Outlaw Pete: Seattle Seahawks Season Preview

2012 Record: 11-5

Total Offense: 17
Passing Offense: 27
Rushing Offense: 3
Scoring Offense: 9

Total Defense: 4
Passing Defense: 6
Rushing Defense: 10
Scoring Defense: 1

What a difference a year can make. Last year at this time we were talking about whether or not Matt Flynn could beat out Tavaris Jackson and Russell Wilson for the starting job. As it turns out, Wilson was as good as a rookie in the NFL as he was at Wisconsin. Marshawn Lynch is still a beast and the Seahawks traded a first round pick for WR Percy Harvin (who might need surgery that would make him questionable for part of the season). Harvin gives this offense a weapon with explosive power that it lacked last season. Without Harvin, the receiving corps is decent but not spectacular. 

The Seahawks are absolutely loaded on the defensive side of the ball. They added Cliff Avril to an already dangerous defensive front. On the back end, Seattle boasts the best secondary in the league with Richard Sherman, Brandon Browner and Antoine Winfield at corner and Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor at safety. If the Seahawks have a weakness, it’s at outside linebacker, but their safeties are good enough in the middle of the field to cover the deficiency. Seattle will be downright nasty to play against this season and it wouldn’t be surprising at all to see them in the top 5 in total defense at the end of the year.

Percy Harvin’s injury is a big deal. If he needs season-ending surgery then the Seahawks offense takes on a totally different dynamic. They have the horses in the backfield to be a ground-and-pound team but they lack a receiver with the game-breaking ability to go the distance any time he touches the ball. 

The Seahawks overachieved a bit last season, but are still one of the better teams in the league (even potentially without Harvin). 9-7