6 Reasons Seattle Seahawks Will Improve on 7-9 Record from Last Season

Pete Carroll has engineered a pair of 7-9 seasons since taking over as head coach and executive vice president of the Seattle Seahawks. The 2012 season will take him one step closer to establishing the legacy he was striving for when he returned to the NFL.

The Seahawks certainly had more success in Carroll's first season, winning a playoff game after taking the NFC West by default. Last season the team posted an identical record, but it was clear the team was making advancements on the field.

The team's roster was transformed over the first two seasons and now is being fine tuned by Carroll and GM John Schneider. They've made some great draft selections and have taken a few risks to introduce the type of talent they believe will make the team a winner.

2011 Team Was Closer to Competing Than Many Realize

I am a firm believer that good teams win close games. The 2011 Seahawks simply were not that good of a team.

They did show improvement from 2010, when Seattle was pretty well blown out in their nine losses.

However, last season they were within striking distance in the fourth quarter in seven of their nine losses. While it would be a fallacy to assume they will be able to convert most of those losses to wins, it is important to recognize the team was not as far away from being competitive as most believe.

It isn't hard to find gut-wrenching losses last season. 

Hosting the Atlanta Falcons, Seattle drove into field goal range in the closing seconds. An ill-timed false start penalty turned a difficult game-winning field goal attempt into a frustrating 61-yard shank.

Then there was the Week 7 snore-fest, featuring a Seahawks offense minus the starting quarterback and running back. The 6-3 loss was the low point on the season.

They blew a fourth-quarter lead against the Washington Redskins and gave up two fourth-quarter return touchdowns against the San Francisco 49ers and the Cincinnati Bengals.

In short, Seattle was close in games, but inexperience and poor execution kept them as a middling franchise. They had one of the youngest teams in the NFL last season, but they are returning most of their 2011 starters with an added year of experience.

There are no guarantees that will make any difference at all this season, but that isn't the focus. The key is Seattle was much closer last season than their record implies.

Improved Familiarity with Offense

Seattle attempted to install a new offense last season with an abbreviated offseason. They had two rookies starting on the line without the advantage of offseason camps, and none of the five had played a regular season game together prior to Week 1.

They struggled to find form during the preseason and scored just 30 points in their first three games.

The 2012 offense has already started working together. They will return 10 of their starters, having opted to part ways with left guard Robert Gallery.

They could have a new quarterback this season, but Matt Flynn is familiar with the offense Seattle uses.

Regardless of who steps in under center, the offense should be well ahead of where they were in 2011.

Due for Better Fortune Relative to Injuries

The Seattle Seahawks have certainly had more than their fair share of injuries in recent seasons, particularly on offense. Their offensive linemen have rotated positions to patch injury issues on an almost weekly basis over the last three years.

Tight end Zach Miller and fullback Michael Robinson were the only offensive starters to play all 16 games. Three offensive linemen ended the season on injured reserve, along with their two starting receivers.

At some point their injury misfortune has to change, doesn't it?

Just as teams shouldn't bank on improved health, teams that were relatively injury free last season shouldn't expect that trend to continue.

Should the injury bug continue to nag the Seahawks, there are still reasons for fans to be optimistic. Their roster is full of versatile players that can fill multiple roles.

This also leads into the next reason the Seahawks should expect to improve on last season's record.

Improved Depth

The Seahawks have undergone major personnel renovations since Carroll took over. They have added talent in the draft and scoured waiver wires to fill their roster.

Fans have become spoiled with the volume of draft picks that made the Seahawk roster. While quality scouting is certainly part of the equation, it was simply easier to make Seattle's roster the last few seasons. 

The players on the roster when Carroll came to town didn't fit his vision of an NFL franchise. As he churned players, there were more spots open for draft picks.

The lack of talent that made it easier to draft players who could make roster is now a thing of the past. Seattle maintained the majority of their 2011 roster, and their talent level is markedly improved.

It will be hard for more than five or six of their 10 draft picks to make the 53-man roster. This improved talent will make it easier to plug in players when injuries do happen.

Seattle will also likely have a few of their free-agent signings not make the final roster.

An example of the improved talent can be found in 2010 when Red Bryant was lost to injury. The Seahawks quickly went from a top-five ground defense to one of the worst run stoppers in the league.

Seattle now has several players that could step in for Bryant without as defined drop in production. This will allow them to rotate players, particularly in the front seven. They can substitute based on players' particular strengths, creating more favorable matchups and keeping players fresh.

Youth Is More Experienced

Seattle sported one of the youngest teams in the NFL last season. They were responsible for several of their wins, improving from one of the worst units in 2010 to a top-10 defense last season.

However, there were also obvious moments when the youth and inexperience showed how much they had to learn.

For example, Brandon Browner was hit with penalties early and often to start the season, learning just how little contact is allowed in the NFL. His play improved dramatically over the season, culminating with a Pro Bowl appearance.

Rookie Richard Sherman went from backup to starter following injuries to Marcus Trufant and Walter Thurmond. K.J. Wright also replaced Aaron Curry in the starting lineup and showed positive growth during the course of the year.

The offense also has players getting their NFL legs. They had two rookies on the offensive line, and Doug Baldwin was the team's leading receiver. 

With a full offseason to work together, the young players are ready to lead this team.

Improved Play at Quarterback

It is too simplistic to blame the fortunes (or lack thereof) of the 2011 Seahawks on quarterback play.

However, the Seahawks had six opportunities to mount a fourth-quarter comeback last season and were successful in zero of those opportunities.

Starting quarterback Tarvaris Jackson was notably bothered by a pectoral injury. His backup, Charlie Whitehurst, simply couldn't rally the offense.

Matt Flynn was signed in free agency to challenge for the starting job. While it is an open competition, the expectation is he will be the Week 1 starter.

Seattle has a diverse mix of talented options at receiver and one of the league's better ground games. With Flynn or a healthy Jackson, the offense should be closer to the play of their top-10 defense.