Takeaways: Season Ending Loss, but a Great Season Nonetheless

It was a heartbreaking loss for the Seahawks in Atlanta. The first half did not go well at all with a poor start, a Marshawn Lynch fumble, the inability to convert on 3^rd and 4^th and one in Atlanta territory, and poor time management at the end of the first half. All of these events put Seattle down 20-0 at halftime. The 'Hawks didn’t back down though and after a wild fourth quarter actually took the lead by one with about 30 seconds left. However, the Falcons used their timeouts and drove down the field to give Matt Bryant an easy game winning field goal. It was a rollercoaster ride of a game, but it boils down to the fact that the Seahawks season is over. As sad as it is, it is fair to say that the 'Hawks exceeded most people’s expectations and had a really great season. I will list a few things to take away from a tough loss, but a great season.

Matt Ryan was the most relieved person in the U.S. once he saw Matt Bryant's kick go through the uprights.

bleacherreport.com

1. The Defense is Still Young
Obviously the Hawks defense was superb throughout the season, leading the league in points against. However, this game against the Falcons showed that they are still maturing. With youth at virtually every position, the 'Hawks defense is not quite as polished as we would like it to be. This slight immaturity combined with lack of size in the front seven lead to the Falcons gashing the Hawks in the run game with both Michael Turner and Jacquizz Rodgers. Hopefully the defense can bulk up and gain some maturity in the offseason while potentially adding some free agents to really solidify the defense as the best in the league. Look for the Seahawks to make a run at DT Henry Melton. Takeaway: The 'Hawks defense is not quite at the point we would like it to be, but with improvement in the offseason the sky is the limit with this unit.

2. Russell Plays Big
Russell Wilson. 3^rd round, 75^th overall pick on the 2012 NFL Draft. Last rookie quarterback standing. He won over the Seattle fans in a matter of weeks and brought the national spotlight to Seattle with his late season performances and brilliant play in the playoffs. After the first quarter of this last game, he showed up as the Russell Wilson we have all come to know and love and proved that he is officially a superstar. Another great playoff performance on the road proved to the world that he is for real. This is great news for the Seahawks going forward as Russell Wilson should be able to lead this team deep into the playoffs for years to come. Takeaway: Russell Wilson has proven he is the best young quarterback in the game and will be leading the Seahawks to conference championships and super bowls for years.

Russell Wilson has a very bright future ahead of him. What a season.

AP Photos

3. Front 7 Needs Help
The Seahawks have the best secondary in the league in my opinion. Richard Sherman is the best cornerback, Earl Thomas is the best safety, and Brandon Browner and Kam Chancellor are two big, physical players who can be difference makers at times. The weakness of the Seahawks defense, as shown by the Falcons game, is the run defense and the pass rush. The loss of Chris Clemons really proved not only how vital Clemons is to this defense, but how badly the Seahawks need to get another pass rusher. We could not put any pressure on Matt Ryan all day, and this allowed him to pick apart the defense. The lack of ability to stop the run, plus the fact that this past season could possibly be linebacker Leroy Hill’s last, tells us that we need to acquire another linebacker either through the draft or free agency. Takeaway: A pass rusher and a run stopper need to be added to this Seahawks defense before it can be truly elite.

4. Zach Miller
Zach Miller not only had his best game as a Seahawk against the Falcons, totaling eight receptions and 142 yards plus a touchdown, but he did so with a torn plantar fascia. After the Seahawks third offensive play, Miller went to the locker room with an apparent foot injury, but obviously returned, seemingly without any problems with the injury. It was only after the game that we found out Miller actually tore his plantar fascia on that play. The plantar fascia is the thick connective tissue which supports the arch on the bottom side of the foot. Now one can only imagine the pain when running and cutting on a torn plantar fascia, and Zach Miller had his best game as a Seahawk with this injury. Takeaway: A position that was once thought to be a weakness for the Seahawks may turn out not to be so, as Zach Miller is emerging as the player he was once thought to be, and is becoming Russell Wilson’s main security blanket in the passing game.

