Five reasons why the Seahawks will make the 2018 NFL playoffs

[Adi]

We know their pedigree but I'm not sold on them this year. They are not the Pats and Wilson is not Brady. Most teams have to rebuild when great players leave

1 of the reason they make the playoffs is their middle linebacker??

 

[kurtfaulk]

They are not the Pats and Wilson is not Brady.

as in wilson has to run around back there like a chicken without a head to make a play whereas brady can stand like a statue for 5 seconds then deliver the pass to whoever is open?

.

 

[Adi]

as in wilson has to run around back there like a chicken without a head to make a play whereas brady can stand like a statue for 5 seconds then deliver the pass to whoever is open?

.

Exactly

 

[LARAMSinFeb.]

Very hard to pound the ball and play defense, when you dont have an O line or a defense.

Was thinking the same thing. Author talks about how they're gearing up to "pound the ball," "a team threatening to run a bruising attack" and only mentions their backs.

 

[LesBaker]

I still think that was a 50/50 ball.

Between Kupp and.............??????????

 

[dang]

I watched that play 20 times at real speed and slow motion. It could have been caught but it would have been considered a great fingertip catch. So my take is it was 50% catchable for Kupp based on his position and the position/speed of the ball.

 

[RamsOfCastamere]

Haha this writer had a hard time coming up with five legitimate reasons himself LOL

He just listed their best two players, their new rb, and then made up two fluff reasons. Okay so they're going to try to be competitive again, and will be understimated and steal a few games...got it.

 

[HeiseNBerg]

Between Kupp and.............??????????

....the ground.

Sadly, the ground won on that play.

 

[Tano]

I swear the author mistitled this thread and left out the word "not?

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

If only Kupp makes that catch. :rant:

Or, if the refs don't totally botch the Gurley fumble out of bonds by calling it out of the end zone and awarding the ball to Seattle. That call had FIX written all over it. How else do pro refs blow that call?

Very hard to pound the ball and play defense, when you dont have an O line or a defense.

Wilson will get them a few wins, but I dont see them betting out our Rams or the whiners.

Hire one of the worst OC's in the business to run a ground and pound offense, after saying good bye to half the defense? So how will Seattle be able to keep other teams from scoring? One defensive stop by their opponents, or turnover and they will be in dire straits in every game. Shott proved that 14 points a game isn't enough to win in the NFL.


I think Pete has 1, maybe 1.5 seasons left in him. Then he can take his you can do it, motivational pep talks on the road to AA conventions and high school showcases like elite eleven, or the Under Armor All American game. Isn't he the oldest geezer in the game?

 

[shaunpinney]

The RB's as a group only had ONE touchdown

WOW - I didn't realise that! I wonder if there's a team that has had 0 RB TD's

 

[Mojo Ram]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...-the-seahawks-will-make-the-2018-nfl-playoffs

Five reasons why the Seahawks will make the 2018 NFL playoffs

1) Russell Wilson
The Seahawks furiously churned the roster this offseason, waving farewell to Richard Sherman, Michael Bennett, Cliff Avril and a host of other veterans. Seattle parted ways with talented players who fit the scheme while replacing a pair of veteran coordinators. Dumping known talent is no guarantee of success, but the 'Hawks still have their most important player under center.

Russell Wilson is coming off a tremendous season for a Seattle offense that lacked balance and consistently asked him to operate as a one-man show. The veteran passer was required to spin magic behind one of the league's worst offensive lines. A stiffer, stuck-in-the-mud starter would have been dead by Halloween. Not Wilson, though, who dodged traffic play after play.

You don't want your quarterback under this much pressure, but Wilson has shown he can take it. He regularly ranks as the most exciting player on the field and, last season, gave this hot-and-cold offense a chance.

In today's NFL, a top-10 quarterback -- and Wilson is arguably in the top five -- can turn a team with issues into a nine-win operation. For a legitimate shot at the playoffs, though, some new faces must develop in a hurry.

2) Back to the ground game
There are plenty of legitimate unknowns in Seattle.

I won't call Brian Schottenheimer an upgrade over departed play-caller Darrell Bevell. Chalk it up as a curious hire, but Schotty made it clear the offense isn't about to drastically change, claiming Seattle will keep "70 percent" of last year's playbook.

Why did Pete Carroll hire Schottenheimer? It's a clear-cut signal that Seattle harbors a renewed emphasis on pounding the ball.

