2013 Seattle Seahawks
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Betting Predictions
Many NFL betting experts were very skeptical of the decision made by Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll to name rookie quarterback Russell Wilson the starting QB before last season. Some critics felt Wilson was too short to succeed as an NFL QB and favored free-agent signing Matt Flynn, who had backed up Aaron Rodgers with the Green Bay Packers and ended up getting traded before this year’s NFL draft. Carroll would not regret this choice as Wilson quickly sileNCed his doubters and enjoyed a great rookie campaign. The Seahawks started off 4-2 straight-up and against the spread and really turned up the heat down the stretch, going 7-3 SU and ATS in their final 10 Games of the season to finish 11-5 and claim the No. 5 seed in the NFC. Seattle was the most feared team in the playoffs, beating the Washington Redskins 24-14 in the Wild Card round before losing to the top-seeded Atlanta Falcons 30-28 in the divisional round after a thrilling Game that went right down to the wire.
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Wilson was the key to last year’s run, playing well beyond his years by displaying great poise and a high football IQ. He threw for 3,118 yards, 26 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while also totaling 489 rushing yards and Four more TDs on the ground. Running back Marshawn LyNCh also had a career year for the Seahawks, finishing third in the league with 1,590 rushing yards and scoring 12 TDs. Wide receiver Sidney Rice led the team with 50 catches for 748 yards and seven TDs. The team’s offense averaged 25.8 points per Game, good enough for ninth in the NFL, but the defense was stellar with a fierce pass rush and a pair of shutdown cornerbacks in Richard Sherman and Brandon Browner. Seattle allowed the least amount of points in the league, giving up only 15.3 points per Game, and ranked sixth in pass defense (203.1 yards per contest).
The Seahawks lost instrumental defensive coordinator Gus Bradley this offseason as he was hired as the new head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Former University of Florida DC Dan Quinn was brought in as Bradley’s replacement, and he will try to maintain the same level despite losing key players such as defensive end Jason Jones, defensive tackle Alan BraNCh and cornerback Marcus Trufant through free ageNCy. Working in Quinn’s favor is that defensive ends Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett and cornerback Antonio Winfield were brought in as potential upgrades. The offense should also get a huge boost after trading for wide receiver Percy Harvin, who will benefit greatly from playing with Wilson if he can just stay healthy.
The oddsmakers at 5Dimes have the Seahawks at O/U 10.5 wins for this season. There is no reason why this team should not win 11-12 Games and give the San Francisco 49ers a serious run for their money in the NFC West while possibly making an even deeper playoff run.
Recommended Play: OVER 10.5