Frustration on the rise for Seahawks
For all the success through the years, there is an indisputable fact Russell Wilson, Pete Carroll and the rest of the Seahawks more veteran players can’t avoid.
Since the Seahawks loss to the Patriots in the Super Bowl in February 2015, their playoff performances have been complete failures by their own standards.
It’s now been six years since the Seahawks won more than one game in a single postseason. The Seahawks have failed to advance beyond the divisional round since that last Super Bowl appearance following the 2014 season. No NFC championship game appearances. No chances at getting back to playing for a title.
The latest abrupt playoff exit may be the most troubling following Saturday’s 30-20 loss to the Rams. After getting outcoached and outplayed by their division foe, the Seahawks are unexpectedly headed into an important offseason sooner than anyone expected.
“Out of all the years since we lost to New England, I thought that this year was our best chance in going,” Seahawks linebacker K.J. Wright said on Sunday. “I truly felt like we had all the pieces. We had all the confidence in the world to go back, and 12-4 that’s a really good season. It’s just unfortunate that yesterday was just one of them days.”
It’s the second time in three seasons the Seahawks were ousted from the postseason in the wild-card round after losing in the 2018 playoffs to the Cowboys.
In the five playoff appearances since losing in the Super Bowl, the Seahawks have a 3-5 record.
Most franchises would be thrilled to have that many playoff appearances. But for the Seahawks, it’s a continual run of what they see as missed opportunity.
“We got to be better. We got to find ways to win these type of matchups,” Wilson said. “Frustration? I mean, yeah, of course I’m frustrated.”
In previous seasons, there seemed to be an understanding or justification for why playoff runs fell short of reaching their full potential.
A year ago, there was a feeling of optimism after losing in the divisional round to the Packers when the visiting Seahawks were so depleted by injuries at the key position of running back that Marshawn Lynch was brought out of retirement to carry the load.
That wasn’t the case in the aftermath of Saturday. Optimism was scarce. Left in its place was confusion about what happened and what the path is going forward after the Seahawks mortgaged a significant amount of its future by acquiring Jamal Adams and Carlos Dunlap to win this season.
“We got to make that next step. I think this is part of the process, to figure out this offseason along the way, and how we can do that and do whatever it takes,” Wilson said.
Heinicke impresses: Undrafted, unheralded Taylor Heinicke took on big, bad Tom Brady — who had no idea who the QB out of Old Dominion was when they briefly were teammates a few years ago — and, while the end result went about as expected, a head-first dive for a TD sure captured everyone’s attention and imagination.
About 24 hours after finding out he would play quarterback for Washington against Brady’s Buccaneers in an NFC wild-card game because of Alex Smith’s injured calf, Heinicke got off to a rather inauspicious beginning. Making his first NFL start since 2018 — and only second ever — Heinicke saw his first pass get dropped. His third hit the turf near a receiver’s feet. The fifth was picked off.
Seemed about right. So did the final score Saturday night: Brady’s Bucs 31, Heinicke’s Washington 23.
“People have asked me what it felt like going up against the ‘GOAT,’ Tom Brady. I didn’t really think about it,” Heinicke said. “I’m proud of myself and happy that coaches believed in me. Hopefully I deserve to be in this league a little longer.”
Eventually, Heinicke got going and gave Washington a chance, which was all he, coach Ron Rivera and his teammates could have asked for under these circumstances.
“It was gutsy. It really was,” Rivera said about the job Heinicke did. “... He’s created an opportunity for himself.”
After Heinicke’s stretch-for-the-pylon 8-yard TD run pulled Washington within two points late in the third quarter, he was surrounded by enthusiastic teammates. Young shouted while pointing at the burgundy letters forming the name on the back of the QB’s No. 4 white jersey and looking into a TV camera.
Folks who were watching from afar got excited, too, including a tweet from reigning league MVP Patrick Mahomes.
Although that play briefly sent Heinicke to the locker room with a separated shoulder, he returned without missing an offensive snap for Washington. His 11-yard TD pass to Steven Sims Jr. brought the NFC East champions within 28-23. But it wasn’t enough.
Heinicke finished 26 of 44 for 306 yards, one TD pass and one interception, along with six carries for a team-leading 46 yards and a score.