Seattle Seahawks preview for 2011-2012 NFL season

**10/26/2011 Update**

Seattle Seahawks (2-4)

Even though 2-4 is an awful record, not much more could be expected from Seattle with all of the injuries that they've had to endure. Marshawn Lynch. Tavaris Jackson, Sidney Rice, Mike Williams and, Zach Miller have missed a least one game this season.

Big disappointments

Wide receiver Mike Williams and tight end Zach Miller have been a huge bust this season. Williams was thought to have gotten his career back on track after 751 yards in 14 games last season. So far this season, he's been a disaster. In 5 games, Williams has 89 yards and 1 TD.

Tight end Zach Miller isn't much better. In 5 games, he's caught for a pathetic 62 yards! It's bad enough for Seattle that Sidney Rice has been only able to play 4 games and backup quarterback Charlie Whitehurst has played the lead role as starting QB lately, but players aren't performing.

In their last game, the Seahawks were defeated by the Cleveland Browns 6-3. Just the thought that the Seahawks had a shot at 3-3 is amazing. The Seahawks had an awful game, as Whitehurst went 12 of 30 for 97 yards and 1 INT. Seattle ran for 65 yards in total.

This team is lucky to be at 2-4 and in order for them to have any chance of success, they need to get healthy, and that starts with quarterback Tavaris Jackson.

**Original Article**

With all signs pointing to an end of the NFL Lockout, it appears that we're going to have football this season and one of the interesting teams to look at is the Seattle Seahawks. Longtime quarterback Matt Hasselbeck is high on the list of free agents and the Seahawks are coming off of a 7-9 season in which they made the playoffs and had success.

According to Bodog, the Seahawks are basically a lottery ticket to win the Super Bowl, listed at 75/1 on the NFL odds boards. There's no definitive star on the roster but this is a deep team that can compete, as they've proven last year.

Let's take a look at the team from the northwest, the Seattle Seahawks 2011-2012 football season.

Quarterback

As I've mentioned previously, Matt Hasselbeck is on the free agent market and can help a lot of teams out with his experience and overall success as a veteran quarterback. We'll have to keep an eye on this. The Seahawks have the option of re-signing Hasselbeck.

In 2010, Hasselbeck didn't have one of his best seasons but still managed to throw for 3001 yards with 12 TD and 17 INT. Hasslebeck's status will play a major role in the upcoming season. If he chooses to go to another team, the Seahawks will be in transitional mode with backup quarterback Charlie Whitehurst.

Whitehurst will be 29 years old by the start of the season. He did see some action at the end of the 2010 season. Whitehurst accounted for himself well in the last game of the season against the St. Louis Rams in where the Seahawks defeated the Rams 16-6. Whitehurst was 22 of 36 for 192 yards and 1 TD. It basically showed that he could play the position if needed.

Third on the QB depth chart is J.P. Losman who played for Buffalo a couple of seasons ago. If Hasselbeck is gone, Losman had his moments but Whitehurst seems like the 1st option if needed.

Running Back

The Seahawks are deep at the running back position with the combination of Marshawn Lynch and Justin Forsett. Throw in the multitalented  free agent Leon Washington and this is a position that's very stable. Washington could get more playing time somewhere else but as of now, he's a Seahawk.

Interesting enough, both Lynch and Forsett formerly played at the University of California

Lynch came over from the Bills and played in 12 games for the Seahawks in which he rushed for 573 yards and 6 Touchdowns. He needs to improve on not fumbling the ball (3 fumbles) and his yards per carry was weak at just 3.5. Overall, this is a good back.

Justin Forsett showed a lot of promise last season. He rushed for 523 yards (no fumbles) and TD's while catching 33 passes for 252 yards. Forsett is elusive and is a good pass blocker. This is a player to keep an eye on with a lot of potential

If Leon Washington stays, aside from his kick returning talents, he's already proven that he can be a formidable back with the New York Jets.

In all, the Seahawks ranked 31st in rushing yards (89 per game) last season and must improve upon that considering the status of the starting quarterback. They need a productive, reliable running game to rely on.

Receiver and Tight End

Wide receiver Mike Williams is a special story. He was a sure handed top level receiver for USC in college. When he went to the pros, Williams lost his confidence but has seemed to regain it in Seattle. Last season, Williams led the team with 65 receptions for 751 yards and 2 TD's in 14 games. This player can get a lot better as he continues to play. Seattle has a real gem in Mike Williams.

Just a 7th round draft pick, receiver Ben Obomanu has proven that he can play in the NFL. Last season was a year of discovery for the Seahawks with their top two receivers. Obomanu had 30 receptions for 494 yards and 4 TD. This is an athletic receiver in where there's possible potential after his newly gained confidence.

Also in the deep Seattle receiving core, Golden Tate look's like he has the ability to be a good NFL player. He's an explosive player, ever since his days at Notre Dame and also serves as a punt returner. Tate averaged 12.6 yards returning punts while accruing 227 yards in receiving yards in 11 games.

The Seahawks are also looking for free agent veteran Brandon Stokley to return to the Hawks, Stokley caught for 354 yards in 11 games. This is a receiver that once caught for over 1000 yards for Peyton Manning and the Colts. He's a definite asset to have to intertwine with the young Seahawks receivers. Former 3rd rounder Deon Butler has already proved that he belongs on this team. Last season, Butler caught for 385 yards and 4 TD's. The ball has to be distributed to a lot of players on this deep team but expect Butler to have a slight increase in production.

