It’s often useful to reflect back on a game after a period of thought. A day is sometimes a good benchmark.

The defeat to the Falcons was damaging and could cost the Seahawks a playoff berth. The two home losses to Washington and Atlanta were avoidable and mistake-ridden. The margin for error is so small now — and yet this is a team that hasn’t been able to get out of its own way all season.

They can still win the NFC West though — and that has to be the focus now for the fan base. Whatever hopes you had of a #1 or #2 seed and a 2013-14 type post-season run are likely evaporated. Yet the Seahawks can still make the playoffs. And in a year where the NFC is wide open with weird, strange things occurring — you just don’t know what’ll happen if you get there.

Here are LA’s remaining games:

New Orleans (H)
Arizona (A)
Philadelphia (H)
Seattle (A)
Tennessee (A)
San Francisco (H)

That’s a tough run. And with the Seahawks owning the tiebreaker over Los Angeles, staying alive until the game at Century Link the week before Christmas has to be the target.

Make that contest, if possible, a kind of NFC West ‘Championship’ game.

And ‘staying alive’ is very much what Seattle needs to do here. This has been an arduous season. The injuries, the mistakes, the slow starts, the penalties. So much adversity, so many self-inflicted wounds.

For the first time in a long time, there’s also a fair amount of uncertainty. What does the future hold for some of the ageing veterans on the roster? Are we seeing the slow death of this Championship window? Are we witnessing something akin to the 2007 season under Holmgren? What happens if the Seahawks don’t make the playoffs? How much longer does Pete Carroll want to do this?

Were the aggressive trades for Sheldon Richardson and Duane Brown indicative of a team leaving no stone unturned, always looking to add talent? Or was it about ringing the last few drops out of this current group before an inevitable changing of the guard, possibly in 2018 or 2019?

Fans can be forgiven for feeling quite insecure at the moment because there are so many things to consider and contemplate. It’s unnerving. There’s not an expiry date on the bottom of the roster, you can’t just check how long you’ve got.

We also know tough decisions are forthcoming. Do they almost have to find a way to keep Jimmy Graham now? He’s become an automatic go-to solution in the red zone. It’s taken three years — but he’s now the player they traded for. A touchdown machine.

Did you know @TheJimmyGraham is tied for 1st place on our all-time TD by a TE? #ATLvsSEA By The Numbers.

📰 | https://t.co/AGbo96IJjb pic.twitter.com/YDU5jFehuB

— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) November 22, 2017

If they keep Graham — and considering they’ve also added Duane Brown’s contract now — is there room to re-sign Sheldon Richardson? Will they move on from some of the ageing players regardless and be bold and aggressive to start the roster re-shape?

And with limited draft stock in 2018, what positions will they prioritise?

They’re approaching the most significant off-season in a long time.

These are things you don’t really want to think about at the moment — but they creep into your mind. Because nobody expected this group to be struggling to make the playoffs.

In two weeks time they could be 8-4 and we’ll be talking about playoff seedings again. In two weeks time we could also be having a conversation about whether Derwin James could be a possible Kam Chancellor replacement.

Hopefully it’s the playoff conversation — because nobody wants to see this unbeatable era of Seahawks football drift towards a sad conclusion.

Keep battling. Keep trying to stay alive in the NFC West. Rather than hope the likes of New Orleans and Philadelphia can be caught in the NFC — you instead root for them against the Rams.

Limit the mistakes and the penalties, give Russell Wilson the best shot to win you a few games.

Get a win next week and play the Eagles with a point to prove.

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Two home games, two late comebacks after a difficult start. Eventually, two losses.

The difference between 8-2 and 6-4.

Following ten days of injury-related adversity, the Seahawks clearly fancied a bit more this evening.

A calamitous beginning proved that while you can, often, win a game in the fourth quarter — it’s also possible to make life incredibly difficult with a bad start.

Seattle opened this game conceding a big kick off return (Blair Walsh saved a touchdown). The Falcons wasted little time taking a 7-0 lead before a carless Russell Wilson interception soon contributed to a 14-0 deficit (along with a dropped pick by about three different Seattle defenders).

The Seahawks clawed it back with the now customary Jimmy Graham touchdown — and managed to get the ball back shortly after.

Wilson fumbled after a whiff by Germain Ifedi, defensive touchdown. 21-7.

