The Seattle Seahawks captured the NFC West division crown in 2020 by compiling an impressive 12-4 record. There were holes on both sides of the ball but Russell Wilson had a phenomenal season to help the team overcome those shortcomings. Surprisingly, the Seahawks were bounced out of the playoffs early due to a Wild Card loss to the Rams.
It was a tumultuous offseason for the franchise as multiple rumors surfaced that Wilson wanted out of Seattle. Nevertheless, Wilson and the Seahawks front office have kissed and made up in time for the new season. What will 2021 have in store for this team?
2021 Offense
32-year old Russell Wilson was selected to his fourth straight Pro Bowl in 2020. The 5-11 215 pound playmaker tossed 40 touchdowns (a career-high) and only 13 interceptions last season. Wilson has the remarkable ability to extend plays with his feet and always keep his eyes downfield, even under immense pressure. We expect yet another big season from Wilson in 2021.
The Seattle running game is a bit of a concern. Management decided to bring back Chris Carson to start at running back this season. Carson has a decent skill set, but he had a lackluster 2020 campaign by only rushing for 681 yards. Rashaad Penny and DeeJay Dallas will compete for the backup running back slot.
The Seahawks are blessed with one of the deepest receiving corps in the league. DK Metcalf had a breakout season in 2020 by hauling in 83 receptions for 1,303 yards and 10 touchdowns. Tyler Lockett does a great job of complementing Metcalf and he caught 100 passes for 1,054 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. The Seahawks also used their second-round draft pick on D’Wayne Eskridge, a speed demon out of Western Michigan.
2021 Defense
This may be hard for Seahawks fans to hear, but the Legion of Boom days are definitely over. Defense was a definite weakness of this Seattle last season, as evidenced by their awful performance in the secondary. The Seahawks gave up 285 yards per game passing in 2020, which was ranked next to last in the NFL.
Seattle has to find a way to replace KJ Wright at linebacker and Shaquill Griffin at cornerback (gamblingsites.org). Middle linebacker Bobby Wagner continues to be one of the few bright spots on this Seattle defense. The former Utah State star racked up 138 tackles in 2020 and will be counted on heavily in 2021.
2021 Special Teams
Tyler Lockett will be a factor in the kick and punt return game for Seattle in 2021. However, don’t be surprised if the rookie D’Wayne Eskridge plays a prominent role on special teams as well.
Michael Dickson returns for his fourth season as the Seahawks starting punter. The former Texas Longhorn had a fine season in 2020 by averaging 49.6 yards per punt.
Jason Myers is quietly becoming one of the best kickers in the league. Last season, Myers was a perfect 24 out of 24 on his field goal attempts. He also made one from 61 yards!
