Instant reaction: Seahawks handle Niners, move to 7-5

A comfortable win was the order of the day. The Seahawks need to take care of business in their remaining NFC games. This was always going to be the easiest on the slate. It’s unlikely Minnesota or even Arizona will be quite as accommodating as the Niners.

This was Seattle’s 10th straight win against San Francisco. Imagine anticipating that immediately after the 2013 NFC Championship. A rivalry that had developed into the NFL’s best didn’t last long.

There’s not a great deal to take out of the victory other than the win. The offense was efficient, Russell Wilson and the running game on point. The offense makes this team extremely competitive. Losing D.J. Fluker to a ‘pretty significant‘ hamstring strain is a blow.

The defense has some lingering issues. The pass rush still looks light and they give up too many easy big plays.

The Niners had 452 total yards on offense, including 386 passing yards.

San Francisco doesn’t have the worst O-line in the league (at least on paper). Yet this felt like a day where the Seahawks could crank things up (especially with an early and growing lead). It took until the final meaningful play of the game for someone to beat a lineman straight up (Jarran Reed, getting the third and final sack). The previous two both came on a blitz (the first from Bobby Wagner, the second shared between Justin Coleman and Quinton Jefferson).

It felt like a missed opportunity — or at least a further indication of the biggest off-season need.

The linebackers played very well — Wagner and Austin Calitro. Both ended with a pair of TFL’s and Wagner also had a 97-yard pick and a forced fumble plus recovery. It was a superstar performance and should be credited as such, regardless of the opponent.

The unit as a whole concedes too many big plays. Dante Pettis’ 75-yard score is the kind of play this defense is designed to avoid. Limit explosive plays — that’s the aim. It’s not happening at the moment.

The Niners didn’t have the punching power to punish Seattle. At times, however, it was all too easy for them. They could’ve easily scored more than 16 points. I’m not sure whether the defense deserves credit for the fact they didn’t or was it simply a fortunate day against a meek opponent?

The circle isn’t entirely complete and it’s not because of the running game any more.

In the post-season, it could be costly. And it remains, without doubt, the big priority for the off-season. One way or another they have to force more pressure next season. It’ll likely take a draft pick and a free agent addition or two. Extra competition across the board is necessary too. Work is required on the defense.

That’s the key to future improvement. For now, the Seahawks progress to 7-5. After a disjointed 0-2 start, they’ve gone 7-3 losing only to the Rams (twice) and the Chargers. All three losses could’ve ended differently.

Once again, Pete Carroll deserves credit for the way this season has developed into a legit post-season challenge.

Next week is huge. Minnesota at home on Monday Night Football. We saw what Kirk Cousins is capable of, leading a Redskins team to a win in Seattle last year.

It’s a playoff game in all but name.

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210 Comments

  1. GerryG

    Bummer about Fluker, but man I actually feel really good about OL depth. Probably the deepest position group on the team.

    The defense is pretty troubling, the pass rush of course, but the secondary too. Frank Clark was mostly invisible in pass rush for the second week in a row. Franchise tag feels more and more likely.

    • Rob Staton

      Franchise tag for Frank seems inevitable.

      I think the pass rush needs a few pieces. The first round of the draft will help (unless they trade out). I think the Jadeveon Clowney’s will be too expensive. So I think they need to look for value. That could mean some older vets (Terrell Suggs, Clay Matthews) or a player whose value maybe isn’t quite what everyone expected a year or two ago (Anthony Barr).

      • Forty20

        Solid win. It felt like Reed spent all game nearly sacking Mullins only to get home at the death. On first look I feel he was our most disruptive rusher today.

        I love the toss plays to Penny. He is electric as soon as a defender has to start worrying about lateral spacing. The running game didn’t take a massive hit last time we had to sit DJ Fluker so here is hoping we can cover for his bad hamstring injury.

        Defence needs work but they are back to producing turnovers at the least.

        Was ecstatic to see Lockett break a huge kick return. Our special teams have been trending up lately I feel. Better punt coverage backing Dickson’s thunderous foot and with Lockett starting to threaten again it could be the x-factor that separates the Seahawks in the upcoming must-win fixtures.

        • C-Dog

          Agree on Jarran Reed. He was into Mullins’ grill all game long.

      • GerryG

        It seems like he’s been offered an extension, and from all the comments he wants to get super paid.

        I don’t blame him, but he is not worth “take over the game” $. He’s awesome, the second best defender on the team, and a building block, but he doesn’t take over. I don’t have the eye many of you do, but it didn’t look to me he was being double teamed much. He’s worth extending at a big contract, but not Mack/Miler/Donald/Watt level of player.

        • Kyle

          That may be true, but you usually have to overpay for good pass rush.

        • jujus

          If we need to overpay to keep him then we need to sign the deal for such a long term that it becomes team friendly 4 years in because of how inflated salaries get.

          • icb12

            Meh. Sign him for too long and he will just feel he is undervalued and hold out for more money or a trade.

      • Gohawks5151

        I been thinking about Anthony Barr as a more realistic possibility lately. He is such a Pete Carroll guy. Pete has mentioned him before in reference to UCLA even. Not having a great year but a huge talent and Pete will get the best out of him.

        • charlietheunicorn

          Mathews or Barr would be nice additions. But if you add one of these guys, it likely means KJ Wright is a goner in 2019. It likely will come down to the all mighty dollar and salary cap.

          • smitty1547

            KJ pretty much been a goner this year with the injury bug. However it turns out I think it cost him some $

  2. brseahawks

    I am very impressed with Carson. He is an outstanding running back, he could be among league’s best if he was more reliable. Nice to see Penny coming along.

    We need this defense to tighten up. Missed most of the preseason and early season. What’s up with Greene?

    • BobbyK

      I have been wondering about Green, too. I really thought he’d be contributing more at this point in the season.

      Ford has really been a nice surprise this season though.

      • GerryG

        Green missed a solid month with an ankle.

        My guess the others were better suited against a run heavy SF squad. He was always thought of as a year or two away, that’s why he wasn’t a first rd pick.

    • Attyla the Hawk

      I don’t see anything wrong with him. He was young coming into the draft. I fully expected a redshirt kind of year for him.

      At this point, I don’t think his lack of participation should be cause for concern.

  3. Doug

    Those SF screen pass plays were UGLY. The Seahawks really missed KJ out there today to clean those up. It will help to get Kendricks in there to help and/or KJ–we will see an improvement in both the screen pass defence and better coverage on the underneath throws as well.

    There was a big difference in pass pro after Fluker went out also. After first and goal at the one, the pressure seemed to be pouring over Joey Hunt. If Fluker is out next week, probably Procic replaces him–Hunt just doesn’t have the mass to do what Fluker does in either pass pro or the run game.

    Penny–wow he took a big step forward again today, looking fast and decisive in his cuts.

    • Roger Davis

      By season’s end we will realize that Fluker’s injury was the one that broke the camel’s back. We will not recover from it. The OLine cohesion and teamwork are now more than just threatened they will be in taters. He and Brown are both completely irreplaceable.

      Pollywogs and snails tails! (Or some similar unprintable representation of frustration).

      • GerryG

        The OL held up well without Fuller in LA.

        They will have all week to practice and have Simmons and Pocic as options.

      • McZ

        Solari has transformed the whole mechanics of this OL unit. He has found some depth and he has worked a couple of second tier players into viable additions. No more trial and error, solid analysis what works and what player fits.

        IMO, we can say, this unit is good without Fluker, and absolutely crushing when he is involved.

      • Rob Staton

        Jordan Simmons played very well when Fluker missed the second Rams game.

        • David

          I’m not worried about Simmons filling in! Especially when none of the Dtackles are as good as the Rams Dtackles. Joseph, Rich, San Fran and then a 3/4 Nose tackles with KC and AZ.

          Even with extended time off I think we are alright. If he gets injured though who is up? Gotta wonder where Pocic sits and I have no confidence in Hunt being an effective run blocking guard that moves people at right guard.

          • Rad_man

            Fluker is a key player but I trust Simmons and Solari. Ridding Cable was the best off season move for this franchise in years.

            But fluker has battled the injury bug a lot, and it’s why he’s not a good long term solution or asset. Strictly Year to year with the big guy.

  4. LouieLouie

    Hey Rob;
    The defense is definitely the weak link in the chain. The Niners marched ball pretty solidly all afternoon. It was in the red zone that the D stiffened up. It was inevitable that Fluker would go down with an injury, but the O-Line seems to be solid. I didn’t catch who was his backup for most of the game. Hunt went in, but I don’t think he stayed in for very long. Do you know who played RG most of the 2nd half?

    • Rob Staton

      Jordan Simmons

      • jujus

        the broadcast said Joey hunt but I didnt see. Glad to hear simmons came in.

      • LouieLouie

        Thanks Rob.

  5. Ishmael

    The turnaround of the offensive line has been nothing short of miraculous to be honest. Light and day. Very impressive coaching performance.

