Run, Seattle, run!: 3 bold predictions for Seahawks at Titans in Week 16
- Seattle runs the ball!
- Two more picks!
- Stupid penalties
By Jacob Hamre
Prediction No. 3: Seahawks penalty issues worsen
After 5 more on Monday, Seattle now ranks 31st in penalties per game. The Seahawks get penalized 7.2 times per game, with only Dallas averaging more. It's hard to win football games that way. Simple as that. The negative yardage has been killer for Seattle and has been a direct factor in a lot of the close losses this season.
The trend doesn't look to improve either. The Seahawks haven't had a game with fewer than 5 penalties all year. Matter of fact, the back-to-back 5 penalty outings are the best 2-game span for Seattle in that category all season long. So technically, the trend has improved, but 5+ a game is nothing to brag about. To actually be considered a playoff contender over the next few weeks, that category needs to improve tremendously.
I for one just don't see that happening. The main culprit has been more of a group rather a single player. In coverage, Seattle's corners have relied too heavily on being physical, and it has cost them. The trio of Woolen, Witherspoon, and Brown have racked up 20 penalties combined.
Not only do those penalties add up quantitatively, but the penalties they produce are often the ones that give up the big-time yards. For instance, Woolen's accrued 122 penalty yards is the most by any player in the NFL.