NFL: near the end of a long union in Seattle?

Even with the return of Russell Wilson, the Seahawks’ season is not going anywhere. The time may have come for the quarterback and his team to put an end to the productive union that has linked them since 2012.

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During the offseason, rumors of a Wilson trade circulated, but never materialized. The disappointing season the Seahawks are having could activate the process for real this winter.

The point is, the Seahawks, at 3-7, are second to last in the national conference, just ahead of the wretched Lions. Nothing to boast about!

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Some would say that the Seahawks’ setbacks can be attributed to Wilson’s finger injury, which caused him to miss three games and has visibly bothered him since his return. That’s partly true, but even before this incident the Seahawks weren’t flying very high. In five of Wilson’s last six starts, the offense hasn’t scored more than 20 points.

Start fresh

Let it be clear, clean and limpid: Russell Wilson is not finished! At 32, he still has many good years of football ahead of him. Now, maybe for him and the Seahawks, it’s time to look in opposite directions.

The Seahawks’ defense has been living on its past reputation for a few years now, without living up to it. On offense, over the years Wilson has been repeatedly punched behind an all too often porous offensive line.

Even with the arrival of Coordinator Shane Waldron, the offensive identity remains unclear. The Seahawks want to remain a physical team that runs with the ball, but the durability of their carriers since the end of the Marshawn Lynch era has been strained.

There are a lot of gaps in this roster and trading Wilson when his value is still important could allow the team to start on new ground, in addition to giving their quarterback the last 10. years an opportunity to succeed within a team close to the ultimate goal.

Which destinations?

Last winter, Wilson expressed his dissatisfaction with certain directions of the organization. This is not an irreparable conflict, in all likelihood. Except it’s becoming increasingly clear that the Seahawks aren’t about to become serious contenders again. Wilson’s desire to look elsewhere risks burning for real.

Very well-off clubs, but whose quarterback position leaves something to be desired, are likely to emerge.

The Saints, if they can improve their receiving line, would become an interesting destination with a solid offensive line, good running play and established defense.

The Browns are still attached to Baker Mayfield next year, but if they feel that a Wilson-style pivot is the missing ingredient in their very well-built roster, they could pull the trigger.

In the same division, the Steelers would be a logical choice, too, even if mega-deals like this are not in their DNA. The Broncos and Raiders are also teams that could be interested.

Perhaps, despite everything, Wilson will remain in Seattle quietly. He will then have to accept that this team has to go through a slump.

OUR WEEK 12 PREDICTIONS

MY CHOICES

• Chicago to Detroit BEARS
• Las Vegas to Dallas COWBOYS
• Buffalo in New Orleans BILLS

MY CHOICES

• Tampa Bay to Indianapolis (1 p.m.) BUCCANEERS
• NY Jets in Houston (1 p.m.) JETS
• Philadelphia to NY Giants (1 p.m.) EAGLES
• Caroline in Miami (1 p.m.) PANTHERS
• Tennessee in New England (1 p.m.) PATRIOTS
• Pittsburgh to Cincinnati (1 p.m.) BENGALS
• Atlanta to Jacksonville (1 p.m.) FALCONS
• LA Chargers in Denver (4:05 PM) CHARGERS
• LA Rams at Green Bay (4:25 p.m.) PACKERS
• Minnesota to San Francisco (4:25 PM) VIKINGS
• Cleveland to Baltimore (8:20 p.m.) RAVENS

MY CHOICE

• Seattle to Washington (8:15 p.m.) SEAHAWKS

Teams on leave: Chiefs, Cardinals

LAST WEEK’S RESULTS: 10 out of 15 (66.7%)

TOTAL THIS SEASON: 101 in 165 (61.2%)

THE CHOICES OF NEWSPAPER

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-3) v. Indianapolis Colts (6-5)

TAYLOR AGAINST A WALL

On the one hand, Colts running back Jonathan Taylor, who is burning the league. On the other hand, the best defense against the race on the circuit. It promises! The Bucs have given just 784 rushing yards this season. That’s tiny, considering that no other team gave less than 880. It’s hard to see who will win this match, knowing that Taylor has just roughed up the Bills’ defense, which was third against the run. The return of tackle Vita Vea will help Tampa.

New York Jets (2-8) c. Houston Texans (2-8)

ZACH WILSON BACK

Since Joe Flacco and Mike White find themselves on the COVID roster, the Jets are bringing rookie quarterback Zach Wilson back into the fray. Let’s just hope his knee injury will be 100% healed. It’s hard to believe the Jets would play with fire as to who they see as the face of their franchise’s future. Texans are 27^e against the pass and Wilson must show some progress. These two teams, as pitiful as they were, defeated the mighty Titans …

Philadelphia Eagles (5-6) vs. New York Giants (3-7)

NEW ATTACK?

