Instant reaction: Seahawks open with a big win

Nobody can ever accuse Pete Carroll of being stuck in his ways.

After an off-season of ‘let Russ cook’ ringing around the internet — Carroll delivered what many have asked for. Including, probably, his quarterback.

Having watched Patrick Mahomes guide the Chiefs to a Championship earlier this year, the Seahawks are clearly prepared to live and die by their star player.

That’s the right call.

This version of the roster is simply not capable of playing complementary football. We saw why today. Matt Ryan was given the freedom of Atlanta. The defensive line couldn’t do anything in terms of pass rush or run defense.

The only way this Seahawks team can succeed is to take the game to opponents. No more ‘can you win a game in the first quarter?’ stuff. They have to attack, be on the front foot and force teams into mistakes.

Had they played to shorten the game today, they would’ve been pummelled. Ryan predictably finished with 450 yards (10 fewer than Matt Schuab a year ago). They ran with ease when it was viable to do so. They scored 25 points.

This used to be unheard of in the LOB era but this is how it’s going to be in 2020.

The solution is to force Atlanta into situations they don’t want to be in. Today, that meant going for it on fourth down four times — all ended in failed attempts. It means having to abandon the run (which was an easy source of yards) because they’re chasing the scoreboard.

Seattle impacted the Falcons via points. Not physical pressure.

The Carroll Seahawks cannot be the Carroll Seahawks this year. Otherwise they will lose games. They have to let Russ cook. They have to roll with Russ.

The interesting thing will be to see if they can play like this every week. No opponent could’ve predicted the Seahawks would do this today. Next week, Bill Belichick will know it’s coming.

Can Seattle do what Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan do and continue to find creative ways to attack opponents?

They’ll need to. As good as this was as a start — now comes the real challenge for this new look offense.

Major positives and striking negatives

Jamal Adams had a debut to savour. He led the team in tackles (12), had a sack, two TFL’s and two QB hits. Somehow, this barely tells the story of his impact.

Anyone who saw him in New York knew he was an incredible player. Today, those who maybe hadn’t seem him before got a glimpse of what he’s all about. He’s a very different player to Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas but he might be even more talented. That doesn’t mean he’ll be as impactful as Kam as the soul and heartbeat of the team — yet on the field, he possesses rare qualities.

Kudos to Carroll and Ken Norton for finding creative ways to get him involved. Hopefully, this is the start of a 16-game tour de force.

It was also good to see Bobby Wagner perform well in coverage and have a strong opening weekend.

However, all fears about the defensive line were emphatically confirmed. Throughout the game I just kept thinking — imagine this team with even a fairly decent D-line.

There was no resistance in the running game as Atlanta consistently gashed the Seahawks in the first half. Only this time an opponent didn’t need any tricks, sweeps or misdirection.

Just run straight at Seattle. You will get yards.

Aside from Benson Mayowa’s pursuit on a coverage sack (which was a great and timely play to be fair) — the Seahawks only created any pressure when they blitzed. Sometimes that will be fine. Some opponents, possibly the three dynamic offensive NFC West rivals, will exploit that dependency on blitzing.

The four man rush was as impotent as expected. And for all the positives within this game, you can’t help but feel that Wilson, Wagner and Adams are going to be let down by this D-line at some point.

Offensively there were issues too. The O-line, unsurprisingly, had a rough start. Wilson was hammered far too often in the first half. That will be a consequence of a pass-happy attack and will come with the territory. However, Brandon Shell did not deliver a reassuring performance at right tackle. Damien Lewis also had some rookie moments and I need to watch Ethan Pocic at center more closely to judge.

This is a big test for the offensive line under a new offensive approach. There’s never been so much reliance on the quarterback before. They are in charge of his safety. They’re no longer going to be relied upon to run block and with Wilson scrambling to avoid pressure.

That said, Wilson did deliver a statement performance that he intends to be in the MVP race again this year. He can only do that with stats, big wins and an offense based around him for the first time. This was a terrific start including a 143.1 quarterback rating, four touchdowns and 351 total yards.

Perhaps more importantly, the Seahawks showed they can start faster and better with great tempo.

It’s also testament to the style they played that third down didn’t really matter. Too often in Wilson’s career, it’s basically decided games. Today they went 3/9 and it never felt like a factor.

This was a good start but next week will be an interesting test. Despite losing half a defense and Tom Brady, Belichick’s Patriots found a way to handle the upstart Dolphins today. It’s still a game the Seahawks should win though. So go win it.

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368 Comments

  1. #77Hawk

    Pocic had a great game & it was his 1st start at center against Grady Jarrett.

  2. Big Mike

    Good points one and all Rob.
    How did Russ not have a perfect QB rating? (Yeah I know, a very small thing, just a question)

    For over 3 decades, I watched the Seahawks and fantasized about what it would be like to have a Hall of Fame QB playing for my team. Now I just turn on the TV every week and witness it.

  3. Chase

    What did you think about the nickel and dime packages? We saw a lot of Blair and lano out there today.

    • HawksBR

      Did Flowers play? Don’t remember his name being mentioned once

      • Chase

        I saw him a couple times but Dunbar has most of the snaps.

      • charlietheunicorn

        He was on field a few times, but the plays went away from him.

  4. HawksBR

    What an incredible win! Jamal Adams is a grown ass man! You know what this offense reminded me, that Wilson offense from the second half of the 2012 season, when we were unstoppable!

    There’s some improvement to be made whith the defense, for sure. Happy to se you, Rob, not pound the d-line issue as the center of your analysis. This was a fair instant reaction and I thank you for it.

    Go Hawks!

  5. James Z

    Shell got bull rushed a couple of times and ended up on his posterior…not pretty! The offense cooked but sometimes even a well-cooked meal can give you indigestion, especially if you forget to bring the enzymes (defense) to the table.

  6. drrew76

    Falcons ran for for less than 3.5 yards per carry – not 4.5.

    Even just looking at their RBs, they were at 4YPC.

    I’d like to see Reed/Ford/Collier more stout at the point of attack, but it’s not like Atlanta ran all over this defense.

    More than 1/3 of their rushing yards came on two plays. They were 19 carries for 47 yards the rest of the game.

    • Sea Mode

      Because they fell behind and were forced to abandon the run.

      • drrew76

        Sure – but the assertion that they were running all over the defense is incorrect.

        • Justaguy

          I saw the same solid run defense. Pocic also played well

    • John

      Spot on, there was a couple runs that I think came on one drive that were frustrating, but on the whole the run defense was just fine.

      • Rob Staton

        https://twitter.com/DavisHsuSeattle/status/1305199335307505664

        People are recreating the game based on a box score.

        Seattle did not play the run well, regardless of the end stats. Atlanta went away from the run due to scoreboard pressure.

        But if people want to think the D-line put in a sterling effort against the run, feel free. The truth will come out.

        • John

          If they go away from the run after excelling, the only stats that are left are those excellent results from early in the game, given they’re not adding to them once abandoned. That’s not the case here, the aggregate results of their run game were middling.

          • Rob Staton

            I must’ve imagined twitter complaining about the run defense in the first half then John.

            If you’re telling me the run defense was good today — or is fine — I’m very happy to disagree and say ‘let’s see’.

            • Mike

              Yeah im with rob here. Run D was terrible, but mitigated by Atlanta playing from behind. Almost every play had a massive hole in the center, with decent holes between the DT and DEs as well. Looked like all the linemen got pushed out wide attempting to rush. Excluding mayowa and a tiny bit of bruce, the whole line seemed MIA.

              That said, its a great start. Exciting to see adams making himself a major factor. Diggs looks great. They got enough stops to prevent some scores.

              • Justaguy

                Twitter is garbage. The fact is the run defense did as good as could be expected and especially held their own in the 2nd and 3rd quarter. I understand the D line needs help but let’s not gloss over the fact that they held their own in one aspect of the game.

                • Rob Staton

                  It wasn’t just twitter.

                  We were saying it on here too.

                  Because it was clear.

                  • Justaguy

                    We will see next week if BB has seen the same deficiency as you and supposedly everyone else on this site has identified. The pass rush sucks I will grant you that, but I will go on record saying I highly doubt the genius of the NFL runs the ball 30-40 times next week.

                    • Rob Staton

                      Never said he would.

                      But they don’t have to run 30-40 times for me to be right.

              • Steve Nelsen

                Seattle judges defense by chunk plays and scores. How many chunk plays did the run D give up in the first half? I don’t remember any. They gave up the short TD but they also came up big on some key plays. There is no way you can analytically call the Seattle run D terrible.

                The story of the game was the Seattle offense just like Rob wrote. A talented deep group of receivers and tight ends, a bell-cow back with depth behind him, led by an MVP-caliber QB. Can the O-line gel and improve and let Russ do what he did today?

            • Chris Alexander

              I was definitely feeling like the D-line was giving up big runs in the first half but here’s what the play-by-play shows:

              First half runs by Atlanta:

              POSSESSION #1:
              – Gurley for 5 yards
              – Gurley for 15 yards
              – Gurley for -1 yard
              – Gurley for 5 yards

              POSSESSION #2:
              – Gurley for 9 yards
              – Hill for -2 yards

              POSSESSION #3:
              – Hill for 10 yards
              – Hill for 4 yards
              – Ridley for -1 yard
              – Gurley for 1 yard
              – Gurley for 2 yards
              – Gurley for 1 yard + touchdown

              POSSESSION #4:
              – Gurley for 4 yards

              POSSESSION #5:
              – Smith for 4 yards

              POSSESSION #6:
              – Gurley for 10 yards
              – Ryan for -1 yard (to line up field goal)

              So at halftime, Atlanta had ~65 yards on the ground. But 4 of their 16 runs (including the last one by Ryan) were good for 9 to 15 yards.

