My 2016 Seahawks Season Thoughts

The season didn’t end the way the Seattle Seahawks had hoped, but that doesn’t make it a failure. They overcame adversity to challenge for another title.

We were the NFC West Division Champs for the third time in four years. Even though the Seahawks didn’t make it to the NFC Championship game and to Super Bowl LI, I was overall pleased at how they played football before, during and after significant injuries.

They played without safety Earl Thomas; an injured Richard Sherman; they lost WR Tyler Lockett and CB Deshawn Shead and had a depleted offensive line. But they continued to win games, whether they were close calls or blowouts.

Playoff Route

I was super excited we got into the playoffs (which I knew we would), and I also thought our path to the Bowl was pretty good too. Having to play Detroit in the wild card game, then Atlanta couldn’t have gotten any better.

Then we blew the Lions out and only allowed them to score six points. As a fan, that’s the one thing you want to see your team do is annihilate another team.

I thought the momentum we had was going to push us through this rematch with the Falcons on Jan. 14. But that came to a screeching halt when we went into the Georgia Dome and lost the game 36-20, the worst playoff loss in the Pete Carroll era.

But in that, this Paul Richardson catch was my favorite catch of the game.

My Worst Moment

My most worst moment of the season was when Earl Thomas went down with a broken leg in the 40-7 blowout win against the Carolina Panthers on Dec 5, 2016.

That was the most devastating thing to see. It was so hurtful, it was almost like I could feel it. I hurt more when he posted this tweet saying he was thinking about retirement.

It reads “This game has been so good to me no regrets. A lot is running through my mind including retirement thanks for all the prayers.”

The first thing that went through my head was “WHO ARE THEY GOING TO HAVE REPLACE HIM?!”

My Favorite Moment

However, despite the injury to Thomas, my favorite moment was the win against Panthers because we tore them apart. Every avenue that Cam Newton tried to go down, they blocked it and every avenue Russell Wilson went down, the Carolina defense couldn’t find an answer for.

After last season when Newton, ran around CenturyLink and yanked a Seahawks flag from a fan a threw it, I was fired up about the next match-up with them.

A win is the best revenge, but a blowout win is sweeter.

Next Season

After looking at how we performed this season, just like Pete Carroll, I am fired up about where we stood this season and where we stand next season. We have some players coming back like Thomas, Lockett and Shead.

Next: Don't expect an improved offensive line

Our O-Line, as inexperienced as they were, got some in-game experience and the original players will be back as well. However,  the guys who played in place of them did a heck of a job and we know now that we have people to replace them.

We’re headed to the NFC Championship Game in 2017.