Building steam with a grain of salt: 3 things we learned from Seahawks Week 3 victory

I relate to this Seattle Seahawks team on a personal level at times.

In years past, I've been told I was unusually gifted. I often took snide half-compliments from my peers because it seemed as though I never had to work to get the same test scores they did. I was given solos in the various musical groups I joined over the years, despite rarely practicing. I frequently tutored classmates of mine who needed help with writing essays and such.

I don't say any of this because I want to lord it over anyone. Many of those same people who were envious of me growing up have become vastly more successful than me, and are starting families and obtaining levels of financial security that seem impossible to many others my age. My 10-year high school reunion is next year, and so many of my friends and acquaintances have moved away, doing amazing things and living their best lives.

By contrast, I haven't even managed to turn my years of part-time sports writing and unfinished college degrees into a full-time job in this industry. My day job often doesn't pay all the bills I need it to, and the people I deal with on a daily basis frustrate me to no end. I often find myself overwhelmed by the contrast between where I am in life and where my expectations, both inherited and inherent, tell me I could be.

What we learned from the Seattle Seahawks Week 3 victory over the Carolina Panthers

Now, relating that back to the Seahawks — they pulled away from the Panthers on Sunday in convincing fashion, battering their defense in the second half to score 37 points for the second consecutive week. They forced Andy Dalton to throw the ball 58 times. They generated 11 QB hits, which is more than in their previous two games combined. The Panthers only ran the ball 14 times — a symptom of how suffocating the Seahawks' run defense was, but also of how Seattle controlled the rhythm of the game.

By all accounts, this Seahawks team took the Panthers behind the woodshed. And yet, they allowed 27 points and were forced to settle for five field goals. The injuries keep piling up like so many unfinished books and projects set aside. This team feels like it could be so much more.

I don't mean to sully the effort given on what should be a momentous week for the Seahawks and their fans — they won convincingly in front of the majority of the 2013 Super Bowl squad and did so against one of the two teams that most resembled them in those days, against a QB that has given the Seahawks fits throughout the Pete Carroll era. There are many positives to glean from Sunday's events, as well. But there are a few things that could vault this team into proper 2013 territory. Let's talk about those for a second.