Instant reaction: Seahawks beat Chiefs 26-13

— The refs had a really fussy game. This didn’t happen against the Chargers or Vikings, gratefully. Today, a player only had to look in the general direction of an opponent to get a flag. If the NFL is going to continue with four pre-season games, they need to stop them becoming training exercises for the referee’s. Yes they need something to analyse, coach and report to the teams. Not to this extent though. In particular a pass interference call against Neiko Thorpe was laughable — but it started to feel like they were looking for something on every snap. That’s because they probably were.

— Aside from one bad play at the start of the second half, this was a good day for Seattle’s starting O-line. Here are a couple of examples:

The one bad play involved left tackle Rees Odhiambo. He was beaten badly by Chris Jones here:

It’s going to happen sometimes — just as it would’ve happened to George Fant too. Overall this felt like a positive performance from Odhiambo and Seattle’s starting offensive line, albeit against a pretty vanilla Kansas City game plan minus their top pass rusher (Justin Houston).

For all the hand-wringing on Ifedi, his run blocking has been excellent in pre-season. See him drive his guy off the line to create a big running lane here:

— Chris Carson is so dynamic, it’ll be hard for them to keep him off the field in week one. That doesn’t mean he’ll start or dominate the carries. He has to have some game time though, surely? Once again he ran with a purpose, collecting 46 yards on eight carries and adding a 37 yard catch (44 receiving yards in total). Momentum continues to build with Carson. The training camp hype was warranted.

— Trevone Boykin failed to complete a single pass despite six attempts (unless you count the ‘completion’ he threw to the Kansas City Chiefs defender for an interception). He didn’t throw a catchable ball in his six throws and was wildly inaccurate. Austin Davis doesn’t have anywhere near the same X-factor but he managed his snaps, found a target and moved the ball. He scored a nice touchdown to Tanner McEvoy. And in the nightmarish situation where Wilson cannot start — that might be more beneficial. If Boykin had the edge coming into the game, Davis arguably stole it today. It’s fair to wonder what the plan was at the start of the third quarter though. Lots of sideline shots from Boykin and a more controlled offense to follow. It’s possible they tried too hard early in the second half to give the receivers a chance to make plays.

— Special teams had a weird game. Blair Walsh was excellent and Neiko Thorpe and Jeremy Lane in particular seemed to be flying around making plays. The kick-off coverage was poor at times though, they gave up a 100-yard touchdown return and had a blocked punt.

— David Bass continued his fine pre-season. He surely can’t do any more to secure a roster spot? His big sack was probably on Patrick Mahomes but it wasn’t the only moment where Bass shone on the night. He was disruptive and could be edging someone like Marcus Smith off the roster.

— Jermaine Kearse had a special teams whiff on the 100-yard score but he made two big catches, led the team in receiving (59 yards) and it’s still hard to imagine the Seahawks parting ways with him considering Tyler Lockett is still returning to 100% and Paul Richardson’s injury history.

— Pete Carroll spoke very positively about J.D. McKissic in the week and they were clearly giving him every chance to win a roster spot tonight. He returned kicks, caught passes and even ran the ball. He lacks suddenness as a return man but had some good offensive plays. Strangely, he looks a lot quicker at running back than he does returning kicks. Alex Collins not getting a single carry likely suggests he’s nearing the end of his Seahawks career. They might be hiding him to try and sneak him onto the practise squad. The sideline was roaring at a McKissic stiff arm on one run. He looks like a strong candidate to stick — especially if Lockett can’t return kicks.

— It’s hard to work out what they’ll do at receiver, especially if they’re keeping McKissic. Tanner McEvoy and Kasen Williams have staked a claim. Baldwin, Kearse, Richardson and Lockett will presumably be making it. So how does Amara Darboh fit into things? This could be an area where there’s some movement in terms of trades.

— Trumaine Brock had his first big play as a Seahawks with a sack fumble leading to a turnover. I’ll re-watch the second half to look at Matt Tobin.

— The best assessment of Seattle’s depth is how in control they look in pre-season. This is arguably as good as they’ve looked since 2013. The Chargers game was a pummelling. The Vikings game would’ve had a lopsided score if it wasn’t for Alex Collins’ late fumble. This was another big win — and it would’ve been bigger but for the special teams touchdown.

121 Comments

  1. nichansen01

    Best thing about the game was no injuries.

    • KD

      +pi

    • Aaron

      +1

      • Thy Hawk is Howling

        I do indeed concure with the no serious injuries statement my good Sir. Another entertaining game of American Football for our viewing pleasure how wonderful. However I do feel sad for Spencer Ware not only as a former Hawk but because he is a person and has worked so hard to excel at his craft and secure his future financially for himself and those that he Loves. Life is a B and then you D.

        Silly me, I should have said

        +1

        • nichansen01

          Sad about Ware, but I heard his knee isn’t an ACL injury. Hopefully not out for the season.

          • Thy Hawk is Howling

            Good to hear Nich, that lifted my spirit. I appreciate the positive news for ware!

  2. Lewis

    Carson looked great tonight. Would love to know if Walsh tried to rush the missed fg a little because he knew a defender was coming. I think McKissick is a lock to make the roster, since he’s taken the vast majority of snaps as a returner. He looked good as a runner tonight, too.

    • Lewis

      Oh, and I was super pleased at how little we heard Odihambo’s name. Yeah, he had the one awful play, but it was better than I expected.

    • Rob Staton

      On Walsh’s miss, I was surprised at the time it wasn’t blocked or Walsh hurt. The guy made a good jump on the ball there and nearly got to a couple of others. Thankfully the flag spared the miss. Walsh is kicking very well so far.

      • Ishmael

        Kicking is such a mental thing. A change of scenery, bit of a chip on his shoulder, Pete revving up him, that locker room… It’s a great team for a guy looking for redemption.

