Seahawks vs Buccaneers: Is Seattle Lucky Or Good?
By Todd Pheifer
Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports
The Seattle Seahawks pulled off an amazing comeback as they rallied to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in overtime, 27-24. Despite the win, you have to assume fans are experiencing some mixed feelings about this victory.
After all, do you celebrate the rally or lament that there had to be a rally at all?
On paper, the Seahawks should not have fallen behind 21-0. Period. Therefore, should we reach into the vault of overused sports phrases and pull out a classic? For this situation, some might suggest that “sometimes it is better to be lucky than good.”
Somehow that doesn’t make me feel much better.
Obviously this game wasn’t just about “luck.” In the second half the defense got stops, Marshawn Lynch ran the ball, receivers made clutch catches and Russell Wilson was able to put together some impressive drives. Seattle got the big plays when they needed them. The fact remains that Seattle should not have fallen behind by 21 points to an 0-7 ball club, particularly at ruckus CenturyLink Field.
You could look at this a couple of different ways. The pessimist will suggest that Seattle has holes and that the last two games are a sign that the Seahawks are going to get crushed by better teams down the stretch. Seattle gave up a lot of yards (205) on the ground to a backup running back. That is the second straight week that the defensive line has looked very porous. Last week the Rams ran for 200 yards of their own.
Isn’t this supposed to be a dominant defense?
Now, the optimist will point to the history of sports and suggest that great teams must overcome adversity in order to prepare for an eventual victory in the championship game. The optimistic will also suggest that a winning season is not just about decisive victories, but it is also about getting a few wins that are perhaps a bit undeserved.
Again, that doesn’t make this win feel like an impressive victory.
A win is a win, but perhaps this “W” is a bit undeserved when you step back and look at the overall context. Maybe the game on Monday Night Football against the St. Louis Rams get added to the undeserved list. Just for good measure, the overtime win over the Houston Texans in Week 4 wasn’t the prettiest of victories either.
And yet, these were all wins. Ugly, but they still go in the win column.
All of this analysis is fascinating, and certainly fans will debate and argue as to how Seattle will perform down the stretch. However, there is one key statistic that cannot be debated or ignored.
The Seahawks are 8-1. Seattle continues to forge ahead into uncharted waters with each victory. That has to mean something, right?
We will see have to see how long Seattle’s talent (or luck) will last.
Related: Lessons Learned From the Seahawks Win over the Buccaneers