The Seattle Seahawks finished the 2020 season as NFC West Champions with a 12-4 record but made an early exit in the playoffs.
The offseason is officially upon the Seattle Seahawks. As many 12s are well aware of, the Seahawks games emulate that of a rollercoaster ride. Meaning, there are a lot of ups and downs along with twists and turns. When the rollercoaster ride ends, you are glad you made it out alive similarly to how you take a sigh of relief when the Seahawks find a way to win the game. Over the last two seasons, no one has been better than the Seattle Seahawks in one-score games. It is no secret that Pete Carroll relishes close games that come down to either making a defensive stop or putting together a game-winning drive.
Unfortunately, the season didn’t pan out as fans had imagined it would. But, this team showed a lot of potential. The rookie class contributed nicely and will have a bigger role next season. Certain guys who sustained injuries early on in the season (Bruce Irvin & Marquise Blair) are rehabbing and will be back for the start of next season. Although there are clouds overlooking Lumen Field, brighter days are ahead for this franchise.
The tale of the tape for the 2020 campaign can be defined by the two halves of the seasons:
First Half: Let Russ Cook in full effect
The biggest storyline entering this irregular season was the Seahawks offense. For far too long under Pete Carroll, 12s were upset with the heavy rushing attack. They felt Russ was being held back in the system. Well, their wish was granted as Russell Wilson was on absolute fire in the first half of the season. Entering Week 8, he was the clear MVP favorite.
According to Ben Baldwin’s rdsdm.com, through the first nine weeks of the season, the Seahawks had the highest early-down pass frequency. Meaning, they threw way more on first down than they ran.
A large reason why they found success was in part due to defensive schemes. Teams — knowing that Seattle favored the run — were setting up with a single high safety and the Seahawks just ate it up. They were very effective in the deep passing game and thus, recorded a lot of offensive yards and put a lot of points on the board.
Second Half: Boom is back?
Well, eventually defenses began to figure out Seattle’s offensive scheme. Defenses then started dropping two safeties and forcing Seattle to take the underneath routes. As Pete Carroll touched upon in his final press conference, they didn’t adapt as well as they had to. Luckily for Seattle, the defense was able to turn things around.
After the acquisition of Carlos Dunlap, the defensive line became dominant. The Seahawks finished the season with a total of 46 sacks, ranking 7th in the NFL. Prior to the debut of Dunlap – which came in Week 9 against Buffalo – the Seahawks defensive line had only 9 sacks. From Weeks 9-17, they totaled 37 sacks. Yes, they brought more pressure and that resulted in more sacks. But, the guys up front also benefited from the addition of Carlos Dunlap.
With a revamped defensive line, the backend began to get healthy and play better. CB D.J. Reed who took over the right corner spot after some injuries played great football over the last month and a half of the season. Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs had spectacular years. Diggs earned himself his first pro bowl honors. The defense was able to turnaround a rather porous defense and began to give fans hope that this team can make a run to the Super Bowl.
Summary: Offense & Defense never complemented each other
When the offense was unstoppable, the defense couldn’t stop anybody. When the defense became dominant and started slowing down opposing offenses, the offense struggled to put any points on the board.
There are many reasons as to why the offense became stagnant. But, the point is the season came to an end too early and the underlying issues that caused that result must be addressed in the offseason.
Here are the grades for the entirety of the 2020 NFL season for the Seattle Seahawks.
Quarterback
Our franchise quarterback has been receiving a lot of heat over these last 48 hours. Russell Wilson certainly deserves some of the blame for the early playoff loss, but let’s not overlook the great season he had. Wilson earned his 7th pro bowl honors this past season and it appeared as if he was on the verge of earning his first MVP award.
He set a new franchise record by finishing the regular season with 40 touchdown passes. Through the first eight weeks of the season, Wilson threw 26 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. He was on fire and looked nearly unstoppable.
But, after a couple of injuries, Wilson hit a little slump. Along with that, defenses began adjusting to their scheme and the Seahawks didn’t do anything different to bring defenses out of the two high safety look. Another major issue on this season was the number of times Wilson got sacked. I know many are critical of him holding onto the ball for too long, but that is not granted.
In the Wild Card round alone, the touchdown to D.K. Metcalf never happens if Wilson doesn’t hold onto the ball and do what he does best. Those who are critical of the 7-time pro bowler now will regret it in the near future. If Wilson has shown us anything, it’s that he is a hard, dedicated worker. He will get better in this offseason and come back better.
What To Expect: A more efficient Wilson in 2021.
Running backs
The lead back throughout the entirety of the season was Chris Carson. This was a big year for Carson as he is entering free agency and would like to get his payday. Despite the injury, Carson had an average season. Known for his physical style, downfield running, Carson didn’t live up to expectations this season.
Sure, it’s partially due to play-calling. But, fans must also keep in mind that the Seattle running backs — Hyde included — failed to pick up first downs on short third down runs.
Carson did improve as a pass catcher and I anticipate that if he is on this Seattle team next season, he will be heavily involved in the passing game. His backup, Carlos Hyde also put together a solid year. He is another player entering free agency and Pete Carroll has made it clear he would like to bring him back.
