Seahawks left to ponder future

The Seattle Seahawks fell behind 31-0 in the second quarter to the Carolina Panthers, before finally deciding to play football. Despite a  furious rally with 24 unanswered points, the Seahawks could not get the job done and find themselves going home before the Super Bowl for the first time in three seasons.

For Seattle, it is a bitter pill to swallow but an expected one in some senses. Very few teams have ever been able to reach the Super Bowl in three straight seasons, with the last team to do it being the Buffalo Bills, who made four trips from 1990-93. The Seahawks started the season 0-2 and then 2-4 before digging out of the hole and going 10-6, before narrowly beating the Minnesota Vikings in the Wild Card round.

Now, Seattle faces an offseason with plenty of uncertainly. The Seahawks made a  splashy trade to acquire All-Pro tight end Jimmy Graham last year, but he was mostly ineffective before going down with a torn Patellar tendon in the regular season. This is the same injury that New York Giants wide receiver Victory Cruz sustained a year and a half ago, and he is still yet to play.

With Graham’s status uncertain, general manager John Schneider might want to look into other options to improve the offense. This is especially true when you consider that running back Marshawn Lynch might have played his last game with the team, perhaps even looking at retirement. Thomas Rawls stepped in and did an adequate job as an undrafted free agent, but is he the long-term answer if Lynch is gone?

Another thing to consider is the comments made after the game on Sunday by defensive end Michael Bennett, by far the team’s best pass-rusher and most versatile defensive lineman. Bennett talked as though he is readying an exit, believing he could be a salary cap casualty. Bennett is 30 years old and the team can save $3 million by cutting him, although there is $4 million in dead money. There would also be a savings of $7.5 million next season.

Ultimately, Seattle will look much different next season with 31 players set to become free agents. The Seahawks are a veteran group but perhaps the chance of winning a Super Bowl in the near future hinges dramatically on who Schneider can retain, and how he finds supplemental pieces in both free agency and the 2016 NFL Draft.

After winning one Super Bowl and being to another in the past two seasons, Seattle fans are used to being on top of the mountain, not kicked down the side of it. This loss will sting, if for no other reason having to watch some other team celebrate and enjoy the limelight of the big game.