The Seahawks season came to an end in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, and while the team hoped to extend its season a bit longer, there was still a lot to be proud of in a season that saw the Seahawks win six of seven to close out the year, securing a Wild Card berth after a 4-5 start to the season.

"The season was a season of growth, progress and proving and coming to grips with who we are and what we can do, in a great fashion," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said in his end-of-season press conference. "It was a marvelous season of work with our guys. It was so much fun to see these guys grow and to see them see the future and go for it and not take a step back at any time as far as how they went about it and took to the challenges. We come out of here with a great feeling about our future. Our guys are excited about it… I love this team, I love where we're going."

With the season over, it's time to look back at the players, plays and trends that stood out from the 2018 season.

Offensive MVP: Quarterback Russell Wilson

While the Seahawks' ability to get the running game on track played a big role in their offensive success in 2018, no one player meant more to the offense than Wilson, who had arguably the best season of his seven-year NFL career.

Wilson, who last week was named to the NFC Pro Bowl roster as an injury replacement, broke his own franchise record for passing touchdowns in a season with 35 while matching his career-low in interceptions with seven, allowing him to establish a new career-high in passer rating (110.9), also a franchise-best mark.

Wilson also became the Seahawks' all-time leader in touchdown passes with 196, moving past Dave Krieg, who had 195 as a Seahawk. Yet for all Wilson did statistically, he meant more to the team than just touchdown passes or yards; his leadership and positive mindset were also big for a young team that had to overcome some early-season struggles to make the playoffs.

"One of the things that is admirable about him is that he's always positive," receiver Doug Baldwin said. "He always has a positive mindset. It doesn't matter what situation we're in, he's always talking about belief and thinking that no matter how negative the situation may appear, we have an opportunity to come out of it unscathed. It's infectious for our team, and I think as the face of this franchise and the leader of our team, you've got to have that in order to be successful in any given situation. That, to me, is probably the greatest thing that stands out about Russ.

"It's a calming thing, for one. I think a lot of guys, especially young guys in this league, they can get overwhelmed by the moment, and Russ comes in and he's no different in the first play to the fourth-and-goal play that we have to get it done. He's no different and I think that's a pillar for guys to look to in those crucial moments for a stabilizing, calming presence. I think that's probably the greatest attribute in the huddle when we're in those moments."

Of course, plenty of other Seahawks made big contributions on offense that merit a mention here, from running back Chris Carson, who rushed for 1,151 yards and nine touchdowns, becoming Seattle's first 1,000-yard rusher since Marshawn Lynch in 2014; to Tyler Lockett, who had a career-year, catching 57 passes for 965 yards and 10 touchdowns, with Wilson posting a perfect passer rating while targeting him in 2018; to a much-improved offensive line, led by veterans like Duane Brown, Justin Britt and offseason acquisitions D.J. Fluker and J.R. Sweezy.

Defensive MVP: Linebacker Bobby Wagner

For all Bobby Wagner has accomplished in his Seahawks career, it's hard to imagine him getting any better seven years into his career, yet he might have done exactly that on his way to earning first-team All-Pro honors for the fourth time in the last five seasons.

"He's done it again in the same fashion, but just a little bit better," Carroll said late in the season. "He just seems like he's a little bit better. He's made more big plays, more significant plays that have affected the game than ever. The thing I love about looking at great players is do they show that ability to do it year after year after year. I think that's what greatness is all about. Bobby's put together a resume of really Hall of Fame stuff. This is the kind of guy that gets there some day. To add on to that, the leadership that he's brought and the direction and focus that he's brought on a regular basis—really, he's been a perfect Seahawk throughout the whole time he's been here. We're just very lucky to have him."

Wagner, who has recorded at least 100 tackles in each of his seven NFL seasons, had 138 in 2018, as well as a career-high 11 passes defensed. He also had the first interception return for a touchdown of his career, returning a pick 98 yards in a Week 13 win over the 49ers.

The Seahawks had a number of other defensive standouts in addition to Wagner, most notably Frank Clark, who led the team with 13.0 sacks, Jarran Reed, who had a breakout year with 10.5 sacks, a huge number for an interior linemen, and Bradley McDougald, who provided leadership and playmaking ability for a young secondary, recording 78 tackles, three interceptions, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and nine passes defensed.

Special Teams MVP: Punter Michael Dickson

Trading up to select a punter in the fifth-round of the draft seemed like a bold move at the time, but it also proved to be a smart one, with Dickson quickly becoming one of the NFL's best punters as a rookie. A native of Sydney, Australia, Dickson didn't begin punting an American football until 2015, but he was still able to establish himself as an NFL prospect in just three seasons at the University of Texas.

Dickson finished the season averaging 48.2 yards per punt and had a net average of 42.5, both of which established new franchise records, helping him earn first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors as a rookie.

"I couldn't have imagined that he could be so consistent throughout the season in his rookie year," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said last month after Dickson was named to the Pro Bowl roster. "… I just couldn't have imagined he could be that consistently good. We're thrilled about the pick and thrilled about having that guy on our team. He's got a great attitude about it, he's handled everything well. Really proud of him."

Of the non-specialists, Barkevious Mingo was regularly the top-graded special teamer, and finished tied with Justin Coleman for the team lead with 12 special-teams tackles. Mingo also forced a fumble and had one fumble recovery on special teams.

Best Rookie: Cornerback Tre Flowers

It wouldn't be a stretch to go with Dickson again here, but instead we'll give the slight edge to Flowers given that his position required him to be on the field every snap on defense while playing a very challenging position.

Flowers finished the season with seven passes defensed—two of which led to interceptions by teammates—three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery, and recorded 67 tackles, which ranked third on the team. Flowers' rookie season would have been impressive without any context, but when you factor in that he was a fifth-round pick who played safety in college, his future looks even brighter.

"Tre had a fantastic season," Carroll said. "…The sky is the limit for him really. He's got all of the attributes that you're looking for. He's a real heady player too and he's going to learn and he's going to grow. That savvy that he gains—he's one of those guys that the day he steps back with us in April, he's going to be a whole new football player because of what he's been through. You can't clear away from that first experience until you get away from it and then you look back and all of the stuff, all of the lessons—he should be a tremendously improved player, which is really bright because he played a good football season for us anyway."