(Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
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l veteran players. Specifically, Matt Hasselbeck and Walter Jones. But assuming they are healthy, this is a team that can easily turn things around in a hurry, given the talent that's in place on the roster.
Offensively, the Seahawks added T.J. Houshmandzadeh to their wide receiving corps and Housh immediately figures to be the teams number one receiver heading into 2009. He will be joined by Nate Burleson, who is coming off of an ACL injury, Deion Branch, and 3rd round pick Deon Butler. All three of these guys have blazing speed, but limited size, so Housh is a very key component to not only the wide receiving corps but the offense as a whole. John Carlson will also be a major part of the offense yet again, and the Seahawks hope he can build on a fantastic rookie season.
New offensive coordinator Greg Knapp will bring his patented zone-blocking scheme to Seattle and with it the Seahawks hope their rushing game can produce in much the same manner that Oakland and Atlanta enjoyed. They will look to Julius Jones and T.J. Duckett to be the 1-2 combination, with second year man Justin Forsett being the change of pace back. However, the rushing game still appears to be the achilles heel for the Seahawks offense.
Defensively, the Seahawks overhauled their staff from a year ago by letting go of every assistant on the staff. Gus Bradley comes over to Seattle from Tampa Bay to be the new defensive coordinator, but he will likely split those duties with Mora. Still both Mora and Bradley have a wealth of weapons at their disposal, particularly at linebacker as the Seahawks will field what figures to be one of the better linebacking corps in football. Lofa Tatupu will be healthy and return to man the middle of the Hawks D and will be flanked by Leroy Hill and first round draft pick Aaron Curry. The team is especially excited about Curry, and they compare him to a younger Derrick Brooks.
The secondary mostly remains the same in 2009, the only difference being Ken Lucas returning to Seattle after being waived by Carolina. Lucas should compete with Kelly Jennings and Josh Wilson for the second cornerback slot behind Marcus Trufant. At safety, Brian Russell and Deon Grant are the incumbent starters, but do not be surprised to see young Jamar Adams supplant Russell in training camp.
2009 Schedule:
| Date | Opponent |
| Sun, Sep 13 | St. Louis |
| Sun, Sep 20 | @ San Francisco |
| Sun, Sep 27 | Chicago |
| Sun, Oct 4 | @ Indianapolis |
| Sun, Oct 11 | Jacksonville |
| Sun, Oct 18 | Arizona |
| BYE WEEK | |
| Sun, Nov 1 | @ Dallas |
| Sun, Nov 8 | Detroit |
| Sun, Nov 15 | @ Arizona |
| Sun, Nov 22 | @ Minnesota |
| Sun, Nov 29 | @ St. Louis |
| Sun, Dec 6 | San Francisco |
| Sun, Dec 13 | @ Houston |
| Sun, Dec 20 | Tampa Bay |
| Sun, Dec 27 | @ Green Bay |
| Sun, Jan 3 | Tennessee |
2009 Prediction:
Unlike many of the teams at the bottom of the leagues standings, the Seahawks were not the team respected by their win/loss total. Despite the onslaught of injuries, the Seahawks were still very competitive in games down the stretch and just as easily could have sniffed the .500 mark had they been able to finish games.
A new coaching staff and a rejuvenated veteran roster may be just what the Seahawks needed to kickstart into gear. And judging by the division they play in, this is a team that can get hot in a hurry and host a playoff game or two come January.
However, questions to remain to circle over this Seahawks team. How healthy is Matt Hasselbeck? How will Walter Jones be able to rebound from microfracture knee surgery? Can the Seahawks get any semblance of a running game? Will the defense improve?
In the end—the season will very likely come down to these questions. And in the end, the Seahawks could find themselves in another familiar spot as division champions.
Predicted Finish: 10-6, 1st NFC West
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Hassellbeck - VSN Writer
www.virtualsportsnetwork.com
We're going to send you the most entertaining Seattle Seahawks articles, videos, and podcasts from around the web.
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