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Published: July 22, 2010
The Seattle Seahawks suffered through a disappointing 5-11 2009 season and missed the playoffs for the second straight season.
Jim Mora Jr. was shown his walking papers after just 1 year as head coach. We wrote in last years preview that Mora Jr. was not deserving of the head coaching position following the Seahawks 4-12 season in 2008 with Mora Jr. serving as the teams defensive coordinator.
Former USC Trojans head coach Pete Carroll returns to the NFL coaching ranks as he begins his first season with the Seahawks in 2010.
Seattle really tanked down the stretch in 2009 as they lost four straight and scoring just 37 points combined in those games.
The Seahawks ranked 21st in the NFL in total offense in 2009 by averaging 316.8 yards per game. They struggled running the football as they sat 26th in the league with a 97.9 yards per game average.
The Seahawks were bad in the red zone in 2009 by scoring a touchdown just 39.6% of the time and ranking 30th in the league.
The Seahawks were torched through the air last season ranking 30th in the league by allowing 245.4 yards per game.
Veteran Matt Hasselbeck is back under center for Seattle in 2010. Hasselbeck threw for 17 touchdowns and 17 interceptions in 2009. The team traded for third string quarterback Charlie Whitehurst during the off season as they traded longtime back up Seneca Wallace to Cleveland.
In hoping to jump start their running game the Seahawks signed former New York Jets running back Leon Washington in free agency during the off season in hopes he can improve from his broken leg he suffered last season.
Seattle needs to cut down their sacks. They gave up 46 last season as Matt Hasselbeck has been clobbered the past two seasons.
The team drafted Oklahoma St offensive tackle Russell Okung with their first pick to help protect their veteran QB. They addressed their need in pass defense by drafting Texas cornerback Earl Thomas with their second pick in the first round. Golden Tate will help the Seahawks in the passing game as he was drafted in the third round.
Seattle didn’t get much talk from the draft experts but at first glance the team did appear to address their needs.
The Odds:
Bodog sportsbook has set the 2010 Seattle Seahawks season win total at 7 ½ games with under favored at -120 odds with over delivering -110 odds.
The club sits at 40-1 odds to win the 2010 Super Bowl at Bodog.
Seattle has been lined by Bodog at 20-1 to win the NFC Championship and +250 to take home the crown in the NFC West division.
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2010 Seattle Seahawks Regular Season Schedule:
Seattle players in the NFC West so the club will play home and away to the St Louis Rams, Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers.
The Seahawks division will compete against the NFC South and AFC West in 2010.
From the NFC South it will be Seattle playing host to the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers with road encounters with the New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Seattle’s games against the AFC West will be home contests against the San Diego Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs with road games to the Denver Broncos and Oakland Raiders.
The Seahawks finished third in the NFC West last season so the team will lock up with the two other third place teams from the NFC and that means a home game against the New York Giants and a road game at the Chicago Bears.
According to the NFL schedulers the 2010 Seattle Seahawks are not worthy of prime time. The team will play all 16 of their regular season games on Sunday afternoons head to head with regional television coverage.
Seattle plays only 1 set of back to back road games and that comes in week 10 and 11 with a road game at Arizona followed by a road trip to the Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints.
Offense:
Twelve year veteran Matt Hasselbeck is back under center for the Seahawks in his contract year in 2010. Hasselbeck was hit with injury problems in the past two seasons missing a combined 11 games. The Seahawks starter is coming off a season where he completed 60% of his passes with a disappointing 17 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. It was his second straight season where he did not have more passing touchdowns than interceptions.
Former San Diego Chargers third string quarterback Charlie Whitehurst was brought in to back up Hasselbeck. With the Seattle starter coming off a 2008 with back problems and shoulder problems hampering the 35 year old in 2009 it could be possible that Whitehurst gets his number called sometime during the season. The five year veteran out of Clemson has never thrown a pass during a regular season game. He did possess good arm strength during his preseason outings.
