The Seattle Seahawks are 8-1 after nine games this season and are looking pretty strong in the standings. However, people are starting to really doubt the Hawks after some very weak wins in the past weeks. Before the image of the team starts to really skew, I think it is time to give the team a letter grade on how well they are really doing.
Quarterback, I give the Seahawks an A+. Russell Wilson has done a spectacular job so far this season both as a passing QB and as a rushing QB. He has been able to make great comebacks late in games and has a great ability to make quick decisions in the pocket.
Obviously, our halfback Marshawn Lynch deserves an A. “Beast Mode” has been a dominant force this season, getting at least 100 rushing yards in eight of the nine games. His success is not only giving the Seahawks a dominant running game, but strengthens the passing game.
The receiver corps earns a B. People are not giving them enough credit in my opinion. Golden Tate has been a dominant receiver who fights for yards, Doug Baldwin makes tough clutch catches that many receivers can’t pull off and Sidney Rice was doing really well before his knee blew out. This is all without Percy Harvin.
The offensive line deserves a D. They have not done a good job of protecting Russell Wilson which hurts the Seahawks overall. Despite the fact that they are missing three of their starters, they still need to improve if Wilson is going to stay healthy.
The defensive line gets a C+. Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril have been very strong at putting pressure on the QB, but the line in general has been quite poor at defending against the run. That needs to be improved.
The linebackers get an A-. Malcolm Smith has been a pleasant surprise for the team, making Pete Carroll think about who should be starting. This is a nice problem to have.
The Seahawks secondary earns an A+. The “Legion of Boom” has been very strong this season with a number of interceptions, tackles and forced fumbles. One of their members, Earl Thomas is also one of the top candidates for Defensive Player of the Year.
Overall as a team, the Seahawks receive an A-. While I am a huge Seahawks fan with some bias, the team has been very strong this season and will only get better as players come back from injuries. Now is not the time to freak out, now is the time to keep our support strong as the team continues on the road to the playoffs.