2011 Season Preview: Seattle Seahawks

2010 Record: 7-9

2010 Rankings:

Total Offense - 28

Passing Offense - 19

Rushing Offense - 31

Scoring Offense - 23

Total Defense - 27

Pass Defense - 27

Rush Defense - 21

Scoring Defense - 25

Offense

The Seahawks ranked next-to-last in rushing offense last season, but don't tell Marshawn Lynch that.

The Seahawks scoured free agency to find more pieces to add to their offense. After Matt Hasselbeck departed for Tennessee, they brought in Tavaris Jackson from Minnesota to um...compete for the starting QB job? Honestly I really don't understand the move, but I guess the Seahawks need someone at QB after passing on one in the draft once again this year. Instead, the Seahawks continued the make-over of their offensive line, drafting tackle James Carpenter (Alabama) and guard John Moffitt (Wisconsin) in the first two rounds. They added an impact receiver by getting Sidney Rice in free agency from Minnesota, but the question remains - who is going to throw him the ball? I guess it will be between Charlie Whitehurst, who had a completion percentage under 60% last year in less than 100 pass attempts, and Tavaris Jackson who has a career completion percentage under 60% and hasn't attempted 100 passes in the last 2 years combined. Leon Washington, who led the league in return TDs, will return and the Seahawks will need some more offensive contributions out of the return game if they want to compete again this year. 

Defense

The Seahawks defense is really nothing to write home about, and considering that two of their top 3 tacklers from last year (LB Lofa Tatupu and SS Lawyer Milloy) still remain unsigned as free agents, the 'Hawks defense is going to need someone to step up and fill the void. Rookie free safety Earl Thomas had a great year last season and needs to avoid a "sophomore slump" as he looks to build on a season where he led the team with 5 interceptions. The Seahawks didn't add any free agents of note on defense and they picked 3 defensive backs in rounds 5 and 6 of the draft, but those 3 will likely only be special teams players this year. If the Seahawks were trying to build a defense to "suck for Luck," then they might be succeeding, but with how bad their division is, you never know.......

Intangibles

In any other division in the league, the Seahawks would be picked to finish last. But in the wild, wild, NFC West (which could easily be won with a 9-7 record), you've got to think that anything is possible. If we were betting on it, we'd pick the Seahawks to finish last. But then we'd look at the Cardinals and 49ers and think there's at least an even-odds bet one of those teams will be just as bas as Seattle. So really, who knows. They could be sitting in the top spot picking Andrew Luck next April, or they could be hosting a playoff game for the second consecutive season.

If the Seahawks were a Beer, they would be:

LaBatt Blue

Much like the Seahawks, LaBatt Blue comes from way up north, somewhere far away from where pretty much everyone else is located. On some occasions, LaBatt Blue seems like the right beer to go with, and there are always times of the year (usually hockey season), when LaBatt is on special. An "off-and-on" type beer seems apropos for the Seahawks franchise which has fluctuated between being Super Bowl contenders and picking in the top 5 of the draft.