The Seahawks also lost Shaq Griffin to injury after just a couple of snaps.

Nightmare start confirmed.

The game wasn’t lost at that point — but the dynamic had completely changed.

With so many injuries on defense (Chancellor, Sherman, Reed, Avril) it was always going to be on Wilson and the offense to keep scoring. Could they outgun Matt Ryan? The evidence tonight suggested they most certainly could.

Yet having gift-wrapped 21 points early in the day, Wilson alone wasn’t gone to be enough. Suddenly the defense was going to have to make big plays too. They needed to make up for the turnovers, try to get Seattle back level and turn it into a true shoot-out again.

A special teams fumble by the Falcons helped. Yet the defense, crucially, couldn’t get the sudden change. A pick, a fumble, something.

Even a couple of big stops would’ve been useful. A converted 3rd and 15 (checkdown to Tevin Coleman) and a converted 3rd and 8 (Matt Ryan scramble) led to 10 Atlanta points instead of two punts.

Instead, Seattle kept producing on offense but it was never enough. Jon Ryan punted for the first time with about nine minutes left in the game after multiple successful offensive series. And yet the Seahawks still trailed by eight.

The Falcons were 9/14 on third downs. An incredible stat. The Falcons ended with 34 points. The Texans scored 38 in Seattle — and Tennessee put 33 on a much healthier defense in week three.

The margin for error, once so wide, is now much smaller:

SEA in last two home games: 3 missed FGA, 3 INT, 24 accepted penalties, odd fake punt, wasted TOs … w/o margin for error that once existed.

— Mike Sando, ESPN.com (@SandoESPN) November 21, 2017

The late final defensive stop to give Seattle one more chance was valiant — but sadly not enough.

The Seahawks’ braintrust did their best to contribute to an odd night.

The fake field goal to end the first half was completely befuddling, purely because the odds of it succeeding were so slim. Luke Willson, handed a hot potato by Jon Ryan, was dumped for a loss by Grady Jarrett. With only seven seconds remaining it was touchdown or bust. However much you think you’ve seen something in the way Atlanta lines up — three points there in a high-scoring game felt like a no-brainer instead of asking Willson to make an incredible play.

It also meant Seattle couldn’t tie the game with their late touchdown and two point conversion and had to chase an extra field goal at the end.

You have to ask — has the Houston game given the Seahawks a misguided view on spiking the ball? Against the Redskins and Falcons there were opportunities to spike the ball, get set and work the field. Against Washington Wilson snubbed the spike and took a sack — tonight he chipped away and drained the clock. There was plenty of time — about 1:55 — to get into range and make it an easier kick (although you’d hope Walsh would have the leg from 51 yards).

Carroll was also seemingly persuaded into challenging a clear Doug Baldwin drop by the receiver. It took away a time out that would’ve been very useful at the end.

This result leaves the Seahawks sitting as the #8 seed in the NFC, swapping places with Atlanta. They’re still only trailing the Rams by one win in the NFC West and they own a tiebreaker.

Yet to have any genuine faith that they can threaten the NFC’s best with all of the injuries, they have to be able to play a much cleaner brand of football than they’ve shown so far. Too many mistakes and penalties.

The good news is Wilson’s performance and with LA’s handsome defeat in Minnesota, winning the West is still possible. It’s strange how these things work out. Suddenly the most consistent thing about the Seahawks is the Wilson-to-Graham connection in the red zone. Who would’ve predicted that a few weeks ago?

There’s little else that is consistent, however, and even when they started to see some progress in the running game it was cruelly snatched away with yet another injury — this time to Mike Davis.

The target now has to be winning the NFC West, collecting the #4 seed and at least making the playoffs. Nevertheless, you’d be forgiven tonight for being sceptical of Seattle’s chances. It just might not be their year — and if they don’t make the playoffs, it’d be a crushing disappointment for a team clearly chasing a Championship towards the edge of a very wide window.

If you want something to take your mind off the game, here’s a piece on Nick Chubb from earlier.

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The Seahawks can still make a run at the playoffs, can still win the NFC West and can even still claim a first round bye.

But the injuries are mounting — and Monday’s game against Atlanta will show us just how badly they’re impacting Seattle’s chances.