        • Tien

          Totally agree about the mental thing, Ishmael! All these pro kickers have the leg strength & ability but they’re also under a lot of pressure every game. They’re expected to make almost every FG so when they do it’s “ho-hum, whatever” but when they start missing more than one or two, most of us in the fan base panic and start screaming for a replacement. It’s easy to see why so many kickers are headcases. During the game last night, it was mentioned that after Walsh was cut by the Vikings, he spent some time with a psychiatrist, presumably to get his self-confidence back. He’s looked great so far and here’s hoping this continues throughout the season!

      • Trevor

        Agree completely about Walsh he has looked great and seems to have a stronger leg than Steve H.

        I really hope he can get his confidence back and be real solid going into playoffs because until he hits some clutch kicks there will always be doubt.

  3. SeventiesHawksFan

    There have been so many very good NFL receivers who did nothing their rookie year. Doesn’t make sense to cut Darboh as a rookie to keep McEvoy or even McKissic who likely aren’t part of the longer term plan.

    Carson is looking like the steal of the draft.

    Boykin was terribly misused this game. Was it by design that he was making one 20 plus yard sideline throw after another from the pocket? That’s not within the realm of his actual skill set. Nor is it how they would call plays for him in real game situation. Very odd and puzzling how the moment he entered the game it was one low percentage long pass after another that was called. Didn’t even give him easy short passes to get going.

    And which made it easy for Austin to look much better in comparison. He was given five yard out and dump down passes to set up the long TD. He was much better set up for success.

    O line appeared mostly competent. Probably the most encouraging takeaway from today’s game.

    • cha

      I disagree. Boykin sure looked OK lobbing long passes to Kasen Williams vs San Diego. Feels like the Hawks just wanted to see if it was repeatable.

      Feels like the Hawks needed to see if Boykin could take over more of the playbook if RW had to leave the game, or if they would need to slim down and be more conservative. The 10-15 yard downfield pass has increasingly become part of the Hawks game with RW getting better and better in the pocket.

      They probably felt good about the shorter tempo-type passes, and Boykin’s RW-like throw on the run ability, and just wanted another look at how he stood in the pocket and delivered passes further down the field.

      Not that I’m saying he did good. It was dreadful.

  4. Thy Hawk is Howling

    I want Kasen Williams and Tanner McEvoy on this roster! I have a feeling we are going to potentially loose Darboh and that’s a risk I’m willing to take to Keep Kasen and Tanner. Darboh really hasn’t done much and he even dropped the 5 yards out of bounds pass from Boykin right off his chest. I’m not judging the kid you just know how nervous he must feel. I really hope he makes it to the practice squad and with how little he’s done in the NFL so far I don’t think he’s a lock to get snagged by another team from his College and Draft pedigree.

    Go Rob’s instant Reactions

    Go Hawks

    • Sean-O

      Tough WR decisions coming up. That last week will be vital for Darboh. With the Hawks & their “always compete” mantra it’s tough seeing him make it over Williams or McEvoy.

      • Austin Slater

        Internally they seem very high on Darboh and used high draft capitol to get him so I would be shocked if he gets cut. I think they end up tgrading someone opening up a spot for Darboh.

        • Lewis

          I still think it’s entirely possible Darboh winds up on the IR somehow

  5. KD

    “Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.” – Calvin Coolidge

    Seahawk Philosophy in a nutshell

  6. hawkdawg

    I thought the first team run defense was poor. DL was getting blown back, safties and corners making too many tackles. Earl is all the way back, maybe even better than ever, though. Dude plays at a different speed.

    • KD

      The thing that gave me a lot of confidence in the offense is the number of explosive plays. Just look at this:

      (player/long gain)
      Kearse: 39
      Baldwin: 25
      Carson 37
      McEvoy: 28
      Graham: 30

      That is incredible. Russ is operating with surgeon precision.

      • Thy Hawk is Howling

        Yeah KD thanks for the numbers Brov! Wilson rule’s! He’s only going to get better until his peak at 45, when he retires just so others have a slight chance to compare to him statistically because he’s a nice bloke. He’s something else, and how lucky are we to have him as our QB!

        Go Wilson

        The Man who coined the phrase “Go Hawks”

  7. Aaron

    Solid outing by the first team o line of Odhiambo-Joeckel-Britt-Aboushi-Ifedi. They weren’t perfect, but they were serviceable. We don’t need five All Pros or five Pro Bowlers, we just need five guys to be win more plays than they lose. I’m encouraged that we’re going to have a better o line this season. It’s still going to be below average imo, but as long as it’s adequate then we’ll do fine. Passing game could be lethal this season, and running game could be improved but not dominant. Lots to like from this game. Please no starters next week except maybe o line. Can’t wait for week 1 at Lambeau. Go Hawks!!!

    P.S. – Hey Rob, do you still expect a trade before week 1? If so, for what position? Interior d line or OT?

    • Rob Staton

      I think an interior D-line trade is most likely.

  8. C-Dog

    A few thoughts.

    1. It was interesting to see Naz Jones get the start at defensive tackle, and that he rattled off three consecutive tackles, showed some nice penetration at 3 tech. He remains my favorite rook. Rubin seemed to play a lot of nose. Reed and Jefferson paired together inside for a stretch. I think we might be seeing the defensive tackle rotation.

    2. Chris Carson is just a flat out stud. He just feels like a feature back. It was nice to watch Lacy mix in some thunderous running. I really like what’s happening at running back.

    3. McKissic running was very, very interesting. Could this signal a stunner move with the team potentially moving on from Prosise? Is moving him back to RB a way for them to carry an extra receiver?

    4. Rees Odhiambo had himself a nice game. Tobin looked good as well. I’m over worrying about LT.

    5. Germaine Ifedi is looking better at RT. I can see it.

    6. Aboushi threw a hella block on that first splashy vintage RW scramble pass. I’m kinda digging the idea of having him start over Glowinski and having that veteran savvy next to Ifedi.

