The Seahawks have struggled on several fronts this season. When the offense is rolling, the defense struggles. When the defense is dialed in, the offense struggles. And in some games, they just can't quite get it together. Therein lies the problem.
The Hawks began the season with a lot of promise. Initially, they delivered on the excitement of a new head coach. Mike Macdonald had his team off to a 3-0 start. Granted, that's a bit misleading as they faced a rookie quarterback in his first start, then a career backup QB in Week 2, and a pair of hapless backups in Week 3.
Then our Seahawks faced a legitimate team in Week 4, the Detroit Lions. That first loss doesn't look so bad in hindsight. It could be excused to some extent with all the injuries Seattle had. But the team's weaknesses were exposed and only got worse as the losses piled up. The loss to the Giants, now 2-13, was inexcusable. Following a loss to the Niners, the win over the Falcons turned out to be fools' gold, as the Hawks then lost their next two games.
The Seattle Seahawks must play consistent football to win
The Seahawks rattled off four straight wins after their bye week, and things were looking up in the Emerald City. By Week 14 they had climbed from the cellar of the division to the top. Yes, they looked every bit the best of the NFC West. As it turned out, our Hawks really weren't that good after all. Just as in the first few games of the season, their record was an illusion built on mediocre competition.
Seattle's first real test in over a month came against Green Bay, and they failed miserably. Once the Hawks faced a legitimate contender, it became painfully aware that our team was not in the same category. It seemed that if there was a way to lose, the Seahawks found it. They played much better against the Vikings in Week 16, but still lost to throw their playoff hopes into the hands of the Cardinals.
The common thread throughout all the losses, and even some of the wins, is consistency. The loss to Minnesota is as clear an example of that as we've seen all year. Geno Smith was brilliant, for the most part. He was 31-43 for over 300 yards and three touchdowns. He led the team to yet another fourth-quarter comeback to take the late lead. He also threw two interceptions. In both cases, it looked like he and DK Metcalf weren't on the same page on the route.
The Hawks defense made several spectacular plays against the Vikings. They forced Minnesota into four three-and-outs and six punts in all. They also allowed the guys in purple to score the winning touchdown just 30 seconds after Smith engineered what should have been the winning drive. That was followed by that final stab wound, the second pick on yet another missed Geno to DK route.
What's missing? Consistency. It isn't just consistency in execution, either. After the Hawks handed off to Kenneth Walker on three of their first four offensive plays, gaining 19 yards, they only gave the ball to the running backs nine more times. Yes, Walker left with an injury, but Zach Charbonnet had just run for 134 yards two weeks earlier. Kenny MacIntosh was effective as well, picking up 14 yards on three carries.
This team could be so much better if there were consistent. Yes, being consistent on every play really is a lot to ask. The best teams can get away with mental errors and still win. The Seahawks aren't there yet. I believe they will be there, and I don't think it will take Mike Macdonald long to get them there. It's year one, after all. As some 12s have forgotten, Pete Carroll didn't turn the Seahawks into true contenders until his third season. This team needs to play consistent ball on every down to get there.
