Seattle Seahawks: A Healthy Marshawn Lynch is Key for Playoff Success
By Nick Ziegler
It has been a bit of a bumpy ride for the Seattle Seahawks this season, as their season hasn’t gone as smoothly as in years past.
In the last two seasons, the Seahawks have been the representative for the NFC in the Super Bowl, and after beating the Denver Broncos with ease in 2013 season, the Seahawks suffered a heart-breaking loss to the New England Patriots last season.
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The decision to have Russell Wilson throw the ball on the goal line instead of running it with Marshawn Lynch will go down in Super Bowl history as one of the worst coaching decisions ever made. Lynch has been a horse for the Seahawks, and when on the goal line, there are few better running backs in football for powering the ball in for a touchdown.
Lynch will likely be heading to Canton, Ohio one day for his bruising running style that has made him one of the best-running backs in the last 10 years. Lynch’s durability was always amazing despite his hard-nosed running, but this season it those big hits have seemed to have caught up with the 29-year-old running back.
In 2015, Lynch has had a really poor year for his standards, as he has only played in seven games. In those seven games, Lynch has totaled 417 rushing yards, three rushing touchdowns, and 3.8 yards per carry average. Injuries will cost Lynch his streak of four straight seasons with over 1,000 yards rushing, as he wasn’t able to come close to that number.
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Coming into the 2015 season, the Seahawks’ offense was figured to begin to show a new identity with Wilson coming in with a big new contract and expectations of being the franchise quarterback. The Seahawks also pulled off a blockbuster trade to acquire Jimmy Graham. The addition of Graham didn’t instantly improve the Seahawks’ passing offense, as he wasn’t that much of a factor before his season ended early with a knee injury.
The Seahawks have improved their passing offense a lot this year with the progression of Wilson along with wide receivers Doug Baldwin, Jermaine Kearse, and Tyler Lockett, but they are still a team that wants to establish the run.
With the injuries to Lynch, the main beneficiary to his absence was rookie Thomas Rawls from Central Michigan. This season, Rawls has totaled 830 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns. Rawls was able to have a few monster games, as he totaled 169 rushing yards against the Cincinnati Bengals, and he also totaled 209 rushing yards against the San Francisco 49ers. Rawls, unfortunately, suffered a broken ankle, which ended his season early, and left the Seahawks without their two talented running backs.
The good news for the Seahawks heading into the playoffs is that Lynch appears to be very close to returning, as we may see him against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 17.
Carroll says RB Marshawn Lynch has a chance to be back on Wednesday "if today and tomorrow go well." If cleared, he would be able to return.
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) December 28, 2015
With a playoff spot already clinched, the Seahawks will be focusing on trying to make it to the Super Bowl yet again this season. Without the huge advantage of playing at home in the playoffs this postseason, the Seahawks are going to need to be firing on all cylinders on both offense and defense.
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On the offensive side of the ball, the Seahawks will need a healthy Lynch in the backfield with Wilson as the duo has proven to be able to beat anyone together.