The Other Side: Seattle Seahawks

Corbin Smith of SI Seahawk Maven gives his take on how things look from Seattle's perspective heading into Sunday's game with the Panthers.

Q: Seattle is coming off of a 28-12 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, yet is still in position to make a run at the NFC West title and the top seed in the NFC Playoffs. What went wrong during that loss to the Rams?

A: I could write a 600-page novel about what went wrong for the Seahawks. They fell behind early as Ken Norton Jr.'s defense was carved up by Jared Goff and a dynamic Rams receiving corps. They surrendered 184 passing yards to Goff and gave up three touchdown drives of 75 yards or longer, eventually falling behind 21-3 at halftime. 

The offense didn't help by producing just three points and failed to capitalize on several opportunities, including a dropped fourth down catch by Malik Turner that would've sustained a potential scoring drive deep in opposing territory. Being down 18 points forced Seattle out of its original game plan and they had to be more reliant on the passing game in the second half trying to make a comeback. Unfortunately, with Aaron Donald and company able to pin their ears back rushing Russell Wilson, the offensive line couldn't protect the quarterback and the offense floundered.

Q: Seattle is third in rushing, averaging 140.8 yards per game. Rashaad Penny is out for the season after tearing his left ACL during the first series of Sunday's loss. The second-year running back went down after posting his two best games of the season in consecutive weeks. He had 107 totals yards and two touchdowns against Minnesota preceded by a 129-yard, one-touchdown effort against Philadelphia. What does this setback mean for Seattle's depth at running back and what are the expectations for Penny's recovery/return?

A: Losing Penny is a major blow for Seattle's offense because he offers a complementary skill set to starter Chris Carson. He's more explosive in open field and has a "turbo" button he can hit once he gets to the second level that Carson simply doesn't have. He was also showing signs of coming to life as a receiver, adding another weapon to Wilson's arsenal. It's a bummer he's got a long recovery ahead of him that could last into training camp next July. Without him, the Seahawks will have to count on C.J. Prosise and Travis Homer to fill the void.

A former receiver at Notre Dame, Prosise has always possessed intriguing talent, but he hasn't been able to stay healthy and landed on injured reserve in each of his first three NFL seasons. As for Homer, he's been an excellent special teams player and his only carry this season came on a fake punt in which he gained 29 yards and showed off outstanding burst getting to the sideline. Both players are capable, but one has major durability concerns and the other hasn't had much experience.

Q: Even during the loss in Los Angeles, Seattle was still productive on defense and special teams in the second half. The Seahawks' defense had two interceptions (including a pick-six) while its special teams blocked a field goal -- and that was just during the third quarter. The defense has been especially strong during Seattle's past four games, recording 16 sacks and 15 takeaways during that span. What is Seattle doing to record those kinds of big play numbers?

A: Seattle's pass rush has regressed back to being a non-factor over the past two games, but for a brief spell, they were able to rack up a bunch of sacks and quarterback hits against the 49ers and Eagles. 

The real difference-maker has been the addition of safety Quandre Diggs, who has brought stability to the back half of the defense and played at an All-Pro level in his first four starts with the Seahawks. He already has three interceptions, including the 55-yard pick six against Goff last Sunday. He's a heat seeking missile flying up to make tackles against running backs and receivers, bringing the type of mentality Pete Carroll loves to have in his secondary. His presence has allowed Seattle to run more single-high safety looks as they did when Earl Thomas was manning center field, and while it'd be premature to compare those players, he has had a similar impact in the starting lineup and the rest of the defense has fed off of his energy.

Q: Seattle's Russell Wilson has been in the MVP conversation for most of the season, passing for 3,422 yards with 26 touchdowns against only five interceptions and a quarterback rating of 107.5. Perhaps more impressive is that the eight-year veteran has made 125 consecutive starts, the second-longest active streak in the NFL. How do you explain his ability to not only be productive, but his apparent durability?

As Wilson talks about frequently, he does an outstanding job not only taking care of his body, but also his mind. He has a mental coach who travels with him and is an integral part of his sustained success. Though I don't know if it's quite on Tom Brady's level, he has a very strict diet he adheres to in conjunction to his workout and conditioning program. All of those factors have helped with his durability. I also think his awareness to get down and not absorb many big hits as a runner has helped him stay healthy over the years. 

Many of the mobile quarterbacks who enter the league struggle in this capacity, but he knows when to slide and duck out bounds and young quarterbacks would be wise to learn from his example.

Q: Jadeveon Clowney, a Rock Hill, South Carolina native and former University of South Carolina standout, was acquired by the Seahawks from the Texans before the season. Injuries and illness have slowed him down at times, though he still has three sacks, four forced fumbles and a pick-six in 12 games. What has the addition of Clowney meant to Seattle's defense and what is Clowney's status physically as we get closer to the playoffs?

Unfortunately, Clowney won't be playing on Sunday due to battling the flu all week along with a lingering core injury that may need surgery after the season. When he's been on the field, his numbers have been misleading - he's drawn a ton of double-teams this year and yet, he's been an elite run defender who has generated a high pressure rate against opposing quarterbacks. Before he suffered his latest injury, he produced five quarterback hits and a sack in a dominant effort against the 49ers and looked to be coming into his own. 

Without him, Seattle lacks an elite edge rushing presence and his absence makes the team's run defense far more suspect, which isn't necessarily a good thing preparing to defend against McCaffrey. The Seahawks have to hope he's able to right the ship in time for the playoffs or the team could be in big trouble regardless of the seed they earn.

For more about the Seahawks, visit si.com/NFL/Seahawks and follow Corbin on Twitter at @CorbinSmithNFL.