    7. Boykin magnificently pooped all over himself. I think you’re on the nose, Rob. I’d rather have the game managing traits of Austin Davis come into a game if needed to win. They can put Boykin on the practice squad.

    8. David Bass is a stud. Period.

    9. Tough call on Darbah making the 53, but I will say he wasn’t helped by Boykin at all. My hunch is that he will still make the 53 based on his 3rd round status. The team has kept other third rounders who didn’t impress as rookies in the preseason in Jordan Hill and last year with Rees Odhiambo.

    10. Russell Wilson looks really, really good.

    • Thy Hawk is Howling

      Thanks for your thoughts C-Dog, you’re one of the most insightfully positive fans on this site. I enjoy hearing the good aspects of our team! This is the most difficult year to decide on cutting down the roster to the 53 in my experience since following more closely.

      • C-Dog

        Thanks, THiH! I agree. This cut down is going to be really tough. Go Hawks!

    • FresnoBrad

      I don’t think we can afford to keep Mckissick unless Locket is hurt. Don’t underestimate David Moore

  9. New Guy

    I can hardly remember a time when McEvoy didn’t catch the ball when it was thrown to him. There’s so little drama.

    I hope the numbers break for him.

    .

    • Trevor

      Agreed he will likely only get spot duty and make 10-12 plays on the year but if history holds to form they will all be huge plays. He is the ideal 52-53 guy on the roster IMO as he makes the type of plays that can truly change the outcome of a season.

  10. New Guy

    Oh yeah, and why was KC always able to run up the middle of the Seahawk D line when the firsts were in there?

    .

    • C-Dog

      Carroll alluded to some fundamentals being off. Sounded like some correctable stuff maybe more than what KC was doing. Seattle has shown this tendency in past preseasons and occasionally in the random regular season game, but has always corrected things, and at the end of the season, usually ends up with a top rushing defense. As far as the defense is concerned, with this roster and coaching staff, color me not concerned in the slightest.

      • MCake

        Plus KC is a traditionally elite running offensive team. Jamaal Charles tore us up in 2014 with something crazy like 120 rushing yards.

        Run defense hasn’t looked great so far but consider the running backs they’ve had to face in the preseason:
        Melvin Gordon
        Dalvin Cook
        Spencer Ware
        Kareem Hunt

        • C-Dog

          Kareem Hunt had a good stretch of runs. Jarran Reed tried to strong arm tackle him, and Hunt was carrying him for what looked like another 3 yards or more before he went down. I think this may have been an example of what Carroll was talking about. Leverage and fundamentals. You can strong arm tackle like a beast at Alabama when you are playing Middle Tennessee, and look like a stud, but you can’t rely on that in the pros. Reed’s a good player, and will learn. All this is correctable.

          • Thy Hawk is Howling

            If I am not mistaken Rob was liking Kareem Hunt quite a bit leading up to the draft. Doesn’t fumble all around consistent RB that he thought might mesh with Our Team. Robbie is just a really smart guy who is analitical, intelligent, clever, and a fan of sports. We’re fortunate his Brother moved to Vancouver BC and Rob got a taste for American Football at Century Link or what was Quest field at the time in 2008.

            Go Seahawks Draft Blog

            • C-Dog

              Rob is top notch, for sure.

        • CharlieTheUnicorn

          Cook was the best looking rusher Seattle has faced in the preseason. Considering the Vikings OL is not some great unit, even more impressive.

        • RWIII

          My take on the run defense. I would say that my concern on a scale of 1 to 10 is some where between 3-4. Probably closer to a 3. Pete Carroll and his crew always seems to figure out how to slow down the opposing running game.

  11. dumbquestions

    Well observed. Agree that Collins is out. As for RB, I’ll take Lacy and Carson. They did just fine.

  12. House

    My thoughts:

    QB: Russ looked like Russ and its got me excited. I’m hoping we go out and put up points on teams. No more ticky-tacky 13-10 games. I want beatdowns. Boykin didn’t do anything for me tonight but lose ground to Davis. Like Rob said, Davis isn’t a “sexy” QB, but he completes passes and he does have starting experience. I think preseason game 4 will be the tiebreaker for the backup position. IMO, Davis also doesn’t carry the OTF baggage and gets the nod in my opinion.

    RB: What isn’t there to say about Carson? The dude is a stud and with Rawls/Prosise out, he’s earned his spot and weekly touches. Lacy is frustrating, but I think he did alright tonight. Collins is gone and I think the only way Davis sticks is if someone gets hurt and IR’d.

    WR: I think we carry 6. Baldwin, T-Lock, P-Rich are locks to me. I’m still on the fence about Kearse sticking around. I think tonight was a “show him” to boost trade value. There are 2-3 teams right now that could use a guy like Kearse. I think behind the locks, Darboh is going to stick and Williams has pushed to make the team. McKissic showed some burst on a couple plays. McEvoy is a favorite of mine. He catches the ball and plays hard on ST.

    TE: Jimmy is a monster!!! I’m thinking an extension is in order soon

    OL: I thought the guys played well tonight and seeing Rees left a positive mark on me. I know he is clearly a step down from Fant, but next man up is all we can say/do. Ifedi looked awesome in run protection. He looks much more comfortable setting the edge vs being boxed in last year. Could be scheme familiarity, but I think the position switch to RT is a better fit for his skillset. I still can’t determine who our RG is going to be…

    DL: Jones looked good and I’m liking his growth. Reed made some good plays and I’d like to see him show up this year. Marsh got some good pressure and is ready. Bass plays hard and his ST play earns him a spot in my eyes. I was reading an article about him yesterday and he has played snaps at DT as well.

    LB: I think the squad is good to go. I can see our cuts getting picked up by other teams.

    CB: I think we keep 5 and I don’t know how both Brock/Lane fit into that equation. IMO, Brock stays and Lane gets traded. Sherm, Griffin, Brock, Thorpe & Desir/Elliott is what I see.