The Giants showed offensive coordinator Jason Garrett the exit. Freddie Kitchens will replace him. Before his deplorable outfit as head coach of the Browns, he had nonetheless revived the team’s offense. However, we should not expect a miracle from an offensive line which is being dominated. The Eagles will continue to run, the ones who have put together one of the most productive ground attacks in the league in recent weeks.

Carolina Panthers (5-6) c. Miami Dolphins (4-7)

UP

The Dolphins are doing better with three straight wins, but those results can be misleading. Their efforts against the Ravens were convincing, but far less so than those they provided against the Texans and Jets. The Panthers apply pressure on opposing quarterbacks in 28.8% of passing plays, the second-best rate in the league. It doesn’t bode well for the Dolphins’ offensive line and in this context, Tua Tagovailoa is unlikely to be in top form.

Tennessee Titans (8-3) vs. New England Patriots (7-4)

OLD FRIENDS

Few coaches know each other as well as Bill Belichick and Mike Vrabel, his former linebacker with the Patriots. In two clashes, Vrabel had the upper hand over his prolific mentor and in those two wins his Titans limited the Patriots to 11.5 points on average. Except this time, Vrabel will not be able to bet on Derrick Henry. Without him, the air attack is raging and Ryan Tannehill has nine interceptions in six games.

Pittsburgh Steelers (5-4-1) vs. Cincinnati Bengals (6-4)

CHANGE OF DIRECTION

The Bengals show a poor 2-8 record in their last 10 home games against the Steelers, but if they won it in Pittsburgh two months ago, there’s no reason to collapse at the House. The Steelers will reconnect with TJ Watt on defense, while Joe Haden and Minkah Fitzpatrick could also return. Expect to see Joe Mixon more often than Joe Burrow, as the Steelers are conceding 127 rushing yards per game.

Atlanta Falcons (4-6) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-8)

TWO MISERABLE CLUBS

We have to go back to Halloween for the last touchdown pass from Trevor Lawrence, blanked from this statistical column in his last three games. If lethargy continues against the porous Falcons, it will be necessary to notify the police for disappearance. The young quarterback is not helped by an offensive system that uses very little of the concepts with which he has enjoyed success on the college scene. The Falcons have totaled three points in their last two games. There is something else to follow …

Los Angeles Chargers (6-4) v. Denver Broncos (5-5)

THE KILLER’S INSTINCT

For the Chargers, now is the time to attack with killer instinct. A win over the Broncos would pretty much separate the two division rivals for good. Be careful though: in their last four games, the Broncos have only given 201.5 passing yards on average. Justin Herbert and his receivers pose a huge challenge, however. The fight against the tertiary, with impact players like cornerback Patrick Surtain II and marauder Justin Simmons, will be captivating.

Los Angeles Rams (7-3) v. Green Bay Packers (8-3)

DUEL AT THE TOP

Quite a shock between the powers of the national conference! The Rams have let their last two games slip away, but come back rested from a week off. Meanwhile, Aaron Rodgers battles with a toe injury, which he himself describes as “very painful.” The Rams excel at applying pressure (29 sacks) and the Packers’ offensive line is banged up. With their roster healthy, the Packers would win. Not this time.

Minnesota Vikings (5-5) c. San Francisco 49ers (5-5)

MAJOR ISSUE

These two opponents are struggling to remain in the playoff portrait and have played some good football in recent weeks. The Vikings’ air attack has rarely been as productive as it has been in the last two games. It will be necessary to contain the impetus of defensive end Nick Bosa, still dominant with five sacks in his last four games. If there’s one aspect where the Vikings have improved, it’s the offensive line, which only conceded 14 sacks. The receivers of the Mauves will make noise.

Cleveland Browns (6-5) vs. Baltimore Ravens (7-3)

COSTAUDS RAVENS

Will the Browns have finally found the recipe to curb the Ravens? In their last three encounters, the Ravens have won with an average of 38.7 points. The Browns’ defense is playing better this season, but it’s spending too much time on the court, with an anemic offense that has scored over 17 points just once in its last six games. It would take less time to name the parts of the body where Baker Mayfield is not injured than to name all his ailments.

Seattle Seahawks (3-7) vs. Washington team (4-6)

WILSON MUST BOUNCE

Since his long-awaited return to the game, Russell Wilson has amassed just 184 yards per game. He only made 51.5% of his passes and didn’t throw any touchdown passes. It is imperative that he play better against Washington’s defense, which is 28^e against the pass and no longer has the players to harass the quarterback. A big challenge awaits Benjamin St-Juste and the Washington tertiary against the prolific receivers of the Seahawks … if Wilson manages to join them.

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