Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks.
Last Season the Seattle Seahawks had their first losing season since 2011. It was also the first time Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson had a sub .500 season in his career. It didn’t help that Wilson missed three games with a finger injury and then probably came back too soon when he wasn’t fully recovered. Seattle’s season was circling the drain by the time he was close to full strength.
If RW3 is at or 100 percent all season, do the Seattle Seahawks return to the playoffs? We asked our football writers that question; this is what they think.
Arizona has collapsed at the end of the last two seasons, and Kyler Murray has shown immaturity and an inability to stay healthy. Their defensive line is getting old and expensive. Additionally, their offensive line couldn’t keep Murray upright.
The Rams may be losing both offensive tackles; two of their top three receivers (Robert Woods and Odell Beckham Jr. are coming off ACL injuries. L.A. has very limited draft and cap resources. Eventually, saying “F those picks” catches up with a team in a sport with a hard cap.
San Francisco will be ushering in the Trey Lance era. I think he’s going to be very good, but even with a year on the bench, his learning curve is steep. They also have a secondary that needs fixing and a great tight end who cant stay on the field.
If the Seattle Seahawks improve their secondary, show that the running game from the last quarter of 2022 was for real, and Russ is healthy, they can definitely compete for a division title.
Before answering the main question, consider the opposite. Without Russell Wilson, at or near 100 percent, the Seattle Seahawks don’t make the playoffs.
A healthy RW3 is an excellent start to a playoff team. But there is so much that’s out of his control. He needs time in the pocket, and the Seahawks are down three starting offensive linemen from last year. Additionally, if the defense is a leaky sieve, the way it was in at least half of the previous two seasons, it won’t matter how many points Russ puts up.
The last part is the schedule. Division games are always big rivalries, so going 3-3, no matter what the overall team strengths are, is a baseline. They play the NFC South and AFC West in 2022. A 5-3 (or better) record in those games seems about right.
Finally, the Seahawks have the “luxury” of a fourth-place schedule which puts Detroit and both New York teams on the docket, and both games against east coast teams are in Seattle. Put down 3-0 for those matchups. All totaled, Seattle should come in at 11-6, which is likely Wild Card territory.
Maybe. But truthfully, it doesn’t have a lot to do with Russ. It’s more about how the defense is set up, free agency, a running back that can stay healthy, another o-line upgrade, and getting an effective pass rush.
Some of those things will enhance Russ’ chances. But a healthy Wilson needs a better supporting cast outside of his two outstanding WRs, Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf.
Arizona will still be strong in the division, as will Los Angeles. San Francisco is a bit of a wild card, as so much of their season depends on how quickly Trey Lance can be at least an average NFL quarterback. It’s not impossible to see the Seattle Seahawks, Rams, and Cardinals competing for the NFC West Division crown, with the Niners in last place. Then again, don’t count out a repeat of this year’s division standings either.
An elite/franchise quarterback can take a team further than what the paper says. To use a cliche, Russ can raise all boats. He’s that good, and if you don’t believe me, just watch the games from last season when Geno Smith was Seattle’s signal-caller. And to drive the point home, even more, Wilson made the playoffs every year except for two. And a case can be made the Seattle Seahawks would have been there last year if RW3 didn’t miss several games.
This is how I see it; LAR is at the top of the NFC West as the defending Super Bowl Champs. With a healthy Russ, the Seattle Seahawks are in second. As for Arizona and San Francisco, well, their upcoming seasons have more “ifs” than Seattle’s does.
Arizona has Kyler Murray problems, and many think he’ll be the first big-name quarterback moved. Nobody knows how good Trey Lance will be in his first year as the 49ers starting quarterback. So that makes their respective seasons hard to forecast.
But even in a season as unpredictable as 2022 looks to be, in the hardest division in football, even the NFC West bottom-dweller won’t be far off from playoff qualification. As for the Seattle Seahawks themselves, it will take more than just a healthy Russ for us to contend. They need a reliable run game and upgrades along the offensive line and secondary.
For me, it looks like the Rams go 12-5; Seahawks 11-6; San Francisco 9-8; and Arizona 9-8I, pending any offseason moves.
If the Seattle Seahawks have a healthy Russell Wilson, do you think they make the playoffs? Let us know in the comments section below.