Wilson's rampage during the second half of the season had a lot to do with teams using outdated game plans they developed during the offseason - game plans where Seattle relied on bunch formations, a heavy dose of Lynch, and play action deep bombs. Close the pocket slowly. Spy the QB. Blitz the bootleg.
Those tactics actually played into Seattle's hands after they switched to a quick passing game from the pocket with spread principles. This created a huge advantage for the Seahawks.
Or to put it another way, imagine a defense facing the Patriots after that defense had prepared to face the Bills all week, and it would be roughly the equivalent of how Seattle hoodwinked defenses the past few months.
Teams will reset their game plans this offseason and next year they'll be far better prepared to counter Seattle's new offensive identity. That said, I'm still very excited to see 16 games of spread concepts as a staple in the passing game with Thomas Rawls at RB.
As far as most improved, there are so many good choices.
-The OL will look better because Wilson and Rawls can hide blemishes.
-Tyler Locket seems like the obvious candidate to post big numbers as his chemistry with Wilson develops.
-Jermaine Kearse, if he returns, is quietly coming off a huge season in which he ranked 5th in DVOA in the NFL. I know it's just one game, but Kearse's 11 catches show that the offense doesn't miss a beat when Wilson has to avoid his top options thanks to the quality of Kearse's play.
-Paul Richardson must find a way to stay healthy, but he was born to play in a spread offense with his speed and precise routes. I was against the Richardson pick when it happened, but I now think his potential with Seattle is sky high.
On defense, the most improvement I expect will be from Pete Carroll and Kris Richard. Their cover 3 was exposed in 2015, and Pete is a fixer. He'll find a way to fix it.
