Slogging through a first half of offensive ineffectiveness, the Seattle Seahawks looked like a highly favored NFL team ripe for an inexcusable upset at the hands of the 4-8 Atlanta Falcons.
Some recent Seahawks teams had the capacity to play up or down to the level of the opponents. Would this be another example?
Surely, the first half against the Falcons seemed to be shaping up as the next chapter in the Great Sam Darnold Reversion: the Seattle quarterback going from some early MVP buzz to another game of dubious decisions and a furthering of his league-lead in turnovers.
Turns out, it was all just the set-up, adding drama for a second half in which the Hawks proved there’s no team in the NFL as dynamic and combustible as Seattle.
Awakening from a 6-6 tie at intermission, the Hawks ignited for 31 second-half points in a 37-9 laugher. It was the fourth time this season that Seattle has scored 30 or more points in a half – twice as many times as all league teams combined.
Sunday’s stomping sets up a crucial two-game span next week that could set up this team not only for a division title, but a homefield advantage through the playoffs. The final three weeks shaping up as a span as exciting as there has been in years for the Seahawks.
Indianapolis visits Seattle next Sunday, with a division showdown with the Los Angeles Rams following in primetime Thursday (Dec. 18) at Lumen Field.
The final two games are on the road, at Carolina, with the capper against the 49ers.
Perhaps the trajectory of play against the Falcons offers an example of a characteristic that causes these 10-3 Seahawks to have the look of a great team in the making: Not every element is great every week, but there are enough guys who play with peak effectiveness every week to meet the competitive demands.
Somebody always steps up.
As it has been in most games this season, the defense led the way. And we’ll get to them in a few paragraphs. But the fuse was lit in this one on a second-half kickoff return of 100 yards by Seattle newcomer Rashid Shaheed.
The speedy receiver/returner was picked up from New Orleans in early November. Against Atlanta, he added four catches for 67 yards, including a 33-yarder. Nice addition, John Schneider (Seattle GM).
Darnold, too, must have enjoyed some reviving orange slices at halftime, having passed for only 67 yards, with another forced-into-coverage interception in the first half.
He came out sizzling, though, with three second-half touchdowns and 11 completions for 182 yards.
In addition to Shaheed’s flashy return, safety Nick Emmanwori added to Seattle’s special-teams dominance with a blocked field-goal attempt.
As the season has progressed, the rookie Emmanwori has joined a rapidly improving group of young defensive players to show signs of impending stardom. He added a pair of tackles for loss, a sack and an interception to the blocked field goal.
Devon Witherspoon had another Pro Bowl-caliber performance (having earned that honor in each of his two previous seasons), with seven tackles, a fumble recovery and an interception.
As had been the case during stages of the Legion of Boom era, so many Seahawks defenders came up with big plays, it was hard to highlight every one of them.
Some may suggest it’s too early to compare this group to the Golden Age of Seattle defense, when the LOB led the NFL in scoring defense four years running.
But the aggressive attitude, the outrageous physicality at every level, and the blend of revived veterans and star-bound young players gives this group some of the same positive vibes.
Maybe because this win in Atlanta is the latest evidence provided of great potential, it sparks the memory of the Seahawks in the playoffs after the 2012 season, losing narrowly to the Falcons in Atlanta.
Yes, they lost that game, but it seemed as if every Seahawk raced to the locker room eager to get back into action because they knew they were on the cusp of big things. They were right.
The Seahawks won this time, and all appear primed for a late rush into the postseason. This time, they only have to wait a week for the next chance to show what they’ve become.