110 replies to this topic

[Burt Reynoldz]

Agree on all of this. I love Hawthorne to the point I might have to get his jersey and am glad he has the MLB position full time. I was pointing out the guys that have been underwhelming and need to have a positive impact on the team instead of a negative impact (Trufant probably wasn't a negative impact, but he sure didn't play at Pro-Bowl level).

My worry is that Trufant isn't really a #1 CB anymore, and yet we as fans keep hoping for that Pro Bowl quality play which frankly, just isn't going to happen. I really wanted them to snag another CB through free agency, but alas.

[Burt Reynoldz]

I love Hawthorne to the point I might have to get his jersey

I was on that same boat (though I'm more of a t-shirt-with-the-player-name-and-numbers guy instead of a jersey), but then I found this:

[Old Fart Tree]

I think I'm going to head up to watch the 12/1 game against the Iggles. They might get destroyed, but it'll be a fun weekend; Friday we'll head east to go try to hunt ducks. Anyway, happy to meet up with any Seahawk fan Soshers.

[Burt Reynoldz]

WHO'S READY FOR SOME (sloppy, poorly executed, potentially depressing, preseason) FOOTBALL???!?!?!?!?!

I won't be able to turn on the game until about 8:30, so I expect I'll miss pretty much all the penciled in starters playing. Ah well.

[Freddy Linn]

Okung carted off after limping to the sidelines.

[Groovenstein]

In Okung's Orthopedist We Trust

[Beomoose]

Gotta love the preseason: Sportscenter coverage of the game was all about the Chargers and how well they did, almost forgot to mention Seattle actually won the game.

[Burt Reynoldz]

Okung's fine, he's a goddamned warrior like that other guy. You know who I mean, the one who's all gritty and determined and shit.

And yeah, I loved Sportscenter - kept showing the Chargers, raving about how great they did on special teams, etc., but never, you know, discussed how Seattle won. I thought the O-line looked much improved, I think Tom Cable's influence is already evident, especially in the zone-left blocking play that sprung Clayton for a TD. Josh Portis impressed me, too. Good movement in the pocket, good composure, good athleticism. I hope they keep him around as the #3 QB, because frankly, I'd almost rather see him in there than Whitehurst (who looked competent, to his credit).

And even though it was basically 3rd string against 3rd string at this point, I was impressed with the way Seattle's defense stopped the Chargers inside the red zone with under 2:00 to play.

Regardless, the fact that I was watching NFL football made me happy, so that's something.

[Shelterdog]

Okung's fine, he's a goddamned warrior like that other guy. You know who I mean, the one who's all gritty and determined and shit.

And yeah, I loved Sportscenter - kept showing the Chargers, raving about how great they did on special teams, etc., but never, you know, discussed how Seattle won. I thought the O-line looked much improved, I think Tom Cable's influence is already evident, especially in the zone-left blocking play that sprung Clayton for a TD. Josh Portis impressed me, too. Good movement in the pocket, good composure, good athleticism. I hope they keep him around as the #3 QB, because frankly, I'd almost rather see him in there than Whitehurst (who looked competent, to his credit).

And even though it was basically 3rd string against 3rd string at this point, I was impressed with the way Seattle's defense stopped the Chargers inside the red zone with under 2:00 to play.

Regardless, the fact that I was watching NFL football made me happy, so that's something.

Seahawks question.

I heard PC give an interview not long ago where he went on and on about his philosophy of football; he kept mentioning how he has a philosophy based on competition that he figured out after getting fired by the pats but he never articulated what it was and the interviewer (Eisen) was too busy ingratiating himself to delve into what PC meant.

Can you elaborate on PC's "philosphy of football"? His wiki mentions it as well but doesn't explain it either. Are there any elements other than apparently having open competition for roster spots and bringing in a lot of guys?

[Burt Reynoldz]

Seahawks question.

I heard PC give an interview not long ago where he went on and on about his philosophy of football; he kept mentioning how he has a philosophy based on competition that he figured out after getting fired by the pats but he never articulated what it was and the interviewer (Eisen) was too busy ingratiating himself to delve into what PC meant.

Can you elaborate on PC's "philosphy of football"? His wiki mentions it as well but doesn't explain it either. Are there any elements other than apparently having open competition for roster spots and bringing in a lot of guys?

I don't have a fucking clue what PC is talking about, almost ever. If I had to guess, I think it has to do with what you mentioned - lots of overhaul, lots of competition, lots of younger, more athletic guys. I also think it has to do with taking chances on guys who were once highly touted/drafted but fell off, and giving them a second chance. But yeah, I don't have a clue. It could be that, it could be giving your best performers ice cream and sparkly stickers after a great game, I don't know.

