Season preview: 2011 Seahawks
Offense: For the life of me I don't know what Seahawks coach Pete Carroll and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell are doing with their quarterbacks. Apparently, they have no conviction about Charlie Whitehurst. OK, I get that. But Tarvaris Jackson? I mean, do you honestly believe Tarvaris Jackson is an upgrade over Whitehurst? Moreover, by adding him you're basically flushing Whitehurst after one season. Both are 28, yet the Seahawks named Jackson the starter not long after he joined them. I saw what Jackson did under Bevell in Minnesota, and it wasn't good. So why should this be any different? Just my opinion, but the Seahawks would've been better off with Matt Hasselbeck. I like the addition of tight end Zach Miller, and adding Sidney Rice was a move in the right direction provided A) He's healthy; B) He has someone to throw to him. Last time I checked, Jackson was struggling just as he did in Minnesota. So where's the surprise? Carroll could minimize the damage with a decent rushing attack, but Marshawn Lynch and Justin Forsett aren't Adrian Peterson ... and Peterson couldn't save Jackson in Minnesota. Moreover, the offensive line looks shaky, with James Carpenter struggling and Russell Okung recovering from a high-ankle sprain. Seattle pulled the mother of all upsets last season when it hammered New Orleans in the playoffs. It won't get that far this time around.
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Defense: Gone are familiar names like Lofa Tatupu, Lawyer Milloy and Kelly Jennings, with guys like Earl Thomas, Brandon Mebane and David Hawthorne taking their place as the next wave of stars. The Seahawks will be younger, faster and hopefully better this season. They couldn't be much worse, surrendering 30 or more points in seven of their final nine starts (including the playoffs) and 40 or more in two of them. They ranked 21st against the run, 27th vs. the pass and 27th overall. Plus, their 22 takeaways were tied for next to last in the NFC, and they allowed opponents to convert an average of 39.5 percent of their third downs. Not good. That doesn't mean all was lost. With 11 sacks, Philadelphia castoff Chris Clemons was a surprise. So was Raheem Brock, who had nine sacks. The Seahawks need to find them help, and moving Hawthorne back to middle linebacker is a start. The guy is a tackling machine. Still, work needs to be done here.
Coaching and schemes: The Seahawks made nearly 300 roster moves in Carroll's first season and got younger, bigger and faster. Now, the biggest offseason change isn't with the roster; it's with the coaching staff. The addition of Tom Cable as offensive line coach is a plus for a franchise -- and offensive line -- looking for an identity. I always thought the guy brought a toughness that had been missing to Oakland, with his team playing hard for him. The addition of Bevell, the team's fourth offensive coordinator in four years, means a return of Mike Holmgren's West Coast offense -- with fewer downfield throws, more timed deliveries and running backs more involved in the passing game. That's great, except look who's doing the throwing. Check, please.
Outlook: Sorry, I just can't get over the decision to turn the team over to Jackson. He didn't do much when he had Peterson, a solid defense and decent offensive line in Minnesota, and he won't do much here. The club took a step forward last season. This is a step backward. Someone needs to tell me how this can work.
Projected finish: 5-11 and fourth in the NFC West.
