5 Reasons To Embrace The Seahawk’s First Loss

Oct 6, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch (24) runs the ball against the Seattle Seahawks at Lucas Oil Stadium. The Colts won 34-28. Mandatory Credit: Pat Lovell-USA TODAY Sports

Well it happened. Seattle marched into Indianapolis undefeated and left with a sour taste in their mouth. Injuries and penalties finally caught up to the Seahawks and the Colts showed that they are real AFC contenders by winning 34-28 on Sunday.

I’m sure many Seattle fans had dreams of the Seahawks having a perfect season before bringing their first Lombardi Trophy to the Great Northwest. Unfortunately, there is a reason only one team has ever completed that feat. It’s nearly impossible (ask the Patriots).

But while Seahawks fans mourn the end of their zero in the loss column, it’s important to acknowledge five reasons why losing to the Colts isn’t as bad as it seems.

1. Goodbye 19-0 Pressure

It’s hard enough to succeed in the NFL without the added pressure of perfection. Great teams are expected to lose a game or two throughout the course of a season. Now that Seattle has a loss on their record they can focus on simply staying healthy and improving each week. Denver, Kansas City, and New Orleans are all welcome to take on the perfection burden, but Seattle can breathe a sigh of relief this week.

2. The Colts Aren’t In The NFC West

Losing a game stings. Losing a divisional game stings worse. At the end of the season when playoff spots are on the line every divisional win and loss is crucial. Thankfully, the Seahawks lost to a team that doesn’t factor into the NFC West picture. Rather than worry about losing to the Colts, Seattle should focus on how they’re going to beat St. Louis and Arizona in Weeks 7 and 8.

3. The Colts Aren’t Even In The NFC

It’s no secret that the Seahawks Super Bowl hopes might rest on their ability to get home field advantage in the NFC playoffs. Losing to a major NFC contender could hamper those hopes. The Colts are definitely contenders but they’ll fight it out with Kansas City and Denver for home field advantage in the AFC instead. A Week 13 match up with New Orleans at CenturyLink might decide NFC home field advantage so look out for that.

4. The Colts Might Be In Super Bowl

The only thing harder than beating an NFL team is beating them twice. Like the Seahawks, the Colts are a team that’s starting to look like a Super Bowl contender. It’s still early, but if these two teams meet again in Superbowl XLVIII Seattle won’t lose the same way twice. They’ll make adjustments and hopefully be healthy enough to return the favor to the Colts on football’s biggest stage.

5. Exposed Weaknesses

Undefeated teams tend look unbeatable until they suffer their first loss. Once that happens, their weaknesses appear to be pretty obvious. In Seattle’s case, offensive line depth and penalties seemed to be areas of concern against the Colts. The first half of the season is an opportunity for teams to fix their mistakes and improve upon their strengths. As the Seahawks rush attack continues to succeed, this loss may provide a wake up call for the areas where the Seahawks need improvement.

So there it is. It wasn’t pretty watching Andrew Luck add another fourth quarter comeback to his resume, but it could have been worse. I should also add that the Tennessee Titans should prepare for a very aggressive Seahawks team this Sunday at CenturyLink. Nothing motivates the will to win like a loss.