              Here’s where perception becomes reality though.
              Run #1: Tackle made by Wright and Adams
              Run #2: Tackled by Diggs
              Run #3: Irvin
              Run #4: Griffin + Wagner
              Run #5: Blair
              Run #6: Wagner + Adams
              Run #7: Dunbar
              Run #8: Dunbar
              Run #9: Adams
              Run #10: Adams (goal line play)
              Run #11: Collier (goal line play)
              Run #12: no tackle made (touchdown)
              Run #13: Moore
              Run #14: Reed + Griffin
              Run #15: Green
              Run #16: no tackle; QB took a knee

              So on the 14 first half running plays that ended in a tackle, a defensive lineman was involved in only 5 of them which lends itself really well to the line of thinking that says our D-line is going to be the death of the team’s Super Bowl aspirations and should be at least “a little concerning” to those who think the aforementioned line of thinking is extremely pessimistic.

              That said …..

              Week 1 2019: Led by Quinton Jefferson’s 6, Seattle D-linemen combined for 19 of the Seahawks’ 66 total tackles. Included in those 19 tackles are 6 TFLs, 4 of which were sacks.

              Week 1 2020: As a team, Seattle had 68 tackles, including 2 sacks and a total of 6.5 (?) TFLs.. D-lineman had 14 of the tackles, 1 of the sacks, and 2 of the TFLs.

              …..

              It was 1 game so, for me, the jury is still out. But …. it wasn’t a promising start for the D-line (IMO).

              • CWagner

                Really like this breakdown. And yeah I’m nervous about the D-Line. It’s one of those things that other teams are gonna look to expose.

              • John

                Thanks for taking the time to break this down, Chris. Two thoughts:

                1. My initial impression that the run-D was “fine” (not good or great by any stretch, but middling, like 12-17th rank) was regarding the run-D as a whole, which may mean the second level making up for deficiencies up front. “Does the job get done in the end?”

                2. A minority of tackles being made by the D-line is certainly not ideal, but a secondary objective for the line is to occupy blockers sufficiently such that they can’t reach the second level, keeping the LB’s and safeties clean to make the tackle. It appears they at least did that much based on their involvement in the play by play.

                • John

                  I’ll add as an example Run #6, Poona got the initial penetration that led to Wagner nabbing Hill in the backfield on 3rd and 1.

                • Rob Staton

                  I think people have allowed the handsome scoreline, a positive week one victory/performance and statistics to offer false hope and reassurance on the D-line.

                  Poor run defense/gap discipline, almost no pressure on Ryan.

                  It is what it is.

                  Just listen to Pete’s assessment of the D-line performance yesterday. It spoke volumes.

        • Noah Parker

          I felt like the D played pretty solid. The bar has been set pretty low, but I also thought the DLine wasn’t awful. I would like to see a breakdown of passing and rushing yards by quarter. A majority of their passing yards were from Garbage time when the hawks were playing prevent D.

          • Rob Staton

            “A majority of their passing yards were from Garbage time when the hawks were playing prevent D.”

            I keep seeing this but let me just point something out here. A 75-yard drive in five plays to make it a manageable two-score game with 10 minutes to play is NOT ‘garbage time’. And they got the ball back with a chance to make it even closer. So let’s dispel this myth that ‘most’ of the yards were in garbage time.

            They had a 75-yard drive in 12 plays right at the end which I’m willing to accept was garbage time. That’s not the ‘majority’ of their 450 passing yards though, is it?

            • Jeffers89

              Saying the majority is certainly exaggeration and they certainly gave up too many passing yards even considering, but a very significant portion of the passing yards did come when the Seahawks had a 3 score lead and I do think it had an impact on the stats that shouldn’t be ignored. I really feel like the defense played better than I expected them too and showed some signs of being able to perform better than they did last year.

              • Rob Staton

                Let’s just say it as it is. There’s no need to make this into more than it was.

                They had a 75-yard drive in garbage time. Then one more pass after the onside, before the hail mary interception.

                Not even a ‘significant portion’ came in garbage time. Prior to the very late 75-yard drive, they had the ball at 31-18 at midfield with 7:30 on the clock. This is not ‘garbage time’.

                • BLiptai

                  +1

                • Simon McInnes

                  Agreed. The use an old cliche, the prevent defence did not prevent anything, and in the case of the first Falcons TD of the final quarter did not even run the clock down (the stopping of receivers in-bounds was much better on the last scoring drive). But this has been the way of the Seahawks defence for a few years now – even going back the to the last season or two of the LOB.

            • BruceN

              It depends on your definition of garbage time. We were up 31-12 in the 4th quarter and Ryan, who is a top level NFL QB, had to throw 54 times to a pair of top NFL receivers and play catch up. So if not exactly garbage time very close to it with the last meaningless score coming with seconds left on the clock.

              Positives, I thought Adams was a game changer, a la Clowney. He was all over the place, in the back field, in the coverage and making tackles. And offense was fantastic with a better pace and Russell taking the reins. We attacked the entire game and didn’t let up against a pretty decent ATL defense that added key pieces in the offseason.

              Work in progress, I think this D will get better as they play together more. I still would like to see a big Tackle added in the middle of defense.

              For the first game, so far so good considering we had no preseason games and dealt with a truncated camp due to COVID. And the Niners lost. So a good weekend!

              • Noah Parker

                OK a better way to put it… at this stage in the game (5:05 left in Q3), the defensive strategy changed dramatically to prevent the big play… giving offense big cushion… this changes how you judge the defensive performance during that time doesn’t it?

                • BruceN

                  Defense had an OK day. Adams and Wagner were the stars. Dunbar needs time (Ridley abused him a couple of times). DL worries me. Teams like the Niners will run up the gut against us until we show we can stop it. I am more excited about the offense. Aggressive, creative and Russell in control. I don’t expect him to throw 35+ times each game but ATL was hell bent to stop the run. So we adjusted. This was a big deal.

                • Chris Alexander

                  Kind of … I suppose.

                  When you break it down pre- and post- the 5:05 mark in the 3rd quarter (as you suggest), you get splits that look like this:

                  Pre-5:05 mark:
                  14 of 27 for 189 yards, 0 touchdowns, 0 interceptions

                  Post-5:05 mark:
                  23 of 29 for 261 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception

                  Here’s another way to look at things pre- and post- the 5:05 mark in the 3rd quarter:

                  Pre-5:05 mark:
                  7 possessions, 18 rushes for 70 yards

                  Post-5:05 mark:
                  5 possessions, 3 rushes for 2 yards, NO RUSHES on their last 4 possessions.

                  Here’s what’s interesting though ….

                  Before the 5:05 mark of the 3rd quarter, Atlanta was averaging 13.5 yards per completion. After the 5:05 mark, that dropped to 11.3 yards per completion. And if you take out the 44-yard pass to Julio Jones – which was the very first play after the 5:05 mark – then the average per completion drops even further, to 9.86 yards.

                  So, on the one hand you could look at it as Seattle gave up a ton of yards (and 2 scores) when they switched their defensive approach at the 5:05 mark. Or, you could look at it as Atlanta switched their approach (which they clearly did) and actually performed WORSE than they had been performing up to that point.

                  There’s also this to consider ….

                  At the 5:05 mark, Atlanta was running the ball exactly 40% of the time and passing it exactly 60% of the time. After the 5:05 mark, they ran it less than 10% of the time (9.375%) and ran it slightly more than 90% of the time. To say that they became one-dimensional would be an understatement.

                  At the end of the day, however you want to judge the defense is up to you.

                  • Noah Parker

                    Nice breakdown. Yeah, I think the drop in avg yards per completion post 5:05 makes sense as The defense was playing the pass.

              • Rob Staton

                I’ve explained this ten times now.

                Garbage time is not Atlanta having the ball at midfield with 7:30 to go to make it a one score game.

                Don’t know why this is a thing.

                • BruceN

                  Not sure why this is an issue either. I didn’t say it was a route. But it was a comfortable lead. I recall the score was 38-18 with a few seconds to go before they scored their meaningless TD. I let others decide what a 20 point score with seconds to go is called.

                  As I said above, D had an OK day with lots to clean up and holes to patch. Adams is a game changer. But offense was the star of the day. I realize it’s only one game. Let’s see how we do agonist the zen master next.

            • Noah Parker

              Check out Pete’s Monday presser. 2:21-2:45. Exactly what I’ve been talking about.

              • Rob Staton

                I’ve already watched it. Once was enough.

                All I remember from it that was interesting was Pete completely failing to mask how much he knows this DL is poor.

  7. Sea Mode

    Haha, thank goodness there’s always the Browns to out-do us…

    https://twitter.com/NFL_Memes/status/1305207519569211395

    • charlietheunicorn

      Browns doing Browns things.

  8. Matt

    So happy football is back. Lots of mixed feelings today – overwhelmingly positive but genuinely concerned about the defense.

    Bobby and Jamal are the heartbeat of this thing and are undoubtedly 2 of the best, regardless of position. Adams…man, not enough superlatives to throw out. He is a revelation.

    Concerns aplenty, however. CBs looked…bad? Never understood the Shaq love affair but that was very Jarran Reed-esque. Dunbar very underwhelming. Blair had some nice plays and a few way too easy completions.

    DL was no surprise….which is not a good thing. They just looked slow and undersized which is not an ideal combination.

    OL was…eh, not great but not as awful as I thought. Brandon Shell might as well be Germain Ifedi…just a turn-style. Lewis had a rough day on the penalty front, but honestly, I don’t care – he will be fine. I’d rather see him do that than play tentatively. I didn’t notice Ethan Pocic which, IMO, is a great thing.

    Carson looks like a finely tuned Clydesdale ready to gallop his way through a commercial set for Budweiser.

    RW…man are we lucky.

    Lockett – yeoman’s work. Still the most underappreciated offensive player in the entire NFL.