"It's a commitment to: That's the style of play and that fits," Carroll said. "You go back to a couple of years ago when [Schottenheimer] had Mark Sanchez back there and [the Jets] ran the football like crazy and they won [there] ... really with a young quarterback based on the commitment to the run and playing defense. Well, you know us, that's something that we do understand about how you play the game of football. [Schottenheimer's] committed to it. He gets us."

If Seattle plans to fend off teams like the Rams and Niners in its own division, game plans will boil down to chewing up the clock and keeping guys like Jared Goff and Jimmy Garoppolo off the field.

This points to a productive, high-touch campaign for first-round runner Rashaad Penny, who's already being talked about as a three-down starter who can do it all for the 'Hawks. Unafraid to play rookies, Carroll's plans for Penny could very well decide how this offense looks in 2018.

With Chris Carson, J.D. McKissic, Mike Davis and C.J. Prosise filling out the roster, the Seahawks are deep with backs on a team threatening to run a bruising attack come September.

3) Bobby Wagner
Bobby Wagner notched only one vote for Defensive Player of the Year a season ago. He deserved more.

Wagner was saddled by a hamstring injury late in the season. Before the setback, he didn't miss a tackle all year and often looked like the best player on the field. Wagner's speed and decision-making set him apart.

Wagner remains a star to build around. While the defense is flush with new parts and pressing questions -- Will Kam Chancellor play again? Will Earl Thomas be traded? -- we saw Carroll build the Legion of Boom from scratch, which brings us to our next point.

4) Trust in the team builders
Seahawks fans might wonder about the plan.

While the Rams and Niners aggressively add talent, Seattle sits in flux, leaving a horde of 12s wondering what to do with their Richard Sherman jerseys and Marshawn Lynch duds.

The optics are plenty to ponder, with analysts wondering if Carroll has lost his magic touch. The way he sees it, though, this newfangled, youthful Seahawksroster brings the team back to one of their core values: competition.

"I'm not saying I'm not more challenged this year than some other years," Carroll told The MMQB's Albert Breer. "But I always feel like, 'Man, this is my whole deal, to try to figure out how to recapture that.

"... And it feels like four or five years ago. It feels fresh and wide open, it's more of an open competition for some of the spots. And that's a really good thing for us, because it does feed into the whole approach."

Why should we trust in Carroll and general manager John Schneider: They've done this all before.

5) Because everyone's counting them out
It's tempting to write them off. No longer the bullies in their own division, the Seahawks experienced a roster purge similar to what the post-Jim Harbaugh 49ers endured. It's much easier to imagine the high-powered Rams rolling through the NFC West with the Jimmy G-led Niners right behind.

In a stacked NFC, counting out Seattle is arguably logical with so many established and newer powers grasping for real estate. Yet every season offers up its share of surprises.

Carroll's new-look Seahawks will write their story -- not the doubters.

 

[Karate61]

Yeah, but Pete only has 5 reasons the Hawks will make the playoffs this coming season. That's not enough. He probably had over 20 reasons the last six years. He's going down this year. Gonna be Pete's worst season. The writing is on the wall!

 

[Dodgersrf]

I would give much of that credit to Russell Wilson.
Pete Carrols career with the shitbirds, would be entirely different if he had Tavaris Jackson as his QB

 

[snackdaddy]

I remember a couple years ago the defense had injuries and wasn't playing well. They opened up the offense and let Wilson do his thing. Started scoring more and made the playoffs. Now they hire a ground and pound OC who has no idea how to open up an offense? With a defense that will only be a shell of its former self? Yeah, what could go wrong?

 

[HeiseNBerg]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...-the-seahawks-will-make-the-2018-nfl-playoffs

Five reasons why the Seahawks will make the 2018 NFL playoffs

1) Russell Wilson
The Seahawks furiously churned the roster this offseason, waving farewell to Richard Sherman, Michael Bennett, Cliff Avril and a host of other veterans. Seattle parted ways with talented players who fit the scheme while replacing a pair of veteran coordinators. Dumping known talent is no guarantee of success, but the 'Hawks still have their most important player under center.

Russell Wilson is coming off a tremendous season for a Seattle offense that lacked balance and consistently asked him to operate as a one-man show. The veteran passer was required to spin magic behind one of the league's worst offensive lines. A stiffer, stuck-in-the-mud starter would have been dead by Halloween. Not Wilson, though, who dodged traffic play after play.

