With or Without Russell Wilson, Seahawks Desperately Need Home Cooking
Off to a disappointing 2-4 start to the season, the Seahawks are still searching for their first home win of 2021. It's also nearly been two full years—693 days, to be exact—since the last time they gave fans in attendance at Lumen Field a victory to celebrate. That's good enough for four straight losses in front of a supporting crowd—something Seattle has rarely endured in the 19 years of its building's existence.
Tonight, coach Pete Carroll and his team have a chance to put that streak to an end, and must do so after losing four of their last five games in total. Their backs are more or less against the wall at this point, leaving them with very little margin for error at such an early point in the season. But this is the reality they currently find themselves in, and flipping the script will be quite the challenge to overcome.
Without star quarterback Russell Wilson and running back Chris Carson, Seattle finds itself at a severe disadvantage as it prepares to host New Orleans under the prime time lights of Monday Night Football. Carroll and company, however, will not use that as an excuse to accept their seemingly pre-determined fate. No matter the circumstances, winning their next two games is a necessity, especially with the likelihood of Wilson making his return out of their Week 9 bye continuing to grow.
The Seahawks are 15-9 at home in their last three seasons with fans in attendance (2017-2019). Overall, six games over .500 is a strong mark, but not one that reflects the home-field dominance the NFL and Seahawks fans have grown accustomed to. This includes a 4-4 showing in 2019, which is now being followed up by an 0-2 start to 2021.
Bottom line: No matter who's under center, Seattle has to be better at home. It's become clear that what was once thought to be an unmatched home-field advantage has turned into something far more inconsequential. And the organization knows, given its history, that is simply unacceptable.
Therefore, it's time to correct course, in regards to both the Seahawks' recent home woes and their season as a whole. With one fell swoop tonight, they can overcome these obstacles and re-energize a fan base that is simply not ready to exit the decade-long run of success the franchise has had.
But the task at hand will be tough to achieve, heading into a matchup against one of the NFL's best defenses and an offense with plenty of firepower to force the Seahawks to participate in a shootout with a backup quarterback. Essentially, the odds are stacked against them more than ever.
If they hope to salvage a fading season, they'll have to do it where they're most comfortable: home. It's a place they've held themselves to an elite standard in, but thus far, they've fallen well short of the mark.
However, the Monday night stage—one of the biggest regular season platforms in all of football—has been known to bring out something special from Seattle and its world-famous fan base. As such, tonight's game has the makings of an emotional turning point. If the Seahawks can match the moment, their goals will still be very much in reach. If not, well... we'll cross that bridge if we get to it.