Kam Chancellor has been ruled out already, amid reports from the NFL Network that he’s out for the season. Pete Carroll tempered those reports during his press conference today:

Pete Carroll on NFL Network report Kam Chancellor "is expected" to miss rest of #Seahawks season: "I don't know where that's coming from." Says team, he's weighing their options. Nothing determined pic.twitter.com/2ZnW4iRA7u

— Gregg Bell (@gbellseattle) November 18, 2017

It’s often said the healthiest teams are the ones who prosper. The NFL is a war of attrition. Surviving and being balanced are as important as anything.

Seattle’s roster has been hammered by injuries. And there’s still seven games to go.

No Cliff Avril, no Richard Sherman and now possibly no Kam Chancellor.

Add this to the Luke Joeckel, Duane Brown, Jarran Reed, Chris Carson, Malik McDowell and other injuries.

It’ll be hard to criticise anything the Seahawks do the rest of the way in 2017. Imagine how ineffective the Rams would be if they suddenly had to deal with the following:

— Todd Gurley broken leg
— Andrew Whitworth bad ankle
— Trumaine Johnson torn achilles
— Robert Quinn neck injury
— Roger Saffold knee surgery
— Lamarcus Joyner neck injury

Then have Jared Goff have his jaw reset as Russell Wilson did this week. Let’s also say Aaron Donald misses a couple of games too as Earl Thomas just did.

The Rams would struggle to survive such a long list of key injuries.

Instead it’s the Seahawks needing to cling on.

The season really comes down to Wilson and his ability to keep the offense ticking along. They need to become what they’ve never really been under Carroll — a team dependant on the quarterback.

They can’t lean on the run. They might not be able to rely on the great defense. Indeed the biggest impact might be felt on the run defense. Chancellor and Sherman so often helped set the edge against the run and teams weren’t able to misdirect to the edge because of their tackling form. Now? It’s going to be a real test.

They might give up more pass plays too. Teams will want to test the cornerbacks more than ever. That could create some opportunities and it might be to Seattle’s benefit — but only if the DB’s can make the plays.

It’s not all bad of course. The front seven remains as good as any in the league and Bobby Wagner should be a candidate for defensive MVP. Earl Thomas is still the best safety in the NFL.

Wilson and the offense still might need to score more points. It’s some relief that so far they haven’t suffered any major injuries to the TE’s and WR’s. Getting Duane Brown healthy and on the field is vital.

Wilson has always been good enough to lead the team forward. His connection with the players he’s throwing too has never been more efficient or important.

LA has a difficult run of games coming up. They might win some of those — but Seattle’s road win against the Rams and current 3-0 record in the NFC West works in their favour. They could, quite easily, be #1 in the West by the end of this weeks games.

Monday is such a big night. The Seahawks need to, somehow, fight through the adversity and make a statement that their season is still very much alive.

As for Chancellor’s injury — there’s no denying it’s another huge setback. Hopefully this neck injury isn’t the end of his playing career. Ditto Cliff Avril. One thing is sure though — we’re talking about two warriors here. It’ll need to be very, very serious for either to walk away under these circumstances — without going out on top.

Either way though, it does feel like we’re edging closer to the end of an era in Seattle. The aggressive trades felt like this was a team trying to get another Championship, possibly ahead of inevitable change at the end of 2017 or 2018.

That’s a discussion for another day. With seven games to go, it’s time for new stars to emerge. Or for one quarterback to prove once and for all he’s right at the top of his craft.

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I’m currently working through the running backs eligible for the 2018 draft. It’s a relatively impressive group. There will be a handful that ultimately make it to the NFL and become more than backups. I’m not convinced that outside of Saquon Barkley we’ll have another Todd Gurley, Ezekiel Elliott or Leonard Fournette type — but there are options for teams that want to add a runner.

I’ve watched most of the big names now. I haven’t done articles on them all — that will come in time. I’m not sure anyone’s impressed me more so far than Alabama’s Damien Harris and Auburn’s Kerryon Johnson.

Read more about the pair here and here.

Both players seem to fit Seattle’s physical profile (we won’t have full confirmation until the combine — if they both declare) and they are both underrated.

For example, Harris is much more of a playmaker than people maybe realise. He’s on 8.4 yards per carry this year. Bo Scarborough — his much more publicised and touted team mate — is only managing 4.6 YPC.