    DK had a bad day yet still put up 4-95…on a bad day. Look out. One bad drop and another he should have caught. I was more worried about how he seemed to be swallowed up early on. THAT SAID, he is going to be a monster. Let me reiterate – a rough day with some bad mistakes and still put up 4-95.

    Olsen and Dissly…I mean that’s Fried Chicken with mash potatoes. Won’t win any awards for fine dining but my goodness will those guys be fantastic in the Red Zone, 3rd Downs, and check downs. Get pumped about that.

    Overall a great day despite the few glaring issues we knew were present. RW is off to an MVP start – this defense is going to give him chances to rack up those stats.

    Thanks Rob – fantastic work, per usual.

    • Volume12

      Great point about DK.

    • Big Mike

      Completely agree with what you said about Tyler and DK

  9. Sea Mode

    Oh, and congrats to Russ on this!

    Seahawks PR
    @seahawksPR
    ·3h

    With that rush, @Seahawks QB @DangeRussWilson became the fifth quarterback in NFL history with 4,000 rushing yards. #GoHawks

    • Sea Mode

      And not only that, apparently:

      NFL345
      @NFL345
      · 21m

      In today’s win, @Seahawks QB Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) completed 31 of 35 passes for an 88.6 completion percentage, tied for the third-highest mark in a single game in @NFL history, minimum 35 attempts.

      • Justaguy

        The best QB showed up today

      • Marco

        Weren’t all 4 of in incompletions to Metcalf? Could be wrong

    • Chris Alexander

      Surprised they left out the bit about him being only the SECOND quarterback with 4,000 yards rushing and 30,000 yards passing. Just Russell Wilson and Steve Young on that list. (at least for now)

  10. Sea Mode

    That 4th down bomb to DK though… remember when we threw one to Moore?

  11. JLemere

    QB hit count: after 12 drives

    LJ Collier- 1
    Jamal Adams- 3 (1 sack)
    Jarran Reed- 1
    Benson Mayowa 1 (1 sack)
    Damontre Moore- 1

    I might have missed 2, will look over the tape again tonight or tomorrow.

  12. Austin Hall

    The defense played better than you’re giving them credit for. Using garbage time stats to aid your opinion is misleading.

    • drrew76

      Ryan had 201 yards passing in the fourth quarter after the Seahawks went up by 3 scores.

      • lik’stink

        Like he said… garbage time. But our pass rush was as bad as feared for most of the game. No ability to rush the QB with 4 guys. I wonder if we don’t kick the tires on Cam Wake this week. He’s old, but played well before he got hurt last year and has low miles for his age given his late start.

        • Rob Staton

          I would be getting Wake & Matthews in for a tryout pronto.

          • Big Mike

            Likely imo now that Guaranteed contracts are off the table for new signings.

          • MyChestisBeastMode

            Sign em both!

            If we can muster even an avg pass rush this could be a strong year.

          • Bmseattle

            I’ve always loved Wake.
            Even at his age, I think he’d be our best pass rusher.

          • Chris Alexander

            Wake, Matthews, Harrison, Dareus, etc. etc., etc. Bring ’em all in for tryouts and see who’s got the most to offer Seattle’s defense this year.

        • Austin Hall

          I agree. A veteran DT and DE will be welcome and likely additions.

        • Big Mike

          Yup pressure was almost entirely as a result of blitzing

    • Group captain mandrake

      The flip side of that is that the Hawks were up by 3 scores, knew Atlanta was going to do nothing but pass and could not put any pressure on Matt Ryan.

      • Austin Hall

        They certainly are far from dominant, but garbage time universally lends itself to inflated offensive stats which are mostly meaningless given the drop in effort of player’s after the winner is essentially decided.

      • Tallyhawk

        Because when the Hawks get up by 3 scores the D relaxes and plays extremely soft imo. It always has under Carroll. They make you drive the length of the field in 2 minutes trying to take away the big play.

    • pdway

      Noticed some decent play from both Mayowa and Collier today – nothing to get all excited about – but I saw them both get in on Ryan on several plays. Gave me a glimmer of hope.

      We really could use one more pass rusher though – I guess I’d even take Clay Matthews.

  13. Pugs1

    The lines will be a work in progress but I will say for the OL we’ve seen much worse starts from that unit with a full preseason to gel. A line that featured three new starters including a rookie I expected it could have been a lot worse.

  14. Nico

    Rob,

    Really appreciate the reaction. While I definitely agree that the pass rush lacked consistency and teeth, it did seem like there were more QB hits than we have seen before. Plus LJ Collier had a rush in the beginning of the game that forced an intentional grounding. What are your thoughts on how LJ Collier performed relative to his previous game time?

    • TomLPDX

      I remember thinking as that play was unfolding that Collier couldn’t believe he broke through and was like…now what do I do! He did ok and I hope he only gets better with more confidence.

      Also, Bruce was hustling. Good for him.

      Mayowa, good job chasing Matty down. Good leap to catch him!

      As for Matty Ice, he looked good today and Julio embarrassed our DBs on more than one occasion. I have to tell you guys that I am NOT a Shaq fan…I have never been impressed by him and he got burned on multiple occasions today.

      • Bliptai

        As he is a Seahawk, I am a fan. For what he’s about to command on the market next year? Not as much. (Which I believe was your point as well).

        • TomLPDX

          Yeah, that was the point I was after. You said it better than I did.

  15. Sea Mode

    😂

    Gregg Bell
    @gbellseattle
    ·3m

    Former Jets safety Jamal Adams on watching Russell Wilson’s brilliance today in Atlanta, laughs and says: “Not used to it.”

    • charlietheunicorn

      Buuuurrrrrrrnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

  16. Gaux Hawks

    1-0

  17. Rob Staton

    Podcast will be up shortly.

    Will add to the top of the page.

    I’m sat on the floor and the lighting is crap — but a win’s a win!

    • charlietheunicorn

      Go 1-0 each week.

      Can’t ask for anything more, except to come out of games without major injuries. It appears Seattle escaped Atlanta with a win and no major injuries!

      • Big Mike

        4 leaf clover emoji

  18. DC

    Need more out of the running game. RW can’t be the leading rusher with 30 yards. Need something to help keep a bit of pressure off him.

    • TomLPDX

      Chris got his, even if they were passes. It was running back by committee today and I’m fine with that. Wish we could have seen DeeJay.

  19. Pran

    Imagine this defense without Jamal.. even more terrifying.

  20. charlietheunicorn

    I like this idea…. instead of letting Russ cook…. have him crockpot the game.
    You still get something delicious, without having to take huge play risks.

    • TomLPDX

      Gawd, the announcing was HORRIBLE today. Schlereth (or however you spell it) needs to STFU.

  21. Volume12

    Don’t have much to add that hasn’t been said and I agree w/ basically all of it, but Jamal Adams . He’s got the infectious energy Bam Bam & ET had. Not only special, incredibly fun to watch.

    I woulda liked to have seen if Alton could live up to the hype at least a little.

    • charlietheunicorn

      I have to admit, he is more dynamic than I thought he was going to be out of the gate.
      He just missed on a couple of other big plays as well. Pretty awesome.

  22. Gohawks5151

    This was a good win. Early, on the road, with a bit of Clowney exhaustion they still did some good things and got the W. This is a very messy week 1 for the league. A lot of injuries across the league, and we should feel lucky about our guys. Some rusty, sloppy play too.

    I liked:
    – Adams is a beast. Bobby too.
    – Screens look great. A needed counter punch.
    – O line adjustments to the twists ATL was running, right side especially
    – Greg Olsen was open a lot. Found spots in zone.
    – Dissly looked ok. Good tackle help
    – Lockette and DK look confident and in control
    – Russ looks great. Must take what he gets sometimes. Can’t afford to hang the OL out to dry, particularly this early in year.
    – Tackling underneath good

    Needs work:
    – Offense run game slow. Not particularly blown off ball, but no sustaining blocks
    – Pass blocking, but it seemed like a lot of communication issues.
    – D line too light, too tired by the end.
    – No pass rush, no answers on the team
    – Shaq and Dunbar tough days

    Banking on progression. Team has historically gotten better throughout year. Stay healthy, see what happens. Enjoy the rest of the weekend dudes

    • pdway

      i’d add – small sample size, but Hyde is another back who doesn’t go down easy – always seemed to get 1-2 more yards than the play should have gone for. You can see him and Carson being a real load together if we get into our running game rhythm.

    • TomLPDX

      Good post, can’t really argue with any of it. I think the entire league had a rough week 1 as everyone gets into “real” football shape. Lano having cramps is a sign of that (and I kept wondering: What the heck is Lano doing on the field!) Shaq and Dunbar went to school today…Julio is that good as is Ridley and that other kid! I think Atlanta will only get better as the season progresses.

  23. Trevor

    Off topic but watching the Cardinals and SF game and Kyle Shanahan really is a offensive wizard. His play design particularly in the run game is sick.

    • Tony

      Yet garrapolo will hold that team back from being ridiculously unstoppable. They had chances to get mahomes, Watson, Lamar. Lets thank the football gods that didn’t happen. They had 2 1st rdrs that year.

      • Big Mike

        (shudders thinking of Mahomes on the 9ers)
        And yeah, Watson and Jackson wouldn’t have been good either

  24. Catharsis50

    Why was Lano Hill on the field so much?

    • Trevor

      I ask that question every time he plays a snap.

      • pdway

        very true — i guess Diggs was injured for a series? Hill did have that solid tackle on the 3rd down to stop a drive.

    • TomLPDX

      No kidding!

  25. Rob Staton

    Frank Clark is the missing piece of this defense.

    (Plus a run stuffing DT)

    • SonGoku

      Maybe we can get that with Taylor and the addition of Clay Matthews (the Clark part)

      • Rob Staton

        I think it would be worth adding Clay until Taylor can contribute.

