Trying to pin ten reasons for how our team transformed the narrative of basement/rebuild team (lucky to get 4 wins) to midseason 6-3 with some 3rd best NFC team "hype"...then the eventual struggle to finish strong...stumbling into the playoffs only to run smack into the WALL known as the 49ers.
1)
Biggest factor driving our rebuild narrative was the Russell Wilson trade. Many fans questioned if we got enough from Denver...maybe we should have jumped on the rumored "3 firsts" offered the year before. Seems like the fan base was wanting every QB name that popped into the "who can save the Hawks doomed season?" Surely not the "winner" of a Geno Vs Lock...these guys "proved" by playing for other teams that we only had a future nightmare of "Pick 6" and frustrated passes into the hands of opponent's jerseys.
Geno gave us a "taste" of expectations when RW went down injured in 2021...but we quickly excused it as him looking good against awful teams (Jags) and just "Geno" when losing 2nd half of Rams game and then Saints/Steelers. Perhaps RW recognized the need to "rush" his return...his leverage with Pete and John needed Geno to flop. Speculation?? Sure...but RW clearly played Green Bay as if he wasn't our reknown hero. Geno played his heart out in 2022 clearly having the biggest impact of vindicating Pete's boast of reload...not rebuild.
2)
Immediate "rewards" in roster boost from RW trade. Out Gerald Everett/Rasheem Green/(B/U status of Geno...replaced by Noah Fant/Shelby Harris/Drew Lock. Charles Cross and Boye Mafe and Tyreke Smith(stashed on 2022 IR) injected immediate (Cross) and future (Mafe/Smith) youth into a talent drained roster inherited from 2021.
3)
"Next man up" went from cliche to explosive impact in the form of our rookie Ken Walker III. Many in the fan base "moaned" when we drafted/wasted a pick on a "luxury" selection. A 2nd rd RB ?when we proved in our recent past that 7th rd guys like Chris Carson were surely available later...besides the way Penny Rashaad burst into the latter part of 2021 and signed up for 2022...this had to be stubborn Pete...deluded into elevating the "value" of a RB...who cares about a Doak Walker Award winner it wasn't even a Heisman. Ken Walker III played a big role in helping Geno "tell his comeback story". An injured Penny soon justified Pete and his emphasis of supporting a QB with a balanced running threat...even if he was "Next Man up"
4)
Emergence of 5th round "project" Tariq Woolen into a Pro Bowl opponents nemesis. Projects usually carry a tag as Boom or Bust and normally implies the need for good coaching to mold into something "later"...in the meantime you have a potential Special Teams Gunner phenom to work with. Past "projects" hadn't worked so well ...Tre Flowers converted from Box Safety to NFL Corner as a recent reminder. An untimely injury to Artie Burns prior to our season's start opened the door for Tariq (who never looked back)...almost similar to how Richard Sherman gained his own starting role via an injury (never to relinquish it).
5)
Emergence of Michael Jackson and Coby Bryant. If not for the Pro Bowl year of Tariq...Michael Jackson would have signalled an improved coverage "spike" from the days of Tre Flowers and Shaqille Griffen. M-Jacks arrival and Tre Browns's "return" sent Sidney Jones packing the day after the trading deadline. With Coby displaying "me too" impact the "experiment" of using a rookie in the slot paid big dividends in 2022...with Tariq picking up a few of Coby's (Forced Fumbles) turnover "gifts".
6) Uchenna Nwosu
With limited cap space due to a burden of "dead" money left from RW's departure...John Schneider identified Uchenna as the youthful upside free agency target of choice for investment. Uchenna quickly provided the blend of pass rush penetration and drop back coverage needed as we explored more 3-4 concepts that need a disciplined Edge Setter for minimising outside zone rushing from around the tackle. Our run defense was severely exploited so our team/scheme concepts are in flux. Uchenna has a strong role to play beyond what he showed in 2022.
7) Tyler/DK
Sharing the burden of providing Geno with quick strike options this "dynamic duo" rapidly allowed Geno to explore some deeper routes as he improved on what "reads" the opponents defense was presenting... allowing him to quickly know where the coverage mismatches were as he dropped back for quick delivery. DK helps Tyler by demanding the most physical corners in coverage while Tyler in turn helps DK by getting quick coverage separation to draw attention of the deep safety. Its clearly a case of forcing our opponent to "choose their poison" since both of them have contrasting styles.