Now let’s compare Harris’ YPC to some former prolific Alabama running backs:

Mark Ingram 2009 (Heisman winner) — 6.1 YPC
Mark Ingram 2010 — 5.5 YPC
Trent Richardson 2009 — 6.3 YPC
Trent Richardson 2010 — 5.9 YPC
Eddie Lacy 2012 — 6.5 YPC
T.J. Yeldon 2012 — 6.3 YPC
T.J. Yeldon 2013 — 6.0 YPC
T.J. Yeldon 2014 — 5.0 YPC
Derrick Henry 2014 — 5.8 YPC
Derrick Henry 2015 (Heisman winner) — 5.6 YPC
Bo Scarborough 2016 — 6.5 YPC
Bo Scarborough 2017 — 4.6 YPC
Damien Harris 2016 — 7.2 YPC
Damien Harris 2017 — 8.4 YPC

Alabama has been able to run the ball with great success for years. Ingram, Richardson, Lacy, Yeldon and Henry were all first or second round picks.

None of them at any point in their careers got close to Damien Harris’ 7.2 YPC in 2016 or his 8.4 YPC in 2017.

Maybe it’s because he isn’t enormous like Henry, fun like Lacy (with that crazy spin move), highly touted like Yeldon and Richardson or just playing for an Alabama team that strangely isn’t getting much hype. Nobody really talks about the Crimson Tide. The playoff committee did their best to conjure up a headline by putting Georgia at #1.

In previous years, maybe Harris would get more attention? Perhaps it’s because he’s not receiving the mammoth workload Henry took on? That’s mainly due to the committee approach with Scarborough and the fact the quarterback is also a better playmaker these days. Simply put though — when Harris gets his opportunities he’s taking them.

He’s not a plodder working the hard yards in a grinding offense. He’s making big chunk plays and scoring touchdowns. Eleven so far to be precise. We already know he was running a 4.48 at the Nike SPARQ combines — an almost identical time to Bryce Love despite carrying an extra 20lbs. He’s no slouch.

And take a look at this:

This is why you should like Alabama RB Damien Harris…… pic.twitter.com/POkSz9M4RS

— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) November 14, 2017

Don’t you just love that? Don’t you want the running back on your team doing that?

Grit.

Johnson is a different type of player — more comparable to Chris Carson. Harris is compact and explosive while Johnson is longer and makes the most out of every run. They share one thing in common though — they’re both really impressive talkers during press conferences, expressing high character.

Don’t be surprised if these two make a big move as we get nearer the draft. Other running backs are getting more publicity — but I get the feeling Harris and Johnson will get ahead eventually.

High character, physical runners with great production, making big plays consistently for big teams — they tend to go early.

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— Dion Jordan was superb last night, a major high point during the Arizona win. For starters he looks enormous. Nicknamed the ‘praying mantis’ at Oregon because of his tall, lanky frame — he now looks like a completely different player. He’s big and physical, capable of bullying inferior offensive linemen:

Dion Jordan (@dionj95) with the bull rush sack. Textbook rush! #Seahawks #SacksAndStats pic.twitter.com/ROuiyM5J5q

— DLineVids (@DLineVids) November 10, 2017

Not only that, on other occasions he showed he still has quickness and mobility and he played with his hair on fire all night. This could be one of Seattle’s best reclamation projects yet. It’s only one game and Jordan has to stay healthy and motivated. Damontre Moore looked good a year ago, got hurt and then ended up drifting again during a short stay in Dallas.

He’s a restricted free agent in the off-season so the Seahawks have some club control here. If he builds on a solid debut there’s no reason why he won’t be back in 2018 at a modest price. Jordan was the #3 pick in 2013 for a reason and his talent was never questioned. With Frank Clark, Sheldon Richardson, Naz Jones, Jarran Reed and now potentially Malik McDowell and Dion Jordan — there are signs of a young, highly talented new D-line core emerging.

— Last week I had the opportunity to watch Washington easily handle Oregon at Husky Stadium. And while it was easy to be impressed by the offensive talent on display — the two players that stood out the most to me were Vita Vea and Greg Gaines. You have to see Vea live to understand just how athletic and active he is. He’s listed at 6-5 and 340lbs yet time and time again he was running to the sideline, chasing down ball carriers and making it look easy. There just aren’t that many human beings on the planet with his size and athleticism — and that’s why he’s destined to go in the top-15. Gaines is highly underrated — just a disruptive interior presence who can also handle the run. Don’t be surprised if he ends up going earlier than expected and having a fine NFL career.

