Seattle is one of those teams that’s hard to believe in because, on paper, they don’t seem to be able to match up with other top playoff contenders in the NFC.
In Week 9, Pete Carroll’s Seahawks had a chance to move ahead of the San Francisco 49ers for sole possession of first place in the NFC West and second place in the conference, holding the tiebreaker over Detroit. Instead, they traveled to Baltimore and shit their pants, justifying all the doubters who didn’t buy them as true NFC contenders.
Losing is always disappointing, but traveling across the country only to get stomped 37-3 by the Ravens can be demoralizing. Seattle was a quiet 5-2 entering Sunday’s game with a chance to take control of the division. But like the Lions a few weeks earlier the seahawks came one buzz saw in baltimore. The Ravens defeated two of the best the NFC has to offer by a combined score of 75-9.
When we talk about the top teams in the conference this year, the Seahawks might get a mention, but that usually comes down to the wire. They are never listed first, second, or rarely even third among the NFC “contenders.” Sunday was their chance to throw the ball in everyone’s faces, but they couldn’t even score a touchdown. Lamar Jackson was even sidelined for part of the game for Baltimore, and Seattle still couldn’t get anything going.
Not the Seahawks we used to know
Geno Smith played like he was stuck in a New York City flashback with the Jets as the running game was stifled by the Ravens defense. Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet combined for 24 yards on the ground on 13 carries. The crazy thing about this game is that neither team scored in the first quarter. Things went wrong for Carroll’s Seahawks in the second quarter as they went into halftime down 17-3. And that was all she wrote.
The Seahawks have a date with the 49ers on Thanksgiving night, but have another chance to add a few wins before that and take on the Commanders and Rams. Then Seattle plays the Cowboys, the Niners (again) and the Eagles. Those four weeks will likely determine whether the Seahawks are a legitimate playoff team.
In the coming weeks, Seattle will have plenty of opportunities to prove those outside the Pacific Northwest wrong about this franchise. One thing they need to do is recapture the run game. What was once a key part of Carroll’s Seahawks offense is now just an afterthought. Seattle ranks in the bottom third of the NFL in rushing.
It’s incredible that Seattle is 5-3, as they have been a mediocre or worst team in many offensive and defensive categories for most of the season. They look great for a few games, then wet the bed and get blown out. That’s why it’s so hard to trust this team and hold them on par with other NFC teams. The Seahawks need to find themselves before Week 12 or they may be on the outside looking in through the postseason window they slipped into last year.