8) 12 Personnel
Shane Waldron made full use of 12 (2 TE) and even 13(3 TE) personnel formations to boost the running game and as immediate help to our bookend rookie tackles on obvious passing downs. As our tackles proved capable...Fant/Dissly/Parkinson went stealth mode...dropping into easy check down targets if our QB was feeling harassed.
9)
Pete and coaching promotions/hiring. Pete understands he sets the tone of our Seahawk culture and he understands to get the Best version of young talent you need strong focused coaching. Retaining the best coaches runs counter to consistent winning...since in any given year your talented coaching can be lured away. Super Bowls and Conference Championships draw the biggest risk as grabbing a coach away is easier than trading or buying the stars from those games. If Pete harbors any doubts he's quick to hide them behind unbridaled enthusiasm and adding another stick of gum or two. Rehiring Sanjay Lal to teach the finer points of being an NFL WR kept DK and Tyler "running hot". Hiring Karl Scott for the Secondary got immediate surprising results in the elevation of Tariq Woolen/Michael Jackson and the fumble forcing baptism of Coby Bryant as our slot corner (normally given to a seasoned vet with quick flipping hips). Losing Sean Desai to the Eagles is a recent example of having coaches "plucked" away.
10) Emotional supportive Twelves
Our Twelfth Man wasn't the whimper of a doomed team but the roar that energizes our team time and again...making that perfectly clear from the onset as the Seattle Denver game played like a "fan's Super Bowl". Wearing his Denver uniform RW was greeted by an uncharacteristic cascade of boos as he took the field. RW and the hardnosed Marshawn with the Legion of Boom had driven a "stake" into the heart of Denver's pride as the number 1 Offense led by their old hero Peyton Manning went down in flames in Super Bowl XLVIII.
They wanted RW to know he had chosen the wrong side...and the Seahawks responded in a close fought battle with no RW heroics on display and a jubilant Pete shaking Hackett's hand with a firm victorious handshake.
We rewarded our fans with an unexpected return to the playoffs in an effort to ease some of the pain of 2021. The 49ers still loom as the "bully" on our block...but we got in some early punches to serve notice in the playoffs..."we'll be back"
1)
Biggest factor driving our rebuild narrative was the Russell Wilson trade. Many fans questioned if we got enough from Denver...maybe we should have jumped on the rumored "3 firsts" offered the year before. Seems like the fan base was wanting every QB name that popped into the "who can save the Hawks doomed season?" Surely not the "winner" of a Geno Vs Lock...these guys "proved" by playing for other teams that we only had a future nightmare of "Pick 6" and frustrated passes into the hands of opponent's jerseys.
Geno gave us a "taste" of expectations when RW went down injured in 2021...but we quickly excused it as him looking good against awful teams (Jags) and just "Geno" when losing 2nd half of Rams game and then Saints/Steelers. Perhaps RW recognized the need to "rush" his return...his leverage with Pete and John needed Geno to flop. Speculation?? Sure...but RW clearly played Green Bay as if he wasn't our reknown hero. Geno played his heart out in 2022 clearly having the biggest impact of vindicating Pete's boast of reload...not rebuild.
2)
Immediate "rewards" in roster boost from RW trade. Out Gerald Everett/Rasheem Green/(B/U status of Geno...replaced by Noah Fant/Shelby Harris/Drew Lock. Charles Cross and Boye Mafe and Tyreke Smith(stashed on 2022 IR) injected immediate (Cross) and future (Mafe/Smith) youth into a talent drained roster inherited from 2021.
3)
"Next man up" went from cliche to explosive impact in the form of our rookie Ken Walker III. Many in the fan base "moaned" when we drafted/wasted a pick on a "luxury" selection. A 2nd rd RB ?when we proved in our recent past that 7th rd guys like Chris Carson were surely available later...besides the way Penny Rashaad burst into the latter part of 2021 and signed up for 2022...this had to be stubborn Pete...deluded into elevating the "value" of a RB...who cares about a Doak Walker Award winner it wasn't even a Heisman. Ken Walker III played a big role in helping Geno "tell his comeback story". An injured Penny soon justified Pete and his emphasis of supporting a QB with a balanced running threat...even if he was "Next Man up"
4)
Emergence of 5th round "project" Tariq Woolen into a Pro Bowl opponents nemesis. Projects usually carry a tag as Boom or Bust and normally implies the need for good coaching to mold into something "later"...in the meantime you have a potential Special Teams Gunner phenom to work with. Past "projects" hadn't worked so well ...Tre Flowers converted from Box Safety to NFL Corner as a recent reminder. An untimely injury to Artie Burns prior to our season's start opened the door for Tariq (who never looked back)...almost similar to how Richard Sherman gained his own starting role via an injury (never to relinquish it).
