What’s wrong with the Seahawks?
The Seattle Seahawks are 0-1, but that is not the real problem as they continue their journey into the 2015 National Football League season. The major issue are the five men charged with opening lanes for All-Pro running back Marshawn Lynch and protecting quarterback Russell Wilson.
On Sunday, the Seahawks uncharacteristically scored 31 points but still lost to their NFC West rivals, the St. Louis Rams, 34-31 in overtime. It was a bitter pill to swallow, mostly because Seattle had a seven-point lead with less than a minute to play in regulation before watching Nick Foles go deep for the tying score.
The offensive line was a sieve throughout the afternoon, leaving Wilson to run for his life. The Super Bowl champion was sacked six times and it could have been more if not for Wilson’s elusiveness. The line was outmatched and overwhelmed for the entire game, leaving an impression that the Seahawks have plenty of work to do before they can be considered a threat for a third consecutive NFC title.
This is a group that has seen some departures over the last few offseasons. In 2014, it was Breno Giacomini who left for the New York Jets. That loss was compounded in 2015, when Seattle traded away center Max Unger, one of the best centers in the game. Unger was able to make all the right calls and blew open huge holes for Lynch and Wilson. Without his talent and mental awareness up front, the Seahawks are dazed and confused.
Seattle also watched as former first-round pick and left guard James Carpenter moved on in free agency. The line is now, from left to right, Russell Okung, Justin Britt, Drew Nowak, J.R. Sweezy and Garry Gilliam. Okung is the best of the bunch, but he has been injury prone throughout his career. An injury to Okung and this line would go from bad to outright horrendous.
According to Pro Football Focus, Okung was rated 58th out of 65 tackles in Week 1, only finishing above backup tackle James Hurst of the Baltimore Ravens for the left side. Gilliam was every bit the atrocity on the right side, coming in at 64th out of 65, once again only better than Ravens rookie right tackle Ricky Wagner.
On the interior, Britt came in 60th out of 66 guards. Britt was moved from the outside to the inside during preseason when he was routinely beaten off the edge, but it does not appear he is better here. Sweezy, one of the more experienced veterans on this line, was even worse at 65th of 66, only outperforming Vladimir Ducasse. Nowak was the lone bright spot on a day of darkness for the Seahawks’ line, coming in 13th out of 32 centers.
If the Seahawks don’t fix this problem, good night.
