Seattle Seahawks Have Missed Opportunites To Prove They Belong With The NFL's Best
The Seahawks are 5-3 after eight weeks, and while that's not an indication of failure by any means in the big picture of the NFC or even the NFL, Seattle has lost opportunities to prove they should be mentioned with the best.
Beginning with the opening game of the season in a division matchup, Seattle's well-documented second-half failures were not a good way to start the season. Looking back, this is a game the Seahawks should've dominated against a "lesser" division rival with the Rams now sitting at 3-6. It would've been a great lead-in to what happened the following week, when Seattle beat the Lions at home, in what now appears to be the biggest win of the season thus far. The Lions are now 6-2 and lead the NFC North.
Pete Carroll (R) and Geno Smith
USA TODAY
Wins over the Panthers and Giants are fine and good, and they're games the Seahawks should've won. But a Week 6 17-13 loss to the Bengals hurt. Seattle had opportunities to beat an AFC powerhouse, regardless of what their current 5-3 record might indicate.
Wins over Arizona and then Cleveland followed - again, two games Seattle should've won, before a 37-3 embarrassment of a performance against the Baltimore Ravens last week. The Ravens game would've been a statement here at the mid-point of the season to send a message to the rest of the NFC, and to division opponents.
The loss to Baltimore while San Francisco is riding a three-game skid put the 49ers back in a tie for the division lead with Seattle at 5-3.
There have been opportunities for Seattle this season to prove they belong with the best in the league, and those have been missed. More will present themselves as the season goes by, namely matchups against San Francisco, Dallas, and Philadelphia in consecutive weeks beginning Nov. 23.
Aside from that trio of games, the Seahawks remaining schedule looks fairly tame. Is there a division title in the future this season for Seattle? We'll know more after Dec. 10.