Dante Pettis had a very good outing too. From my view it was fun to watch him consistently create separation. He’s a dynamic, sudden athlete and it shows when you watch his routes and return impact. I think he’ll go earlier than perhaps some are currently projecting. Royce Freeman also had a good performance I thought. He’s mobile and very active for his size. You’d like to see him thump a little bit more though. He’s not a bruiser at 230lbs. He deserves the nickname ‘Rolls Royce’. That’s what he is — smooth and quick, looks the part. Sometimes you wish there was a little more nasty in there.

— Speaking of running backs, that’s going to be the focus for a while on here. We need to have a thorough look at the options available. When a team like Seattle is so clear in setting out an identity and then struggles mightily to incorporate that identity, it’s worrying. The Seahawks want to run the ball. And they aren’t — or they can’t.

I’m not sure what else they could’ve done in pre-season. They went into camp with a long list of names and a strong competition. Eddie Lacy, Thomas Rawls, C.J. Prosise, Chris Carson, Alex Collins, Mike Davis. They gave themselves a fair shot to find someone to lead this running attack. They found Carson. Then he got hurt.

Unfortunately none of the other names were able to have an impact. Carson may return and end up leading the running game for years. The Seahawks need some security though. Some insurance. Rawls, Prosise and Davis might remain — but it feels like the writing’s on the wall for them. New blood might be required.

They might be able to land another veteran like Carlos Hyde. He might expensive. More than anything they need someone they not only trust to run the ball effectively — they also need someone they feel some pressure to get involved. With Marshawn Lynch they felt that responsibility to get him carries. His sheer talent demanded it. Now the best players on the offense are Russell Wilson and his targets. A struggling offense is putting the ball in their hands to try and make things happen. That, I’m afraid, is understandable and acceptable. Rawls had nine carries against Arizona for four yards — and one big 23-yard run. Feeding him was only going to lead to more failed drives.

That can’t go on for a third successive season in 2018.

Yes — the blocking also needs to be reviewed and analysed. However, Carson was running with authority and success earlier in the season. If he can do it — you’d expect the others to perform better.

We need to look for explosive runners listed within Seattle’s clearly defined size range of about 5-10/6-0 in height and 215-225lbs in weight. It’s a real shame Christine Michael never worked out because his body type is pretty much what they need right now. It’s hard to find players with his athletic talent. Sadly he proved to be a complete lost cause quite early in his career.

Let the search begin for a player who might fit a similar profile.

We’ve talked a lot about Rashaad Penny at San Diego State. He fits the size profile and he’s quite the all-round back. As we start this tour of the RB’s, here’s a collection of his highlights:

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The title says it all.

An ugly, miserable contest — endured and not enjoyed — was won by the Seahawks. It was scruffy, with a mountain of penalties (21 in total) and multiple injuries.

How can the NFL watch this and think Thursday Night Football is a good thing for the players or the audience?

Doug Baldwin says this game is exhibits A through Z of why Thursday night football should be abolished.

— Bob Condotta (@bcondotta) November 10, 2017

Making things even worse is the ongoing experiment with something called ‘Skycam’. Next weeks Thursday game will feature the ‘Madden 18’ angle for the whole night. They used it one for series here, before a nauseated audience complained enough on Twitter to seemingly get it pulled.

Still, that’s not the topic for discussion tonight. Injuries make this a night that could define Seattle’s season.

Duane Brown didn’t last a half before going off with an ankle sprain. Jarran Reed exited early with what looked like a hamstring pull. Michael Wilhoite injured a calf and Kam Chancellor ended the night being transported off the field on a cart with a stinger.

C.J. Prosise got injured too — hurting his other ankle this time.

Yet the big story is Richard Sherman. Nursing a sore achilles already, he left the field in pain and was telling a captive audience on the sideline he’d suffered a tear. Hugs with Russell Wilson and Kris Richard ensued.

Cameras caught Sherman mouthing he was out for the season. Pete Carroll confirmed it’s likely serious. A ruptured tendon.

Sherman fought back tears in his postgame press conference. It felt like Carroll was doing the same. It summed up the night. Seattle won — but there was no real joy in this victory. Just sadness.

