The Seattle Seahawks are 8-5, leading the NFC West, and they’re also one of the unluckiest teams in the NFL.

NFL data analyst Tom Bliss has been charting the net win probability added through “luck” plays all season. This includes opposition dropped interceptions (as in, passes thrown by a quarterback that were dropped by the other team), opposition dropped passes, opposition field goals and extra points, and fumble recoveries by either team.

As of Week 14, the Seahawks rank 29th in favorable luck.

This is a flip from last season, when the Seahawks were near the top of the luck charts.

What’s been hurting the Seahawks the most? Turnover luck. Geno Smith has thrown 12 interceptions, but he’s had a few tipped passes go into the arms of defensive players. If you look at the Turnover Worthy Plays on PFF, Geno’s TWP% is just 2.1%, so passes deemed “interceptable” have basically all been picked. Can you count how many dropped would-be interceptions Smith has had this year? It can’t be a high number.

Dropped passes and missed field goals/extra points have favored the Seahawks, but nothing has been more damaging to Seattle than fumble luck. They’ve forced 12 fumbles and only recovered four while losing seven of their own fumbles. Several of the fumbles recovered on offense were wayward Connor Williams snaps or Geno Smith dropping the ball and immediately picking it up.

One of the biggest moments against the Seahawks was Josh Allen’s kicked-forward fumble in Week 8, turning what would’ve been a turnover and another Seattle possession inside Buffalo territory into an eventual Bills touchdown.

Green Bay has only lost four fumbles on the season, although one came against the Detroit Lions last week from Christian Watson. However, the opportunistic Packers defense has recovered 12 fumbles, the second-most in the NFL.

I’m of the belief that ball security is generally not luck. Fumble recoveries are overwhelmingly luck, and the Seahawks have not been able to be on the plus side of recovering their own fumbles or getting their opposition’s.

If that changes in Seattle’s favor over the past few weeks, perhaps that’ll be a key difference between a playoff berth and sitting home after Week 18.

The Seattle Seahawks have activated reserve nickel cornerback Artie Burns off of injured reserve and onto the active roster.

Burns has been out since injuring his toe in Week 6 against the San Francisco 49ers. Even though he was ruled doubtful for Sunday night’s game against the Green Bay Packers, the Seahawks have opted to bring Burns back the same week he was designated for return to practice.

Unfortunately, Burns’ return comes with the likely realization that second-year safety Jerrick Reed II is likely done for the season. Reed was placed on injured reserve with a quad issue that must have come up in last week’s win over the Arizona Cardinals. With a mandatory four-game stint on IR, Reed’s regular season is over at the very least, and given there’s a limit to how many players can return from IR (8 in the regular season, 10 in the playoffs), it’s reasonable to think he won’t be back at all even for the postseason. Seattle only has two more IR-return slots it can use the rest of the regular season.

It’s a second straight season of injury for Reed, who showed promise as a special teams player. He tore his ACL late in his rookie season while covering a punt, and spent training camp and much of the regular season on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list.

Seattle Seahawks players still on Injured Reserve

• S K’Von Wallace (ankle) – Returned to practice in Week 15, hasn’t been activated yet
• DT Cameron Young (knee) – Eligible to return since Week 14, hasn’t been designated to return to practice
• OL Stone Forsythe (hand) – Eligible to return since Week 13, hasn’t been activated yet
• OL George Fant (knee) – Eligible to return since Week 15, hasn’t been designated to return to practice
• OL Anthony Bradford (ankle) – Eligible to return in Week 17
• S Jerrick Reed II (quad) – Out for regular season
• OLB Joshua Onujiogu (undisclosed) – Out for season

• I took a $6.50 ferry to Vashon Island, a scenic spot near Seattle.
• The ferry ride was only 20 minutes long and had beautiful views of the Puget Sound.
• I had a great time on the island and even attended a llama happy hour on one of its farms.

I love exploring the many beautiful islands in Washington state.

Recently, I planned a trip to Vashon Island, one of the largest islands in the Puget Sound, just south of Seattle.

To get there, I booked a 20-minute ferry ride from Seattle on the Washington State Ferry. My ticket was only $6.50 each way.

Here’s what it was like taking the ferry and exploring the island.