        • SonGoku

          How much do you think Taylor can contribute when coming back? Is he ready for a bigger role?

      • Tony

        Hell ill take some looks at Alton too.

    • Tony

      Clowney too.

    • charlietheunicorn

      The DT is the missing spot right now. Interior line pressure up the middle was not good. Very rarely were playing in the offenses backfield. Just need to find a way to collapse the pocket and get the QB to step back maybe 2-3 feet. Mostly, the pocket was clean and Ryan could sit around and drink tea as the DEs went around and behind him.

      • Tony

        Saw the same. Qb can step up in pocket all day. I think the Reed career year was just that, a career year. He looks more solid player than stud DT. 1 game wrecker on this DL would be a huge boon. Especially with the added blitz quality we showed.

    • pdway

      you’re not wrong. that one hurts even more than Clowney, b/c he was supposed to stay. chiefs just put a number on the table that we weren’t willing to match . . .didn’t feel like it at the time, but it’s an obvious miss looking back.

  26. EranUngar

    This is what i think after this game:

    1. The Seahawks took all steps needed to ensure that this juggernaut offense will not be forced to play a TE of the practice squad and a RB of the street. They knew exactly what they have in their hands and it justified the trade to bring in Adams to make them A CONTENDER.

    2. I saw a very good DLine with Jarret, Flowers and Mckinley allow 38 points. It’s not all about the DLine.

    3. I saw an energetic feisty defense facing a top offense and holding them to 18 points till garbage time. the last 200 yards against a tired soft prevent D mean nothing.

    4. Anybody that said that Adams will not harass QBs in the Seahawks system was wrong.

    5. The DLine is the weakest link in the defense but it played well enough to enable the back 7 to get the job done. Even the commentators remarked more than once the Matty was under a lot of pressure.

    I predicted going into the bye 5-0 and finishing 12-4 as NFC West champs. I may have been overly pessimistic.

    Maybe I see what I wanted to see in this game. Maybe I allow my off season opinions to effect what I saw.

    We will find out soon.

    • Rob Staton

      Yes, you’re seeing what you want to see.

      It’s OK to highlight the positives as I did in my piece. You don’t have to pretend there aren’t issues with this team that we all saw coming. We know what they are. We saw them today. The D-line was inadequate vs the run and didn’t create pressure without blitzing.

      • God of Thunder

        On that note, I didn’t want to see Lano Hill have a very decent game. But lo and behold, he did.

        I also saw esprit de corp and a lot of animated Hawks. So there was plenty to be pleased about.

    • Doug

      Next week vs NE will be interesting. Can the Seahawks can be as dominant next week? It will be a fun game for sure.

      • God of Thunder

        Not sure about Cam’s shoulder re: mid to long throws. But his legs were working well today. However I don’t fear him as a Hawks’ opponent like I did a few years ago. I’m very confident about next week.

  27. Tony

    Happy with win. Love adams. Love not playing conservative on offense for 3 quarters.

    Hated seeing like 15 screen/swing passes that rarely did anything.

    Green looked invisible. Did he play?

    I’ll take wins but I don’t look forward to playing the 9ers.

    • pdway

      I don’t mind those screens. They’re really just like run plays, safe, almost always positive yards, and you never know when DK might break a tackle.

    • Big Mike

      Great question about Green. I remember nothing from him.

      • HawksBR

        He left with a shoulder injury and was questionable to return. Dont know if he came back

        • Big Mike

          OK that makes a little more sense then.

        • Tony

          I hope we see some Alton next week.

    • Gohawks5151

      I like the screens. The quick screens/swing passes were fine, just to the wrong people. Moore, Dissly, Carson. DK needs those catches. Green had a nice run stop but I don’t remember anything else

      • Tony

        I like screens/swing passes too. But most were designed plays and they seemed to group a ton in 2nd/3rd qtr. I would’ve preferred more variations or set up screens versus the dozen where the receiver simply turns and gets a yard. Yes and please do a few to dk.

        The Carson screen for the td was beautiful.

  28. Hawkdawg

    I know they want to pace Carson, but he’s still their best back…

    • #77Hawk

      Carson looked so good today. Besides Metcalf our guys caught the ball.

  29. Happy Hawk

    Hawks scored 38 to win an opener on the road against an NFC opponent. On to game #2 at home against NE. Getting off to a fast start both in the game(s) and the season is important. The back half of the schedule feels more doable. Adams is a beast!

  30. Matthew Johnson

    I thought they could’ve run the ball a bit more. Overall I thought they played well and expect them to bring in some defensive players this week.

    What’s it going to take for the league to protect Russell like Brady,brees, or Rodgers? The hits to the head should’ve been called. Looking forward to next week. Rob thanks for the great work, always look forward to your work.

    • Big Mike

      He’s a “running” QB and as a result they get less protection. Scam Newton had the same stuff happen to him a lot. It’s likely subconscious on the part of the refs but that doesn’t make it OK. If I were Pete I’d be all over the league office about it pretty much weekly.

  31. ScoobyDank

    Let Russ Cook lives? Really liked how they turned him loose today and I think these underneath completions will help Pete with time of possession concerns. Also liked the speed on defense; Adams is a BAMF. Will be interesting to see how Belichick schemes for us next week as there are still very valid concerns about the lines…

    • Simon McInnes

      Would not want to condemn Atlanta based on just one game, but their secondary seems to have the potential to be atrocious. No surprise if we see the offence go back to the run-pass balance we usually see in the coming weeks.

  32. CaptainJack

    I really want to see Alton Robinson get a chance next week.

    Same goes for Anthony Rush. Got to see what we have in these guys because that dline wasn’t good enough. I don’t see how playing Moore over Robinson benefitted us today.

    • Trevor

      I agree would like to see them both get a shot.

    • cha

      Green and Collier had zero impact today aside from Collier’s play on Ryan early in the game.

      THEY ARE WHO WE THOUGHT THEY WERE! WE LET EM OFF THE HOOK

      • Matthew Johnson

        Idk it looked like collier had limited snaps but beat his guy when I saw him, plays didn’t always go to his side.

      • lil’stink

        I think I was more disappointed by Irvin. His pass rush looked like he was playing contain. It was kind of odd. Not that he was a particularly skilled pass rusher before, but it looked like all he was doing was a half strength bull rush.

  33. Rob Staton

    Podcast now posted and live on the blog.

  34. MyChestisBeastMode

    It’s a win. It looked very nice at times. Still, 0 for 4 on 4th downs felt like the big difference in the scoreline today. I give the Hawks all the credit for putting the Falcons in 4th down situations and successfully stopping them. But, this game could have been a lot closer with just one or two conversions.

    Superb Owl or bust!

    Go Hawks!

    • D-Mack

      A good development that our defense is capable of making plays in big moments. Was something that we sorely missed last season.

  35. Hoggs41

    It will interesting to see how this teams philosophy goes for the remainder of the season. Will they have an identity or will it just be like the Patriots? Run 40 times one week and throw 40 the next. Ill disagree with the OLine as I dont think he got pounded. Yes he did get sacked three times but the first one looked like a missed assignment t, the second o e was clean and the third one was on Russ. Either way hood win and ut will be much different next week as the Patriots are al.ost the opposite of the Falcons.

    • Hoggs41

      I was also excited about him going for it on fourth which is something he never did. He also let Adams cook as well.

  36. Big Mike

    post game pressers if you’re interested:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJARc5juGec

  37. God of Thunder

    Russ cooked! Falcons got blasted. Great win, only close in the 2nd quarter.

    And, mind, this was against a very respectable offence — at least passing offence: Ridley and Jones are scary good. Matt Ryan led the Falcons to a 6-2 record in the second half of last season and the Falcons were at home. You know the Falcons will put up numbers. They did but it didn’t really matter. Really pleased with this win.

    • Curtis Love

      That Ridley really has it.

  38. cha

    Bobby PLEASE be careful out there when we play the Niners

    https://twitter.com/_Trapitalism/status/1305252317369790464

  39. Matthew Still

    I dont think criticism of the D today is totally fair. We held em to 12 points going into the 4th quarter and more than half of Ryans output came after we were up over 3 scores. The D definitely let up a bit in giving up mostly garbage time yards but they held really well over the first 3 vs a team with a solid O on the road. They also only gave up 3.4yds a carry not 4.5. The run D was pretty solid.

    I was quite happy with it overall. Agree they will need to find a way to get more pressure though.

    • Rob Staton

      I didn’t criticise the D.

      I praised the aspects that deserved to be praised and highlighted the issues that exist.

      Simple as that.

      Did the same for the offense.

  40. Henry Taylor

    Jamal Adams is just so much fun, you can feel the energy he brings to the field. Imagine what itll be like when he gets to feed of the 12s in a packed CLink. His impact goes well beyond anything you can do schematically with a safety.

    The compensation was ridiculous, and we still have the small matter of paying him, but 1 week in and I absolutely love this trade.

  41. Rob Staton

    It’s weird seeing DeAndre Hopkins in a Cardinals jersey.

    • Trevor

      It is and he is going to be really good for Murray who is already the second best QB in the NFC west I think.

  42. Trevor

    In was pleasantly suprised by the realativrly low number of penalities / flags today in the Hawks game, Arizona and SF is nothing but a flag fest.

  43. Rob Staton

    Kyle Shanahan is a wizard.

    • TomLPDX

      Fortunately he has Mickey Mouse as his QB

  44. Group Captain Mandrake

    They TRY to make you use up all the clock, but ATL was moving up the field far faster than that.

