Why Seahawk fans should stay optimistic despite a bad start

After 3 sub-par offensive performances in a row in 3 extremely winnable games, the Seattle Seahawks are now 2-5.

This is the team’s worst start to a season since 2011, and it leaves us 5 games back in the NFC West, which is widely considered one of, if not the best division in the National Football League.  To say we are on the outside looking in would be a gross understatement.

On top of this, we still have to play LAR once and Arizona twice.  Both of those division rivals have obviously looked miles ahead of Seattle coaching-wise, personnel-wise, and scheme-wise through the first 7 games of this NFL season.

Seahawks reasons for hope the rest of 2021

But, despite all of the dire realities of our current situation (most of which I didn’t even mention), I am here to tell you that in this darkest of hours of Seahawks fandom, it is still possible to find optimism.  Here are some things that Seattle fans can start to feel good about.

Jordyn Brooks

When the Seattle Seahawks used their first-round pick to select Brooks 27th overall in the 2020 NFL draft, it seemed that most fans and analysts hated the pick.  Many thought that going with linebacker Patrick Queen out of LSU (who the Ravens selected with the 28th overall pick) was the obvious choice.

Queen had been sensational in LSU’s historic 15-0 season in 2019.  With this seemingly sure-fire talent sitting in our lap, it was as if even the Seahawks, who have been dishing out odd draft choices for the last 5 years, couldn’t mess this up.

So what did Pete Carroll and John Schneider decide to do? Take linebacker Jordyn Brooks from a 2-7 Texas Tech team in 2019 with an awful defense, of course!  And what has Jordyn Brooks done ever since he was drafted by Seattle 27th overall in 2020? Make every single doubter look silly.

Brooks has been sensational in this 2021 season so far.  7 games in, Brooks has 33 tackles, which is tied for 17th most among all defensive players in the NFL.  But sure, he’s a linebacker so he’s supposed to be able to tackle right?

Yes, but it has been his ability to make huge plays in big moments that has impressed me the most.  Although I won’t describe every single huge play he has made, I do want to talk about one he made on Monday Night Football against the saints, because wow was it incredible.

With 4:32 left in the 2nd quarter, on a 3rd and goal from the Seattle 2 yard line, Saints quarterback Jameis Winston dropped back to throw into the end-zone.  After little pressure from the Seattle defensive line (something we have all gotten used to this season), Winston had receiver Marquez Callaway wide open screaming across the top of the end-zone.

Winston launched a pass that was perfectly in stride for Callaway and it looked to all watching like an easy touchdown. Jordyn Brooks had other ideas.

Brooks jumped about 30 feet in the air (well, maybe about 35-40 inches but who’s counting) and got his fingertips on the Winston pass, saving a sure-fire touchdown and forcing the Saints to kick a field goal.

These are the types of superhuman plays that I look forward to seeing and have come to expect from Brooks.  Obviously, he still has much room to improve, but he is still young, and I don’t even see many veteran linebackers making plays as good as this one.

In a year where the defense has struggled to say the least, Brooks has looked incredible, and the partnership he and Bobby Wagner have formed has been fun to watch.

Remaining Non-Conference Schedule and Russel Wilson’s Return

Yes, the Seahawks are currently 2-5. Yes, it has been painful.  Yes, we still have 4 division games remaining.  But, we also have a handful of very manageable non-conference matchups left on the schedule, most of which our knight in shining armor, Russel Wilson, should be healthy for.

5/6 remaining non-conference matchups for the Hawks are against the likes of Jacksonville, Washington, Houston, Chicago, and Detroit.  These teams are a combined 7-27.

Wilson should be back under center for all of those games except Jacksonville, who we play this Sunday afternoon.  With Wilson back, these games are absolutely more than winnable.  And while the playoffs are no doubt a long shot at the moment, with these matchups still on the horizon, there is an opportunity to finally start putting games in the W column and regaining offensive and defensive confidence, as well as regaining the Seahawks fanbase.

So, while the reality of Seattle’s current situation is tough to accept, I encourage all Seahawks fans to try and stay optimistic.  It is undoubtedly going to be tough to do, but there are still things to be excited about on the horizon.