Four Seahawks Questions

After an incredible off-season, the Seattle Seahawks begin the season at home on Sunday against NFC West rival (and Division favorite) the San Francisco 49ers. The flurry of transactions this off-season appear done, so it is appropriate to ask a few questions heading into week one.

Will Matt Hasselbeck be protected?

This question could also be ‘Will the offensive line perform?’
Hasselbeck will turn 35 later this month. It’s no secret his pro-bowl years are behind him. In 2005 – the 13-3, Super Bowl appearance season – Hasselbeck played as well as any quarterback in the NFL. He played the season with Hall-of-Fame tackle Walter Jones and perennial Pro-Bowler Steve Hutchison protecting his backside. This season? Russell Okung is the heir apparent to Jones but he’s injured and won’t begin the season on the field. His preseason replacement, Mansfield Wrotto, is no longer with the team. At present, it looks like Tyler Polumbus will start at left tackle. If he goes down, Chester Pitts will step in. After that, only God knows. Alex Gibbs, a respected, veteran offensive line coach abruptly quit (Retired? Fired?) this week and now the ‘Hawks offensive front is being led by a guy Pete Carroll took from the UFL. To be sure, none of this is good news. The offensive line is a giant question mark heading into the regular season. That is not good news for an aging quarterback who has struggled to stay on the field recently or for a backfield in transition.

If Hasselbeck is protected this season, however, he will be the undisputed ‘king of quarterbacks’ in the NFC West (more on that later).

What about the running game?

Justin Forsett will start. Leon Washington will get touches. So will Julius Jones. Splitting carries in an NFL backfield is paying dividends for some franchises (Deangelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart in Carolina) but what about touches spread between three? And let’s not forget all three are, essentially, NFL castoffs. Forsett couldn’t hang in Indianapolis and barely made it in Seattle. Jones was jettisoned from Dallas due to the emergence of Marion Barber and promise of Felix Jones and Washington was expendable to the Jets. Of course, Washington is an explosive runner and appears ready to handle a workload out of the backfield in addition to returning kickoffs. It will be very interesting to see how this plays out. Also, don’t be surprised to see Jones talking loudly to reporters if he doesn’t get the same opportunities as Forsett and Washington early in the season; something to look forward to there.

Regardless of how touches are dispersed out of the backfield, will any lanes be available? There’s no continuity up front, as mentioned above. Shaun Alexander was a successful back in Seattle because he ran behind an offensive line with almost unprecedented continuity and tremendous talent. He didn’t win NFL MVP because of his outstanding elusiveness or penchant for big plays; he won because his legs stayed fresh and his body stayed strong running wild and free.

Seattle’s running game heading into week one is a giant question mark and the outlook is not promising.

Will the defense consistently get to the quarterback?

The Seahawks finished last season with a paltry 28 sacks. Not surprisingly, the defense also finished 30th against the pass. In other words, the pressure up front must materialize for any hope of defensive success. Thankfully for Seahawks fans, there are plenty of reasons for optimism.

Red Bryant had a fantastic camp and is thriving. Brandon Mebane looks immovable. Colin Cole looks rejuvenated. The addition of Chris Clemmons on the edge looks like a coup. Lofa Tatupu is healthy. Aaron Curry is a beast.

Beyond the initial size, strength, and talent up front, however, the defensive line is thin. Also, Leroy Hill will miss the opener and is dealing with a serious off-the field issue (although, reworking his contract should prove as a great motivator). Finally, although Curry is a beast and has physical tools reminiscent of (pre-steroids) Shawne Merriman, he still makes a lot of mistakes. Dumb mistakes, too. The hope is he’ll grow as a professional this year and fit well into the new scheme.

What about the secondary?

Josh Wilson is gone and now there is no doubt that Kelly Jennings will hold down the corner opposite Marcus Trufant. Jennings is small and open to exploitation opposite Trufant – who looks like a pro bowler again. In his defense, however, Jennings is clearly making it his mission to make plays on the ball and he seems committed to tackling and supporting on the run. He must be ready to make plays, too, because as the season progresses Trufant will see fewer and fewer balls come to his side.

The biggest addition to the secondary, obviously, is first-round pick Earl Thomas. He is a ball hawk, creates turnovers, and is more than willing to lay the wood. Before the draft, there was plenty of discussion surrounding Pete Carroll looking to draft his former player, Taylor Mays, to improve Seattle’s secondary. He didn’t draft Mays though because Thomas is better in coverage; a fact that can easily be overlooked in a hard-hitting safety like Thomas. Lawyer Milloy, a savvy veteran, will provide plenty of leadership from the other safety spot. Cutting and subsequently resigning Jordan Babineaux was a money-saving move but odd nonetheless. He’s not good in coverage and simply lacks some physical tools but the ‘Big Play Babs’ moniker may carry him through his Seattle career.

The secondary will be better than last year – provided Seattle gets consistent pressure up front. Also, rather than facing Kurt Warner twice this season, Seattle will face the Derek Anderson-led Arizona Cardinals. That fact alone will help out the secondary. In that same vein, Alex Smith (49ers) has been maddeningly inconsistent in his career and Sam Bradford (Rams) is a rookie; a much-heralded rookie, but a rookie nonetheless. Seattle will face Anderson, Smith, and Bradford six times this year – unquestionable good news for the secondary.

Tags: Derek Anderson, Earl Thomas, Julius Jones, Kurt Warner, Matt Hasselbeck, Sam Bradford, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, Steve Hutchison, Walter Jones

Anton

Anton Northwood is a Seattle resident who spends much of his time working on the Eastside.

Tweet This Post to Facebook Digg This Bookmark at Delicious
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.