One player we didn’t get to see much of was Rashaad Penny. But, he should be good to go in 2021 and in 2019, he showed flashes of potential. If the Seahawks are able to bring back Carson and Hyde, then this backfield will be dangerous next year. But, in the 2020 season, the Seattle running backs didn’t finish the season as strong as they should have.
What To Expect: Seahawks resign both Caron and Hyde.
Receivers
Russell Wilson was given his best wide receiving core in his career and it paid off as these guys had a big year. First off, if TE Greg Olsen decides to retire, it was awesome to see him join this franchise and be a leader in the locker room. Olsen has had a great career and contributed greatly to this Seahawks team.
WR David Moore had a career year. Moore will be entering free agency and may or may not return to this Seattle team. Moore was a deep threat who was also used as a weapon in the backfield as a runner. He finished the season with 35 receptions for 417 yards and 6 touchdowns.
Second-year wideout D.K. Metcalf had a monster year. He hasn’t even touched the surface in this league and he has already broken a franchise record for this organization. D.K. finished the season with 83 receptions for 1,303 yards (broke Steven Largent’s record for most receiving yards in franchise history) and 10 touchdowns. Despite the third highest drop rate in the league, Metcalf improved in his second year. He contributed as a run blocker and showed off his dazzling speed in running with the ball after a catch.
Tyler Lockett — who gets better and better each season — also had a very impressive season. He finished with 100 receptions (franchise record) for 1,054 yards and 10 touchdowns. Both Lockett and Metcalf posted monstrous numbers and that’s even with the offense falling off a little bit in the second half. Imagine if it didn’t.
What To Expect: Seahawks bring back Philip Dorsett and David Moore
Offensive line
One of Pete Carroll’s biggest weaknesses is his inability to put together good offensive lines. With the shift of focus on offense to passing the ball, you would think Seattle would have invested more into the offensive line.
They did sign RT Brandon Shell, who put together a solid year, and they did draft G Damien Lewis who has a bright future in this league. But, in the biggest game of the season, the offensive line collapsed way too often.
Believe it or not, this was the best pass-blocking offensive line Russell Wilson has had in his career. While they were above average for the first half of the season, they fell to below average in the last month and a half. The consistent pressure applied on Wilson led to many sacks and even some turnovers.
The consistent pressure applied on Wilson knocked him out of rhythm and really hurt this offense in big games. Overall, the offensive line was an improvement from last year and we can only hope that they can get better next year. LT Duane Brown put together a great year and we hope he returns next year. The biggest need on this offensive line is fixing that LG spot.
What To Expect: Seahawks draft or sign LG in free agency.
D-line
This position group had the most impressive turnaround of any other position group in the entire NFL. Throughout the first half of the season, this defensive line continually failed to apply pressure on the opposing quarterback. As a result, quarterbacks had ample time in the pocket to go through their reads and pick apart this defense.
The poor play up front led to poor play in the back end as the defensive backs were struggling to cover for that long. But, after Carlos Dunlap came along, something changed.
DT Jarran Reed and Poona Ford put together two of their best seasons. They were exceptional in the run game all year long and began applying more pressure after Dunlap came to the team. DE Rasheem Green and rookie Alton Robinson also showed flashes of potential. Rookie Darrell Taylor never made it on the field but did begin to practice with the team entering the Wild Card round.
If the Seahawks can retain DE Carlos Dunlap, this defensive line will pick up right where they left off last season. With a solid rotation up front and the addition of Darrell Taylor, this defensive line has the potential to be better next season.
What To Expect: Seahawks resign Carlos Dunlap and Poona Ford.
Linebackers
The one positive throughout the 16-game regular season of this defense was the linebackers group. All year long, they did a good job against the run. Of course, it’s hard not to when you have future Hall of Famer Bobby Wagner as your middle linebacker.
Rookie LB Jordyn Brooks had an impressive season. Although he wasn’t on the field too much in games, he displayed the skills that got him drafted in the first round. His speed was significant in the run game and his coverage skills improved as the season progressed.
LB K.J. Wright possibly had the best season of his career in his 10th NFL season. Not only was he special in the run game, but, in coverage as well. Although the Seahawks have depth at the linebacker position, with Wright entering free agency, they must prioritize bringing him back. I thought he had his best game of the year in Week 16 against the Rams.
Wright did an exceptional job of not only setting the edge but forcing Goff to keep the ball and only pick up one yard as supposed to moving the chains. We didn’t see much of this in the Wild Card round due to Goff’s thumb injury. The linebackers on this team displayed tremendous resiliency and were the one bright spot through the entirety of the season.
What To Expect: Seahawks resign K.J. Wright
Defensive backs
It’s no coincidence that the backend started playing better when the defensive line started playing better. The secondary was more banged up than any position group on the defense. Shaquill Griffin, Jamal Adams, Tre Flowers, Quinton Dunbar, Ugo Amadi, and Marquise Blair all missed games this season. Marquise Blair sustained the most serious injury with a torn ACL but is expected to be back next year. He is going to be a pivotal piece of this secondary moving forward.
