This was a performance to get excited about.
Yes — there will be tougher opponents on paper than Daniel Jones and a bits-and-pieces group of receivers.
Yet the New York Giants have found a way all season to get the job done. They hang around — as they did today — and then they finish in the fourth quarter. That’s why they were 6-1 — paired with the running of Saquon Barkley and the brilliant coaching of Brian Daboll, Mike Kafka and Wink Martindale.
I watched them beat the Packers in London. They’ve been tough, an upstart opponent and a difficult out.
The Seahawks absolutely handled them today. This was an outstanding performance.
One of the best we’ve seen in a long time.
The creativity of the offense was breathtaking. The ideas, the movement, the formations, the execution. Shane Waldron and Geno Smith delivered a ‘wow’ game that warranted all of those ‘Geno’ chants at the end. This was a masterpiece.
The defense completely shut-down Barkley in the running game and the only touchdown they conceded came after an unfortunate Tyler Lockett fumble on the two-yard line.
Lockett was having a tough day and after that had an unusual drop after the ball bounced off his helmet. No worries. He came roaring back with a vital touchdown. The perfect route, the perfect throw. A magical moment of football redemption.
Ken Walker continued his statement arrival to the NFL with a rumbling touchdown — finding a way to get involved and seal the game on an otherwise quieter afternoon.
The defense has rapidly improved since the early season disaster zone it was showing to be. They fly around and stick in games — helping the surprisingly brilliant offense to deliver three wins in a row.
Yes they clearly lack an X-factor pass rusher who can ensure those long third down conversions aren’t so easy when they rush with four. Yet the likes of Uchenna Nwosu are proving to be great value (that’s an understatement, actually) and Shelby Harris running his arse off to get to Daniel Jones to force a punt was a thing of beauty. The secondary looks vibrant and aggressive. Let’s hope Ryan Neal hobbling off isn’t anything serious (update — it was just cramps).
The whole vibe around the Seahawks was top notch. The sideline looks to be buzzing, Geno is pulling his best ‘BAMF’ face and this was the most enjoyable Seahawks game I’ve watched in ages.
Football doesn’t have to be aesthetically pleasing. It doesn’t have to be 45 throws and 35 points. It’s often like this. The NFC, in 2022, is often like this.
How can you not fall for this group with the way they compete and entertain in their own special way?
This is far better than many of us ever expected this team would be. Something is brewing in Seattle and it isn’t a coffee.
Great review and succinct write up Rob.
I am loving the heart this team is showing – so much fun to watch!
“…this was the most enjoyable Seahawks game I’ve watched in ages.”
Couldn’t agree more. I never thought I’d be saying that this season, and it’s freaking awesome.
The Hawks are a pleasure to watch in a way they haven’t been for several years.
Today was a treat, and thanks for the coverage!
100% spot on Rob. They’re actually fun to watch again.
I wonder if any team out there is willing to trade for Taylor or Brooks, so we could get a 3-4 linebacker. This is one of the best games in a long time, won on o, d, and special teams. great win!
“I wonder if any team out there is willing to trade for Taylor or Brooks, so we could get a 3-4 linebacker.”
What?
Just enjoy the win, for crying out loud.
whats wrong with better linebacker play?
First order of business.
All of you (me inculded ) five win people step up to the counter. A huge order of crow is ready.
A quick look of the schedule looks like all the six win and seven win hold outs should be served in the next 2-3 weeks.
Awesome win. So glad to watch this team seal off a victory when it looked like they were determined to let the giants hang around aimlessly.
I am here to eat my crow. They look fantastic, smashing everyone’s expectations.
I will take mine with grey poupon
I ate my crow at win 4.
Me too. All excitement now
Ditto, and I enjoyed every bite!
I was a 3 win guy, super fun game today. Odd feeling in the stadium for the first half. Felt like a lot of first timers at the game sitting down etc. They finally got a clue in the second half
I was thinking 4-13, and wondering how they were going to beat 4 teams.
Mea culpa from me, I am on record at 5-12. Very happy to be wrong.
Before the season started, I said I thought they would be a 7-9 win team this year. Starting to think I may have been low and underestimating this teams rookies and the excitement they would bring to the fans/team. This team is bouncing around and got swagger like the 2012 team. I think they all have way more belief in themselves than we fans did.
Just read what I posted, and that reads totally wrong. 7 to 9 win team. Not 7 and 9 (which can’t happen anyways).
I had them finishing 5-12.
Pass me a Servo of Crow.
I’m here for my big helping of crow! I had us at 5 wins, and maybe 6 if we got lucky. Pleasantly surprised. Would’ve been more perfect if the Jags won too but oh well. Tasty tasty crow!
I was at about 4.5 wins. I was thinking there would be a tie score like a 6-6 score in a Overtime game with the 9ers. This team was horrific in the preseason and I didn’t see a path where they could become a decent team. Right now the floor for the Seahawks looks like a Wild Card Team.
I was very wrong about this team.
Agree about the floor.
What a time for the NFC to be a mess.
Yum! Yum! Humble Pie! GO HAWKS!!
Love this write-up, loved the game, love the team again in a way I haven’t for a while. We look hungry again!
Have to agree. Not only did I enjoy the game but the Seahawks looked like they were enjoying it too, & that says a lot about the team.
The Dissly fumble recovery was my first, out of control, punch the air moment of the season. A real ‘can you feel the force” moment!
I was ready for a complete disaster this year. This team has been reborn and I haven’t been this excited since 2012.
Can seattle do the impossible and have a young exciting team in baseball and football????
I hope we get positive news on Neal.
He has quickly become a key component to our defense.
Low key game ball and super hopeful he’s not really hurt.
Looks like he is becoming the defense leader this team has needed
Neal had severe leg cramps, he’s fine. He tried to go back into the huddle and got more leg cramps per his post game interview. He’ll be fine for next week.
Do you think he’ll be doing high knees this week?
Geno is a baaad man. Not a single non-sense throw or even decision i would say. Beautiful spirals left and right. Tons of zip. And he looks like a friendly gangsta. Gotta love that.
When he turned on the gets on 3rd down late in the 4th… my goodness.
jets***
Are you doing a Youtube show tonight Rob?