    Think the defence just went to sleep. Knew the game was in hand and checked out just enough for things to get a bit sloppy. It was 27-3 after all, you’d have to be a complete joke of a team to manage to lose that sort of lead…

    Still a long way to go, but this team is more fun to watch than it has been for at least the last couple of seasons. Not taking that for granted. And I’ll never, ever, complain about beating the Niners for the 10th time in a row.

  6. cha

    Just got home from the game.

    Wagner’s performance shined. The two big takeaways, but also running the receiver down to save a score after Flowers completely blew the tackle. What a player.

    • BobbyK

      Yes. I thought of that play too (Wagner getting him from behind). Watching Wagz play today (and every week) is an honor. His bust will be in Canton one day. He’s that good.

  7. SamL

    Great win today. Should we be worried about all the holding penalties? Seems like the first week that its been an issue. I know the secondary is really young, but they just got torn apart by Nick Mullens. I just wanna know why. Is it the corners? Or safeties? whatever the issue, hopefully Pete can fix it and allow us to focus on front seven in the offseason.

    • Pickering

      Maybe Kyle Shanahan deserves credit for his game plan. Worrying, though, were the missed tackles.

      • LouieLouie

        Lack of pass rush doesn’t help either.

  8. Adog

    Ford looked good playing nose tackle. I know that Reed is getting a few sacks, but I think he’s more effective swallowing up a double team and letting Clark and Jordan pin their ears back. The niners took advantage of Reed’s new found pass rush. They killed us on screens today.

    • GerryG

      Naz Jones was the one who over rushed two or three times on screen plays

      • C-Dog

        +1

        Reed was terrific today.

        • Adog

          Reed is making the splash plays…but I’m not seeing him playing run defense efficiently. From my perspective he seemed to be getting the most snaps as a interior d-lineman, and too often he is not maintaining gap discipline on running plays.

          • David

            Not sure I am following your opinion of Reed.

            I think your argument is that Reed isn’t recognizing plays well enough but how do you know what his assignments are? Sorta loses context. You don’t really know how coaches are telling him to play vs what his actual assignments are. If they are telling him to penetrate and get after the quarterback vs maintaining his gap. It would be like saying on the play he got the sack I would take that away and move him over to where the RB was going to get a screen on a different play. I think you can do both which is also to say that Reed is a D Tackle and is only one reason why SF was running screens well and I don’t know why he alone would be singled out.

            Point being is that he can have that splash play and be aware enough to recognize a screen on a different play and also that has nothing to do with whether on a given play his assignment was to try and eat up two blocks or maintain gap integrity. Which is probably down dependent and play call dependent and whatever the coaches are seeing on any given play coupled with his awareness.

  9. Austin Slater

    Great stuff per usual Rob.

    I know we’ve invested a ton into the oline. But is it possible they view it as a priority this off season to add a potential starter and/or depth? Depth seems shallow although they’ve played so much better under Solari. I agree though, Dline will be the top priority.

    • Rob Staton

      I actually think the O-line depth looks good. Five legit starters, and prospective starters at tackle, guard and center. I don’t view it as a need assuming they keep the group together.

      • Austin

        Thanks for the response. I’m shocked at the turnaround even though I was very vocal about Cable being a problem. Anyway thanks for all the hard work!

        • Rob Staton

          My pleasure, thank you.

  10. Seahawcrates

    They beat a bad team and did so convincingly. That in itself is a mark of quality. Room to improve, sure but I’m seeing a team that plays well on the road, is highly competitive against the best in the league and has a unique, hard to defend style.
    They are playing their philosophy and getting results.
    Penney’s transition to the next gear is so smooth I think the defenders get fooled.
    The “Tip” celebration was so great. Especially after San Francisco sent out Sherman, Cassius Marsh, AND Malcolm Smith out as captains.

    • Pickering

      Sherman claimed not to have seen the tip reenactment. He also damned Russell with faint praise, mentioning he passed for 160 yards but saying nothing about the 4 TDs. Sherman claimed he doesn’t get emotional about things. 🙂

  11. FresnoHawk

    Great win before the Vikings game a little more tweaking of the defense and we’re on schedule for a playoff run.

  12. RWIII

    I would like to get the running backs more involved in the passing game. Love to see both Penny and Carson in open space. Also: as good as the running game is, you would think that opposing defenses would be vulnerable to the screen pass. Also throwing in screen plays will give defensive lineman something to think about. Anything to slow down those pass rushers.

    • McZ

      I’ll second that, plus they absolutely need an intermediate slot target. It blows my mind watching Kearse being misused at NY as a deep threath, while he is better in running intermediate cross routes, to lure the safeties and create a plan B and C. If we have a late mid round pick to spend, I would try to get Hunter Renfrow of Clemson.

    • GerryG

      The game plan seemed extremely vanilla and conservative. Probably by design? We have to play them again in few weeks, and will need to a few more things in the mix to secure a win on the road. More RB routes, and a George Fant catch must be on the horizon.

  13. charlietheunicorn

    Bobby Wagner put up one hell of a game today.

    INT, pass defenses, TD, TFL, 8+ tackles (solo I believe)… showing why he has been a probowler multiple times.

  14. C-Dog

    It was a great beat down against an inferior division opponent.

    The run game was dominant again, and Russell Wilson torched the defense with 4 touchdown passes on 17 attempts and his fourth TD, he punked Richard Sherman. Bravo.

    The defense was bend don’t break at the very definition of it. It gave up way to many chunk plays, I don’t think Coach Carroll was too thrilled about that, but I think you have to give some credit to holding the 49ers offense to 16 points.

    I thought Mullins was actually fairly impressive given the circumstances. He was not going to take many sacks. Jarran Reed was unloading on him for 6 QB hits, and he was getting rid of the ball instead of taking sacks. He hung in tough, and didn’t look overwhelmed. He didn’t look much worse than Aaron Rodgers did a few weeks ago at the Clink.

    Jarran Reed balled the **** out. 6.5 sacks on the season now from a guy who was already a dominating run defender. Reed is a guy to build around.

    Poona Ford played really well in his first start, really well, and I’d be perfectly happy having him continue getting the starting nod along Reed moving forward.

    I like this team’s chances against the Vikings a lot. I think Kendricks is coming back at the right time, and I think some of the mistakes made on the defense are correctable. This is going to be a HUGE game next week, and I think this team will be up for it.

    • charlietheunicorn

      Vikings game will be tough. But the starting CB Rhodes will most likely not be playing, since he injured his hamstring again I think. Seattle probably will be without Fluker, but Simmons has been solid when he has played this season.

      If the Redskins do what the Panthers and Falcons did today…. it would be the perfect weekend.

      • C-Dog

        Really, really, really like Seattle in this one against the Vikings next week. MNF at home. Seattle has been playing in tough contests all throughout November, I think that makes them battle ready with Kendricks coming back to aid the defense, and while losing Fluker hurts, I suspect they will insert Simmons and still be able to run on the Vikes defense. Nothing is a given, but I think Seattle knows this, and will play up to the challenge on national television.

    • Volume12

      He hit the QB yesterday like 5-6 times. Reed was flat-out dominant.

      • C-Dog

        Absolutely

  15. EranUngar

    It is the 2nd week in a row that the “bend but not break” is taken to a new level. We bend very easily and we totally rule the red zone stopping half of the red zone drives to no points at all. It has happen before in a few games. I am not sure it is a very sustainable model. I hope we get a little less bending next week against the Vikings.

    Speaking of the vikings, currently half a game behind us, some weeks ago we had the discussion here about who’s roster should be considered “better”. At the time the Vikings were half a game ahead of us and it was used as the bottom line proof that at the time the Vikings roster was better. We are half a game ahead of them now and about to host them next week. If we do win that game, would that support the claim that we do have a better roster than them?

    At the beginning of the season I felt that we should give our new OC some time to build this offense layer after layer before we call for his head. I find myself quite pleased with the way this offense is progressing. scoring 30+ points over GB, CAR & SF with a run heavy offense is not too bad.

    There are so many stats and evaluation models in the NFL that you can always look for the ones that support the view you already have. I am a meat and potatoes fan. As long as the NFL in their great wisdom decided the the winner of a football game is the team that scored more points than it’s rival, points has been my most telling “stat”. With 29 TDs already, I can not see any reason to question RW’s play and/or the coaching staff and as long as we are a top 10 defense in points allowed I am calling this defense a very pleasant surprise.

    Maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t the PC/JS that lost their way? Maybe it was some young millionaires losing their way just like their new teams are losing their games?

    • Doug

      Brian Nemhauser over at Hawkblogger has a great article up right now that talks about the relationship of higher-volume pass offence vs winning percentage. Higher volume passing leads to more points but not necessarily more wins–the ultimate stat is “points” as you point out Eran, and particularly scoring more of them than your opposition.

      PC/JS are building back to the winning formula from 2012-2014, and I love it!

  16. clbradley17

    A couple good laughs about this game:

    First, Dave Wyman on a Fox post-game show reads off BW’s stats:
    “12 tackles, 8 of ‘em solo and 2 for a loss. A sack. A forced fumble. A fumble recovery with an 11 yard return. A Pick Six. I’m like – is this my career? No, its Bobby Wagner’s day.”

