@Calvpaz asks, “Are the Seahawks serious contenders for the Super Bowl?”
A: Yes, both in the sense that when they reach the playoffs with at least one game at home, they are in a position that only a handful of the 32 teams have reached this season, and also in the sense that they have what it takes to beat anyone on any Sunday.
Although the Seahawks offensive is not performing at the same level of performance at the start of the season – and if you look around the league, many offenses have cooled a little with the rhythm of the start of the season – Russell Wilson’s second half game Sunday in that he posted a passer rating of 137.0, completing 10 of 13 passes against one of the best defenses in the league, was very encouraging. The Seahawks’ racing game has also improved over the course of the season, and with healthy Chris Carson, Carlos Hyde and Rashaad Penny, this can be an important part of the game in the postseason.
But the biggest reason for optimism about the chances of the Seahawks is the improvement of defense, which in the last seven games is allowing only 15 points per game, the lowest in the NFL. Earlier this season, the Seahawks needed Wilson and the attack to be at their best for the team to win, but with a defense playing so well, the Seahawks can win in just about any type of game, from a shootout to a low score, defensive case.
And lastly, it would be remiss not to mention special teams, which has been the most consistent element of the Seattle game this season. In addition to having two Pro Bowlers in long snapper Tyler Ott and fullback Nick Bellore, kicker Jason Myers and punter Michael Dickson are both playing at the Pro-Bowl level, even though they have not received that honor, and the coverage units, led by Bellore’s game has been excellent all year. In a tight playoff game, this type of special team game can make all the difference.
@Odinbn asks, “Is my forecast of 1,400 yards and 12 touchdowns still within reach of DK Metcalf?
A: Metcalf, who currently has 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns, would need to have a good game to get that prediction right, but it’s definitely not out of reach. Metcalf surpassed the 118 yards he would need to reach that mark on two occasions this year, and made two games with two touchdowns. And the only game in which he hit both marks happened in week 8 against the team he will see this weekend, with Metcalf getting 12 passes for 161 yards and two goals.
It is also worth keeping an eye on Metcalf, with only 6 yards, he will break Steve Largent’s one-season franchise record to receive yards.
@SamithGanesh asks, “What will happen with the return of Marquise Blair next year?”
A: The short answer is that, in one way or another, the secondary is better.
The Seahawks were fortunate to have Ugo Amadi in the role of nickel this season, but it should not be forgotten how impressive Blair was on the training ground after taking up that role. The most obvious answer is that Blair and Amadi would compete for the role of nickel, but there is also a good chance, if everyone is healthy, the Seahawks will sometimes be creative to use both, given how well Amadi played. A healthy Blair would also give the Seahawks a good depth in their original security position behind Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs.
We are a long way from figuring out what the 2021 high school will look like, but a healthy Blair will do it better, one way or another.
@MatthewSugiyama asks, “Update on Bobby Wagner’s hematoma?”
A: This is a reference to Carroll saying, after Sunday’s game, that Wagner had an injured arm. A day later, Carroll joked that Wagner, “will not even let us look at it, I think he is fine”.
ThatWiiMaster asks, “Is there any chance that the Seahawks will bring Bruce Irvin back next year, assuming he is willing to play and be healthy?”
R: Possible, right? Irvin’s ACL injury occurred early in the season, so he will probably be healthy early next season, and the Seahawks considered him enough in 2020 to sign him, so they would probably consider it again if Irvin expressed an interest in coming back. A lot would have to work out for this to happen, from Irvin deciding he wants to continue playing in his 10th season, to the money working out for both him and the Seahawks, but as Carroll and John Schneider are known to say, a team never there can be a lot of pass rushers, so a meeting can definitely make some sense.
Oh, and there’s also Irvin in October: