A History of the Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football franchise based in Seattle, Washington. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league’s National Football Conference (NFC) West division. They joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team, along with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Early Years
The Seattle Seahawks began play in the 1976 season as an expansion team. The Seahawks are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). They have played their home games at CenturyLink Field in Seattle, Washington since 2002. The Seahawks are owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and are currently coached by Pete Carroll.
The team’s beginnings in the NFL
In 1974, the Seahawks were established as an expansion team that would join the NFL in the 1976 season. The ownership group was led by Lloyd W. Nordstrom, a prominent member of the Seattle business community and the founder of the Nordstrom department store chain.
The Seahawks’ first head coach was Jack Patera, a former assistant coach with the Minnesota Vikings. Patera brought with him a wide-open style of offense that was practices by most teams in the 1970s. The Seahawks also had one of the best defensive linemen in the game in Dave Brown, who became known as “Dr. Doom” for his aggressive play.
The Seahawks had a strong debut season, finishing with a record of 9-7. They made the playoffs in their second season, but lost to the Los Angeles Rams in the first round. The team would make the playoffs again in 1978 and 1979, but failed to make it past the first round both times.
The team’s first few years in the league
In 1976, the Seattle Seahawks were established as an expansion team, joining the NFL. The Seahawks’ first season was in 1977, and they played their home games at the Kingdome. The Seahawks had a losing record in their first year, but they improved in 1978 and made it to the playoffs with a 7-9 record. In the 1979 season, the Seahawks had their first winning record and made it to the playoffs again.
In 1980, the Seahawks drafted running back Curt Warner, who would go on to have a successful career with the team. The Seahawks had another winning season in 1980 and made it to the playoffs for the third consecutive year. In 1982, the Seahawks drafted linebacker Kenny Easley, who would go on to be named Defensive Player of the Year in 1984.
The Seahawks struggled in 1983 and 1984, but they made it back to the playoffs in 1985 behind Warner’s 1,581 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns. The Seahawks lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Los Angeles Raiders. In 1986, Warner suffered a serious knee injury midway through the season and missed the rest of the year. Without Warner, the Seahawks missed the playoffs with a 7-9 record.
The Pete Carroll Era
Pete Carroll became the Seahawks head coach in 2010, and has led the team to 7 playoff berths, 3 NFC West titles, and a Super Bowl victory. Under Carroll, the Seahawks have become known for their strong defense, led by All-Pro safety Earl Thomas. They have also been one of the most consistent teams in the NFL, making the playoffs in 5 of the last 6 seasons.
The team’s resurgence under Carroll
In 2010, the Seahawks hired former USC head coach Pete Carroll. Carroll’s first season was one of transition, as the Seahawks looked to rebuild under their new head coach. The team struggled, finishing with a 7–9 record. However, they showed signs of improvement, particularly on defense. The following year, the Seahawks had a breakout season. Led by a strong defense, the team went 10–5–1 and made the playoffs for the first time since 2007. They would ultimately lose to the Chicago Bears in the NFC Divisional Round.
The Seahawks continued to be one of the best teams in the NFL under Carroll. In 2012, they went 11–5 and made it back to the playoffs. They again lost in the NFC Divisional Round, this time to the Atlanta Falcons. They came back even stronger in 2013, going 13–3 and winning their first ever NFC Championship. Unfortunately, they would lose to the rival San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game.
Despite this disappointment, Carroll’s Seahawks have established themselves as one of the best teams in football. They have won five straight NFC West titles (2013-2017) and have made it to at least the Divisional Round of the playoffs in each of those years. In 2014 and 2015, they even made it back to back Super Bowls, winning Super Bowl XLVIII over Peyton Manning’s Denver Broncos and losing Super Bowl XLIX to Tom Brady’s New England Patriots in one of the most controversial endings in NFL history.
The team’s back-to-back Super Bowl appearances
In 2013, the Seahawks made their second consecutive Super Bowl appearance, becoming the first team to do so since the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVIII and Super Bowl XXXIX. They also became the first team to appear in consecutive Super Bowls with different head coaches, as Pete Carroll replaced Jim L. Mora Jr. after the 2010 season. The Seahawks defeated the Denver Broncos 43-8 in Super Bowl XLVIII, winning their first championship in franchise history. Russell Wilson was named the Super Bowl MVP after passing for two touchdowns and rushing for another.
In 2014, the Seahawks once again made it to the Super Bowl, this time against the New England Patriots. The Seahawks were down 28–24 with just over two minutes left in the game, but they managed to score a touchdown on a miraculous catch by wide receiver Jermaine Kearse. The Seahawks then won the game 28–24 after intercepting a pass from Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady on the one-yard line with just seconds remaining.
The Legion of Boom
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league’s National Football Conference (NFC) West division. They joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team along with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The team’s dominant defense
The Legion of Boom was the name given to the Seattle Seahawks’ secondary during their run of success in the early and mid-2010s. The unit was anchored by four Pro Bowlers: cornerback Richard Sherman, free safety Earl Thomas, strong safety Kam Chancellor, and cornerback Brandon Browner. All four players were drafted or signed by the Seahawks between 2010 and 2011.
In addition to their individual accomplishments, the Legion of Boom helped the Seahawks win Super Bowl XLVIII in 2013 and return to the Super Bowl the following year. They were also a key part of a defense that led the NFL in fewest points allowed for four straight seasons (2012-2015).
The Legion of Boom was known for their physical style of play, which often resulted in penalties. Nevertheless, they were widely considered one of the best secondaries in NFL history.
The team’s Super Bowl victory
In February 2014, the Seahawks won Super Bowl XLVIII, defeating the Denver Broncos 43–8. This became the Seahawks’ first Super Bowl victory in franchise history, and their first league championship since joining the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team. This was also quarterback Russell Wilson’s first Super Bowl victory.
The Post-Legion of Boom Era
It has been a little over six months since the Seahawks made the decision to part ways with longtime defensive cornerstone Richard Sherman.In the time since, a lot has changed for the Seahawks. They’ve added a number of new faces to the roster, including a new head coach, and they’ve said goodbye to some other key players from their recent past.
The team’s rebuild
In the years following the Legion of Boom’s forced retirement, the Seahawks embarked on a renovation of their roster. They signed free agents like Dee Ford, Jason Myers, and Bradley McDougald to help fill the holes in their defense, while also drafting players like L.J. Collier and Marquise Blair to groom as the future stars of the team. Though their results in recent years have been mixed, with a disappointing 2019 season followed by a return to the playoffs in 2020, the Seahawks have shown that they are still a force to be reckoned with in the NFL.
The team’s return to the playoffs
In 2018, the Seahawks returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2016, led by a dominant defense that ranked first in the NFL in fewest points allowed per game (17.7). The team’s “Legion of Boom” secondary was a key part of that success, as Seattle allowed the fewest passing yards per game in the NFL (169.0) for the fourth time since that group came together in 2011.
