The Seahawks have their backs to the wall in the NFL. After seven games, the Seattle team already has five losses under their belt. In large part, that’s due to the injury-plagued absence of quarterback Russell Wilson. Without him, little is going right offensively. The numbers prove it: No Wilson, No Party!

Seattle/Munich – Things are anything but going well for the Seattle Seahawks in the new NFL season. Seven games, five losses and on top of that the star of the team is currently missing due to injury.

Quarterback Russell Wilson could only watch from the sidelines in the recent 10-13 loss to the New Orleans Saints as his team stumbled, especially offensively. After their fifth loss of the season, the Seahawks are in fourth and last place in the NFC West and are in danger of missing the playoffs.

Even with its leader, Seattle has suffered tough losses in the recent past, but the team with Wilson has rarely been as offensively harmless as it was against the Saints. 10 points, only one touchdown (an 84-yard reception by wide receiver DK Metcalf) and otherwise only another 80 passing yards: The numbers that the team puts on the field with backup quarterback Geno Smith leave a lot to be desired. Not for nothing did Head Coach Pete Carroll formulate a declaration of love for his playmaker. “We miss him, and in the meantime, we’re going to continue to fight and do everything we can,” Carroll said.

NFL News compares the Seattle Seahawks’ offense with and without Russell Wilson.

Passing: biggest difference to be seen

In week five of the current season, Wilson injured his throwing hand. For the first time in his entire NFL career, the 32-year-old missed a game. Before that, he played 149 games without a break. A more than unusual situation for the Seahawks, who had to send another starting quarterback onto the field for the first time since 2012.

It seems almost logical to realise that the Seattle passing game is at a lower level without Wilson. In his two games as a starter, backup Smith totaled 294 passing yards (147 yards average per game), threw a touchdown pass in each game and passed for 16 first downs.

These are the numbers Wilson could show in a game in good times – and week after week. In the four games this season in which he was on the field for the entire time, the superstar delivered: 261 passing yards on average per game, plus a total of nine touchdown passes and not a single interception.

Smith, who has now lost his first two games as the Seahawks’ starter, can’t match those numbers. Even if you give the 31-year-old credit for facing two of the league’s best pass defenses in the Steelers and Saints.

Rushing: No alternatives ready at the moment

If the passing game doesn’t work, more running has to be done. But it’s not that simple at the moment. In week four, No. 1 running back Chris Carson injured his neck and has been out ever since, unable to help his team.

Still, running back Alex Collins in particular showed what he is made of in week six against the Pittsburgh Steelers. With 101 rushing yards on 20 runs, the 27-year-old helped give the Seahawks their best running performance of the season – 144 rushing yards.

But the Seahawks’ running game can’t pull the coals out of the fire at the moment, as Head Coach Caroll’s team disappointed against the Saints. With only 90 rushing yards (with only 167 passing yards as well), it’s going to be tough to win a game.

But the Seahawks are currently lacking solutions.

Scoring: Currently no spectacle in Seattle

Averaged around 29 points last season. The offense was the big flagship, while defensively not everything went smoothly last year either. But currently the Seahawks are also lacking conviction with the ball.

Ten points in the home game against the New Orleans Saints, where apart from running back Alvin Kamara just as little worked offensively, are too few for the demands on the Northwest Coast. Previously, 20 points were scored against the Steelers and 17 against the Rams. Seattle lost all games despite relatively satisfactory performances on defence.

No question: The Seahawks need their offensive punch to win games. And they only have that punch with a fit Wilson.