Three Questions 1. At age 28, has Beast Mode shown any signs of losing a step? Beast Mode a.k.a. Marshawn Lynch is still getting the 300-plus carries, and also 1200-plus rushing yards and dozens of receptions we’ve grown accustomed to over the years. Pro Football Focus also charted Lynch creating 75 missed tackles as a runner in the 2013 regular season, 11 more as a receiver and 22 total in the 3 playoff games this year. It was the highest overall total ever recorded for a single season. 2. Can anything derail Seattle’s Legion of Boom defense? Yes. Injuries. The Seahawks secondary doesn’t have much depth after nickelback Jeremy Lane, with a bunch of unknowns, untesteds and rookies filling the void. Should two starters go down, you might notice a difference in the defense, especially against a rival like the 49ers, who have four go-to receivers and a tight end this year. 3. Are the Seahawks tightly bound in continuity again? Last year, 24 players on Seattle’s roster played 40-plus games together as Seahawks, which was topped by only three organizations in 2013 (Steelers, Saints and Bengals). This season, they should have around the same amount, returning 16 of those 40-plus Seahawks, along with featuring another 10 players who could possibly reach the aforementioned 40- plus games total. great and Super Bowl XLVIII victim Peyton Manning (Broncos lost, 43-8) would no doubt cast his vote for Seattle. Colin Kaepernick, whose 49ers scored 39 points in three games against the Seahawks, would probably agree. Drew Brees and Seattle’s third playoff victim would even agree, especially after their 15-point performance in the 2014 postseason. Defensive Player to Watch Not since Deion Sanders has the NFL seen a cornerback who erases players and one side of the passing field—Seattle’s left side—like Richard Sherman. The 6-3, 195-pounder goes after jump balls like an All-Pro receiver and comes down with enough interceptions (8), tips and deflections (18) to rate as an All-Pro defender. Believe the hype. Sherman is as good as he says he is and no one else today compares. Maybe Darrelle Revis as a Jet. Perhaps a young Charles Woodson. Arizona’s Patrick Peterson can make an argument. But you have to find a time machine to find someone even close to Sherman’s greatness. According to ProFootballFocus.com, Sherman only allowed two catches for 10 yards in all three games of the 2014 NFL Playoffs. He also only allowed a 41.8 passer rating against his matchup in the 2013 regular season and 2014 postseason, according to PFF. Seahawks Special Teams The Seahawks hope to improve on their fifth-place finish in special teams status, with kicker Steven Hauschka providing good kickoffs and also field goal/extra point results as usual (33-for-35 on field goals; 44-for-44 on extra points), while Jon Ryan keeps performing as an elite punter (42.7 average on 74 punts; only 21 returned for 82 yards). The biggest change in 2014 will be seeing Seattle’s two most exciting playmakers—Harvin and Sherman—handle kick and punt return duties, respectively. Sherman has only returned one punt in his career, while Harvin has a 28.2 kickoff return career average, taking five back for touchdowns in 115 attempts. TEAM ROSTER SEAHAWKS DEPTH CHART OFFENSE QB Russell Wilson Tarvaris Jackson RB Marshawn Lynch Christine Michael FB Derrick Coleman Spencer Ware WR Percy Harvin, Doug Baldwin Sidney Rice, Jermaine Kearse TE Zach Miller Luke Willson T Russell Okung, Michael Bowie Alvin Bailey, Justin Britt G James Carpenter, J.R. Sweezy Greg Van Roten, Stephen Schilling C Max Unger Lemuel Jeanpierre DEFENSE DE Michael Bennett, Cliff Avril Greg Scruggs, Benson Mayowa DT Tony McDaniel, Daniel Mebrane Jordan Hill, Jesse Williams OLB Bruce Irvin, K.J. Wright Malcolm Smith, Mike Morgan MLB Bobby Wagner Heath Farwell CB Richard Sherman, Byron Maxwell Tharold Simon, Jeremy Lane S Kam Chancellor, Earl Thomas DeShawn Shead, Chandler Fenner SPECIAL TEAMS K Steven Hauschka P Jon Bryan KR Percy Harvin PR Richard Sherman
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