Why the Seahawks are legitimate Super Bowl contenders

At the time this is being written, the Seahawks currently sit at two wins with zero losses and are in a three-way tie for first place in the NFC West. Coming off their hard fought win over the very talented New England Patriots team — who seem to have not lost a beat since the departure of Tom Brady —  showed why the Seahawks can be viewed as favorites to win the NFC and compete for a Super Bowl championship. However, it also revealed where they need to improve which could end up being what holds them back. 

All offseason we heard fans and analysts beg for the Seahawks coaching staff to “let Russ cook” — they wanted to see quarterback Russell Wilson let loose and throw the ball more. Through two weeks, it looks like this is just what they are doing. 

In the week two 35–30 win over the Patriots, Wilson completed 21of 28 pass attempts for 288 yards, five touchdowns and one interception. The interception came from the hands of tight end Greg Olson and should not be counted against Wilson. The previous week, Wilson threw for 322 yards and four touchdowns. It is clear that head coach Pete Carroll and the rest of the coaching staff are putting more trust in Wilson’s arm to win them games. This is the main reason I believe they will still be playing on Super Bowl Sunday. 

Wilson is easily one of the most talented quarterbacks in the league and can make throws no one else can. Personally, I would rank him above Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes at the moment, which would raise some eyebrows. But, Wilson’s decision making and deep throw accuracy put him ahead of any quarterback in the league, making him the current MVP front runner. 

Credit also needs to go to the Seattle receiving core led by Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf who, when combined, have accrued 23 catches, 346 yards and three touchdowns. I am most impressed with the massive jump Metcalf has made from his rookie to sophomore season. His talent was always undeniably there, but now he is running more precise routes and making plays over some of the top defensive backs in the league. 

Heavy criticism followed the acquisition of pro bowl safety Jamal Adams, but it seems that the trade will work out heavily in Seattle’s favor. Adams has already accounted for 22 total tackles including three and a half tackles for loss and one sack. I noticed right away the edge Adams brings to this defense. He is someone who can cover anyone as well as step up in the box and shut down the run. 

This, however, leads to the sole reason why the Seahawks may be held back from competing for a title and it is a familiar problem: no pass rush. We simply cannot rely on Adams for our entire pass rush, which has been a common occurrence thus far. Opposing quarterbacks are throwing for large amounts of yardage but our secondary should not be blamed. With no pass rush from the defensive line, NFL receivers will eventually open up, which is exactly what we are seeing. 

The loss of Jadaveon Clowney plays a part in this, but our pass rush proved to be a problem last year as well. Young defensive players such as LJ Collier, Rasheem Green and Jordyn Brooks will need to step up and learn fast. In order for the team to play up to its full potential, they will need to be key contributors.

Although there were a few negatives from the first two weeks, I was very impressed with what I saw out of this team. What stands out to me most is the quickness of the team as a whole — something they lacked last year. If the pass rush can be worked out then there is no limit to where this team could end up.