Seahawks Need to Improve Their 3rd Down Woes if They Want to Be True Super Bowl Contender
By Michael Luciano
The Seattle Seahawks have lost whatever momentum they had accumulated heading into the playoffs, as Russell Wilson and the offense, normally a pillar of consistency and efficiency, have taken a major step back.
Since they came back from their bye week, Seattle is converting just 33.8 percent of their 3rd down attempts, which would rank 29th across all of football.
@ me next time you're chasing the downer dragon.
— John P. Gilbert (@JohnPGilbertNFL) December 27, 2019
Since Week 12, the Seahawks have faced 65 3rd downs.
They average 7.3 yards to convert (league median is 7.0).
They have converted 33.8% of those (league median is 39.7%, Seattle is 29th of 33). https://t.co/JtiClm7WRH
It's easy to blame Wilson, Pete Carroll, or offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, but that doesn't tell the whole story.
The main reason that Seattle has ground to a halt on offense is the sub-standard play of the offensive line. The injury to center Justin Britt a few weeks ago now looms large, as Wilson is running for his life while the running game isn't reeling off as many big plays.
Throw in injuries to Chris Carson, CJ Prosise and Rashaad Penny, and you have a recipe for disaster in the Pacific Northwest.
And so one day after the Seahawks lost Chris Carson to a fractured hip and C.J. Prosise to a broken arm, the Seahawks went retro RB and signed Marshawn Lynch and Robert Turbin.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 24, 2019
Signing Marshawn Lynch will go some way to helping, as 3rd and short vs 3rd and long is much different from a play-calling perspective, but Wilson and the Seahawks need to get their act together in time for the playoffs, lest they end up getting swept aside.