Instant reaction: Seahawks beat the Eagles, go to Green Bay

If you were asked to sarcastically script a Seahawks game that defined their entire 2019 season, it would look exactly like this.

They played down to an opponent that had a ridiculous number of injuries. They couldn’t pull away to deliver a comfortable win. The defense struggled to create pressure aside from Jadeveon Clowney. They had a near-fatal fumble.

And they won. Which was also the case more often than not during the 2019 season.

This isn’t the type of performance that will have Seahawks fans giddy at the prospect of a deep playoff run. The reality is they beat an Eagles team who lost their quarterback early on and had to roll with a 40-year-old backup. Aside from that, nearly the entire Eagles offense was out or playing hurt.

They toiled. Again, in typical Seahawks 2019 style, there were moments of absolute frustration and bewilderment. Why couldn’t they assert themselves on a hurting opponent? Why did it have to be so close?

Yet off-setting it all were moments of sheer brilliance.

The quality of Russell Wilson shone through, leading a team that is missing so many key players. He threw for 325 yards and ran for 45 more. The Seahawks probably aren’t going to be able to run the ball for the rest of the season. They’re missing offensive linemen and their three starting running backs are gone.

Travis Homer had 12 yards on 11 carries. Marshawn Lynch had a sensational Beast Mode touchdown but finished with seven yards on six carries.

Wilson had to make it happen and he did.

Many teams will go into the off-season — maybe even including the Patriots — looking for a player who is even half of what Wilson is to lead their franchise.

He was well supported by his receivers. D.K. Metcalf had a performance where, if it could be replicated next week, the Seahawks might have some semblance of a shot. His brilliant grab at full-stretch and recovery to make it into the end zone was the winning moment ultimately. He iced the game by torching the Eagles downfield and making another stunning catch on third down.

The Seahawks got a steal when they traded up for him at the back end of round two. He was one pick away from being a third rounder. Which is ridiculous.

David Moore had two long receptions and Tyler Lockett looked closer to his best with a wonderful catch by the sideline. The receivers stepped up on a day to throw.

On the other side of the ball, you could be tempted to call it the ultimate showing of bend-but-don’t-break. They had two fourth down stops at the end. They had seven sacks, somehow. Yet in reality all this game did was highlight the major surgery this defense requires in the off-season.

The run defense is poor. They gave up 4.6 YPC and 120 yards despite the quarterback situation. They couldn’t even play the run well to put it on Josh McCown. Instead, the Eagles didn’t really miss a beat as they marched up and down the field consistently. Their flaw was in the red zone where they strangely looked devoid of creativity. Maybe that was the QB situation catching up with them.

Yet had Miles Sanders not kindly dropped a straight forward pass on fourth down in the final quarter, the Eagles could’ve been right in with a chance to win. It was also a bit of a gift that McCown held on so long on Philly’s final drive — absorbing a sack on another fourth down.

It wasn’t all bad. They did, eventually, get the sack numbers. Jadeveon Clowney made enough splash plays to remind everyone he needs to be kept. K.J. Wright was terrific. The unit will need to play better next week, however.

They move on to Lambeau Field to face a Packers team that has shown flashes of quality and moments of weakness. They destroyed the Vikings in their own stadium to win the NFC North. They also nearly blew a playoff bye against the hapless Lions in week 17 and the 49ers took them to the cleaners in Santa Clara.

At home they should’ve lost to Detroit (only to be helped by the ref’s and win 23-22). They only won 20-15 against the Redskins, 24-16 against the Panthers and it was close against the Bears. They were well beaten in LA by the Chargers.

They’re similar to Seattle. A bit crap some of the time but capable of brilliance too. They’re not missing several key players though.

The Seahawks haven’t even looked like beating the Packers in Green Bay during the Carroll era. They’ve been uncompetitive for the most part, frustrating for the rest.

You can get after Green Bay. Whether this banged up Seahawks team is capable of doing it remains to be seen.

At least they get the opportunity to find out if they can reach the NFC Championship game. They’ve gone a stage further than the Saints, even though it was probably a blessing not to face Minnesota in Seattle today as the #3 seed. They also went a stage further than a year ago by reaching the divisional round and they’ve finally won another road playoff game — albeit against a Philadelphia team with such incredible misfortune due to injuries.

The Packers will be rested. The Seahawks will need to hope Duane Brown and Mike Iupati return. They’ll need to be cleaner (11 penalties today for 114 yards) and they’ll need to match Aaron Rodgers score-for-score. Thus, they’ll need more Wilson magic.

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205 Comments

  1. Trevor

    Well said Rob!

    I think Fant and Jones were actaully solid in pass protection but got no push in the run game. They really could use Brown and Iupati next week as they will need more out of the run game.

    Hawks need to be aggressive on defence next week and take some chances to force turnovers the bend dont break wont cut it against Rodgers.

    My biggest concern is that Russ has always struggled in GB and on grass in general. Let’s pray he gets that monkey off his back next week and shocks the world because he will need to be magical for the Hawks to advance IMO.

    The Hawks motto this year is “Just win Baby” hope they have at least one more ugly one in them.

  2. Gohawks5151

    They rise/fall to their competition. As much a staple of the PC era as any. Stil… Enjoy the ride. Go Hawks!

  3. Sea Mode

    Adam Schefter
    @AdamSchefter
    ·36m

    Divisional Playoff lineup now set:

    Saturday
    🏈Vikings at 49ers, 4:35 ET
    🏈Titans at Ravens, 8:15 pm ET

    Sunday
    🏈Texans at Chiefs, 3:05 pm ET
    🏈Seahawks at Packers, 6:40 ET

    I know it’s getting way ahead of myself here, but can you imagine if the Vikings upset the Niners next Sat., and we go into the game on Sun. knowing we are playing for a NFCCG in Seattle!?

    • Trevor

      Just looked at the Green Bay weather forecast for Sunday and it does not look too bad for Sunday.

      • Rob Staton

        Hope it stays that way.

      • charlietheunicorn

        26 with snow likely….. according to the NBC crew on the broadcast.. LOL

        • Trevor

          24-36 degrees with 10% chance of precipitation according to weather network.

    • Volume12

      Pick ’em:

      KC @ B’more
      Hawks @ 9ers

      • charlietheunicorn

        Vikings @ Hawks 😉

        • Volume12

          I hope so

          • DC

            Roadies only!

  4. Kelly

    The big thing I look at next week is we just faced the #3 rushing defense. Green Bay is #23 in rushing defense. Ranked lower than Seattle in both offensive categories. Stat wise ranks across the board Green Bay is worse than Philly. But SOS would factor into that a bit with Philly being in the NFC East. If this team can get ready for a cold weather game and be ready to play with the same energy they had today they could very well win next Sunday.

    • Mike

      Green Bay & Seattle are my 1A and 1B teams to follow/support..both have been incredibly frustrating this year. I think GB will shut down Seattle’s rushing game…and will get after RW with a good rush..if he can avoid that…the GB secondary can be exploited. On defense for the Hawks…Aaron Jones is a great rb…so he’ll get his yards..but the Packer passing game isn’t up to snuff this year.

      Should be a great match-up…possibly determined by turn-overs and special teams..and no matter what happens one of my teams is in the NFC championship..woo hoo!!

      • Entropy

        The unspoken rule is that you root for one team and one team only. the second unspoken rule is if you must break rule number one your “other” team must be in the opposite conference….. How will you even enjoy the game next week, seeing both of your teams beat each other up??! I’ve never seen a fan admit to this….. Thanks for the intel, but OMG……

        • king.

