2015 NFL Playoffs: Good News/Bad News for Seahawks
We are down to the Final Four, NFL style.
It’s quite a field that remains in running to reach Super Bowl XLIX in Glendale, Arizona. There’s no franchise looking for its first league championship and all of these clubs have been to the Super Bowl once since 2009.
So who gets back in 2014? We’ll give you the good news and bad news for each of the remaining contenders, with their chances as well.
We’ve already taken a look at the Green Bay Packers.
Next up are the Seattle Seahawks.
The Good News:
It seems obvious that we should point out the defense. But while this year’s unit may not have the numbers of last season’s group, it’s what have you done lately that has been the key to the champs’ late resurgence.
A year ago, Dan Quinn’s defenders allowed the fewest total yards in the league. The Seahawks also gave up a league-low 231 points and forced an NFL-high 39 turnovers. Quinn’s unit also amassed a very-respectable 44 sacks.
Once again, Seattle led the league in fewest yards and fewest points allowed. But that opportunistic group from 2013 amassed 15 fewer takeaways (24). Defensive end Michael Bennett and company also saw their sack production drop to 27 this past season.
However, after forcing only five turnovers during their 3-3 start this season, Seattle came up with 19 takeaways in their final 10 regular-season games. They added three more in last week’s playoff win over the Carolina Panthers.
During their current seven-game winning streak, the champs are surrendering a mere 225.0 total yards per game, allowed a total of 56 points and gave up only five touchdowns.
Want to put that into some sort of perspective? In a Week 3 Thursday night loss to the Atlanta Falcons this season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers gave up 56 points in the first three quarters of the game.
The Bad News:
When the Seahawks have lost this season, and it’s been roughly two months since it last happened, the formula has been pretty clear. Keep the ball away from quarterback Russell Wilson and the Seattle offense.
How do you do that? Start by hanging onto the pigskin. Last Saturday night at Seattle, the Panthers outgained the defending champs but coughed up the ball three times (all by quarterback Cam Newton).
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That’s not something you see a lot out of from the Packers. They and the New England Patriots each committed a league-low 13 turnovers this season.
Combine ball security with some patience regarding the running game and the Seahawks can be beat. In six of their 17 overall contests this season, an opponent totaled at least 30 rushing attempts. Three of those six outings resulted in losses (Chargers, Cowboys and Chiefs).
So it’s simple (not really). Keep the ball away from Wilson and running back Marshawn Lynch, who helped the Seahawks lead the NFL in rushing in 2014.
Synopsis:
The last time we saw a team make consecutive Super Bowl appearances was when the Patriots actually won XXXVIII and XXIX (2003 and 2004 seasons). The Seahawks have come a long way from the team that was 6-4 after 10 games. The Packers will prove to be formidable but the physical nature of Pete Carroll’s club will eventually prove to be the difference.