[Burt Reynoldz]

I haven't been paying attention to training camp/preseason at all, lately, but the best thing I'm hearing is how good Thurmond looks. He was drafted last year with a ton of upside, and apparently he's showing what he can do thus far in training camp. Penciled in as the starting right CB, hopefully he can go a ways toward solving the Seahawks' defensive woes.

That's all I have, really. Oh, and apparently Mike Williams is amped at how he did in his first season back, and wants to improve on it so he's been killing himself in training, in the gym, etc.

[DanoooME]

Kelly Jennings traded to Cincinnati, making my day and season. There's nobody I hated for his inept play more than him. Good riddance. I like some of the taller CBs getting PT, might end up with a fair secondary after all.

[DanoooME]

They looked pretty good last night, winning their final preseason game 20-3 at home. Red Bryant was a beast in the middle, let's hope he stays healthy this year. The secondary still worries me, as does the O-line, but they have their moments. I expect a lot of early inconsistency, but things could come together later in the season. Golden Tate's efforts were quite the surprise, color me skeptical until I see that kind of effort a few weeks in a row.

[DanoooME]

Well, from what I saw on NFL Red Zone, which admittedly wasn't a whole lot until the end, the defense played decent and the offense was fucking terrible. Worst of all the special teams, which were one of the biggest strengths of the team, completely collapsed. I'm ready for Josh Portis now; no point in even wasting time on Whitehurst. Although they should probably wait until Gallery gets back and let the line gel together a little bit so Portis doesn't get killed.

[moly99]

Jackson really wasn't that bad. He was terrible in the first quarter, but that was mostly on the O-Line. The linemen couldn't get their act together until the second quarter, and really started to gel in the third quarter. If it hadn't been for the ineptitude on kick returns Jackson might have led the team to victory.

The two biggest concerns I have for their strategy of going young and building around the lines are Carpenter and Brandon Browner (who admittedly didn't cost them much.) Seeing Carpenter get brutally overpowered when he played at LG was worrisome, and Browner drew two pass interference calls IIRC. He hits hard but may not be able to cover fast wideouts.

[DanoooME]

Well, not a surprise, but still a disappointment losing to the Steelers 24-0. Very few positives to even note.

- They didn't turn over the ball, but only had 21:16 time of possession.
- Jackson hit 20 of 29 passes, but only 159 yards.
- They cut the penalties almost in half from 11 to 6.

That's it. They didn't do well against the Steelers on 3rd down (8-15) like they did against the Niners (1-13). They gave up 421 yards, 124 of which was on the ground. Return teams didn't do much either. Offense was a zero literally. 31 yards rushing.

The only other good thing is that the division blows and they still have a shot at the playoffs.

[DanoooME]

Seahawks won their home opener barely over Arizona 13-10 then lost a heartbreaker to Atlanta 30-28. I missed most of both games, seeing some highlights and a little Red Zone coverage.

I finally got to watch a full game this week, a game I felt the Hawks had about a 1 percent chance of winning, flying east, playing at 1 PM and playing the Giants. My thoughts:

1. QB spot still with lots of inconsistency. Jackson had some good moments, but he still mixes in too many dumb plays. He only had 1 pick, but it was a horrible throw. He had too many overthrown passes and almost got Zach Miller killed out there. Whitehurst was decent, but unspectacular. It's not much of a QB controversy. Neither is going to lead this team to overachieve. Doug Baldwin emerged to be a solid receiver to go with Obomanu and Rice. Mike Williams might be relegated to 4th receiver when he returns from his concussion. Don't rush Mike, Dougie's got this.

2. Too many penalties, 10 is way too much. 2 turnovers in the red zone. Just too many mistakes on offense to consistently win.

3. Rushing offense was much improved. The offensive line is starting to come together despite missing Robert Gallery for the next month or so. Carpenter and Moffitt, the rookies on the right side of the line, are proving to be solid run blockers. Carpenter needs a lot of work on his footwork pass blocking, as he got beat badly a few times. Okung continues to tweak his ankles, he needs to get healthy for the team to have more success.

4. The special teams showed signs of turning back around into a top 10 unit. Hauschka and Ryan both had excellent games and the punt return team had solid coverage. The kickoff team was a mixed bag, but Hauschka's leg helps minimize that issue. There were a couple of key penalties that cost them as well.

5. The run defense was solid as usual with Red Bryant in there, only giving up 69 yards and 2.8 per carry and even getting a safety on a rushing attempt from the 5 yard line by Anthony Hargrove. They gave up a lot of passing yards, 395, had 3 picks, and a couple of blown coverages. Trufant didn't play, but Browner is playing better and Thurmond was steady. Aaron Curry continues to miss key tackles and is playing his way out of Seattle for 2012. The 4 man rush is still lacking at times and the team really could use a better pass rushing presence opposite Chris Clemons.

All in all, a satisfying win and there's hope they can still run down the Niners for the division title.