          My number two team is New Orleans. I lived there for a year, watched their first playoff victory live, and went to several games the next year. Really incredible atmosphere. A great time in my life.

          That being said, I actively root against them. They are a major threat to Seattle’s chances and I was extremely glad they were eliminated Sunday, for all the obvious reasons.

          I only have one team, unless that team is eliminated or not in realistic contention. Only in those conditions will I root for New Orleans.

  5. Sea Mode

    Who needs sacks? That’s not his game. But look how many the guys around him get when he is on.

    Next Gen Stats
    @NextGenStats
    ·6m

    Jadeveon Clowney [2019 Season Ranks by Game]:

    • 5 Defensive Stops (1st) 🥇
    • 5 QB Disruptions (T-2nd) 🥈
    • 17% QB Disruption Rate (3rd) 🥉

  6. Doug

    Great game. DK is the WR Beastmode–that TD was a fantastic effort. Wilson was great as well, and the O-Line, patched together as it was, did just enough alhough could not move the interior of The Philly D. Cox was exceptional today for Philly.

    Was the D really that bad? 7 Sacks? Q Jeff with two of them? Barton looked more comfortable out there and Bobby and KJ looked good. Without two DPI calls (both on Flowers I believe), the Eagles would not have made it to the red zone.

    Duane Brown may be back next week. Iupati will likely be back. The Seahawks will have a punchers chance in Green Bay and really, that is all we can ask for or expect.

    • Kelly

      If you watched the game you would know the defense was incredibly soft and looked absolutely outclassed by a practice squad offense. Not impressed at all.

      • Doug Fletcher

        Oh I watched all right, I just don’t agree that the defense was that bad, or that the Philly offense was that soft. At the end of the day (with due respect to the reference to “practice squad” players) these dudes are all playing in the NFL. Laugh at McCowan all you want, but he was motivated to perform and played his heart out. At the end of the day the D did not allow a TD, made stops when they had to on 3rd and 4th down, and got a ton of pressure on the two Eagles’ QBs.

        • Kelly

          Glad you look at it as a glass half full type of viewpoint because I don’t. We sure do a good job of keeping the streak of making backup QBs look good going.

          • Michael Hasslinger

            I agree!!! Fire Belicheck for losing to Nick Foles! Backups must never do well!!!

      • Willyeye57

        I thought the Linebackers and the D-Line looked awesome. Safeties were right on. Nothing wrong with Griffin. Flowers had a horrible game, but he definitely hasn’t been as consistent as he was last year anyway.

        And to be fair, it’s not like the Seahawks had a healthy offense. They virtually have no RB’s right now and their offensive line was missing 3 starters. Their TE had a crappy game and he is no Dissly. Personally, I don’t think Lockett is all the way back from his injury.

        It’s not like the Eagles were the only team that had an abundance of injuries.

  7. Ashish

    Brown & Lupati will improve the run game and we will look more capable of scoring TDs. Also Eagle had good run game, but Packers has good pass rush. Packer has it’s flaws so I will not count us out. Run defense was poor not sure how they can improve in a week. L.J collier or Bryan Mone can help?

    Divisional championship in Seattle?

  8. Volume12

    God I hope we get a snow bowl. I just love em in general, but it feels fitting with the season we’ve had.

    Nothing like a classic Eagles game where the backup QB is better than Wentz (j/k kinda).

    DK is a star just biding his time.

    Hats off to QJeff who continues to flash when healthy. And I thought Barton stepped up big when called upon.

    Gotta win ugly to advance in the playoffs and Seattle is well equipped to do that. Won’t be easy but it’s why I feel like they can make a run here

  9. Paul Cook

    Nice recap as always, Rob. I have to cook dinner now, but just wanted to say that this win fulfilled me for the season. It’s dessert from here on out.

    If DK wants it, and it seems like he does, he’s going to be a force of nature in this league, a Calvin Johnson kind of talent.

    Anyway…nerve racking as always, but a win’s a win, and a sweet one in the end it was.

    • Brazilian Hawk

      So I can only hope NFL changes CBD police.

  10. Sea Mode

    fiRe pEte cARroLL…

    Albert Breer
    @AlbertBreer
    ·50m

    Seahawks coach Pete Carroll has won at least one playoff game in seven of his 10 seasons in Seattle. Bill Belichick is the only other coach to match that over the last decade.

    Scott
    @islandmanbaker
    ·1m

    Also, of teams in LAST SIX Super Bowls, which ones are still in playoffs? 1. Seahawks. Pete and Russell have spoiled us.

    • Paul Cook

      Eff the fire-PC-morons. Most all of us know his weak suit is his in-game/situational coaching, and that it sometimes gets magnified at big moments in big games. But that’s it. He’s a HOF coach who’s had two of the greatest runs as a coach, one at USC, and the other (blessed be to us) here in Seattle. That’s just fact in the book.

      • Volume12

        Well said. Let’s also not forget how he forever changed the game by leaving his footprint on how teams draft and want bigger corners.

  11. John_s

    Aaron Rodgers has low key been a game manager this year. The Packers revolve around Aaron Jones. We need to make sure to contain him in the run and passing games.

  12. Sea Mode

    What Kam used to be back there calling out plays and lining people up.

    Gregg Bell
    @gbellseattle
    ·2m

    K.J. Wright says Quandre Diggs huge again in his return to #Seahawks defense. Was calling out Eagles plays before they happened. On final PHI 4th down said Diggs, from way back in FS, got Clowney back into right position for Eagles incomplete swing pass right at the DE

    #JSExecOfTheYear

    • Volume12

      Marshawn on why DK impresses him so much:

      Because he a big a** dude who can move like that

      • Greg Haugsven

        Typical Lynch answer…very funny.

      • Doug

        Loved his answer to the second question also–

        Reporter: “Does it surprise you that he is doing as well as he is as a rookie?” (paraphrased)

        Lynch: “No.” (verbatim transcript)

  13. drewdawg11

    It honestly felt like they could have dropped back to throw on every play and get someone open today and yet, 17 points again. Missed a really easy score on a deep shot in the second half. Their corners weren’t any good. Jenkins was basically playing a lot of linebacker at times. All in all, you can see how they could open it up and score more points. They just seem stubbornly married to running head first into a wall. Happened in Dallas last year. Almost cost them today. 3 backup O-linemen and you want to run at fletcher Cox? Hopefully they come out ready to go next week. Injuries suck, but franchise QBs always give you a puncher’s chance.

    • GerryG

      17 carries is not a lot of runs. the first half dozen are a given as you try and establish if you can be effective running. So that’s 11 the rest of the game, just enough to keep that strong DL from completely pinning their ears back every down. Have to keep the other defense honest, this team isn’t built to throw every down.

      • dcd2

        Well said Gerry. You can’t throw on every down. Russ was our best rusher, and those were 9 more plays that were designed to be passes. Which means we dialed up 39 pass plays to 17 runs. Over a 2-1 pass/run ratio. Just enough to keep them honest.

    • Miami Hawk

      This is what I don’t get. We won a playoff game and not a single positive thing to say after 6 or 7 negative things.

      It this kind of stuff that drives casual but long terms fans away and has rendered most of the Hawks sight almost unbearable.

      We won a road playoff game. By this point we know the weaknesses of this team and they are who they are. Philly’s strength is run defense. We couldn’t run against them. So we beat them anyway. This team has heart and grit which makes up for a.lack of healthy talent. A 9,-7 Giants team with less talent and a lesser QB won a super bowl a while ago.