  45. John seahawk

    I’m a bit confused about the instant reaction on the run defense. I did not notice it being a glaring problem even before they had to abandon the run. The stats I looked at said the Falcons rushed for 21 times for 72 yards for 3.4ypc even with the Matt Ryan -1yard and Calvin Ridley “runs” taken out its still under 4 ypc. While I still don’t trust our run defense at the line I thought they were fine today. However Rob saw something different. Legit asking what I am missing here? Thanks for the quick reaction stuff Rob, makes Sunday after the game more fun. Usually lots of interesting stuff in there I did not notice while I was busy screaming at the TV.

    • Rob Staton

      There were a lot of easy runs up the middle early in the game. Everyone was talking about it on social media in the first half. When the score drifted they abandoned the run.

  46. Jordan

    Rob,

    Based on the limited amount of football we’ve seen, do you think signing Damon Harrison and Clay Matthews are the best available options to improve the D-line?

    • Rob Staton

      I don’t know because with Snacks Harrison, it’ll depend on what shape he’s in.

      Matthews is a viable option who is available. They need to do something and I’m convinced they know it. Plus they have money to spend. Don’t be surprised if D’Andre Walker’s spot goes to a veteran rusher soon — and they surely have to add another DT.

      In a few weeks there might be teams looking to dump a vet salary too so the trade market could come into play. There’s no problem signing a Clay Matthews now though because his salary won’t be guaranteed.

      • Duceyq

        Is Michael Bennett officially done?

        • Rob Staton

          Yes and he was never coming back to Seattle anyway

        • Chris Alexander

          If you want former Hawks, Brandon Mebane and Dion Jordan are available. Jordan is on the Niners’ practice squad but Seattle could poach him if they wanted to.

  47. Matt

    I haven’t seen anybody mention Shaq G breaking up that seam route from a TE in the red zone to prevent a score. Been a heel for the Hawks for a long time.

    • Hawkdawg

      Not a great day for Shaq, but that was a helluva play. And at a key time in the game.

  48. All I see is 12s

    Niners about to lose their home opener. Ya hate to see it

    • Timon Krafscheck

      +1

  49. David Palfenier

    Rob while I’m also disappointed in what Schneider did with the defensive line, today’s game was a marked improvement in terms of QB pressure. Per Pro Football Reference, 2019 delivered 27 sacks and 128 pressures, or per-game 1.7 sacks and 8 pressures. Today they delivered 2 and 10. Still not even top half of the league but it’s better than last year and against a team with alot of weapons and lots of years running routes together. In particular the 4th down performance was important.

    I agree with you that giving up 500 yds/game isn’t sustainable — nor will Seattle average 38ppg. But it is more progress than you’re allowing for.

    • BobbyK

      You must factor into consideration the Falcons have had one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL for the past couple years.

      • Chris Alexander

        And that only 1 of the 2 sacks was from the D-line (Mayowa’s). The other one was on the free-run blitz by Jamal Adams.

        In theory, the intentional grounding call would have been a sack by Collier (and would have netted fewer yards than the penalty did), but OFFICIALLY, it’s just a pressure, not a sack.

  50. Aaron

    Niners lost…HAHAHA!!!

  51. Big Mike

    Jimmy G utterly shit the bed on the 9ers last drive with a chance to win the game. Agree with Trevor above saying Murray may well already be the 2nd best QB in the NFC West

  52. WallaSean

    0-1 Niners to host Ziggy Ansah on Tuesday. What a Great day!

    • Rob Staton

      Get that man a contract

      • Chris Alexander

        Not for nothing, but as bad as he was for us last year, if he’s healthy he MIGHT be an improvement over what we’ve currently got … IF he’s healthy.

        Personally, I’d put him on the “hard pass” list (along with Bennett and ET3, but, “leave no rock unturned” and “get in on everything” are two of JS/PC’s favorite sayings, right?

        • Rob Staton

          I’d rather sign Ziggy Stardust

          • Simo

            Or Ziggy Marley. At least get an entertaining Ziggy!

          • vbullen65

            Or the Thin White Duke.. (another Bowie reference)

    • cha

      It’s a feint to get the Hawks to bid him up.

  53. BobbyK

    Russell Wilson is a generational talent at the most important position in sports. The only franchise who can say they are (maybe) as well off at QB is the Chiefs. While Jackson is great, I think Russ and Mahomes are head a shoulders above all challenging QBs. It’s not even close.

    The DL is the only thing that can prevent the Seahawks from going to the Super Bowl. It’s as terrible as we knew it would be. They didn’t generate much pressure and this was against a team with one of the worst OLs in football the past few years. I would say they would be a Super Bowl frontrunner if they had either Clowney or Frank Clark. Just that one stud guy who could rush the passer. The DL still wouldn’t be good overall, but it would be good enough considering how good/great they are on the back end of the defense. Adams is as great as we knew he’d be which he has to be considering they gave up what they did for him. But they’ve got to do something with the DL. You can let a team this good have a season destroyed by incompetence on one singular unit.

    • BobbyK

      can’t

  54. Steve Nelsen

    1. The Seahawks win (Bonus for a blowout)
    2. The Seahawks avoid any serious injuries
    3. The Niners lose
    4. RW3 MVP hype looks real

    The game stats may look like a shootout but this one wasn’t close, it was a blowout like we didn’t see much of last year. The play calling when leading was smarter, control the game and clock via a balanced offense rather than giving Carson 30 carries. Our TEs will have a big year with this style of play getting first downs and TDs.

    The Niners preseason injuries showed up and they lost the game the exact way they did not want to lose – needing to rely on Garoppolo in a winnable situation and him coming up short…again.

    With all the work DK put in this offseason I expect to hear him talk about how he needs to get better after this game instead of the plays he did make. That is the way a true #1 WR and future star talks. The RW/Lockett chemistry picked up right where it left off this year.

    • Rob Staton

      ‘Blowout’ is a bit rich for me.

      A number of big moments in the game went Seattle’s way. Namely the fourth down plays for both but also the fake punt that led to a turnover. Critical moments that Seattle either won or Atlanta failed to execute.

      That was the difference on the day. This wasn’t a pasting.

      • Steve Nelsen

        We were up 31-12 early on in the 4th quarter. That’s a blowout my friend.

        • charlietheunicorn

          Anything over a 5 point win is a blow out for the modern Seahawks 😉

        • Rob Staton

          And then it was 31-18, my friend.

          And then they got the ball back with ample time remaining.

          So no, it wasn’t a blowout.

          As I said, it was a game with a series of crucial fourth down plays for both teams — and the Seahawks either won those battles, or the Falcons botched them. Either way, they went Seattle’s way.

          But this isn’t the arse kicking you’re making it. A handsome win, not a blowout.

          • Steve Nelsen

            It was close at halftime. Seattle dominated the 3rd quarter and the game never felt like it was in doubt at all after DK’s touchdown. I will never criticize any Seahawks fan who is still worried when Seattle is up 31-18 with 9 minutes to go. But after all the close games last season, this was a fun way to start the year.

            • Rob Staton

              Which is a fine way to review the game.

              31-18 with the Falcons at midfield with 7:30 to go in the game, isn’t a blowout though.

    • pdway

      A comfortable win. Over a decent team. It’s a good start.

      The extra weapons for Russ showed. Saw this stat on ESPN:

      “Zero of Russell Wilson’s 35 pass attempts today were thrown into a tight window (<1 yard of separation), per NFL Next Gen Stats. Entering today, the most passes in a game without a tight window throw was 30, by Derek Carr in 2019 against LAC. Tight windows were first tracked in 2016. A credit to Wilson, his receivers, and Brian Schottenheimer"

      He had guys open, and he's Russell Wilson, that equals 31 for 35.

    • BruceN

      Agree with 2-4 and change #1 to “comfortable win”.

      Overall a good game and the Niners lost. So a perfect weekend.

      The Niners may have a more stacked roster but we have our equalizer in RW who is head and shoulders better than Jimmy G.

  55. charlietheunicorn

    Cardinals are FOR REAL. Very impressive performance on the road.

    • Rob Staton

      Indeed.

    • pdway

      what a coup getting one of the top 3 wideouts in the game for pennies on the dollar, he was great today.

      Murray is a blast to watch too.

      God I love seeing the Niners lose . . . Jimmy G. not a SB quarterback, comes up small in the key moments.

  56. Rob Staton

    Got to love Seahawks fans in 2020.

    Article heaps praise on Jamal Adams and in the podcast I said it’s one of the best safety performances I’ve ever seen. Talked glowingly about Wilson, Carroll’s flexibility, the safety group, DK Metcalf, Bobby Wagner.

    But because I added the run defense wasn’t good (go read the comments section during the first half, or the tweets people were posting) and the pass rush needs more — the end of days is upon us.

    No, this must be deemed a perfect, flawless performance.

    Otherwise Satan shall emerge from the depths of hell and take us all.

    It could be a long season.

    • cha

      “Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?”

      • Rob Staton

        Bingo

    • Scott

      Come on Rob, you know it was a perfect game. The Seahawks consumed the
      Falcons with fireballs from their eyes and bolts of lightning from their arses.

      • Rob Staton

        Lightning bolt from the arse is my favourite scheme

        • Scott

          It catches opponents off guard, one might say it’s a very shocking scheme.

  57. jopa726

    My God! Where is the Blue Filter on the TV? So-Fi Stadium and the Rams are killing my eyes.

    • cha

      Those bone color uni’s look awful. Looks like practice jerseys that double as pajamas.

  58. charlietheunicorn

    1 Hour Replay of game

    Tuesday night (2200 local), replay on Q13 Fox / Wednesday Night (1800?) / Joe TV – 16

    • cha

      Thanks charlietheunicorn!

      • charlietheunicorn

        Check the Q13 schedule online, but I think this is pretty much what they said while I was eating in a different room from the TV.

  59. Rob Staton

    Dallas playing this Rams offense the same way we do!

  60. cha

    LOL that field goal attempt!!

    • Rob Staton

      A thing of beauty.

