5 Questions With Fields Gulls: What is a Seahawk anyway?

The 2021 seasons for the Chicago Bears and the Seattle Seahawks have underwhelmed to say the least, so let’s check in with John P. Gilbert, who covers the Seahawks for our sister site Fields Gulls, to get his thoughts on the northwestern most team in the National Football League.

Windy City Gridiron - Is it just me, or have the Seahawks been a little whatevs this season?

Field Gulls - It’s not just you. The defense has been top ten in points allowed, but it feels like they’ve somehow done that while allowing opponents to mount long drive after long drive and then forcing field goals after five plus minutes of possession. The once feared Legion of Boom defense that featured the likes of Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor, Cliff Avril, Michael Bennett and Bruce Irvin has been replaced by a group that is in the bottom quarter of the league in sacks and interceptions in spite of playing the most snaps of any defense in the league.

The offense has been, in a word, entirely forgettable for much of the year. Some growing pains were to be expected, but between injuries, a failure to execute and a seeming lack of any kind of identity, this has easily been the worst offense with Wilson under center. Sprinkle in some questionable personnel decisions on the offensive line, draft picks who have not been able to contribute as many hoped and COVID issues, and I think most fans are more than ready to put whatever the 2021 Seahawks offense is to bed for the offseason.

WCG - The Bears came close to trading for Russell Wilson this offseason. Are you glad they didn’t? In theory, they could have drafted Justin Fields with the picks he got, and he may eventually turn into a taller Russell Wilson with a better personality.

FG - Wilson is, without question, the best quarterback the Seahawks have had in franchise history. That said, is it better for the Seahawks to be looking more towards the future than to roll with Russ? I honestly don’t know the answer, but my guess is that the Hawks will need to be looking for a new franchise quarterback sooner rather than later.

Wilson, of course, states that he wants to play into his mid forties, which is a great goal to have. The simple fact is that the number of quarterbacks able to play at a high level into their late thirties and early forties is very small, and once a quarterback falls off the age cliff, it’s time to call it a day. That’s not to say that Russ has already reached that age cliff, just that he turned 33 in November and it’s far more likely that he is much closer to the end of his career than the beginning.

At some point it will be time to move on from Russ, and in the meantime the question is whether a trade package is enough. Prior to 2021 I would have said that three firsts likely would not be enough to get Russ from a team. After the 2021 season, though, and a continued refusal by Russ to execute certain concepts within structure coupled with a roster that is likely to have a massive number of holes to fill, and I’d be okay with the team accepting a trade package like that this coming offseason. I won’t be hoping for or rooting for such a move, but it wouldn’t infuriate me.

WCG - I’ve actually recently moved to Seattle. Where are the good snacks in this town?

FG - I will need to turn to my commenters for assistance on this one, as I have never lived in Seattle. I have spent quite a bit of time there for work, specifically out in Issaquah and downtown, but I am not a good resource for culinary selections in Seattle. Now, you need to know where to get some good food when you’re in Tampa, Vegas, NYC or Kansas City, I’m your guy. Seattle, though, I’ll leave to the locals.

WCG - Real talk: what’s the difference between a Seahawk and a pigeon?

FG - Pigeons are dirty, disgusting birds that crap on park benches in Central Park. Seahawks are made up. You will find some people who refer to ospreys as sea hawks, but there is no actual bird that carries the actual name seahawk.

WCG - If the Seahawks somehow manage to win this game, what matchups do you think will be the key to their triumphant victory?

FG - The offense runs through Tyler Lockett. In the five games this season when Lockett has recorded triple digit receiving yards, Seattle has averaged 27.0 points. In the nine games where Lockett has not reached triple digit receiving yards, they’ve averaged 16.3 points.

Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron was the passing game coordinator for the 2018 Los Angeles Rams, whose offense went straight downhill after slot receiver Cooper Kupp was lost to a knee injury. The same thing has held true for Seattle in seasons past under Brian Schottenheimer and Darrell Bevell, but it seems to be to an extreme in 2021.

Thanks again to John for dropping the Seahawk knowledge!

I answered John’s questions about the Bears right here.