5 Offensive Statistical Surprises in Seahawks Franchise History
Have you ever been scanning through the career stats leaders of your franchise and come across some truly surprising results? You probably have. For example, did you know that Jose Lopez has played the 10th most games in a Seattle Mariners uniform? I certainly didn't. But naturally, this led me to check the Seahawks record books, and there are some genuinely unexpected names that come up.
Today, I'm going to revisit five players you may not even remember wearing a Seahawks uniform who rank surprisingly high in different statistical areas. Some are telling, most are just random trivia. But sometimes, to truly appreciate what you have, you need to understand what you left behind. With that in mind, let's get started.
1. Jon Kitna ranks sixth in career passing yardage.
If I asked you to name the top five Seahawks quarterbacks with the most career passing yards, you could probably produce the names quickly. Certainly, the top four are easy enough: Russell Wilson, Matt Hasselbeck, Dave Krieg, and Jim Zorn. You may stumble for a bit on the fifth-place finisher, but by process of elimination, you'd probably land on Rick Mirer.
But after those five names, next on the list is former Central Washington University standout Jon Kitna. He made 33 starts for the Seahawks between 1997-2000, compiling an 18-15 record while compiling 7,552 passing yards. Not too bad.
2. Russell Wilson ranks seventh in career rushing yards.
The Seahawks have had some dynamic running backs in their history, and somehow, only six of them have more rushing yards than quarterback Russell Wilson. The six names ahead of him are Shaun Alexander, Chris Warren, Curt Warner, Marshawn Lynch, John Williams, and Ricky Watters.
Wilson will surely pass Waters on the list in 2020, needing just 16 yards to do so. He should pass Williams sometime before the end of the 2022 season, as he needs 586 yards to accomplish that. Considering how teams treat running backs in the modern NFL, there is a very strong possibility that Wilson will be the fifth leading rusher in Seahawks history for decades.
3. John L. Williams ranks fourth in career receptions.
If you're on the younger end of life like me, you may not have any idea who John Williams is. A Seahawk from 1986 to 1993, Williams shows up quite a bit on the career records list for Seattle, an impressive feat for a fullback. He ranks fourth in franchise history with 471 receptions, nearly 200 more than current Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett.
Williams also ranks fifth in career rushing yards and made two Pro Bowls in his 10-year career. He may very well may be the most underrated offensive player in Seahawks franchise history.
4. T.J. Houshmandzadeh ranks seventh in single-season receptions.
Fans mostly remember T.J. Houshmandzadeh as a massive bust for the Seahawks. But in reality, he had one of the most productive seasons in franchise history, snagging 79 passes for 911 yards. Steve Largent never caught more passes in a season than Houshmandzadeh, which is probably more shocking.
Houshmandzadeh was famously the "big" Pete Carroll cut in 2010 after the 33-year old refused to buy into Carroll's philosophy. That decision, along with the release of Lendale White just a month after acquiring him, showed the locker room that Carroll meant business, which is ultimately the legacy Houshmandzadeh has in Seattle.
5. Darrell Jackson ranks first in receiving targets.
This one comes with a huge caveat: targets weren't officially recorded until 1992, meaning anybody who retired prior to 1992 isn't going to show up on this list, including Steve Largent. But considering Largent had 819 receptions to Darell Jackson's 790 targets, it's safe to say that Largent is the leader in the category.
However, Jackson is the official record-holder and it seems a bit bizarre. Sure, Jackson was the No. 1 receiver for Hasselbeck in Mike Holmgren's West Coast offense, but that system is set up to spread the ball around. Still, Jackson edges out Doug Baldwin for the title and has nearly 200 more targets than his counterpart, Bobby Engram, had in the same time period.