      Will we? Probably not but ride or die with these guys because they are overachievers and that is what we want. If the talent catches up we will be unbeatable.

      Again: we won a road playoff game. And it really want that close.

      • SandJuggler

        Road win in the Playoffs with all our injuries…’nuff said! Gravy from here on out! Go Hawks!

    • Willyeye57

      Sometimes it’s a good idea to not get greedy. If 17 points was enough to win, what good would it do to make 35 points, when getting to 35 points might have led to a couple of interceptions and/or lost fumbles? I believe that Carroll hates giving up turnovers and for good reason.

      Not to mention, this team was designed to be a running team. Look at the Titans, they beat the #1 defense in the NFL without even passing. Right now the Seahawks are a running team that lost its top 3 Running Backs. Their replacements are not up to par.

      Just go through and look at the rushing yards in all of the games this year. The best rushing games were some of their best wins. Their bad rushing games were all games they lost or nearly lost.

      I don’t see them winning again without a better run game. Hopefully I’m just totally wrong.

  14. Volume12

    Pretty impressive that DK broke the rookie record for most receiving yards in a playoff game w/ 160

  15. Michael P Matherne

    Cody Barton didn’t look nearly as clueless today as he has in previous action

    • Rob Staton

      True.

      • Hughz

        I can’t help but think Diggs helps out there…improved communication helps the rookie

      • Miami Hawk

        Looks.like the guy is paying attention

    • Hawkster

      Never been a Barton fan as far as projecting to the NFL level. But he shed a couple blocks todays and made a couple plays, and SAM is not where his experience is, so maybe there is hope.

      • Greg Haugsven

        You can practice all day long but there is nothing like game experience. He is learning on the job which will only help us in the future.

        • Greg Haugsven

          It for sure seems to be that Diggs does indeed help out. He didnt really do anything today on his own but McDougald was good today. Great players dont always play great but they make the players around them better.

          • Greg Haugsven

            You look at the Eagles today and the good numbers Goedert put up. If Ertz isnt out there drawing attention he doesnt get those great looks. Ill bet the Eagle knew that Ertz wouldnt get many touches but just him being on the field helped them out.

          • Kelly

            McDougald had a couple holding penalties and was abused in the passing game.

    • line_hawk

      He was good in passing game. Not sure about how much he was responsible for the running game issues. In any case, hoping he settles down a bit after this game.

  16. cha

    The quality of Russell Wilson shone through, leading a team that is missing so many key players. He threw for 325 yards and ran for 45 more.

    This is what we needed from RW. Just enough running to open up some passing lanes and give the WRs time to get free for long runs after the catch. They’re going to need that again in Green Bay with the Smiths rushing from both sides.

  17. Volume12

    Even with Seattle lacking a consistent pass rush, I’m curious if the defensive struggles are related to Ken Norton. Seems better suited as a positional coach. Pete probably loves him, but could we see a change at DC?

    • Volume12

      And yes, I know the defense runs through Pete. It couldn’t hurt to get a different maybe younger voice on his ear.

      • Rob Staton

        There is no way Pete is bringing someone in to tell him how to change his defense.

        This is all about personnel. They need more.

        • John_s

          Exactly it’s all about personnel. There’s a reason why Seattle is running more Tampa 2 than Pete’s preferred Cover 3.

          • Miami Hawk

            That says it all. The personnel he has can’t run his defense. Or at least he doesn’t trust them too.. we have 12 picks and a bunch of cap. They are going back to the drawing board for defensive talent. Pete sees the weaknesses better than we do.amd it will be interesting where and how he tries to shore it ip.
            But the D played good today as most of us predicted they would with Diggs and Clowney.. On to Green Bay

    • Trevor

      I agree it is Pete’s Defense but the DC still makes a difference and Norton has not proven capable at Oakland or here. Wonder if they would keep him on for the LBs and being someone in?

      • Rob Staton

        You’re wasting your time lads.

        And I’m sorry, this DL isn’t good enough to point the finger at the DC.

        • Trevor

          Not pointing the finger Rob I like Norton but the defense has gotten fundamentally worse each year he had been DC.

          Pete’s defenses played fast , were sound fundamentally and tackled well. Those are coaching things. Pete gets blame for the defense but so does Norton whose job is to focus on those things.

          • Trevor

            This defense is slow to react. Is not fundamentally sound and tackles poorly. I agree they need improved personnel but they need to get back to improving the basics too. I have never seen a Hawks team tackle so poorly.

          • Rob Staton

            The personnel on the defense has also gotten fundamentally worse each year.

            • king.

              Who bought the groceries?

        • line_hawk

          It doesn’t have to be either, it could be both.

          Granted the defense lacks players, but you can’t be a bottom five defense in most categories. It takes incompetency in addition to talent to be this bad.

      • 12th chuck

        at the very least, I hope they address poor tackling. They could have had at least 3 more sacks , not to mention a few 3 and outs because of poor tackling

    • Miami Hawk

      It’s hard to tell about Norton but the main problem has been that the defensive talent is simply not very good. It might be coaches not putting them in a position to be successful or they just might be not very good at football. Separating coaching from talent is really the hardest thing for a fan to be able to analyze, yet blaming the coach is the first thing the casual unknowedgeable fan turns to in their sear h for a scapegoat in lieu of analysis.

    • Gohawks5151

      Kris Richard looking for work. Maybe DB coach again. He was pretty good. Pete never closes the door

  18. Pran

    GB’s pass rush is better than PHI. Hope they can open up run game somehow to help. Look what happened to Vikes when they had no cooks and put it all on Cousins vs GB week 16.

    • Greg Haugsven

      Your right the pass rush is better but the Packers dont have Fletcher Cox so I would be expect to not see the offense number close to the norm. We will most likely never get it like it was with Carson but it should be closer.

  19. Stephen Pitell

    While I cannot argue with your assessment of this team, I see a glass half full and filling. We’ve been winning while rebuilding, and lots of that work is forward progress. We have the best culture in football. We seem to not mind playing these close games. I have resigned myself to it. I dream of blowing teams out, but when we used to do that it was as much a product of the defense as the offense going off. This defense wasn’t perfect but we did put a lot of pressure on the QB’s and made two fourth down stops.

    We can always use more turnovers.

    It is always pretty impressive to not give up any touchdowns.

    • Donovan

      +12

  20. Nick

    Thought Russ was excellent. Liked the playcalling. Amadi showed up. DK balled. Dickson punted very well. Barton looked much better with his tackling. Reed seemed to be disruptive. Clowney is legit in run and pass situations. Would be surprised if we beat GB in Lambeau in January, tho. Huge homefield advantage, but if we can keep it close, maybe just maybe.

  21. Trevor

    Really hope Pete comes up with a more aggressive defensive scheme next week. We need a couple of turnovers I think to win that game and bend don’t break won’t cut it against Rodgers. If we give up a couple of big plays so be it but this soft zone stuff has to be chucked out of the defensive playbook IMO.

    • Dale Roberts

      Agreed. I was asking my friends why we weren’t blitzing. I saw one blitz by Wagner but very little off the edge. The Eagles have a 40 yr old second stringer and we don’t respond with extra pressure. McGowan had all day and most of the sacks were late in the clock when he tried to scramble. I don’t get it.

  22. Seahawcrates

    Seahawks in 10 years under Pete have made the playoffs 8 times and this is the 7th time they are playing in the 2nd round.
    WIN FOREVER.
    Four NFL teams have had winning records each of the last four years. Seattle is one of the four.
    Seattle’s sustained success under Pete Carroll in a league designed to punish excellence has been remarkable.

