NFL Seattle Seahawks

Seattle Seahawks Proving Just How Difficult It Is To Repeat

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Scott Kane-USA TODAY Sports

Not many people would have picked the Seattle Seahawks to be 3-3 through six games. But that’s exactly where the defending Super Bowl champions find themselves after losing two games in a row for the first time since early in the 2012 season. A number of analysts picked Seattle to get back to the big game and win it because they are as well built with young talent as anyone in the NFL. However, there are so many different factors that go against a team in their quest to repeat, and that’s why many teams suffer what they call the “Super Bowl Hangover.” The Seahawks are in the middle of their hangover right now as they are attempting to become the first team to win back-to-back championships since the 2004 New England Patriots.

When a team wins a Super Bowl, many of their players who become free agents at the end of the year are set for a big contract. That means that the team has to pick and choose the pieces to the puzzle that it wants to keep and throw away. For the Seahawks, they chose to give contracts to the likes of Michael Bennett, Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas and saw guys like Brandon Browner, Walter Thurmond III, Clinton McDonald, Red Bryant and Chris Clemons move away to other teams. One of the reasons why Seattle was so good last year was because of the depth that they had at nearly every position. Seeing all of those players leave means that they can’t rely on depth as a strength anymore, which is a big part of the game plan because Pete Carroll and his staff like to rotate guys to keep them fresh throughout a game. Pass rushers like Cliff Avril and Bennett, who aren’t considered great run stoppers because of their size, are now relied upon for nearly every down this year when they mostly just played in passing situations last year.

Tack on the fact that Seattle has sustained some key injuries this year and that really makes their lack of depth stand out. Five starters didn’t play in Sunday’s loss against the St. Louis Rams and at times it was evident how little experience the backups have, particularly on defense. Middle linebacker Bobby Wagner is out with a turf toe injury after a brilliant start to this year. The secondary has especially become razor thin with Byron Maxwell and Jeremy Lane injured and Browner and Thurmond on different teams. Suddenly undrafted free agent Marcus Burley is starting at right cornerback opposite Richard Sherman. And some wonder why the “Legion Of Boom” has underperformed this season. Aside from the usual starters, there’s hardly any experience in this year’s secondary.

Then there’s the factor that as the defending champion Seattle has a target on its back every week, which means that opposing teams will be motivated to play their best football against them. A victory over the Super Bowl champions can be a signature win for any team.

All of the above basically summarizes to the fact that it’s harder to stay at the top than to get there. The Seahawks are a team that usually responds well to adversity because of their “chip on the shoulder” mentality. But none of these players have ever experienced adversity like this. They have everything going against them this year. Though the season is far from over, the 3-3 start has to be concerning for this organization’s players, coaches and fans.

There is reason to be optimistic, however. In 2010, the Green Bay Packers went on to win the Super Bowl after a 3-3 start to the season. They were also facing some of the same problems as the Seahawks with injuries piling up and a sputtering offense. Of course, the Packers weren’t coming off a Super Bowl championship either. If anything can be said for sure, it’s that it’s a long season and a lot can happen between now and the end of the year. It’s not time to judge this team — not yet at least.

Connor Frederickson is a Seattle Seahawks Writer for www.RantSports.com. “Like” him on Facebook, follow him on Twitter @cfredrun or add him to your network on Google.

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