Seattle Seahawks - Pete Carroll Era (2010 - 2023) The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as members of the National Football Conference (NFC) West Division. They have played their home games at Lumen Field in Seattle's SoDo neighborhood since 2002. The team's name is a tribute to the osprey, a species of bird also known as the sea hawk. Pete Carroll officially took over as head coach of the Seattle Seahawks on January 11, 2010. He was hired to replace Jim Mora and led the franchise for 14 seasons, becoming the winningest coach in the team's history. In the 2010 NFL season, the Seahawks made history by reaching the playoffs despite a 7-9 record. They had the best record in a division of teams with losing seasons (Seahawks 7-9, Rams 7-9, 49ers 6-10, Cardinals 5-11) and won the decisive final game of the season against the Rams (not only by overall record, but also by division record, as both teams had a 3-2 record in the division before the game). In the playoffs, the Seahawks defeated the then-Super Bowl XLIV champions, the New Orleans Saints, 41-36. The Seahawks made even more history when Marshawn Lynch ran 67 yards, breaking nine tackles, to secure the victory. Fans reacted with such intensity that a small earthquake (slightly above 2 on the Richter scale) was recorded by seismic equipment in Seattle. Lynch's run would be nicknamed the "Earthquake of the Beast". The Seahawks lost to the Bears, 35-24. In the 2011 season, the team finished with 7 wins and 9 losses once again, but failed to reach the playoffs, finishing third in the NFC West. The 2012 NFL season began with uncertainty, as the Seahawks lost their opening game against the Arizona Cardinals. Seattle's much-praised defense gave up a game-winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter, and rookie quarterback Russell Wilson failed to throw the winning touchdown pass after several attempts in the red zone. However, Russell Wilson and the Seahawks won their next five games, finishing with an 11-5 record (their first winning record since 2007). The 2012 campaign included big wins over the Green Bay Packers, the New England Patriots, and the San Francisco 49ers. The Seahawks entered the playoffs as the fifth seed and the only undefeated team at home that season. In the Wild Card Round, the Seahawks overcame a 14-point deficit to defeat the Washington Redskins. This was the first time since the 1983 Divisional Round that the Seahawks had won a playoff game on the road. However, in the 2012 Divisional Round, overcoming a 20-point deficit in the fourth quarter wouldn't be enough to defeat the Atlanta Falcons. A poorly advised timeout and a defensive lapse late in the game cost the Seahawks the season, as they lost 30-28. Quarterback Russell Wilson won the 2012 Pepsi MAX Rookie of the Year Award. Super Bowl XLVIII Champions (2013) In the 2013 NFL season, the Seahawks maintained their momentum from the previous season, finishing tied with the Denver Broncos for the best regular season record 13-3, and securing the first seed in the NFC playoffs. The 2013 campaign included big wins over the Carolina Panthers, the New Orleans Saints, and the San Francisco 49ers. Six Seahawks players were selected for the Pro Bowl: quarterback Russell Wilson, center Max Unger, running back Marshawn Lynch, cornerback Richard Sherman, free safety Earl Thomas, and strong safety Kam Chancellor. However, none of them were able to play in the Pro Bowl, as the Seahawks defeated the New Orleans Saints 23-15 and the San Francisco 49ers 23-17 in the playoffs, advancing to Super Bowl XLVIII against the Denver Broncos. On February 2, 2014, the Seahawks won the franchise's first Super Bowl title, defeating the Broncos 43-8. The Seahawks' defensive performance in 2013 was hailed as one of the best of the Super Bowl era. The 2014 season saw the team lose some key players, including wide receiver Golden Tate, who became a free agent, and wide receiver Sidney Rice and defensive end Chris Clemons, who retired. Percy Harvin was also released mid-season after several weeks of poor performance and conflicts with the rest of the locker room. Despite starting with a 3-3 record, they recovered and finished with a 12-4 record, enough once again for the first seed in the NFC playoffs. After easily defeating the Carolina Panthers in the divisional round 31-17, they faced the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship game. Despite five turnovers and