What a game. This team is entertaining. Ill have my crow with HOT SAUCE please. 5 win pickers stand up!!
I was at 5. Crow is tasty
Geno!!! Geno!!! Geno!!! Geno!!! Geno!!! Captain, field general, point guard and BAMF! Loved todays play on both sides of the ball. I thought it would be a running game on both sides! Not true. With the exception of a couple of explosive plays the run game was shut down. Geno!!! Geno!!! Geno!!! Cannot believe qb1 is this solid. Special teams was also the difference! Bring on the beaks!
“The creativity of the offense was breathtaking. The ideas, the movement, the formations, the execution. Shane Waldron and Geno Smith delivered a ‘wow’ game that warranted all of those ‘Geno’ chants at the end. This was a masterpiece.”
Exactly. I love watching this offense hum. Every time you watch the replay of a first down conversion – you can see the cleverness and decption we now utilize – everyone is running one way, oh wait there’s one TE going the other way w a step; or it’s Lockett going the other way, and we are finding our easy plays. At it’s worst the last couple years, everything looked difficult for this offense – now, it’s a totally different story.
I think Rob, you said in a chat during a 2nd half meltdown last year that the offense appeared to have ‘run out of idea’, and it felt right at the time – – this offense seems to have ideas aplenty.
On deck:
AZ- one of the most unspecial teams in the league
Bucs- the wheels on bus look to be falling off
Raiders- not the way they currently look. Woof. Gonna be looking for a new coach and more if this keeps going like it is.
Offense is not offensive. Not predictable. Very creative and still explosive! I thought 5 wins total!
Greet writeup Rob and could not agree more. Very impressive win and throughly enjoyable to watch as a Hawks fan.
The good news: The Seahawks won and the defense is starting to look better.
The bad news: When it comes time for the draft, the only QB PC will be after is Will Levis and he might not be available. (Some are going to say Richardson and although he is talented, I don’t see him and PC working. Richardson needs an offensive-minded head coach if he wants to be successful.)
I think PC would be fine with any of the top QB’s to develop
You are watching tape when it comes to QBs right?
Yes, I’ve watched every game that the top quarterbacks and second tier quarterbacks have played this season. An obscene number of games and hours for an amateur hobbyist.
I’ve also watched all of the top groups’ games from 2021 too. Every single game.
I watch hours and hours of college games, dedicating virtually all of my spare time to watching those QB’s and other players so I can build my horizontal board and offer the best insight I can provide on the draft for anyone who has any interest.
So perhaps give me the benefit of the doubt when I say yes, Pete Carroll would be willing to draft and develop some exciting, talented quarterbacks that are eligible for 2023’s class. Because it’s true.
I believe you. It just might not be Levis of Stroud. The thing is, past drafts show us that there is a greater difference in the NFL success of QB’s than is apparent from comparing them as college QB’s. Given that, the future of Drew Lock could become an interesting factor.
You must be joking! Rob clearly puts time, dedication and thought into his analysis! He does a wonderful job with his free site. I am so appreciative and love the thought process and how ideas are framed. Extremely thought provoking! Well done Rob!!
I agree with Rob that Pete could do fine with any young qb. It’s easy to get coaches to come in and teach the xs and os. Where the head coach relationship comes in, is having a guy that builds trust and confidence. Someone that knows when to take the training wheels off and when to protect the young player. Leading them through the craziness and big changes that being an NFL player will bring to one’s life. In these aspects, Carrol is one of the best in the business. As much as I’ve criticized they guy (hell we all have) he’s built unique cultures in a lot of locker rooms.
The Seahawks had a three-way quarterback competition with Tarvaris Jackson, Matt Flynn and Russell Wilson in 2012. And then they had the Geno-Lock “battle” this year. Throw in some Hasselbeck and Whitehurst and that makes a pretty diverse group.
Also… If you throw out Whitehurst’s four starts in two years and acknowledge that things got stale with the Carrol/Wilson marriage, you can say Carrol has demonstrated an ability to put his starting QBs in the best position to get the most out of their talent (80-year-old-Hasselbeck, Jackson, Wilson and now Geno).
All of that is to say, I’m sure PC could jive with QBs outside of Levis.
Agree with all this.
I just wonder when Pete says he prefers a Palmer like qb who fits that bill that Seattle could draft.
Still my personal favorite qb inside the venn diagram of: Seattle could draft them with wherever the picks land AND they are absolutely entering the draft is DTR but that gets you a small qb again.
Yeah !!!!!!…..I knew it would be a fun year to watch the results of the Stew they are trying to brew, and right now, it’s smellin pretty good.
We’re the upstart underdogs now.
Now this is feeling like 2011-12
I’m getting the 2010-11 feeling but, yeah, the times are exciting again. The team has a personality and some swag again. Hopefully, they’ll have their rookie QBotF on the roster next year – like it’s 2012.
I wish. I just don’t see anyone Seattle can draft that’ll be better than Geno, next year.
There are some interesting choices depending on who declares for development. I like Robbie on the podcast talking about TVD.
If he’s not transferring and he’s sick of Cristobals crap I’d love to get him and have him spend a year acclimating.
And that’s why I think it’s pertinent for Seattle to see what Geno’s market is and retain his services if the price is right.
Seattle will have a top-ten pick if Denver maintains their trajectory. That should net them one of the top QBs next year, or at least put them in position to trade up if there’s an early run on the position.
Regardless of who’s actually starting next year, the team needs to draft a QB this offseason.
Loved the play calling. Shuffle pass was beautiful.
I came out of my seat when they made the direct snap to Walker for the first down. And with Geno playing Macbeth as if he was making a call. Beautiful.
Confessional, I’ve been mostly rooting against the hawks. Yes, I wanted to see the players do well, especially the young pups. I wanted to see and feel signs of growth for future seasons. And I wanted us to lose, to accelerate that process with high draft picks.
Today is the first game I found myself caught up in their success on the field. I was cheering for them to win; draft picks be damned. I felt it when the crowd was chanting for Geno – what a well-deserved acknowledgement We may not have all the horses yet, but that’s ok. This team is becoming fun to watch again, something I haven’t felt in several seasons.
