The Seattle Seahawks were one of the biggest surprises in the NFL last year after the team went 11-5 and won a playoff game and with another offseason under their belts, the team is ready to make the jump in 2013, which is why they are one of the favorites to make it to the Super Bowl.
The fate of the team last season hinged on a crucial decision by head coach Pete Carroll over the summer, as he decided he liked what he saw in rookie quarterback Russell Wilson, who was drafted in the third round by GM John Schneider. The Seahawks had signed former Green Bay backup Matt Flynn to a three year contract, but he was relegated to backup status and Wilson became "the man." Any doubts about Wilson's abilities were put aside quickly, as he showed great commend on the field.
Wilson made the team his own and now Flynn is on the Raiders and Wilson is considered to be one of the top young passers in the league. The Seahawks snuck away with a win against the Green Bay Packers in the game that ended the referee lockout and he showed how dynamic the Seahawks could be on offense with him and Marshawn Lynch leading the way. The offense was ranked third in rushing and while Wilson didn't put up crazy passing numbers, he finished the season with 3,118 yards, 26 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions. The offense is expected to be even better this season after acquiring Percy Harvin from the Minnesota Vikings in a trade and the team could be one of the highest scoring in the league.
The Seahawks were one of the most balanced teams in the league last season and were one of the only playoff teams to rank in the top 10 in both offensive and defensive scoring. The team was ranked sixth in the league in passing yards allowed per game with 203 and 10th in rushing with just over 100 yards allowed per game. The defense is also expected to get better after adding both Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett in free agency and the team already has some elite players in Richard Sherman and Brandon Browner in the secondary. The team also brought in Antoine Winfield and should have one of the best defensive backfields in the league.
The Seahawks also have a solid schedule that shouldn't be too brutal on the team, although they have two matchups against division rivals the San Francisco 49ers, who are also a Super Bowl favorite and the two teams may have a chance to meet in the playoffs. The team has four prime time games this season and their matchups against playoff teams from last year include ones against the 49ers, Vikings, Falcons, Colts and Texans and teams that were on the cusp include the Giants, Buccaneers and the Panthers.
The Seahawks were ranked number one by ESPN as the offseason number one team after their free agent signings and the draft was solid as well, as the team added depth at a number of positions. Chris Clemons will be out for a while, which makes the addition of Avril even better and with Wilson getting another year of prep under his belt, he will be ready to play even better in 2013. The 49ers will challenge the Seahawks for the division title, but based on the way things worked in the offseason they will be the team everyone in the NFL is looking to take down.