At the tight end position, John Carlson took on more of a role in being a blocker and his numbers took a hit. Karlson had  31 receptions for 318 yards and 1 TD. He needs to be focused more this years. Where Karlson's numbers were down, his pass drops were up. Seattle needs a better season from this capable player.

Offensive Line

The line has been hit with a rash of injuries and unable to be a cohesive unit due to different player combinations. Even playing with nagging injuries, left tackle Russell Okung has proven to be one of the best in the game. He gave defensive ends fits and was an asset to the running game. This is where it gets complicated with players leaving and shuffling around. Look for Max Unger to possibly take over at center if Chris Spencer leaves, if Spencer stays, Unger and Mike Gibson will be battling it out to start at right guard.

Tyler Polumbus has been very solid at left guard and won't be going anywhere. Offensive tackle Sean Locklear looks to improve upon an injury plagued 2010 season. The status of tackle Stacey Andrews is unknown at this time. His playing time was cut at the end of the season. Tackle Ray Willis might be competing against Andrews. Injuries took his 2010 season away.

New offensive line coach Tom Cable will have a lot to deal with all of the uncertainty at these positions.

Defense

With the introduction of new coaches and the uncertain status of many players, the Seahawks team are a very unpredictable one at the present time. This isn't a defensive powerhouse to begin with. The Seahawks defense ranked 25th in points allowed (25.4), 27th in yards allowed (368.6), 27th in passing yards allowed (249.6), and 21st in rushing yards allowed (118.9). In order to make it back to the playoffs. The defense needs vast improvement.

Defensive Line

Seattle looks solid with 4 year starter left defensive tackle Brandon Mebane (31 tackles, 1 sack) and right defensive tackle Colin Cole (44 tackles, 5 pass defenses, 1 sack). Left defensive end Chris Clemons had a huge season last year with a team leading 11 sacks to go along with 49 tackles. Right defensive end Red Bryant had 18 tackles, 1 sack, and 1 forced fumble. Bryant will be back this season after only playing in just 7 games due to a knee injury. Tenth year veteran Raheem Brock was a consistent force for Seattle with 32 tackles, 9 sacks, and 1 forced fumble.

The Seahawks waited until the 7th round to draft defensive end Lazarius Levingston from LSU.

Linebackers

David Hawthorne led the Seahawks with 106 tackles, 3 forced fumbles, and 1 interception. This left linebakcer is a very durable and consistent defender. When you think of linebackers, you have to think of Lofa Tatupu. Tatupu played a full season with 88 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 1 sack, 1 and 1 interception. We'll have to keep an eye on Tatupu. He had off-season surgery on both knees. He has great instincts but can he go another 16 games? 

Right linebacker Aaron Curry had a productive 2010. Curry had 73 tackles, 3.5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles. This is a player with untapped potential, going into his 3rd season. Rounding out the linebackers with experience (that are capable) is Will Herring. Herring had 36 tackles 1 sack, and 1 interception. Herring played mostly passing downs and can play all 3 positions. This is a very versatile free agent that Seattle wants to hold on to. If Herring does decide to leave, injury plagued veteran Leroy Hill will fill the void.

The Seahawks picked up K.J. Wright in the 4th round out of Mississippi State and USC product, outside linebacker Malcolm Hill in the 7th round of the NFL Draft.

Secondary

Longtime Seahawks veteran and Washington native Marcus Trufant is as reliable as they come. At the left cornerback position last season, Trufant had 80 tackles, 1 interception (returned for a TD), 1 forced fumble ,and 8 pass defenses. Trufant has had to deal with injuries but has that warrior-like mentality.

Free Safety Earl Thomas gave a good accounting for himself in his rookie season. Thomas was 3rd on the team in tackles with 75. Thomas also had 5 interceptions, 1 forced fumble and 7 pass defenses. Safety Jordan Babineaux had a major decrease in production but is still a presence on the field. Babineaux went from 104 tackles in 2009 to 46 in 2010. He also had 2 interception, 1 safety, 8 pass defenses, and 1 forced fumble.

Other contributors include right cornerback Kelly Jennings (42 tackles, 12 pass defenses),  cornerback Walter Thurmond (37 tackles, 7 pass defenses),  cornerback Roy Lewis (26 tackles ,1 forced fumbled,and strong safety 2nd year player Kam Chancellor (23 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 1 sack).

Legendary and Ageless

At 37 years old and in his 16th season, safety Lawyer Milloy continues to raise the bar higher. Milloy had 88 tackles (1444 career tackles), 4 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and 3 pass defenses. Even at his advanced age, Milloy is one of the best defenders on this team.

In the 5th round, the Seahawks picked up cornerback Richard Sherman, safety Mark Legree, and in the 6th round they picked up.cornerback Byron Maxwell.

There's some formidable players on the Seahawks defense but let's not fool ourselves, the Seahawks need to improve as a team defensively to be a contender in the NFL.

Summary

The Seahawks got in the playoffs last season through the backdoor. However, they made the most of that opportunity and gained people's respect. Free agency can hamper this team's rhythm regarding improvement. Injuries were a problem last season and I can't see that getting any worse.

The quarterback position is key. Matt Hasselbeck is a hot commodity at the moment. The season will hinge on what Hasselback decides to do. He's past his prime but he's still the best quarterback on Seattle and has been a good QB throughout his career. I think Hasselback will decide to stay. If Hasselbeck stay's he'll need help from the offensive line .Seattle has addressed that help in the draft. Look for Seattle to feed off of their late momentum last season and have a winning record.

Prediction - Seahawks 9-7 (Without Hasselbeck- 6-10 or 7-9 at best)