[jsinger121]

AdamSchefter

Source involved in trade says Raiders acquired former Seahawks LB Aaron Curry for an undisclosed pick in 2012 and undisclosed pick in 2013.

[DanoooME]

Looks like it's a 7th in '12 and a conditional 4/5 in '13 per this report.

Good riddance. This guy made Bosworth look competent. The guy couldn't do a single thing in the field no matter how they adjusted the defense for him. Maybe he'll be better in a different system. At least they got something for him since his contract was restructured in a way that would enable them to be rid of him after this season. Biggest bust since Mirer.

[DanoooME]

And since the Giants win, it's been slowly swirling down the drain. A bye week followed the Giants game and they must have celebrated that game too much, because they lost an ugly 6-3 game at Cleveland, lost at home 34-12 to Cincinnati in a game they were still in until late 4th quarter when Cincy got 2 return TDs (punt & interception), and lost last week in Dallas 23-13 that they were badly outplayed in, but somehow kept the score close. I didn't get to see much other than Red Zone coverage for all 3 games. Too bad they don't play Indy, they might have a chance to catch up in "Suck for Luck" at 2-6. They do play the Rams twice and the Cards once (on the road) to try and get back into it.

They desperately need a QB. The O-Line still needs work but at least is promising. The receivers are decent when healthy. The running game is picking up with Lynch. The run D has been excellent. They need help at the WLB spot, as KJ Wright is playing like a rookie. The CB spot needs 2 upgrades. And the kick coverage teams are inexplicably inconsistent, giving up a league leading 3 combined kick/punt returns for TDs. The kicking portion of the special teams has been very good. Ryan is 6th in gross punting avg. (18th in net due to the coverage issues) and Hauschka is 10-12 on FG and 12-12 on XP, with his misses coming from 61 at the end of the Atlanta game and from 41 against Dallas that was blocked.

[DanoooME]

And they do a solid job of blowing a chance at making up ground in the Suck for Luck sweepstakes, beating a strong Baltimore team that clearly had a letdown 22-17. Only got to see Red Zone highlights, but with only 3 late games, they were shown plenty. Key points from what I saw:

1. The penalties continue to be awful with 13 for 100 yards today. This has to stop. Amazingly, they are only 6th in penalty yardage, although 2nd in total penalties. The Raiders have almost 200 penalty yards on TB in 2nd; that same difference would take you to 26th in penalty yardage. Oakland also has a 21 penalty edge on Seattle at #2, the same difference would take you to a tie for 17th.

2. I don't understand what Baltimore was thinking with their game plan. 66 plays and only 12 rushes? I understand the Seahawks have a really good run defense, but it's not like Joe Flacco is Aaron Rodgers and can carry the team. And I understand the Ravens trailed most of the game, but they are a much stronger running team than passing team. Rice had 5 carries; he hasn't had that few since his rookie year. Throw out the 2 end-arounds that went for 16 yards apiece and the Ravens still had 4.3 per carry, why give up on that? Total head scratcher.

3. The Hawks won the turnover battle 3-0 and that was a big key to winning. The team was very careful with the ball.

4. Marshawn Lynch got over 100 yards for the 2nd straight game for the first time in his career. It was good to see, although he only averaged 3.4 per carry and his longest run was just 8 yards. Lynch was also the team's leading receiver so it was good to see him get lots of touches and produce.

5. Jackson was relatively accurate 17-27 for 217 yards, no picks and only 1 sack. The O-line might really be coming together although I didn't get to watch enough to get a sense of it.

6. Pass rush was lacking this game, only one sack (by Malcolm Smith on a beautifully well-times blitz) and it never felt like they got a lot of pressure on Flacco from what I saw. The secondary played well for the most part, despite losing S Kam Chancellor to a concussion on a nasty helmet-to-helmet hit. Browner is still hit and miss and Roy Lewis picked up a couple of bad penalties on the Ravens' last TD drive, but Richard Sherman looked pretty good and having a solid 6'3" DB is a nice matchup advantage to have against tall opposing receivers.

[DanoooME]

Well, no point in celebrating that win too long with rookie RG John Moffitt going down during the game with a season-ending MCL and PCL injury, followed by rookie RT James Carpenter tearing his ACL during drills on Wednesday and he's out for a year most likely. They will be replaced by Paul McQuistan and Breno Giacomini respectively. Yeah, I'm saying who? too.

Looks like the Hawks will be running left a lot more, which is a shame, because both Moffitt and Carpenter were doing well as run blockers. Carpenter in particular has been having issues all season with pass blocking, but he was improving as the season went on and his run blocking was very solid.

[wibi]

McQuistan's 3 false starts yesterday were rough to watch.

[Burt Reynoldz]

I haven't been updating this thread at all this year, partly because I was so busy during the first couple months of the football season that I was barely posting, and lucky to even catch a Seahawks game, and partly because Seattle's aggressive mediocrity wasn't that compelling. I will say that the best part of the season for me so far has been watching Earl Thomas develop as a player - he's quietly turning into one of the standout safeties in the league.

