Just a few notes here this weekend — plus a thought on the Rams game. Feel free to use this as an open thread for tonight.
— This was a fairly underwhelming Championship weekend and it highlighted the top-heavy nature of college football currently. There are a handful of ‘super power’ teams and everyone else is making up the numbers. Every conference has seen teams regress.
— The ACC has watched Florida State fall off a cliff while Georgia Tech have been travelling backwards for some time. Miami flirted with a return to relevance but have fallen off again this year. Syracuse, NC State, North Carolina, Boston College and others — either restarting or failing to build.
— The Big-12 contains one of the super power teams (Oklahoma) and has really benefitted from the re-emergence of Baylor. The two played undoubtedly the best Championship game this weekend. Tough defense, explosive plays, drama. Yet the conference overall is riddled with inconsistent or under-performing teams. Not so long ago Oklahoma State, Kansas State, TCU and Iowa State were incredibly difficult opponents. This year they’ve all been wildly unpredictable. Texas has taken a step back this year too.
— The BIG-10 remains relatively competitive due to the consistency of Wisconsin, the return of Penn State, Minnesota’s emergence and the Harbaugh influence on Michigan. Ohio State are an elite team and a consistent contender. Iowa is annually competitive. Yet the conference has still taken a step back with Nebraska and Michigan State becoming also-rans and Rutgers has collapsed.
— The SEC is the main true powerhouse conference with three super-power teams (Alabama, LSU, Georgia) and two others with the potential to return to super-power status (Florida, Auburn). Not even the mighty SEC has avoided regression though. Ole Miss are turning to Lane Kiffin to stop their rot. Arkansas has become an abomination. Tennessee seems to always be rebuilding. South Carolina, despite beating Georgia this year, are poor. Texas A&M are stuck in neutral. Not so long ago, Ole Miss and Texas A&M could go and upset Alabama and send shockwaves through the conference. Now they’d be lucky to escape with a 17-point loss.
— That brings me onto the PAC-12. What on earth has happened to the conference and when is something going to change? The Championship game played out almost apologetically on Friday night. ‘Sorry sir, didn’t want to disturb the other conferences, we’ll just play on Friday, don’t mean to get in the way’. The marketing of the conference, the way it sells itself to the rest of the country, the complete paucity of quality teams. The conference is a mess, is generating almost no excitement and has very little draft relevance. Just look down the list of teams. If you’re not a fan of a PAC-12 team, what is remotely exciting about USC, Stanford or UCLA currently? Three teams in the vaunted California recruiting region — all virtually irrelevant on a national scale. Well organised if unspectacular teams like Utah are succeeding simply because they have their act together. In many ways, that’s why Washington succeeded too in previous years. Ditto Oregon — because they didn’t make the most of their first round quarterback. There’s a major problem in the PAC-12. It’s not short of coaching ‘names’. It’s not short of great recruiting regions. On a marketing level to a football level — things need to change.
— Joe Burrow was already destined to be the #1 pick next year and his performance against Georgia simply confirmed it. Burrow was outstanding again — leading to the broadcasters to make comparisons to Tom Brady. His poise in the pocket, accuracy, elusiveness and production has been sensational. Top quarterbacks elevate their teams. Not always (see: Mahomes @ Texas Tech) — but most of the time that’s the case. Pro-quarterbacks these days also need to improvise and avoid pressure. The way he dodged tackles on one play to create time and space before launching a perfect pass downfield was incredible. He ran for first downs, kept plays alive. Burrow has turned LSU into a contender. They should be #1. He will be #1 in the draft.
— Everyone played well for the Tigers (although Georgia did a good job containing Clyde Edwards-Helaire) but the top player on defense for me was Rashard Lawrence. He was amped for this game — playing with intensity and quickness. He bullied the interior Georgia linemen, flashed speed off the snap and was constantly harassing in the backfield. It’s going to be really interesting to see him at the Senior Bowl and combine. He just looks the part of a NFL defensive lineman. He has a great frame, strong hands and the ability to control the LOS. Testing will determine how early he goes but his play-style and body-type could appeal to the Seahawks.
— Jake Fromm has not taken the step forward he needed to this season. If anything, he’s regressed. He lacks the physical tools so needs to be laser accurate. Here he missed open receivers and couldn’t elevate his team in the way Burrow does. He threw two interceptions, hurt his ankle and looked like a day-three prospect at best. It’s worth wondering whether he might simply go back to Georgia for one more year. Fromm had to play without many of his receivers and D’Andre Swift was nowhere near 100%. Georgia also had some drops, including the first offensive play of the game to take away a big passing play. Fromm just hasn’t been convincing this year though. He can’t put up points without the strong supporting cast.
— Now that Georgia are out of playoff contention, D’Andre Swift needs to get that shoulder rested and sorted. Swift is competing with a large group of running backs in the 2020 draft. Missing the combine would impact him — especially when Jonathan Taylor runs well and J.K. Dobbins blows the roof off. He only had two runs for 13 yards here and was used mostly as a receiver out of the backfield (eight passing targets).
— Like everyone else, I like Ceedee Lamb. I’ve had him in the top-15 of my mocks. It’s worth noting, however, that I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt in terms of athletic potential. There’s no doubting his YAC ability and some of the big plays he’s made this year are sensational. He’s looked like a more polished version of Cordarelle Patterson. Even so — he ran a 4.60 at SPARQ despite weighing only 172lbs. He’s a wiry receiver. If he runs in the 4.5’s — that’s going to raise some concerns. And given the likes of Henry Ruggs, Jalen Reagor and K.J. Hamler could all run in the 4.2-4.3 range — Lamb has to show he has the speed. Otherwise he won’t go as early as we’re projecting currently. Against Baylor he had one enormous 71-yard YAC play and finished with eight catches for 173 yards.
