Seattle Seahawks Cannot Let Marshawn Lynch Go

The Seattle Seahawks are going to the Super Bowl for the second consecutive season.

Behind a miracle touchdown run to give them the lead and a phenomenal throw to win the game, Seattle capitalized on a choke job by the Green Bay Packers to pull out an all-time comeback. It was a display of character, poise and determination.

Most importantly, it proved one very important truth: Seattle cannot let Marshawn Lynch go.

Lynch finished with 157 yards on 25 carries, including the 24-yard rushing touchdown that brought Seattle back from down 19-14 with 1:25 on the clock. He also caught a 26-yard pass, most of which coming after the catch, mere plays earlier.

Most importantly, Lynch shined during a game in which Russell Wilson threw just one touchdown to four interceptions.

While I may not agree about the quality of the receivers, it was a dominant performance by a consistently dominant player in a game in which nothing else worked.

If Seattle lets Lynch go, it’d lose the offensive driving force behind two consecutive Super Bowl appearances.

In potentially letting the 28-year-old walk, the Seahawks would lose one of the best running backs in the NFL.

Jan 18, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch (24) carries the ball as Green Bay Packers outside linebacker

(53) attempts the tackle during the third quarter in the NFC Championship Game at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Production

People love to analyze numbers. In Marshawn Lynch’s case, for as impressive they may be, they don’t even begin to tell the story of just how valuable he is to the Seattle Seahawks.

Nevertheless, the statistics must be acknowledged.

Lynch finished the 2014 NFL regular season with 1,306 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on 280 carries. He averaged 4.7 yards per carry and routinely dominated teams with elite defensive units.

It was just another example of Lynch shouldering a powerful workload and shining in his opportunities to run.

His 13 rushing touchdowns tied with DeMarco Murray for the league lead.

Lynch was also No. 4 in first downs via rushes with 65. Only Murray, Le’Veon Bell and LeSean Mccoy had more than him in all of 2014.

Perhaps most impressive of all, Lynch only committed one fumble on his 280 rushes. It was recovered by Seattle.

Throw in his four receiving touchdowns and you have a player who’s not only dominant, but invaluable.

In the playoffs, Lynch has been just as dominant.

He finished with 157 yards.

Lynch’s production is only part of what makes him so valuable to Seattle. Beyond his numbers is his uncanny ability to carry defenders and thrive as a true workhorse running back.

That’s only part of his true value.

November 27, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) hands the football off to running back Marshawn Lynch (24) against the San Francisco 49ers during the first quarter at Levi

True Value

Russell Wilson is an excellent quarterback. He doesn’t turn the ball over, he makes plays with his legs and he has a powerful arm.

The key to Seattle’s offense, however, is and long has been Marshawn Lynch.

When Lynch gets the ball, the entire defense collapses. Multiple players come up to bring him down, a majority of them fail in doing so and Seattle wears down its opposition.

More times than not, it takes a handful of players to wrestle the 215-pound goliath to the ground. It’s rare that he ever gets brought down on the first hit.

By the time the fourth quarter rolls around, a defense has expended so much energy in attempting to stop Lynch that it loses its edge.

Either that or he flashes his underrated agility.

Due to Lynch’s ability to keep going after drawing contact, Seattle feels comfortable running him on any down. He goes between the tackles, can bounce outside and even flashes out as a receiver.

Most importantly, he’s the most powerful decoy in the NFL.

Lynch is dominant on plays in which he doesn’t even touch the ball. He’s such a threat as a runner that the defense collapses at the first sign of the read option or a play-action.

The same can be said for Russell Wilson, who benefits as much from Lynch’s presence as anyone.

The issue with replacing Lynch with another running back is that, between the tackles, no active running back is more dominant. He’s been, arguably, better in the playoffs than any other available back.

To remove Lynch’s power game from the read option would be to greatly hinder the primary strength of Seattle’s offense. Teams would be more inclined to go after Russell Wilson, thus damaging the appeal of the attack.

Plain and simple, when this coming offseason rolls around, the Seahawks cannot afford to let Lynch go.