    And this:
    https://twitter.com/mostlyfbshow/status/1069356176305881088?s=21

    • Matt

      With Dave Wyman and Brock Huard…Seattle is really spoiled to have these 2 on the radio. Both guys actually have the experience and both are incredibly smart, articulate guys.

      • Rob Staton

        Both are really great.

        • clbradley17

          Have seen Brock as a college football analyst for ESPN & ABC on several games this year. He’s very good, much better than on Monday Night Football and most Seahawks games, where the announcers are not either good or impartial and favor the other team (Cowboys and several others).

          • David

            Brock is the best! Love listening to Brock and Salk

  17. Largent80

    Don’t forget, we get Kendricks back this week, and that is going to be a nice addition to the defense.

    • GerryG

      He looked really good even with the mere 5 minutes of practice under his belt at the start of the year. Getting him back could be huge. He brought some good pressure as well.

  18. Brandon Adams

    A number of SF’s big yardage chunks (not all) came from plays in which the 49ers sent TWO guys on routes and kept everyone else in to block. Two. With the RB and two TE’s staying in to block. It’s not surprising that our pass rushers struggled on those plays and left Mullens all day to find open guys. The fact that those two guys KEPT GETTING OPEN against seven defenders is a massive indictment on our secondary, not our pass rush. And possibly against the paper-soft zone that Ken Norton keeps regressing into.

    The assumption that San Francisco must be utterly devoid of talent because they have a poor record is also probably not helpful to analysis. They have a good offensive line and a number of great skill position players (Pettis, Wilson, Kittle, etc.). This was a trendy Super Bowl pick before their QB1 went down. I also think Mullens deserves credit for a solid display of game management. He could get a serious look from some other team after that performance.

    It’s also being forgotten that the guy on the other sideline was Kyle Shanahan. He did a solid job of protecting Mullens with the playbook – screens, slants, etc.

    • AlaskaHawk

      Mullen is better than people are giving him credit for. He made a few plays, got rid of the ball when he had to.

      Was anyone else confused about 49ers Wilson running the ball? Seemed like he was doing pretty well but I kept expecting that when I looked it would be Seahawks Wilson running.

      Great game against a weak team! Carson looked expolosive, and Penny looked smooth as butter.

  19. Matt

    Great, great game. So much to be happy about.

    Let me get this off my chest…I’m over “volume statistics.” Whether that’s RW not throwing 40 times a game or Chris Carson not getting 20 carries, regularly; it’s clear this team has the horses to spread the wealth on offense. The best part about this equation is that it’s really hard to plan for because while it’s relatively simplistic – there is not “1 guy” that makes everything go. It is beautifully simplistic and it can completely break the will of the other team.

    What is awfully concerning to me remains the Pass Rush and the secondary. I get there are young guys back there…but it is becoming clear that Shaq Griffin is just a guy. He simply does not make plays. And he’s making way more mistakes than usual now. Very concerning trend. Tedric Thompson is just not good. Has he made a play all year? I know he’s come close…but he really hasn’t made any plays. Griffin is JAG and Thompson, IMO, is actually a liability. McDougald is a really good player and Flowers looks like a promising #2.

    Rob…you got me thinking more about Byron Murphy @ FS; and I will tell you that I am completely intrigued by his fit in Seattle, on that front. Yes, he is probably the best cover CB in college football but his instincts are just rare, rare, rare. I could see him becoming an utter nightmare as a single high FS. He is plenty good in run support, too. The best analogy I have for him is that he is the back end version of Tyrann Mathieu. Mathieu’s instincts and playmaking ability at the LOS is so natural. That’s how I see Murphy in the back end. You can just tell that he has a special mind in the passing game. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a better CB transitioning from WR to WR. He consistently ends up where the ball is, even if it wasn’t the WR he was covering.

    Anyways…I’m just curious if you see him as a potential fit in Seattle, specifically at Safety? Great work!

    • Rob Staton

      I really like Byron Murphy. Tons of potential. My favourite DB in this eligible class.

      That said, I don’t see a fit in Seattle. Firstly, they’ve only drafted one defensive back early. Earl Thomas. Earl was special. Eight picks as a red shirt sophomore. Ultimate playmaker at FS. It was clear he was going to be a stud in the league. I remember having him ranked above Eric Berry who went #6 overall. With Murphy, he’d have to be a convert they felt especially good about at a position he hasn’t played. He’s going in the top-40 so they’d have to take him early. He hasn’t had an Earl-type season at UW. And I’m not sure he’s going to test anywhere near as well as Earl either. So I think it’s doubtful a.) that Seattle takes him with their first pick and b.) that Seattle takes a DB at all with their first pick.

      I think it’ll be quite predictable — D-line. Unless they win their way out of range for the top group or trade down. Even then, I’d say DL is likely.

      • Matt

        Thanks for the great response Rob. For the sake of continued dialogue, I’m going to rebut on this one.

        Yes, statistically Earl had an insane season, but I’d counter with the fact that he had many, many more chances to accumulate these stats because a) he played in a offensive/pass happy conference and b) he played a position that you can’t avoid, like a CB. I think Murphy’s stats are incredible given that people don’t challenge him often.

        Your point about position switch and athletic testing certainly aren’t debatable. I think Murphy is comfortably in the 4.4s but certainly won’t test like Earl. That said, I think Murphy’s advantage over Earl are hips and proven ability to cover 1 on 1. I think this is why I’d be comfortable taking the leap of faith that he could play FS because we know if that doesn’t work out he could become a top flight CB, which the Seahawks desperately need, IMO.

        While I agree that they haven’t drafted CBs high, I think that might have more to do with the presence of Earl Thomas, than it is a simple unwillingness to take CBs high (if that makes sense). After all, with Earl, we could target certain traits that fit into the scheme. With the absence of ET, I’d argue that our corners/secondary have been exposed meaning it might behoove us to place more of an importance at CB, being since it’ll be very difficult to find ET 2.0.

        I sincerely appreciate the dialogue. And I totally agree that DL will be the target…I’m just throwing out other options if we win our way out of a great DL in R1. I think this would be an interesting option. I’d prefer this over Taylor Rapp because I think Rapp and McDougald are very similar players and would be redundant.

        Keep up the great work.

        • Rob Staton

          I think a couple of quick things in response here. To be fair, Earl was outstanding for Texas as a redshirt sophomore. I never personally felt his production was a consequence of a talented roster. He looked seriously legit — and now we know he was seriously legit. His range, nose for the football and ability to make the improbable happen was clear even in 2009 in college. I’m not even expecting to see a player like that again in college. Possibly ever. Even Grant Delpit at LSU now isn’t at that level.

          I also don’t believe the Seahawks will ever think about drafting a cornerback early. It’s a scheme thing. The way they use the cornerbacks. Michael Lombardi highlighted it well when he reported they were willing to deal Sherman 18 months ago:

          “I think Seattle really thought twice about paying Richard Sherman. They felt they had to when they won the Super Bowl. Now their cap’s kind of a mess and they need to fix it so I think the reason they need to fix it is because they put all that money in the corner position in a defense where, we feel you can draft players that fit that scheme. Seattle did it, they’ve done it over and over again…

          … the scheme in Seattle allows you to find corners especially size/speed corners”

          Their unwillingness to draft corners early is very much a scheme thing not an Earl thing. I mean, look at Tre Flowers. A fifth round safety converted to corner and starting as a rookie and playing well. Add him to the long list of day three success stories they’ve had. The scheme allows them to identify a type, coach them up and succeed.

          Furthermore, Murphy doesn’t appear to have the size/length we know they like.

          I wouldn’t expect them to go that route even though I really like Murphy as a player.

    • Trevor

      Matt I love Murphy’s game as well. I am anxious to hear Robs thoughts about him.

      I don’t think the Hawks will ever take a CB early but I think Murphy could be one of the top 5 slot CB in the league in a year or two.

    • Doug

      Tedric caused the fumble on the failed 2-point conversion. I was concerned that he was not in position to make a play on Pettis’ long TD, but there are not passes being completed in the deep middle.
      Tedric is not Earl, but nobody is. He is going to be ok. The Seahawks don’t *need* an Earl-replica in order to be good in pass defense. They will be ok.
      As for Griffen, this is his first year as CB#1. He is still learning and will keep improving also.
      Many of those long gains were screen passes and short crossing patterns. With either KJ or Kendricks much of that is going to get cleaned up.

      • Matt

        I have to vehemently disagree with this take. While Tedric is young…he is simply not a good player and his ceiling is extremely limited. I don’t think he is going to be ok, because so far he has proven to be a liability, more often than not.

        I do agree that finding an ET replica is impossible. And while the defense can be fine without him, I think it’s abundantly obvious that FS needs a much better talent.

        And I disagree about Griffin as well. Take away the Chicago game and he has been a below avg player this year. If he needs ET and KJ Wright to function as a decent CB, then he needs to be upgraded.

