Day 29

Fresh Start_29: USC to Seattle

After a horrible 9-3 loss in Los Angeles on Sunday and a fine from the NFL resulting in losing a fifth round draft pick in the upcoming draft on top of a $400,000 fine from the NFL regarding non-contract drills during the offseason. Pete Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks have to reevaluate themselves in the middle of an NFL season. This coming off a week where the entire team didn’t score an offensive touchdown and in week one waiting until the last drive to seal the deal.

Now the team does have injuries: Thomas Rawles got injured in the first half of the Rams game with a lower leg injury, Tyler Lockett suffered a knee injury on the final drive against the Rams, and Russell Wilson doesn’t seem to be fully healed from his ankle injury that he had in Week 1 against the Dolphins. The defense has held up, not giving up a touchdown yet this season through two weeks, but the offense needs to be looked at. This is an offense that last year had serious struggles until the latter half of the year where they muscled together to make the playoffs and got all the way to the NFC Title game. The Seahawks seem to have the same problem but in a different way this year. The Seahawks can get down the field without the thought of the offensive line breaking down and ruining their franchise quarterback. But once the hawks get into the redzone they seem to stall out. Doug Baldwin has proven through two games that he is a manageable first option but he needs help. With Lockett going down and unsure how long he will be out doesn’t help this offense. The team seems to be a big play offense, at least that’s what they were last year when they made the playoff run.

What is concerning about this is the quality of teams that Seattle has played through two weeks. Granted two weeks isn’t eight or an entire season but the chances of making the playoffs if dropping the first two games is something around twelve percent. Going 1-1 the percentage goes up to about forty-one, and this is according to the Michael Kay Show, but Seattle almost ended up 0-2. Miami’s defense played extrememly well something that they didn’t do against the Patriots, but nevertheless Seattle needs to get it together in a division that is now wide open. The Los Angeles Rams are somehow 2-0 and leading the division, and with Jimmy Garoppolo upsetting Arizona in week 1 this a division that is up for grabs. Usually however, the Rams do play the Seahawks tough every time and recently have stolen a game from them, but this week was a game that you just had to have in you are the Seattle Seahawks.

If Seattle won, the game they would have the complete upper hand in the division being 2-0 and having a game in the division. Los Angeles realistically will not keep this up and falter at some point, but winning the game this past week helps Arizona who could potentially win out against Seattle in the season series and take the division right out from under Seattle. The Seahawks need to keep pace, and get their offensive struggles straighten out before they lose another game that they have to have.  

For me this starts at the top with Pete Carroll, he is the mastermind behind the playoff runs the last two years and the Superbowl victory three years ago. Carroll who got the job after restricting a USC program that was in desperate need of it and bringing some well wanted attention back into the SC program for fans, the game itself, and recruits. Developing his own coaching philosophy which he details in his book—one that I would highly recommend called “Win Forever.” Carroll has had great success in his second go around in the pros but I can’t help but think that this is his first bump in the road. The Seahawks in Carrolls’ tenure in Seattle haven’t really faced that much adversity, and this might very well be it. The league might have finally adjusted itself to the way the Seahawks play the game and the mastermind that is Pete Carroll needs to come up with a new game plan and Belichick his way through this season. With a backup running back and a secondary target in need of stepping up the task will be a must, being that the Seahawks face the 49’ers and the following week a tough game going to New York to take on the Jets. The public is watching you Seattle, the ball is in your court, make a move.

Sources:(espn.com, The Michael Kay Show, The Seattle Times, nfl.com)

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