Seattle Seahawks’ offensive line show major improvement

The Seattle Seahawks have shown tremendous improvement on offense, and it is all thanks to the offensive lines vastly improved play. 

It all starts with the offensive line, and this season wasn’t going anywhere if they didn’t improve in a hurry.  Russell Wilson was getting beat up and didn’t have time to throw the ball.  In fact, he was on pace to get sacked a record amount of times, and that’s a stat you don’t want to own.

Thankfully, the offensive line turned their performance around, and it’s no surprise that Russell Wilson and the rest of the offense started playing much better.

Dec 6, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) against the Minnesota Vikings at TCF Bank Stadium. The Seahawks defeated the Vikings 38-7. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

The Seahawks’ offensive line has started to play as a unit, and their improvement has been fun to watch.  Every player on the line deserves to be mentioned and recognized for the improvement he has made.

Patrick Lewis has been a breath of fresh air at the center position, and Seahawks fans will agree that he has been a significant upgrade from Drew Nowak.  Being able to make the protection calls at the line is something Pete Carroll said was a big factor in his improvement.

Russell Okung is the veteran of the young group and has been the most consistent member throughout the season.  Staying healthy has been one of his downfalls, and, besides missing the Cowboys game, he has been able to avoid injury.

Justin Britt made the switch from right tackle to left guard and struggled at the start of the season.  He has really started to come on in recent games and is understanding the position, which has resulted in him making positive plays.

JR Sweezy is an athletic freak at right guard, and he plays with the energy that coach Tom Cable loves.  Sweezy has always shown that he can move defensive lineman in the run game.  But, now that his pass-blocking has improved significantly, his game has grown to a new level.

Gary Gilliam won the right tackle position during training camp and has gotten better with each game.  In the Ravens game, Gilliam showed his improvement by shutting down Elvis Dumervil, which is a huge accomplishment for the bright, young tackle.

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Offensive line coach Tom Cable deserves to be recognized as well.  Cable continued to work with this group through the early season struggles and showed that he has the patience to develop and coach up an inexperienced offensive line.  He has done a tremendous job turning this group around.

Russell Wilson has been putting on a clinic during the Seahawks last 4 games, making opposing defenses look silly.  Thanks to a vastly improved offensive line, Wilson has a clean pocket to throw from and is taking advantage of the extra time to make his decisions.

The Seahawks’ offensive line still has a long way to go, and they need to keep performing at a high level for the team’s success to continue.  But, the improvement they have made since the start of the season is something that is truly remarkable.