    • Big Mike

      Did they choose to let Legatron walk over money or did he just want out?

  61. Canadian Hawk

    Offence looked fantastic.

    When Dorsett, Gordon and Penny join the team?

    Wow, can’t wait.

  62. jopa726

    [Sung to Slow Ride by Foghat]

    Sloman, Kick it easy
    Sloman, Kick it easy
    Sloman, Kick it easy
    Sloman, Kick it easy

    Sloman, Sloman, don’t donk it off the uprights.

    • Big Mike

      creative

    • Lewis

      Love it.

  63. CaptainJack

    Although it’s fun to see the niners drop their first game at home…

    The cardinals legitimacy look dangerous. They’re a threat to win the NFC this year. Kyler Murray looks like an emerging superstar and he’s right there with Lamar Jackson in terms of being able to avoid the pass rush and make fantastic plays with his legs. And the connection with Hopkins already looks dominant.
    The defense looks much, much improved from last year.

    It’s a bit terrifying. This could be a very good Seahawks team after all, perhaps the best we’ve had in years, and we could again fail to win the west.

    • Steve Nelsen

      Murray is a perfect player to exploit a defense that is strong on D-line and weaker in the back 7. Murray and Kittle were 2 players specifically mentioned by Carroll when he talked about the importance of adding Jamal Adams.

      The style of passing offense that matches up well on paper against our defense is a pocket passer with a great group of receivers (like Atlanta) so this game was encouraging. Another offensive style that matches up well on paper is a power run team that can get yards up the gut between the tackles. I didn’t see any of the Patriots game to see if that fits what they showed today.

  64. charlietheunicorn

    On to the Patriots

    Not looking forward to this game, after seeing the highlights of very run heavy offense.

    Style make the fight and this might not be a good match-up for the defense.
    Time for Russ to bring the crockpot and make us a good dinner.👌

  65. Chavac

    Very nice to start the season with a comfortable game. I was actually pretty pleased with the oline play, especially given there were no preseason games and there are several new faces. Felt like the run game was there if they needed it. Carson not having to be a workhorse will definitely pay off down the stretch. I know the run D gave up a few runs early to Gurley but otherwise seemed pretty stout and played pretty well in short yardage situations. Certainly not a flawless performance overall (esp D line) but a nice early road win.

    And how about Adams? Could there be a more Pete Carroll type player on the defensive side? Amazing versatility, energy, and effort. I absolutely see why they targeted him despite the price.

  66. BobbyK

    If I’m the Patriots, I run the ball down the Seahawks’ throat next week. They should be able to do that. But can Russ cook enough to overcome it? Perhaps. That game is going to tell us quite a bit. I’m excited about it but nervous because of the DL.

    • Trevor

      It will a tough challenge for sure but I prefer it to a good passing offense right now to be honest.

      • Hoggs41

        I’m willing to bet they will try and run.ooks like that is how they are built. It will be a much different game than this week.

    • Chris Alexander

      Ah, New England. And their new-fangled offense with a mobile quarterback instead of Mr. Brady ….

      Cam’s line today:
      ** 15/19 passing for 155 yards (no touchdowns or interceptions), minus 15 yards on 2 sacks so net of 140 passing
      ** 15 carries on the ground for 75 yards and 2 touchdowns

      As a team, New England ran the ball 42 times for 217 yards and 3 touchdowns.

      If I’m Billy B, the game plan for Sunday night is to simply run the ball over and over and over and over again. And during the week leading up to the game, I’d try to figure out a way to neutralize Adams’ impact on the game ….

  67. GerryG

    Put me in the “extremely worried about the run D” camp. And the DL was completely unable to affect anything with a rush of 4. Shocking. There were a lot of blitzes with zero impact.

    I loved the D using Adams to his strength, and pushing the tempo on offense, snapping the ball with over ten seconds left, playing aggressive with the lead.

    • BobbyK

      Amen to “playing aggressive with the lead.” When you have a QB like Wilson – play to win!

  68. Trevor

    The NFC West is stacked!

    • Chris Alexander

      Sure seems that way. 2-0 against the rest of the league so far with 4 more wins coming this week … or so I would think.

      — L.A. Rams are at Philadelphia (which is decimated by injuries)
      — San Francisco is in New York to face the Jets (who are, you know, THE JETS)
      — Arizona hosts the Washington Football Team
      — Seattle hosts New England

      Interestingly, Vegas has the Eagles favored over the Rams (by 1 point) — I may need to place a bet. The other 3 NFC teams are favored by 4 points (Seattle) or 6.5 points (SF + Arizona).

      In my personal season predictions, I have the NFC West going 30-10 against the rest of the league. We’ll see how close I am when all is said and done but it’s looking good after Week 1.

      • Rob Staton

        I’d love the awful Jets to beat the Niners.

  69. Malc from PO

    I liked best that we beat a team we were better than reasonably comfortably. We turned on the gas when we had opportunities on offense and sustained pressure when ahead instead of sitting back. The defense performed okay when they set the tempo, and showed the grit and mentality to do so. When we sat back we looked horrible – it’s going to be a barnstormer if a season if we can sustain that intensity. I’m more concerned about our ability to dictate a game like that against good teams, but I see more promise than how we have tended to play down to bad teams in recent years.

  70. RWIII

    I like the aggressive of the offense. Over the years in the 4th quarter when the Seahawks had the lead they ran the ball 3 times and then they were forced to punt the ball. Not this year. After Mayowa made the big time sack on 4th down. Instead of just sitting on the lead Russell Wilson and Co. Aggressively moved the football down the field that lead to a score.

    One other point. Their has been some talk of signing Shaquill Griffin to a long term contract. I disagree for two reasons. One reason is you don’t know what the cap is going to be next year. The second reason is that I would not sign a long term contract contract until I get Jamal Adams signed.

    • GerryG

      Third reason: he is incapable of making a play on the ball.

      • Henry Taylor

        Made a fantastic play on the ball yesterday.

        • GerryG

          Let me expand on that. He did make a great deflection, and periodically makes that play. I should have been more specific, he can’t generate the turnovers you’d like to see from any CB commanding CB1 salary. The pass he bounced off Julio attempting a tackle could have been broken on and picked, the tipped pass Julio came down with really seemed like it should have been picked. He’s a solid corner, who had a rough game against an elite WR, but he’s in year 4 and has like 3 career INTs.

          • Henry Taylor

            That’s fair, he doesn’t get enough picks to be considered a top CB. But when you go up against someone like Julio you just have to acknowledge that a player like that will make some phenomenal plays.

            I was happy with how he performed yesterday.

            • Chris Alexander

              If you were happy with Griffin’s performance yesterday then you were in the minority. Almost everything I’ve read online and heard over the air was critical of his play yesterday – and rightly so, in my opinion.

              Long term, I think it’s a pointless discussion as I doubt Seattle will resign him unless he takes a VERY team-friendly deal. Historically, under this regime, Seattle doesn’t sign cornerbacks to big contracts (with Sherman being the lone exception) because they know they can replace any of their CBs through in-house promotions, the draft, and/or trades for inexpensive players that match their preferred physical specifications. Add in Griffin’s inability to create turnovers and I think it’s almost certain that they will let him walk and happily accept a compensatory pick when he signs with someone else next offseason. Either that or they’ll trade him before the deadline and roll with Tre Flowers and Quinton Dunbar as the starting corners.

  71. charlietheunicorn

    Seth Walder
    ESPN Analytics
    Russell Wilson completed 22 of 23 passes and 2 TDs vs. man coverage in Seattle’s win over Atlanta. That’s the highest completion percentage against man for a QB that faced at least 50% man coverage since tracking began in 2016. >>ESPN coverage classification powered by Next Gen Stats.

    Mighty impressive indeed

  72. Spencer Duncan

    Love how PC was willing to use Adams as a pass rusher and utilized him to his strengths as opposed to pigeon-holing him into the system. Also liked how Schotty opened the offense up – although we will see how he adapts in the future when Russ isnt throwing over 90%.

    Hope the young, inexperienced DL can improve as the season goes on. Seahawks always seem to grow as the season goes on, and although they weren’t great, I feel confident in saying it wasn’t the dumpster fire we were expecting. We can’t expect 38 points every week.

  73. Gohawks5151

    Rewatching a little bit of this game and Adams is crazy. I am glad that PC and KN are willing to move him around an utilize his talents. He doesn’t remind me of Kam or Earl at all. He reminds me of Troy Polamalu. I know that many compared Earl to Troy but I never got the comp. Like Troy, Adams is up at the line, blitzing, keeping the perimeter run tight, dropping back into middle zones and playing deep. He covers tight ends, backs and even opponents #1 receivers. A true, high level swiss army knife. And still learning the system. Much more possibilities. Glad to have Blair too. He actually may be the key to some of Jamals versatility. Can compliment his movement by moving to middle and deep zones

  74. Jake

    Does anyone have the PFF grades? I really think Jamal Adams will win Defensive player of the week, he was that good.

  75. Clayton Russell Jr

    First off, Rob you are spot on! The defense as you and many of us predicted was similar to a fresh cut of swiss cheese; too many holes for running and the lack of pressure from the DL front enabled Jones, Ridley and Gage to eat up the secondary.

    With that said, I’ve finally moved back to the United States after 8 1/2 years in the United Arab Emirates. It’s great to be back!

    As for the offense, it was nice to see them spread the ball around so much. I was also glad to see Swain catch a nice pass. Hopefully the offense starts to gel as the season progresses and we see a little better protection.

    Pretty much a complete game by Wilson. unfortunately if we cannot keep up this approach, we will be in for a long season. Does not look like the defense will be able to stop much; as this early juncture of the season.

  76. Georgia Hawk

    Are…are the Niners the 4th best team in the NFCW?