— I didn’t have access to the BIG-10 or ACC title games but here are the key notes. J.K. Dobbins had 173 yards on 33 carries and a touchdown for Ohio State. K.J. Hill managed two scores on seven targets (83 yards). Chase Young was often double or triple-teamed based on the clips I’ve seen and had 1.5 TFL’s and two QB hurries. Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor had one gliding 45-yard run and finished with 148 yards on 20 carries and a score. Tight end Jake Ferguson had two catches for 33 yards. For Clemson, Travis Etienne had 114 yards on 14 carries and a touchdown. Tee Higgins had nine catches for 182 yards and three touchdowns. Isaish Simmons had an interception and 22 yard return, plus a QB hurry.
— The top four, to me, seems pretty obvious — #1 LSU, #2 Ohio State, #3 Clemson, #4 Oklahoma. Ohio State has the most talent on its roster but LSU has beaten better teams and has the best player in the country. Beating 2019 Alabama — with Tua — in their own backyard, while also defeating Georgia, Auburn and Florida has to count for something.
— I’ve said this a few times already this season but I think the Seahawks might come unstuck in LA tonight. When you play things so close to the vest all year, eventually you’re going to drop a game. The Rams have had Seattle’s number on offense under McVay. They’ve moved the ball at will in the last four meetings between the teams and even with a weaker O-line and banged up unit, I don’t see that changing much tonight. It’ll be up to Russell Wilson and the offense to keep pace (which in fairness they have done in the last three games). Seattle has run the ball consistently well against the Rams and the size advantage on the O-line will be key again tonight. Defensively they’ll need Jadeveon Clowney to be at his game-wrecking best. The Seahawks need to go 1-1 in their final two road games to set up the two homes games against Arizona and San Francisco. The Niners have to play the Rams again plus they’re in New Orleans tonight. Winning at least one of the games against LA or Carolina puts the Seahawks in pole position to claim the NFC West — even if they’d still need to defeat the 49ers (a tough ask) in week 17.
— A lot of fans have been debating whether to root for New Orleans or San Francisco tonight. Root for the Saints and forget about the #1 seed. The Seahawks are 6-0 on the road currently. They’ve travelled well. If they’re the #2 seed, they’d have to win a maximum of one road game to make the Super Bowl and they wouldn’t need to travel at all if the Saints lost in the divisional round. The absolute priority this year is to win the division and make sure you get the playoff bye and don’t have to be the #5 seed. Any advantage in the NFC West race is crucial. Why would you want to risk not winning the west by rooting for the Niners? Just look at the two scenarios:
#5 seed — would need to win three road games to make the Super Bowl
#2 seed — would need to win one home game and one home or away game to make the Super Bowl
Being the #1 seed would be excellent but being #1 instead of #2 is not enough motivation to root for your only rival for the division and a playoff bye. It’s much more preferable to maintain or create further separation between the Seahawks and Niners in the division.
— Hunter Bryant announced he was turning pro this week. We’ve talked about him a lot this year. He’s a name to keep an eye on for the Seahawks in this draft. A quick reminder — the Seahawks have frequently targeted tight ends who do well in the short shuttle and three cone. Bryant ran a superb 4.35 three cone at SPARQ. Unlike most college tight ends he was asked to block at Washington and did a decent job overall. He’s a dynamic target at the second level and while he’s had some drops — he’s also a big-play artist who’s tallied a high number of explosive plays this year. The Seahawks will add a new tight end at some stage during the off-season. If the top receivers are off the board by Seattle’s first pick — Bryant could offer an alternative option. For more on Bryant check out this article.
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GO HAAAAWWWWWWKKS
Cool notes, Rob. Couple of thoughts:
-Grew up with the PAC10/12 and as a UW fan who now don’t see much as I live in the UK. Interesting point about not ‘marketing’ the conference properly. Defo a down conference at the mo with lots of teams in transition. Hopefully though it means a ‘super power’ team can emerge and establish itself a la the 90s Huskies or the 00s Trojans. Love to hear thoughts on this from others more in the know.
-Agree the Hawks are ripe for a letdown game. I was thinking it may be LA but I’ve become less convinced of late. I think given LAs disastrous OL and RB situation, we may be in position to sweep them for the first time in a while.
-My greater concern is the general health and freshness of the team going into the playoffs. I’m more concerned about possible further injuries and our Hawks getting ‘worn down’ or worn out by the time the post season comes around. It feels like they’ve been performing really well throughout a very tough schedule and I just hope we can keep it up without too much impact given our style of play. They’ve done a masterful job thus far in managing guys coming in/going out (Reed, Britt, Dissly). As we’ve noted before, a tough conference/ division is both a blessing and a curse. I remain envious of teams like the Pats who seem to really benefit from an easier of schedule.
I dont usually bring up Oregon players as Seahawks targets on here, but I really like what Throckmorton brings to the table, think he can fill C RG RT for us at the next level.
He might be a better C prospect than fellow Duck Jake Hansen. I expect Seattle will take a look at him and perhaps even target him in the middle rounds regardless of what happens with Britt, Fant, Ifedi. May have starter potential, more physical Ethan Pocic for me.
Maybe they like Lemieux too, we’ll see him at the senior Bowl.
Let’s shred this Rams secondary worse than Ed Orgeron’s larynx
Dude is the irl version of the defensive coordinator from Waterboy
🤭
Since the Rams last played Seattle a mere 2 months ago, they lost 2 of their starting O-Line for the season, and Whitworth is showing his age, Haverstein has played like garbage and has even been out with a knee injury…..
Also, Seattle’s defense has suddenly found itself with a pass rush and Diggs ability to elevate the play of the secondary…..For the Rams to win they have to first try and run, or use screens, otherwise Goff will put the ball in the defenses hands. He only has 13 TD passes and 12 INT’s….I see the Hawks winning this and rather easily.