You’re a week later than me in the rooting for draft spot… Now Hawk brother, we shall just enjoy Seattle’s season and root for the donkeys to lose out instead! (Or at least a top 5 pick)
I was with you as well. I’m pretty quick to root for draft picks 🤣
Yeah, I was in that boat as well. Once they started showing they might actually be a decent team I decided to just go with the flow and be okay with them having a later draft pick. Now I only pray for Denver to lose.
I’ve been guilty of pick watching this season: getting hopeful of a Broncos demise, hoping other bad teams win, etc.
After this game, I don’t care where the picks land. Winning with a young team means so much more.
So many dropped passes today. Geno was damn near perfect even those his stat line looks just okay.
Geno definitely needs help from his wr.
Man it’s great to have an interesting and exciting team again. Felt like this could have easily been 40-6.
Great write up and a great game to watch. I’ve got to say, I’m a much happier fan than I was for a decade. The key is that I went into the season with limited expectations. Now, each win is fun, but each loss doesn’t ruin my day or week. I literately used to be sick to my stomach after a loss and wasn’t fun to be around for the rest of the day(at least). Now, I’m just pleased with a good win, but a loss isn’t the end of the world. Much healthier past time. I’ll stick to this from here on out.
This draft class is unreal. PCJS finally knocked another one out of the park. Coincidentally it was the first time the Hawks took multiple guys Rob was highlighting. Maybe it happened before, but I can’t remember.
All I wanted out of this season was to have fun watching these rookies develop. Thank you universe.
I think I realized…Pete is still a college coach. He needs young guys to work well.
Waldron is awesome…maybe he could be our next HC if things continue?
It’s really hard to be excited about college QBs with Geno playing like this. I mean, if I’d be the HC/GM it would be really hard for me to not extend him right now. Even if that means overpaying a bit.
Ryan Neal is awesome! I hope he’s OK. He can make ints, tfls, ffs, frs…complete package.
Our DL did an awesome job against the run.
OL was pretty good in passing not that good for the run but Giants D is tricky.
Everyone got touches and it might be the best overall offensive performance (Balanced!) in the last 10 years. Not the most explosive but a super balanced passing game. It’s not a WR1+franchise QB show, but 3TE, 1-2-3RB, 3WR, QB show. Players playing well but I think it’s mostly on Waldron so huge kudos to him.
This team is still a question mark to me…but if they could win the next 2 which is a struggling ARI and a bad TB then it’s the bye week when players could get healthy. Then a bad LV and a Rams which could be a challenge but doesn’t feel bigger than LAC or NYG.
Not a given but they could win these 4. That’s 9-3. They should win against the Panthers and Jets.
That would mean 11 win. And as things now stand that’d likely be a ticket to the playoff. They might even be able to squeeze one more vs the Rams or 9ers.
Don’t wanna get disappointed. The silver lining is that this team can go to places. Maybe not this year, but I like the direction. The cherry on top would be to get to the playoff and who knows what could happen there.
Let’s just hope the Broncos will suck bad 😀
I’d be perfectly fine with getting into the PO finishing strong and picking at #8 and #26 or something like that
“Waldron is awesome…maybe he could be our next HC if things continue?”
I hope they get/have an agreement in place for when Pete is ready to call it quits. I hope Pete goes out on a high note and that he lets Waldron pick the next QB…or choose to stay with Geno.
Who would Waldron want? After his experience with the dim Goff, I bet he wants somebody smart. After trying to work it out with Russ I bet he wants somebody tall and humble.
Just a reminder that getting the first pick and taking a QB is far from a sure thing. That seems to work out well around a third of the time.
In the last few decades it has mainly worked out (for the team that drafted them) with Burrow, Luck, Newton, Peyton Manning and Aikman.
The rest include Lawrence, Murray, Mayfield, Goff, Winston, Bradford, Stafford, Jamarcus Russell, Alex Smith, Eli Manning (Wrong team), Carson Palmer, David Carr, Michael Vick, Tim Couch, Drew Bledsoe, Jeff George, Vinny Testaverde and John Elway (wrong team again).
In hindsight you still make most of those picks. I say Bledsoe did not work out but he did make four Pro bowls as did Michael Vick. A few of those guys won Superbowls with other teams. You make those picks again for sure.
Also in hindisght I think you do not make the picks for the short guys. Kyler Murray and Mayfield look like busts.
I am hoping for a top ten pick from Denver and some good luck.
Not only would a game wrecking DE be amazing, but how about a better WR3?
If this defense is sustainable then this year can be special. What a year.
It’s like a black cloud lifted from this team. Still a long way to go, but who’s better in the NFC at this point? Philly? Jerrah? SF? I like this team’s chances in those games, should they get that far – who’d a thunk it? This is a fun team to watch and root for and they’ve still got room to grow.
No season-ending injuries, please.
(Also, for those who’ve asked about my preseason pledge to run off with Margot Robbie, marry and make sweet, sweet love to her every day for the rest of my life if the Seahawks failed to go undefeated this season – apparently Ms. Robbie is not a regular reader of SDB and was, at best, disinterested in my proclamation. On a side note, the LA County jail isn’t as nice as you might think – overall, somewhat disappointing. Go Hawks.)
Lol!
Sorry, Margot is taken. But she says hi!
And I see your a man with good taste 😀
I agree this was one of the best games I’ve watched the Hawks play. I had a good feeling going into this game. But thought it would be a little closer.
Too be honest. I was hoping that the Hawks would have showed they could play like this towards the end of the season. So I’m thrilled to see them playing like this now.
Great to see Geno run the offense like he has so far. It was really fun to watch. Distributing the ball and getting all the guys involved. I’ve been wanting to see this type of play on offense for a few years now. That K9 touchdown run was cool to see. I thought it was going nowhere. Such a player to watch.
I can’t believe how much better the defense is playing in just the last few weeks. It was painful to watch earlier. But now fun to see. Looks like the players are getting adjusted to the new scheam, hitting hard, and tackling much better.
Special teams creating turnovers
The sideline looked alive. Glad to see Pete fired up again and looking looking like the Pete of old.
