Seahawks understand they win as a team

8-0 at home, undefeated since November 25th, scoring a combined 170 points in the last four games, Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks are flying higher than they have in years. Maybe it’s due to their aggressive yet smart defense led by Earl Thomas, maybe it is the roaring 12th Man for which they perform, maybe it’s their rookie quarterback that is “too short” to be successful in the NFL. Or maybe it’s a composite mixture of all three.

 The Seahawks surging success can’t be pinpointed on one individual, because Seattle plays as a team. From goal line to goal line they are a coherent whole, and have been demonstrating this for many weeks now. This new-found success should help them as they play their wildcard game Sunday against the Washington Redskins, who are also led by a talented rookie quarterback, Robert Griffin III. The Seahawks will travel to the nations capital this Sunday with more to defend than to prove.

This interesting Wild Card matchup features two rookies that are exceeding expectations, a matchup the NFL has never seen. One, a 2nd overall pick (RG3), the other is the 75th overall pick (Wilson). While many picks separate the two, their styles and leadership abilities are more than similar. Both are very good passers as well as quick escape artists who have to ability to make a play on their feet. RG3, who graces your TV in what seems to be every other commercial, and Russell Wilson, who I’ve seen in only one, advertising Levi. While their stories and lives are vastly different, their talents and what really counts on the field is almost identical.

Part of me is worried about the Seahawks having to travel over 2,700 miles to play against a fast paced team with the support of the FedEx Field fans. However, the fan in me has the confidence in the balanced offense led by a rookie quarterback, the strong defense, and the sideline leadership of an experienced coach, Pete Carroll. The Seattle Seahawks have shown they can do it all as of late, hopefully enough to get a Wild Card victory. And hey, maybe resolve the fiscal cliff a bit while they’re in D.C. too. I wouldn’t put it past them.