Hope you’re right. I need to see us control the Rams offense to believe it’s possible.
I just heard that the Rams plan on using Gurley heavy tonight. That would be the first time this season I believe, and him running so much will pose a huge problem as it always does.
I’ll believe it when I see it.
He’s had 20+ touches twice the last 17 games or something like that. Can’t remember the exact quote. But I believe they said it was the two most recent games and the Rams are undefeated in that span.
I agree with your feeling about the Seahawks being vulnerable by playing games so close. As often happens, turnovers will likely be the key determinant. That, and McVey knows it’s single elimination time. He saved Gurley earlier for just this time in the season (perhaps too long only loosening the past two games). Still, Gurley has only so many runs in him before his arthritis flares up again, so it will be interesting to learn when that will be. If he can hold up, he and Kupp will give the Hawks a real test without Kendricks. We’ll probably see a similar usage of the six man O line front as against the Vikes to deal with their D front………..Joey is gutsy and smart, but needs help.
It’s such a shame that Dissly’s injury makes TE a priority postion going forward.
On paper a Dissly/Hollister combo looks pretty good. But clearly we need more depth, just in case Dissly continues to miss time.
Are we guessing a 2nd round pick would be needed for Hunter Bryant?
I think the fact that their TE is inactive is the low key biggest advantage for Hawks. G. Everett killed us last match. I feel like this is where we close the Rams chapter and go back to our main rivals. RIP Rams. 34-21 Seahawks
They also have Tyler Higbee. I don’t see a big drop off there.
Testing will be important for Lawrence, but where do you see his ceiling being? I’ve liked him for a while for us. Also KJ Hill, what would you say his ceiling is round wise?
We need to see Lawrence test. Hill will gets well but his inconsistent play could force him into R4 ish range.
What are your thoughts on Hill? Remember you mentioning you liked him before the season, how about now that season is over? Also, what are your thoughts on Duverney from Texas? Has statistically had a great season with poor QB okay even. He is smaller, but built like a RB. Reminds me of Deebo Samuel build wise.
I like Hill and talked about him a fair bit a year ago. Good athlete, very capable. High upside. But he’s inconsistent.
Good grief yes. Thank you. The chatter about this all week has been silly.
There’s another slight factor to come into play too. There are pretty conceivable scenarios where Week 17 game is inconsequential if the Niners lose today. The Hawks could rest some banged up guys in addition to getting the bye week to heal up.
If anybody hasn’t seen Maven’s breakdown of the Hawks OL vs Vikings, do it now
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmEChoRs_EA
I don’t think the Rams DL will be as bad as the Vikings were, but this is a thing of beauty to watch. Fluker is a bad man. Brown really is a water buffalo.
Hunt seals really well, also.
Rob, the marketing issues with the Pac-12 habe has many of us who are alumni of the conference extremely unhappy. Most feel that Larry Scott must be fired before it can improve. I love the idea of taking an offensive weapon early, but this nagging part of my brain keeps reminding me that we may lost Ifedi and Fant to FA, and I’m sorry, but KJ is really showing his age this season. We need to find a replacement there and possibly for Kendricks as well, depending on what happens with his situation. Do they believe Barton is an option?
I spent most of the game last night watching the two Georgia tackles. Particularly Thomas vs Chaisson.
Pretty clear that both Georgia tackles are going to be early picks and NFL starters. I agree with Rob that Isaiah Wilson is likely a 1st rounder before things are all said and done.
Thomas dominated Chaisson most of the night but Chaisson showed a great motor and effort and was able to beat Thomas badly for a sack as well. I think he is raw but I really like Chaisson’s potential as speed rusher. Definitely a guy to keep and eye on. Unfortunately if he tests as I expect he will be long gone by the end of Rd #1 given the lack of pass rush talent in this draft class.
I would be pleased if the Hawks were able to add either Wilson or Chiasson at the end of Rd #1.
Chaisson will not go that early. I don’t know why that has become a thing.
Because In a draft class with few edge rush options he is one of the few guys who seems to have the athletic profile to succeed at the next level.
NO lighting up SF right now.
Sanders was a great pickup for SF unfortunately.
I don’t get the CeeDee Lamb love. Where has the ‘he has size and spred’ come from? He’s not big, he’s not fast.
I agree Vol I don’t see him as a top 50 player. He is a really good college receiver in that scheme.
Just like I don’t get the ‘Jerry Jeudy as a top 5 pick’ talk. Top 10? Sure.
For me, and maybe my standards are too high, if a receiver is going top 5 they need to be an AJ Green or Julio Jones.
Having watched a lot of CeeDee Lamb this year, where he comes up short on size and other measurables he’s sure made up on as a playmaker. The guy just knows how to play the game, mine the most out of his talent. So there’s that.
Anyway…
That doesn’t explain why people think he has size and speed.
Sure he’s a playmaker. So were countless other receivers in college. That shouldn’t seperate him from the pack. Reggie Bush was one of the biggest playmaker CFB had ever seen. Worked out well for him. Worked out well for a Paul Richardson. A Peter Warrick, and 30 other random names.
I’m not really arguing with you. Just saying that he’s almost always come through all year long. Has been impressive in that way. That’s all. I don’t really have much of an idea where he will go in the draft other than what I’ve seen from evaluators.
Someone compared him to Cordarelle Patterson which just doesnt fit for me
Don’t get me started on Larry Scott. It’s hard to come up with a major decision or negotiation that he either hasn’t gotten wrong or sold the conference short on. I don’t like dumping a big load on a person, but the PAC 12 has done nothing but sink during his tenure.
Yeah! TD Saints. 20-7 now. If the Saints can beat the 49ers, then the Hawks could take somewhat of a commanding lead in the NFC West with a win against the Rams tonight. Major motivation.