    • Von

      Couldn’t agree more. They gave up 9 points, on the road.

      Wentz is a turnover machine, it would’ve been a blowout if he stayed in the game.

  23. Trevor

    Positives I took from today.

    -Russ was Vintage Russ today scrambling, extending plays and running. Never saw it all year and could be huge for playoff run.

    -Locket looks healthier and D.K. was a Beast with the bright playoff lights on.

    -Clowney looked like Clowney. Treatment and rest all week then pray it is not too cold
    Next week so he stiffens up. He and Diggs are critical to this defense.

    -Dickson looks like a pro bowler again.

    -Fant can be a starting NFL OT.

    -There is hope for Barton. He played well and did not look lost.

    -No new injuries today except Ansah and he needs to shut it down anyways.

    -Pete had this team believing they can win on the road and that means a ton.

    • Greg Haugsven

      Watching Fant get these starts recently has kind of been a blessing in disguise. If Ifedi happens to get a great offer ($10-$12 million + a year) from another team I would feel good resigning Fant at a lower rate and feel good about it.

      • Dale Roberts

        Fant has a higher PFF grade than Ifedi.

      • Aaron

        Fant is definitely a better pass protector than Ifedi due to pure athleticism, but Pete and Solari love big run blockers. That’s why as much as I like Jemarco Jones at guard that I’m not surprised they’ve stayed with Iupati and Fluker.

  24. neil

    After some of the losses last month, myself and some others here wondered why RW was not running with the ball because it has always been an integral part of his game. Glad to see it is back in the game plan. Green Bay has not been kind to the Hawks in the past, let’s hope for the best.

  25. Greg Haugsven

    We have been a team all year that just barely wins whether the opponent is good or bad. In the regular season I would look at the stats all the time as we all wanted to win a certain way. Now your in the playoffs I dont care about any stat except one. Now its about winning the game in any way you can so as ugly as this was Ill take it all day long. Now on to GB with a chance to get to the NFCCG baby. Go Hawks!

  26. Rob4q

    Seemed like Says was a step slow today, he made a few plays but also looked like that ankle was bothering him. KJ looked great again though!

  27. Rob4q

    Sorry, Wags…

    • CD

      I’ve been disappointed with Wagner all year. No impact plays. Sure, loads of tackles but no big plays (stuffing a 3rd and short, pick to seal a game, getting home on a blitz late in a game). Highest paid LB, I would expect more from. If Russ was playing like Bobby, Hawks would have maybe been .500.

      • Rob4q

        He just looks a step slow right now, like he’s not 100%. He looked better earlier in the season, but yesterday there were a few plays he normally makes that he just couldn’t get there. One where Sanders took a handoff and bumped it outside right around Bobby who wasn’t really blocked…he just couldn’t get there to stop it! And both Ertz and Goedert got open multiple times against him in coverage – I think they may have even took him off them in the second half. Seems like Bobby at 75% is better on the field than the alternative they have.

  28. LouieLouie

    Hey Rob:
    Nice article but I have to disagree that the D needs major surgery in the off season. I think the youngsters are coming around pretty well. Major surgery suggests cutting things out (although Ziggy Ansah needs to be surgically removed). I think they just need to make a few additions and a tweak here and there. I’m looking forward to this next draft.

    Here is the formula for success next season:
    (Knucklehead Plays) x 50% = (Bi Week in Playoffs)

    • Simo

      The defense may not need open heart surgery but definitely close to it, more than a tweak here or there for sure!

      The pass rush has been nonexistent most of the season, and although that might cut it against Josh McKown, it won’t against Rodgers or any other good, starting quarterbacks.

      Also, the run defense has been porous much of the season, and requires more talent.

      I’m optimistic about improvements from the young guys as well, but they still need top shelf talent on the defensive line.

      • LouieLouie

        Simo:
        The D-line does not need open heart surgery. I think that a free agent or two will be brought in but the guys playing will largely be the same guys that played tonight. Cut Ziggy and get a free agent pass rusher. Maybe a run stuffing D-Tackle right next to Reed. What happened to the D-Secondary when Diggs was brought in? No open heart surgery, only a tweak here and there.

        • DougM

          They also need some better depth, replacing Hill and King

        • Simo

          Maybe we see major surgery and minor tweaks differently, but replacing 50% of your starting defensive line, as you even suggest, seems like more than simple tweaks to me.

          No question Ziggy is gone, and they likely keep their young guys in hopes they develop more and eventually become key contributors. Hopefully they are able to keep Clowney, since he’s proven to be a game changer when he’s healthy. Who knows about Reed though, he could receive more than they are willing to pay! Then we need to replace Reed, find another run stuffer to start (or backup Poona), and still need a dynamic edge rusher or two.

          I think Rob has it nailed, and the Hawks will focus heavily on the defensive line this offseason. Of course they need more talent and depth in other areas (off line, TE, WR, maybe RB now, LB) but the defensive line should, and will likely be top priority.

          • LouieLouie

            Simo:
            I forgot about Al Wood, who was suspended. There’s the run stuffing Tackle they lack. That means substituting Ziggy for another veteran DE opposite Clowney. I wouldn’t call that major surgery. The Hawks had two suspensions in the middle of that D-Line, which screwed up the chemistry for the season. I suspect they will bring in a couple of vets for depth but I seriously doubt they will do a major surgery on the D-LIne.

    • charlietheunicorn

      Ansah has showed up in the last few weeks. He has gotten pressure on the QB and impacted multiple plays in multiple games. He really is not that far off from being “great”. There is still something left in the tank, I can feel it. I see why JS/PC took a chance on the guy…. so close to getting back to greatness!

      • GerryG

        ^^^ this is sarcasm right?

        Zingy was completely ineffective rushing against a backup RT tackle today and then had a slow 40 yard QB badly outrun him

        • LouieLouie

          Gerry:
          Maybe they should bring him back next year with a low contract loaded with incentives. Charlie may be right. If he could come back next year and play at a high level, there’s the D-Line.

          • drewdawg11

            If they didn’t get him cheap this year, dealing with offseason shoulder surgery recovery and a question about when he could come back, why would we expect him to be cheap now? He’s absolutely not taking a “prove it” deal, and we probably know all we need to know about what he’s got left in the tank. Hard pass for me.

        • BobbyK

          Ziggy Ansah has been terrible been pretty much all year. He’s made a couple of decent plays during the season. That’s about it.

          • GerryG

            I feel for him. He’s playing with tons of effort, chasing plays, rushing hard, he’s fought through injuries, his body just isn’t there anymore.

            He looked solid in the first game against Philly, had some strong bull rushes against Peters, but that’s been it.

            I’d bring him back on non guaranteed deal with nothing but sack TFL incentives and see if can compete in camp, but that’s it. No way I’d count on him for anything.

    • Rob Staton

      They can’t rush the passer or stop the run.

      I can tell you now, I bet the team think major work is needed.

      • Bobby Swagner

        The d line gets zero pressure. The opposing qbs have plenty of time, this must change. Without Clowney, we would have gotten shredded.

      • LouieLouie

        And I bet they go largely with what they have this year, with a couple of vets brought in for depth.

        • Rob Staton

          Well you’re wrong, but that’s fine.

          • Simo

            Just hard to imagine they aren’t going to invest serious resources into the defensive line this offseason. It’s so difficult to win consistently with such a poor pass rush, makes it terribly hard on the rest of the defense.

