Hawks Eye View Week 7: While COVID-19 Caused Abrupt Byes, Seahawks Coasted Through Most Productive One Yet

As a result of COVID-19 outbreaks in New England and Tennessee, Denver and Pittsburgh were forced to take early bye weeks in a season where flexibility has been of the utmost importance. Luckily for the Seahawks, they didn't have to worry about such an inconvenience.

The worst opponent on every NFL schedule is COVID-19, a common enemy that’s helped lead to increased injuries, chemistry issues, and the postponement of games. While it remains a threat to every team, it’s an unequal one that has hurt some teams more than others.

In the span of two months, the coronavirus has infected half of the Titans roster, sidelined two of the best Patriots players, and rescheduled nine bye weeks and seven total weeks of scheduling. The Patriots may have been the hardest hit team so far, losing back-to-back games that they likely would have won otherwise, leaving them third in the AFC East.

A corona-free team and schedule appears to be a major asset in the NFL right now - and it's one that the Seahawks maintained as they coasted into their most productive bye week yet.

Normally, a team's bye week is treated like a much-needed vacation in the midst of a physically brutal season. Players plan trips with their families, journey back to their hometowns, or simply take a break from all the heavy-hitting. Early bye weeks, like Week 4 for the Titans and Steelers, don't offer the same repose as an October or November break. Rescheduled bye weeks, like Week 5 for the Patriots and Broncos, completely shift plans players have made with their families, resulting in frustration and resentment amongst players.

Slated for Week 6, the Seahawks had a mid-October bye following their first 5-0 start in franchise history - not a bad time to take a week to recoup and regroup. Because of coronavirus measures, players stayed in Seattle over the bye instead of traveling elsewhere. Along with being tested daily, they chose to work out and stay on top of their game, a decision that impressed coach Pete Carroll.

"This was probably the most productive bye we've had, because everybody was here," Carroll said on Monday. "Without having a lot of things that they could do on their own time, they spent a lot of time in here working out and taking care of themselves, getting the best treatment possible. So it just seemed more connected than normal."

For the Seahawks, the quarantine measures sans corona plus their phenomenal success created an environment where players were actually excited to spend their off-time on the field.

"I'm telling you, I don't remember going on the practice field after a bye with the guys all fired up like they were today," Carroll said on Monday. "We're just out there, just a regular bonus Monday for us to get back in action to start moving around, and they're all out there standing in line ready for stretching them out, over five minutes early. I don't know what the heck they were all fired up about, but they were jacked and ready to go. So they're kind of chomping at the bit to get back at it… They just were kind of feeding off one another, so it was a really good feeling today."

While Carroll said that the Seahawks didn't "execute as well as needed" in their Week 5 game against the Vikings, Carroll noted that his players are now "healthier and they feel better physically" for Week 7.

Although the Cardinals are a competitive divisional villain, the Seahawks have fared well coming off the bye in years past under Carroll. Since he's been the head coach, the Seahawks have been 7-3 in the week after their bye, a stat that is projected to be 8-3 considering Seattle's DVOA and overall strength compared to the Cardinals.

Despite a perfect start, the Seahawks aren't a perfect team - the secondary is still allowing the most passing yards in the NFL through five games, the pass rush isn't generating many sacks, and the defense may be relying too heavily on the success of turnovers to dominate the game. These are all points our own Corbin Smith made as he contemplated several post-bye questions, which include whether Darrell Taylor will return or whether the Seahawks will make roster additions as they have with Damon "Snacks" Harrison and could with Antonio Brown.

Whatever comes in Week 7 and beyond, the Seahawks seem to have made the most of a bye as injured players healed, new players acclimated, and everyone was jacked up and ready to go. For now, the Seahawks are enjoying an undefeated stretch that's never reached this far into October - and could possibly stretch all the way into November.