Actually, fuck that - this has been the best part of the season:

[DanoooME]

That was a GREAT move. I laughed my ass off at that one when I saw the highlights. It's still 2nd to the playoff run last year, but it's really good.

They pulled off a ho-hum 24-7 win at St. Louis. They gave up an early TD on the Rams' 2nd drive then shut them down the rest of the way. I saw none of the game except the video highlights on espn.com which were about 30 seconds.

I posted this in the NFC Playoff Picture thread, but it's not inconceivable the Hawks could run the table and get to 10-6. They have 3 winnable home games in a row against Washington, Philly and St. Louis. They go to Chicago to play a Cutler-less Bear team. They come back home against the 49ers, who they played pretty well against in the first matchup until Ginn had those two returns for TDs. Then they end at Arizona. 10-6 could get them in, especially with a 1-3 record vs. AFC North, leaving them with a 9-3 conference record for tiebreakers.

I mean the odds are probably less than the odds of heads coming up 6 times in a row on a coin flip, but in the space of two weeks, I see a chance to go from serious Suck for Luck contenders to a possible (even if it's remotely possible) playoff birth.

Actually at this point, I'd just love it if the Hawks could beat the Eagles so I can rub it in on my Eagle fan relatives...

[Burt Reynoldz]

I posted this in the NFC Playoff Picture thread, but it's not inconceivable the Hawks could run the table and get to 10-6. They have 3 winnable home games in a row against Washington, Philly and St. Louis. They go to Chicago to play a Cutler-less Bear team. They come back home against the 49ers, who they played pretty well against in the first matchup until Ginn had those two returns for TDs. Then they end at Arizona. 10-6 could get them in, especially with a 1-3 record vs. AFC North, leaving them with a 9-3 conference record for tiebreakers.

I mean the odds are probably less than the odds of heads coming up 6 times in a row on a coin flip, but in the space of two weeks, I see a chance to go from serious Suck for Luck contenders to a possible (even if it's remotely possible) playoff birth.

Yeah, I'm trying not to let my imagination get the best of me here. They do have 3 very winnable home games in a row, but this team has shown a knack for blowing games that they shouldn't lose (Atlanta, @ Cleveland). The injuries to Moffitt and Carpenter are troubling, as it leaves the line very thin especially vs. the pass rush. I will say that every game left on the schedule LOOKS winnable - there isn't one that I'd automatically start thinking loss, so that's saying something.

[DanoooME]

And they follow up a nails-on-the-chalkboard loss to Washington despite winning by 10 in the 4th quarter by beating the Eagles 31-14 tonight. A quick breakdown from what I saw (I had to work and listen the first half).

1. No turnovers and 4 takeaways. Big key to the game that Carroll mentioned during the pregame interview. Vince Young helped out with that quite a bit, but they didn't drop any easy picks or anything.

2. Tarvaris had a decent game on the surface, going 13-16 for 190 and a beautiful throw to Golden Tate, who made a fantastic catch for a TD. He took 3 sacks and 2 of them he didn't need to because he's not making quick decisions. Both of them he was out of the pocket and just needed to throw the ball away. His percentage would have suffered, but that's 13 yards unnecessarily lost on sacks.

3. Running game was stellar and the right side of the line played very well, blowing people off the line at times. Not bad for a couple of reserves at those slots. I was particularly impressed with Giacomini, the backup RT.

4. Defense gave up 5.3 YPC, but it is against one of the best RBs in the game, so I guess I shouldn't complain, but the run D seemed to be a little off, especially in the 2nd half. I was very happy with the linebacker play for the most part. There were a couple of plays I thought Hawthorne should have made the tackle, but he got caught up. He hasn't been as much of a ball hawk as I wish he'd be, but he's been solid.

5. Special teams were solid, but unspectacular.

6. Only 5 penalties tonight, hopefully they can keep improving in that area.

Letting that Skins game get away is really going to hurt, particularly if they keep winning.

[Burt Reynoldz]

There are a handful of losses this year that are really going to haunt Seattle: last week vs. Washington, the 3-point loss to Atlanta, the 3-point garbage loss at Cleveland, and the opener against San Francisco, where Seattle managed to pull within two, and then give up two special teams touchdowns in the next 45 seconds. All four of those games were extremely winnable, and if they won even two of them, they'd have a winning record right now and an outside shot at the playoffs. The schedule the rest of the way isn't daunting (STL next week, @ CHI, vs. SF, vs. ARI), and if they were 7-5 right now instead of 5-7, they'd be looking pretty good.

