Seattle’s also had play around a depleted running back crew, a few young and inexperienced offensive lineman whose main job is to protect Wilson and block for those ‘backs, and an ailing defense, the latter of which most successful teams have.
Many argue that, without a running game or key impactful players like those aforementioned, it would be insurmountable for the ‘Hawks to reach a plateau as high as the Super Bowl — playoffs even.
I’d argue: the New England Patriots. Out of the five championships won by the ‘Pats in the Tom Brady era, three of those championships are also included as three of the four worst Super Bowl-winning rushing performances ever. Brady’s rarely ever had a lethal rusher playing behind him.
The New Orleans Saints have also had successful seasons, around their lone 2010 championship, primarily provided by a pass heavy offense.
But what New England’s had is what Seattle could potentially have — a system where a passing and running game work in tandem. In other words, quick short throws and yards gained after the catch.
Seattle has shown glimpses of that system this year. With the defense struggling and not bringing the boom like in years past — a top five defense since 2012 — mostly due to injuries, they’ll have to rely a lot on that system. Added to it is an offensive line also struggling. And so it is that very scramble drill mentioned earlier that they’ve become accustomed to. With Wilson’s vital organs still intact, the team has managed and have worked around their weaknesses, and the scramble, from what it looks like, is something they’ll continue to use to their advantage.
Seattle, and in particular Wilson, is fortunate to have something Brady doesn’t have. Brady’s never been a threat on the ground running with the ball, something Wilson clearly has had under his belt. With many disadvantages, Wilson, the scramble, along with his canon of an arm, and the rest of the ‘Hawks are all still viable assets.
Seattle’s also fortunate to have a record that places them just outside of a wildcard position for the playoffs.
The question is, can the ‘Hawks successfully and consistently be pass oriented? How many more magic tricks does the boom have up their sleeve in time for the potential playoffs that’s soon ahead?
Contact the author at journalsports@wou.edu
