When we say “north” in the context of the NFL, we primarily mean Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, or even New England with New York, where it also often snows in December. But formally, Seattle is the northernmost city in the NFL, the “gateway to Alaska”, 150 km to the border with Canada, and so on.
While it’s true that Seattle isn’t as cold as the places above, it’s not as warm as other cities on the West Coast either. It has moderately warm summers and cool winter-autumn-spring. In general, Seattle has a reputation as a “city of rains”, but this is a bit of a myth. New York, Atlanta, Boston, Baltimore, and even Jacksonville get more rainfall, but that’s all on the East Coast. Seattle is a rainy city by Western standards.
Seattle is a distributor of iconic elements of pop culture. From here came grunge, a style of alternative rock music that made its way into the mainstream in the early nineties. At Seahawks games, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, and Soundgarden (the big four) can be heard. Many advanced coffee shop chains spread across the States from Seattle. After all, the town of Twin Peaks was not far from the state capital of Washington (not to be confused with Washington, D.C.).
History
The Seahawks joined the NFL relatively late, only in 1976. The first success of the club is associated with the name of coach Chuck Knox. Under him, the team in the mid-eighties for the first time began to break into the playoffs and, as they say, “put itself on the map.”
It is noteworthy that the Seahawks have never been constant outsiders, and even in the nineties – a difficult decade for themselves (only one exit to the playoffs) – they were middle peasants.
Great success came to the Seahawks with the beginning of the 21st century. First, under the guidance of coach Mike Holmgren and running back Sean Alexander (2005 season MVP), the team made it to the playoffs five times in a row, including reaching the Super Bowl, where they lost to Pittsburgh. In 2010, Seattle was led by Pete Carroll, and began a golden era – from that moment the team did not make the playoffs only three times. In 2013, the defense-led Legion of Boom Seattle won the Super Bowl, and a year later made it to the final again only to lose it in the last second.
previous season
7-10, fourth in the NFC West. Disappointing on all fronts. First season below 50% since 2011 and the only such season under quarterback Russell Wilson. Wilson himself was forced to miss a regular season game for the first time in his career due to injury – in the fifth week game against the Rams, he injured his shooting finger and was out for three games. Wilson returned faster than expected, but he was not himself and could not drag the team on himself. At the start of the season, the Seattle defense was hitting anti-records, passing a phenomenal number of yards. As a result, the team, once glorious for its powerful defense, took 28th place in yards conceded.
Starting quarterback
Gino Smith.It seems to be how he won the competition from Drew Lock, who moved from Denver. In general, the question of who will start at the Seahawks is now almost irrelevant for several reasons. Firstly, neither with Locke nor Smith, the prospects for Seattle are not impressive at all. Lok in the new team would be interesting to look at, as faith in his potential is still showing signs of life. Second, the Seahawks will likely make a significant bet on the run this season, so the quarterback will be required not to interfere. Third, the Seahawks’ starting quarterback is likely to change more than once during the season. It is possible that right now they do not even have the point guard with whom the team will complete the regular season. There were rumors that Jimmy Garoppolo could be that passer (still possible), but it looks like
Main coach
Pete Carroll. A 70 year old veteran of his craft who never loses his enthusiasm despite his age. A specialist in strict principles and a specific gaming philosophy, which led to the parting with Wilson.
Carroll has been working with General Manager John Schneider for over 10 years. At the dawn of their collaboration, their duo performed at an outstanding level, but in the 2020s, they seem to have lost their grip. For example, the exchange of Jamal Adams, who extended his contract with the Seahawks in 2021 and became the highest paid safety in history, did not bring the expected dividends at all, but left a double impression with his actions on the field. Or take 2021 second round wide receiver Dwayne Eskridge with 64 receiving yards in 10 games.
Perhaps after the Seahawks traded Wilson, it would be worth turning the page and diving into a rebuild with new faces in leadership.
Major Acquisition
Tight end Noah Fant. Denver selected Fant in the first round of the 2019 Draft and received a player for 500-600 yards for the season, although the expectations were certainly more serious. Came to Seattle through a Wilson trade and could easily compete with Tyler Locket and D.K. Metcalf for the title of most notable offensive player.
Major loss
Not only Russell Wilson , but also linebacker Bobby Wagner . Wilson will probably get into the Hall of Fame at the end of his career, but Wagner can be included there now. 10 consecutive seasons with 100+ tackles and a record 170 last season, 6 All-Pro First Teams. His departure was almost more shocking than Wilson’s, although it attracted less attention. After leaving the Seahawks, Wagner moved to the Rams.
Wagner’s departure was worthy of a mention, though it’s not like the Seattle defense would fall apart without him. Perhaps the Seahawks were mentally prepared for a break with Wagner precisely because the club already has potential stars in the position, like Jordin Brooks. A place in the start can also get 25-year-old Cody Barton.
trump card
Protection near your record book. This component of the game was the Seahawks’ superpower last season. Yes, the team missed a lot of yards wildly, but at the same time they seriously strained rivals on the way to the end zone. On points missed, Seattle almost climbed into the top 10, finishing in 11th place. Can the Carroll defense repeat such a feat for the second year in a row? Given the schedule, it will be very difficult.
Achilles’ heel
Pass attack. The Seahawks will run until they’re blue in the face, although they have an enviable duo of receivers Locket/Metcalfe. It will be interesting to see how these two will react to the reduction in the number of opportunities to touch the ball and the increase in the number of rallies with the need to block. After all, even if Carroll and his offensive coordinator Shane Waldron suddenly let Gino / Lok cook some kind of “dish” themselves, it is not a fact that they will succeed. The quality of the cook has changed too much, now Seattle hosts will no longer be fed candy snacks.
Who are the rivals
It was the Seahawks who had the honor of representing the NFL in the first game in Germany. Only this meeting with the Buccaneers risks becoming as uncompetitive as most of the games in London. Otherwise, the Seahawks are in for a tough start to the season (matches against Denver and San Francisco), a quite tolerable October (Detroit, New Orleans, Arizona, Chargers and Giants) and the toughest end of the season (two games against the Rams in weeks 12-18, plus the Raiders, Niners and Chiefs). The Seahawks will play at least 4 out of 5 games at the finish of the regular season at home, at least some consolation.
Realistic expectations for the season
Bookmakers are predicting a 5.5 win per season for the Seahawks. Carroll is good enough to conjure something beyond that number, but should the club be interested in it?
