From the Other Side: Five Questions About the Seahawks
The Miami Dolphins will look for a second consecutive victory when they face the Seattle Seahawks at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday.
The Seahawks will come into the game as one of seven teams with a 3-0 record after victories against the Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots and Dallas Cowboys — all of them in high-scoring affairs.
To get a better feel for the Seahawks, we checked in with Seahawk Maven Publisher Corbin Smith for his answers on these five key questions:
1) We obviously have to start with Russell Wilson and his amazing start. Has he done anything different so far this season or is this just the continuation of an amazing career with just slightly better stats?
I don't think we've necessarily seen anything "new" from Wilson, who has always been one of the best deep ball passers in the game and consistently stands out as one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the sport. He seems to improve every single year and the biggest difference in his production has been the play-calling leaning towards more passing on early downs than in prior seasons under coach Pete Carroll. As the people on Twitter love to say, they're "letting Russ cook," and with the weapons he's got on the outside with DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, he's been burning opposing secondaries to a crisp to start the season. This is the best supporting cast he's had and I'd be remiss not to mention an improved offensive line, which ranks sixth currently in ESPN's Pass Block Win Rate. It's a lot easier for the master chef when there aren't intruders in his kitchen.
2) How much of a threat is the Seattle running game, with and without Chris Carson?
After ending last season with Marshawn Lynch coming out of retirement due to a rash of injuries in the backfield, the Seahawks were proactive ensuring they had plenty of depth behind Carson this year. They signed Carlos Hyde, who was a 1,000-yard rusher with the Texans last year, while also using a fourth-round pick on DeeJay Dallas, who starred at Miami and had a fantastic training camp. It looks like Carson and Hyde, who are both nursing injuries, have a great chance to play Sunday, but I wouldn't be surprised if Seattle deploys a more by-committee approach with Travis Homer and Dallas both getting plenty of reps to keep the veterans fresh. They're confident in the young backs they have.
3) Are the problems on defense strictly a byproduct of a rash of injuries, or is there something else at play?
One comment from Carroll really stood out to me earlier this week. He mentioned that it looks like the secondary hasn't been practicing, which is about as negative as the NFL's most optimistic coach gets. And honestly? He's not wrong. There have been coverage breakdowns galore during the first three weeks of the season, and while injuries and lack of chemistry have been a major part of the problem, poor execution and communication on the back half have plagued this team. You typically don't see that from a Carroll-led defense and it's obvious how frustrated he is about the situation. Now with Quinton Dunbar and Jamal Adams out at least another week, they're going to have to patch the secondary together and hope for better results without some key players.
4) How much of a difference-maker has Jamal Adams been so far or is expected to be at safety?
The price tag for Adams was a steep one, but well worth it. He's an incredible talent with unique abilities, but the best thing he's brought to Seattle's defense is an edge. He plays with incredible energy and passion and it's contagious on the field. His ability to wreak havoc as a blitzer and play all over the formation has been invaluable for the Seahawks, and though he's been beaten a few times in coverage, he's proven himself worthy of trading two first-round picks for. He's going to be missed this weekend and being on the sideline will open up plenty of opportunities for the Dolphins offensively.
5) What has made Pete Carroll so successful in his third shot as an NFL head coach?
Carroll has reflected on this a lot during his decade with the Seahawks and there are a lot of people who helped guide him past his failures in New York and New England. For one thing, he surrounded himself with the right people once he got here, starting with the general manager. He and John Schneider have been a near-perfect team building a roster consistently poised to compete for championships and have a fantastic relationship. But I think it boils down the fact that during his time at USC, he was really able to master the art of building a culture and despite being the oldest coach in football, he understands this generation of players. He's as good as any head coach out there when it comes to relating to those he coaches and that's arguably been the biggest key to his prolonged success in Seattle.