I’ll admit. I was thinking that this would be a 5-6 win season. But glad to be wrong and be watching them look like a playoff team instead.
Hawks lead the NFC in points scored. Crazy.
It’s absolutely crazy they’re ranked 2nd in the NFL, behind KC, when they’re second to last in the league on red zone %. Just think how many points they’d be scoring if they bumped their red zone play up to average.
I really don’t understand what’s happening. The Seahawks were supposed to suck and Geno was supposed prove he was trash.
That isn’t happening and this team is, dare I say, making me take notice.
I was having a conversation last night about how being a parent is a humbling experience. If you’re not a parent, you have all the answers. But when you do – you can find out how dumb you are, or how something easy can easily be difficult. Being a Seahawks fan this year has been humbling from an expectation standpoint. I haven’t even watched half the snaps so far this year because it was supposed to be a waste of time. I’ve missed more snaps this year than probably the past couple decades combined (or more).
The NFC is trash, minus the Eagles, so that’s good. I thought Geno would suck, but he’s even doing things that don’t get noticed in the box score (like a perfectly thrown TD to Lockett that went off his facemask, incomplete).
The improvements I’ve seen, granted not all snaps as years past, show this team is ascending. They’ve improved and it’s almost like 2012 in terms of you can see how they’re on the rise.
The only thing that can get me to really buy into this year (I’m close now) is Geno taking the team downfield in a 2-minute drill to score a TD to win the same. He’s still 0-5 in those situations the past two years. I’ll give my first ever GENO chant if he can do that.
Never in a million years did I think I would actually post on any Seahawks fan forum this year.
Hey Bobby, good to see you here. It’s been an unexpected and really fun ride so far.
Well he did lead the Seahawks on a 75 yard TD drive that took 1:59 in the fourth quarter in response to a NY field goal that tied the game.
That isn’t good enough?
No.
Lol! I’m with you Bobby! I’m eating some crow, but I want to see Geno go down field in a minute thirty down by six and win the game before I’m willing to anoint him…
Can you win it in the first?……can you win it in the second…..
Score more points in the beginning of the game so you do not have to worry about coming from behind to win it! Lol 😂
According to the NFL’s stats, that’s a 4th quarter, game-winning drive…
The offense is so nice to watch. It was said above that the offense of the past looked so difficult. They look so confident this year. They are using all their weapons to perfection. They make concerted efforts to get people open. The run game hits from so many angles. Even though the full house backfield and the Eskridge at RB didn’t work I hope Waldron doesn’t stop trying things. I remember reading that Waldron put in a goaline play the rams used against the Packers in the playoffs I think. He picked it from a college game that weekend. I like that he watches all football and is looking for an edge everywhere.
Happy to enjoy your writing this season with a really good team. Wanted to say your opinion carry’s some real weight because I know you are not easily swayed to call a team legit.
If Geno keeps ballin’ all season he is in line for the ‘Rich Gannon’/Late Bloomer Award. Fun times.
Jim Plunkett wants to be included as part of the award.
Jim Plunkett slammed the door shut on my fanatical Seahawks awakening in the AFC Title game. Me no like. He got his award in the form of a championship so…this award goes to the un-ring-ed.
That’s fair. 😀
Super fun season. It’s hard to know what to be more surprised by. The offense? The defense? Geno? Wilson? Caroll? Love all the kids flying around. And a redemption story as well. Maybe a couple of them! Pretty great.
The “pinch me” surreal element to this all is that somehow, in the year 2022, Bruce Irvin is out there playing like peak Bruce Irvin. That doesn’t even seem logical.
So well written Rob. You getting hyped gets me hyped. Any similar feels to 2011/2012 teams?
https://twitter.com/Alyssacharlston/status/1586874755969609728
Oh yeah…inject that in my veins
His effort to chase down Jones and keep him from getting a first down yesterday got me every bit as fired up as any of the TDs, maybe more.
That was my favourite play too
Look at the sideline after
That’s the kind of effort that gets you going as a fan or a team mate
Incredible
That was 46873lbs of rumbling bumbling anger. Loved it.
I was at that game, on the same side, looking down the line toward it from further south. At first I thought for sure Jones had the corner…until he didn’t. Great play.
I literally cannot believe this- 5-3 and geno smith looking like drew brees. He is throwing balls better than at least 25 other qbs in the league. I’m beyond my preseason pessimism about the team – this is fun and I hope the defensive performance today was a sign of things to come.
Also get your fucking ass off the field Pete. Christ.
Not sure if you heard, but it was the Mariners.
Given what Geno has done, and that this is a copy-cat league, will some franchises start looking at veteran backups to be theIr QB, and maybe not look at the draft for their QBF.
Could Lock become some other team’s reclamation project, and have PC and Waldron decided he’s a backup at best.And should Lock be traded?
I would trade him in a flash for a first rounder. Come on, under PCs tutelage just look how good those quarterbacks can be. A first rounder is cheap for a quarterback with Pete’s secret training.
I also have a bridge to sell you….
I seriously doubt it. How many aging veteran QBs with no real track record of success end up being a legit QB? Rich Gannon. Trent Green. Kurt Warner I guess. These are way more rare than actually hitting on a later round QB.
Hitting on a late round qb if the superbowl is the end goal is actually not as likely as people think it is. Including Brady and his ridiculous GOAT level there really aren’t that many hits.
Not to suggest you waste your time like I did and look back to the year I was born it’s pretty stunning to see how many top ten picks dominate the win column. Even more eye opening was how many first over all qbs have multiple rings.
My prediction (subject to change) is that after this season, Geno will sign elsewhere ($), the draft will give us a young development QB , sign Lock to a prove-it contract, and hope that Lock has learned enough from watching Geno and learning from Waldron to be a good bridge to the next guy.
I also predict that a QB will be included in each of the next several Seahawk drafts.
By the way, I predicted that we would have 11 losses this season. Just sayin’.
Seems possible.
I’d like to see John Schneider cut every loose dollar possible from the dead weight tree and then try his hand at crafting a perhaps clever contract and resign Geno.
Qb of the future? Not sure who that is.
