Broncos vs. Seahawks: The case for a Super Bowl sequel
By Andrew Garda
Why the Seattle Seahawks Win the NFC
Like most Super Bowl Champions, the Seattle Seahawks lost some players in free agency. They lost two of their defensive end rotation in Red Bryant and Chris Clemons, wide receiver Golden Tate and two offensive tackles (Paul McQuistion and Breno Giacomini).
However, none of these losses are particularly major. While it would have been nice to have both Tate and Percy Harvin, the Seahawks need only one and Harvin is an upgrade over Tate. Harvin is more dynamic and while there probably isn’t another Golden Tate among the rest of the receivers, Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse are both solid and rookies Kevin Norwood and Paul Richardson have nice upside.
On top of that, the offense still has Marshawn Lynch to ride, as well as a good backup in Christine Micheal.
Defensively, you hate to lose pieces, but the fact is that the team rotated all their defensive line in and out anyway. Losing Bryant and Clemons is a bit of a blow, but the team retained Michael Bennett and got plenty of value from Cliff Avril last year.
Meanwhile, the NFC West, which looked tougher a few months ago, might actually be no more of an issue than it was in 2013.
The St. Louis Rams took a shot to the head when Sam Bradford went down for the season again, though their defense is still formidable. So is the Seattle defense though, in which case you have to lean towards Russell Wilson and the Seattle offense in term of making the difference this season.
The Arizona Cardinals are a bit harder to figure. Defensively, we think they’ll be stout, but the offense is a crapshoot. The offensive line is still a work in progress (how many times have we said that in the last decade?), though the receivers and backfield are solid. Carson Palmer is streaky though, and while he got hot late in the season, he’s still prone to big mistakes under pressure (such as the four interceptions he threw against the Seahawks in Week 16 last season).
The San Francisco 49ers continue to be the biggest threat. The defense is always good, the offense is improving and if quarterback Colin Kaepernick can throw the ball more consistently, the Niners could be a real issue.
Still, the division is there for the taking, and once you get into the playoffs, Seattle is tough to beat. If they can secure home field, it’s almost impossible to take them out (as illustrated by The Big Lead’s Jason Lisk).
On top of home field, the Seahawks have the perfect defense to take on the passing attacks of the NFC. A high-pressure defensive front, matched with a hard-hitting, ball-hawking secondary give them an edge you can’t deny.