Worse Than Advertised

Before the 2017 NFL season started, Seattle Seahawk fans, myself included, worried about the quality of the offensive line. They appeared to be a weak link that could sink the whole season. Now that the Seahawks 2017 season is underway it has become exceedingly obvious that the offensive line is worse than expected. That doesn't mean the season is lost, but it does mean that if they don't do something fast, to fix the porous offensive line, it will be over soon. 

In all three games this year the offensive line has been pushed around. They have been physically overmatched and sloppy. Defenders are able to push right through them or run around them. There have been several times when the majority of the offensive line is left standing untouched only able to helplessly watch the play unfold for a loss of yards. 

This is suboptimal pass blocking pic.twitter.com/DbFQD9zgEb

— Steven Ruiz (@theStevenRuiz) September 12, 2017

The line has failed to consistently provide lanes for the running backs. More often than not the Seahawks running backs have been hit behind the line of scrimmage. It has been a battle just to eke out a zero yard gain. This has resulted in the Seahawks averaging only 96.67 rushing yards per game. 

The struggle to sustain a running game also hurts the passing game. The other teams don’t have to respect the play action pass. The don't have the bring extra defenders in to slow down the ground game. Instead they can leave defenders in the secondary. Additionally, the line is unable to provide adequate protection to give Russell Wilson any time to pass. All of this has resulted in an anemic passing game able to squeak out 226.67 yards per game. 

All of this is depressing for Seahawks fans especially because it was foreseeable. Now the team has only two choice to try and fix the line. They can stick with what they have and hope that the players start to improve or they can turn to the trade market to try and add someone better then mediocre at playing offensive line. If they trade for an improvement they will have to give away future draft picks and most likely a quality player. Personally I think they should be willing to part with next year's first rounder to try and salvage this year. They should also consider trading one of their quality skill players. 

The 2017 version of the Seahawks offensive line is terrible. The line will most likely continue to hold back the offense. The o-line is like a governor on a racecar, keeping the team from reaching their full potential. The season is still young and isn't a lost cause yet, but the team needs to fix the offensive line.

Why the Seahawks Will Not Win Super Bowl LII

While the Seahawks are definitely a favorite to win the NFC Championship, they are not a perfect team. The 2017 Seahawks have one glaring terrible flaw that could keep them from reaching the Super Bowl. Much like 2016, the 2017 Seahawks feature one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL.

For anyone who watched the Seahawks 2016 season memories of the offense usually involve the offensive line failing. They failed to effectively run block. The team averaged under 100 rushing yards per game. They failed to protect Russell Wilson. The QB was sacked 41 times and played hurt for much of the season. The o-lines ineptitude cost the team at least a few games. Week 12 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers being the game where they played their absolute worst (if you don't remember this abysmal game consider yourself lucky. The game ended 5-14).

So, heading into the 2017 one would assume the Seahawks had spent most of the offseason upgrading the worst unit on their team. And try they did. Unfortunately, it appears that the team is still going to be terrible and frustrating when it comes to blocking.

The team picked center Ethan Pocic in the second round of the draft. They signed free agent Luke Joeckel, a former Jacksonville Jaguar lineman. They raved about second year player George Fant. They still had Justin Britt and awarded him with a new contract. One would assume they had a fifth starter in mind.

The thing is none of these moves are that impressive or really fix the offensive line. Ethan Pocic is a center. The only position where the Seahawks line was acceptable was center. Joeckel was a huge bust in Jacksonville. The Jaguars were so over him that they just let him walk. George Fant is a former basketball player with almost no football experience. He played poorly in 2016 and a huge improvement would only bring him to mediocre, but then he got hurt in the preseason. Britt is fine for an NFL starter, but he is no All-Pro.

During the season the offense will run hot and cold as drives are crushed by poor blocking and penalties. In the playoffs teams have good pass rushers and, without unexpected improvement by the lineman, Russell Wilson will have to scramble constantly. It will be up to the defense and special teams to shut down opponents and let the Seahawks squeak by with close victories. The margin for error will be tiny against quality opponents. If the Seahawks fail to make it to the Super Bowl this year it will certainly be because of their offensive line.

Why the 2017 Seahawks Will Win Super Bowl LII

The 2017 NFL season is fast approaching. My favorite team, the Seattle Seahawks, is a very talented yet flawed team. Even so they look like a favorite in the NFC yet again. If they do manage to win the conference championship and represent the NFC in the Super Bowl again it will be because of their defense.

During Pete Carroll's time as head coach and grand poobah of the Seahawks the team has consistently been one of the best defensive units in the league. They have led the NFL in scoring defense four of the last five years. Their one miss was last year when they still finished a respectablethird at 18.2 points conceded per game. Matt Calkins describes the Seahawksstrategy well writing, "Seahawks football — at least for the past five years — is keeping opposing offenses to single digits and driving them to madness." The Seahawks defense is best described with one word, dominate.>

All of the key players from the Seahawks historic run of defense dominance are back. Thomas, Chancellor, Sherman still man the Legion of Boom. Wagner and Wright still fly around the field making crazy tackles. The defensive line is still anchored by Bennett and Avril. Although all of these guys are creeping up there in age, none of them have yet shown signs of diminished skills. If they continue to avoid father times grip the team will dominate yet again.

Personally I am excited for the return of Earl Thomas. The small, but powerful safety proved how influential he is to the team's success when he got hurt at the end of 2016. With Thomas the team went 8-2-1. Without him they went 3-4, including the playoffs.  The team's defense never recovered from the loss of Thomas. The Falcons dismantled their defense in the playoffs. I don't think Falcons QB Matt Ryan could have marched down the field so easily with Thomas lurking. Entering 2017 Thomas should be all healed and ready to return to his old dominate self.

The greatness of the defense is further augmented by the addition of Sheldon Richardson. The Seahawks traded  away mediocre wide receiver Jermaine Kearse for Richardson, who is a Pro Bowl caliber defensive tackle. The knock on Richardson is his off field behavior. Assuming he stays out of trouble Richardson should turn the Seahawks great defensive line into a potentially historic one. I would expect the Seahawks to stymie ever running back they face up against.

The defensive line did lose to key contributors from 2016 in Cassius Marsh and Ahtyba Rubin. Both played well in 2016, but are no longer on the roster for different reasons. Rubin appears to be a straight up causality of the NFL salary cap. He was getting paid too much money to keep both him and Richardson on the team. Marsh, on the other hand, is a bit more surprising. He was traded to New England for draft picks. I thought Marsh was progressing nicely and added value to the d-line for a relatively cheap price.

Even with the loss of these two players I think the defensive line should be amazing. Bennett, Avril, Clark, and Richardson are proven NFL stars. All four could end up Pro Bowlers. Jarran Reed has been progressing nicely and rookie Nazair Jones offers exciting possibilities with his talent.

The Seahawks defenses under Pete Carroll will end up legendary. NFL fans will be telling their children about the Legion of Boom. Opposing quarterbacks will sing their praises on talk shows for years to come. Despite getting another year older the end hasn't come yet for Seattle's defense. This team still looks set to dominate the NFL and for that reason the Seahawks have a legitimate chance to win Super Bowl LII.