The 2020 Seattle Seahawks are built to make a Super Bowl run. They have a lot of talent all over the field in all three phases of the game. However, there are a few different reasons why they built for this run and to play this time of year in inclement weather.
The 2020 Seattle Seahawks Can Make It to Super Bowl LV
The Seahawks have all the ingredients to make a run at the Lombardi Trophy this year. They have one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL in Russell Wilson. He is having a career year right now. He has thrown for 3,806 yards, 37 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. Wilson is also completing a career-high 70.2 percent of his passes this year. Also, the experience that Wilson and head coach Pete Carroll have together will be a big advantage. They are among the best in the NFL right now in playoff wins by a quarterback/head coach duo.
The weapons that Wilson has at his disposal will provide mismatches, especially in the postseason. Pro Bowl wide receiver D.K. Metcalf has been stellar in his sophomore season. He has gone for over 1,200 yards this season and 10 touchdowns and is a matchup nightmare at 6’4″ and 229 pounds. This will open up the door for opportunities for other players like Tyler Lockett, David Moore, and Greg Olsen. They may have Josh Gordon back as of right now, he is ineligible to practice or play at the moment according to USA Today
The Seattle Seahawks Running Attack Will Be Key
The Seattle Seahawks have been banged up at running back all season but that has all changed in recent weeks. The Seahawks’ top three running backs are finally healthy, and it has shown over the past two games. The Seahawks have run for over 170 yards in each of their last two games against the New York Jets and the Washington Football Team led by Chris Carson and Carlos Hyde. Having a great running game in the playoffs is crucial to winning a Super Bowl because it takes stress off the quarterback and when the weather is sloppy, running the ball is a good way to counter that and slow the game down. The Seahawks are averaging 125.4 rushing yards a game and that ranks 11th in the league.
The Defensive Turnaround
The defense was historically bad the first half of the season. However, the acquisition of Carlos Dunlap has revived the defense and in particular the pass rush. Over the past seven games, the Seahawks defense has 28 sacks after only having 12 in their first seven games. Over the past six games, the team has allowed 23 points or less in each game after allowing more than 23 points in every game prior.
The Seahawks’ pass defense has also improved quite a bit as well. They have only given up one 300-yard passer since Week 9 against the Buffalo Bills. Despite the high amount of passing yards they have given up, the Seahawks pass defense has only given up 22 touchdown passes and has intercepted 13 passes. The Seahawks do not need an elite defense to be a Super Bowl threat because of their high powered offense. They just need to be good enough to get stops from time to time.
The 2020 Seattle Seahawks Special Teams Could Be Key
The phase of the game that tends to get overlooked is special teams. The Seahawks have a reliable kicker in Jason Myers. On the season, he is 20 for 20 on field goals this season. The Seahawks also have a very reliable punter in Michael Dickson. Dickson is averaging 49.4 yards per punt this season. Flipping field position and accurate field goal kicking is a vital piece to making a Super Bowl run.
In conclusion, the 2020 Seattle Seahawks have a top-five quarterback, a top-12 running attack, a top-10 pass rush, and an improving defense. All of these factors combined with exceptional special teams are all the right ingredients to make a deep postseason run and even have a run at winning their second Super Bowl in franchise history.