The running back situation in Seattle will feature Julius Jones as the starter and Justin Forsett as the backup. Former New York Jet running back Leon Washington was acquired via trade and will vie for carries in the backfield. Washington broke his leg in week 7 at Oakland and missed the Jets final 10 regular season games and post season. Jones produced a 4.6 yards per carry average a season ago and is a career 4.8 yards a carry back. A healthy Jones could do a lot for this club in 2010.
The receivers will feature at veteran T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Deon Butler as the #1 and #2 with Ben Obomanu and Deion Branch the #3 and #4. Notre Dame wide out Golden Tate was drafted in the second round providing solid depth. There is definitely talent here and there is a lot of negative talk about this unit. And I am not buying into the negative.
They will shine again if the Seahawks line can protect Hasselbeck. John Carlson is back at tight end following a 2009 season where he caught 51 passes for a pretty good 11.3 yards per catch average for his position.
The team will go as far as the offensive line blocks. This is the focus unit in 2010 for the Seahawks. Chris Spencer is at center with Russell Okung and Ben Hamilton at the guards. Russell Okung and Sean Locklear are at the tackles. Okung is the teams first round draft pick out of Oklahoma St taken as the 6th player in the draft and will protect Hasselbeck‘s blindside as veteran left tackle Walter Jones retires. . Hamilton was acquired in free agency from the Broncos.
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Defense:
There has been major turnover on the Seahawks defensive line as Patrick Kerney retired and also gone are Cory Redding and Darryl Tapp.
The team runs a 4-3 defense with Lawrence Jackson and Chris Clemons on the outside with Brandon Mebane and Colin Cole on the inside. Clemons comes over from the Eagles via trade. Jackson was drafted in the first round by the Seahawks in 2008 out of USC so he has experience playing under Carroll. For depth the club brought in defensive tackle Kevin Vickerson from Tennessee and defensive end Robert Henderson from Detroit. Defensive end E.J. Wilson was drafted by the club in the fourth round from that great North Carolina defensive front a year ago.
The linebackers shape up with Lofa Tatupu at the middle with Aaron Curry and Leroy Hill out wide. Tatupu is pro bowl quality who suffered through injury problems in 2009 missing 11 games. He is should be hitting his peak at 27 years old and still has plenty of productive seasons ahead of him. He has had 94 or more tackles per season in his first four seasons in the NFL. Curry is in his second year after battling injuries in his rookie campaign. Hill is suspended for the teams first game due to drug possession charge. Hill suffered through a groin injury that forced him to miss five games from week 2 through week 7.
The secondary will need to play better in 2010 and improve on coverage, toughness and tackling. It was among the softest secondaries I have seen in recent years. Marcus Trufant and Josh Wilson start at the corners with Jordan Babineaux and Earl Thomas as the safeties. Babineaux was a huge disappointment in run tackling as he often goes for arm tackles and gives up way to much yardage to opposing backs. Trufant is a very good cover corner but missed the clubs 6 games due to a back injury. Cornerback Earl Thomas was taken in the first round as pick #14 in the draft and Oregon cornerback Walter Thurmond in the fourth round to provide some solid depth for the team.
And now to my Selection:
I was very critical about the hiring of defensive coordinator Jim Mora Jr. as head coach of the Seahawks. The teams promoted their defensive coordinator coming off a poor performance. I have felt all along that teams under perform for Mora Jr. in his Atlanta Falcons days and his years as head coach and defensive coordinator.
Many people are down on Seattle. I am not. The team is talented and made necessary changes to their offensive line to provide protection. Leon Washington could be a spark for this offense much like Alexander did for the teams passing game with his running ability. If given time Hasselbeck can perform and contrary to what you read and hear about the Seahawks they do have talent in the wide receiver position.
The defense stays healthy they will perform. Carroll is a former secondary coach in the NFL and will toughen up those soft safeties and corners who arm tackle during run plays. He will fix that approach and mentality.
That’s the key in bringing in Carroll. It ‘s the mental approach to playing football that will improve this club from two down years. The Seahawks not only get to at least 8 wins but compete for the NFC West title.
Selection: Play Over 7 ½ wins in 2010 Regular Season.