    S: ET, Kam, Hill, McDougald are locks, I don’t know about Thompson yet. I’d like him to make the team and if we only keep 5 CBs, its possible he makes it.

    ST: Walsh looks good. He appears to have shaken that missed kick against us off and is playing great. I hope he carries through a great season.

    • Thy Hawk is Howling

      You are a true Seahawks fan ‘House’ and I appreciate your positive exuberant commentary, Cheers!

      It’s going to be so much more fun than last season!

      Go Hawks!

      • House

        I appreciate it! It’s great to have football back and talking to all of you great folks again!

    • FresnoBrad

      House I like your analysis but I think there’s a strong chance we keep young receivers including David Moore. If we do this by cutting Kearse vs trading Kearse we save 2.2 million on this years cap. If we trade Kearse we eat the 2.2 million, Unless a 4th/5th round pick is worth 2.2 million. If we keep young receivers we will avoid a receiver need next year. Also we could trade Williams or Richardson but if we do that we put this season at risk. Matt Tobin looked really good. Boykin’s play may force us to use a high draft pick next year.

    • AlaskaHawk

      Got to think that Kasen Williams could be a starting WR too. Some tough cuts coming in this group. After Kearse having a good game, I wonder if someone like PRich could be in danger??

  13. JC

    Of the Seahawks backup QBs, 1 is practice squad eligible, and was recently rated as the #32 backup QB in the league. Boykin seems like someone who can clear waivers, though as the season wears on, could be poached if QB injuries mount.

    Also factoring in Darboh is team control years. He’d be the highest pick cut in PC/JS era. He was so far out of bounds he may not have tried to catch that Boykin throw, though that’s probably being charitable.He has a good special teams background. There’s still another game too, and someone could get banged up and start on PUP to delay that kind of decision.

    • FresnoBrad

      If Darboh doesn’t show up in game 4 and David Moore does it would be stupid to cut Moore!

  14. nichansen01

    Hard to imagine them cutting a third rounder. But for me, hard to imagine them cutting both JD and Kasen.

    Fourth game is critical.

    • Hawktalker #1

      No way Kasen gets cut

      • FresnoBrad

        Williams should get traded before he’s cut. Darboh had drops in college even though he made big plays. His catch % isn’t good enough for Hawks right now, if he doesn’t show up next week we should cut him.

  15. nichansen01

    Anyone else think Rawls or Prosise could get cut? Maybe stash Mckissic as a runningback. Have Carson start, keep Lacy as a rotational guy. Keep Mike Davis for depth.

    • C-Dog

      I think it’s possible that they “might” look to move Prosise.. possibly. With Spencer Ware going down, would KC potentially be a partner? I can see Prosise fitting into that Andy Reid system.

      It would be a shocker if they parted ways with Rawls, IMO. I think Carroll loves him, and probably sees his physical running style mixing in well with Lacy and Carson. That’s a steady stream of forceful running with those three.

      • Thy Hawk is Howling

        I hope they have a steady rotation of Rawls, Lacy, and Carson while still utilizing Prosise as much as we can this year. Chris Carson is looking like a legitimate NFL running back and I’m excited to watch him develope! No way are they trading Rawls until they see him healthy again he had two 200 yard games his rookie year and led the league in yards per carry until that damn stuffed play up the middle against the Ravens where he got his ankle bent over ugh I’m sick!

        Rawls is one of my favourite players and people on the Hawks his enthusiasm and glow in his eyes is from someone who has a Loving thankful positive energy in his being. He is a special kid! Hell no do we trade him!

        Prosise seems more fragile however he was a WR as we all know. Then was forced into being a RB his Sr. year due to injury and was recruited to Notre Dame to play Safety. So he used to hit people on Defense and to me that indicates that he is tougher then us fans possibly know. What would we gain from trading his potential anyway?

        We are in an excellent position the way we are. Davis and Mckissik are the questions for reasons we already know and it depends on if they keep Reece on the initial 53 to start the season or do what they did with ‘Truck a Fool’ last year and wait til after the first game to sign him as to not guarantee his contact.

        • CharlieTheUnicorn

          CJ Prosise is Percy Harvin 2.0 in durability.

          • MCake

            I think Harvin was still way more injury prone plus everyone’s is ignoring the fact that the last two weeks he was held by the coaching staff last second. There’s a very good chance he would’ve played both games if it was the regular season.

        • C-Dog

          Yeah, I’m not sure what to make of Prosise. Dave Wyman contends that the dude loves contact and plays unafraid, but thinks he just has bad injury luck. For me, he’s just such a home run hitter, and that’s his uniqueness. I mean if they want to run it 30 to 40 times a game, bound defenders with Carson, Lacy and Rawls, and on third down mix in Prosise, and add Prosise in towards the end of games to break the backs of the defenders, I can understand that strategy.

          I will say in the practice I caught a few weeks ago, Rawls looked great, Lacy looked good, Carson was impressive, and Prosise caught a dump pass over the middle and kinda got hammered. He didn’t really do much to shine.

          • FresnoBrad

            Prosise fits our mold too much to trade him, I’m not worried at all! Preseason is plain vanilla football

    • DC

      Or traded.
      Wouldn’t surprised if Carson is starting by year’s end. He’s got a bruise crew ahead of him. Also really glad to have Marcel at FB. This offense just seems much better when a good FB is on the roster & contributing.

    • red

      You could shop them, but I would not cut Prosise has three yeras control for cheap Rawls RFA next year. If I am no mistaken Mike Davis still has two years control. I am not loving Mckissic as a returner. We can keep 5RB if we go without a FB. They could go without FB for first 2 or 3 weeks then bring back Reece and let go of RB5 if we are healthy.

      • nichansen01

        Mckissic is better than Bryan Walters at least (anyone remember him?)

        Anyways, to me, the value of prosise is his ability to catch passes. Carson has shown that he do that just as well. Prosise isn’t a great talent as a pure runner.

