One thing could derail Russell Wilson and Seahawks from going back to the Super Bowl
Seattle Seahawks Jamal Adams spoke it into existence. Now, he better hope he’s correct when saying the Seahawks post the best defense in the league.
“You can quote that, you can do whatever you want with it,” Adams told reporters following Seattle’s NFC West clinching victory against Los Angeles Sunday. “At the end of the day, I believe in these guys.”
When John Schneider sent a pair of first-round picks to the New York Jets for Adams, many called him crazy. What’s crazy is how much one player such as the fourth-year safety has done to revitalize Seattle’s defense.
Since his return in Week 10, statically, Seattle has posted the best defensive numbers. They lead the league in points allowed (15), sacks (24) and are third in yards allowed per play (4.61).
Yes, Seattle’s secondary still is struggling, but Adams and the pass rush of Carlos Dunlap have neutralized the number of deep passes and big plays.
Seattle looks the part of an NFC contender in the recent weeks on one side. The problem is they still are far from complete. Whatever has sparked the defense has left the offensive side of the football.
Here’s hoping it will return just in time for the postseason. If it doesn’t, it’ll be another disappointing season for a franchise that seems so close to becoming elite.
Is Russell Wilson the problem for Seattle?
Russell Wilson was asked to carry the team for much of the early part of the season. That’s in large part due to the lack of the run game.
Entering January, Seattle is back at full-strength with all four running backs healthy. Chris Carson has led the charge, tallying at least 41 yards since Week 12. Carlos Hyde averaged a season-high 6.2 yards per run in December.
Now the attention turns back to Wilson, who has struggled with balancing his passes closing out the season. In four games to close December, he’s thrown for a low of 815 yards and an average of 6.3 yards per play.
However, the turnover ratio is the largest concern. In eight games, Wilson’s doubled his interceptions from the start of the year. He’s also yet to throw for over 300 yards since Week 9 against Buffalo.
At the same time, he’s only had two games with multiple passing touchdowns, and one came against the New York Jets.
Wilson’s recent struggles now are a concern heading into January. Games against Tampa Bay will force him to pass as the Buccaneers post one of the top run defenses. To top that, it took a handful of mistakes from the Rams’ offense to secure the division title.
Seattle should rely on the run, but also let Russ stir. Until back to full-form, letting him cook could cost the franchise a deep run in the NFC postseason.