DB Quandre Diggs had a career year. He finished in the top 5 in interceptions and earned his first pro bowl honors. His speed, along with hard-hitting ability was on full display in the run game. Diggs and Adams are very similar to what the Seahawks had in Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor.
DB Shaquill Griffin — who is entering free agency — had another impressive season. Despite the injuries, he showed progression over the second half of the season and was able to ease into his role once the defensive line was able to apply more pressure.
CB D.J. Reed might have earned himself a spot on the roster moving forward. His play towards the end of the season while filling in for injuries was surprisingly good. This Seattle backend started off with historically bad numbers and ended the season in the top 5 for the least amount of yards allowed.
What To Expect: Seahawks resign Shaquill Griffin and another potential CB
Special Teams
When most think upon the game of football, they are enamored with the dynamic offensive play calling that has been on display over these last couple of years. Not too many think of the special teams units on each team. When, in actuality, they are very important. Super Bowl teams need a reliable kicker. Super Bowl teams need a punter who can pin opposing teams and help you win the field possession battle.
The Seahawks had a super bowl punter. Michael Dickson is arguably the best punter in the NFL. His strong leg, along with his great pinning ability is second to none. In the majority of the games this season, the Seahawks were able to win the field possession battle because of him.
K Jason Meyers had his best year kicking in the NFL. After a shaky 2019 season, he bounced back beautifully. He didn’t miss a single field goal in the 2020 season. Not too many teams have that. Meyers finished the season going 24/24 with his longest being a 61 yarder.
D.J. Reed took over punt and kick return responsibilities. In the second half of the Wild Card round, Reed was able to provide a spark for this team. Although they weren’t able to fully capitalize off it, Reed has the capability of being explosive on special teams.
The Seahawks special teams unit was indeed special all year long.
What To Expect: Seahawks bring back D.J. Reed
Coaching
I know, everyone is ready to jump ship because the Seahawks haven’t made a Super Bowl run since 2014. But, let’s give Coach Carroll the benefit of the doubt. In this irregular 2020 season, the Seahawks were the only team to finish the season with 0 positive COVID cases. That is a direct result of the leadership and discipline that Coach Carroll has instilled into this team. Now, the Wild Card loss was ugly and I agree with most in that the Seahawks got outplayed and outcoached.
But, this was only the second time the Seahawks were a “one-and-done” in the playoffs under Pete Carroll. It was also their first home playoff loss under Pete Carroll. There are certain organizations that dream of making the playoffs. Pete Carroll has been a pillar of consistency in the NFL and has led this Seattle team to multiple playoff appearances.
While the loss hurts now, when you reflect upon this season, you can see that Coach Carroll did a fantastic job of filling in the holes for this team. He fixed the defense halfway through the season which is a near-impossible task. While he failed to adapt to the defensive schemes against his offense, he will take that into the offseason and build upon it.
In the first half of the season, everyone was quick to praise Schotty for finally allowing Russ to cook. In the first half of the season, the offense was extremely efficient. Two key things contributed to that. The Seahawks were completing a high percentage of explosive plays down the field and the running backs were involved in the aerial attack. Something Coach Carroll touched upon in his final presser was the lack of adaptability the Seahawks displayed in the second half.
Now, some of that falls on Russell Wilson for decision making. There were plays where he could have checked it down rather than holding onto it and taking a sack. But, what makes Wilson so great is his playmaking ability. Another part of that is the play calling itself. If Schotty were to call a play where Wilson had to get the ball out quickly, who knows what would have happened in that Wild Card game.
Secondly, later in the season, Seattle was scheming to keep the game close. In the games against Washington and San Francisco, they schemed it differently and that led to different play calling for the offense. But, against the Rams in the Wild Card round where they faced them for the third time, the Seahawks failed to adjust. But, I am confident they will fix that next season since Schottenheimer has now been fired.
It didn’t appear as if Ken Norton Jr. was going to make it through the season as the Seahawks defensive coordinator. With the defense putting up historically bad numbers, many thought Norton would be fired. In fact, with former defensive coordinator, Dan Quinn, on the market, most were advocating for the firing of Norton and re-hiring of Quinn. But, the Seahawks didn’t do that and I am sure they do not regret that decision. Remember, the NFL regular season is a marathon, not a race. Ken Norton Jr. did an excellent job of putting his guys in a successful position.
One great example of this would be Jamal Adams. Using Adams as a blitzer as well as a spy against certain teams worked tremendously. The more aggressive play-calling as the season went on led to more sacks, which led to some fumbles in crucial moments of the game. If Norton were to get fired after Week 7, I would have not complained. But, the Seahawks gave him a chance to fix things and he just did that. It is an extremely difficult challenge to fix a defense in the middle of the season.
The turnaround of this defense was one of the more impressive storylines in the league and earned Norton another year at the defensive coordinator position for the Seahawks. The one element Seattle must work on heading into next season is to have this defensive line be aggressive from the start. But, Kenny deserves a lot of credit for the job he did in the 2020 season.