        I’m very concerned about the defense, particularly the secondary. Not having a R2 pick is an absolute killer right now. We have severe needs at all 3 levels of the defense. I don’t agree with Hawkblogger all that often, but I agree with him when he says this is PC’s best coaching job because arguably every level of that defense is in the bottom 3rd of the league when it comes to talent.

        I hope this didn’t come across as abrasive. And again, this is just my opinion. I think the secondary is porous and needs a dramatic infusion of talent.

        • GerryG

          I dont think TT is that good, but he has made some plays this season. As mentioned above the fumble forced on the 2pt, he had a real nice pass break up yesterday timing his hit and forcing a drop. He has made some real good tackles, he forced a fumble against Detroit (on special teams). He deserves some credit for making some plays this year.

          That said, to me, he is a backup. As a backup, his play is respectable. I dont want to see him starting next year, and I’m not sure what they can do about that with their limited draft capital. Thankfully the S market is undervalued so maybe they find someone affordable that just needs an opportunity.

        • cha

          You don’t feel another season of development and a much better pass rush will help Griffin, TT, Flowers, etc in 2019?

          • Matt

            Flowers? Definitely. He’s brand new to the position and you can see things click.

            Thompson and Griffin? No, I really don’t think so. I just don’t think either are very good.

            I think Thompson has nice instincts but he’s just a poor athlete. And I think Griffin is the exact opposite…great athlete; I just think he lacks a feel for the game.

            Again, this is just my opinion.

            • Elmer

              Here are a couple of random thoughts.

              The Hawks drafted Griffin higher than they have any other CB, so they must have seen potential in him, we hope that he lives up to that. In Year 2 he may be suffering from not being Richard Sherman. Very big shoes to fill.

              Thompson, presumably, is better than Delano Hill. But he isn’t Earl Thomas. It would be a nice surprise if Chancellor got healthy enough to play in 2019, and McDougald could move to free safety.

          • GerryG

            The entire secondary will be improved with an effective pass rush. I’m not giving up on Griffin, due to his athletic talent and solid rookie campaign. I just don’t see TT as starter, that said, many folks on here have a much better eye for film and scouting than me.

            With limited draft capital I’m drafting DT, edge, LB, first. One pick left, so secondary.

        • Largent80

          Seriously, NOBODY here knows how a player is going to turn out until they get chances to play, and growing pains are inevitable. TT may be good or not, but the FUTURE will determine that not speculation on a handful of games.

    • cha

      “Whether that’s RW not throwing 40 times a game or Chris Carson not getting 20 carries, regularly;”

      Agree. RW only threw 17 times? Who cares, they scored 43 points. Time to get beyond standard NFL stats as a measure of success.

      At the end of the year RW’s year will stand among the all time greats in terms of TD efficiency.

      • Kenny Sloth

        So annoying when the fantasy ticker comes on screen and has like Baker Mayfield as the number 1 passer cuz he mighta threw for 312 yards a touchdown and 3 picks in a loss.

        How is that valuable quarterbacking stats/

  20. Volume12

    For a team that’s exceeded expectations there sure is a lot of ‘meh.’

    How many yards do y’all think Christopher Carson had called back due to penalties? 30? 35? Him and Penny have become a fantastic 1-2 punch.

    Obviously another pass rusher is a must first and foremost. Seattle doesn’t need a DT that can push the pocket and get after the QB though. If they can find one, great. That’d be luxurious. But they got that in Jarran Reed. They need another run-stuffer.

    BWagz continues to be IMO the best MLB in the game.

    • Nick

      Yes, and we’ve had years now of older, experienced DTs coming in very cheap. I expect and trust PCJS to sign older FA DTs, extend Reed, and hope for the continued development of Ford and Jones.

  21. Volume12

    Derwin James falling to 17 is hilarous. What a special talent. Impacts the game in every single way.

    • clbradley17

      Gus Bradley knew he was lucky to get him for the Chargers, and we would have taken him with the next pick if he didn’t. Wish there was a way to get his almost twin or better in size and skills next year, Grant Delpit of LSU, big fast safety and the only player in college football to have 5 sacks and 5 interceptions, but he’s so good he’ll go top 5 in 2020.

      • Volume12

        Yeah, Delpit won’t fall far. Or fall for that matter.

        Last year’s DB class/group is proven to be outstanding. Derwin, Jaire Alexander, Denzel Ward, Justin Reid, Donte Jackson, Minkah, and there’s a couple others who I’m forgetting.

        • clbradley17

          One of the Chargers other DBs, think he’s in his 2nd year, CB Desmond King may go to the Pro Bowl this year too. He’s had 2 pick 6s (one off RW), and had a Kickoff return for a TD yesterday.

        • SoCal12

          Put some respect on our boy Tre Flowers name. 😛

      • Rob Staton

        The Seahawks were not going to draft Derwin James. Everyone assumes this. But it was as clear as day they were trading down from that spot and that their focus was on fixing the run.

        • Trevor

          You are probably right Rob and it is clear that passing on him would have been a huge mistake and passing and Vander Esch was.

          I liked the Penny pick and knew they wanted to needed to fix the run game and they have done that. I think Penny is going to be a really good RB for the Hawks. But can you imagine how different this defense looks with James or Vander Esch.

          If they had no intention of resigning Earl they should have taken what they could for him prior to the draft to get the additional draft capital they wanted.

          • David

            Vander Esch would have been awesome. I wonder if they didn’t think that he could play Will or Sam though. He definitely is a special talent and paired with Wagner would have been an awesome tandem to boot.

            I think Penny has only scratched the surface though of what type of talent he could be. Came in heavy got injured and then just never really found his footing. Its clear now he has gotten down to at least where he needs to be but I think you give him to around the playoffs or next year with an offseason of the correct training and he will even be better and a game changer whenever he touches the ball.

          • Rob Staton

            I liked Vander Esch a lot but not drafting him or James was most definitely not a mistake.

            1. They had NO picks until round four and HAD to trade down

            2. They needed to fix the run and got the pick of a great RB class

            3. Having the odd ‘name’ player doesn’t make a roster good. Having clarity and vision on what you want to achieve and building towards it does.

  22. clbradley17

    Rob and anyone, what do you think about the choices for the college football playoffs with Alabama, Clemson, Notre Dame and Oklahoma being the 4? Of course Alabama and Clemson, but I’ve seen several on ESPN and elsewhere say that GA is the only other team top 5 in the country in scoring offense and defense besides those 2, and the only team to even come close to beating Alabama. I guess there’s no way they could put GA in there with the 2 losses to Alabama, and Ohio State seems much better than Notre Dame, but kind of had to put ND in there with no losses, even though they had a very easy schedule.

    I thought the championship playoffs was for the 4 best teams, and it doesn’t appear that way this year, just looks like a setup for another Alabama-Clemson final, which should be another great game and showcase for a LOT of top 2019 draft picks.

    • GerryG

      Personally, I think the whole “best teams” make it philosophy is flawed. You want in, win your conference. I also think every conference should have a chance.

      • Rob Staton

        It’s a thought that I thought I would’ve agreed with when the playoffs were created. To be honest though, now I disagree. I just want the best teams in, the most entertaining games. And if LSU and Alabama, for example, are both fantastic one year — one of them isn’t even physically able to make their conference Championship, let alone win the division. And in that scenario I’d hate to miss out on two great teams making it just so a weaker Big-12, PAC-12 or Big-10 team gets in. Especially because those three conference are pretty awful at the moment.

    • Volume12

      Me and Rob were talking about this yesterday on the last thread.

      I think they got it right even if Georgia is better than ND. Can’t punish ND for not having a game on ‘Championship Saturday.’ They went 12-0, had wins over 3 top 25 teams, including a top 10 team at the time. Can’t put a 2 loss team in over an undefeated Notre Dame.

      Georgia got boat raced by LSU. They had a shot and blew it, up 14 with a chance to go up 17 and then turned around and gave up 21.

      Same reason why Ohio St ain’t in. Purdue blew them out and this current committee tends to penalize teams for that. Ohio St’s best win was over Michigan. Better than Oklahoma’s best win, but then you start to go down the line and Oklahoma’s 2nd, 3rd, 4th best wins are better than Ohio St’s.

    • Rob Staton

      I think the playoffs are at a crossroad after this year. The national media probably won’t see it this way. But I think it’s true.

      The playoffs should be the four best teams. One conference is vastly superior to the others. There’s every chance multiple SEC teams will be superior to everyone else. I happen to think Georgia are better than Notre Dame. A fair bit better. And yet Notre Dame are in because they’re unbeaten. You can easily make a case for saying… they deserve it. Nobody beat them. But to my eye test, I can see (IMO) that Georgia are clearly better. I think we’ll see a comfortable Clemson win and a fairly comfortable Alabama win. Which is fine. I want to watch Alabama vs Clemson in the final… aka the first round D-liner Bowl… but to me it would’ve been so fun to see Georgia in there against Clemson.

