Turns out, all the flaws the Seahawks had revealed in the final four weeks of the season turned out to be fair and accurate.
Ever since the Seahawks crushed Carolina on Dec. 4, they’ve showed signs of being a flawed team.
They got blown out on the road at Green Bay — their first loss by more than 10 points since 2011. They lost at home to Arizona, in a game that would have pretty much secured a first-round bye. They went to the wire against a San Francisco team that fired its general manager and coach.
Yes, the Seahawks blew out the Lions at home in the first round of the playoffs. But the Lions aren’t very good, and the Seahawks were at home.
Turns out, all the flaws the Seahawks had revealed in the final four weeks of the season turned out to be fair and accurate: The defense isn’t the same without Earl Thomas, and the inability to run the ball consistently hampered the offense, and the offensive line struggled to give Wilson time to throw.
In the six games the Seahawks played without Thomas after he broke his leg, they allowed 30 points three times. They allowed 30 points in four games all of last season, playoffs included. Teams were more likely to test Seattle deep without Thomas and were more successful when they did.
The Seahawks finished the regular season ranked 25th in the NFL in rushing yards, and they finished with a 100-yard rusher only three times all season. Thomas Rawls finished with 34 yards on 11 carries against Atlanta, with 29 of those yards coming on the first drive of the game.
Those were the main concerns surrounding the Seahawks heading into the playoffs, and they were pretty much the cause of the Seahawks’ loss in Atlanta.