Seahawks lead NFL in game-winning drives
Is it better to comeback or to never be behind? Seaside Joe 1760
This post is serving as an emergency placeholder, in case anything goes wrong while I’m in transit on Wednesday that could put Seaside Joe’s consecutive days posting streak in jeopardy. At worst, at least the newsletter could share a Seahawks fact with you, like this one:
The Browns and Seahawks are tied for the most game-winning drives this season: 5 apiece.
That means that one-third of Seattle’s games, and over half of Seattle’s wins, have included a game-winning drive. Last season, the Minnesota Vikings were the only team that had more than five game-winning drives, as they famously had eight. The Bucs, Chargers, Steelers, and Giants each had five. You could argue that the Vikings, Chargers, Steelers, and Giants are at least feeling the impact of regression to the mean this season.
The Seahawks had three game-winning drives last season.
Of course, it would be great to celebrate the accumulation of game-winning drives with the same amount of excitement that happens to fans during said moments, but it’s not necessarily a category that is a team’s first choice to lead the league in. For example, the only two teams that do not have a game-winning drive this season are also the current AFC and NFC favorites to reach the Super Bowl:
Monday night’s game between the Ravens and 49ers featured a combined total of zero game-winning drives in 2023.
The 49ers, Chiefs, and Saints have zero fourth quarter comebacks. The Seahawks are tied for the league lead in fourth quarter comebacks, with four. They are tied with the Browns, Broncos, and Jets.
Now, if it were not for game-winning drives and comebacks, the Seahawks would not be in position to make the playoffs, if they win their next two games. That’s good. However, Seattle would like to also be a team that grabs. a lead and holds it.
Or else suffer the type of return to reality that the Vikings are going through this season after going 13-4 last year.
If Seaside Joe gets a chance to write more on Wednesday, he will. If not, see you Thursday.
It's funny when you think of having to come back to win games this year, but Seattle was busy doing that in 2013. The Panthers, The Texans OT, Rams, Tampa Bay OT, Tenn. Some of those were offensive, some where defensive. Seattle really depended on their defense that year for those close games. This year the offense seems to be the ticket. Different play calling might have changed the outcome in Dallas and Cincy. The Rams loss was a missed field goal. I don't recall Seattle every having an offense like the "Greatest Show on Turf." or the Kyle Shanahan 49ers.
Seattle needs turnovers to win against the top teams. They need big offensive plays. They need a consistant running game. What Seattle is showing right now is winning under pressure, where failure is always inches away. Seattle has to find some answers to the big plays and slowing down the running game. They found some answers in the Philly game where Hurts was the big threat.
How Seattle handles they last two games offers a better look at who they are as a playoff team. The teams that are supposed to be easy wins never are, especially when their games are played with no hope for the playoffs in sight. Pride seems to factor in when being a spoiler is all you have left.
Benching Woolen and essentially Adams changes the scenario in Pete speak. I think it also changes how each player will be used for the rest of the season. Adams is practicing this week but Love is the starter. With the injuries at LB, Adams may be a better fit against the run. Bryant just looked lost out there last week and made some serious mistakes. Seattle has found some new strength against the run with Jackson and Burns getting rotation. If Spoon returns this week this could well be a more improved Seattle defense with the weakness still being at LB. That is going to have to be schemed better to compensate. I will say this for Bush, he looked servicable against Tenn later in the game. If he has to start against his old team he may well put up a worthy effort. The D Line is playing much better across the board and Lucas has helped the O Line.
This year seems to show every team as vulnerable on any given day. 49er and Ravens included. Remember the Ravens lost to the Wilson lead Jets.
Seattle seems to be making some interesting roster moves going into the playoff and is showing some creativity on offense. The mainstay receivers are showing up (Locket had a great game last week with key catches) and the defense seems to be finding it the past two weeks when they need it most.
Let's face it with a little luck Seattle might make the playoffs and have found some personel and updated schemes that might make a splash if they do.
Don't underestimate the QB expereince at the end of the season going into the playoffs. I think the offense feels like they can win with either guy. Ask SF how important that is.
Bringing in Peters on the OL along with reps for Bradford and Oluwatimi might well pay dividends with the injuries piling up across the league. Seattle has shown they have depth in their secondary. That's been missing for a long time.
The right timing and a little luck can go a long way down the stretch. Frankly I was pretty dismayed going into the Philly game. Pete believed when no one else did except the team he was motivating and proved he can still coach. Suddenly Seahawk football feels fun again, and they are still in the playoff conversation.
GWD is a statistical oddity that doesn’t seem to correlate to ultimate success. Plus, every GWD is one less dominant performance; leading the league in them likely means that the team is more lucky than good. Anyway, a club may benefit from 2-3 each year, but it doesn’t have to lead the league in GWD to be battle-hardened.