The Seattle Seahawks were supposed to be one of the worst teams in the NFC last year after trading Russell Wilson to Denver but instead were a shock playoff team thanks to QB Geno Smith. Can we expect more of the same in 2023?

A Closer Look at the Seattle Seahawks 2023 NFL Season

Getting better day by day.#GoHawks x @Gatorade pic.twitter.com/6OzOgqoD1Q

— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) August 7, 2023

• NFL Week 1: vs. Los Angeles Rams — 4:25 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 2: at Detroit Lions — 1:00 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 3: vs. Carolina Panthers — 4:05 p.m. ET (CBS)
• NFL Week 4: at New York Giants — 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
• NFL Week 5: BYE
• NFL Week 6: at Cincinnati Bengals — 1:00 p.m. ET (CBS)
• NFL Week 7: vs. Arizona Cardinals — 4:05 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 8: vs. Cleveland Browns — 4:05 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 9: at Baltimore Ravens — 1:00 p.m. ET (CBS)
• NFL Week 10: vs. Washington Commanders — 4:25 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 11: at Los Angeles Rams — 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
• NFL Week 12: vs. San Francisco 49ers — 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
• NFL Week 13: at Dallas Cowboys — 8:15 p.m. ET (Prime Video)
• NFL Week 14: at San Francisco 49ers — 4:05 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 15: vs. Philadelphia Eagles — 4:25 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 16: at Tennessee Titans — 1:00 p.m. ET (CBS)
• NFL Week 17: Pittsburgh Steelers — 4:05 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 18: at Arizona Cardinals — TBD (TBD)

Better Than Expected

Before last season, the Seahawks looked like they were rebuilding when they sent likely future Hall of Fame QB Russell Wilson to Denver for some players and a bunch of draft picks. It was thought either Drew Lock (who came from Denver) or Geno Smith would QB Seattle last year to a lousy record and the team would pick a QB high in the 2023 draft.

Except Smith had a career year, winning NFL Comeback Player of the Year, in leading Seattle to a 9-8 record. The Hawks had to beat the visiting Rams in Week 18 and have Detroit pull an upset in Green Bay in the last game of the season to earn a playoff spot. The Seahawks did their part with a 19-16 OT win. Jason Myers kicked a 32-yard field goal midway through overtime victory after he hit the upright from 46 yards on the final play of regulation. And then a few hours later, the Lions knocked off the Packers.

In the wild card round, Seattle was no match for the Niners in a 41-23 road loss. The Seahawks kept it close for most of three quarters before a strip sack by Charles Omenihu late in the third quarter spoiled a red zone drive. The Niners would then score a TD to break it open. Smith finished 25 for 35 for 253 yards, two TDs and one interception in the loss.

The 32-year-old Smith earned his first Pro Bowl selection as well as the AP Comeback Player of the Year award following a campaign that saw him lead the NFL in completion percentage (69.8), finish in the top five in touchdown passes (30) and passer rating (100.9), and set franchise record for completion percentage, completions (399), attempts (572) and passing yards (4,282).

Seattle could have walked away from Smith and still taken a QB high in this year’s draft but re-signed him to a new three-year, $105 million contract. Smith could earn up to $52 million in the first calendar year of the extension and the Seahawks could essentially walk away again next season without little financial punishment.

A Look into the Offensive and Defensive Lines

Smith has some terrific skill position talent around him in second-year RB Kenneth Walker III as well as receivers DJ Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and rookie first-round pick Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Why pick a receiver in the first round (No. 20) when you already have two elite pass-catchers helping to power the offense? Because Smith-Njigba is very talented, and as general manager John Schneider noted after the first round of this year’s draft, he very well may have been a top 10 pick had he not battled a hamstring injury in 2022 at Ohio State. Plus, a third receiver is essentially a starting role in today’s NFL.

The 2021 season was what lifted Smith-Njigba to prominence. He led Ohio State with school-record totals of 95 receptions (fifth-most in Big Ten history) and 1,606 receiving yards, breaking the Big Ten receiving yards record (1,545 yards, Lee Evans in 2021).

“That’s what we were in the pursuit of in the draft and that’s why we are so excited to have gotten (Smith-Njigba),” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said of the No. 3 receiver role after Seattle picked Smith-Njigba. “We thought he was the best guy in this draft to fill this role.”

Walker is currently dealing with a groin injury but the 2022 second-round pick out of Michigan State rushed for 1,050 yards and nine touchdowns in 15 games played in his rookie season. Walker was injured around this time last year as well, and even missed the season opener due to a hernia injury. That’s why the Seahawks took another running back, UCLA’s Zach Charbonnet, in Round 2 this year. In his final collegiate season, Charbonnet rushed for 1,359 yards, 14 touchdowns and caught 37 passes for 321 yards. However, he’s dealing with a shoulder injury currently.

The Seattle defense was quite atrocious at times last year. While their secondary did a good job locking down the back end, Seattle’s defensive front-seven struggled against the run, could not get pressure and only had one consistent high performer throughout the season. However, star linebacker Bobby Wagner is back in the center of the defense after a year with the Rams, and the entire interior defensive line has been turned over with an eye on improving against the run.

With the No. 5 overall pick in this year’s draft, Seattle took Illinois All-American cornerback Devon Witherspoon. He was the Seahawks’ highest draft pick since Carroll and Schneider took over in 2010. Aside from a handful of reps at the boundary, Witherspoon has spent the majority of his time with the first-team defense playing inside, showing off his diverse skill set as a run defender, blitzer, and cover corner.

Linebacker Jordyn Adams is working his way back from a torn ACL but is tracking to possibly be ready for Week 1. Prior to suffering the injury, Brooks was in the midst of another strong season for the Seahawks and finished with a team-high 161 tackles, five pass breakups and a forced fumble. Since the team declined his fifth-year option in May, he will become an unrestricted free agent in March. Former Pro Bowl safety Jamal Adams is also working his way back from serious injury.

Some very good pieces on this team, but we don’t trust Geno Smith to have another good season.

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READ MORE: Seattle Seahawks 2023 NFL Season Betting Guide