The Seattle Seahawks return to the postseason in one more season with Pete Carroll as head coach and Russell Wilson as quarterback. The NFC West squad finished 12-4 and made their way to the 2021 NFL Playoffs as divisional leader, marking the fifth time in Carroll’s era that they have advanced in such a manner. Now, they hope to be more successful than in recent years in this instance.
Seattle Seahawks 2020 Season
To make the comparison, don’t miss our opinion of this team at the start of the season.
The Seahawks season is divided into two parts. In the first, Carroll’s team was 6-1 in the first eight weeks with offense being one of the best in the NFL and defense one of the worst in the league. In the second half of the season, Seattle finished 6-3 with defense dramatically improving but offense dropping considerably.
Russell Wilson started the year as an imminent MVP nominee and ended the year without even being one of the top candidates for the award. Wow, that’s been the Seahawks’ only problem recently. The defense is already championship-caliber, led by his LB line in Jordyn Brooks, Bobby Wagner and KJ Wright. In addition, DE Carlos Dunlap came (week 9) to revolutionize the pass rush and SS Jamal Adams (whom they acquired by two first-round selections in offseason) broke the record for the most sacks in a season for a defensive back (9.5).
Seattle, too, saw its main receivers end historic seasons. WR Tyler Lockett became the first receiver in 45 years to have multiple seasons with more than 1,000 yards, plus he broke the record for most receptions in a year for a Seattle WR (100). For his part, WR DK Metcalf surpassed the mark for the most yards per reception in a season for a Seahawks player (1,303, passing legendary Pro Football Hall of Fame member Steve Largent).
Basically Seattle has all its postseason pieces complete with a healthy offensive line (as LG Mike Iupati and RT Brandon Shell are ready), pass rush, elite receivers, healthy running backs and the best linebacker line in the NFL. If Russell Wilson can take advantage of all this that he has around him and shows a similar level to the start of the season, it will be difficult to stop the Seahawks in the 2021 NFL Playoffs.
3 strengths of the Seahawks
- Despite everything, offense that scores points
Even though Russell Wilson has not been at his best at the season finale and has been waking up until the fourth quarter, the Seahawks’ offense scores points. He’s eighth-best in the NFL in points scored on average per game at 28.7 and that’s a good factor for winning postseason games, an instance Wilson knows all too well.
- A front-seven elite
The Seahawks’ front seven are primarily responsible for this defense having improved remarkably. They are the sixth team with the most sacks in 2020 (46) and the fifth best defense against the rushing attack (95.6 yards per game allowed), thanks to their linebackers, their defensive line and the collaboration of Adams putting pressure on the QB.
Defenses win championships and this group makes this defense championship caliber.
- Carroll and Wilson’s experience in the playoffs
Of the nine seasons Wilson and Carroll have led in the Seahawks, eight of them have been playoffs. They have lost just one game in the Wild Card Round, so they know how to advance in the postseason. Plus, they have two trips to the Super Bowl, a title, and they know what it’s like to be in this instance. When your leaders dominate this instance, it will always be a strength.
3 weaknesses of the Seahawks
- Permissive against air attack
Despite the fact that the offense has improved dramatically (and that in the last seven games they allow less than 220 yards per pass), they are still the second worst defense against the pass in the NFL (285 yards per game). With such good offenses in the postseason, it can be tough for the defense to hold out as long when there are these problems in the secondary.
- Defense in important moments
The Seahawks can be good at first and second chances at slowing down opposing offenses, but at third they have a lot of trouble. They are the sixth worst defense in third opportunities, allowing a percentage of 47.1% effectiveness in these instances. This is always a mental blow and, coming back to the same thing, offensives led by QB Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady are unforgiving.
- Playoff history for the past seven years
Although it seems a contradictory point with the third fortress; the Seahawks have not advanced to the NFC Championship Game in the past seven years (with six appearances) with the Divisional Round being their nemesis. Without being one of the two seeds in the conference, Seattle has struggled to defeat the strongest in the conference and this year history repeats itself.
Two Seattle Seahawks Players to Watch
Beyond the recurring and popular stars they have on the roster, these are players who can be decisive in the postseason:
Very discreet in 2020, Wright ended the campaign as one of the top ten linebackers in the NFL. He finished the season with 86 tackles, 11 tackles for loss of yards, 3 hits to the QB, 2 sacks, 1 INT, 10 passes defended, 1 forced fumble and 2 fumbles recovered. He is an extraordinary ally of LB Bobby Wagner and helps LB Jordyn Brooks make an impact.
There was no better trade made during the 2020 Season than Dunlap’s arrival to the Seahawks from the Bengals. In nine games with Seattle, the veteran recorded 14 tackles, 6 tackles for loss of yards, 13 hits to the QB, 2 passes defended and 5 sacks. He was primarily responsible for the pass rush will improve considerably And it will be vital in the postseason.
The Seattle Seahawks could make it to the Super Bowl if …
Russell Wilson comes out on fire. There is no more, it has to be the leader of the Seahawks offense who comes out in a big plan so that this team can play in Tampa Bay, especially since he started the season as an imminent MVP. The rest of his teammates are fine and the defense is in good shape, so it’s up to him to show why he’s one of the best QBs in the NFL in these playoffs to make it to the Super Bowl.
The Seattle Seahawks will be eliminated if …
We see Russell Wilson from the second half of the season hold up. If the offense continues to have series in which they do not reach the points zone, then it will be difficult for them to reach the Super Bowl that way. The defense, however good it may be, would not be able to hold off the offenses of the NFC rivals for that long if the offense brings them back to the field often.
Key stats
- The Seahawks are the fourth best team in percentage of effectiveness scoring TDs in the red zone in the NFL with 73.2%
- Russell Wilson finished the season with the second-most TD passes in the league (40)
- FS Quandre Diggs was tied for fourth-most interceptions in the NFL (5)
- Seattle was the seventh team to score the most points in the 2020 Season (459)
- The Seahawks are 9-6 in the playoffs in the era of Russell Wilson and Pete Carroll
How do you think the Seattle Seahawks are doing in the postseason? We read you in the comments.
Don’t miss our entire series on each team that advanced to the 2021 NFL Playoffs:
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