        Rawls is a super talented runner, his problem is durability, and his pass catching ability is limited. Rawls will give you two spectacular games a year, but not be able to contribute for large sections of the season. It’s tough because it makes you wonder, are those 2-3 amazing Rawls performances worth keeping a player on roster who can’t play half the season?

        Seems like Lacy and Carson are both pretty durable, they’re both locks. Mike Davis has shown a world more than prosise ever did in the preseason. I think Davis so far looks like a better runner than prosise, and he has shown he can also catch the ball.

        If prosise can’t contribute, I don’t see why we have to be locked into
        Keeping him around, especially when it means cutting perfectly viable players who are durable.

        • MCake

          Lacy just came off a major injury in the offseason. Prosise shown last season he has tremendous value as both a WR and a RB. It’s pretty narrow-minded to say he’s just a guy who can catch the ball. Watch his NE and Philly games as a refresher.

          Carson has shown he could be a three-down back someday in the NFL but, he is still the #4 RB on this team.

        • red

          McKissic has dropped a punt return and a Kickoff in back to back weeks. McKissic is not explosive as KR man I have no problem with him taking punts, but I would like him to show better hands. I have Locket take kick returns week one. I think Mckissic overrated as returner but underrated as a third down back. I don’t want Baldwin taking punts so maybe start out with Mckissic on 53 if RBs appear to be healthy after a couple weeks and locket appears healthy and we are comfortable with locket as punt returner let him go but who knows maybe a WR or RB go on Pup or IR early in year and he can keep his roster spot.

      • Austin Slater

        There is zero chance they trade/cut Prosise. He is still the most talented RB on the roster and they have a ton of control and invested a lot of capitol for him. I hope he gets a chance to shine a little bit here soon.

        • Tien

          Agreed and same with Rawls. McKissic is a nice player but I don’t get all the hype about him and why people think he should be kept over Rawls and/or Procise. Adn as a returner, McKissic has looked okay but not like someone that we have to keep. Both Procise & Rawls have proven in real games that they can dominate and their only issues are health…and the team has not indicated that they’ve run out of patience on the health issues yet. My hope is that the Hawks keep Lacey, Rawls, Procise, Carson, & Davis w/ Reece as FB. Lacey, Rawls, Carson, Davis can all be effective 3 down backs if necessary and I would rather us have too many backs than to have a string of freak injuries leave us with depending on off the street RBs for our running game. Procise is that dangerous change of pace back we can send out as a mismatch vs LBs and safeties.

          • FresnoBrad

            Mckissic is important to preseason because he keeps drives alive, allows Locket to rest, and David Moore time to learn return skills.

            • David

              Are you actually David Moore pretending to be FresnoBrad?

  16. red

    Mckissic ERFA 2018 RFA 2019

    Kasen Williams ERFA 2018 RFA 2019

    Tanner McEvoy RFA 2019

    I think it is about time Darboh gets a high ankle sprain (wink wink) off to the PuP List you go.

    • nichansen01

      This team totally fakes injury for that purpose. Remember Mohamed Seisey?

      • KD

        No, and no.

      • KD

        If you have proof that the Seahawks fake injuries, then present your evidence. Otherwise, don’t throw around accusations.

        • Redhawk87

          No fakes, but they can use a minor injury (real, but not season ending) to place them on the IR. Prosise could be IRed due to persistent inability to be ready at gametime, stemming from (insert body part here). Prosise then would be under club control again next year. It’d be a major bummer, but if he can’t feel like he can suit up, then perhaps he needs the year to condition his body for punishment.
          Rawls, on the other hand, would suit up and play until he breaks. That’s his style. The team just wants to give him more time to ensure his body is 100% for the regular season. I don’t get the impression that the team is as worried with him as with Prosise

    • KingRajesh

      Some teams are notorious for doing this, and players hate it. It’s one of the reasons Rick Smith, GM of the Texans, is hated by agents and players.

    • FresnoBrad

      Kaseem is ERFA in 2018 not 2019!

  17. CharlieTheUnicorn

    Austin Davis – Had a nice game and got some WRs catchable balls. Some nice game tape for evaluation. I thought the 3rd quart was a lost cause (Boykin) for the passing offense, there were very few if any catchable balls…. so how will McEvoy, Williams or any other WR make a name for themselves.

    J. Kearse didn’t do himself any favors with the ST gaff on his assignment. He made some nice catches but seemed a bit slower after the catch… or didn’t get many yards after contact. Perhaps I’m thinking he looked slow out of the breaks into the patterns…. maybe the eyes are deceiving me. I still think he is a marked man.

    I thought the OL in general had a solid game. One major whiff (sack) and a few pressures, but overall about as clean a pocket for the QBs as I’ve seen in a few years. I’m pretty sure some of the bigger runs were behind Ifedi and Aboushi on the right side….. something to keep an eye on.

    The offensive playcalling was ok, but I’m not a huge fan of the all or nothing pass plays that were called in the passing attack…. majority happen to work, but I could see some poor games due to this philosophy. (Maybe they were just trying to get could quality looks at WRs/TEs/RBs in the passing attack since it was preseason) The ground game looked decent with Lacy and very good with Carson. I have a feeling they might go the Patriot route and have different starting RBs each week, tailored to who they are facing.

    • Tien

      Other than the ST mistake, I thought Kearse played really well and showed again why he’d be a great # 3 or #4 receiver for the Hawks!

  18. C-Dog

    Project 53 after preseason game 3.

    QB 2

    Russell Wilson
    Austin Davis

    Boykin is RW light, but has poor practice play finally caught up to him in the preseason, has the well of improvising in games run dry? Tonight he looked horrendous. Do they trust him to come in and manage games should Wilson go down for a stretch? If Austin Davis is anything, he is a game manager. Tonight was probably a shining example of that. Give him a great defense, a power run game, and a few nice targets, and he might just manage you a few wins.