5)
Emergence of Michael Jackson and Coby Bryant. If not for the Pro Bowl year of Tariq...Michael Jackson would have signalled an improved coverage "spike" from the days of Tre Flowers and Shaqille Griffen. M-Jacks arrival and Tre Browns's "return" sent Sidney Jones packing the day after the trading deadline. With Coby displaying "me too" impact the "experiment" of using a rookie in the slot paid big dividends in 2022...with Tariq picking up a few of Coby's (Forced Fumbles) turnover "gifts".
6) Uchenna Nwosu
With limited cap space due to a burden of "dead" money left from RW's departure...John Schneider identified Uchenna as the youthful upside free agency target of choice for investment. Uchenna quickly provided the blend of pass rush penetration and drop back coverage needed as we explored more 3-4 concepts that need a disciplined Edge Setter for minimising outside zone rushing from around the tackle. Our run defense was severely exploited so our team/scheme concepts are in flux. Uchenna has a strong role to play beyond what he showed in 2022.
7) Tyler/DK
Sharing the burden of providing Geno with quick strike options this "dynamic duo" rapidly allowed Geno to explore some deeper routes as he improved on what "reads" the opponents defense was presenting... allowing him to quickly know where the coverage mismatches were as he dropped back for quick delivery. DK helps Tyler by demanding the most physical corners in coverage while Tyler in turn helps DK by getting quick coverage separation to draw attention of the deep safety. Its clearly a case of forcing our opponent to "choose their poison" since both of them have contrasting styles.
8) 12 Personnel
Shane Waldron made full use of 12 (2 TE) and even 13(3 TE) personnel formations to boost the running game and as immediate help to our bookend rookie tackles on obvious passing downs. As our tackles proved capable...Fant/Dissly/Parkinson went stealth mode...dropping into easy check down targets if our QB was feeling harassed.
9)
Pete and coaching promotions/hiring. Pete understands he sets the tone of our Seahawk culture and he understands to get the Best version of young talent you need strong focused coaching. Retaining the best coaches runs counter to consistent winning...since in any given year your talented coaching can be lured away. Super Bowls and Conference Championships draw the biggest risk as grabbing a coach away is easier than trading or buying the stars from those games. If Pete harbors any doubts he's quick to hide them behind unbridaled enthusiasm and adding another stick of gum or two. Rehiring Sanjay Lal to teach the finer points of being an NFL WR kept DK and Tyler "running hot". Hiring Karl Scott for the Secondary got immediate surprising results in the elevation of Tariq Woolen/Michael Jackson and the fumble forcing baptism of Coby Bryant as our slot corner (normally given to a seasoned vet with quick flipping hips). Losing Sean Desai to the Eagles is a recent example of having coaches "plucked" away.
10) Emotional supportive Twelves
Our Twelfth Man wasn't the whimper of a doomed team but the roar that energizes our team time and again...making that perfectly clear from the onset as the Seattle Denver game played like a "fan's Super Bowl". Wearing his Denver uniform RW was greeted by an uncharacteristic cascade of boos as he took the field. RW and the hardnosed Marshawn with the Legion of Boom had driven a "stake" into the heart of Denver's pride as the number 1 Offense led by their old hero Peyton Manning went down in flames in Super Bowl XLVIII.
They wanted RW to know he had chosen the wrong side...and the Seahawks responded in a close fought battle with no RW heroics on display and a jubilant Pete shaking Hackett's hand with a firm victorious handshake.
We rewarded our fans with an unexpected return to the playoffs in an effort to ease some of the pain of 2021. The 49ers still loom as the "bully" on our block...but we got in some early punches to serve notice in the playoffs..."we'll be back"
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