      • AlaskaHawk

        When they first started with a playoff I thought it would be 8 teams. While 4 is okay and a vast improvement, you have to accept that with a limited number of teams it would be unwise to double up the conference championship matches and play them all over again just because you think the teams are stronger.

        With 8 you can put in 6 conference winners and 2 others. A pretty good shot at including the best teams without the controversy of leaving out an Ohio State or including a Notre Dame.

        • Rob Staton

          I’d rather see a Georgia vs Alabama re-match than Alabama hammer a lesser opponent.

      • GerryG

        Well by my argument, ND is also not in, no conf champ game

        • Rob Staton

          That’s the issue for me. I’d hate for a weak conference champion to usurp a fantastic non-conference champ. And that’s the issue for me. If two great teams are in the same division in the same conference (Alabama & LSU, Michigan & Ohio State for example) I think we should be willing to consider the four best teams.

          • GerryG

            It’s a valid argument for sure.

            On the flip side, I would also argue, that the conference title games become part of the playoff in this format. With the addition of no additional games, all of a sudden you have a 12-14 team playoff field.

            • Rob Staton

              I’d like to see a reduction in non-conference games (eg, let’s say two games per team) and an extended playoff.

              • GerryG

                Wait, you want to end Bama-Citadel?!?!

                😉

    • icb12

      I think they got it right.

      Dont get me wrong. Georgia is a fantastic team. But to get in the playoffs, you have to win the big games against the ranked opponents- which they did not do.

      If LSU wins against Florida we wouldn’t even be talking about the dawgs. Seriously. If the tigers had only 2 losses, 1 being to bama playing a half without your best player, and the other a 7OT loss to TA&M with a questionable PI at the end? With the Tigers stomping Georgia…

      It’s pretty simple- win the games and get in. Georgia didn’t . LSU didnt’. OSU didn’t. Michigan Didn’t. UCF doesn’t have the schedule to be legit.

      I also have watched a lot of ND.. They haven’t been pretty. They haven’t been dominant. But they find a way to win against an OVERALL better schedule than most teams out there. The SEC model of scheduling a cupcake and then a meaningful game and then another cupcake is sooooo lame. Schedule real teams. At least schedule a Division 1 team for crying out loud. Would we be having this conversation if georgia had to play TA&M instead of Austin Peay, or Middle Tennessee, or UMAss?? I have my doubts. There needs to be a LOT more interconference play to sort all of this out in my opinion. And ND needs to schedule an extra game. Call it whatever you want to call it. But schedule an extra. I don’t think there are any rules against it. Imagine if ND played Washington State this past weekend? Chance for both teams to stay in the minds of the people that make the decisions.

      I disagree with a lot of the final rankings. Northwestern, Missouri, Syracuse… to name a couple. Putting a TA&M team that barely lost to clemson, and beat LSU, beat kentucky, that low?.

      But I think they got the final 4 right. Job well done committee.

    • j

      They should expand the playoff to eight teams.

      You have five conference champions but only four spots, which doesn’t make sense to me.

      Eight teams, the five conference champs are in and three wildcard spots for non conference champs.

      SEC is overrated to me. Feels like “the SEC is great because we say they are great” kind of deal. Playing four non-conference games helps a ton.

      • Volume12

        If fans want a playoff, pay these guys. An 8 team playoff means they’d play the same amount as the pros, with the same punishment on their bodies, for what?

        • Kenny Sloth

          Arguably more punishment because they arent even professionals.

          • LLLOGOSSS

            Since when is the amount of games relative to the pro’s how we measure anything? They play, what, 75% of a pro schedule anyway, how is that considered “safe?” Should we be advocating for less? An 8 game season? Does that satisfy the need to protect people from a sport they want to play?

            Like Rob said, limit the non-conference schedule and replace it with an expanded playoff.

  23. Volume12

    Colorado QB Steven Montez returning to school. Smart. Gets to return with WR Laviska Shenault.

    S. Carolina DT Javon Kinlaw also returning. He was a sleeper of mine. Would’ve got lost in this year’s group.

    Now onto another sleeper and recent SR bowl invite Arizona St DT Rennell Wren. One of the best pure run defenders in this class. Excited to see how performs down there.

    LSU CB Greedy Williams going pro.

    Iowa TE Noah Fant going pro. TE#1 for me. The tape is there.

    OK St HB Justice Hill is as well.

  24. cha

    I could be wrong but it feels like on the DL there is a bit of a “pick your poison” when they determine their inactives and snaps. Like with this group as currently constructed, they have to choose between more pass rush or a stout run defense. I wonder if they can either scheme just a little differently to even it out, or if the mix of Naz / Poona / Shamar / Green / Jordan can be tuned just a little more.

    I’m not saying the Hawks don’t need more help on the DL. I agree that’s priority #1 in the offseason. But strictly for 2018, I wonder if they can mix & balance the next few weeks to find a good, effective balance that can serve both sectors well.

  25. neil

    Giving up 452 yards to the lowly 49ers is kind of scary. How many will the Vikings and Chiefs roll up I wonder. Even if the Hawks finish 9/7 their is still a shot at the playoff’s. The Rams,Saints, and Cowboys win their divisions. The Vikings or Bears win the North with the 2nd place finisher a wild card. The Packers are toast. The Panthers have two games with the Saints, and we have head to head. That leaves only the Bucks, Eagles, and Redskins to worry about. The Eagles and Bucks both have games with the Cowboys and Saints ahead. The Redskins have the easiest schedule and may be the team that knocks the Hawks out or forces the tie break rules.

    • Rob Staton

      Well in fairness, the Chiefs are likely to give up 452 passing yards themselves. Their defense is shocking. And they nearly blew it against the Raiders yesterday.

      The Vikings are a dangerous opponent but something just isn’t right.

      I’m not remotely worried about the Colt McCoy led Redskins.

      This is there for Seattle. Whether they’re good enough to make a mark in the post-season remains to be seen. I just want another shot at the Rams. Third time lucky and all that.

      • David Ashton

        That wood be bloody lovely

      • Trevor

        Agree completely Rob!

      • Hawk Eye

        the season is a success if we get to the playoffs and knock off the Rams, and go no further.
        Of course if we beat the rams, I will take back my statement that that is enough

        I know Donald is a great player, but I am starting to really dislike him (but would love him in a Hawks uni)
        and would love for Sweezy and Britt to put him on his ass and have Carson step over him for a winning TD.

        • LLLOGOSSS

          I loved seeing Britt get under his skin. Even though they’ve won twice, I think this is a true rivalry in the making. Let’s have another bar fight in the playoffs 🤞🏼

      • Group Captain Mandrake

        Probably even less worried about the Mark Sanchez led Skins.

      • Ashish

        If we meet LA Rams in post season mark W there. Little bit of luck and execution our side and we would have tied for the division at this stage.
        Amazing consider how much we still lack but able to get W. Go hawks

    • GerryG

      Seattle’s D is not talented enough, however, there is some hope. They have performed well for stretches this season, including an entire half against a very good Chargers team. If they get in sync with each other, and tighten up those zone gaps they can be respectable.

      Getting Kendricks back is huge I think.

      They can hang against the Chiefs if they can hang with the Rams, the Chiefs D is awful, and the game plan will limit the number of possessions for Mahomes. Honestly I like their chances against the Chiefs. The Vikes D concerns me the most, they can force a lot of 3 and outs.

  26. cha

    I have spent zero time reading who national pundits think should be up for the major awards in 2018, but any list has to include some Hawks:

    * PC for Coach of the Year. Roster purged of Kam, Sherman, Bennett, Avril, Sheldon for all of 2018 and ET for a good chunk of the season. Asst Coach Cable, and the top two lieutenants Richard and Bevell shuttered. And yet the Hawks have revamped the offense, integrated several new & young players on the fly, and are in contention for a playoff spot and with a couple breaks run the table to go 11-5. 2018 might be his master season.

    * RW for All-Pro and/or MVP. He’s headed for an all-time great season in terms of QB efficiency. He has amazing chemistry with Lockett & Baldwin and has formed a great relationship of trust with David Moore.

    * Bobby Wagner for DPOY. Aaron Donald might be unblockable but Wagner is right there in terms of total contribution. David Wyman said it best about Wagner’s stat sheet from last night’s game. “Is that my entire career or just one game for Wagner?”

    * Michael Dickson. What? There isn’t a Special Teams ROY award? Dickson will inspire some beer or sporting goods brand to create one and award it.

  27. Sea Mode

    Still waiting for BWagz to miss a tackle… just sayin’.

  28. Coleslaw

    I’m already loving the Penny pick. Carson is really good but him and Penny look like they can be a really good 1-2 punch, with Davis being a very capable backup. Penny is showing why he went in round 1. Look at his runs if 15+ yards, hes a playmaker out if the backfield, while Carson’s the bruiser.

    Would anyone be mad if Penny split carries like this his whole career but played an extra 4 or 5 seasons?

