Seahawks Status Report Ahead Of Week 7 Versus Thrilling Chargers
A third of the way through the season, our Seattle Seahawks have exceeded expectations. Let’s take inventory of what this iteration of the Hawks have accomplished so far, grade some draft picks and predict how the rest of the season plays out.
Seahawks Season Recap
The Hawks are currently 3-3, sitting third in the NFC West. Looking back at the three losses specifically, only the game against the 49ers seemed to never be in reach. The games against the Falcons and Saints were one-score games that realistically the Seahawks should have won barring their defensive meltdowns.
Currently, Geno Smith is ninth in passing and the Seahawks have improved from near worst to the number twelve best offense. It’s been blatantly obvious so far that our fears about Geno Smith and an impotent offense have not come true We have a strong running back rookie pick in Kenneth Walker, solid star wide receivers in Lockett and Metcalf, and have involved more tight ends in the offense than recent years. The glaring issue with the Seahawks team this year has been the defense.
The defense through six games is ranked 30th in the NFL. They have been susceptible to high-powered rush offenses and also big plays. The Hawks are 30th in opponent average yards per play at 6.2. In simple terms this means they rarely hold teams to third downs or limit teams in points per drive. In the game against the Cardinals as predicted, they allowed Kyler Murray to rush for 100 yards. Luckily, that was about the only thing working for the Cardinals offense last Sunday.
Seahawks Rookie Check
The Seahawks had one of the better drafts in recent years. Kenneth Walker III looks like an emerging star and capable of leading the rushing attack in the absence of Rashaad Penny. Rookie tackles Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas have shored up two critical parts of the offensive line. They have committed four and five penalties respectively. But this should improve with experience.
Finally, evaluating the rookies wouldn’t be complete without talking about Tariq Woolen. He has been the shining piece of the defense so far this season. Woolen already has four interceptions (tied for leading the league), two fumble recoveries, and a touchdown from one of his interceptions. We can’t wait to see Woolen evolve and grow into a star player and defensive standout.
How Does the Rest of the Season Play Out?
The NFC West right now is wide open with each team showing weaknesses. The 49ers have catastrophic injuries this season, the Rams aren’t clicking and are dropping games, the Seahawks can’t play defense, and the Cardinals are just…bad. Looking at the rest of the season I think the Hawks could reasonably go 8-9 (4-2 in division, splitting games with 49ers and Rams and sweeping Cardinals). Feasibly, we could see the 49ers finishing 11-6 winning the division, Rams at 9-8, and the Cardinals at 6-11 and maybe winless in division play. With the rollercoaster of a season so far, 8-9 may feel successful to a Seahawks team in transition.
The 2023 Draft has to center around defense for the Seahawks. If they finish close to 8-9 or better, Geno Smith could stay as quarterback of the future. The draft should focus around interior defensive linemen, another star cornerback to play opposite Woolen and potential safeties of the future.
The Seahawks have performed well above expectation six games in. They need to just keep winning, whether it’s a shootout or low-scoring like last Sunday against the Cardinals. Not finishing last in division and surprising some teams like they did Week One against the Broncos brings some hope to the 12s.
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