Is Hawks’ offense a concern despite ‘D’ dominance?
Dec 31, 2013, 10:23 AM | Updated: Jan 2, 2014, 9:32 am
By Brent Stecker
With the NFC West title, a first-round bye and home-field advantage in the playoffs all locked up for the Seahawks, it would seem there isn’t a worry in the world for the 12th Man.
After all, the Seahawks tied the franchise record with a 13-3 record, led the league in total defense, and are coming off a run of five straight games where they held their opponents under 20 points.
But despite Sunday’s convincing 27-9 win at home over the St. Louis Rams, there is still one question surrounding the Seahawks, and it’s a big one: Is the offense playing well enough for a Super Bowl run?
For a team that lost just three times all season, the Seahawks have sort of backed into the playoffs, as two of those three losses came in the final four weeks. And the defense certainly isn’t responsible for either of those defeats – it allowed a combined 36 points in the losses to the 49ers and Cardinals, no small feat against a pair of double-digit win teams.
In those same two games, the Seahawks offense could only muster a combined 27 points as their third-down conversion rate took a giant hit. And that wasn’t the only problem.
The running game, which ranks fourth in the league at 136.8 yards per game, turned sluggish down the stretch, as the Seahawks eclipsed their season average only once over the last four games. Of course, that also allowed opponents to key on quarterback Russell Wilson and the passing game, and as a result Wilson hasn’t eclipsed 200 yards passing since a Dec. 2 win over the Saints.
So how distressing is the Seahawks’ sputtering offense as the postseason begins? As 710 ESPN Seattle’s “Bob and Groz” discuss in the video above, it’s a warranted concern, though some moments from Sunday’s win over the Rams could signal that the offense is ready for a postseason resurgence.