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Halfway Through The Season, Struggling Seahawks Poised To Regain Momentum

Brandon Wade
/
AP
Dallas Cowboys' Greg Hardy (76) pressures as Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) passes during an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 1, 2015, in Arlington, Texas.

The Seattle Seahawks have reached the mid-season point with a record of 4-4. Many fans have expressed a lot of concern over what they have seen on the field so far, especially coming off back-to-back Super Bowl appearances.

But sports commentator Art Thiel tells KPLU’s Kevin Kniestedt that the second half of the season should look significantly better.

Early Woes

While fans might have been surprised at the slow start the Seahawks had this season, Thiel says that head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider might have been expecting the early results.

The team had three brand new players on its offensive line, and management might have expected there to be a learning curve.

What wasn't expected, Thiel says, was for star safety Cam Chancellor to hold out and not play for the first two games.

Thiel says this, along with the injury to safety Earl Thomas, had a lot to do with the team’s early defensive struggles.

Fans Shouldn't Put All Blame On Wilson

With offensive productivity down, many fans are pointing to quarterback Russell Wilson as the problem. He signed a massive off-season contract, and a lot of fans feel like he is not living up to it.

But Thiel says that is unfair. He cites that Wilson is on pace to be sacked more than any other quarterback in NFL history, and it is hard for him to accomplish much if he is not getting the right protection.

"I tell people to imagine sitting at their desk at work and having someone bang pots and pans right next to them for eight hours. How productive do you think you would be at your job?”

Seahawks Are A Second Half Team

While the defense has certainly shown that they have turned the corner recently, the offense still leaves much to be desired. But Thiel says that progress is happening.

The offensive line allowed no sacks in their last game against Dallas, and as a result, Wilson looked a little more comfortable.

Thiel also points out that the schedule the second half of the season is significantly easier than the first half, and the Seahawks should be favored in all remaining eight games; however, we won’t know until December or January if the Seahawks are a team destined for the playoffs or not.

Kevin Kniestedt is a journalist, host and producer who began his career at KNKX in 2003. Over his 17 years with the station, he worked as a full time jazz host, a news host and produced the weekly show Sound Effect. Kevin has conducted or produced hundreds of interviews, has won local and national awards for newscasts and commentary.
Art Thiel is a co-founder and writer for the rising sports website Sportspress Northwest. In 2003 Thiel wrote the definitive book about the Seattle Mariners, “Out of Left Field,” which became a regional bestseller. In 2009, along with Steve Rudman and KJR 950 afternoon host Mike Gastineau, Thiel authored “The Great Book of Seattle Sports Lists,” a cross between historylink.org and Mad Magazine that has become mandatory reading for any sports fan who has an indoor bathroom.