It’s too early to push the panic button for the Seahawks
The Seahawks aren’t off to the best start on offense or defense. There are plenty of reasons not to panic, though, despite your worst fears.
The Seahawks have enjoyed a nice run of success under Pete Carroll and John Schneider. Most would say it’s great, and I’m perfectly okay with that. This season has started out a bit differently though. At one and two, it’s tempting to push the panic button. It isn’t just the record, either. The offense was basically a no-show for two games, then the defense lapsed last week. I’m here to tell you, everything will be okay with the Seahawks.
First, never panic. Second, if you are going to panic, wait until after eight games, not three. There are a lot of reasons to feel good about the Seahawks despite the slow start. And before you ask, I don’t even own a pair of rose-colored glasses. Action green would be pretty sweet, though.
The Seahawks offense will be better than you think
First up is Chris Carson. Yeah, you know all about him, but I can hardly mention the good aspects of the offense without talking up the seventh round draft pick, now can I? What you may not realize about Carson is just how good he is as the game goes on. In the first half of all games he’s had 14 carries for 41 yards. That’s not exactly going to light up your fantasy roster. But in the second half, Carson looks like a different back. On 23 carries, he’s picked up 125 yards. In the fourth quarter he really lights it up, as he’s averaged over seven yards per carry in crunch time.
More from 12th Man Rising
- 4 prospects Seahawks could reach for at No. 20 in 2023 NFL Draft
- Seattle Seahawks Mock Draft: Post-first wave of free agency
- Seahawks podcast: A review of the first week of free agency
- 4 experiments the Seattle Seahawks could cut short in 2023
- 3 pros and cons of Seattle Seahawks drafting Anthony Richardson
Russell Wilson hasn’t exactly been himself this season. He has shown some pretty important trends, though. In the first quarter of his three games so far, he’s been 13 of 26 for 110 yards and no touchdowns. His passer rating is a dismal 61.4. We might as well have Mike Glennon, for crying out loud. The good news is we don’t have Mike Glennon. He doesn’t improve much in the fourth quarter, while Wilson becomes…well, Russell Wilson. In the fourth quarter, DangerRuss has completed 21 of 33 passes for 258 yards and three touchdowns. His passer rating is Wilsonesque indeed, at 118.0.
So the problem on offense has been the first quarter. We here at 12thmanrising.com have petitioned the National Football League to count the first fifteen minutes of all games as a scrimmage. Only the final 45 minutes will count toward the actual score.
The Seahawks defense has one glaring weakness – but it’ll get fixed
The first quarter struggles have set a bad tone, but that’s not where the games have been lost. The Seattle offense has been dismal in the first quarter, true. However, the two losses happened in the third quarter. The Green Bay Packers scored their only two touchdowns in the third quarter – one of those being the amazing six yard drive, of course. The Tennessee Titans exploded for 21 points in the third, as we remember all too well.
What’s the solution? I think it’s simply time. Time for new players like Sheldon Richardson, Shaquill Griffin and Bradley McDougald to gel with the core defense. I’m not calling these players out at all. It’s more a point of the coaching staff making sure they’re in the correct schemes, and on the field at the right times. Change that fumble in the Green Bay game – and that horrendous gawdawful call that negated Nazair Jones’s touchdown – and that’s a win. Two plays. Stop DeMarco Murray from breaking free on his 75 yard run, and that’s a win.
Yes, the defense has had a few inexplicable lapses. The offense has taken entire quarters off. Nevertheless, the Seahawks are three plays from going into Sunday’s game undefeated. As a most excellent writer once advised to all travelers in the universe, above all…don’t panic.