    Only klidding, sort of. Mostly I just enjoy reveling in them being at the bottom of the standings, no matter how premature it is.

    Jimmy G looked pretty rough, and the Offense has taken some injury hits….really just hate to see it…

  77. Georgia Hawk

    Way too early overreaction:

    PETE CARROLL HS FINALLY CHANGED HIS WAYS AND HAS JOINED THE MODERN NFL LANDSCAPE!!!

    Ok, maybe its not that drastic but RW3 controlled that game start to finish. Of course we dont know if that was the game plan all long or they just adapted to what was given. it was REALLY nice to see an opening drive TD though, thats traditionally been a rare thing for the Hawks. Add in the bucking of trends like: poor sloppy first games, bad decision making, and punting on EVERY FREAKING 4TH DOWN EVER, and it was like watching a completely different team.

    Im really curious how many of these “new trends” will continue on the year.

    Great Write up and Podcast, Rob. Its nice to have some realistic analysis that isn’t slobbering over every single move the Hawks make.

  78. Rob Staton

    Let me make something very clear (after a day of having to handle ridiculous messages in the comments section and via email again).

    I am not interested in people telling me how to run my blog, or what opinions I should have.

    If you don’t like my analysis any more — fine. I don’t have an issue with that. Sending me messages saying you’re not coming on any more is pointless. I say what I think. Always have, always will. If you can’t cope with constructive criticism about the Seahawks during an off-season then you have the problem, not me. And if you don’t like it, there are plenty of places offering wall-to-wall positivity.

    What I am NOT going to tolerate or put up with is post-game analysis for the next 17 weeks where if the Seahawks win (or even lose), people completely ignoring the massive positives I highlight (just listen to the podcast for crying out loud) and then focusing on the legitimate concerns I have about the D-line and claiming this is some kind of personal insult that I’ve dared not to see this victory as flawless and a sign that Seattle is going to romp to the Super Bowl.

    This is a place for mature, sensible discussion. Praise when it’s warranted, criticism when it’s warranted. Analysis on the pro’s and con’s of the team, how it is built, how it performs.

    That isn’t changing. If you don’t like it any more, fine. But I’m not tailoring my opinions to you.

    • Georgia Hawk

      “Stay Gold, Ponyboy.”

      Love the way you do the blog, Rob. Its nice break from the knob slobbering or sky is falling crowds. Right in the middle without being over the top.

    • Big Mike

      Next time you post Rob, don’t hold back. You know, tell us how you really feel. 🙂

    • Tyler

      This is hands down the best site for Seahawks analysis. I don’t always agree with your opinions, Rob, but unlike most people–sports journalists and commentators included–you provide thoughtful arguments in support of them. If people can’t handle reasonable disagreement, I think this community is better off without them.

      So, to balance out some of this negative feedback you’ve been receiving lately, let me say that your site makes my experience as a Seahawks fan so much better. In addition, though I live far from Seattle, your site has helped me to feel connected to my home. Thank you for everything, Rob. Your work means a lot to many of us, even if (like me) we never post.

      • Rob Staton

        Thanks Tyler, much appreciated.

    • Peter

      Rob,

      keep up the excellent work. Decade long reader and used to be frequent poster.

      I’ve got to say for all the naysayers start your own blog that lasts this long if you don’t like it.

      Rob and I have agreed and disagreed, politely for years. And you know what….he’s not wrong. The defense is thoroughly mediocre. I rarely watch whole games for two to three years running not because the offense is cooler than defense. It’s because bad trades and bad decisions have made honest fans aware that RW3 is almost the sole reason why the team wins or loses.

      Even in yesterday’s game. The defense was pretty uninspiring. They did enough but as Rob would say “that’s damning with faint praise.” If the hawks hadn’t of put Atlanta on their heels and put them into shootout mode I think the Falcons would have one. Seattle’s run game was mediocre. And letting Matt Ryan get 450 in the air is a terrible recipe if RW3 falters.

      • Rob Staton

        Thanks Peter (and thank you for being here a decade).

    • EastToWest

      I made one comment on FG regarding my concern for the DL and everyone’s like “why can’t you just be happy, blah blah”. Yes I am happy they won, but I am not happy that the front 4 could not generate any pressure whatsoever and that this could otherwise be a SB contending team if they had managed to add a difference maker up front. Ryan dropped back 50+ times and the amount of pressure generated without blitzing was embarrassing. The ends were running up the field past the QB and there was no inside push. It’s great to have won, but it will be extremely disappointing if we waste all this talent by adding Mayowa and Irvin and calling it a day.

      • Rob Staton

        I’ve never wanted to overlook negatives. There are positives and negatives in every game. It’s an incomplete discussion otherwise.

    • Aaron

      We live in the age of echo chambers, internet trolls, cyberbullying, and hyper political everything. I’m once again sorry you have to put up with all that bull$%&!. You keep being you Rob. I would take your constructive criticism of the Hawks any day over some Seahawks shill who does nothing but praise the team or some idiot who thinks that SDB is an assault on the team. Keep your chin up Rob, we’re here for ya mate!

      • Rob Staton

        Thanks Aaron

      • BobbyK

        Aaron with one of the best posts ever! Well said!

    • cha

      Said it before, I’ll say it again.

      What’s most baffling to me with your analysis Rob, is it’s darn near the same thing the Seahawks are doing today – though on a much more thorough level. They literally have labelled it “Tell the Truth Monday.” They’re committed to staying competitive through not ignoring issues.

      How fans can criticize you for doing something the team also does is sad and unfortunate.

    • UKHAWK

      Rob – Keep up the best Hawks blog & analysis on the web… ANYWHERE!

      If you compromise, so will the content be compromised

      Cant please everyone…

      • Rob Staton

        Thank you

    • Starhawk29

      I don’t post much, but I read this blog religiously. Ignore the inanity, your takes are yours and I appreciate the process you use. I’m as tired as anybody of reading about how bad the DLine is, but it’s the flaw of this team! Not talking about it is like saying the pandemic is over: ignorance.

      This game seemed to be a continuation of the games last year, i.e. they stopped playing D about ten minutes too early as we saw them do multiple times last year. Thankfully Russ was able to go for the kill and we kept it together for the W. Ignoring the underlying issue here (letting up a ton of points in the 4th quarter) is ignorance. A better team will make us pay for that.

    • MyChestisBeastMode

      Maybe give your analysis a fun term to help people drop their defenses. A fun term we used to use when critiquing people’s public speech was the “love sandwich”. Where we start woth a positive, then critiques, then sandwich it with more positives at the end. Or don’t, and just keep doing you which is more than ok by me.

  79. Tree

    Loved that we were aggressive on offense and creative with JA (what a stud!). Bwags looked healthy and fast. Loved the physicality of Bwags, JA, Blair and even Brooks on a play. Corners were bad which surprised me Dunbar looked rusty but is clearly more fluid than Flowers. It was nice to see an explosive play out of Collier (literally the first one we have ever seen) and Benson showing how slow Ziggy was with that chase down. Would love to see a beefy DT signed, but the run defense settled down after the 1st quarter. Atlanta has invested heavily on the DL, but doing so doesn’t make you a good defense necessarily.

    • Peter

      Corners weren’t just bad. Griffin is giving me shades of Kelly Jennings vibes. Just super sticky. But does he do anything really well? poor tackling. He seems to be around the ball a ton but very little in terms of takeaways.

    • AlaskaHawk

      Griffin in two plays. The first one he shoves the receiver at the line, shoving himself away from the receiver and creating enough separation that the the receiver catches the ball within a 5 yard clear zone. The second play he is running closely behind the receiver and tips what would have been a long pass play. He was inconsistent yesterday, but he is the best cornerback the Seahawks got.

      Lano Hill had a decent game. He needs to practice ripping the ball out of receivers hands.

    • GerryG

      Hoping the corners just need some time to get used to the speed again. No pre season games, limited tackling. Our CBs are better than yesterday, but in their defense, thats one hell of a WR/TE group they were tasked with.

  80. AlexG

    Did Jordyn Brooks do anything ? Haven’t read much about his debut

    • Aaron

      I saw him get one tackle, other than that I never noticed him. Not sure how many snaps he was on the field.

      • Chris Alexander

        Brooks was on the field for 7 snaps yesterday (9% of the total defensive snaps). Definitely didn’t do much but also wasn’t given much of an opportunity.

        Interestingly, Wright was only on the field for 56% of the defensive snaps (44 total).

  81. cha

    News Flash: Washington Football Team has a good pass rush

    https://twitter.com/PFF/status/1305522723725225990

    • GerryG

      ** they were playing against total scrub Tackles though. Doesnt mean they are not good, but perhaps a little inflated

      • cha

        Jason Peters is not a scrub.

        Partial credit.

        • GerryG

          Huh, listened to the Ringer podcast this AM, they mentioned they had 3 OTs that were hurt, and were playing backups, one a 4th rd rookie, and a second year guy was Rookie FA last year

        • Chris Alexander

          Agree that Peters isn’t a scrub but he also lost his job at Tackle and was moved to Guard before moving back to Tackle during training camp because of all the injuries Philly suffered at that position.

  82. cha

    https://twitter.com/bcondotta/status/1305532930312159232

    Snap counts are out

    Pass rushers

    Mayowa 71 (wow)
    Irvin 67
    Collier 30
    Green 30
    Moore 20

    RCB: Dunbar 68 / Flowers 10

    More nickel: Blair had 55 snaps / Hill had 20

    TEs: Olsen 41 / Dissly 25 / Hollister 11 / Willson 1

    Brooks had 7 snaps

    • cha

      Looks like Moore made good use of his 20 snaps

      https://twitter.com/SethWalder/status/1305294902335602688

      • dcd2

        Did you notice our DT rotation? It has Reed at 85%, Poona at 53% and Mone at 19%.

