Seahawks’ Offense Needs to Prove Itself in New Orleans
By Ben Renner
After an awful performance by the Seahawks’ offense against the Arizona Cardinals last week, Russell Wilson and company need a good game against the Saints.
We’re headed into Week 8 now, so we should know at least something about the 2016 Seahawks by this point. After the first tie without a touchdown in NFL history since 1940, it’s pretty clear that unless something changes, the offense will be wildly inconsistent.
Between three offensive linemen appearing on ProFootball Focus’ Ten Worst Players from Week 7 (much to Germain Ifedi‘s consternation), possessing the ball for less than half the time as the Cardinals on Sunday, and causing Chris Collinsworth to suggest they simply try to avoid taking a strip sack, the offense has some work to do.
The Seahawks have played six games and in half of them, their offense looked miserable. Russell Wilson was able to pick up the pieces and somehow keep the Seahawks from losing two of those games with a game-ending touchdown drive against Miami Week 1 and a stumbling march to a field goal to take last week’s soccer match–I mean football game–to overtime. At best, this is an inconsistent offense with an elite but injured quarterback and a work-in-progress offensive line. At worst, they’re an inept group who will only get worse once they get their quarterback seriously hurt.
Thankfully, the Seahawks will take to the road to meet one of the worst defenses in the NFL in New Orleans. This will be a “get right” opportunity for Darrell Bevell’s group. If they can’t put up points against the Saints, they’re in trouble for the rest of the year. Let’s hope at least Bradley Sowell will return from the knee injury he suffered last week to prevent George Fant from trying to protect Wilson all game.
On the other side, the Seahawks’ defense will have its hands full with Drew Brees and his cadre of receivers in the Superdome. Brees is a ridiculously prolific quarterback likely headed to the Hall of Fame, and he’s most productive at home. The Legion of Boom will have to clamp down all over the field to hold down Brees’ and Sean Payton‘s spread-the-ball-around passing attack.
The game will start at 10 a.m. Sunday, broadcast on Fox.