2017 Seattle Seahawks
While the Seahawks’ offensive line continued to deteriorate over previous seasons, Seattle’s front office did little to rectify the ongoing problem. By 2017, Seattle’s offensive line was one of the league’s worst, ranking 25th in pass protection and 31st in run blocking, per Football Outsiders. With an inconsistent running game and poor pass protection, the Seahawks leaned heavily on Russell Wilson, and the quarterback responded by leading the NFL with 34 touchdown passes, while adding another 586 yards and three scores on the ground.
Although Wilson has been one of the NFL’s top quarterbacks over the course of his career, the Seahawks relied on their dominant defense during their deep playoff runs. Seahawks head coach Pete Carrol learned that pairing the league’s top defense with a respectable offensive attack — comprised of a strong running game, and a competent passing game thanks to Wilson’s improvisational skills — you could build a championship-caliber team.
In 2017, Wilson was able to keep the Seahawks’ offense in the top half of the league, but Seattle’s defense — particularly its “Legion of Boom” — imploded. The team first lost star cornerback Richard Sherman to an Achilles injury, and then lost strong safety Kam Chancellor to a neck injury days later, while top free safety Earl Thomas battled injuries throughout the year. The final result was a mid-level defense, which resulted in the Seahawks missing the playoffs for the first time in Wilson’s career.
Seattle’s situation went from bad to worse after the end of the season, with Chancellor announcing his retirement, Sherman quickly signing with the rival San Francisco 49ers after his release and Thomas holding out due to a contract dispute. The Seahawks also traded defensive lineman Michael Bennett, released fellow DL Cliff Avril, and allowed both tight end Jimmy Graham and wide receiver Paul Richardson to walk in free agency.
However, all is not lost in Seattle. Along with Wilson, the Seahawks still have a roster filled with talent, including stud middle linebacker Bobby Wagner and Pro Bowl wide receiver Doug Baldwin — and Thomas could potentially return to the team as well. The Seahawks haven’t entered rebuilding mode quite yet, but even more than in years past, their 2018 fate will rest on the shoulders of quarterback Russell Wilson.
If Seattle wants to return to the playoffs in 2018, they will need Wilson to achieve the following three goals:
Next Page: Goal No. 1
