The Seahawks are in Santa Clara this weekend to take on the 2-13 San Francisco 49ers. This isn’t just a must-win for Seattle, it’s a must-dominate.
Last season, the second half of the schedule could be characterized as ‘how theSeahawksgot their groove back.’ They struggled in the first half of the season, with injuries and holdouts hampering their performance in several games. ThenRussell Wilsonwent on his magical run. He couldn’t stop throwing bombs toDoug Baldwin. The streak continued until that fateful first half against the Panthers that the Hawks couldn’t recover from.
This season, the Seahawks have exactly one game to get their groove back. They come into their Week 17 matchup with Chip Kelly’s 2-13 49ers having lost three of five. The game has playoff seeding implications for the Seahawks,of course. A loss would doom Seattle to a mandatory Wild Card game next week. A win and a Saints win over the Falcons gives Tom Cable and Pete Carroll one extra week to figure out how toteach their offensive linemen to blockall over again.
But psychologically*, this Week 17 matchup with the 9ers is important for confidence. A 40 or 30 point victory against our once-fierce rivals gives Seattle its 10th win in style. Even over an inferior opponent, a hammering on the road sends a message to the rest of the NFL that that Hawksmight actuallynotbe mediocre without Earl Thomas. More importantly, it would send a message to themselves that they’re not mediocre.
The Seahawks have to show their fans and their coaches that they can defend without their defensive foundation. They need to show that they can block NFL defenders on offense and produce effective, efficient drives consistently.
John Schneiderand company made awise move this weekby extending star defensive endMichael Bennett, keeping another key member of the defense around until 2020. How they proceed the rest of the season, starting tomorrow in Santa Clara at 1:25 p.m. (the Saints game is at the same time), will show the character of this team.
*I have absolutely no background in psychology but bear with me here.
Next: The Official Beat Bama Guide
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