We don’t need the ghosts of George Halas or Vince Lombardi to tackle this question.
Harry on the couch can tell you that the Seahawks’ season will be headed in one direction or the other by bedtime Sunday night.
A glimmer of light popped up with last week’s dramatic road win over the 49ers.
Seattle is now 5-5, but there’s only one way some serious electricity might jolt this year’s stretch run.
The Hawks have to beat Arizona.
They get two chances, one on Sunday at Lumen Field and then two weeks beyond that with a rematch in the desert.
The Cards are 6-4 and it’s no fluke.
What’s more, Arizona’s strengths aim straight at the spots that have caused headaches for the Seahawks — not just this year but over the past several seasons.
The Cards can run the ball with serious authority, and they’ll be banging into a defense that’s been porous against rushing teams.
Although.
Hawks fans will have their fingers crossed that Mike Macdonald’s mega-change to his linebacking crew can slow down running attacks – as it did against the previously potent 49ers.
ARIZONA’S ability to run the ball is no joke, and it begins with quarterback Kyler Murray.
Just the fact that Murray gets out past the line of scrimmage opens things up for all sorts run/pass options, plus straight runs from James Conner.
The Cardinals as a group are fifth in rushing yards, second in yards per carry, and third in yards before contact per run.
In other words, they’re coming at you, and they’ve managed to blend Murray (finally healthy after years of limping to the sideline) with a head-banging offensive line.
The Seahawks of this season’s first two months might get unhappily trampled by the Cards.
The bright possibility for Seattle is that perhaps this “new” defense that stymied San Francisco is a legit weapon.
The Cards surely will test it, so we’ll know soon enough.
The key to the Seahawks’ different look is middle linebacker Ernest Jones IV — acquired via trade from Tennessee for a fourth-round draft pick.
Seattle started the season with newcomers Tyrel Dodson and Jerome Baker at linebacker, after both legendary Bobby Wagner and weakside LB Jordyn Brooks left under different circumstances.
Macdonald’s defense relies heavily on tackling — violence, actually — from the linebackers, and it became clear after a few games that neither Dodson nor Baker were stout enough against the run.
Jones is exactly the type of hitter he was looking to get, and rookie Tyrice Knight so far has been surprisingly sound on the weakside next to him.
In just two or three weeks, the Seahawks’ front seven has taken on a completely new look, and the early results have been encouraging.
The fact that the secondary – corners Devon Witherspoon and Riq Woolen, safeties Julian Love and Coby Bryant – has developed into a solid unit made the moves at linebacker possible.
MEANWHILElet’s check the flip side to this same coin.
Can Seattle run the ball?
Even a little bit?
Enough to keep angry hordes off Geno Smith in the play-action passing game?
You can look at the stats two ways, and conclude that the offensive line is sub-par in establishing the running game.
This is the group that couldn’t gain one foot on third and fourth downs at a critical point in the fourth quarter against the 49ers.
I mean, one foot.
And when you looked at the replays, the Seattle line collapsed after the snap.
Granted, the 49ers have a terrific front group, but defenders don’t know the count – so a competent NFL line should be able to create a hint of movement.
Here are some grim numbers: Kenneth Walker is averaging only 1.8 yards before contact, which was 44th among the 50 backs measured.
Walker averaged 3.2 yards after contact, which was 21st.
Depending on the type of plays being run and how they develop, you can make arguments about the running back and/or the offensive line for such poor numbers.
Or both.
This is the kind of situation where coordinator Ryan Grubb needs to be clever, add some magic and confusion, and baffle defenses.
And then throw the ball, most likely.
Sorry.
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Steve Cameron’s “Cheap Seats” columns appear in The Press four times each week, normally Tuesday through Friday unless, you know, stuff happens.
Steve suggests you take his opinions in the spirit of a Jimmy Buffett song: “Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On.”