trailing 19-7 at the end of the game, the Seahawks prevailed in overtime to reach Super Bowl XLIX against the New England Patriots. However, an interception at the 1-yard line late in the game thwarted a comeback attempt and prevented the Seahawks from becoming the first back-to-back Super Bowl champions since the Patriots won Super Bowls XXXVIII and XXXIX. The Seahawks returned to the playoffs in 2015 and 2016, but despite winning the Wild Card game in both years, they failed to win any of their divisional round games on the road. The 2017 version of the team missed the playoffs for the first time in six years, as injuries to their key players, along with disappointing acquisitions of running back Eddie Lacy and kicker Blair Walsh, hampered them in a competitive NFC. The team released most of its Super Bowl-winning players and revamped its offensive and defensive coaching staffs in 2018. The influx of young talent helped propel the team to a 10-6 record and another playoff berth, which ended in a Wild Card game loss to the Dallas Cowboys. In October 2018, owner Paul Allen passed away after a long battle with cancer. In 2019, the Seahawks had their best record since their last Super Bowl appearance, with 11 wins and 5 losses, but still lost three of their last four games and missed the chance to win the NFC West. After defeating the Philadelphia Eagles 17-9 in the Wild Card game, they lost to the Green Bay Packers in the Divisional Round, failing in yet another attempt to reach their second Super Bowl. In the 2020 season, the Seahawks won their first five games, the franchise's best start to a season. Despite losing three of their next four games, the Seahawks finished the season strong, achieving twelve wins for the first time since the 2014 Super Bowl season and winning the division for the first time in four years. However, despite the 12-4 record and the division title, the Seahawks' season ended the following week against the Los Angeles Rams, who were not behind on the scoreboard in a 30-20 victory. The Seahawks struggled and began the 2021 season with a 3-8 record. Russell Wilson suffered a finger injury and missed three games, and the Seahawks were defeated without scoring points for the first time in the Wilson era in Week 10 against the Green Bay Packers. This was the worst first half of a season since 2009, under then-coach Jim Mora. The Seahawks were eliminated from playoff contention on December 26th, in a loss to the Chicago Bears, and finished last in their division for the first time since 1996. With wins over the Detroit Lions and the Arizona Cardinals, they finished 7–10. The 2021 season was followed by an offseason of changes, marked by the trade of quarterback Russell Wilson to the team he and the Seahawks defeated in Super Bowl XLVIII, the Denver Broncos, on March 6, 2022. The Broncos traded quarterback Drew Lock, tight end Noah Fant, defensive end Shelby Harris, two first-round picks (that year's draft pick, the 9th overall pick, and the 2023 pick), two second-round picks (that year's draft pick, the 40th overall pick, and the 2023 pick), and a fifth-round pick in 2022 to the Seahawks in exchange for Wilson and a fourth-round pick in 2022. Another iconic player from the Super Bowl-winning Seahawks franchise, former All-Pro linebacker Bobby Wagner, was released by the team that same day, a move that saved $16.6 million in salary cap space. The Seahawks also took on $26 million in dead money when they traded Wilson; research by ESPN Stats & Information revealed that this is the second-largest amount of dead money a team has ever had, behind the $33.8 million the Philadelphia Eagles absorbed in the Carson Wentz trade the previous year. In the NFL, dead money refers to the amount of salary cap space occupied by a player who is no longer part of the team's roster. This amount represents sums that the team has already paid or committed to paying the player, but which had not yet been fully accounted for in the salary cap at the time he was released or traded. In the 2022 season, the Seahawks finished with a 9–8 record and made the playoffs. The team's season ended in the Wild Card round with a 41–23 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. In the 2023 season, the Seahawks finished with a 9–8 record and did not qualify for the postseason. Carroll was fired from his head coaching position after the 2023 season. Carroll remained with the team in an unspecified advisory role. Alex