  29. Donovan

    From Robert Mays’ column today on The Ringer:

    If the Patriots have been the team of the decade in the AFC, then Russell Wilson’s Seahawks have earned that distinction in the NFC. And with Sunday’s 43–16 win over the 49ers, Seattle has all but locked up a wild-card spot in the NFC. The Seahawks’ current offensive identity — which mixes an effective running game with some scattered deep shots from Wilson — is perfectly suited for their personnel. Wilson’s been brilliant for stretches this year, but on Sunday, he didn’t have to be. Outside of another long touchdown throw to Tyler Lockett and a gorgeous bullet pass on the run to Jaron Brown for his fourth TD pass of the day, the QB wasn’t asked to do much. Most of the workload on offense was handled by the duo of Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny, who combined for 134 yards on the ground on just 20 carries and were able to rip off huge chunks of yardage on tosses and runs to the outside.

    As recently as last Sunday, before the Seahawks narrowly beat the Panthers 30–27, it seemed like Seattle would be locked in a tight race for the conference’s top wild-card spot for the rest of the season. But after their win over Carolina in Week 12 and the Panthers’ loss to the Buccaneers this week, the Seahawks effectively have a two-game lead over Carolina in the standings. A win over the Vikings next week would create a similarly insurmountable gap between Seattle and a middling Minnesota team that’s still trying to stay afloat. For all their faults — and despite all the injuries they’ve suffered on defense — it sure looks like the Seahawks could pull off an upset or two come playoff time.

  30. LouieLouie

    The Seahawks may not have a lot of draft capital, but their production this season will be a factor in signing veterans this year. Vets will like the upside they see for the next few seasons. The Hawks may be able to bring in some free agent talent at DL, pass rush and Safety. I still remember the free agents they brought in just before the Superbowl runs. If KJ and the other vet (the suspended guy, can’t remember his name) return next year, they will be strong at linebacker. Even though the Corners have made some youngster’s errors, I think both starters will be around for a long time. The future looks good for the 12th Nation.

    • Bankhawk

      And those same factors, plus P.C.s posture on keeping things open to competition will ensure that we remain a magnet for the most interesting U.D.F.A. candidates out there, allowing for J.S. to continue his annual hunt for diamonds in a dust bin!

  31. Nathan Woo

    Oh jesus…. Sanchez in for the Redskins

    • neil

      I posted earlier, given the schedule, the Skins might give the Hawks a run for the sixth seed at 9/7. Kiss the Redskins goodbye now.

  32. charlietheunicorn

    Per NFL Next Gen stats, Adrian Peterson hit a top speed of 20.84 mph, his fastest max speed in the past three seasons. Not bad for a 33-year-old. (During his 90 yard scamper for a TD)

    :O

    • AlaskaHawk

      I enjoyed watching the secondary chase and fail to catch him. One of the best running backs ever, and he still has break away touchdown speed.

      • Hawk Eye

        just don’t ask him to watch your kids

  33. GoHawksDani

    Great game!

    Rob wrote it earlier, but I also think that Russ would love another quick, shifty WR, like Lockett or Baldwin. Size is good, and D. Moore solid, so is Brown. But the chemistry feels more natural with Lockett-ish guys and Russ. Not a need, but a “would be cool”

    I saw you guys commenting Clark is questionable as a talent. Yeah, he’s not a top5, but he has amazing motor, and still young. I think he’ll have a great career and just started to develop into more. No idea why, but he reminds me of Cam Jordan. I wouldn’t give him a top5 DE contract, but I’d definitely pay him good. Him, a great rookie DE, Reed, and maybe a baller DT could dominate the LOS.
    I love our DL depth. A ton of good guys (Ford, Jones, Jordan, Stephen, Jefferson, Jackson…and the young guys might have a high ceiling like Green and Martin), we just need 1-2 greats.

    BWagz is a beast. Calitro played OK. Good BACKUP, but I doubt he’ll be a starter. I’m so pumped about Kendricks coming back. I really hope we can get a player like him in FA or via the draft. KJ is good, but not sure if he’s the future. I’d love a young, hard-hitting, fast, baller OLB too.

    I wanna say sorry to Penny. I’m still convinced he could’ve come out of his shell sooner, and still need to learn imo (most of the rookie RBs contributed more before the last 2-3 game than him), BUT he has that potential X-factor. I don’t really want him as an inside runner. Throw him screens, let him bounce outside, etc. He runs like a returner. Really good vision in space, and able to swiftly manoeuvre between defenders that try to tackle him. That is his forte, that’s what PC+Schotty needs to utilize more (in my opinion). I feel a similar stuff to Ingram+Kamara. Not exactly the same, but Carson is the strong one, that can get you the hardest 1-2 yards. Who always falls forward, who can show power from the inside. And Penny is the quick feet guy, who jukes and sprints and gets you that 20+ yard runs.

    And also wants to “apologize” to Russ. Not because I think he’s a top 3 QB or should get a top2-3 QB contract. But the announcers said something very important during the 49ers game. That in this system the QB shouldn’t have any ego. It’s a unique thing among highly competitive guys. Imagine Cam or Brady in this system. They’d cry all the time because they can’t pump up their stat sheet. Russ is a humble guy. Good QB and can work with any system, so I’m fine giving him ~30-32m contract. I would like a 25-27m contract more but I won’t complain about a bigger contract either.

    Another topic: Not sure if Mullins had too much time (pass rush issue), or played really really good, or our secondary sucks. But Mullins is not a great QB. Not even a good one. Apart from the pick6, he massacred our D#. Yeah a ton of short and intermediate stuff, but threw some deeper passes too. Griffin seems slow, not sure what’s the issue. Flowers either play good/great (pretty good in run support), or completely burned, and missing some tackles too. McDougald plays well most of the times, but other times he completely disappears (I think PC+Norton moved him into the box more often for this game, but still). Not sure about T2. He might be well, but still pretty rough. So I’m not sure how well this secondary can be.
    Yeah, if we’d have a dominant pass rush, and the opposing QB would only have like 1-2 seconds all the time, it’s less of an issue. But still…

    Also, covering RBs, TEs is a huge weak spot for us. It would nice if somehow they’d fix that

    Everything apart, this team has a ton of potential, and they showed they can dominate. If we can win against the Vikes, we’re in the playoffs. It’ll be interesting a couple of weeks

    • GerryG

      I think everyone likes Frank Clark a lot. It just feels like him and his agent are going to push for Mack $.

  34. C-Dog

    PFF loves Jarran Reed this week as a pass rusher, ranking him #1 in the league. 1 sack, 5 hits, 3 hurries = 9 total QB pressures. Fantastic performance for the DT.

    Jarran is having a great season.

    • Volume12

      Only behind Aaron Donald, Geno, Buckner, and Rankins for sacks by a DT.

      Pair Him with a run-stuffer, get a duo out on the EDGE’s, and the rotational pieces are fantastic in QJeff, Poona, Naz, Green, and Martin.

      Him and Frank are the type of guys you build around. Keep them however you can because their price tag is going to go up.

      • C-Dog

        V12, how do you feel about UW’s Greg Gaines pairing up inside with Reed? I think he has kind of the look and feel for what Carroll likes, and maybe great second day value. .

  35. cha

    NHL Seattle! WOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Sorry. It’s just that I’ve been waiting my entire adult life for today!!!

    • Elmer

      Your choice for new team name? Totems?

    • icb12

      YES!
      I’m with you Cha. Super stoked Hockey is back in the PNW

  36. DC

    Urban Meyer to ‘retire’😉😉😉 following the Rose Bowl…

    Please send him out as a loser 🙏
    Go DAWGS!!!

    • smitty1547

      I didn’t have a good feeling about this match up, and now I feel even worse about it, I hope I’m wrong.

  37. Kenny Sloth

    Saw someone on twitter ask if the Seahawks are the 3rd best team in the NFC.

    Fingers crossed we’re the 6th best team haha. These questions are so meaningless in a parity-ridden NFL where anything can happen on any given Sunday.

    Already lost to Chicago and LA twice. Probably worse than Minnesota regardless of MNFs result. I’d probably put us over Atlanta and Carolina and Tampa. I don’t want to play Philly but are they better?

    Rams
    Saints
    Chicago
    Minnesota
    Seattle
    Carolina
    Dallas
    Atlanta
    Philadelphia
    Green Bay
    Tampa Bay
    Detroit
    Washington
    New York
    San Fransisco
    Arizona

    So we’re fighting for the six seed with someone from the NFC east winning that 4th seed. We have the tiebreaker on Carolina and Dallas and Green Bay. Hard to be worried about playoff chances, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves

    • AlaskaHawk

      Looking at the list, the only teams that are clearly better (at this moment) are Rams and Saints. Both teams have shown a surprisingly porous defense. That can change with injuries, or if the defense firms up.

      Chicago – Trubisky should be back for final four games. So they could be tough, there defense has played well this year.

      Minnesota, Carolina, Dallas, and Philly – all pretty similar in strength to the Seattle Seahawks. On any given day they can be beat.