I too have a difficult time fending off that eerie feeling that the Hawks are bound to dump a game somewhere along the line here. But then another side of me rises up and says…all we do is find a way to win, and we seem to be getting better as a whole as a team as the season progresses toward the end.
Damn! 75 TD play for the 49ers.
PS> I do think the selection committee got it right on the top four. I think you have to place a little more weight on how a team is finishing up, and LSU really put an exclamation mark with that win over Georgia in the SEC championship game. Like you said too, I think their quality wins were a little more impressive.
Josh Allen remains Not Good
He looked excellent last week.
Today he’s struggled against a good team. But Lamar has struggled today too.
You don’t need to bring him up every time he has a bad half.
K.
Too early for me to eat crow on thinking QB Drew Lock was mid? (j/k btw)
There’s stuff to like about his game, but only time will tell. Not sure if he has IT
Man, the Saints are almost obscenely giving up these big pass plays.
If I’m a team in need of a RB, I’m going after Matt Breida.
Analytics told the Saints to go for two, they miss it and are now playing catch-up. Never chase points especially 2 pt conversions when you don’t have to
Alvin Kamara as a lead back has been a complete bust. Big mistake by the Saints to let Ingram walk
Saints 9ers is a tough watch.. saints can’t play defense. Brees wasted all that spl teams advantage, if not for spl teams this would have been a blow out
Go Hawks.. win all the way and be #1 seed…Dare to dream!
For heaven’s sake, how many times can NO get penalized on 3rd down?
Saints saved two plays in a row with the dropped INT and the PI call!
And there’s the TD on the very next play! Let’s go!!!
Saints don’t deserve to win this game, terrible defense and composure down the stretch.
Ah, crap.
Choked hard
I’m so glad that the Saints lost for going for that idiotic 2 pt play. Analytics failed them!
Agree. Analytics lol..keep being aggressive and whine Sean.. you won’t get another ring before Brees retire.
Y’all catch the Decaf Metcalf?
https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1203701974446878720
The abs lmaao
Apparently (if the Twitter comments are to be believed), he is actually partnered with that coffee company. Nice way to cash in on a slip of the tongue!
OK. It happened. Now it’s full on ALPHA for the Hawks. Let’s win out and get that #1 seed that was handed to us today. How about it?
I’m in! Lamb chops time!
1 seed or bust
Seattle controls it’s own destiny for the #1 seed.
So, the Saints losing is a good thing right, provided we win tonight?
It’s not a good thing.
The only thing Seahawks fans should be concerned about is first round bye vs being the #5 seed. The Saints loss simply made it harder today to avoid being the #5 seed. Whether we’re #1 or #2 doesn’t matter. The most important thing is to get the bye and not have to play three hard road games to make a Super Bowl instead of one home game and one other home or away game.
All the people rooting for San Fran in this game will be regretting it big time if/when the Seahawks lose tonight against a desperate Rams team.
Agreed. Rooting for ur division rival makes no sense to me either.
The margin for error narrowed pretty dramatically with the Niners winning. A saints win would have opened up a lot of options.
Yes the Seahawks can get the #1 seed by winning out. But that’s a tall order.
Man has the Saints defense gone downhill from earlier in the season. The 49ers just blasted them today, both their secondary and their D-line. If the 49ers had lost today, I wouldn’t have been as scared after this game of NO on the road had we met in the NFC title game.
After tonight’s game, we may be talking about the need for better interior O-line play (primarily C). Hunt (or Pocic) against Aaron Donald is a huge ask—especially away and with a desperate Rams team.
How has the Hawks OL done vs the Rams DL recently?
2019 Game 1: 1 sack, 167 rushing yards
2018 Game 2: 2 sacks, 149 rushing yards
2018 Game 1: 2 sacks, 190 rushing yards
I’ll take those numbers every game!
Those are great stats. Thanks for sharing!
One last F**K! We were this close to playing for a game and a half lead in our division and the #2 seed.
Okay. I’m over it now. LOL
That 4th and 18 fake mid field with so much time and in a 2 point game is the dumbest decision. That couple with failed 2 in the 1st quarter is the difference between 1st and 2nd seed
The fake punt was a joke decision. The two point conversion was bizarre.
Will Payton get as much grief as Pete for opting to try and kick a manageable field goal when leading 14-6? Probably not.
Wow, even the Falcons smoked the Panthers. Hope for an easy win next week.
Hopefully as well the Bucs will be looking to move up in the draft for a new QB, which means they will need to collect more draft stock and can trade us OJ…
And OBJ already wants out of CLE? If true, dang, that was fast.
If Bruce Arians is the coach in TB next year — he’ll want a veteran QB replacement.
They avoided drafting a QB in Arizona for years.
He hasn’t got the time to coach a rookie up. I reckon they’d go the veteran route.
Good point. So I guess here’s to hoping they clean house…
Would you give one of our R2 picks for OJ? After having combed through the TE options in this draft and knowing that we have an extra pick there, I would.
He’s officially heading into TO territory.
OBJ that is.
9ers/Saints didn’t go down like I wanted, but that ruled! What a game.
George Kittle was on some grown a** man s***. Monster.
Nick Bosa is special. I know that’s not going out on a limb by stating the obvious.
We all banged the drum for him so hard that year.
I’m convinced we were going to draft him but we were like 6 picks too late. Wouldve had Dissly and Kittle…
Brady looks OFF
Brady looks OLD
Same agility in the pocket, but the arm strength is not there, isnt throwing well under pressure and inaccurate when he’s off base
His favorite play was a slant, inside the numbers, to the TE (Gronk)… that play is completely lacking within the offense now. The threat to the middle of the field is lacking, so defenses can play the outside WRs tighter. I have to admit, I enjoy watching this occur to the smug Patriots.
Can’t imagine his bird food diet is doing him any favors
lmao 😂😂
He’s close to ’15 Peyton Manning levels.