All said, nothing makes me happier than watching Marshawn Lynch rumble. I don't know if what the Seahawks need for next year is to be signing a running back to a large contract, but I'll be personally bummed out if Beast Mode isn't in Seattle next year. His antics are pretty much the most entertaining thing about this team the past two years. His "how the fuck did he make that" TD run from last night was almost as entertaining as his mammoth run vs. the Saints last year.

Glad to see Golden Tate making some plays last night, that was excellent. Browner has gotten better and better all year, and Seattle's safeties are among the most underrated in the league. Chancellor/Thomas is one of the best young safety tandems in the NFC, and I'm looking forward to watching them continue to produce.

[DanoooME]

Yeah, it's disappointing that they could win out from here and still not even sniff the playoffs. To make it now they have to leapfrog 3 of 4 teams from (currently) Atlanta, Detroit, Chicago (all 7-4) and the Giants (6-5). It'll take a monumental collapse from 3 teams and I just don't see it happening. I could see the Giants and Chicago pulling it off, but I can't see a 3rd team doing it.

It was disappointing to read Okung was thrown to the ground by Trent Cole last night (not even mentioned by the announce team) and may have a serious pec injury that would require multiple lost weeks. He's the one guy they can ill afford to lose at this point because with Carpenter and Moffitt already down for the year, that leaves the line really thin. Giacomini will have to move to LT and Allen Barbre (who?) would have to step in at RT.

I'm really excited for next year already. The OL, which was one of the weakest parts of the team at the end of last year, is continually getting better and is really young. Robert Gallery is the only guy over 30 and the only starter (Okung, Unger, Moffitt, Carpenter) over 25. As Burt mentioned, Chancellor and Thomas have really stepped up and played well. Even Leroy Hill has been a nice surprise. The 2011 draft class so far is proving to be one of the best they've ever had.

Their biggest needs at this point:

1. QB - Pretty obvious
2. CB - Browner has been improving, I like Sherman, Thurmond has been hurt and I think Trufant's reign as top Seahawks CB is over with his back injury. I'd love to see them pick up a shutdown corner.
3. Another outside pass rusher to go with Clemons. Raheem Brock is okay, but just that and no one else has really stepped up other than some flashes from Anthony Hargrove.
4. Get Sidney Rice healthy and stay healthy. He's the playmaker the offense really needs. The rest of the WR corps is fine. Doug Baldwin is shining brightly, Golden Tate has shown some flashes and a little more consistency lately, and Obamanu is decent. If Mike Williams could get his head out of his ass, he'd be a big help, particularly in the red zone.
5. Resign key free agents (detailed below)

Free agents after this season:

1. Charlie Whitehurst - Buh-bye, you failed miserably. One of those guys that looks great in practice, but can't translate that to games.
2. Justin Forsett - Hardly utilized this season, and he's probably not coming back, unless it's dirt cheap
3. Marshawn Lynch - A must sign, he's really stepped up and given the offense a dimension it hasn't had since Shaun Alexander's prime
4. John Carlson - I'd like to have him back to see what he can add to the offense, but with Miller, McCoy and Morrah, he's a luxury and his money can be used better elsewhere.
5. Raheem Brock - Probably more useful as a backup, I'm neutral about him
6. Red Bryant - Another must sign, the key to the run defense and a tremendous kick blocker.
7. David Hawthorne - Another must sign. He's a top 10 MLB IMO.
8. Matt McCoy - Backup LB, not a priority.
9. Roy Lewis - Plays in dime packages, he's hit and miss and can probably be replaced easily enough.

[Burt Reynoldz]

Also, the unintentional comedy of Marshawn Lynch is terrific. I don't know that there's another athlete right now that I find as consistently entertaining.

[DanoooME]

And Okung hits the IR ending his season and really straining the line depth. The line is now (left to right) Paul McQuistan, Gallery, Unger, Lemuel Jeanpierre, and Brent Giacomini. I'm hoping the run blocking continues to perform well despite losing 3 starters, as the right side of the line (McQuistan and Giacomini) did well last week. Tarvaris better make some improvements in his decision making, or he's going to get killed out there. And I don't want Josh Portis' future negatively impacted by this patchwork line.

[DanoooME]

Seahawks pull off the win against the lowly Rams 30-13. They overcame a lousy offensive first half to score 20 in the second half to pull away. Some key notes:

1. Tarvaris had another decent game 21-32 for 224 and a TD. No picks again this week and the only fumble was on a botched exchange with Marshawn where FB Michael Robinson got in the way.

2. Marshawn with yet another 100 yard game, another TD late, 5.0 per carry and yet another game where he had a couple of great runs where he looked bottled up and managed to get good yardage in spectacular fashion. Burt Reynoldz is right; he is an absolute joy to watch. Except when he's throwing passes.

3. Doug Baldwin with a big game, 7 catches for 93 yards and a TD as well as a blocked punt that Michael Robinson ran back for a TD. He continues to impress.