            Ziggy is either still injured or lost his former pass rush ability, can’t imagine he’s back. No one besides Clowney seems like they can get consistent, although I wouldn’t mind having Reed and Jefferson back next year and beyond.

            Major work needed though!

  29. Mark Miller

    Wow. Feels like we watched a different game.

    Way more negative than I would have expected. The Eagles took away the run with a 4th ranked V DVOA and a wounded run offense. So beit.

    Hawks won. They found a way.

    Ya- it was stressful but we have EVERY chance to take the Pack. We may not- but we just might.

  30. neil

    I can’t help but think back to a playoff game in Green Bay in, was it 04 0r 05 or 06, I can’t remember the year. The game went into over time. The Hawks won the toss and Hasselbeck promptly said ” We want the ball and we are going to score “, then promptly threw a pick six and the game was over. I wonder sometimes if he has nightmares about that.

    • icb12

      2004

  31. Dale Roberts

    I wonder how many of the ten yard runs and sixteen yard passes were due to missed assignments by Barton and Green.

    Why can’t we stop the run? Is it Ford/Reed, lanes not getting filled by DB’s, missed tackles, or somethings else entirely?

    • Matthew Still

      I thought Barton played really well, I must have missed a lot.

    • GerryG

      Losing Al Woods was a massive blow imo

      • Miami Hawk

        Yeah that hurts. He was our big boy DT in the middle since Reed has barely shown up in his contract year.

      • BobbyK

        Woods is eligible to play in the NFC Championship Game, right? They’ve been without him for 3 games now and it was a 4 game suspension, no? Or can’t someone suspended like that play in the playoffs? I don’t know.

        • charlietheunicorn

          If it was a 4 game suspicion, then he would be eligible to play in the NFCCG.

        • GerryG

          He would return for the NFC Championship game, yes

  32. Kingdome1976

    We won a playoff game. Awesome.

    No other words needed.

  33. Denver Hawker

    As frustrating as it has been to watch the Hawks this year, they’re:

    – In the Top 8 teams in the NFL
    – Top 4 in the NFC, having beaten 2 of the other 3 contenders this year.
    – 8-1 on the road

    It’s easy for us to pick apart the weaknesses, but this is still a GOOD team. With cap space and draft capital, they are poised to be a GREAT team next year.

    Feeling shades of 2012 right now…

  34. JJ

    Rob, what are your thoughts on Reed and for. They should be solid run defenders, but it just doesn’t seem to work

  35. Matthew Still

    dumb thought here, but I was kinda surprised on the DK TD that the refs did not call him down where he caught it. He was still getting up when the DB tagged him. I’ve seen that same play be called down plenty. Happy it went our way but was surprised.

    • Aaron

      Yeah me too, I thought he caught it, knee was down, then was tagged by the defender. Was very surprised they ruled it a TD.

    • Von

      When he caught the ball, nobody touched him down. It was clearly a TD.

    • Pran

      Every scoring play is automatically reviewed. He got up before being touched.

      • Edgar

        That was huge……DK getting up and into the endzone. We probably come away with a field goal there but because he kept fighting, got a TD.

  36. Matthew Still

    Also, really happy with this win, it was great to get a playoff win in a year like this. That being said and I hate to be pessimistic, but if we play next Sunday like we did today it wont be close. That being said I am not complaining, for me we are now playing with house money!

    • Edgar

      We play every game to the competition. Encouraging sign to me was the one on one tackling and Wilson playing like his first 10 games self. Seattle has enough talent to win if they stop running draws and get Homer in space along with maybe Brown and Iupati back on the Oline.

  37. Pran

    It looks like they are using Moore differently now more in the middle of field or slot and all the jump balls or contested are going to DK. May be its what is helping Moore contribute better. Good for a #4

  38. charlietheunicorn

    I really like the Lynch has been engaging the media more this go around with the Seahawks.
    He must know this is the final ride and appreciates this chance with a winning organization.

    Ring of Honor is in his future… and HOF is not out of reach.

    • Aaron

      Yeah, this time he’s actually giving responses to media questions.

      • Miami Hawk

        It’s Kool having Marshawn back but there isn’t much left in the tank with him.

        • Kelly

          He’s not even close to being in game shape.

          • Edgar

            How do you figure? He’s getting zero blocking. You give him an actual crease and into the second level, nobody wants to tackle him. Nobody can run between the tackles with Hunt at center.

            • Kelly

              The fact he had no training camp, preseason, or regular season play at all this year? Sure I’m sure he didn’t let himself totally go since all athletes tend to keep themselves in generally good shape. But have 250+lbs men hitting you while you’re are running is totally different. I basically look at it like he just had his first two pre season games and game 3 coming up will be a full workload game.
              Second I didn’t expect us to be able to run the ball on Philly. They had the #3 rushing defense. With the amount of aggression they have on defense getting big plays against that aggressiveness was going to be the best way to try to win.

    • Donovan

      If there’s any justice, Beast Mode makes the Hall of Fame. One of the most feared, respected, game-changing, and unique backs in a generation. For crying out loud, in the Saints playoff game today one of the broadcasters referred to a Taysom Hill run as “Beast Mode” like.

      • charlietheunicorn

        Just like the term “you got mossed” for Randy Moss making people look silly….
        “Beastmode” signifies something more within a person, a belief they can impose their will on others and can run to the daylight, no matter how dark it gets during the play (or in life).
        Very few modern era RBs have been feared quite like Lynch. He could make you miss, but he will sure as hell run you over if given the chance.

        He has put up over 10k rushing and has 95 total TDs (rushing/receiving). I’m pretty sure he will make it in the HoF, if for no other reason, he had multiple “highlight” plays of the 2010s.

    • Edgar

      If he gets an actual hole to run through at the line, he could be lethal. Look how he ran that TD run. All his other carries there was nothing whatsoever for him and a couple times he barely got the handoff before philly defender took it instead.

    • Madmark

      We get Brown back and unlease Lynch in the cold. I kind’ia like the idea after all he did play in Buffalo.

  39. DC

    I would loooove to knock Rodgers out of the dance. He’s my favorite QB to hate on ever since Tate’s grab. The poutyness, the whiny smugness, the ‘boo-hoo’ body language & the entitlement to every single call. Up your butt AAron.

  40. AndrewP

    Green Bay is only -4 to open… It looks like Las Vegas sees what I do: A severely flawed team in the Packers.

    • charlietheunicorn

      I’m a bit surprised they are not favored by -5 or so….
      so right now, it is a pick-em game more or less, since -3 is home team out of the gate.
      It’ll be a close game…. jesus, this sounds like a broken record for this season.

      It should be a fun game to watch.

      • AndrewP

        “Fun”… yeah, lotsa fun!!!

    • GerryG

      It’s pretty much 2019 Seahawks guaranteed destiny to win next week via a missed FG as time expires, and then lose the following week to the Vikings at home in some bizarre last second fashion. Mark it. 😉

    • Awsi Dooger

      -4 looks low to me. Quite frequently the wild card round is road team oriented then there’s a jolt of reality the following week when the rested superior teams dominate.

      However, Seattle got an absurdly favorable draw. Back to back road playoff games against teams with negative Yards Per Pass Attempt Differential. I have never seen that before, while following that category for more than two decades. I contacted several of my old Las Vegas sports betting friends tonight. None of them could remember anything like that. One of them said he would have believed it was virtually impossible. I agree. Teams with negative net seldom make the playoffs, let alone host playoff games. Yet this season we’ve had Houston (-0.8) and Philadelphia (-0.4) host games this weekend, then Green Bay (-.08) hosting next week.

