You didn't need to dig to discover who the Seahawks wanted to be. It was never more obvious than when they talked about running back Marshawn Lynch.
"He's basically the concrete of the offense," safety Earl Thomas once said.
Running-backs coach Sherman Smith took it even further: "He's the heart and soul of our team. I truly believe that."
But Lynch retired after last season, and in his absence the Seahawks have grappled with a question they haven't contemplated in a long time: What is their offensive identity?
The tension between what the Seahawks were and what they now are was illustrated by cornerback Richard Sherman's blowup on the sideline of Thursday night's game. Sherman directed his anger at coach Pete Carroll after the Seahawks called a pass play from the 1-yard line.
Defensive coordinator Kris Richard, along with teammates Bobby Wagner and Kam Chancellor, tried to calm him. Sherman was blunt in explaining what set him off: He wanted the Seahawks to run the ball. The next morning, Carroll called Sherman into his office and the two talked for an hour.
But Sherman's frustration hinted at something deeper: an identity concern that has shadowed the Seahawks all season.
"The identity crisis permeates both sides of the ball," said Bucky Brooks, a former NFL player and scout, including for the Seahawks. "If you think about Seattle and what they've always prided themselves on, they prided themselves on being the bully on the block. Part of their confidence stemmed from that they felt like they could always play any team, anywhere and make it a street fight in a phone booth. They knew on defense they were going to be physical and knock you around, but then on offense, they always had the luxury of giving it to Marshawn and he was going to make defenses deal with him.
"And now they don't have that ability so they're frustrated. ... And they also know that it makes them more vulnerable in the playoffs."
Carroll made his thoughts on the Seahawks' offensive identity clear in 2014.
"We close the loop on toughness by being a running team," Carroll said. "The circle of toughness wouldn't be there if we were throwing the ball."
But without the fear of a rushing attack this season, teams have defended the Seahawks differently. No longer jamming players near the line, defenses are dropping more defenders in coverage, shrinking space for quarterback Russell Wilson and his receivers, and daring the Seahawks to beat them on the ground.
"You're seeing Marshawn Lynch's value play out right in front of us," Brooks said.
