Heading into the halfway mark for this season, the Seattle Seahawks are undefeated at home with a 3-0 record. Unfortunately, they have not fared as well on the road, going 1-3 outside of CenturyLink Field.

Rookie quarterback Russell Wilson has been given most of the blame for the discrepancy in play. It’s hard to say that he doesn’t deserve it when you look at his stats. Wilson has thrown six touchdowns and no interceptions at home, but on the road he has only two touchdowns and seven interceptions. At home Wilson has led the Seahawks on two last-minute fourth quarter comebacks, but in away games the offense consistently stalls in the second half.

Wilson addressed these issues in the team’s weekly press conference. He stated, “We’ve lost some very, very close games on the road, so we just need to finish those games, that’s what it really comes down to. Just focus on executing and finishing, especially in the second halves and third quarters, and fourth quarters. We’ve got to just make plays when we need them.”

Wilson is right. Poor execution in the second half of these road games has been a big problem. The blame cannot be placed solely on Wilson’s shoulders, as it often is at the quarterback position. He is a rookie, and he needs help. Just looking at last week’s loss you can see that there were many components of the offense that needed improvement. The receivers were dropping passes, the offensive line got frustrated late in the game and committed costly penalties, and the coaching staff didn’t make adjustments.

The Seahawks head to Detroit for another road game this week with a good chance to turn things around. The Lions are 2-4 and coming off a sloppy loss to the Bears where they turned the ball over three times in the red zone. Matthew Stafford is struggling this season, throwing only five touchdowns and six interceptions, and Detroit’s top wide receiver Calvin Johnson has been held to one touchdown.

While Detroit’s offense has the potential to turn things around, it won’t happen on Seattle’s watch. The Seahawks’ defense has the size to cover Calvin Johnson, the speed to pressure Stafford and the run stuffing ability to shut down Leshoure. The Seahawks defense will be able to pressure the Lions into turnovers, but it’s up to the Seahawks’ offense to turn those into points.

If they can do as Wilson said and execute all four quarters consistently, they should be able to walk away with a road win.

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Written by Maura

I grew up in a military family, so we moved around a lot. It makes it hard to really say where I’m from. But there was never any question as to what sports teams I would be a fan of. My father was born and raised in Boston and is a sports fanatic. I remember growing up watching the Celtics, Bruins, Patriots, and Red Sox with him all the time. I really developed a love for sports, especially football! Now, I live in Seattle, where I am finishing up a communications degree. I am pursuing a career in sports broadcasting. I have been lucky enough to do a couple of amazing internships in Colorado where I got to interview the Air Force Football team, attend Bronco games and press conferences, and co-host a weekly Monday Night Football pre-game radio show. Currently, I am interning for a Seattle sports radio station. I have really grown to love the football fan culture here. They know their stuff, and support the Seahawks no matter what! While, I will always be a Patriots fan, I am rooting for the Seahawks. I think they are turning a corner, after many disappointing seasons, and I am excited and eager to follow them.