This offseason may prove to be a bonanza for Seahawks fans who like bulletin board material and believe their favorite team is underrated. After finishing with a 7-10 record – their first losing season in a decade – Seattle is going to wind up on the lower half of most offseason power rankings lists whether we like it or not.
In a new batch of way-too-early power rankings from our friends at Touchdown Wire, the Seahawks came in at No. 25.
“Even if the Seahawks don’t trade quarterback Russell Wilson, they did not look very good in Seattle when he came back from injury last season. There are holes. Maybe the Seahawks will prove this placement wrong, but this team is certainly one of the hardest to read right now in the NFL.”
That they are. While we feel their 2021 record doesn’t reflect how competitive this team really is, there are legitimate concerns about this roster – namely on both sides of the line of scrimmage. Seattle finished near the bottom in most pressure metrics as well as pass protection stats. If both of those areas don’t dramatically improve in 2022 it’s hard to see this team climbing back into the playoff picture.
The good news is coach Pete Carroll recognizes where his team needs help most. Upgrading in the trenches is the best thing he and general manager John Schneider can do personnel-wise to turn this group around.
More importantly, a philosophical shift is needed from the coaching staff. They have at least half of that element under way. New defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt and associate head coach Sean Desai will be bringing a more aggressive, less zoney approach than we have ever seen during the Carroll era.
If the Seahawks can marry those changes to a more analytics-friendly offensive mindset – namely passing on first down, going for it on fourth down and trying more two-point conversions, then the sky’s the limit.