You don't want your quarterback under this much pressure, but Wilson has shown he can take it. He regularly ranks as the most exciting player on the field and, last season, gave this hot-and-cold offense a chance.

In today's NFL, a top-10 quarterback -- and Wilson is arguably in the top five -- can turn a team with issues into a nine-win operation. For a legitimate shot at the playoffs, though, some new faces must develop in a hurry.

2) Back to the ground game
There are plenty of legitimate unknowns in Seattle.

I won't call Brian Schottenheimer an upgrade over departed play-caller Darrell Bevell. Chalk it up as a curious hire, but Schotty made it clear the offense isn't about to drastically change, claiming Seattle will keep "70 percent" of last year's playbook.

Why did Pete Carroll hire Schottenheimer? It's a clear-cut signal that Seattle harbors a renewed emphasis on pounding the ball.

"It's a commitment to: That's the style of play and that fits," Carroll said. "You go back to a couple of years ago when [Schottenheimer] had Mark Sanchez back there and [the Jets] ran the football like crazy and they won [there] ... really with a young quarterback based on the commitment to the run and playing defense. Well, you know us, that's something that we do understand about how you play the game of football. [Schottenheimer's] committed to it. He gets us."

If Seattle plans to fend off teams like the Rams and Niners in its own division, game plans will boil down to chewing up the clock and keeping guys like Jared Goff and Jimmy Garoppolo off the field.

This points to a productive, high-touch campaign for first-round runner Rashaad Penny, who's already being talked about as a three-down starter who can do it all for the 'Hawks. Unafraid to play rookies, Carroll's plans for Penny could very well decide how this offense looks in 2018.

With Chris Carson, J.D. McKissic, Mike Davis and C.J. Prosise filling out the roster, the Seahawks are deep with backs on a team threatening to run a bruising attack come September.

3) Bobby Wagner
Bobby Wagner notched only one vote for Defensive Player of the Year a season ago. He deserved more.

Wagner was saddled by a hamstring injury late in the season. Before the setback, he didn't miss a tackle all year and often looked like the best player on the field. Wagner's speed and decision-making set him apart.

Wagner remains a star to build around. While the defense is flush with new parts and pressing questions -- Will Kam Chancellor play again? Will Earl Thomas be traded? -- we saw Carroll build the Legion of Boom from scratch, which brings us to our next point.

4) Trust in the team builders
Seahawks fans might wonder about the plan.

While the Rams and Niners aggressively add talent, Seattle sits in flux, leaving a horde of 12s wondering what to do with their Richard Sherman jerseys and Marshawn Lynch duds.

The optics are plenty to ponder, with analysts wondering if Carroll has lost his magic touch. The way he sees it, though, this newfangled, youthful Seahawksroster brings the team back to one of their core values: competition.

"I'm not saying I'm not more challenged this year than some other years," Carroll told The MMQB's Albert Breer. "But I always feel like, 'Man, this is my whole deal, to try to figure out how to recapture that.

"... And it feels like four or five years ago. It feels fresh and wide open, it's more of an open competition for some of the spots. And that's a really good thing for us, because it does feed into the whole approach."

Why should we trust in Carroll and general manager John Schneider: They've done this all before.

5) Because everyone's counting them out
It's tempting to write them off. No longer the bullies in their own division, the Seahawks experienced a roster purge similar to what the post-Jim Harbaugh 49ers endured. It's much easier to imagine the high-powered Rams rolling through the NFC West with the Jimmy G-led Niners right behind.

In a stacked NFC, counting out Seattle is arguably logical with so many established and newer powers grasping for real estate. Yet every season offers up its share of surprises.

Carroll's new-look Seahawks will write their story -- not the doubters.

Five Reasons Why They WON'T:
1. LT
2. LG
3. C
4. RG
5. RT

(mic drop)

 

[TexasRam]

 

[PhillyRam]

LOL he had a very good year, but I wouldn't say tremendous.

And he is not top 5. Top 10 yes but he isn't top 5.





Well if that's the plan they need to make some BIG changes because the running back by committee didn't work behind a line that can't block.

I see this team being 8-8 or 7-9.

Wilson is scary at times with the plays he can make, but I think he also causes a lot of the pressure he is under. Don't get me wrong their OL is bad, but I can't see how his OT's can block for him because they often don't know where he is. He often drops back too far for them to push the DE beyond Wilson and he can roll right into more pressure. I wonder if he would see similar "pressure" if he was on a team like NE etc.. since he creates a lot of that pressure in my view.