Week 16 was a highly anticipated game around the league. The Seattle Seahawks were set to face the Arizona Cardinals for the second time in the season. The first was in Week Seven, which resulted in a tie game at 6-6, the first time in Seahawks franchise history. Week 16 came with another disappointment after Seattle lost 34-31 at home.
This week they take on another division rival, the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara, California. The last game of the season is a needed win for the Seahawks. Currently, they hold the third seed in the NFC playoff picture with a record of 9-5-1. The Seahawks are already in the playoffs after they clinched the NFC West division a few short weeks back, but now they must focus on getting back into that number two seed and clinching a first-round bye. To do this, they must win against the 49ers while the Atlanta Falcons (who currently hold the second spot) must lose to the New Orleans Saints. Here are the Seahawks Week 17 keys to victory:
Seattle Seahawks Week 17 Keys to Victory
Defense Holding off Kaepernick and the 49ers
Seattle’s defense seemed to disappear after the Cardinal’s first drive in Week 16. This cannot happen again. San Francisco is a team that cannot and should not embarrass the Seahawks in Week 17. They are the second worst team in the league and it would be pretty terrible to lose to them in their annual heated match-up, especially with deteriorating quarterback, Colin Kaepernick at the helm.
Seattle’s secondary is one part of the defense that needs to step up in the upcoming week as they prepare for the playoffs. After losing safety Earl Thomas to a terrible season-ending leg injury, they need the next man up who can come in and make a boom, which is currently Steven Terrell, who has yet to prove himself.
Consistency
Consistency is something Seattle cannot seem to find. One week they have four touchdowns, the next they have four interceptions. Let’s say, thanks to the offensive coordinator who shall not be named, that they have made some terrible play-calling in the past that has compromised the winning team that they have worked so hard for. If Seattle wants to win, they need their offense to finally come together like a puzzle and make some consistent plays that will put them in a decent spot.
Offensive Line
The Seahawks offensive line is just dreadful, practically useless. It’s surprising to see that quarterback Russell Wilson hasn’t gone mad yet. So far this season, he has been sacked a total of 40 times, six away from his highest yet. It seems as if Seattle’s front office and coaching staff are oblivious of this. The quarterback is the most important man on any team, and if he is not healthy, then your team has no hope. First step to somewhere is fixing these terrible holding penalties on Seattle’s offense. The Seahawks offensive line has had seventeen false start penalties and fifteen offensive holding penalties this season, among the most in the league.
Open Receiver Spot
Now that wide receiver Tyler Lockett is out for the season with a devastating leg injury, the Seahawks have signed Kasen Williams from the practice squad to the active roster to fill the open receiver spot. Arguably, Williams isn’t the long-time solution to replacing Lockett until his designated return at training camp next year. Although Williams has had two years with Seattle, he has not had a lot playing time inside a real game. He only had one reception for eight yards last season. This can be a cause for concern to see an inexperienced player on the field in a crucial time for a team.
Conclusion
Seattle has come a long way since 1976. They have fought through hard losses and won tough games, but they need to stop saying “we can win” and actually start winning. It’s quite noticeable when watching players and coaches behavior before, during, or after the games that the Seahawks have a specific mentality to their game. While sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. Maybe remaining positive doesn’t always help. But if they Seahawks want another Super Bowl title, a change needs to happen.
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