      I guess the bad news is that the only other team with a net negative in this year’s playoffs is Seattle (-0.1)

      http://mule.he.net/~budsport/pub/killer.php

      Regardless, great victory. Every step matters. The playoffs are always more interesting when Carroll and Wilson are still involved. I agree with another poster that guys guys are taking this too much for granted. NFL road playoffs games are not supposed to be won by margin. Eventually you’ll be in a stage that every franchise reaches, with a decade or so between road playoff victories. Then you’ll be remembering this game and the absurdity of wanting more.

      I hope it’s snow to the thighs

      • Awsi Dooger

        Correction…Green Bay is -0.5. They were -0.8 until the final week or two of the regular season

  41. GerryG

    As much as I’d rather have Fant at RT over Ifedi, I’m hoping Brown’s return will help the run game with the return of the 6 OL run lineup

    Pretty stoked we get the chance to play again

    • Kelly

      Highly doubt Fant would be comfortable learning and playing RT. Especially since he was a former TE then played LT.

      • Gohawks5151

        Fant already has played RT several times. Even going back to the KC game last year.

  42. neil

    One thing for sure, if Rodgers is pressured he will almost always escape to his right, and their won’t be anyone there to stop him. That is one thing I have noticed watching the Packers over the years. Even when the Hawks have played him.

  43. Trenchtown

    I’m not sure it was absurd that DK Metcalf was almost a third rounder. His agility drill performance was poor, he had previously had a serious neck injury, and he dropped a lot of balls. You could see this is in many of his early games with the Seahawks. He didn’t play to his physicality, couldn’t high point the ball, and would consistently lose on contested balls.

    But man oh man, as the season progressed he went from the guy he was in college to a young Terrell Owens. He’s now one of the best, if not best, slant route runner on the team and is much better at using his body to box out defenders to establish position and turn on the jets for long throws. I don’t think anyone on this team has grown so rapidly and visibly since Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor. It’s been great to watch, and its all the more pleasing since the big athletic receiver has been the unicorn Pete has been chasing his entire time in Seattle.

    • SandJuggler

      Couldn’t have said it better about his progression!

    • Rob Staton

      I think it was ridiculous. I projected him as an early R2. But R3 would’ve been a joke.

      • Kenny Sloth

        Yeah he was a fringe first rounder, for me, but not on my board because of the numerous question marks I couldn’t answer

    • Simo

      DK clearly has R1 talent, just with his size/speed combination alone! It’s crazy he lasted until nearly R3, but everyone else’s loss is our gain!

      Just imagine his unlimited potential as he improves on the areas of his game that need work, he is a rookie after all.

      • JJ

        Hugh Millen on KJR this morning discussed his excitement about DK prior to the draft. He obviously loved the size and speed, but he said when he watched Ole Miss All-22 he said was really excited about how DK could “hammer his feet”.

        Millen was shocked he lasted as long as he did.

  44. charlietheunicorn

    Seahawks Motto : Road Warriors / 2019-2020 Tour

  45. Edgar

    I just want to focus on the positive. Wilson makes us dangerous when he runs for first downs. He also played like a MVP candidate throwing dimes and keeping his head down field. Metcalf matured right before our eyes. I don’t think he bobble catched one ball today.

    If we get Iupati and Brown back and can run the 6 linemen jumbo sets we just might be a force. That last pass to seal the game gave me hope Pete will alter his predictive game plan against Green Bay. Go Hawks-

  46. BobbyK

    I do not expect 25 carries and 150 yards from Beast Mode next Sunday, but I will say this… We’re going to hear from him in a big way. The Seahawks OL is probably going to get its left side back, which means Fant can return to dominant run blocking as an extra lineman. The Packers aren’t going to be able to stop both DK and Lockett on almost every play and, if anything, the continued emergence of DK and seemingly healthier Lockett make this hard on the Packers DC. A bonus is the Packers don’t have a mauler like Cox on the interior DL (almost everyone doesn’t have an animal like that). Unless Lynch is getting tackled by Cox as soon as he receives the handout (Carson would have fumbled on that play), he’s going to have a little more room to run and run he will. Beast Mode III?

    I’m not saying the Seahawks will win, but I know they can win and won’t be surprised if they do win. And if they win, you can’t tell me they don’t have a chance against the 49ers or Vikings.

    Remember how bad the ’06 Colts run defense sucked? It sucked. They improved it in the postseason and won the Super Bowl from the Wild Card. It’s weird as heck but a Seahawks team who didn’t average 2 sacks per game this season and had 7 today (granted, we know the Eagles were beat up in a major way on their OL, too – but we missed 60% of our starting OL and they didn’t sack us that many times). It’s not normal, but neither is a Giants team barely making the playoffs to beat an undefeated team in the Super Bowl in ’07. Plenty of flawed teams have won Super Bowls. Believing in oneself is such an underrated attribute and this team has a coaching staff who believes.

    This Seahawks team is definitely more flawed than the ’12 team who lost to Atlanta or the ’14 team who lost in the Super Bowl. Or the ’15 team… Or even the ’86 team who was dominant in December and the hottest team in the NFL but didn’t qualify for the playoffs… This team has a chance to do something none of those teams couldn’t do… win a Super Bowl. Those teams have a zero percent chance to go back in time. This team still has an opportunity.

    For all the talk of how this team can be so much better with a great off-season, who is to say Bobby Wagner doesn’t tear an ACL next year in training camp or Russell Wilson finally gets hurt and misses time? Or who is to say next year an improved Seahawks team has games where opposing field goal kickers actually make game ending kicks for wins when they should have (see 49ers and Rams games in ’19)?

    We’re in the here and now and I want to enjoy it because for as much as we loved the ’13 team, the fact of the matter is they were 12-3 to start their season and came a potential Richard Sherman tip away from losing to the 49ers and not advancing to the Super Bowl, whereas this team, with all its flaws, was at one point 11-3 this year in comparison to the 12-3 of ’13.

    I love winning by double digits and I hate close games, but this team has taught me that if they’re healthy enough – they can do anything. No offense, but based on many comments by others above – I wonder if you will be happy if the Seahawks win the Super Bowl if the game is ugly and the Seahawks have too many turnovers, penalties, not enough this or that. Let’s enjoy the ride. I’ll eventually get to asking Rob what he thinks about Solomon Kindley in the early second round, but, man… I’m so much more pumped for potentially beating the Packers in a week!

    As Rob wrote earlier today, “That said, we should never take these days for granted. The Seahawks in the playoffs is something we should cherish and enjoy for as long as it lasts. If they win today the chances are they’ll get another tilt at the Niners. Who wouldn’t want that?”

    I’m ready for another 49ers game in two weeks (unless they’re upended by the Vikings)!

    • Robert Las Vegas

      Rob here is my quick thoughts Jarmarko and Joey weren’t go to move Fletcher Cox not happening but Russ Wilson does throw all nice long ball anyway Russ long pass today. He had some time in fact and look at the Last pass to DK and watch Jarmarko he was outstanding.Tre Flowers had a tough day Philadelphia was going after him I sure so will Aaron Rodgers.

    • UkAlex6674

      Am with you on this BobbyK. I like this site but it’s very negative a lot of the time. And yes, people will say it’s constructive narrative etc, but I feel it’s gone over and above that now for the most part.

      • Rob Staton

        Last week people were accusing me of being too positive and an apologist.

        This is how it is. Detailed analysis, telling it how it is. Highlight the positives and the flaws, just as we did in this article.

        I’m not going to cheerlead and I’m not going to lose my s**t every time something goes wrong in a game. I’m going to judge this team as I see it. We always offer perspective and honesty.

