We had a feeling, didn’t we? When you trade the greatest quarterback in Seahawks franchise history, most in the national media expect the team was going to take a step back.
Those that had watched Seattle for the past few years were in two camps: Pro-Wilson or pro-Pete. Those that believed in Russ thought Seattle would fall apart without him and that the Seahawks were holding him back.
The Pete believers may have assumed that Seattle would never get back to their dominant ways without making the moves needed to return to having a dominant defense, demoralizing run game, and a quarterback that complimented those other two aspects.
It was hard to envision a future where the Seahawks returned to these ways and kept Russ (and his eventual mega-contract) in the picture.
What is the ceiling for the 2022 Seahawks?
Ownership made the decision to keep the leadership structure of Pete Carroll and John Schneider, trading Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos. It is a decision that will impact the Seahawks for the next decade, good or bad.
With the world seemingly against Seattle, there was a chance we’d see a competitive season out of Seattle, but a 9-8 and a playoff appearance? If this was the beginning of a rebuild, the future’s looking bright.
With the majority of the roster (minus Wilson of course) returning, there was some hope that Seattle could get back to their winning ways. It was only two seasons ago that the majority of this squad were 12-4 and had won the NFC West.
This hope was realized in a shocking week 1 Monday Night victory over Russell Wilson’s Broncos. The crowd showered Wilson with boos before the defense showered him with sacks. The new look Seahawks defense dominated the first half by sacking Wilson 3 times and an interception. The decision by the new defensive coordinator to make Jamal Adams more of a hybrid than a strict strong safety allowed Adams to get back to what he does best, causing havoc.
Seahawks weeks that follow Week 1
While the defense made noise, the offense was calculated and efficient. Penny would run for 104 yards on 18 carries and a touchdown, while Geno Smith made enough big plays in the play-action game, to lead Seattle to a 24-6 4th quarter lead before hanging on for a 24-21 win. The Seahawks were 1-0 and the formula was clear.
While week 1 showed the way to success, the following nine weeks showed youth and inconsistency. Seattle found themselves at 4-6 and had just returned from the Munich beatdown by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when they got their much-needed bye.
After the bye and heading into the final stretch of the season, the Seahawks began playing their best ball against some of the best in the NFL. A decisive victory over the playoff-bound Vegas Raiders and an overtime loss at the LA Rams showed the Seahawks were starting to bring back the memories of the talented Seahawks teams of old.
Penny was the beast, but the O-line towers of Charles Cross and Abe Lucas were looking more like pro bowlers than rookies. Noah Fant started looking like the next great tight end that he was billed to be back at Iowa. The youth on the defensive side of the ball was even more impressive.
Woolen and Bryant had evolved from rookie targets to pick on to real starting caliber cornerbacks. The pass rush duo of Darrell Taylor and Boye Mafe were young and made plenty of mistakes, but created a solid pass rush that we haven’t seen in Seattle for a few years.
Back home after pushing the Rams to the limit, the Seahawks get hot. After a beat down of the Carolina Panthers, the Seahawks and eventual NFC West champion 49ers get into a rock fight, with Geno hitting Lockett for the walk-off touchdown in overtime for a 19-13 victory.
A loss at the eventual AFC West champions Kansas City Chiefs doesn’t slow the momentum, as the Seahawks return to destroy the hapless Jets 38-14. After the season appeared to be over, the Seahawks found themselves in a do-or-die Week 18 showdown against the LA Rams.
After a difficult season wearing the crown, the Rams and Hawks do battle just like they did in 2010, the loser going home and the winner going to the playoffs. The Seahawks, having lost the last 4 meetings against the Rams, looked to turn the tide in the massive Sunday Night finale.
Down 16-6 heading to the 4th quarter, the Seahawks score two touchdowns off of a massive Kenneth Walker touchdown run from 40 yards away, and a 60-yard bomb from Smith to Metcalf for the go-ahead 20-16 score with 1 minute remaining. A sack fumble from Mafe on Matt Stafford with 20 seconds to play sealed the upset. The 9-8 Seahawks, winners of 5 of their last 7, are heading to Minnesota for the playoffs while the defending Super Bowl champs go home.
What the Seahawks 2023 offseason might look like
As the teams shake hands at midfield, the Rams in shock and the Seahawks euphoric, we see Bobby Wagner and Jordyn Brooks embrace. It’s a beautiful moment, but also a picture showing the end of one era and the beginning of another, in more ways than one.
As the Seahawks get crushed by the Vikings in the Wild Card round, the vibes are all good as the Seahawks head into an offseason with Super Bowl aspirations. With a lot of cap space, they can go and get a premier pass rusher to complete their pass rush.
For the 2023 NFL draft, Seattle is in great shape. They aren’t picking in the top 10, but thanks to a disappointing season by Wilson and the Broncos, the Seahawks have the 15th and 19th picks in the draft. Armed with cap space and picks, the Seahawks can be patient or aggressive in their pursuit of a long-term quarterback.
The right choice and Seattle may be ready to compete for a championship as soon as next season. The Seahawks went all in on Pete Carroll and John Schneider. They were right, and now the Seahawks are back.