What went right for the Seattle Seahawks this week? How were they able to knock off the hottest team in the playoffs and secure a spot in the Super Bowl? Well if you ask me they simply played Seahawks football which in my opinion is what a winning formula is. If you don’t know Seahawks football I’ll be more than happy to break it down for you and I’ll do a little better and break it down not now…..but right now.
Defense
It’s no secret that the Seahawks have the best defense in the league with a secondary that looks like a college linebacking core. The Seahawks are known for their defense with a focus in locking down the top air attacks in the league. The Seahawks were the number one defense when it came to stopping the pass. They held teams to an average of 172 passing yards during the regular season, and in a passing league like the NFL where passing records are broken everyday thats says a lot. They were also the top ranked team when it came to keeping points off the board. They only allowed 231 points this season, that's roughly 14 points per game.
In the NFC title game we saw the defense played extremely well. Colin Kaepernick struggled to move the ball threw the air throwing two interceptions and only 153 yards. The only bright spot for Kaepernick was his 130 yards on the ground.That was the only bright spot for the 49ers offense. Frank Gore was held to 14 yards on the ground and they turned the ball over five times. The Seahawks defense not only shut the 49er offense down they forced them to turn the ball over when it counted most.
Offense
They have an old school philosophy on offense and I love it. They aren’t like these other teams that want to throw the ball 40, 50 times per game. They come into the game with the plan to feed the beast. Marshawn Lynch the Seahawks running back has solidified himself as one of the best running backs in the league since making the change to a Seahawks uniform. This year he carried the Seahawks to the fourth best rushing offense in the league and on Sunday gained 109 yards on 22 carries. His production is key to this offense and its success. So getting him his touches and getting production is the first thing that went right for the Seahawks.
Russell Wilson is the last thing that went right for the Seahawks on Sunday and has been right for the team since he was drafted last year. Wilson isn’t the quarterback that will come out throw 500 yards seven touchdowns and break all kinds of records. That’s not what he’s good at and that’s not what the Seahawks need. Wilson is a leader, a smart guy that can lead the offense put the ball where it needs to be and not turn it over. On sunday he had 215 yards passing and a touchdown. Wilson being smart with the football is ultimately one of the most important traits of the Seahawks offense.
When the Seahawks play Seahawk football they are very hard to beat. If the defense plays well, forces turnovers, Lynch gets his carries, and Wilson takes care of the ball, I don’t see the Seahawks losing. These are the keys to success for the Seattle Seahawks when they head to New York to face the Denver Broncos. This is what they need to do every game if they want to continue winning.