That’s just the worst news for now. If it emerges that Brown and Chancellor also suffered major injuries — you’d have to question Seattle’s status as a contender. It’s one thing to lose a player or two — but multiple starters (don’t forget the existing injuries to Avril, Fant and Carson) would be destructive.

The Seahawks are already having to kick and scratch to win any contest. This whole evening was another grind. In fact the entire game arguably swung on one big play:

.@DangeRussWilson..UNBELIEVABLE!! #GoHawks pic.twitter.com/kJWus06TBt

— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) November 10, 2017

Russell Wilson is so close to being sacked for a huge loss — and so close to throwing an interception. With Arizona already enjoying a 6-minute drive to begin the second half — good field position (or a pick six) could’ve swung the contest.

Instead, Doug Baldwin makes an incredible play. The best of the season so far? Possibly. Maybe the most important. Seattle couldn’t stomach injuries galore and a 5-4 record.

Moments later Jimmy Graham is catching his second touchdown and the game was virtually over.

What a huge swing in a season of swings for Seattle.

It’s a reminder that despite all of the injuries, the Seahawks have a loaded roster. There were still three stars (Wilson, Baldwin and Graham) capable of winning the game at a moment of desperate need.

They’ll need that trio to keep making plays.

This was another night when the running game was an afterthought. The running backs managed just 54 yards on 18 carries at three yards per carry. Thomas Rawls, the starting running back, had 27 yards on 10 carries — including a 23-yard run through a canyon-esque hole. His other nine carries collected four yards.

Equally J.D. McKissic had 26 yards on five carries, with 17 yards coming on a neat looking pitch to the outside. His other four carries went for nine yards.

Again they needed 19 yards from Wilson to boost the numbers. Chris Carson remains, unbelievably, Seattle’s most productive running back. He played just four games.

The Seahawks spent an off-season trying to remedy this problem. It’s not getting better. Too much responsibility is placed on the quarterback. When he’s able to make the Houdini plays (see above), Seattle has a shot. When they don’t come off — how do they win without multiple turnovers?

It’s an issue that isn’t anywhere near being resolved and likely won’t be now we’re into the second half of the season. And that could be as costly as the mounting injury crisis.

We’ll see what happens. If Prosise’s injury is bad it might be an opportunity for Mike Davis. It’s probably time for Davis to get a shot anyway. Can he really be any worse? Deshaun Shead might come back into the fold to replace Sherman — or we could see Byron Maxwell return (it’s a touch of fortune that he’s currently a free agent).

The Seahawks are suddenly very fortunate they didn’t trade Jeremy Lane to the Texans.

The good news is the defensive line. While they didn’t pile up the sacks tonight, they had another strong outing limiting the Cardinals to 34 total rushing yards on 24 carries. Sheldon Richardson was terrific and had a brilliant bull rush early in the game for a QB hit. Dion Jordan had a tremendous debut with another great bull rush for a sack. Naz Jones continues to play at a superb level. What a find he has been.

K.J. Wright and Bobby Wagner also excelled — as did Chancellor.

They’ll need all of those key players to stomach the loss of Sherman and the continuing absence of Earl Thomas. Plus the potential loss of the newly acquired left tackle.

A final note for today — Jimmy Graham now has six touchdowns and is on pace for double digit scores this year. All of the talk about trades or this being his final season in Seattle were premature. He’s a vital weapon — and the Seahawks are finally finding ways to get him the ball in the red zone.

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5-3 after eight games?

The exact same thing happened in 2014.

One of two seasons often reminisced about in Seattle started with drama and strife and adversity.

First they had to force Percy Harvin into a role on offense. Then they sensationally traded him to the Jets. Then there was all the talk of Marshawn Lynch refusing to board the bus ahead of the St. Louis game. Then we had the ‘Russell Wilson isn’t black enough’ talk courtesy of Mike Freeman.

With all this playing out in the background, the Seahawks dropped to 3-3, recovered to 6-3, then suffered an ugly road loss to the Chiefs.

It was only then, as a 6-4 club, that the wagons were circled.

The subsequent run — six straight wins to end the season — carried the Seahawks to the #1 seed and eventually the Super Bowl.

It is not beyond this team to have the same kind of turnaround. Nobody who watched that Kansas City game would’ve seen a winning streak coming. The Seahawks were as inconsistent, disjointed and frustrating as they have been in 2017 so far.