4. Penalties continue to pile up - 9 more for 61 yards, including 2 PIs in the end zone. A major sticking point.

5. Defense gave up 281 yards to a clearly not 100% Sam Bradford and the rest of the Rams offense. They gave up 3.7 YPC on the ground, which is above their season average. Special teams had a good game overall. Coverage was good sometimes, not so good on a couple of returns. The kickoff returns were good. Hauschka had probably his worst miss of the year from 38 yards, but did make his other 3 FGAs.

Next game at Chicago, still without Jay Cutler and Matt Forte and hopefully still shellshocked from losing to the Tebow Broncos.

[Burt Reynoldz]

2. Marshawn with yet another 100 yard game, another TD late, 5.0 per carry and yet another game where he had a couple of great runs where he looked bottled up and managed to get good yardage in spectacular fashion. Burt Reynoldz is right; he is an absolute joy to watch. Except when he's throwing passes.

The first pass I could understand - it was a trick play, the Rams weren't ready for it, and the throw was just a bit off. Kept the defense guessing, I suppose. But trying it again?

[DanoooME]

Trounced the fading Bears 38-14. Only saw Red Zone highlights and there weren't many of those. They were down 14-7 at half and pounded them in the second half with 31 unanswered points.

1. The running game was shut down completely with 60 yards at 1.8 per carry. Lynch did come up with 2 TDs, but ended up with 20 carries for 42 yards.

2. Tarvaris continues his streak of good games going 19-31 for 227 yards and a TD and no picks again. He did to have his weekly fumble, this time on a dropback where he didn't get rid of the ball fast enough and got sacked. The good news was that was the only sack of the game (by Peppers) and the makeshift OL held up pretty well against the Bears pass rush.

3. Defense got 4 picks and a fumble, including 2 pick-6s with one by Red Bryant on a deflected pass attempt from Caleb Hanie by a blitzing KJ Wright. They held the Bears offense to 221 total yards although with their 2 best offensive players out and losing another key player (Knox) in the first quarter on a very ugly hit, I would have expected that. It probably would have been completely different with Cutler in there. They gave up 4.3 per carry to their backup running game, which is a little worrisome.

4. Penalties down to 6 for 36 yards. That's better, but still not anywhere near where they need to be.

5. They got out of the game relatively healthy, although they lost WR Mike Willams for the rest of the season with a broken ankle. I don't think they'll miss him much, Golden Tate has stepped up and played very well lately.

The playoff picture is looking bleak. With 2 games to go (home vs SF, @ Ariz), they are 2 games behind Atlanta and Detroit for the wild card spots. They lose a tiebreaker with Atlanta (since they lost HTH - and Det also lost to Atl so they lose a 3 team tiebreaker there as well), so that leaves Detroit losing their last two (vs. SD, @ GB) as their only chance to get in. They would beat virtually every other team in HTH tiebreakers (they beat the Giants and Bears, they'd eliminate Arizona by beating them, and beat Det based on conference record).

So the Redskins and Browns losses are really coming back to bite them and also fuck the Raiders, blowing a 2 TD lead in the 4th quarter, which would have made this more realistic.

Edited by DanoooME, 19 December 2011 - 10:17 AM.

[Burt Reynoldz]

It's absolutely infuriating to me that, in all likelihood, Seattle is going to finish with a better record than last year and miss the playoffs. Losing to Atlanta, Washington, and @ Cleveland by a combined 12 points stings right now - if even one of those games had gone in Seattle's favor, they'd be in pretty solid contention for a playoff bid. Now, after Detroit pulling that Oakland win out of their ass, they need one of Atlanta or Detroit to lose their final two games, which I don't see happening. Edit: I take that back. San Diego is playing great football right now, I could absolutely see them beating Detroit, and I think after losing to KC this week Green Bay will look to destroy all comers from here on out. It's entirely plausible that DET loses their last two.

At the very least, this strong second-half of the season gives me a lot of hope for 2012. The defense has been terrific, highlighted by the emergence of Thomas and Chancellor as pro-bowl caliber safeties, a resurgent defensive line (Chris Clemons has been excellent), a very strong lineback corps (they traded or released two starters in Tatupu and Curry and haven't missed a beat), and the excellent play of some young rookies. In particular, Wright has gotten better every game at LB, and Brandon Browner should be in talks for the pro bowl. Seriously - 6 INTs (tied for 4th in the NFL), 220 return yards (first in the NFL), and he's #1 in passes defensed. With Trufant going down, followed by Thurmond, I figured Seattle would implode on pass defense, but Browner and Sherman have both been excellent. This bodes really well for the team going forward, as the secondary was a problem coming in to 2011.

Regardless of what happens the rest of the way, I'm enjoying watching Seattle respond to adversity this year - the number of injuries they've suffered has been astounding. Hoping that another strong offseason from Carroll & Schneider will pay dividends, and that this team is poised to compete for years to come.