Unspoken thought. Pete still has his contract for a few more years and who knows what happens with the team sale.
It’s just a thought but instead of worrying about qb of tge future what if Pete only needs the qb of the here and now?
I really enjoy Rob, Robbie, and Adam on the recaps. Right now I think this team might have a hard time with Chiefs, Bill’s, a few others. But another good draft?
Robbie called it. I rewatched highlights. The team speed on defense right now is no joke. A true wr 3. Another RB. And a double teaming machine on the front three and this could be pretty formidable.
I’m very skeptical of Geno going anywhere else.
He loves Seattle. They love him. He risks a lot by going to a different team, with different coaches, players, schemes, etc. And if he does it for megabucks, oh the pressure.
Seattle will pay him well enough to stay here. I don’t think he’s going to get too greedy to retain.
I see this too. Although it’s hard for anybody to turn down money. But yes maybe Geno will see how long it took him to find the right fit and want to stay in Seattle, even if it means a team friendly deal.
Geno could see it like this: the oline should only improve, RB is a STUD, WR room is one of the best (get a 3rd and elite), TE room is solid, add talent to the D and they’re a really good football team. What other middling team without a QB could you say that about? Maybe the NY teams?
Yes I really hope they can work out a deal with Geno Smith. I know there is a possibility he could get too expensive but they got to try.
I don’t like the alternative where he leaves. We can’t keep expecting miracles from backup quarterbacks like Lock. If it happens great, but you only get lucky so many times.
I would assume that they would draft a rookie QB-and he would start rather quickly, by mid-season at the latest. However Pete Carroll has shown he’s willing to throw a rookie in right away. Which is what will probably happen if Lock sucks. So that makes this QB draft even more important to get right.
In
Exciting win, in part because the team looked so … confident and professional today. Excellent decisions and execution.
Makes me want to look up Geno and read what scouts had to say about him in his draft year. It took a decade but he’s looking so competent and confident. With a good balanced team, perhaps the QB can just be a B+ player … although Geno has been an A-/A most of this season!
“With Denver’s 6th pick of the 2023 NFL draft, Seattle selects J.T. Tuimoloau of Ohio State. ”
That would be icing on the cake.
He’s not eligible for the 2023 draft
I havent watched him much this year, just stat watched, but my goodness he was a game wrecker in that game. I was watching for Stroud and Joey Porter Jr. vs the OSU wideouts. But if JT’s play continues like that, hes #1 overall pick worthy next year. Also, Marvin Harrison Jr. is really really good. Still scared to draft Stroud. OSU line did not impress. Parker Washington looks like a playmaker at WR though, he made some incredible catches.
I think it’s a bit premature to discuss him as a potential #1 pick. He had a remarkable game in terms of production but it could’ve just been one great game.
I agree, thats why I prefaced with, “if he continues to play like that”. Because he hasnt had a huge imapct this year outside this game, being hes a Washington guy, I have kept up with his stats this year, but havent watched much to see his impact. OSU has 2 other WA kids too, Emeka Egbuka having himself a year, but didnt show up this weekend much.
This was a great game to watch. Not just because the Seahawks won, but because everything we could hope for was on display and more. The play calling was creative and imaginative and the young guys looked good again. Tariq almost had his 5th INT and I was wrong about Michael Jackson and he was all over the field. Ryan Neal was excellent and such and improvement over Jones. Geno (whom like others I panned in preseason) was not only making big time throws but also was a true leader. It made an impression on me when he embraced and comforted Lockett when he dropped that sure TD. That’s what leaders do. He should’ve had 4 TDs today. This team has been fun to watch.
another really enjoyable watch.
I’m in London and went to the Broncos Jags match and the biggest highlight from this game was that a ‘generation talent’ in T Lawarence was nowhere near as good as a bang up miss firing Wilson….picking a QB for the future is hard…………………………………….
Re: Lawrence and qbs in general…
Rob has posited the thought of Richardson and having him sit.
My memories of what teams did in the nineties is a bit hazy as we didn’t live in a world with hundreds of shows, YouTube, twitter, etc., but looking at the busts or not as good qbs drafted and then looking at the outlier approach of Kansas city with mahomes (and of course the amazing Geno tale,) I’ve been wondering for quite sometime if it wouldn’t serve most qbs coming into the league to sit and learn.
Zach wilson, Lawrence, fields, Mac Jones. Many more. There aren’t that many teams who have taken a qb early recently if they did some soul searching and were honest could realistically say they have the qb of their team’s future on the roster. We will never know because this is not what the nfl does anymore but how many *could* be that guy had they had 1-2 seasons to learn? Hard to say.
It has been said many times and proven true. The NFL is a copy cat league. Teams copied the Seahawks success with a short, cheap young QB (Cardinals, Browns), they copied Tampa Bay with an expensive retread(LA) and they have copied the Bengals again with a young QB(several). Some have tried to copy the Chiefs (SF).
I do not think there is a best way except in hindsight. So many factors are at play and each team has such different circumstances. Look at the success the Seahawks had with their runs to the Superbowl. So many tips, bounces and off the chart plays just to get there. One play in hundreds could change the outcome and our fentire opinion of that era.
I think what I have learned is that while it is great to win and go all the way, the real goal is to enjoy the journey. To take in the moments like the win over the Broncos or Giants and appreciate it as both a stand alone event and part of a season and era. Do not have the heartbreak of losing in the playoffs diminish the pleasure of each game. Also, remember, it is a game and we are paying attention for the pleasure of it.
Thanks to Rob and this community, it a much more interesting and enjoyable experience. Thanks Rob.
Lawrence went to such a crappy team it’s hard to include him with the “sophomore slump” QBs like (most recently) Zach Wilson and Mac Jones (injuries aside), but what the hey.
The slump isn’t anything more than the rest of the League figuring out a new QB and how to defend him. Russ avoided it with his athleticism and quick processing/good decision making (but we know what happened to his game when those attributes attenuated with time).
The pro game is so different than college for QBs, mostly in that in the pros, the successful QB has to be part OC as well as QB. He has to run the offense, not merely operate in it.
