Lynch or Russell W - who is more valuable to the Seahawks?

[Anthony!]

Wilson is a product of what Lynch does more times t han not. If Lynch had left then this team would have been a mess. Can't replace Lynch, not here. But an OK QB that puts up OK numbers could have had similiar success to Wilson. Drop off would not have been very steep.

Lynch

To bad the facts and stats show you are wrong. FYI we had that it got us no place. IS it any wonder Lynch's best years came after Wilson came HMM.

Pretty sure it has more to do with having a run first philosophy here instead of trying to force the passing game with suspect lines and a system that has been broken in Buffalo since Marv Levy retired.

It also helps when you have QB who can run for over 800 yards, and other times help wear down defenses by scrambling for 5+ seconds. Also Lynch was here 2 years before Wilson in a run first offense and his numbers are way better both rushing and receiving once Wilson got here. The facts speak for themselves.

 

[Ozzy]

I'm honestly shocked people are arguing for Lynch. I'm not sure there has ever been a Seahawk I've enjoyed watching more but its not Lynch. Lynch averaged 4.2 yards per carry before being paired up with Wilson. Wilson helps Lynch every bit as much as Lynch helps Wilson and again you cannot win anymore without an elite QB. We were a 8-8 team without Wilson and with Lynch. Wilson gets us into the 10+ win category.

 

[volsunghawk]

Just for the sake of argument, all those folks pointing to how bad the team was when they had Lynch and didn't have Wilson are tending to forget that the Hawks changed offensive philosophy midway through the 2011 season. For a good part of the first half of the 2011 season, the Hawks were running a lot of no-huddle and the pass/run ratio was horribly skewed toward the pass. We were 2-5 in those games, and the team often ran the ball fewer than 20 times in the game.

It was in the Dallas game that the offensive coaches decided to scrap the up-tempo, no-huddle experiment they'd been toying with since the beginning of the season and get back to basics by going run heavy and using Lynch more.

http://sportspressnw.com/2112230/2011/t ... hing-gears

And what happened after that? The Seahawks rang up 100+ yards rushing in 8 of their last 9 games, and the team posted a 5-4 record over that stretch. The team began to build its identity on Lynch's brutal running style. So simply pointing to the full season stats for 2011 and 2012 doesn't provide the full context of what Wilson and Lynch mean to this team.

Honestly, I think if I had to answer the question with just one name, it would be Wilson because of his youth and his potential for growth throughout the rest of his career. He is a passing and running threat, which is incredibly valuable in this league, but he needs to continue to progress as a passer if he wants to reach that truly elite level. That's not intended as a negative... just an acknowledgment that he's still only got 3 years under his belt and has room for improvement. Wilson is the improvisational magician that provides the spark that makes this team a contender.

However, Lynch is the identity of the team. His toughness, his strength, and his reliability are crucial to the team. He's the bedrock on which Wilson can stand to perform his magic, and he's the guy who will keep our team going if Wilson has an off day (which does happen from time to time).Without Wilson, we're probably not a team that's going to challenge for a SB. Without Lynch, we're a fundamentally different team altogether, also less likely to challenge for a SB and with a lower floor.

 

[hawkfan68]

why is this even a question.

This^ The OP would have us believe that we could just have Wilson take a seat, put Tarvaris Jackson in there to hand the ball of to ML, and the Seahawks Offense wouldn't miss a beat? SMH.

Just a tip....it helps to read the whole post before commenting. I said this in the original post - I think it's suffice to say that both players feed off each other and both are valuable in their own respects.

How does that make anyone believe that I feel Lynch is more important that Russell Wilson? I said both are equally important to the team. I started this thread to open a discussion....folks if you don't like a thread you don't have to participate in it. If you don't like it, then why are you responding to it? Those of you who have responded in earnest, thank you. I appreciate and respect your opinions.

I couldn't be more "Earnest", it's Wilson, hands down.
Your original post says that you think that they are equal, and I'm saying that I just don't agree, thus, there's no question, and no debate in my mind.
If you think that I was disrespecting your opinion, I was not.
Didn't you asked for opinions?
Ask a question, and then get bent out of shape with someone disagreeing with your assessment. go figure.

No worries. It's all good. Thank you for sharing your opinion.

 

[hawkfan68]

Just for the sake of argument, all those folks pointing to how bad the team was when they had Lynch and didn't have Wilson are tending to forget that the Hawks changed offensive philosophy midway through the 2011 season. For a good part of the first half of the 2011 season, the Hawks were running a lot of no-huddle and the pass/run ratio was horribly skewed toward the pass. We were 2-5 in those games, and the team often ran the ball fewer than 20 times in the game.

It was in the Dallas game that the offensive coaches decided to scrap the up-tempo, no-huddle experiment they'd been toying with since the beginning of the season and get back to basics by going run heavy and using Lynch more.

http://sportspressnw.com/2112230/2011/t ... hing-gears

And what happened after that? The Seahawks rang up 100+ yards rushing in 8 of their last 9 games, and the team posted a 5-4 record over that stretch. The team began to build its identity on Lynch's brutal running style. So simply pointing to the full season stats for 2011 and 2012 doesn't provide the full context of what Wilson and Lynch mean to this team.

Honestly, I think if I had to answer the question with just one name, it would be Wilson because of his youth and his potential for growth throughout the rest of his career. He is a passing and running threat, which is incredibly valuable in this league, but he needs to continue to progress as a passer if he wants to reach that truly elite level. That's not intended as a negative... just an acknowledgment that he's still only got 3 years under his belt and has room for improvement. Wilson is the improvisational magician that provides the spark that makes this team a contender.

However, Lynch is the identity of the team. His toughness, his strength, and his reliability are crucial to the team. He's the bedrock on which Wilson can stand to perform his magic, and he's the guy who will keep our team going if Wilson has an off day (which does happen from time to time).Without Wilson, we're probably not a team that's going to challenge for a SB. Without Lynch, we're a fundamentally different team altogether, also less likely to challenge for a SB and with a lower floor.

Thanks Volsung. Great points.

It's my fault for making it a RW vs. Lynch, which isn't what I had intended. My wording and initial was post was wrong and didn't convey the right question and message. I'm sorry about that. I think Wilson and Lynch, both, are extremely valuable and are undoubtedly the top pieces in the Seahawk offense. The reason, IMO, that the Seahawks have a run first mentality is that Lynch is so good and productive. His average per carry may not dictate it but he is extremely productive and at times has carried the whole offense on his back. Wilson is still young and learning. Having Lynch there helps him because he doesn't have to force things. It takes the pressure off. Another reason is that they are run first, look at the other weapons besides Lynch that Wilson has. He doesn't have much of consistent WR weapons other than Baldwin. So the Seahawks can't go pass heavy. When they have tried, they have failed more than they had success. Dallas, San Diego, and KC game are ones that stand out to me where they went pass-heavy. They don't have the personnel to do that. Besides the OL is horrible at pass blocking. At least they are better at run blocking, but maybe that has to do with the running ability of Lynch and Wilson too.