Oh, and I couldn't be more pissed that the rematch with SF is on Christmas Eve at 4:15. There's no way I'll be able to watch that will all the family parties and things going on.

Edited by Burt Reynoldz, 19 December 2011 - 10:30 AM.

[Tony C]

So...what's the take moving forward? Close losses or not, like last year they're a competitive team, but far from a top notch team. Is it a matter of getting the OL healthy next year and adding some good receivers next year? In other words, is there faith in T Jack, now? Or does the hunt to get to the next level begin with a better QB?

[Burt Reynoldz]

So...what's the take moving forward? Close losses or not, like last year they're a competitive team, but far from a top notch team. Is it a matter of getting the OL healthy next year and adding some good receivers next year? In other words, is there faith in T Jack, now? Or does the hunt to get to the next level begin with a better QB?

A QB is a priority, for sure. I don't think Jackson will ever be an elite QB, but I think he's starting to show that he can be an efficient game manager. With a solid o-line, a decent running game and some talent at receiver, they can win with him. They still need some extra help on the defensive line, and some more depth at CB won't hurt (Trufant is far from a star CB at this point, even when healthy). I have no idea how this draft will shake out, but it seems like there will be a handful of talented QBs available, so I'd assume they'll look to grab one in the first round.

[DanoooME]

So...what's the take moving forward? Close losses or not, like last year they're a competitive team, but far from a top notch team. Is it a matter of getting the OL healthy next year and adding some good receivers next year? In other words, is there faith in T Jack, now? Or does the hunt to get to the next level begin with a better QB?

Actually, I don't think the receiving corps is really that bad (Rice, Baldwin, Tate, Obomanu, Williams). Rice needs to get healthy. Tate has improved dramatically through the season. Baldwin came out of nowhere to be solid. Obomanu is okay. Williams had a shit year, but he's had some injuries too. Nobody is that great except maybe Rice when healthy, but nobody really sucks either.

The OL needs to get healthy. Okung is a stud, and Moffit/Carpenter on the right side were really improving as pass blockers and were both already good run blockers. The good thing is that some of the other pieces have proven to be good and flexible (McQuistan - who's really miscast as a LT out of necessity, and Giacomini). I like this part of the team for the future.

Jackson has played better recently but I think he still can be improved upon. I'd like to see them trade up and get Griffin, but it probably won't happen. This is one of the obvious places for improvement. If they can draft a top QB this year they still have Jackson for another year to give the new guy some time to develop. Whitehurst will be out of there, he turned out to be a complete waste of money and a draft pick. Josh Portis has a lot of talent, but is still really raw according to Carroll, so he's still a couple of years away from knowing if he's a viable option or not.

The other top needs I noted a few weeks ago, but they include a shutdown CB (I'm liking Browner and Sherman more and more, but I'd like to see someone step up and become a Revis-type player or go out and get one from FA, since Trufant is no longer that guy anymore), a pass rushing end to go with Clemons, and resign their key FAs (Lynch, Hawthorne, Bryant). They really need elite talent to put them over the top, since they don't really have any awful weaknesses that you could point to and say that it's really bad and we need to improve, even QB lately. But they don't have a lot of big strengths either (Special Teams and the young Safety tandem come to mind immediately).

Getting everyone healthy is going to be a key, signing those FAs, and adding 1 or 2 top level talents would make me happy and I think very competitive.

[wibi]

So...what's the take moving forward? Close losses or not, like last year they're a competitive team, but far from a top notch team. Is it a matter of getting the OL healthy next year and adding some good receivers next year? In other words, is there faith in T Jack, now? Or does the hunt to get to the next level begin with a better QB?

This team isnt winning because the offense (outside of Lynch) is moving the ball. QB has to still being their top priority and early in the season I hoped they would compete heavily in the suck for Luck. I'm hoping Landry Jones (OU) falls to them but realistically I expect them to take Tannenhill (ARK) or Cousins (Mich St) before focusing on getting the pass rush beefed up.

I believe a full off-season will allow the OL to get and stay healthy plus get the WR corp back to where it should be given the talent.

[Tony C]

fwiw i just saw a mock draft that had them getting Jones.

[Royal Reader]

I'm hoping Landry Jones (OU) falls to them but realistically I expect them to take Tannenhill (ARK) or Cousins (Mich St) before focusing on getting the pass rush beefed up.

Tannehill is actually out of A&M. Arkansas' Tyler Wilson is, as far as I can tell, returning for his senior season. Seems like a fairly smart way to build a team, actually. Make it solid all over, but install a JAG at QB so that you don't end up picking too low, then get the QB you want to put you over the top.

[Burt Reynoldz]

Tannehill is actually out of A&M. Arkansas' Tyler Wilson is, as far as I can tell, returning for his senior season. Seems like a fairly smart way to build a team, actually. Make it solid all over, but install a JAG at QB so that you don't end up picking too low, then get the QB you want to put you over the top.

