At 6-4 through the first 11 weeks of the 2017 season, the Seattle Seahawks are fighting for a playoff spot as they did in each of quarterback Russell Wilson's first five years in the NFL.
Coming off a 34-31 loss to the Atlanta Falcons Monday Night, the Seahawks now possess a very pedestrian record of 3-2 at CenturyLink Field, once an impenetrable fortress.
Still, the Seahawks remain as relevant as ever, with control over their playoff hopes and consistent Super Bowl consideration, despite the emergence of the NFC-leading Philadelphia Eagles, and NFC West-leading Los Angeles Rams.
Here's how the Seahawks are drastically changing their identity as the season unfolds, in order to remain a designated pit stop on the NFC's road to the Super Bowl.
Defense moving forward
The strongest area of the Seahawks' defense, according to Pro Football Focus, is now their defensive line, with Dion Jordan, Sheldon Richardson, Jarran Reed, and Michael Bennett all grading above an 80.
Richardson and Jordan, 2017 additions once thought to be an unnecessary surplus of talent, are playing key roles for a defense allowing the ninth-fewest rushing yards per game, and ranking 14th in sacks.
Linebackers Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright, and free safety Earl Thomas remain as strong as ever, all possessing grades of 80.0 or above.
Wilson keeping defenses honest and guessing
If Wilson were a running back, he would have PFF's second-highest grade as a rusher. The site's fourth-ranked quarterback, Wilson grades out at 82.8 as a passer and 89.8 as a rusher. Only Atlanta Falcons running back Devonta Freeman, the league's highest-paid running back, has a higher run grade.
Combining passing and rushing yards, Wilson has accounted for 82.8 percent of the Seahawks' entire team offensive production.
For context, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is accounting for just 75.7 percent of his team's offensive production.
Winning any way necessary
Here's a look at the Seahawks' results through their first 10 games.
| WEEK | SEA | OPP | RESULT |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | 17 | L |
| 2 | 12 | 9 | W |
| 3 | 27 | 33 | L |
| 4 | 46 | 18 | W |
| 5 | 16 | 10 | W |
| 7 | 24 | 7 | W |
| 8 | 41 | 38 | W |
| 9 | 14 | 17 | L |
| 10 | 22 | 16 | W |
| 11 | 31 | 34 | L |
The Seahawks, while relying primarily on the defense at the start of the season as the offense struggled to accomplish anything behind a porous offensive line, have learned to win by any means necessary as the season has gone on.
A weakening defense has been met with an offense that has learned how to play behind what little time the offensive line can provide them. As running backs have cycled in and out as a result of injuries and inefficiency, Wilson has taken on more and more of the carries, rushing a total of 22 times over the past three weeks - his highest three-week sample of the season.
On the whole, the Seahawks rank inside the top 10 in both points scored and allowed per game, though they've arrived at those ranks with wild variance, largely determined by their opponents. They've been winning games by an average of 10.5 points, and losing by an average of five points.
While lacking the dominance in any one area they've had in each of the past several seasons, the Seahawks have developed a well-rounded game reflective of Wilson's peronal style, and are capable of matching up against any opponent.
(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)