    RB 5

    Thomas Rawls
    Eddie Lacy
    Chris Carson
    CJ Prosise
    JD McKissic

    The three headed monster of Rawls, Lacy and Carson has Pete Carroll salivated. You want to be the bully again? Find three unique backs winning and able to dish pain when they run, and rotate them relentlessly. Mike Davis not making the roster hurts. I think he’s a good back. McKissic has been a training camp stud, and can factor as an added offensive weapon that they envision out of CJ Prosise. Prosise is a home run hitter, but how often are they going to depend on him? Are the tremors of them loosing patience real enough for them to part ways in only his second season? Carroll said yesterday that if Friday was a real season game Rawls and Prosise would both play. Didn’t sound like he is tipping any disappointment. At then end of the day, my hunch is that they keep him.

    FB 1

    Trey Madden

    Seattle opts to go with the younger option who is also a solid special teamer. If he struggles, maybe they bring Reece back.

    WR 7

    Doug Baldwin
    Tyler Lockett
    Paul Richardson
    Jermaine Kearse
    Kasen Williams
    Tanner McEvoy
    Amara Darboh

    Right now, I have them hanging onto seven players here. Darboh is a good special teamer and a third round investment is too high to part ways with as a rookie. I just don’t see it happening. Given the injury history to P Rich and Lockett, keeping 7 players might not be a bad idea, anyways. David Moore maybe gets stashed on the PS

    TE 3
    Jimmy Graham
    Luke Willson
    Nick Vannett

    No surprises here

    OL 8
    Rees Odhiambo
    Juke Joekel
    Justin Britt
    Ode Aboushi
    Germaine Ifedi
    Ethan Pocic
    Mark Glowinski
    Matt Tobin

    Glowinski can play both guard spots. Pocic can play guard, center and tackle. Tobin is probably the swing tackle if he doesn’t win the LT spot, and can play guard as well. Roos and Hunt likely become practice squaders.

    DL 9

    Cliff Avril
    Michael Bennett
    Frank Clark
    Ahtyba Rubin
    Jarran Reed
    Naz Jones
    Quinton Jefferson
    David Bass
    Cassius Marsh

    No huge surprises. Q Jeff makes it as a fourth DT, he saw some quality time at 3 tech with Reed in the first half. David Bass and Cassius Marsh add depth to the edge. Tyler Harris and Rodney Coe are good PS candidates

    LB 5

    Bobby Wagner
    KJ Wright
    Terrence Garvin
    Michael Whilhoite
    DJ Alexander.

    I think these are the five that they roll with, Cassius Marsh could slide into SAM in a pinch, maybe David Bass, as well.

    CB 5
    Richard Sherman
    Shaquill Griffin
    Jeremy Lane
    Neiko Thorpe
    Tramaine Brock

    Pierre Desir and DeAndre Elliott don’t make this cut. Elliot might make the practice squad. I can see Desir catch on with another team. Brock adds veteran savvy to the nickel. Thorpe is a key special teamer, and Lane can play outside and nickel.

    Safety 5

    Earl Thomas
    Kam Chancellor
    Bradley McDougald
    Delano Hill
    Tedric Thompson

    Seattle likes it’s depth here with McDougald being a key player, and the promising upside of Hill and Thompson.

    Specialists 3

    Blair Walsh
    Jon Ryan
    Tyler Ott

    • Thy Hawk is Howling

      And the winner for the most thought out, extensive, and appreciated post goes to…….

      C-Dog !

      You are a true Fan C, or should I call you Mr. Dog?

      • C-Dog

        Either works! I dig the full name, as well. Go Hawks!

    • dingbatman

      Spot on! McKissic is Prosise “lite”.

      • C-Dog

        McKissic is making it really, really interesting.

    • Sean-O

      Someone save this post! I could see the 53 being exactly like this.

    • AlaskaHawk

      Yep that will be the starters!!! What a great looking bunch!

  19. Curt the Dirt

    Exhaled once the game ended. No real injuries to speak of this week — That was left to the Patriots and the apparent loss of Brady’s security blanket for the season, Edelman.

    The officiating made it a tough game to watch. The roughing penalty on Marsh was harsh. Sorry, couldn’t resist.

    My favorite play was the 20+ yard drop-in over Baldwin’s shoulder near the sideline. You don’t think these two know each other’s strengths, do you?

    Setting aside the OL for now, my biggest concern is the lack of a run stuffing space eater. It’s abundantly clear that Rubin isn’t the guy: he was repeatedly pushed back several yards from the line of scrimmage by single-player matchups. He often looked overmatched. And, while I like Reed, if Rubin is going to be the starter and not get much push, well, that’s going to take away Reed’s strength, quick penetration. My hope is that Naz continues to get reps and quickly develops into the guy they thought they had in Rubin.

    Always appreciate the analysis, Rob. Thanks for providing the platform for Hawk fans that need to get something off their chest!

  20. red

    Anybody think it is crazy to come out with 8 OL on the 53 to start season? Tobin can play both tackle position and Luke Jockel can play LG&LT. Pocic can be primary back up C and guard and right tackle and Glowinski is guard depth. If we can stash Tyrus Thompson and Roos on practice squad that could be ideal.

    • C-Dog

      I think if you get the right mix of versatile players, it’s not crazy at all. It seems like they have a bunch of players that can play guard and tackle, and one player that can play guard and tackle and center.

      • Lewis

        Consider that the 9 last year included Hunt. With Pocic around, Hunt isn’t needed. Not crazy. Love your 53, C.

  21. CharlieTheUnicorn

    I forgot, the biggest knocks on Seattle tonight were (1) all the penalties in all 3 phases of the game.
    The OL and DL however seemed to limit pre-snap penalties, which was encouraging. (2) Not sticking the ball into the endzone more than a few times.