In my opinion, unless an absolute superstar lands in your lap (a la Luck), it makes no sense to draft a top-tier QB if you don't have pieces in place to help him succeed. A prime example of this is Bradford in St. Louis - his talent is undeniable, but the team is such a mess that he's been forced to do too much too soon, and he gets broken in half every other game because his OL is terrible.

[Kenny F'ing Powers]

It's absolutely infuriating to me that, in all likelihood, Seattle is going to finish with a better record than last year and miss the playoffs.

I know it's not the point of your post, but...really?

That team backed into the playoffs last year with 7 wins. Don't be mad that they won more games this year and are missing the playoffs. Just be happy that 7 wins got them in last year. Not to do the whole "Patriot's rock!" thing, but the Patriots missed the playoffs in 2008 with 11 wins.

Again, I know it's not the point of your post, and I know you're just venting... I'd rather see a new playoff format then see a 7 win team make the playoffs again.

Edited by Kenny F'ing Powers, 20 December 2011 - 11:07 AM.

[Super Nomario]

In my opinion, unless an absolute superstar lands in your lap (a la Luck), it makes no sense to draft a top-tier QB if you don't have pieces in place to help him succeed. A prime example of this is Bradford in St. Louis - his talent is undeniable, but the team is such a mess that he's been forced to do too much too soon, and he gets broken in half every other game because his OL is terrible.

Kellen Clemens just went 25 of 36 for 229 yards and no picks against a pretty good Cincy team. That would probably rate as Bradford's best game of the season. There's a pretty good chance that Bradford is just bad.

I think if a guy looks like a top-tier QB a team should draft him; it's just too hard to fill that position in the NFL. You raise some fair points about whether teams that lack the supporting cast to be successful should play those guys day 1; it might make sense to sit them behind a veteran stopgap. Then again, Cam Newton and Andy Dalton have worked out pretty well despite playing in situations that looked pretty shaky going into the season.

[Burt Reynoldz]

Well, the dream is dead...but at least Lynch punched one in against SF. Ah well. Here's looking forward to another productive offseason.

[fawstahcu]

Well, the dream is dead...but at least Lynch punched one in against SF. Ah well. Here's looking forward to another productive offseason.

At least you still have Erin Hawksworth for Seahawks pre and post game.

[DanoooME]

Now I'm hoping for a loss this week vs. Arizona and hoping for wins by Chicago, Philly, Carolina, San Diego, Buffalo and KC to try and improve the draft position as much as possible (not sure how the ties would break at 7-9). This team's had plenty of mediocre seasons, so getting to 8-8 really isn't a big deal. Let's see the Hawks have another really good draft, upgrade a couple of positions and make a big playoff run next year.

[DanoooME]

Seahawks lose the finale in OT to Arizona 23-20. They finish 7-9 and look to have the 11th or 12th pick in the draft depending on a coin flip since from what I've read on Field Gulls they are tied in all the tiebreakers with Kansas City for the 11 slot. The 'Hawks have some definite needs for the offseason:

1. Quarterback - Jackson has played better down the stretch, but he's still a below average QB. This is the biggest positional upgrade. I'm saying Whitehurst is gone since his contract is up, so that leaves a spot for a backup that likely Jackson could fill (has one more year on his deal).

2. Pass-rushing DE - The interior D-line had a good year, mostly against the run, and Chris Clemons had a really good year, but the pass rush was lacking most of the time. Another big rusher will help the entire situation.

3. RB if Lynch does leave - Lynch is hugely popular in Seattle now and it would be hard to see him go, so I think he gets whatever he asks for within reason. If he doesn't return, that's a big hole to fill as well, since Leon Washington is the key return man and Justin Forsett had a serious off year as a third down back.

3a. Sign their other key FAs (Hawthorne, Bryant, maybe Brock)

There are another couple of areas that probably need upgrading (SLB, CB, DL depth) but I don't see them as major issues (particularly CB as Browner and Sherman greatly improved during the season and Thurmond should return) and can be filled later in the draft.

[Burt Reynoldz]

Is it wrong that I didn't care whether they beat the Cardinals or not? After losing to the 49ers and eliminating all chances of the playoffs, I'd rather they finished 7-9 with the 11th pick than 8-8 with the 16th (or whatever). I feel like a fraud.

[wibi]

Is it wrong that I didn't care whether they beat the Cardinals or not? After losing to the 49ers and eliminating all chances of the playoffs, I'd rather they finished 7-9 with the 11th pick than 8-8 with the 16th (or whatever). I feel like a fraud.

I dont think thats wrong given how much more talent this team needs. I'm actually a little torqued that they played above their heads in games they should have lost because this was squarely a rebuilding year.