Somehow they worked it out.

So what did they have that the current Seahawks don’t?

Lynch is the obvious answer.

Here’s a section of a piece from November 12th, 2014, four days before that Chiefs game:

Replacing Lynch will be the toughest thing this franchise has to do in the post-Super Bowl era. You could argue running backs are easy to plug into an offense. How else can you describe 29-year-old Justin Forsett posting 5.4 yards-per-carry in Baltimore as the fourth most productive runner in the NFL? I think for most teams it’s a valid point. But not for Seattle. Not with Lynch.

He is so integral to this teams identity. He is a phenom, a truly unique runner that deserves to be remembered as fondly as any other running back since the turn of the century. His physical style, ability to break tackles, his attitude on the field. These are not easily replaced by just plugging in another player. The moment Seattle loses ‘Beast Mode’ the team will also lose a part of its identity. There’s no getting away from that.

He’s also a darn good player — the only true ‘star’ on the offense outside of Russell Wilson. The talent drop off will be difficult to overcome for an offense that can’t rely on a brilliant QB-and-WR partnership. Assuming you can’t add a superstar to compensate for his absence, you might need to bring in several players to make up for it. Think about that because it’s a realistic dilemma. Seattle can cope with Lynch and the current group of receivers. But take Lynch away and you might have to pump up that passing game with a couple of additions — not to mention probably adding a new running back.

Looking back on those words today, doesn’t it resonate so much?

The loss of identity. The need to add multiple receiving weapons to compensate.

Everything came true.

It’s stating the obvious to highlight how badly the Seahawks miss Lynch. That’s not really the point. This is about trying to highlight the difference between then and now. Because the Seahawks are arguably even deeper and more talented than they were in 2014 — so you hope they can still make this a Championship year.

In sitting down to write this piece, I wanted to look at that season and see reasons for optimism. All I could glean was how much this team misses having a consistent and brilliant running back.

This stat from Danny O’Neil is telling:

In Russell Wilson's first 3 seasons, #Seahawks 5-5 when his QB rating was less than 75. Since then, they are 0-6. https://t.co/81x9uyfpcg

— Danny O'Neil (@dannyoneil) November 6, 2017

Lynch and Wilson used to share responsibility for the offense. Now it’s all on the quarterback.

He was brought in to be the star point guard, not a one-man LeBron James show.

As O’Neil highlights — on the days when Wilson can’t be fantastic, the team loses. With Lynch, they could survive a rough day for the quarterback.

The idea of a Seattle running back getting over 100 yards in a game is currently unfathomable. It’d be a major surprise if it happened. A 100-yard rusher? What a luxury. We used to take something like that for granted.

It’s something they don’t have now and they miss the comfort and stability that Lynch brought to the offense. He grounded them. If he wasn’t getting the ball, it felt necessary to get him involved. What draws Seattle back to the running game now? The opportunity to see which of Lacy, Rawls or McKissic can struggle for a short gain? It’s too tempting to turn to Wilson instead.

Yesterday is a good example of the difference between the two versions of the Seahawks. In 2014 you imagine they would’ve come out in the second half featuring Lynch. In 2017 they practically abandoned the running backs and put the game on Russell Wilson, trying to chase the big play.

They badly need some balance and some help for the quarterback.

Chris Carson might’ve been the guy, sadly.

What can they actually do without him? They appeared to acknowledge the need to feature one back before the Washington game. Eddie Lacy was the chosen one. He got injured in the first half.

Now what?

It feels like if they’re going to get this right, as they did in 2014, they need that running game. Is it fixable with the players on the roster?

Wilson is currently the teams leading rusher with 271 yards. Carson, shockingly, is the second leading rusher with 208 yards despite missing several games with a broken leg.

They only have two rushing touchdowns — one by Wilson, one by J.D. McKissic. And they haven’t even threatened to establish a ground game or score running TD’s.

Can you really change this now? They’ll try, but is it possible?

If not, is it fair to hold high expectations for this version of the Seahawks if the quarterback needs to be fantastic every week?

And will they ever be as good as they were in 2013 and 2014 without Lynch? Despite all of the big additions — Jimmy Graham, Sheldon Richardson, Duane Brown — it’s the subtraction of Lynch and the inability to replace him that feels the most telling.

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