Seattle Seahawks Full 2010 First Quarter Report Card

The Seattle Seahawks have reached the quarter mark of the 2010 NFL season with a pedestrian 2-2 record.

There has been a mixture of highs and lows that have marked new head coach Pete Carroll's tenure so far.

Wins against the San Francisco 49ers and San Diego Chargers have given Seattle fans reason for hope. But disappointing losses to the Denver Broncos and St. Louis Rams have likewise given them cause for concern.

Playing in the NFC West gives the Seahawks an edge that no team in another division has: They can probably get into the playoffs with an 8-8 record. The 49ers are 0-4, the Arizona Cardinals are lucky to be sitting at 2-2, and the Rams have looked impressive in battling their way to a 2-2 record.

Thus, it looks like the Rams will be the toughest competition for the Seahawks the rest of the way. That's good news for the Seahawk fanbase, as St. Louis is a very young team that doesn't know how to sustain success yet.

While the Rams will eventually become the class of the division, Seattle needs to make this year belong to them. One positive is that quarterback Matt Hasselbeck has led the Seahawks to a Super Bowl, so he knows how to win. That veteran leadership will play a big part in the division race.

Now, let's take a look at how the Seahawks have performed so far this year in various aspects of the game.

Passing Offense: C-

Matt Hasselbeck and company have been the barometer for the Seahawks season. When he throws more interceptions than touchdowns, the team loses. 

Basically, if he can take care of the ball and not turn it over too often, his teammates can take care of the rest. Hasselbeck's priority from here on out should be to limit bad throws and put his team in a good spot to win the game.

Rushing Offense: D

With Justin Forsett, Julius Jones, Leon Washington, and Michael Robinson, the Seahawks have all the pieces they need to have a good running game.

So far, they haven't put it all together. Jones has been nonexistent, Forsett has been disappointing, and Washington is not an every-down back.

They need to kick it into gear and improve their 27th-best rushing attack if they want to make it to the postseason.

Punt/Kick Returns: A+

The Seahawks are averaging an NFL-best 37.8 yards per kickoff return. That's due in large part to Leon Washington, who has already returned two kicks for touchdowns this year.

Meanwhile, Golden Tate has been an excellent punt returner. The rookie out of Notre Dame has been mediocre as a wide receiver, but he has made a place for himself as a punt returner.

Tate and Washington need to continue giving the offense good field position in order to make up for some of their offensive deficiencies.

Passing Defense: F

The secondary has been a mess this year, allowing opposing quarterbacks to throw for 302 yards per game, 29th in the NFL. That stat will cost the Seahawks dearly down the stretch this year if they cannot improve.

The defensive line has been good, racking up 11 sacks so far. That means there is a major problem in the secondary. If they don't take care of this problem, it could be a long year for Seattle.

Run Defense: A-

The run defense has been stout this year, allowing only 72.8 yards per game on the ground. Though they've had easy matchups against pass-oriented teams like Denver and San Diego, they've also stopped top-tier running backs like Steven Jackson and Frank Gore.

They'll continue to stop teams from running, but with a horrible pass defense, that creates problems of its own.

Kicking/Punting: B-

Olindo Mare and Jon Ryan anchor a good, not great, kicking unit. Mare has hit on all four of his field goal attempts this year, but he is prone to bad games.

Ryan does a good job of limiting damaging punt returns. Six of his punts have been downed inside the 20-yard line, and the team has only allowed 71 return yards.

Conclusion

The Seahawks have a lot to work on but only need to improve a little bit in order to become favorites in the NFC West. 

They need to take advantage of one of the weakest remaining schedules. They play only three more games against 2009 playoff teams, and two of those are against the Arizona Cardinals, who are a lot worse than they were last year.

Barring any major setbacks, Seattle should be players in the division race for the rest of the year. The NFC West title could come down to a Week 17 matchup against the Rams in Seattle.