        • BobbyK

          I agree. I don’t even check Twitter or most other Seahawks sites anymore. This is the best place to come and thank you Rib and others for that.

          • Rob Staton

            Thanks Bobby. Appreciate that buddy.

            • BobbyK

              You’re welcome. And I know it’s Rob (not “Rib” above; sp).

      • brendon

        i disagee, this site has some of the most even keeled, level headed insight on the Hawks you will find. I never find it negative to talk about the weak areas a team has. The hawks have plenty of areas of weakness, they just find a way to overcome it most weeks this year.

    • TomLPDX

      Excellent post, Bobby! I’m going to say that Rob keeps it real and if you call him on his statements you damn well better be able to back it up. The Seahawks are who they are and every week is a heart attack to watch, but watch we do. This team has something extra special this year and it makes up for the lesser talent (that is still developing). I love being a 12!

  47. EranUngar

    7 sacks are impressive no matter who you play. Add 11 TFLs and the defense did not do that bad.

    Having DK playing at the level he does lately removes the possibility of trading or signing a big name WR. Whoever they bring (draft/FA) should be a clear WR3 so DK can keep growing into the player he can become.

    I think the DL is one quality pass rusher away from a very solid position (assuming we keep Reed and Clowney).

    Is it likely we win at GB – NO. Can we win in GB – YES, we can.

    • GerryG

      Draft a WR than can be a #1.

      Having too much talent for Russ is not a bad thing.

      If DK or Lock get hurt this offense crumbles

      • Matt

        And said WR can play a ton of snaps. WR is the one position where your insurance policy can provide great value even when the “insurance” part isn’t utilized.

  48. Sean

    WTF is wrong with Seahawks twitter. It really sucks.

    Worst part is a lot of these guys tout “analytics” when most of the time it is cherry picked one-sided data. Nobody brings up the data point that the Seahawks have been the second most successfull team in the last decade. There have been so many teams that have tried the pass first, make the run a clear secondary option. Most of these offenses have failed. Even the Patriots have always had the run game as a staple of their offense.

    Honestly I think this comes from the tech culture in Seattle. I work for a major tech firm in Seattle, and most of my coworkers are pompous pricks who think they are smarter than everyone else. If you look up some of the more prominent nega-seahawk twitter “influencers”, they are mostly all from this culture. Since they are in tech they think this qualifies them to second guess people that do this for a living. And of course if they work at a company like Microsoft, they think that makes them better than analytics folks the Seahawks have. Pure ego.

    And don’t get me wrong some of their points are valid, for example, I think Pete should go for it on 4th down more. But thats just me nitpicking..we are all incredibly fortunate to have a stable regime like this. They will be looking wistfully looking back on this time, and hopefully if their arrogance does not get in the way, they will regret being s***heads. But I doubt it.

    • Rob Staton

      I think it’s social media in general. The analytics debate should be enriching and thought provoking. We should be able to discuss areas where the Seahawks can be better, without it resorting to condescending and dismissive ‘with us or against us’ angst. There’s a crowd on Twitter that have created this us versus them attitude on topics like the running game and general analytics. Which is a shame. But that’s very much a Twitter thing. It creates echo chambers.

      • GerryG

        This.

        I find it quite amusing how it’s somehow created these pseudo Seahawks celebrities that think they somehow matter.

        I like the good insight, jokes, gifs etc, but have to work hard to filter out the noise (even hill cough cough) and one sided look at how smart I am despite having minimal context for my data (Ben Baldwin)

      • Logan Lynch

        It’s the fact that most don’t want to admit that analytics should absolutely be part of a successful approach, but it is NOT the end-all be-all. There are other factors that just can’t be distilled down into numbers. Pete’s culture and sometimes “hormonal” decisions certainly have tangible effects on the team. Humans play the game, and all of the emotions and thought processes that occur during the game can’t be purely replicated by numbers. Embrace analytics as part of a cohesive plan, but also acknowledge that there are other factors that can’t be measured. That’s the problem that I have with most of Seahawks social media right now.

        • GerryG

          Yes, great point

    • EranUngar

      Analytics are correct. There seems to be a clear correlation between passing the ball more and gaining more yards on offense. The passing offenses did not fail to put on the yards for their fans. Far from it.

      However, the top 4 passing offenses in the NFL – TB, DAL, ATL and LAR are resting now at home with all their passing yards while the stupid top 4 running teams – BAL, SF, TEN and SEA are preparing for the divisional round.

      When the NFL changes their rules to have the team with most yards announced the winner of the game, analytics fans will celebrate. Until that time, RUNNING COUNTS.

      • Ukhawk

        +1000%

        If only we still had Carson in the post -season… (Sigh)

    • Matt

      We are still in the early stages of analytics. I think a lot of teams in a lot of sports are using it as gospel, which it should not be.

      I’m a baseball guy – it’s an epidemic in baseball right now. The first team that really married up Analytics with traditional scouting was the Houston Astros. Cheating scandal aside, they have decided to use analytics that “make sense” but still greatly value traditional scouting methods.

      Where analytics folks go really wrong, IMO, is a total disregard that there is an element of sports that can’t be quantified. There are just characteristics you can’t put a number to and you need “football people” to be able to provide that insight to the analytics folks to come up with a full evaluation.

  49. Brazilian Hawk

    There are two players I’d like to single out.

    DK Metcalf: he was a dominating force all game in the receiving game with his usual disciplined blocking. I think he’s going to be the X-Factor for us in this playoffs. When teams start to double team him, Lockett is going to have that deep crossing route open. Rejoice! Players like Metcalf have a 20mm APY market, and we’ll have 3 more seasons of him playing on a rookie scale.

    Jadeveon Clowney: What a dominant player. Fantastic performance on the biggest game of the season, while playing clearly in pain. Schneider and Carroll: pay the man his money, the Seahawks have to keep him for at least two more seasons.

    On a side note, I feel sorry for the Eagles fans. They were already as banged up as us, and we know and can relate to that frustrating feeling, but I can not feel sorry about them losing Wentz during the game 🙁

    Go Hawks! I am very optimistic about GB and the general landscape of the NFC now that NO was dispatched.

  50. RWIII

    Philly’s strategy was to stop the run and force Russell Wilson to beat them. How did that strategy work?

    Moving forward the question is:
    How much “run” will the Seahawks have left in their legs?

  51. Largent80

    One thing is obvious. When Diggs is on the field McDougald plays out of his mind. He was very good yesterday while Diggs was relatively silent.

    The LB play was a huge part of the game. Sure tackling and even sacks. To me the game was never in doubt but it had some of “those moments” where you just scratch your head.

    Oh Metcalf. I’ll bet 31 other teams are kicking themselves this morning.

  52. Logan Lynch

    Beat the Packers, nothing else matters.

    Can’t remember if I said it on the blog or not, but I’ve been predicting SEA playing in Lambeau for a few weeks now because for me, personally, that matchup has the biggest potential for a fantastic next Monday or an unbearable one. I’ve mentioned it before, but I live in the heart of cheesehead territory. I’ve also been saying all season that I think GB is overrated.

    Rob hit it on the head, SEA and GB are extremely similar teams in terms of how the season played out. The only differences are that one team is healthy and coming off a week of rest. If Carson were healthy, I’d feel pretty good about the chances next Sun. As it is, I think it will be an extremely close game and likely come down to which QB and cast of WR can make more plays. Go Hawks!

    • Largent80

      One other tidbit.