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Jackson

 

Current State of the Seahawks

Pure domination. That is the best way to explain the victory that the Seahawks had over the 49ers on Sunday. The ‘Hawks dominated in all phases of the game: offensively, defensively, and especially on special teams. The offense was very efficient, scoring early and often with beast mode in full effect and Russell Wilson up to his usual spectacular ways. The defense was stout as well, only allowing six points in the first half, and zero in the second half until a meaningless, garbage time touchdown with less than two minutes to go in the game. Even the special teams played well the entire game, with a couple good returns from Leon Washington and the game-changing play, which was Red Bryant’s blocked field goal that led to Richard Sherman’s 90 yard return for a touchdown. When watching the game, my friend Joey Calabro, who you all should follow on Twitter @redmondsfinest, prophetically predicted the play would happen saying, “Red Bryant is due for a blocked field goal.” It was just pure perfection. From three points in the 49er’s favor to seven points in the Seahawk’s favor, I would say it was the turning point of the game. Instead of being a 14-6 game, it was a 21-3 game and the Seahawk’s had all the momentum. Clearly, the Seahawks dominated in brilliant fashion, and to top it all off, the game was on national television so the Seahawks might even get some recognition for their win.

Red Bryant's blocked field goal shifted the momentum towards the Seahawks way for the rest of the game.

TONY OVERMAN/The Olympian

So it’s clear that we won the game in convincing fashion, but you may ask, what does that mean for us? Well first of all, it clinches the Hawks a playoff spot and secondly, it gives us our first winning record since 2007. What’s even better is that the Hawks are now getting some national recognition. In ESPN’s newest power rankings (which came out this morning), it has the Seahawks at sixth, just behind the Patriots, Packers, 49ers, Falcons, and Broncos. Now before all of you fans complain that we shouldn’t be behind the Patriots, Packers, and 49ers because we beat them, think of the body of work over the entire season. Now the most important thing to be gleaned from last night’s victory over the 49ers is that the Seahawks are here and they are here to stay for a while. One of the recent trends in the NFL is that teams who peak at the end of the season and don’t necessarily clinch a playoff spot until week 16 or 17 are in fact the teams who make long playoff runs. Think about it. Last year, the Giants didn’t get in to the playoffs until they beat the Cowboys in week 17, and then they made a super bowl run. The year before that, Green Bay was decimated by injuries and barely made the playoffs until peaking late, and then they made a long super bowl run. The Seahawks are peaking at the right time and it seems like the kind of team that nobody wants to face in the playoffs. Plus, a top defense, top running game, and a quarterback who can make plays and doesn’t turn the ball over are things that we have, and are key components to a Super Bowl team.

The Seahawks will face the winner of the Cowboys-Redskins game in the first round of the playoffs.

Tom Pennington/Getty Images

However before we get to the Super Bowl, we will have to win three playoff games, most likely all on the road. At this point, it is almost certain that we will play our first round game against the winner of the NFC East, which will be solely determined by the Redskins and Cowboys game this Sunday. That begs the question, who would we rather play, the Redskins or the Cowboys? Personally, I don’t think it’s much of a question at all: we want to play the Cowboys. First of all, the Redskins are exactly the kind of desperate, peaking at the right time type of team that I described could make a deep playoff run. Secondly, playing against the Seahawks in the playoffs would be Tony Romo’s worst nightmare after he famously botched a snap in Qwest Field to lose the Cowboys a playoff game. So that means as hard as it’s going to be, Seahawks fans should be rooting for Romo and the Cowboys this weekend. To make my final point, the Seahawks are peaking at the right time, and with the pieces they have, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them make a deep playoff run. I’m not predicting anything yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the ‘Hawks made it all the way to the Super Bowl.  

Thanks for reading and follow us on Twitter @seasportssoup! Like us on Facebook as well! Keep checking back for more updates.

Jackson