Move along Tom… No one is going to match your 9 Super Bowl trips & 6 rings before the Ragnarok. Rest easy.
Here’s a fun stat. The NFC East has collectively lost 15 games in a row.
My take of the Saints and 49ers:
They are almost even in talent and ability to score. Both Defenses absolutely got lit up. Which is slightly shocking, since both have been dominant at times this season.
The difference was going for 2 early in the game…. a slightly odd decision when I watched it before heading out of the house to do some errands.
No matter who you face in the playoffs, you better bring the A game… because they are equally dangerous.
49ers were down a starting safety & LB, then lost their starting center and Dee Ford, as well as their nickel CB and Sherman in key moments. When that happens, you’re gonna get chewed up by New Orleans’ offense.
The most surprising outcome today was the Broncos… on the road.. with a pulse and a win.
Not saying Lock is the perfect QB, but Elway might have finally found his guy… after wandering in the QB desert for 3-4 years. 22/27 for 309 and 3 TD… not a bad day at the office.
Maybe. Did make some pretty impressive throws off his back foot.
But I’m mostly wary of the rookie hype after a couple games: just look at Minshew-mania today…
Gonna watch the Hawks game to a Beethoven symphony tonight lmao stay tuned
There is only one composer for the Seahawks: Wagner (Known as Dicky Wagz in music world).
Rocking ‘Ride of the Valkyries,’ tonight.
Would’ve been perfect for Vikings match
Bazooka Joe Burrow
Taking LSU over Oklahoma and OSU over Clemson. Championship: OSU over LSU.
The Hawks have to come out and smack the Rams like they’re the better team. They are. The Rams are a royal disappointment. Get into Goff’s head and keep Gurley in check. Beat them soundly like a rug. Put the NFL on notice. It’s not just about the Ravens and the 49ers and whoever else. It’s just as much about us as anyone else.
The entire right side of the rams o-line are rookies. This needs to be exploited and I’m sure we will enjoy the outcome.
I don’t want to win. I want to blow them out of the water.
Regardless of the the outcome of the Saints/Niner game, what really matters most is how well the Hawks play the Rams & the remaining games leading to the playoffs. If they continue to improve and get better each game, and are free from injuries, it would not matter what seed they would end up with.
Presently, the Niners are playing good ball, and may have an edge in the NFC. So, the Hawks need to play a complete game, and build on it as they progress to their season finale against the Niners.
Admittingly so, having the home field advantage in the finale may even the odds of the Hawks going to the SB.
Kyler Murray… yikes
Kid had some skills but he’s got a ways to go. And he gets knocked over way too easily.
That whole team has a ways to go.. and I really don’t think they’ll ever get there
Inactives: Ziggy, Thorpe, Kendricks, Bellore, Haynes, Ursua, Willson
Wait. Chris Petersen’s last game as HC of Udub is against Boise St.?
Oregon Wisconsin looks like a great matchup on paper
they’ve played some beauties (Ore vs Wisc)
It does. Should be a good one. Same with Penn St/Memphis.
I thought he would not be coaching the bowl game ?
They’re calling it the Chris Petersen Bowl.
Anyone else been waitin’ all day for Sunday Night?
Base or more nickel D, tonight?
With Kendricks out, might see more Amadi/King if Barton struggles.
They went an entire game without an offensive penalty last week only to commit one on the first play tonight 🙄
That’s what we want to see — extend the drive
No no no no! Penny
Decent opening drive. Would’ve preferred a TD but at least they scored. Hope Penny is ok
Maaaannn…Lockett and DK were wide open on that 3rd down.
Time for the Defense to shine
Hey there ya go! Cody Barton getting his rush on
Worst defense to start..
What was Griffin doing?
Both Flowers and Griffin have blown coverages tonight. Just totally out of position on their man.
That was an ugly blown coverage come on guys get the communication stuff figured out.
Judging from the replay, it looks like a mild hyperextension for Penny. I doubt he’ll play again tonight but hopefully he won’t miss significant time.
That would be whack. Has been lights out these past 2 weeks and added a different element to the offense.
Prosise is active tonight. Dude needs to step up if he gets an opportunity
I don’t fault that play choice on 3rd down. I’d bet on Carson vs any safety. Just couldn’t execute.
Goff is gonna shred this defense without a nickel.
The safeties gotta step up big if they stay with 3 LBs.
McDougald needs to jump a pass. Get a turnover
Yep. I bet we see King/Amadi, soon. Need to take away the quick routes, give the DL a chance.
And it continues
Goff All-Pro
The defense looks like it did in October. No pass rush what so ever. Hope they can make some adjustments and turn things around or this could get ugly.
C’mon man. SEA DL should be able to put pressure on Goff with just 4 guys. Rams’ OL is a wreck.
SEA need to reevaluate staying in 4-3 vs this offense. They’re just picking us apart with crosses and outs.
Those 2 rookies look pretty good so far.
Nice stout stop by Reed. Let’s get some of that BAMFery going
Here comes the wildcard at this rate. So much for prime time. Gonna need RW3 MVP magic tonight with this defense.
Absolutely getting demolished. Playing like a 1 and done team.
Getting hosed and exposed.
I know we start slow but my god this looks terrible. Make some adjustments now you cant wait until half. We need to see the MVP Russ sooner than later
Well, they are not playing well, and have a key injury. This doesn’t bode well for a win.
Nice move by DK to get separation and make a solid catch down low. Good concentration.
That was a nice play by Fowler
This has potential to get ugly
C’mon Malik you gotta make that catch
You want more snaps? CATCH THE BALL WHEN IT HITS YOUR HANDS.
Sidenote: C’mon Al and Chris, that wasn’t a breakup by Ramsey, Malik just dropped it.
Lmao why is Pete so afraid to run the damn ball when it’s a short yard situation… still hasn’t learned from the SB loss.