      If Minny and Seattle both win the NFC Championship game will be in Seattle.

    • neil

      Let’s temper the enthusiasm a little. Remember, with that trip to Philly and home the Hawks have traveled more miles this year than any other team in the league. Can’t fault them if some weariness and fatigue sets in. The Packers will be rested and ready. With no running attack to speak of and a struggling defense it will take a miracle to win. I am hoping they can pull it off but if not we can still take pride in the eight year run the Hawks have had. I do not have the actual numbers but I believe the Hawks are second to only the Patriots in success in that time span.

      • Rob Staton

        Also worth remembering the last two times Seattle under Carroll won a road wildcard game (2012, 2015) they came out absolutely flat and ice cold the following week and got themselves in a big hole quickly (Atlanta, Carolina).

        Next week might be as much about staying in it early as anything else.

        • Logan Lynch

          Weather the storm early and try to stay in it until the end. In their losses, teams jumped on GB early and punched them in the mouth. LAC, SF, and PHI all did basically the same thing. Got GB on their heels and they couldn’t recover in time.

        • RWIII

          Rob: That is why I said. How much “run” will the Hawks have left in their legs. It should also be noted that Seattle lost to Atlanta 2017 season (Jan. 2018) after beating the Vikings in the frozen tundra of Minnesota. That was the year Atlanta went to the Super Bowl. So three times(before yesterday) under Carroll Seattle has won a wild card game and then lose the next week. Will the 4th time be the charm?

        • Gohawks5151

          While i agree they need to score/stay in it early, is this a trend? Or just playing against an Atlanta team 1 play short of the SB and a Carolina team that did make it to the SB. Atlanta in 17 also made SB. Maybe the teams were just better.

          • Rob Staton

            Atlanta was not better in 2012. Carolina was in 2015 but the Seahawks had injuries.

            Still doesn’t mean you need to be having your arse kicked by half-time, needing a miracle comeback.

            • GerryG

              Chris Clemmons knee holds up and Atlanta never even would have been in that game in 2012

      • Logan Lynch

        Why temper enthusiasm? What’s the point of being a fan of a team and not being excited about them? I’m not saying it will be an easy game at all. SEA has a shot, that’s all anyone can ask for at this point.

        • Neil

          I guess I just try to see things as they are, not as I would like them to be.

          • Logan Lynch

            I understand that, but there’s really nothing in what I said that’s false. Now, if I wrote that I could see SEA winning by 20+ points…that’s pretty unlikely. SEA has a shot and I think we should be excited about that. If you always look at the negative side, you might rob yourself of some enjoyment. Just a personal opinion, so we don’t have to agree.

    • Brett

      One big difference between the two teams is strength of schedule. Packers were .453 while the Hawks were .531.

      Green Bay’s best win was against the Chiefs but they were w/o Mahones in that game. Other than the 2 Vikings wins (both solid) they didn’t beat another team with a winning record.

      That’s not to say they are a bad team, but given our schedule I doubt they are a 13 win team. To me this game is a toss up with GB having a slight edge given home field.

      And Robs comment is spot n, can’t get in an early hole.

  53. SoCal12

    Cowboys are hiring Mike McCarthy. NFCE going to be an interesting watch next season.

    • Sea Mode

      I like the hire. He has an interesting project going on this past year.

  54. HawkfaninMT

    Anyone here follow the Sounders?

    In terms of identity, I see some parallels. Of course there’s the regular season and post season consistency of the two teams throughout the last 10 years. But one of the consistent things about the Sounders is that they don’t have that 1 thing they do great. Even folks at MLS.com can’t really figure out how they keep winning games each week… but they do! Of course there’s flashier MLS teams (ATL, LAG, LAFC), but when the dust settles the team from Seattle just keeps getting wins. Sometimes it’s 1-0, other times it’s 5-3, but the result is the same.

    Similarly, for a few years it was defense and a tough run game. Now the defense is taking a bit of the back seat, and the run game isn’t working… but whether it’s 17-9, or 40-34… they are getting it done!

  55. Sea Mode

    Hmmm, actually an interesting option. We only have a few more minutes to speculate.

    Albert Breer
    @AlbertBreer

    The supplemental draft could give him [Tua] an interesting way to game the system. The path to that would be to announce he’s staying, then declare in June to give teams a chance to see him healthier.

    Contract would be in accordance with his draft slot, which corresponds with the April order. So hypothetically say Miami, at 5, takes Andrew Thomas. They get the player, and are slotted there again in July.

    Tua gets healthy, Miami takes him, he gets paid in that slot.

    And if you really wanna go into this rabbit hole … this would allow a team to gets its QB early, and not have to be bad in 2020 to do it, and it would mean Tua wouldn’t have to compete with Trevor Lawrence or Justin Fields for draft position in 2021.

  56. SoCal12

    Tua’s declared for the draft. Smart decision imo. I wonder if this affects the rest of the Bama class.

    • Sea Mode

      The WRs you gotta think so. Hoping Smith declares. Good fit for us as second option if Reagor is off the board.

      BTW, was watching some Tee Higgins the other day. Is Larry Fitzgerald an unfair comp? His size, acceleration, and hands kind of gave me that vibe. (speaking of potential, of course)

    • cha

      Good for him. Also pushes one more guy down the board for the Hawks.

  57. Brett

    Interesting tidbit on final DVOA rankings from Football Outsiders.

    “ The Green Bay Packers end up the second-worst 13-3 team ever according to DVOA, trailing only the 1999 Colts. You can find the list of the worst 13-3 teams here in this tweet. Four of the previous six worst 13-3 teams lost in the divisional round, although the 1999 Titans did make it all the way to the Super Bowl and almost won it.”

    https://www.footballoutsiders.com/dvoa-ratings/2019/final-2019-dvoa-ratings

    And for the record Seattle finished 8th and GB 10th in the final end of season rankings. By weighted we were 9th and GB 13th.

  58. Paul Cook

    I don’t know how other people feel, but for me it’s nice that we have the last game of the weekend again for the second week of the playoffs. It keeps my interest in all the other games at a peak level, and makes it known to me exactly what we’re playing for in our game.

    • cha

      Me too. But more importantly to give every guy every possible moment of rest since they’re so terribly banged up.

    • GerryG

      Totally agree.

      If Seattle were to lose, say the first game of the weekend, I would not even watch the rest. If they won, they would be on, but I would be distracted.

      When Seattle loses on a Sunday morning/afternoon, I never watch the night game, I cants stand to even see or think about football

  59. Eli

    If the Eagles had put three traffic cones on the field, instead of a cornerback, they might have had a shot at stopping DK

    • Volume12

      😂

  60. Volume12

    Wait. The National Championship isn’t tonight? Not feeling it.

  61. Volume12

    Kinda thought so. Bama WR DeVonta Smith is returning to school.

    This class is losing depth.

    • Volume12

      Then again.

      Some of the talent at WR selected in the 1st round since ’16:

      Will Fuller
      DJ Moore
      ‘Hollywood’ Brown
      Calvin Ridley
      John Ross
      N’Keal Harry

      Some of the talent at WR selected in the 2nd round since ’16:

      Michael Thomas
      JuJu
      DK Metcalf
      Deebo Samuel
      Courtland Sutton
      AJ Brown
      Mecole Hardman
      Curtis Samuel
      Tyler Boyd
      Sterling Shepard
      DJ Chark
      Parris Campbell
      Christian Kirk

      3rd round too:

      Chris Godwin
      Cooper Kupp
      Terry McLaurin
      Michael Gallup
      Kenny Golladay

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