      The Seahawks should have a strong final run into the playoffs, as most of the games are played at home, with only two games against a strong opponent. If they take care of Minnesota on Monday night – there is a 98% likelihood of a playoff berth.

      • charlietheunicorn

        Saints, Rams and Bears will most likely get at least 1 home game. Dallas might be more improved since they have a legit outside WR now and can be more balanced on their offense. Dallas defense is underrated…. and has played pretty well down the stretch.

        Minnesota, Carolina and/or Philly would not be encountered until NFCC game in my estimation.

        Imagine, Seattle can still go 11-5 this year :O

    • LLLOGOSSS

      I think we beat Minnesota 6/10 times. I think we are better. They’re not playing particularly well, in my opinion.

  38. Burner

    Kelvin Benjamin released, should we kick the tyres Rob?

    • Rob Staton

      Not for me. A thoroughly unmotivated individual. Which is weird. Because he has a lot of talent and hasn’t had his second contract yet. So why wouldn’t he be motivated to get a big pay day? It’s so strange to see a guy that like that virtually just give up on his career.

      • Gohawks5151

        Sounds like a job for the master motivator himself. Lets go Pete! 😉

        • Rob Staton

          This might be a step too far even for Pete. Seattle’s receivers are doing well and it’s a connected group. I doubt they add another now.

          • Kenny Sloth

            I gotta disagree here. He’s had Cam Newton and whatever Buffalo has thrown at the wall there to toss the ball at him. Obviously there was a personality rift in Carolina and I’m not gonna criticize any receiver for not producing in Buffalo’s attack.

            This is exactly the type of situation that Pete loves to insert himself into.
            I’m not against Pete working with almost anyone if the price is right

            • Rob Staton

              I disagree completely Kenny. To me this is a guy two teams have dumped because his attitude and effort is sub standard. I don’t know what’s going on with him. And whatever the situation at QB in Buffalo, you’re in a contract year. Now you’re looking at a league minimum deal rather than a decent extension. He just needed to not mail it in for one season. He’s given up. A complete waste of a career. A hard pass for me and while the Seahawks like a project —- they also like spirit and a desire to compete.

              • Kenny Sloth

                His mom died

                I’m saying he’s worth a look. Why are you acting like I’m tying up 5 years in the guy. Bring him in. See how he fits. Fill the Brandon Marshall role and see if he cant push David Moore.

                I’m not judging this guy based on Buffalo and Carolina’s inability to get first round production from him. They probably shouldn’t have expected it. He was an absolute unit in college and Cam’s never thrown a consistent 5050 ball.

                If you sign a 1 year prove-it deal you’re still in a contract year😉👌

                • Rob Staton

                  Whatever his reason for not working in Buffalo, the point still stands. Two teams have washed their hands of him and his best football was probably as a rookie years ago. I personally think David Moore is doing a fine job and wouldn’t want to waste any time on Benjamin when the WR room is settled and performing. Let another team see if he can finally motivate himself. Unless he can rush the passer I’m passing.

                  • Kenny Sloth

                    I would never die on the Kelvin Benjamin hill and I agree about the status of the current WR room with Jaron Brown also having a big game that didnt get a lot of mention.

                    Let another team sort him out if he really wants it.

                    Seahawks do more mental and dietary health than any team in thr league.

                    Germain Ifedi has had weight problems since high school ballooning beyond 380 at time. We haven’t heard once that he’s been in bad shape.

                    • Rob Staton

                      In fairness Ifedi’s weight hasn’t been an issue at Texas A&M or in Seattle.

                      With Benjamin, it feels like there’s been a concern about his weight on multiple occasions. He was huge in Carolina at one point and then had to slim down.

                  • Kenny Sloth

                    Definitely valid concerns.

                    True that Ifedi has always been active in combating his weight issues whereas Benjamin had a sudden uptick in bad weight.

                    He lost that weight by preseason but yeah in spring he was past 260 his last year with Carolina.

                    With our projects at wide receiver panning out, it makes sense that they don’t add another target after cutting Brandon Marshall

                    • Rob Staton

                      To be honest I didn’t even know Ifedi had any weight issues. Certainly didn’t notice anything in college and he looked fantastic at the combine (and in Seattle since).

                      With Benjamin — it seems like it’s been a continuous battle.

            • Sea Mode

              I’m with Rob on this one. Just check out this tidbit from Jim Nagy a while back. Tells you everything you need to know about his attitude and desire as a player and teammate:

              @JennaCottrell

              #Bills Josh Allen just asked Kelvin Benjamin if he wanted to work on routes pregame during warm ups.

              Kelvin’s answer: No

              8:23 AM – 14 Oct 2018 from Houston, TX

              @JennaCottrell

              To further clarify, It was about an hour and half before the game. Benjamin remained on the field afterwards while the other WR’s ran routes for Allen. I was not the only reporter to hear the conversation.

              9:12 AM – 14 Oct 2018

              • Kenny Sloth

                Yeah. His mom just died and he’s been having motivation issues since.

                Just sad that people give up on a guy because Booger McFarland’s concussed ass is wheelin around in a lounge chair with hot takes. We get it Booger. You lost all the weight and now you can shit on other pro athletes.

                Kelvin Benjamin is 6’6 and you want him to weigh friggin 235? I bet his natural weight is around 275. These FOOTBALL TEAMS need to take better care of their players mental and dietary health.

                Don’t you dare try to compare the infrastructure and culture in Buffalo and Carolina to what has been built in Seattle. It’s just a different level pf organization. We monitor sleep patterns and source every chicken in the cafeteria from across the road from the vmac.

                You’re arguing Kelvin Benjamin. I’m arguing Vmac transcends him.
                Imagine if Malik McDowell had actually been in camp instead of the race track. He’d be a different man today imo. This is a special environment the likes of which Benjamin’s never been a part.

                Of course you cut him after he treats your rookie QB like that. You know. The one that couldnt win the job in the first place. Sad that Josh Allen’s inability to lead is marked down as Kelvin Benjamin’s inability to play football.

                I wouldn’t run routes for Josh Allen either.

                Can you blame the dude for wanting to play with a good QB???

                I’m saying bring him in with Pete and Russ and he’ll make you your money back.

                but nobody bats an eye when Baker Mayfield walks on twice quits on his team because he didnt want to compete for the #1 spot. Also gets drunk and causes a commotion at a bar then runs from the cops. Throws a ball at an opponents helmet during pre game run outs.

                Omggggg lolll you can see his face so clearlyyyyy. Stupid Baker. That tackle thoo

                https://youtu.be/Ezjlgpg-9iw

                • Kenny Sloth

                  Hot take alert 📢

                • Kenny Sloth

                  We know Baker likes to take off Runnin but come on man!

                • mr peapants

                  “have we even throwing the ball at all?” sounds like a perfect fit for seattle

              • Kenny Sloth

                Wonder what the straw that broke it was.

        • LLLOGOSSS

          One thing the Seahawks used to do well and have gotten back to is not taking on that particular problem. They’d gladly work with someone with lesser physical talent who has “grit,” than to try to get inside someone’s head and change how they tick.

          • Kenny Sloth

            Not sure that’s at all true.

          • Kenny Sloth

            Who has lesser physical talent on the roster? Short Joey Hunt? Short Poona Ford?

            How long hyper athletes Christine Michael and CJ Prosise dawdled on the roster? How long did Alex Collins?

      • Group Captain Mandrake

        I think it was Booger McFarland who said he was “one Popeye’s biscuit away from being a tight end.” No thanks. I think the Hawks want players who are hungry to win and super motivated. The chip on Benjamin’s shoulder are potato chip crumbs.

        • DC

          Sprinkle some Tapatio Doritos on there and see what happens. Deliciously disgusting or disgustingly delicious? I can’t decide.

        • Hawk Eye

          maybe a biscuit away from being a tackle. He showed up a camp last year at 280 pounds

        • Kenny Sloth

          Zero reports of Benjamin being overweight

          Whereas Booger McFarland says eight outlandish things per broadcast.

          I have no concern with anyone’s weight that has never worked with the Seahawks staff coming in.

          I have no concern with anyone’s motivation that hasnt spent a month with Pete Carroll.

    • charlietheunicorn

      Benjamin would be intriguing. He is a decent blocker for a WR and has ball skills. I would be unmotivated too if I had SCAM and whatever pile of garbage (in Bills land) throwing you the ball the last few seasons.

      I however agree with Rob, I would be very weary of messing with the chemistry that is being built this late in the season.

      You know the Patriots will pick him up….. you can feel it.

      • DC

        Being cut and clearing waivers might put a chip on his shoulder. If he performs well and walks he might bring in a comp pick. It would be an interesting add at a vet min-ish salary. Any problems and he’s cut again.

      • Kenny Sloth

        This is my only concern. One bad apple spoil the pie.

        If Pete wants him, why would anyone disagree is my only real point.

    • FresnoHawk

      We don’t have room for a veteran WR. Our WR group is deep even Turner could start producing 1st downs. If we add a WR it should be a rookie who can separate from defender, run good routes, and contribute on special teams.

