Fansided

5 NFC West headlines to look for in 2018

By Cody Rivera

NASHVILLE, TN - DECEMBER 24: Todd Gurley II #30 of the Los Angeles Rams runs the ball during a game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on December 24, 2017 in Nashville, Tennessee. The Rams defeated the Titans 27-23. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN - DECEMBER 24: Todd Gurley II #30 of the Los Angeles Rams runs the ball during a game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on December 24, 2017 in Nashville, Tennessee. The Rams defeated the Titans 27-23. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /
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SEATTLE, WA – OCTOBER 29: Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll looks on during the fourth quarter of the game against the Houston Texans at CenturyLink Field on October 29, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA – OCTOBER 29: Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll looks on during the fourth quarter of the game against the Houston Texans at CenturyLink Field on October 29, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images) /

2. Dynasty in Seattle continues to fade

I’m not sure you could necessarily call the Seattle Seahawks and the “Legion of Boom” a dynasty since they only ended up winning one Super Bowl, but for a few years, the Seahawks were head and shoulders the best team in the league.

Their ferocious defense, known as the Legion of Boom, used to absolutely eat offenses alive. Just ask Peyton Manning, who suffered the wrath of that legendary defense in Super Bowl XLVIII – a game that the Seahawks won 43-8. They were back in the Super Bowl one year later against the Patriots, and they would’ve won it had head coach Pete Carroll opted to give Marshawn Lynch the ball on the one-yard line (forever one of the biggest blunders in Super Bowl history).

But those dominant Seahawks teams have slowly started to fizzle out over the last few seasons. Last year, Seattle went just 9-7 and missed the playoffs for the first time in five years. The members of that nasty defense have begun to disappear, and the Legion of Boom may have officially died altogether when cornerback Richard Sherman was released. Now, Sherman is playing for Seattle’s hated rival NFC West rival, the San Francisco 49ers.

The Seahawks still have Russell Wilson, a playmaking quarterback who can keep the team relevant on his own. But until they retool the roster with new pieces, the Seahawks are not a legitimate Super Bowl contender. The 2018 season will just be another year in which the once great team continues to fade.

All great things must come to an end.