NFC West power rankings: Can the 49ers get back to the Super Bowl?

SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 19: Nick Bosa #97 of the San Francisco 49ers runs onto the field prior to the start of the NFC Championship game against the Green Bay Packers at Levi's Stadium on January 19, 2020 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

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Russell Wilson talks with Pete Carroll (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images) /

2. Seattle Seahawks

It’s certainly a different time for Pete Carroll’s team, which has made the playoffs seven of the past eight seasons. Not coincidentally, that coincides with the arrival of quarterback Russell Wilson in 2012.

A few years ago, the Seattle Seahawks were led by one of the better defenses of the modern era. Slowly but surely, the “Legion of Boom” deteriorated and there’s very few performers left from those days. The club still features standout linebackers Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright.

But Carroll’s club allowed a whopping 398 points this past season. Fortunately, Wilson and company were part of an offensive unit that produced 46 touchdowns and a team that amassed 405 points. The team averaged an impressive 137.5 yards per game on the ground in ’19, most of that by Chris Carson. Injuries at the running back spot proved costly late in the year. The free-agent addition of physical Carlos Hyde this offseason is a major plus.

But what about that defense? Who knows where the Seahawks would have been last season without Wilson’s heroics and those 32 takeaways? It’s hard to bet against the eight-time signal-caller who hasn’t missed a game to date and has served up 100 TD passes and just 23 picks the past three seasons.