Lions head to Seattle for final road game of the season – The Oakland Press
BY TIM BOOTH
SEATTLE (AP) – Now that the postseason chances are over, the debate has shifted to the future of the Seattle Seahawks.
Was this season a one year divergence? Or was it several years of small – and large – missteps that finally caught up with the franchise and needed a more significant change?
Whatever the answer, there’s a great chance that Seattle’s Sunday home finals against the Detroit Lions will be the last time some of the Seahawks’ core pieces come together on their home field.
Seattle coach Pete Carroll believes this year is an outlier and requires a “restart” rather than a “rebuild”. But there is no guarantee that Carroll will be the one planning these changes if Seattle’s owners decide on a sweeping change.
The same goes for quarterback Russell Wilson and linebacker Bobby Wagner, which creates a strange atmosphere around the game on Sunday.
“In this situation you often start to think,” said Wagner. “You start thinking about what you could have done right in the past few weeks, and you start thinking about what the future will bring.”
For his part, Wilson at least admitted this week that any changes the Seahawks (5-10) are making could include him while expressing his desire to stay.
“For me personally, I hope it won’t be my last game (in Seattle), but at the same time I know it won’t be my last game in the NFL,” said Wilson.
While Seattle’s future appears to be in the balance, the Lions (2-12-1) are somewhat optimistic about their direction, especially with the way they have played in the past few weeks.
Two weeks ago was the thorough home beating of Arizona, then the leader of NFC West. Last week, Detroit had its chances against Atlanta despite playing without starting quarterback Jared Goff and leading rusher D’Andre Swift. Tim Boyle’s pass for Caliph Raymond in the end zone was intercepted by Atlanta 33 seconds before a 20:16 loss.
Swift is set to return this week after missing four games with a shoulder injury but Goff is unsure and Boyle could make his second straight start. Boyle was 24 of 34 for 187 yards, a touchdown and a late interception against the Falcons.
“I had the feeling that I saw the field very well. I felt like I made quick decisions, sometimes too quick, ”said Boyle. “It didn’t hurt me, but there were chances if I was a little more patient.”
MORE THAN A PENNY
Rashaad Penny continues to campaign for him to be part of Seattle’s plans for the next season even though he is on the verge of becoming a free agent.
Penny stormed the best 137 yards of her career against Houston three weeks ago and last week against Chicago with 135 yards. What is impressive is Penny’s ability to manage large runs despite its limited load capacity. He has had six runs of 15 yards or more this season, five of them in the last three games.
“You have to be amazed at the way he looks. He was active, tough, creative and explosive so we just want to play football again, ”said Carroll.
CAMPBELL THE PLAYER
The Lions have ranked fourth more than any other team in the NFL and are on the verge of breaking an NFL record. This year alone, Lions have made 36 attempts to finish fourth in the league, just three fewer than the 1995 New England Patriots record.
“I want to send a message that we play to win, not to lose, and there is a time to be conservative and there is a time to be aggressive,” said Lions coach Dan Campbell. “And so I think it’s a bit more in my nature to roll the dice, if you will. But I still have the feeling that it is a calculated risk. “
Last week, the Lions fell 3 to 4 to fourth place with their only failed conversion, an Ave Maria at the end of the first half. For the season, the Lions implement 50% of their fourth-down attempts and occupy 17th place in the league.
WAGNER WATCH
Wagner tries to set an example for duels in a season that will be difficult to achieve in the future.
He leads the league with 170 tackles and has already broken the franchise record he set in 2017 with 167. It takes Wagner six tackles to place the most players in the league since 2000, according to the Seahawks.
Wagner would need two big games, but it cannot be ruled out that he could reach 200 by the end of the season.
WESTCOAST BLUES
The Lions have not won a game on the West Coast in 10 years. They stand 0-7 in their last seven games in the Pacific time zone.
Campbell brushed aside all travel concerns, but acknowledged that Seattle – where the Lions have not won since 1999 – presents a unique challenge for the visiting team.
“It’s a difficult place to play. It’s been like that for years, ”said Campbell. “It’s a difficult environment. You can’t hear yourself thinking, and they were a relentless group offensively and defensively. “
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