Runs on 2nd long like clock work. Refuses to run on 4th and 24 inches. Very frustrating.
The play worked. Turner dropped it after it hit him…right in the hands!
Regardless of that it wasn’t the smartest call, especially when carson is running strong early.
Normally I’d agree. The box looked pretty stacked though
If it were 10-14 you wouldnt be saying that.
WR is a major need
Finally a defensive stop
Too many drops tonight
You’ll mever guess it, but another drive stalls after a pass hits a WR/TE…right in the hands!
Playing scared of taking hit…
Wait, am I watching the UW offense? So many drops. This is the game Rob feared.
Where tf are the safeties tonight?
Gettin’ cooked. Along with a 3rd LB on Kupp
So much for prime time. This defense is atrocious. We have never had a game where the O and D are insync, but this might be the one, except both are playing terrible instead of good.
Getting embarrassed in prime time.
Well it’d help if people could catch a ball that hits them right on the money.
Nice handle by the way.
Only went with the best one there is lol
2nd half team.
LMAO
Goff is 13-15 for 168. Ridiculous. Start playing man and send pressure and he’ll start crumbling.
In years past, Wagner would have been able to get to Gurley before Gurley got outside
*Checks Seahawks Twitter 🤮🤬😡😱😳🤢😰😭🥺💩…
Yep, that was a mistake.
I realize Seattle is not a legitimate super bowl contender. Still watching them struggle is maddening. Sluggish team today.
This is going to be embarrassing
Soft defense is an understatement tonight
The only silver lining is at least they scored quickly so we get the ball back before the half
Here we come back to earth. Let’s be happy about 10 wins and a wild card spot.
This team is showing no fight and taken today’s game for granted.
Yup. Been a great year. Next year will be intriguing.
Pete looks so confused.
‘How did those Rams cheerleader’s play better defense than mine?’
‘When did my receivers and TE’s wanna start collecting passes defensed?’
Soft, listless, out of focus, slow.
Serious question. In 2 minute drill why is KJ on the field.
Diggs looking stoopid in the end zone watching it all. Why isn’t he closer to the play? It’s not like they’re gonna get behind him he’s standing in the end zone 🙄
Worst performance by SEA safeties all season
It’s called counting chicken before they are hatched.
The funny thing about our fan base is when we win people say we’re a SB contender and when we lose a game we’re nothing more than a wild card team lucky to be in the race. Like robs said a dozen times let’s just enjoy the ride regardless of the outcome, we know what we truly are.
Russ has regressed to his worst habit. Locking onto to 1 target.
Had DK or Gordon wide open over the middle.
Hes been missing Britt.
Looks like a different player tonight. He’s totally not going through his reads. OL hasn’t been that bad. Yeah they’re giving up pressures but it’s not like he’s got free runners coming at him.
Russ play smart… it’s the time to throw away… come on man. What the hell happened.
Pretty ordinary stuff. A game like this has probably been coming for a while.
Boo!!!
No Rob?
Well this sucks so far.
Wasn’t the best block by Brown on Fowler, but again that’s Russell basically sacking himself
On the bright side: New episode of ‘Watchmen,’ tonight.
I’m out.
#GoHawks
Ugly first half. Either Hawks bought their own hype or didn’t bother to pack their focus. Defense is 2 steps slow and can’t even get organized. McVay has Norton Jr on ice skates
The only takeaway I have from this 1st half is how well Seattle’s rookies continue to play on teams.
In fairness to RW he has had two third down passes dropped . H0llister and Turner
Yes, Both of those were critical conversion opportunities.
Admittedly, I kind of feared this game. I was hoping the 49ers would lose so that we could still be in the division lead and the #2 seed even if we lost (and of course, hope for better).
I knew we had to slow down Gurley and get pressure on Goff. We did neither. Also, we failed to play with a sense of urgency on offense in the first half (what’s new). That 3rd down run to Carson peed me off. Should have been a pass/option play for RW as it would have been if it had been the 4th quarter.
All in all, it’s a miracle finish, or the table is pretty much set for the rest of the season: Win out the last three games and get the division crown and at least the #2 seed, or enter the playoffs as a wild card team.
I’m okay with that scenario.
Worst nightmare come true.. fell so behind, no more run game and Russ sacking himself.
Either the Vikings or Packers will win the North. The loser will probably finish 12-4. Let’s hope it is the Vikings and the Hawks can match that 12-4. That would make the Hawks the 5 seed and could play the winner of the East. That would be the best scenario for them.
No. If we lose tonight, our goal (and I think realistic) is to win out and go 13-3, win the division, and capture at least the 2nd seed. You have to think this way.
If SEA are the best team in the NFCw, they’ll do it. If not, they won’t.
Opinions can differ as to if they are or aren’t. But they have the ability to turn this around and win the game. Whether they do remains to be seen. But they’re capable of it.
Well said.
One of these days, we will play a full game. It will be amazing. Until then, let’s beat the cards and Panthers atleast. Get in the dance. Even if it’s just as a wildcard. I still believe the talent is there for this team.
KJ has become 50/50 player… hope Rookies step up.
Will the Rams continue to play flawless football on offense or will they make a crucial mistake to let Seattle back in?
And there. It. Is!
You were saying? 😉
BOOM! Diggs with the pick 6!
if we were loking for a miracle finish, the start of that miracle just happened. LOL
Myers did not let us enjoy it for a minute.. this team .. oh my
It’s kinda unacceptable for a kicker to miss a PAT. I mean, you move on and play but it’s like, dude, you had ONE job
Total Seahawks move Myers – finally get the potato chip bag open and you rip it and they go everywhere
lol. Love that analogy
LOL My sentiments.
Oh c’mon Myers JFC dude kick a PAT
That sh!t really bothers me. It’s a gimme point
What a difference maker Shaq has been. Love that guy. Diggs didn’t do as much on that play but has been a huge addition also.
