With the Seahawks leading by 10 heading into the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl, the game appeared to be symbolic of the changing of the guard in the NFL. It looked as if a Seahawks win would mark the official end of the Patriots era and the beginning of the Seahawks dynasty. Of course, a fourth quarter highlighted by Tom Brady’s heroics and a head-scratching goal line play call put those plans on hold for at least one more year.
But the core of the Seattle squad that was one yard away from being back-to-back Super Bowl champions is not going anywhere. If it is able to hold on to cornerback Byron Maxwell and linebacker Malcolm Smith in free agency, Seattle will return every member of a defense that lead the league in both total and pass defense for the second year in a row. Add that defense to a Marshawn Lynch-fueled run game that led the NFL in rushing yards, and you have a perennial Super Bowl contender.
The aspect of the Seahawks that sets them apart from other early season favorites is the team’s youth. Pete Carroll has put together a formidable lineup in Seattle that doesn’t feature any aging superstars. In fact, the Seahawks active from Super Bowl XLIX had only five players over the age of 30. Two of those five players were backup quarterback Tavaris Jackson and punter Jon Ryan. Team leaders such as Russell Wilson, Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor are all only 26.
The Seahawks will have some history against them. The last team to win the Super Bowl the season after losing it was the undefeated 1972 Dolphins. However, the Seahawks were poised to buck the trend of futility from Super Bowl losers. It may take time for the wounds from Super Bowl XLIX to heal for the Seattle Seahawks, but the future is still extremely bright for this team. The Seahawks are known for playing with a chip on their shoulder, and the Super Bowl loss will only make that chip bigger. The rest of the NFL should be on the lookout for a Seahawks team that will be anxious to prove itself in 2015.
