Geno Smith and the Seattle Seahawks are suddenly on top of the NFC West and eyeing the playoffs after Week 7. The franchise that was rumoured to be a rebuild has instead become a contender. Coincidence or a little Pete Carroll magic after all?

Munich/Seattle – The Seattle Seahawks are the big surprise of the season.

First place in the NFC West, third overall in the NFC playoff rankings. “That’s good. After seven weeks, look where we are. Who would have thought,” said head coach Pete Carroll after the 37-23 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.

And that was after finishing last in the division last season with a record of 7-10. The offseason saw the departure of Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner, two longtime franchise faces, and two backup quarterbacks competing for the starter’s spot in the offseason.

No trade for Baker Mayfield. No attempt to bring in Jimmy Garoppolo. And while Wilson is anything but firmly in the saddle with the Denver Broncos, the Seahawks seem to have backed the right horse.

Geno Smith: Phoenix from the ashes with the Seahawks

For three years, Geno Smith learned and waited behind Wilson. After his departure, he did get Drew Lock in front of him, but Smith outplayed him in training camp. Pete Carroll trusted the 32-year-old, who had only completed one full season as a starter in his ten NFL years – and that as a rookie.

The head coach was right in his confidence. 210 passing yards on 20 of 27 passes, plus two touchdowns against the Chargers. Although he also threw an early interception, Smith showed confidence at all times, took the throws and did not let himself get rattled. He’s the Seahawks’ new game manager.
Smith only behind Mahomes and Allen

The 32-year-old is nonetheless humble. “This moment is not for me. It’s not really important to me. It’s for the team,” he explained after the win. “The opportunity to play is all that matters to me […] For me, it means I have to keep working hard and keep leading. All the other things that I’m not really focusing on, I have to block out.”

He leads the entire league with a 73.5 percent completion rate average and lands high in other statistics as well. Seventh in passing yards (1712), sixth in touchdowns (11) and third in quarterback rating (107.7) – behind only MVP candidates Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen. Quietly, Seattle has developed one of the top quarterbacks of the season.

For Carroll, there was never any doubt about that. “There are no limitations on Geno. He can do anything we can think of,” the coach said after the win over the Chargers. “He’s not the same. You can tick somebody off and then you miss the whole opportunity to understand this guy. This Geno is a different guy. “

Routiniers shine brightly

While Smith had only a banged-up Tyler Lockett against Los Angeles and D.K. Metcalf was out for the entire second half, another veteran showed what he was still made of. Marquise Goodwin not only caught passes for 67 yards, but also two touchdowns in a game for the first time since 2018. As a bonus, there was the Victory Formation backflip.

And quarterback Smith also got the tight ends more involved. The quarterback knows how to use his pass receivers around him. There is no trace of one-dimensionality. It’s not for nothing that the offense finds itself ranked ninth in total yards.

Seattle Seahawks: Rookie Dream 2022

But it’s not just Seattle’s old hands that have made the franchise a surprise team. First and foremost, this year’s draft class has integrated Pete Carroll almost perfectly.

Offensively, second-round pick Kenneth Walker III stands out the most. He was named the starter in Week 5 and has been flying around the turf ever since. 23 carries, 168 yards and two touchdowns against the Chargers have been the highlight of his young running back career in the NFL so far.

Those runs have been made possible by first-round pick Charles Cross and third-round pick Abe Lucas, among others, who have elevated the Seahawks’ offensive line to a new level in their very first year. After last having the league’s eighth-oldest squad two years in a row, the Seahawks are now focusing on the future – or rather, the present.

“Legion of Boom 2.0” in the making

So while the Offense is already harmonising, a Defence is also brewing that may again recall the glorious signs of the “Legion of Boom”. “We’re slowly growing together as a defence and starting to rely on each other and lean on each other. That’s great,” explained veteran and defence co-captain Al Woods.

After an interlude of weakness, including a scorigami shootout against the Detroit Lions, Seattle’s defence was dependable against the Arizona Cardinals the previous week and held the Chargers in check. The pass rush brought down quarterback Justin Herbert three times and the secondary produced two interceptions – the sixth time this season the defense has managed two or more takeaways.

Richard Sherman predicts Rookie of the Year

And the mix of experience and confidence in the young players is also evident on defense. Besides Ryan Neal with three years of NFL in his bones, rookies Coby Bryant and especially fifth-round pick Tariq Woolen, who has already intercepted four passes, are already shining.

“The kid is playing absolutely crazy, it really doesn’t make sense. Four interceptions already […] looks like a Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate to me,” Richard Sherman marveled about his “successor” on his own podcast. The legendary Seahawks cornerback, by the way, was also a fifth-round pick at the time.

How far can it go for the Seahawks?

The Seahawks of the 2022 season are not building on the classic recipe. By keeping players like Metcalf and Lockett, they didn’t usher in a complete rebuild, nor conversely, did they even rely on expensive trades for one or two key players.

Instead, an experienced quarterback was brought in as the new boss, who suddenly proved his critics wrong. Add to that a dash of experience and, as the main ingredient, a host of fresh rookies.

Running back DeeJay Dallas summed up the success for the recipe simply: “We’re playing perfect football again. We showed it last week and we showed it again this week. Offense, defense, special teams – that’s what makes us.”

There are still ten weeks to play and the teams in the NFC West are close. But with the new Seahawks, the road to the playoffs this season may once again go through Seattle.