Very few QBs have had the ability right off the bat. Andrew Luck, Joe Burrow a bit. Not many others.
Jags didnt look great, but Lawrence looked worse. Its not just him being on a bad team, he looks bad. Make all the excuses you want for him, but he isnt what most thought when he was coming out.
Which is too bad. I hope that Peterson will be able to get Lawrence through this season and get him on the right track.
This is the first season that I have watched without having any expectations of winning. Like most of you (well, all of you except for the blindly optimistic fans) I thought we would struggle to score points and the good games would be a handful of close wins and close losses. All I was hoping for was player development. Get better. Draft a QB and get competitive sooner than later.
This has been the best season by far since Russes early seasons.
And I’m not overthinking it.. playoffs, yep I think we make the playoffs even if we level off some. That’s more of a commentary on the lack of quality teams in the NFC.
So much can change. There are still 9 games left. So instead of analyzing and re analyzing I planned to take this year off from overthinking and just watch each week in a vacuum. I have enjoyed the wins. The camaraderie, the excitement! I’ve had so much fun just watching them play (winning helps). It’s been a while since I’ve just watched football without being equally concerned with “doing the math”. And I’m loving it!!! 😁😁😁
Go Hawks!!
I’m in exactly the same boat. Zero expectations and I’m just along for the ride now. Fun!
Pete Carroll Show on 710
[q] Penalties at ends of game now? “I was gonna flop and I should have. What a moment. Had two of those.
Heads will roll. (brock: backpack with leash?) (salk: who gives you the most grief about that? Will there be film to watch on this?) He made the right call, I screwed up.”
[q] Game yesterday? “Game we hoping to have against these guys. Got more points against them that anyone else had. Going the way we hoped. Guys up front consistently stopping them, so well done. Didn’t put them in their strong spot. Pass rush was there to finish game. 12’s with us. Energy going, noise in our favor, roaring off the football. ST on fire. Big hits, not just the fumble forces.”
[q] Forced Fumbles, 9 all of last year, 15 this year? “We did change something. Talked about taking shots about knocking the ball out. Everything contact fumbles or punch outs. So we taught it different. Physical side, collision shots once.”
[q] Most proud of yesterday? “Number of things. Overall – played to the opponent. Best team faced to date and played best FB. Always the goal. Proud of Tyler. Of course he’s going to catch the next ball. But to have the opp to catch the home run, that’s great.”
[q] Glue guys like Tyler? Bruce connects you? “May be more for me. Level of sincerity and toughness brings expectations. Conveys them. Looks great.”
[q] Threw Daniel Jones into Saquon, two weeks ago on couch? “Level of security with his background experience.”
[q] Physicality of this game, Mike Jackson, Ryan Neal, where did it come from? Early D not playing this well? “Confidence, more sure of themselves. Free them up to fly around and play their game.”
[q] Confidence? Know where supposed to be, etc? “Yes exactly. Also knowing if they mistake, ok with that.”
[q] Players confidence in scheme aggressiveness so much better? “3 weeks ago there was clarity. Clint took message to the guys. Shifted gears in obvious directions. Building up and learning. Level of confidence, trust in guys next to you, that’s where D has to go to get good.”
[q] Boye Mafe game yesterday? “He’s doing really well. Learning him, figuring out how best to situate him. Tough, fast, committed, goes for it. Rotating him in. More pass rushing situations needed.”
[q] Bud Grant tied all time wins, what impression made on you? “A million things. Called him from locker room yesterday, he watching the game. Keeping track of it. It matters because I get the chance to visit with him, talk about same kind of accomplishment. He asked ‘what are you doing with all the money you’re making?’ I told him I don’t see any of it LOL”
[q] Behind the scenes with Geno Smith? “He’s one of the guys. Stands for what we believe in. Easy going, great self confidence. Knows that he knows. Awareness. Even 2 or 3 years ago, never accepted he was a backup. Just ready at all times. Not struggling or laboring with attention. Knew this was going to happen. Seamless, no bumps, just rolling. We need 50 throws, he’ll throw it 50 times. Could have had an even better game yesterday, our guys dropped some. 5 TDs without doing anything different.”
[q] How did the league never give him a shot? Guys get chance after chance? “Geno’s hard-headed. Hardline guy. Thinks tough. Might not have adapted to challenges early on. He has a temper. Gets pissed, competitive. Now feeds off it. Might have been misinterpreted by others? You saw competitiveness yesterday.”
[q] Geno on it? “Stupid accurate numbers. Marvelously sticking with reads and concepts.”
[q] Gannon MVP at 37? Convinced Gruden to give him a shot? Betting on you, you’re our guy. Made world difference. That or scheme more important? “Without scheme always swimming upstream. That commitment, Geno hasn’t had that. With Drew too. you’ll see a fantastic player when time comes. Mentality.”
[q] How QBs find the right scheme important? How many guys out there like that? “West Coast mentality. Hard to play position. Walsh made it as easy as possible for QB. Give him time. Takes a long time to command this. So few guys just jump in and command it. Run the FB, use play actions to give them freedom and spacing. Anyone you sit them in the pocket and tell them to throw reads and digs, be a mess.”
Thanks Cha.
Interesting comment about Drew. I have a feeling Pete believes in him too.
I just realized how complicated our O must be, since Geno couldn’t deal with it last year and needed to learn it since 2019 to master it as he does now.
PFF Team
https://i.redd.it/nyamkpw7a6x91.png
PFF Offense
https://imgur.com/w8p6PQ0
PFF Defense
https://imgur.com/7eelaw7
The improvement in grades over the last couple of games for Poona Ford are remarkable. He’s benefitted tremendously from the alignment/assignment adjustments.
Also hard to argue Gabe isn’t better than his replacement. And with Blythe out, or at risk of being, I gotta think he helps Fuller, who by the way wasn’t the worst yesterday.
I hope that PFF score attracts teams in need if IOL help, because I’d still ship Gabe Jackson out for a conditional draft pick.
Clear $1m this year and that $6.5m off the books next year and get Haynes and Curhan in, and get a draft pick to snag that UDFA that probably wouldn’t sign with Seattle.
