It’s getting more and more difficult to find silver linings for these 2021 Seattle Seahawks. Heading into Week 8, it’s become obvious this team was being propped up by the force of Russell Wilson’s hard-earned skill and painfully earnest competitive nature. With No. 3 out of the lineup and on IR, Seattle’s roster depth has been exposed as well as its coaching staff.
We searched the internet far and wide (not recommended) for some kind of positive for the future, and found it in one of the game’s most elemental parts: speed. While their returns in the draft have diminished greatly over time, the Seahawks remain good at finding fast athletes. According to an analysis by ESPN, Seattle is the third-fastest team in the NFL. Only the Eagles and the Panthers are ranked higher.
Here’s a look at ESPN’s metrics for Seattle:
Overall average yards per second: 9.54
Offense rank: No. 4 (9.50)
Defense rank: No. 15 (9.57)
Fastest unit relative to NFL: WR (No. 3, 10.03)
Slowest unit relative to NFL: DB (No. 14, 9.73)
As for the fastest of the bunch, the answer is the obvious one in this case. Wide receiver D.K. Metcalf is a rare athlete in almost every respect, especially here. ESPN named him their “Team speedster” at (10.48).
With Wilson out, Metcalf has established himself as the best player on the team. Offering more than a handful of targets would be wise.