  22. Forrest

    Final 53 prediction:

    QB: Wilson, Davis
    RB: Rawls, Carson, Lacy, Mckissic, Procise, Madden (FB)
    TE: Graham, Vannett, Willson
    WR: Baldwin, Richardson, Lockett, McEvoy, Williams, Kearse/Darboh (WR trade?)
    OL: Britt, Ifedi, Odhiombo, Joeckel, Glowinski, Roos, Pocic, Aboushi, Tobin

    DL: Reed, Rubin, Bass, Jefferson, Marsh, Avril, Bennett, Jones, Clark (McDowell on IR)
    LB: Wagner, Wright, Wilhoite, Garvin, Alexander/Smith
    CB: Sherman, Griffin, Lane, Brock, Desir
    S: Thomas, Chancellor, Thompson, Hill, McDougald

    P: Ryan
    K: Walsh
    LS: Ott

    • Aaron

      Good 53 man projection. I’d personally go with Reese over Madden because of experience. I’d also give them another CB like Thrope just for depth. I see a trade with Kearse or Lane coming, wonder if the Jets will give us Sheldon Richardson for Kearse or Lane and next year’s third. We need another inside/out d linemen to make up for McDowell who’s probably going on IR.

  23. Old but Slow

    There is very likely a trade in the offing. Rob has suggested it, and it makes too much sense. The team is loaded at WR, RB, and DB. There are teams with needs, and that could lead to a chance to score a player. A DL, like Richardson that Rob mentioned, or an offensive lineman, or maybe even a backup QB to push Boykin and Davis. I would vote for the DL, but I’m selfish that way.

    • FresnoBrad

      No trade that dramatically increases cap with our LT out! Sheldon’sRichardson’s behavior this summer should disqualify him from Seahawks, especially when Sheldon reveals to the press we tried to low ball him. I thought we could trade Davis until I saw several other no name RB’s on other teams blow it out in preseason games. Now I’m not sure of Davis value.

  24. red

    Bob Condotta reporting Desmond Bryant DT coming in for tryout. He missed all of 2016 with pectoral muscle tear 6 sacks in 2015 with the Browns 6’5 310. If he is not to expensive could be a nice fit.

    • C-Dog

      John Schnieder was interested in him a few years ago when he hit free agency out of Oakland. If healthy can help out that inside rush.

    • vrtkolman

      Not surprising at all to me. Rubin hasn’t looked good so far. He is getting pushed back far too easily. With a $3.7 million cap hit to boot for a space eater. John and Pete do love their late DT signings. So much value there.

      • FresnoBrad

        I’ve been scratching my head watching Rubin play this preseason too. I’ve got him on the trading block back to Cleveland! How has Jefferson been playing?

  25. Sea Mode

    We knew this already, but dang he’s got long arms…
    http://static.nfl.com/static/content/public/pg-photo/2017/08/18/0ap3000000831657/chris-carson_pg_600.jpg

    • cha

      “I have to go my planet needs me”

  26. Austin Slater

    Rob its been a long off season without your analysis. Glad to have you back!

    • Rob Staton

      Thanks man

  27. Ukhawk

    Really pleased with Hawks performance and after watched replays of Wilsons rookie season , it is not hard to see the growth & maturity of the offender. However some major questions linger:
    – Was the offensive & more specifically the OL really challenged given KC were missing their 2 best pass rushers and their all-pro safety? It’ll be interesting to see if they can take it up a notch and deal with blitzes, stunts etc going forward.

    -Why did Lacy only get 4 carries, shouldn’t he be getting into game shape and his snap count be increasing if he may be asked to carry the load in the absence of Rawls??

    -What’s going on with the defense who seems to be becoming more & more a bend-but-don’t-break unit rather than a smash mouth, aggressive group who takes the fight to the offender. The run defence has seems off & only ET seems up for it. Plus is anyone else getting tired of Lane giving a 15 yard cushion each play?

    • Ukhawk

      Offence not ‘offender’

    • Sea Mode

      I do hope Brock and Griffin competition will light a little fire under Lane. Can’t let him get too comfortable with that contract he got.

      As for Lacy, I think they know what he can do and want to give the other guys reps. Also, he is still coming off a pretty major injury, so I don’t think they are in a hurry to rush him back into full action. Baby steps… Lastly, they are saving to unleash him on GB week 1! 🙂

      Bend but not break is fine as long as your offense is putting up big points. From what we’ve seen so far from Russ and the first team offense, it’s looking like it won’t be a problem.

    • C-Dog

      Seattle probably wasn’t tested like they were against the Vikings, but in the preseason you’re probably going to see mostly vanilla defenses.

      Likewise, regarding the Seattle defense, they are running vanilla out there, working out the kinks and fundamentals with a number of young players and new players.

      In terms of Lacy, he is coming back from injury. I think they are probably being judicious with his load, but Chris Carson is the upstart that they probably want to see get more looks with the ones.

      • Ishmael

        This. Lacy’s a known quantity at this point, but they need to see how Carson can hold up under a reasonably heavy load.

        If everyone can stay healthy, unlikely, this could be a deeply unpleasant group for opposing defences.

    • CharlieTheUnicorn

      I thought the workload for Lacy was going to be light…. since they really wanted to look at the other RBs in this game with the #1/#2s. I think it was a dress rehearsal for Carson. Could he really run with the ones for long stretches in the 1st half…… he answered the bell imo.

    • Ukhawk

      Thx for your thoughts, fellas

  28. TCHawk

    I don’t know if anyone else heard the mystery of the ‘process’ on KJ’s knees. Here’s the ink http://www.oregonlive.com/nfl/index.ssf/2017/08/seattle_seahawks_lb_kj_wright.html. Sounds like it helped him. Hopefully not outlawed by the NFL (JK).

    Tough decisions at WR. I like the differences both McEvoy and K. Williams bring to stable of WRs. Darboh seems a younger, less experienced, but maybe more talented version of Kearse at a lower cost over the next 4 years. But Kearse has made a lot of big plays and lots of bonehead plays too.

