Seahawks Impress Against The AFC South

Oct 13, 2013; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch (24) is pursued by Tennessee Titans linebacker Moise Fokou (53) at CenturyLink Field. The Seahawks defeated the Titans 20-13. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

It’s pretty rare to see a NFC West team take on an AFC South team in four consecutive weeks but that is exactly what the Seahawks have faced this past month. It wasn’t always easy and it certainly wasn’t pretty at times but Seattle came away with a 3-1 record against their non- conference foes from the South (yes, some how Indianapolis is in the South).

Given the major injuries Seattle had to deal with the past four weeks and the nagging penalty problems that won’t go away, 3-1 seems like an impressive feat. Losing Pro-Bowl linemen Russell Okung and Max Unger as well as right tackle Breno Giacomini clearly took it’s toll on the offensive line, but the Seahawks showed some real resilience and adapted to the situation.

After throwing four touchdown passes against Jacksonville Russell Wilson was running for his life in Houston. Thankfully, he ran just enough to lead the Seahawks to an overtime win (a Richard Sherman pick six also helped). That game laid the blueprint for how Seattle would cope with it’s depleted offensive line. Running with Lynch, running with Wilson, and running with anyone who wanted to hang out in the Seahawks backfield for a play or two was the best possible way to win.

Sure, Russell Wilson had two of his better passing performances this season against Indianapolis and Tennessee, but the threat of his legs returned in a big way when pass protection broke down. Against Houston, Indianapolis, and Tennessee, Russell Wilson continually scrambled for big first down conversions. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to beat the Colts, but that loss could also be blamed on a few rare mistakes by the special teams and defense.

Against Tennessee, Seattle was one botched field goal away from a borderline blowout. That’s what happens when a punter converts to a kicker and a defensive back converts to a place holder (just fall on the ball Maragos). But a win is a win in the NFL and it’s nice to put the AFC South in the rear view mirror.

So what’s next for the Seahawks? A chance to avenge two of their divisional road losses from last season in Arizona and St Louis. Going 3-1 against four AFC teams is nice but divisional games are always crucial. Hopefully some injured players will return in the next couple weeks and the Seahawks will enter into mid season form. Let’s not forget, this team hasn’t even had Percy Harvin on the field yet and they’re 5-1. Yeah, that thought scared me a little bit too.