Seahawks Insider: When it comes to improving the offense, Seattle will pass
Nov 15, 2017, 9:41 AM | Updated: 10:56 am
Seahawks' QB Russell Wilson threw for two touchdowns in Seattle's 22-16 win. (AP)
(AP)
The Seahawks attempted 417 passes in 2013, the season they won the Super Bowl, an average of 26.1 per game and fewer than all but one team in the league that season.
Should the Seahawks be a pass-first offense?
Four years later, quarterback Russell Wilson has attempted 336 passes through nine games, which is 37.3 per game, and Seattle has thrown for more yards than all but the New England Patriots.
And if you don’t believe the stats, listen to the head coach’s response when asked what Seattle does best on offense during “The Pete Carroll Show” which airs Mondays at 9:30 a.m. on 710 ESPN Seattle.
“Counting on Russell and his receivers to work things out and figure it out and make the plays,” Carroll said. “I think they’re really good. We’ve never been at this level of communication and really of coordination. Russell is the best he has been, and his receivers are the best they’ve been and even without the steady factor of the running game we’re able to move the ball and cause problems.”
So everyone who thinks the Seahawks should embrace the reality that they are a passing team is kind of missing the point: They’ve already done that.
They are a passing team. One of the most prolific passing teams in the NFL in fact, and the result is that Seattle is 6-3 and has scored as many touchdowns in the fourth quarter as it has in the other three periods combined.
Of Wilson’s 17 touchdown passes, 12 have come in the fourth quarter.
So the answer on how to avoid the slower starts that have plagued Seattle this season is not to start throwing the ball more, but rather to start getting more consistent results from an offense that is already throwing the ball significantly more than it planned to.