    I hope we can keep Bass. He keeps showing up.

    • Ukhawk

      I’d love that trade

  29. Trevor

    I would still love to see the Hawks pull off the trade Rob posted a link about

    Trade Lane and Kearse + a late pick for Sheldon Richardson. I think it is a pipe dream but wow would it make huge difference for the Hawks IMO.

    With the loss of Mcdowell I really think we lack that interior pass rush on earlier downs. Naz looks great in pre-season and I still hold out hope Reed may develop into a 3 down DT but neither seems ready to be a true force as a pass rusher yet. It would change the whole look of our defense if we could collapse the pocket more regularly.

    Also I think Lane and Kearse while serviceable have younger replacements on the roster who are cheaper, under team control and can provide similar level of performance with far greater upside.

    When I think of Darboh, Williams or Mcevoy being cut for Kearse it makes me cringe.

    I think next week there will be a record # of NFL trades and I hope somehow JS pulls this one off.

    • Ukhawk

      +2. Or move for Marcell Dareus. Need a bad @ss guy in he middle to wreak some havoc

  30. Trevor

    Frank Clark if he stays healthy will lead the Hawks in sacks with 14+ this year. He looks so dominant at times and seems to really be learning the craft under Avril and Bennett.

    He seems like a bit of an ass and one mean dude (which may help him on the field) but he has off the chart talent. We have awesome speed rushers wish we could somehow get a dominant interior rusher. That is why the loss of Mcdowell was such a bummer.

    • vrtkolman

      Clark could be the best defensive lineman on the team this year. Those two plays where he tripped up Alex behind the line, and then immediately followed with instant pressure and a hit on the next play… that was dominant.

      • Coleslaw

        You notice after his TFL on Smith the next play he was kind of used as a rover stand up Blitzer on his pressure that forced the bad pass

  31. Coleslaw

    Starting to believe we could be looking to trade Lane. Someone above mentioned we could have been showing off Kearse for a trade, well Lane got.the start too over Griffin and I don’t think he was hurt. I just don’t see them cutting guys like Desir. Move Lane, get a little cap room back and keep your project guys who are on minimum deals who are also finally showing up like youve hoped. It seems like a JSPC thing to do to me

  32. WALL UP

    Final 53 Proposed 53 Man Roster:

    OFFENSE (25)

    QB: (2) Wilson, Boykin
    RB: (5) Rawls, Lacy, Carson, Prosise, McKissic
    FB: None**
    TE: (3) Graham, Willson, Vannett
    WR: (6) Baldwin, Lockett, Richardson, Kearse, McEvoy or Williams (Not Both), Darboh
    OL: (9) Britt, Ifedi, Odhiombo, Joeckel, Aboushi, Glowinski, Roos, Pocic, Tobin

    SPECIAL TEAMS: (3) Ryan, Walsh, Ott

    DEFENSE (25)

    DL: (10) Avril, Bennett, Reed, Rubin, Clark, Jones, Jefferson, Marsh, Bass, Bryant*
    LB: (5) Wagner, Wright, Wilhoite, Garvin, McDonald, Alexander(PUP)
    CB: (5) Sherman, Griffin, Lane, Brock, Thorpe
    S: (5) Thomas, Chancellor, McDougald, Hill, Thompson

    *(New Acquisition – Desmond Bryant DT)
    **(No FB initially, until No E is healthy enough to resume kick return duties)

    • WALL UP

      The “Proposed New Acquisition” has thoughts of Seattle as noted in his last word s of this video: https://youtu.be/JQRaY6SQ_dw

  33. LeoSharp

    53 man Roster projection

    Offense

    QB
    Russell Wilson
    Trevone Boykin

    WR
    Doug Baldwin
    Tyler Lockett
    Paul Richardson
    Jermaine Kearse
    Kasen Williams
    Amara Darboh

    RB/FB
    Thomas Rawls
    Eddie Lacy
    Chris Carson
    C.J. Prosise
    Marcel Reece
    J.D. McKissic

    TE
    Jimmy Graham
    Luke Willson
    Nick Vannet

    OL
    Justin Britt
    Germain Ifedi
    Luke Joeckal
    Mark Glowinski
    Oday Aboushi
    Rees Odhiambo
    Ethan Pocic
    Matt Tobin
    Jordan Roos

    Defense

    DL
    Michael Bennet
    Cliff Avril
    Frank Clark
    Cassius Marsh
    David Bass
    Ahtyba Rubin
    Nazair Jones
    Jarran Reed
    Marcus Smith

    LB
    Bobby Wagner
    K.J. Wright
    Terence Garvin
    Michael Wilhoite
    Dewey McDonald
    D.J. Alexander

    CB
    Richard Sherman
    Jeremy Lane
    Shaquill Griffin
    Neiko Thorpe
    Tramaine Brock

    S
    Earl Thomas
    Kam Chancellor
    Bradley McDougald
    Delano Hill

    ST
    Jon Ryan
    Blair Walsh
    Tyler Ott

    Thinking that
    Amara Darboh
    DJ Alexander
    Tramaine Brock
    Jordan Roos
    Marcus Smith
    Oday Aboushi/Mark Glowinski
    Kasen Williams

    will be regularly inactive until Tyler Lockett Is healthy and returning kicks full time. At this point McKissic will likely be cut unless C.J Prosise/ Paul Richardson gets hurt again.

  34. CharlieTheUnicorn

    Did anyone else get excited by the blitz / pressure pickups of the RBs during the game?
    I can’t recall a whiff or missed blitz pickup by a RB or FB in the game.

  35. red

    Patriots shopping Kony Ealy maybe trade a 5th for one year of Ealy?

    • HOUSE

      He was just released.

  36. HOUSE

    Kony Ealy was just released by NE. Any interest?

  37. Smitty1547

    yes by the Jets

© 2024 Seahawks Draft Blog

Theme by Anders NorenUp ↑