Q&A with Seattle Seahawks Expert

I talked to Lee Vowell, the site expert at 12th Man Rising, and asked him six questions regarding this week’s matchup between the Colts and Seahawks.

Question: Do you expect the offensive line to improve as the season goes along?

Answer: The easy answer is, the Seahawks’ offensive line better improve for the team to be successful in 2017.

The offensive line is a funny thing in Seattle. In the second half of the Seahawks game against the Titans, when there were obvious passing downs, the offensive line formed a really good pocket for Russell Wilson. It did what it was supposed to do.

At the end of the Seattle and San Francisco game, the line blocked well enough to run out the last five minutes of the game. The issue with the line may be in offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell’s play-calling. If there is a rhythm to what’s being called, great. If not, the offensive line is terrible

Question: Is the offensive line so bad that it could prevent Seattle from winning the NFC West?

Answer: Possibly. But the NFC West is not very good.

The Rams currently have the best record, but how good are they, really? Defensively they match up well against Seattle. They always have. But everything comes down to defense for the Seahawks. If the defense plays as it should, Seattle will win the division.

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Question: What is the biggest mismatch in this week’s game in favor of the Seahawks?

Answer: Seattle’s defense against the Colts offense. And I only say this because Andrew Luck has already been ruled out.

The Colts don’t have the running game to dictate to Seattle how long they will keep the ball. Seattle’s secondary would match up against anyone, even against Luck. Plus, after giving up 33 points in hot Nashville, the defense will come in extra motivated to show the crowd at CenturyLink that week three was an aberration.

Question: What is the biggest mismatch in this week’s game in favor of the Colts?

Answer: Though the Colts’ rushing defense struggled against the Browns in week three, I still think they matchup well against the Seahawks in week four.

Seattle hasn’t really shown the ability to consistently run the ball against any team. Chris Carson has truly been the Seahawks only productive back.

Question: When healthy, who is the better quarterback: Andrew Luck or Russell Wilson?

Answer: This is a great question and oft-questioned in Seattle because of the Wilson bias. The answer is, and this might be disappointing, is that the two quarterbacks do completely different things.

Would Wilson do well in a conventional and pro-set offense? Yes, but not as well as Luck.

Could Luck do well in an offense that was more like Seattle’s? Yeah, because he is smart and has a great arm, but not as well as Wilson.

Both quarterbacks are great. Both are smart. Both have really good arms. Neither is fun for a defense to face.

Wilson has been on better teams in his career. Luck has been more injured. Wilson has had the better career so far. But one is not really better than the other in NFL Theory 101.

Question: What is your prediction for Sunday night’s game?

Answer: I never pick Seattle because I am a big jinx. But if Seattle finds a way to lose to an-Andrew Luck-less Colts team in Seattle, the season is doomed.

I will pick the Colts 55 Seahawks 3. (But in reality, the Seahawks should win by two touchdowns.)