Five Reasons the Seattle Seahawks Will Make the Playoffs This Year

Every Seahawk fan knows about the year they had last year, going 4-12 and being absolutely devastated by injuries. But fear no longer, Seahawks fans, a better day is coming.

Here are five reasons why your Seattle Seahawks will not only make the playoffs this year, but be a force to be reckoned with.

1. The Matt Hasselbeck Factor

When Matthew Hasselbeck is healthy, he is a top-10 quarterback in this league. But when Hasselbeck isn't healthy...um, well, just look at last year.

Even though Hasselbeck's back is clearly going to be a problem this year, I don't think it will be as bad as it was last year.

I think Hasselbeck plays 14 games, missing the bye week (obviously) and Weeks 16 and 17 at Green Bay and at home against the Tennessee Titans respectively. I see that the Seahawks will have already clinched the division at that point, and Hasselbeck can just relax those games.

2. The Ken Lucas Signing Is Going To Be Bigger Than People Think

Last year, the Seattle Seahawks' defense was clearly one of the worst in the league, ranking 30th in yards allowed, 32nd in pass yards allowed, 18th in rush yards allowed, and 25th in points allowed.

The Seahawks went out this offseason and got some help for that D, grabbing the big man Colin Cole away from the Packers, trading Julian Peterson for Cory Redding, drafting the best player in the draft (Aaron Curry), and signing Ken Lucas.

Lucas is in his second stint with the Seahawks after playing the past four years with the Carolina Panthers. He is going to be a huge upgrade of former first-rounder Kelly Jennings, who had a terrible year last year and is projected to be the fourth corner behind Marcus Trufant, Lucas, and Josh Wilson. Lucas and Trufant are going to make this defense better.

3. Injuries

The Seahawks were destroyed by injuries last year, and that is one of the reasons they went 4-12. There is no way that this season is going to be the same: Matt Hasselbeck has to stay healthy for this team to contend, the receivers can't blow out their ACLs as much as they did last year, and Patrick Kerney has to stay healthy and be a force for that defense.

4. The Greg Knapp Factor

Greg Knapp, who coached with Jim Mora Jr. in Atlanta, came to Seattle from Oakland, where he coached for the past two seasons. He leads a "zone blocking system" that helped get each of his running backs get 1,000 yards rushing each year Knapp led that offense. That is very good news to Julius Jones, in whom Seahawks fans have lost all faith.

5. The Competition

I know that the Arizona Cardinals are the reigning NFC Champs, and they will stay that way until they are beaten. However, I don't see them having the same year they had last year. Kurt Warner is a year older, Anquan Boldin still wants out, and both their coordinators left.

Even though I think the Seahawks and Cardinals will be neck-and-neck for the NFC West crown, Seattle will come out on top again.

Projected record: 10-6 NFC West Champs, lose in NFC Championship game vs. Philadelphia.