  39. Coleslaw

    Looks like if we make the playoffs we’ll be playing either Minnesota or the winner of the NFC East. We want the 5 seed and Chicago to win their division so we can play the NFC East in the wildcard.

    • Rob Staton

      I’d rather play Chicago again than Dallas.

      • Largent80

        Except that it will be way colder outside in Chicago than in that cavernous stadium in Dallas with zero HFA. Plus Chicago is grass.

        • Rob Staton

          You can make a case for either opponent but I suspect Chicago have already peaked and Dallas are ascending. The Cowboys look balanced on offense and tough on defense. I’d take my chances against Trubisky instead personally.

        • cha

          When has the weather mattered to what the Hawks do? Running the ball well is the best cold-weather offense.

  40. Forty20

    Matt Miller’s newest mock draft features significant runs on QBs, OTs and CBs leaving talent like Jachai Polite, Noah Fant, Taylor Rapp, Byron Murphy and Devin Bush as picks taken at or after Seattle’s slot at #24.

    He ends up mocking Polite to us, a fit that Rob made quite some time ago but the biggest thing I took out of Miller’s mock is that Rob nailed it about the ‘Watson Effect’ going on with the Clemson talent at the moment. Clelin Ferrell goes to Oakland at #22 while Christian Wilkins (and Dexter Lawrence) fall out of the first round. We can only hope they see the same kind of slide that Watson did on draft day.

    • Rob Staton

      This is nothing personal against Matt Miller. But I’m going to keep saying this until April. Ignore any mock draft that has Wilkins and Lawrence falling like that. Because it will not happen.

    • AlaskaHawk

      That would include Walter Football then, as they have a mock with Lawrence sliding to the Seahawks. I put it in the unlikely but it could happen category.

      I don’t expect a run on anything but defense and perhaps a stray left tackle or wide receiver in the first round. Even Oregon QB Herbert is a big reach, plus he may stay in college.

      • Rob Staton

        I see almost no evidence for it happening.

        Fantastic and productive 325lb athletes never fall.

  41. millhouse-serbia

    Tony Pauline graded players for Alabama vs Georgia. And it is interesting to compare grades with his last year big board.

    The best graded player is Quinen Williams with 4.43. He would be 20th on last year big board. For example Bradley Chubb had 4,96. And Penny was 49th with 4,08.

    And here are some other grades:

    Raekwon Davis 4.19
    Deionte Thompson 4.09
    Mack Wilson 4.05
    Deandre Baker 3.98
    Jonah Williams 3.95
    Dandre Walker 3.86

    • Nick

      Great find!

  42. millhouse-serbia

    And here is one of Tony’s riser after week 14.

    D’Andre Walker/Edge/Georgia: Georgia suffered another heartbreaking loss to Alabama, but Walker and the Bulldogs defense kept the Tide’s offense in check for most of the game. Walker was a menacing force all night and finished with five tackles, two tackles for loss and one sack while also forcing a fumble and breaking up a pass. His stats this season are nothing spectacular with 11 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks, but his ability to force the action and make quarterbacks or ball carriers break off plays is something that’s very attractive to NFL decision-makers.

  43. Sea Mode

    @JimNagy_SB

    I hope @Seahawks fans are voting for @1j_reed for the Pro Bowl. He’s busted his butt to become an all-around player. Said it when we drafted him, he’s the best run-stuffing DT that I ever scouted. He was unblockable today with 6 QB hits. Now has 6.5 sacks. Dude is a beast!

    4:49 PM – 2 Dec 2018

  44. Sea Mode

    Yes! My guy Louisville WR Jaylen Smith will be at the Senior Bowl!

    @JimNagy_SB
    Nov 30

    Congrats, @JaylenSmith_12! It was an forgettable season for @UofLFootball but it’s a scout’s job to sort thru the mess and find the positives. While his numbers were way down without Lamar Jackson at QB but NFL scouts still like the talent of this smooth-moving 225-lber.

    Smooth mover, deceptively fast, and outstanding hands catcher is what I saw in him. Been hooked since last year.

  45. Sea Mode

    One more for the list:

    @JimNagy_SB
    Nov 29

    Congrats, @_bigplayzay! [Houston CB Isaiah] Johnson is the prototype “Seahawky” corner that most teams are looking for these days. He fits the 6-foot, long-armed profile for press-man teams and scouts say he could run low-4.4. NFL teams can’t wait to see him in WR/DB 1-on-1’s in Mobile.

    • Volume12

      You watched him? I don’t get it. That dude is a SERIOUS project.

      • Sea Mode

        No, am just adding names to the watchlist for now. Haven’t watched any CBs yet. Hardly seems worth the time until we have the measureables anyway since the Hawks profile is so strict.

        P.S. I think I know what you mean, but wouldn’t Tre Flowers have been considered a “serious project” for CB as well…?

  46. AlaskaHawk

    I’m sure happy the Seahawks don’t have Brandon Browner any more. Convicted of murder and serving 8 years. Passion and jealousy can mess you up, combine it with violence and you have a recipe for a prison sentence.

  47. Logan Lynch

    Rob,

    It was speculated that SEA was high on Marcus Davenport last year. Just as an exercise, where would you rank him if he was in this DL loaded 2019 draft?

    • Rob Staton

      I think Davenport would be a top-20 pick in any class.

  48. Sea Mode

    Since we have been talking about getting a big run-stuffing presence next to Reed next season, any fans of Auburn DT Dontavious Russell?

    320 lbs, can take on double teams vs the run, and shows I think even more quickness than Reed getting after the passer when given the opportunity. When a big DT like that can get around the edge that quick on a stunt with the DE, that’s pretty amazing:

    https://twitter.com/PFDZ44/status/960561051258556416

    @JimNagy_SB
    Nov 27

    Congrats, @russ_dont95! Most fans don’t appreciate good NT play but the NFL certainly does. @AuburnFootball DL Coach Rodney Garner speaks very highly of Russell and his word carries weight with NFL clubs. Teams looking for a hard-to-move centerpiece for their DL will like him.

    • Volume12

      Since your posting these, figured this was relevant.

      Did you see what Nagy said about Baker Mayfield heading into the SR bowl last year?

      • Sea Mode

        You mean the recent tweet about him “making money” by performing at the Sr. Bowl?

    • FresnoHawk

      I would like to see a huge DT next to Reed next year. We just added former NE SuperBowl wining back up DT Valentine (knee injury) to the practice squad after a try out. If we can’t afford both Clark & Reed you have to chose Reed over Clark because he’s the better player and better place to invest your $$. Hoping Schneider finds a free agent DT we could draft a first round DE and franchise Clark.

    • Nick

      I would love another run-stuffer—but I really think that Poona Ford/veteran DTs for cheap will be how they play that role. Ford is a really intriguing prospect. Could be a huge steal.

      • AlaskaHawk

        I like underdogs that have proven themselves at the college level (as opposed to players that test well), so I like Poona a lot. I hope someone will do an analysis on his play at the end of the year. Overall, the Seahawks have many players who can be plugged in a defensive tackle. Obviously Reed is preferred, and maybe someone else will rise above the pack. But I don’t feel a pressing need for more defensive tackles.

        What I do see is a need for defensive ends that can both rush the quarterback, and hold up well when there is a running play toward them, someone who can shed blocks, is a sure tackler, and is in the right spot to prevent gains. That is a more rare combination of talents. Lets set Clark as the minimum level of play, and try to find someone even better than him.

        • Rob Staton

          I think they still need a better interior run defender to work with Reed.

          • FresnoHawk

            Sheldon Richardson wasn’t good enough for the $$ last year and Shamar is worth the $$ but we want better. Su won’t be good enough and won’t be worth the $$$. Rob can we find our DT in the 3rd round? What about DE 3rd round?

            • Rob Staton

              Maybe. I think the well will run dry after about pick 50.

      • FresnoHawk

        How does Poona perform against the double team? He looks like a penetrator which we need but I’m not sure he’s the huge run stuffer we need.

  49. Volume12

    The XFL already put all their teams in the same city as NFL teams, except St. Louis, and now 3 of those are going to play in NFL stadiums? That’s very Vince McMahon.

    I’m excited about the AAF starting up. Feels like they did it right. I’m getting the feeling though that the ultimate goal for both these leagues is to start a relationship with the NFL. The NFL probably needs a ‘minor’ or ‘D-league’ at this point, but then a part of me thinks that Vince believes he can take on the NFL. I’m intrigued to say the least.

    • DC

      What would be interesting is if the XFL paid more. College players aren’t legally bound to enter the NFL draft. They could be lured over to the XFL by $$$. Every business eventually has competition.

    • Group Captain Mandrake

      Not a bad idea, really. I can’t say I’m very excited about the XFL, but they are playing in pro stadiums in cities with large fan bases. If they are smart, they will make ticket prices relatively low to get some interest built. They are going with the league ownership model like MLS, so they would appear to actually be building he league smartly. Ya never know with Vince though.

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