2011 Seahawks could be worst team in franchise history

Published on September 22, 2011 by Seahawk Fanatic     

While watching the Seahawks in the first two games, you could be optimistic or pessimistic depending on your point of view.

If you’re a loyal 12th Man who supports your team no matter what, you could mention several reasons why the Hawks will be OK this weekend and in the future:

• The games were on the road, and we’ll certainly be better at CenturyLink Field;

• The offensive line is young and inexperienced and needs time to jell;

• Sidney Rice did not play, and when he returns, the passing game should improve;

• We’re playing the Cardinals, and their defense is terrible, so surely we’ll move the ball against them;

• Our defense was mostly solid against the 49ers and Steelers and should be even better at home.

But if you’re like me, you watched those games and thought that this team has a chance to be the worst in franchise history.

I’m old enough and have been in Seattle long enough to have seen every Seahawks’ season since the team was formed in 1976. There have been a lot of bad Seahawks’ teams, but this one could out-bad them all.

The gold standard for Seahawk futility was established in 1992 when Tom Flores’ team went 2-14. The 2011 team appears to have a few things in common with the ’92 team.

• In Tarvaris Jackson and Charlie Whitehurst, this team has two quarterbacks who aren’t very good. In Stan Gelbaugh, Kelly Stouffer and Dan McGwire, the ’92 team had three quarterbacks who weren’t very good.

• The ’92 team had decent running backs with Chris Warren and John L. Williams. The 2011 team also seems to have decent ball-carriers with Marshawn Lynch, Justin Forsett and Leon Washington.

• In spite of having some talent, the ’92 offense was horrible. It scored 140 points all year long, an average of 8.8 a game. That remains the lowest point total ever since the NFL went to a 16-game season. The ’92 team was truly Mariner-like in its ability to generate much of anything — even the 0-16 Detroit Lions from 2008 scored 268 points.

The Seahawks have averaged 8.5 points in losses to San Francisco and Pittsburgh. (AP)

The 2011 team has averaged 8.5 points in its first two games, mustering fewer than 200 yards against the 49ers and the Steelers. It appears to have receiving weapons, but the line can’t give Jackson enough time to get the ball to them on a consistent basis. And even when Jackson gets the time, he’s not all that accurate anyway, just like Gelbaugh.

Anyone who was here in 1992 must remember turning on the TV and expecting the same thing week after week — a gritty effort by the Seahawks’ defense that you knew would go for naught because the offense was so brutal.

Here’s how good that defense was — defensive tackle Cortez Kennedy was named the NFL defensive player of the year, and he played on a 2-14 team!

via 2011 Seahawks could be worst team in franchise history – Blog – MyNorthwest.com.

Tags: 12th Man, Ball Carriers, Charlie Whitehurst, Dan Mcgwire, Detroit Lions, Franchise History, Game Season, Gold Standard, Jell, John L Williams, Justin Forsett, Kelly Stouffer, Leon Washington, Marshawn Lynch, Offensive Line, Passing Game, Point Total, Running Backs, Tarvaris Jackson, Tom Flores