I’m with you
Also surprised Fuller didn’t grade out better. Offense seemed to improve once Blythe came out and he went in. Blythe got absolutely blown up a couple times before he got hurt.
Saw Cross doing a ton of battle w Thibodeaux yesterday – and for the most part – doing really well. Thibodeaux was active and definitely got push – but never really disrupted the pass game.
That’s how I remember him at Oregon.
Thanks Cha, these are always interesting to review!
Very interesting = I didn’t realize Gabe Jackson rated out highest of our lineman. I would like to see them draft 2-3 more interior offensive line men to match up with the bookmark tackles. Wouldn’t that be cool to have a total rebuilt offensive line for once? I would like to see them keep Jackson though. Going to be tough decisions next year!
It will cost Seattle $6.5m against the cap to keep Gabe Jackson in 2023. He’s been surprisingly good this year, but I wouldn’t want to pay that much for him.
Unless he’s willing to redo his final year (which is intentionally an opt-out year for Seattle anyway), I’d just as soon trade him now for a conditional Day 3 pick. But there’s barely 24 hours left for that to happen.
anyone else delaying work this monday a.m. to soak in all the Seahawks-praising articles all over the internet?
feels pretty good….
I might be if I still had to work. 😀
Ok, that was a dick response but I love being retired so talk trash to working friends regularly.
Nice article. This is turning out to be a feel good season for the Hawks. A few points:
1- Pete Carroll should be a top candidate for coach of the year.
2- Geno Smith comeback player of the year. He has waited in the toolies for his chance to spring, and man did he.
3- I don’t see the Hawks using a high draft pick on a QB this year. They’ll take the PBA with their high draft picks. Another draft like the ’22 draft will set them up for a serious run for the next several years. Geno still has plenty of tread on the tire for that run.
Love the season so far. Counterpoint, though:
1. Coach of the year is Daboll then Sirianni’s to lose. Seahawks were down last year. Unless they win out the giants are close to doubling last year’s win total and the eagles are the only undefeated team as of now.
2. Geno. Amazing. Feels like there should be some plaudits coming his way. But what is he coming back from? He wasn’t injured. He was never good. He seems to be one of the very few players to tirelessly work to make himself awesome. Which is amazing.
I’m with Peter on this about Geno. Geno has been an incredible story and count me along those that need to eat crow about Geno and the Seahawks’ record this year. I didn’t expect them to win more than 5 games and wouldn’t have been shocked if they won only 3 or less games. I also never imagined that Geno could have played as well as he has so far. Having said that, like Peter said, Geno has been on a team as a backup on an NFL team this entire time so he’s not really coming back from anything.
I hope the Hawks wait until the end of the season and then see what Geno’s market is and if it’s reasonable, maybe somewhere around $20 million a year or less, they sign him to a contract. Whether he’s our QB of the present or just a placeholder for the QB of the future, he’s at least shown that he can run the offense well and have the Hawks play offense competitively and would be great to have him starting while whichever young QB we draft sit and learn the offense and NFL.
I also hope the Hawks pick a QB with one of their 1st round picks (ideally, Richardson if he declares) because who knows if they’ll get another opportunity to pick this high again any time soon.
As for Coach of the Year, I’m waiting to see what the Hawks record is at the end of the season before making any conclusions about it. But so far, I do believe Pete belongs in the discussion as a candidate, which I can’t believe I’m actually saying now!
Hawks need to pick a QB, imo. Now, as to what round, I trust JS to make the right decision. He’ll have his guy(s) and make the pick where it makes sense. But it would be a huge mistake to not come away from the draft with a promising young QB.
I’d also make safety, WR, DE priorities.
Just saw another great stat about Geno’s accuracy. He’s off-target on only 9% of his throws, only one under 10% and the lowest in the NFL.
How could he slip under the radar for so many years? You can tell he’s still growing in confidence and abilities. This was the first game where I saw that 4th quarter kickass that the Seahawks used to have. And it was on both sides of the ball!
Seems like Geno is close to unique in the history of the NFL if he keeps playing like this. Huge credit to him and the coaches, but like Rob’s said a few times, nobody expected this from him. Pretty incredible that Pete/John have found 2 of the biggest outlier QBs in NFL history.
Go watch last year’s Jags game, the offense came alive when Geno started. The problem with him last year and earlier this year is that he couldn’t finish those close game, kills games by either getting sacked or intercepted, but those problems are correctable through more playing times and in-game experiences.
The king has returned
https://twitter.com/JoshCashman_/status/1587142690960904192
Thanos is back!
Gino is “bathically” the MVP
Good. Too rich for me. Plus the contract to come? I prefer whomever the next Walker or woolen is for this team.
Will be interesting to see if the Ravens sign him immediately (or later we find out made a contract extension a condition of the deal) or if they play the comp pick game and let him sign somewhere else for a nice pick in 2024.
My speculations:
The infamous owners meeting not only limited PC interference in the draft process but also required him to step back some from interfering with his OC/DC with most major in game decisions & play calls. I think ownership wanted him to be more of a Ra-Ra figurehead and allow his OC’s/DC’s to do their jobs.
I also now believe that RW, although a “good+” QB, had some REAL restrictions to his game that limited his performance & effected the team negatively. The OL has shown a whole lot of improvement, not only because of their twin tower OT’s but now they don’t have to hold their blocks for 5-15 seconds (when RW would do his school yard stuff). The offensive plays are running much faster now. A quicker offensive game tires out the defenders faster and makes them more susceptible to miss-reading plays coming at them (IMO). The OL now actually looks really decent. The entire team’s overall quietly confident attitude is their best asset currently & they are playing very well —-as a team—- by playing a lot of assignment sure FB and trusting each other. If Geno keeps this up, I could maybe see a 3-yr deal in his near future. Go Hawks.
I don’t know about PC staying out of the way of the OC and DC, certainly possible especially as Waldron is concerned. But I’m 100% with you as far as the draft goes. I think he was told to back off and let JS and the scouting people do their jobs. There were reports I read or heard somewhere that stated he overruled the scouting dept on draft choices on a number of occasions.
