The Seahawks offense is about to get beastly before the playoffs. Marshawn Lynch is reportedly rejoining the team this week ahead of their NFC Wildcard round tilt in Minnesota vs. the Vikings, but the jury is out on how much that actually will help Seattle.
Seahawks HC Pete Carroll anticipates that RB Marshawn Lynch will return to practice Monday, just in time for postseason.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 2, 2016
The defending NFC champions finished the 2015 regular season on a hot streak, going 5-1 in their final six games largely due to the right arm of QB Russell Wilson. When head coach Pete Carroll decided to throw the ball from the one-yard line in the Super Bowl last year rather than run it with Lynch, it signaled a possible change in philosophy. That change has been realized, and sped up by Lynch’s injuries this year.
Seahawks Are Possibly Better Off Without 'Beast Mode'
Wilson threw 21 touchdowns against one interception in the final six games of the year, and the offense surged with the following players at running back: Thomas Rawls, Christine Michael and Fred Jackson. None of those guys are on the fast track to the Hall of Fame, but they did allow the offense to revolve around Wilson and wide receiver Doug Baldwin.
Even with Lynch back in the mix, Carroll and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell are unlikely to shift the focus back to “Beast Mode,” which may be a big pill for Lynch to swallow. It doesn’t help Lynch’s case that even when he was in the lineup, he was a big part of Seattle’s problems.
Seahawks Offer Most Value For Super Bowl Betting
Lynch rushed for 100-plus yards just once in six starts, and totaled two touchdowns. He averaged 3.8 yards per carry, his lowest mark since 2010, which he split between the Seahawks and Bills. He averaged just 59.6 yards per game, again his fewest since 2010. Lynch is almost 30, and rushed at least 280 times in each of the previous four seasons, so the downside of his career has arrived.
The Seahawks would be wise to keep the offense as is, and allow Lynch to simply lead a committee of backs with the same purpose – make things easier for Wilson.
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