The Seattle Seahawks come into every game with the same mindset; to go 1-0 every week no matter the circumstances. But they came out of week 17 just short with a record of 9-7, missing the playoffs for the first time in six years, the second time under head coach Pete Carroll. In this article we will be evaluating the Seattle Seahawks 2017 season:
Evaluating the Seattle Seahawks 2017 Season
The Final Game
Their final game was a loss to the Arizona Cardinals at home with a score of 26-24. The Seahawks were set up for a win in the final minute with Blair Walsh attempting to kick a 48-yard field goal. And yet again, he missed, handing the Cardinals the victory.
The game started off in favor of the Cardinals and continued there to the very end. It wasn’t until late in the second half that the Seahawks started to play for the win. The Cardinals run game ran all over the injury-plagued Seattle defense while Arizona’s defense continuously put pressure on quarterback Russell Wilson as well as the Seahawks backfield.
Despite the sweet 99-yard kickoff return early in the first quarter by Tyler Lockett that looked to set up the Seahawks offense, it took until the third quarter for the Seahawks to score again with a touchdown pass to Doug Baldwin. Baldwin caught his second touchdown pass of the game in the final quarter.
Inconsistency
The Seahawks season seemed inconsistent. They started off the first half of the season with a record of 5-3 that includes two big wins, one against the Indianapolis Colts and the other against the New York Giants. They finished the second half of the season at 4-4 which included a blowout loss to division rivals the Los Angeles Rams and of course the crucial loss to the Cardinals.
Run Game
The Seahawks have lacked a major running game since the loss of Super Bowl winning running back Marshawn Lynch in 2015. Several backs have shared the carries since, most currently the crew of Thomas Rawls, Eddie Lacy, Mike Davis, J.D. McKissic, C.J. Prosise and Chris Carson. But Russell Wilson was the team’s leading rusher in 2017, accounting for 36% of the total rushing yards (586 out of 1,629). Davis was second behind him with 240.
A lot of the blame for a lack of a run game can be blamed on the Seahawks awful offensive line.
Offensive Line
There are several issues with Seattle’s offense and it starts with the offensive line. For the past few years, fans are calling out Carroll and general manager John Schneider for changes to be made at the line. Yet, barely any changes have been made.
The Seahawks made one move mid-season which was a trade for Houston Texans tackle Duane Brown. Unfortunately, that didn’t seem to improve much with the continuous pressure on Wilson and his backfield. Now is the time for Carroll to stop avoiding the issue and to step up and pay for players that can block and protect their quarterback. With that, fans will finally be able to see improvement on the offense.
Darrell Bevell
The Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell has shown no evidence that he should stick around. Since Bevell’s arrival, the Seahawks offense has seen constant terrible play calls, including calling run plays and screen passes in situations that get the offense negative yardage or on crucial third downs. All the weight has been put on Wilson to get the ball out one way or another. Luckily, Wilson has stayed healthy this season.
Defensive Injuries
A lot of Seattle’s struggles can be blamed on the injuries on the defensive side. The Seahawks were forced to finish the season without several key players on their defense including Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor, Cliff Avril, Nazair Jones and Dewey McDonald. At the injury ridden cornerback position, specifically missing Sherman, the Seahawks decided to re-sign Byron Maxwell who played for the team in 2015 before leaving. Opposite Maxwell, the Seahawks found promise in young rookie Shaquill Griffin. Since the major injuries, the Seahawks once notorious defense hasn’t been the same.
Last Word
The Seahawks may have finally got a wake-up call after missing the playoffs for the first time in six years. In this upcoming off-season, Seattle must acknowledge and assess what went wrong starting with their coaching personnel and roster.
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