As for being more of a rah-rah figurehead, I’ll say ‘not entirely’ imo. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that he had a CB drafted in round 5 with below avg speed that has a great shot at the HOF along with making guys like Sidney Jones decent, Tre Brown good (until injury) and developing Woolen at a very rapid rate. I think he’s really good at teaching corners, like exceptional. I’ve always felt like Griffin maybe wasn’t open to coaching because he’s one if the few that never really showed much growth and improvement.
I totally agree that Russ had limitations (almost every QB does) and that he can’t or won’t throw down the middle/slants well. But I’m not ready to conclude that because Russ is no longer back there, it helps the OL block better or look better. I was as frustrated as anyone at some of the really dumb sacks that Russ used to take by him just running backwards or side to side rather than just throwing the ball away when no one was open…but those drive killing sacks were also balanced by so many incredible passes that Russ used to complete through his scrambling. I also think that an argument could be made that him scrambling for 5 – 15 seconds back there could be due to the OL collapsing at times almost instantly, forcing Russ to scramble and try to make a play out of nothing. For me, I’m really happy that the OL is looking good this year and I’m putting most of that improvement on the two rookie OTs playing really well!
Question for Seahawk fans. Is there a Seahawk who is a candidate for comeback-player of the year?
….Really? Is this a a rhetorical question?
It’s obviously Jason Myers.
2023 Jamal Adams, duh.
(the Seahawks team has decided to not turn the volume on the first 2-3 minutes)
[q] Austin Bltyhe today? “Little sore, not sure for weekend.”
[q] Defense better? “Making progress, things tightening. Running game better, pressure better, pass defensed up, sacks improving. Build and keep going.”
[q] Pass rush difference? Not blitzing a lot? “Keep working on combinations, coverage, keep guys fresh, right matchups, maximizing all that.”
[q] Metcalf able to play, isn’t he amazing? “Real boost, bonus for us. Didn’t know until Friday, Sat worked out showed us. He was confident, we weren’t saying it, hesitant. Friday impressive. Pleased he made it. Tyler too banged up, pulled through for us. Big factor.”
[q] WRs day off between games? “Start w walkthrough and go from there.”
[q] Tyler still feeling both issues? “Yes”
[q] Irvin locker room presence off field? “Hasn’t made any speeches, just been with us. The way he works, quickly transition into what we’re doing. Got a way about him. Toughness, mentality really effected guys. Examples of older guys, other guys feed off it. They show immediate respect.”
[q] Similar to Adrian Peterson? “Yes”
[q] Juice to coaches who played with Bruce (Neiko, Shead)? “Yes. Good energy.”
[q] 72% of snaps in second game? “Statement about his prep. Athleticism and abilities. Looked great. Could’ve had enormous game right in his hands.”
[q] Slamming into Jones to stop Barkely, a freelance play, free to make plays? “Similar to Nwosu, yes. Chenna great success, excited to see Bruce take adv of what he sees and feels. Didn’t have to tell him. Going to take time to fit off those guys properly. Both very active.”
[q] Most NFL games 6 pts or less, Three wins 10pts or more, perspective? “Not tuned into league’s numbers. Good solid games.”
[q] Fuller and Haynes depth on OL? “Like group, combo’s we can fill spots. Ready to play Stone too if we have to. No surprise Kyle played well. Know what he’s capable of, in control, knows system. Able to learn from Austin.”
[q] Darrell Taylor update? “No. Wasn’t any worse. Just couldn’t go. Four plays. Said he couldn’t push off way he needed to.”
[q] Cody Barton sack, pass D? “Most aggressive, active game. Benefiting from guys in front of him. Guys more consistence, aggressiveness showing. Prep showing in game. Collectively, but he showed it.”
[q] How does DL benefit Barton? “Tying up blockers. Penetrating well. Attack at LOS effective blocking schemes. Learning to take adv of. Brooks had better game. Ryan Neal too.”
[q] Ryan Neal oK? “Yes he had both hamstrings cramp.”
[q] Competition at CB, Mike Jackson good game Because Tre Brown back? “I don’t’ know specifically. But Tre’s a good FB player. Nothing I love more than seeing that. Guys get comfortable.”
[q] Jackson game? “Great game. One of his best. Tackled well, hit well, covered consistently, a few plays need to fix. All in all active. He got targeted.”
[q] Woolen or Jackson switch sides? “We’ll see how it goes. Like how we have it now. No wholesale shift. But guys need to be flexible. But found it better to keep guys on side.”
[q] Tre Blown close? “Trainers sustained more days in practice. Limited but will increase. Make assessment end of week. Won’t rush him after all time out. Looked good last week in practice. Wouldn’t be surprised by end of week pushing to play.”
[q] Collier’s game? “He did some good stuff made a couple plays. Great to see him get out there. Long time. He was jacked up a lot.”
[q] Geno accuracy better than previous years? “I can’t count enough plays to compare it. Did job fine. Just heard a stat that 9% of passes off target. Never heard before. Somebody said best in NFL. Not surprised by the fact. Almost every throw has a chance. Very few threw poorly. I don’t remember seeing guys that sharp, he has done it.”
[q] Why didn’t you sign him four years ago (cha ed, seriously?) “Didn’t see it at the time, Just a guy to put in the running, didn’t have much staying power. Could see how athletic he was. Plenty of arm strength. Gave him a chance to compete, liked what we saw.”
[q] Run D now? “Rope a doping at time LOL. I don’t have a measurement for how shocked, the scale. Really fired up, this is the time we were hopeful we could switch it, it’s happened. I was surprised we were having so much trouble, that it took us this long.”
…aaaanndd now the Seahawks cut off the end of it. Good grief.
Geez, join the 21st century media team
Thanks for this cha.
Shead joined coaching staff this season as DB coach, may have something to do with young DBs playing well.
I am disappointed with Joe Burrow on that play.
Will Levis would have made that tackle.
Cincinnati’s problem is NOT Joe Burrow. It is PASS PROTECTION. Burow is taking a POUNDING. I tell you what. If they Bengals can’t protect Burrows any better. He might just leave Cincinnati. Or the same thing that happened to Andrew Luck(early retirement) could happen to Burrow. Either that or leave as a free agent. Or demand a trade.