Seahawks bolster analytics staff after an awful season

Peter Engler (right), a football research assistant, during a training session on August 3, 2022 in Renton, Wash. [AP]

Of all the moves the Seattle Seahawks made before the start of this season, the acquisition of a pair of analytical 20-somethings flew under the radar.

But they're hoping Peter Engler and Becca Erenbaum will have a huge impact on the organization.

Their job is to make sense of numbers and systems. They run code and develop programs and live in a world of language that if interpreted and translated correctly can be a differentiator between success and failure.

Coming off their worst season in coach Pete Carroll's tenure, the Seahawks aimed to supplement their analytics staff that before this season was on the smaller side compared to other NFL teams.

Enter Erenbaum, 22, and Engler, 24.

They'll be called upon to take various data streams and create a statistical analysis of situations.

They're not the ones calling a 10-yard slant, choosing which player to blitz off the edge or making the call whether to go for it on fourth down or punt. But their work helps determine if those are the correct decisions.

"We have to continue to challenge ourselves to use the information properly and appropriately so that we can make sure that we're getting the most out of it," Carroll said. "And it's not for any kind of lack of data. We have all kinds of stuff."

Erenbaum and Engler joined a team that's been headed by Patrick Ward and Brian Eayrs, who have been with the Seahawks for nearly a decade. Erenbaum will work primarily with football operations and player personnel. Engler will be focused on working with the coaching staff.