Look at that. They put a 3rd corner against this offense and good things happen.
Can we get some Fs in the chat for my fantasy team
Josh Jacobs ruled out late, so I put Penny in… lol
Branden Jackson got smoked on that play
So many missed tackles.
Diggs again!
Diggs has been such a great addition
IMO he’s been the catalyst for the defensive turnaround this season. A Cover 3 can not function properly w/o great FS play.
Goff cant throw under pressure.
Was just about to post this is further proof Goff can’t pass under pressure.
The thing that keeps me watching and hoping is PC/RW’s never quit. LOL
Time to capitalize and cut this thing down to 5 points.
Hate to say it but I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a safety here
Come on Russ. Missed another open wideout.
This has been consistently an issue the past 4 games. Is Wilson locking onto his primary read?
Yes. He’s also pressing.
What a joke.
Wilson having a bad game. He’s just not seeing his receivers
+1.
He’s only reading one side of the field. The protection has been good enough for him to see the whole field
He has been mediocre for almost 2 months
going on for 4 weeks now.. he does not have trusted receiver to go to after Dissly and Lockette’s injury.
This offense is puke
We can’t get on the same page… hopefully those turnovers ruffled Goff enough to make him second guess some more throws
Okay. We’ve got them right where we want them.
Russ is having another poor game. He’s missed wide open receivers over the middle numerous times tonight. Add in some self-induced sacks, and I think its just too much to overcome.
Happy for Diggs, though. He looks like Earl back there.
Not much time left with how the Rams are moving it. They seem to be giving up now.
Bench Russ for a series.
Well you cannot expect the defense to be on the field almost the whole game and be effective. On to next week, and it is imperative they win the next two games.
Man. I love BWagz but he has looked awful
Yikes. KJ Wright looks totally lost out there
When does offense start capitalizing on opportunities
Rasheem the puppy with a huge block!
Boom…Blocked FG!!!
We have crossed mid field and now entered enemy territory
…and then what happened? 😡
You just GOT TO LOVE this team. They never effing quit. Win or lose, we’re going to test them. Make them earn it.
Bobby had been an all time great Seahawk but I have to admit the way he has played this year makes me a little concerned about that huge deal he signed. He has not looked like the same guy this year at all.
I got so much flak for saying we shouldn’t sign him. Everyone seemed to believe he would have 4 more years, which I always thought was ridiculous.
Does Bobby need to lose weight.. he is slow this season
Hes 29 with over 1,000 NFL tackles. 450 college tackles and played RB before that. Being an all time great =/= being indestructible
AGE !! It catches up to everybody. !! Not sure what JS was thinking with that big contract.
Pete lost confidence on offense. Time for spl plays….
That sack was on Brown. Failed to pass Fowler off and pick up Donald
The Seahawks are like hockey mask on Friday the 13th. You just can’t kill them. LOL
Yet another chance for us. This games shouldn’t be this close.
We NEED points here.
Badly. For as piss poor as our D played earlier, we’ve had chances to pull even.
We’re done. 0% chance we win this game. Cant even get a first down.
And the defense has gone back to giving up long, back breaking drives.
Again they have been on the field almost the whole game
It’s a Miracle to score another 3 by offense
Down 12 let’s go!!!!
Hot garbage
For heavens sake.. don’t ever praise Russ unless he wins another Bowl
Excuse me…
Man I love KJ, but he’s sloooow
Not just slow, but slow to diagnose. He’s been caught out of position all night
Alright. I’m gonna go cry.
Throw in the towel no need to risk injury. We don’t need this game that bad.
Usually either the defense or offense stinks but the other side of the ball picks them up. Today both sides have been awful.
How is it the Rams have run the same fly sweep 6 games in a row and we still have not figured out how to stop it.
Bench Russ.. unacceptable on prime time. Time for accountability Pete.
Anybody else worried about how bad RW has been? This team will do nothing with him playing like this.
More concerned that the O-line has been hot garbage.
Soon as Russ swts his back foot he has pressure in his face.
Wonder why didn’t they run read option a lot more early on when it’s tough sledding
Heckuva reception by DK
Credit to the Rams. They are the better team. They were better coached. They have better players. Seattle continues to build. Maybe next year. Just too slow and too stubborn to win the Bowl.
What;s with the internet pessimism? if our offense could have done anything on our last 3 possessions we might well have wrestled back control of this game. If we lose, okay we lost. It happens. Win the next three games and we win the division and at least the #2 seed.
Please…KEEP PERSPECTIVE!
I’m right there with you… we play bad and everyone throws hissy fit like the season is over and Russ is an average player. We all knew going into this game we might go 2-2 in the last 4
Turner has struggled badly tonight.
Seriously youre telling me that Josh Gordon can’t run that route?
It’s a short field, why would he wait so long to turn around to look for the ball?
What the heck .. no 4th down?
Right call.
Field goal makes it 2 possession game.
We got 7 minutes and change and RW.
Anything could happen.
It was 4th and 15 not a high chance of converting that. Better to kick a FG and make it a 2 score game.
This officially ends MVP talk. Which is good cause he has completely been average at best last few weeks. He needs to wake up.
This was such a letdown game. Start to finish just awful. All phases sucked. Everyone except Diggs sucked. Scheme, playcalling, execution sucked. I’m sure the bus ride sucked and the pregame food sucked. I bet the press conference will suck. I hope they’re sleep tonight sucks cause of how much the sucked today.
I hope they get pissed and learn from how much they sucked today. This took me back a year when the rams punked us. I hope they figure them out eventually.
Bright side:
If we win out we still win the division and likely #2 seed at least
Losing Penny was huge IMO. He always does good vs LA. He brings a legit different element to our running game, while keeping Carson fresh and vice versa.
