When a sports franchise finds itself in the position of being back-to-back NFC champs, it takes a physical and mental toll on everyone involved to stay in shape and meet expectations.

That’s the situation the Seahawks faced this year, they also are dealing with the  infamous play from last year’s Super Bowl.

They were expected to hit on all cylinders, at all times and not allowed to slip up. The expectations are warranted given the success. With the Seahawks at 6-5, the team has to ask themselves if they want to continue their dominance.

The Seahawks started their end-of-the-year run by dominating the 49ers. Yes, they are a dysfunctional franchise, but they had to beat the 49ers the way they did. A fact that is more true than ever before given the parity in the NFL this year, especially in the NFC.

Let’s be real, if the Seahawks don’t win another ring with this core, they will still be known as a extremely talented team with a beast, a five-foot-whatever quarterback and a dominant defense.

However, the franchise made the worst play call in Super Bowl history and no 12 wants that to be the legacy of this core group of Seahawks.

The blueprint for the Seahawks doesn’t need to change, they do however need to execute more efficiently and find that signature fourth-quarter finish that we were accustomed to.

The defense needs to create more turnovers. Sure, Bobby Wagner scored a TD against the Cardinals to give the Seahawks the lead at the time, but besides that, when was the last time the Legion of Boom and others created a game changing turnover?

When it comes to the offense, there is no question that number three needs to get the ball out faster. He needs to quit holding on to the ball and allowing sacks, ultimately making the fans put blame on the offensive line. Yes, the offensive line has been awful at times, but it’s not always their fault. With that said, the Seahawks scramble drill is, without a doubt, a weapon and freaks defenses out.

The offense’s weapons are not the issue. That side of the ball has plenty of playmakers, especially with the continued emergence of Thomas Rawls and fellow rookie Tyler Lockett.

Rawls has been fantastic in the absence of Marshawn Lynch. If this is the end of the beast mode era, he will without a doubt be forever loved in this town and be a Ring of Honor inductee down the road. Let’s all remember, the Seahawks’ run-game all started with the acquisition of Lynch. Rawls is the offspring of beast mode and the next starting running back once Lynch and the Seahawks part ways.

With all the adversity our team has faced this year, they are still in the hunt. The question, until the regular season comes to a close, is how bad do they want to continue this run?