Penny wouldve been the chain mover in this game. Almost seems like they were banking on him and gameplanned for it, cause they looked totally unprepared today on offense.
Rams schemed Clowney out of the game. That DE need is glowing bright tonight
DE, WR, OL
Agreed 100%
I might put OL at 2nd after tonight
What a great hustle play by Ugo love his grit
Why wouldn’t he call a fair catch?
How dominant would Russ be with consistent O-line play?
They have been beyond bad tonight.
Jones should be starting at G.
That right side of the OL was absolutely awful tonight.
Flat-out atrocious.
Well, at least I had Dragon Quest XI to keep me entertained
Rumor that Penny tore his ACL.
Feeling like Seattle is limping to the finish. Damn shame.
Fluker is a liability
Agreed and I have been a Fluker fan. Jones should be starting.
Does Pocic help the line by playing center?
Is Pocic starting tonight?
Nope. But is eligible week 16 I think.
Sure why not
Just end it Pete don’t call a TO
Is this true: last 4 games Wilson 4TD 4INT?
I’m a little concerned with this O-line when they can’t lean on the run game. Doesn’t seem like they can pass protect.
Iupati, Fluker, Ifedi, Hunt (better firing off the ball and on the move) are all run blockers.
I think Jones should get the start next week. I’m curious about Pocic being an improvement.. That could be 2 more rounded guys.
Ya know, getting younger could definitely be an improvement going forward. Doesn’t mean they won’t need a vet or two.
Look at the Rams. We all thought that O-line desperately needed help. And they did. In the form of youth. They put 2 rookies on the right side of their line and their offense looks leaps and bounds better because of it.
The Hawks better burn a lot of midnight oil sorting out the schemes the Rams were using on offense. This is a copy cat league and they are going to see a lot more of it the next three weeks.
Fingers crossed that Penny didn’t tear his ACL, but football doc fears he might’ve.
Not only would it put him on the shelf next year, but just as he was starting to turn the corner on his career.
Outside of the Penny injury, no big deal with this loss. So what, we lost a game. Big effing deal.
Yeah, if we win out we win our division, but if the Saints and Packers win out we would only be the 3 seed.
So now we actually need a GB or NO loss if we want a first round bye.
3 seed could mean a repeat of tonight’s game. Or Dallas or Philly too though lol
People are such panic divas. We lost a game. So what. Look on the bright side. We got that loss out of our system now rather than later.
What we saw tonight has always been true. It is extremely difficult to beat a good team twice in one year. After watching the 49ers and Hawks today, I really do not see how people hink the Hawks will win the last game, especially without Penny. What are they going to do, run Carson 35 times and expect him to hold up ? I just hope they can win the next two and somehow capture the 5 seed. The East winner will be the team easiest to beat.
After further consideration maybe it would be better for the Hawks to finish 6 seed, because the Saints look like the 3 seed. Then the Hawks can exact their revenge.
It is not the loss, as much as it is HOW BAD the Hawks looked losing. When the Defense outscores the offense, it means something has to change in your game plan, execution, or both. No explosive plays, missed extra points, dropped balls.
Slow plodding ball control offense is designed to keep leads, but when the Hawks are playing an explosive team and get behind, they can’t keep up against a good defense.
I agree.
At the same time, and I think we’re on the same page here, gotta be disappointed to see the defense play such a poor half and take a step back. And the passing game being out of sync is a little concerning.
The biggest disappointment has been the offense the last three games, in particular the passing game. Even tonight, yes, the defense couldn’t slow down Gurley or get pressure on Goff and the Rams dominated us in the first half. But did we get blown out? NO! The score was 21-9 for three offensive possessions in the second half, and we just couldn’t get a TD. We get a TD there, the score is 21-16 and the game takes on a totally different complexion.
Anybody who has been watching the Hawks and Rams the last few years knows that the Rams put as much or more pressure on RW than any team in the NFL. I expected that. Having said that, we still needed more from our receivers than we got. Tyler is still not back yet. Gordon is still not worked in yet. And Hollister, as good as he’s been, had a bad game tonight.
Just move on from here. We’re fine. I hope Penny is gone for the season, though.
Why do you hope Penny is gone for the season?
I meant to say I hope Penny ISN’T gone for the season. He has really been looking up for us of late.
Disappointing game, but I think this team needed a good wake up call.
I think they have a chance of winning out, but they definitely need to fix a lot. I think it comes down to time a circumstance; the Rams looked prepared and have been peaking the last few weeks, but the Hawks have been meh the last few weeks.
Hopefully Russ turns it around and uses this as his motivation to clean up, and hopefully this just makes the team hungrier.
I had them losing this one a few weeks ago…Rams have just looked too good the last few weeks. Panthers and Cardinals should be easy wins, and the 49ers will be tough, but if something is on the line I think the Seahawks will show up being hungrier.
I’m doing a lot of hoping here, but honestly, I’m not too torn up by this loss…just disappointed. Go Hawks!
As bad as defense is, only allowed 28 and 7 in 2nd half. No sacks though.
It’s the offense that laid an egg.
It’s obvious that Lockett is not 100%. It’s time to give Gordon more snaps and less snaps to Turner and Moore
Way more disappointed in Penny being injured than losing the game. The way we lost seemed worse than the score to me, but it’s that time of year that teams are getting eliminated from the playoffs and the more desperate team won. It seemed like they really targeted us missing Kendricks, that left side had so many big plays against us.
Would you guys agree that Seattle had no Ansah for the Rams tonight?
I agree Procisely, but I am more of a Homer.
Ouch! It seemed that every set of downs for the Seahawk’s offense was 3rd and long. It seemed that every other down for the Ram’s offense was first down after a long gain. The Hawks got their asses kicked on both sides of the ball. I agree with those who say the team needs to move on. We’ll see how they do in Carolina.
The Hawks needed Moore to Lock-ett up.