        That’s almost half of the snaps at one DT spot taken by… Collier/Green?

        Were they kicking inside that often?

        • cha

          I can’t say for sure as I don’t chart the snaps. But I’d guess Moore had some inside DL snaps, Collier and Green had a handful on inside snaps and the rest can be made up with some of the 3 DL + Bruce + Adams on the edges formations they ran.

          • dcd2

            Ah, right. I forgot Moore. I thought that other snip was for David Moore and didn’t click it.

        • GerryG

          From the mid 3rd Q on it was gunslinging Matt Ryan throwing every snap to get back in the game.

          • Chris Alexander

            Tis true. After Seattle went ahead 28-12, Atlanta had 5 possessions. On the first one, they ran 3 times for a total of 2 yards and threw the rest of the time. Their last 4 possessions, there were zero rushing plays.

    • Henry Taylor

      Green and Collier both on 30 snaps is telling, cause I know who I noticed out there more often.

      • Rob Staton

        I didn’t realise Green had any snaps. Invisible.

  83. UKHAWK

    Hi Rob,

    One suggestion on the podcasts. I usually listen on my way to work and dont watch but today i did and thought of a few possible tweaks.

    Big caveat that Im not at all an expert on podcasting – nevertheless wanted to suggest some possibilities …

    I noticed Robbie is slightly clearer to hear (maybe the headset), has better quality video and is much more clear to see whilst your audio/video wasn’t quite as good. Think it may help on the podcast for people to see your facial expressions when speaking…

    Needless to say, I was wondering if there any chance the audio could be improved, and maybe the visuals especially by adding some lighting (to compensate for the shadow cast by seahawks cap) and possibly in using a virtual background which might lighten the picture?

    Again not be critical here just some suggestions

    Best regards, UKHAWK

    • Rob Staton

      Appreciate the feedback. Unfortunately lighting is a massive problem for me as soon as it goes dark and I can’t rely on natural light. I will look into a solution (but also don’t want to buy a small studio for a podcast).

      • Gohawks5151

        A light ring would be pretty cheap. I can even sell you a left over one I have if you want. You pay shipping haha

  84. coach62344

    I am delighted that the Seahawks won this game. I love how the Seahawks changed their scheme to take advantage of the Falcons. Yet I am amazed that we would consider this game a “blow out” or a big win for the defense. The Falcons gained 500 yards against us. The Falcons are not ranked as a top ten team in the NFL.

    So again so very happy for the win but I am worried about future games when we face teams that have a better running attack and a defense plan that attacks the Seahawk weaknesses.

    • Spencer

      You could easily say they’re a top 10 offense though.

  85. Gohawks5151

    Random question: Do we get a comp pick off of Clowney?

    • cha

      No

    • Rob Staton

      Nope.

    • Chris Alexander

      For Seattle to get a compensatory pick ,he would have needed to sign with someone before 4pm (EST) on Monday, April 27th. He didn’t, so no.

  86. Volume12

    Why is Ohio St CB Shaun Wade opting out a surprise? What was he gonna do? They ain’t playing this year. His stock is high. Secure that bag young man.

  87. JD

    Rob and others not in the local Seattle area,

    How do you watch the games live? I have NFL Redzone so I’m able to catch some of the game as I am on the East coast and I used a streaming site last year but it is not working this year.

    Any suggestions?

    • Rob Staton

      I use Gamepass.

      • MyChestisBeastMode

        I’ve heard of people using crackstreams if thats your thing, to watch individual games or NFL Redzone. I also hear a VPN is required.

      • Hoggs41

        Do you watch them live on Game Pass? I can watch the replay but not watch it live.

        • Rob Staton

          Yes live. Although the prime time games are on TV.

    • KennyBadger

      Sunday Ticket? Too obvious?

    • GerryG

      NFLbite is the site that came out of the reddit forums. Chrome, adblock plus, dont click any links (besides the x) or sign up for anything. Its a bit of crapshoot, but has between 6-12 options per game. It was late to get running yesterday, and multiple options crapped out, but still worked for me.

      I dont have a problem with paying for Sunday ticket, but I have zero interest in paying for DirecTV the rest of the year. I just dont watch that much TV anymore.

      • New Guy

        You can go Inactive on DirecTV for six months at a time and all billing will stop. You keep the equipment in place and their is no new setup required. So six months following the playoffs you’re paying $0 per month. Then you go Active and and request Sunday Ticket again.

        I’ve done this repeatedly. Works like a charm.

        .

  88. timon

    Great article Rob! Thank you for the content!

    Also question to everyone: Was/ is Frank Clark a Leo or a 5tech?

    • Rob Staton

      Neither really, more a traditional pass rushing end with elite explosive traits and quickness.

      • timon

        Thanks!

  89. Denver Hawker

    A few insights after the game:

    – Who had Freddy Swain as the most impactful rookie? Lewis 3 penalties get a rookie pass. No reason to be concerned about the draft class, but I expected more field time for at least Brooks.

    – Blair/Hill on field a lot, 3 safeties played more than 3 linebackers. Curious to see if this is a scheme shift or a strategy against the Falcons.

    – Hawks are very healthy- wonder if the off/pre season routine will stick now. It seems like less injuries around the league.

    – DK with the drops, man, thought that was his focus all off-season. Still dynamic and gotta throw to him, but that’s all that’s holding him back from being a Top 5 WR in the league.

    – 36 players under contract next year?!? So many big off-season questions looming over the field this year. Half the starters are practically in a “contract year”.

    • GerryG

      Brooks has really good, experienced LBs in front of him. His play time will most likely increase all season.

    • rowlandice

      Brooks had 7 snap on DEF. Not a very strong debut.

      • Matthew

        Not gonna lie…was tough watching Patrick Queen look great for Baltimore. Kenneth Murray also looked nice for San Diego.

        Hoping we are not the odd man out on the LBer front with that pick.

    • TJ

      Brooks didn’t play much, but I think we expected that. In the few plays he was in, I liked what I saw. I don’t know his stat line, but he moved and scraped well.

  90. Elmer

    Because of all the west coast fires, Seattle area air quality is really bad, very unhealthy I wonder if they will even be able to play game 2 against the Patriots? I hope they don’t move the game to Boston..

    • TomLPDX

      Not sure what the forecast is for Seattle this week but we have rain in the forecast and shifting winds that should start to move the smoke out of Portland starting tonight. Hope it is true because it is really bad down here right now and has been for a few days. At least they are getting a handle on the fires because of the weather.

    • cha

      I wonder if they have a contingency plan.

      The Tacoma Dome maybe? Roger Waters was playing there Saturday but obviously postponed, so nothing going on.

    • Robbie

      From my understanding the smoke should clear out tomorrow and rain in the forecast should help. My guess is by Sunday night they will be good to go play.

    • Big Mike

      Mariners playing right now at T-Mobile. You can see the haze on the screen. Praying for rain and as a motorcyclist I rarely say that.

    • TomLPDX

      Just went to this website: https://www.airnow.gov/?city=Seattle&state=WA&country=USA

      The forecast looks really great! Back to good levels by the weekend. I don’t know about you guys but I have breathing issues and I am SO ready for clear air again.

  91. Logan Lynch

    I like it when SEA wins games. It makes me happy.

    Interested to see if they bring any vets in this week on the DL.

    • Rob Staton

      “I like it when SEA wins games. It makes me happy.”

      I shouldn’t need to say this — but that’s how all Seahawks fans feel after a win!

      • Logan Lynch

        It was the least controversial thing to say!

        • Volume12

          Not controversial, but incredibly brave!

          • Logan Lynch

            Sticking my neck out there my man!

    • Rob Staton

      I think it’s plausible. I doubt it played out exactly like this — Wilson demanding a change or he’s off. But I suspect he has pushed for change and privately I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he’s said to people he’s close with that he needs to see some change. I’ve written a lot about his more outspoken off-season and the stuff we’ve heard from Cowherd, who is close to Wilson.

      I know a lot of fans are dismissing it, mainly because they don’t want to consider anything uncomfortable. But I do think Wilson is rightly frustrated by the annual first or second round playoff exit, their inability to give him the right level of support to get back to the SB and he wants to be a Lebron, Kobe, Brady, Jordan type not a one-ring wonder. The Seahawks shouldn’t take him for granted. They should strive to match his ambition. If he’s winning, none of this will matter.

      • Troy

        I mean to be fair to Wilson, how utterly frustrating would it be to always seemingly go through the exact same scenario, game after game, season after season.

        Slow offensive starts have been a hall mark of this team, and A LOT of that is due to play calling. Not just amount of run calls, but not trusting Wilson to call plays and adapt at the line and other stuff.

        Glad hes finally spoken up, glad that we scored early in ATL, I hope PC/BS keep up the killer score first and score early instinct going forward in the season.

        Going for it on that 4th and short instead of punting was a “I WANT TO WIN THE GAME WITH MY OFFENSE” move and it paid off. Keep it coming please coaches.

        • Rob Staton

          I just hope they stick to it and are creative enough to keep teams on their toes.

          Because I don’t think there’s a game on the schedule this season where the defense will win you a game. This is on Russell to attack opponents and instil scoreboard pressure.

      • Henry Taylor

        To add to this, I think its highly likely that Russ, and Schotty (who deserves a whole bunch of credit for what he did yesterday, and frankly most of his Seahawks tenure) have been petitioning PC to have a more progressive outlook on the offense.

        But we should acknowledge that Russ wants to win more than anything else, and if that means playing Pete ball when it’s more opportune then that’s what he’ll want to do. Basically, I dont think this means we should expect to see Russ cooking in every situation, just that the offense will be more flexible and adaptable with its approach.

        • Rob Staton

          Perhaps not — but I think he knows as well as we do that 2020 needs to be the season of the chef.

          They can’t play Pete ball with this D-line.

          They can play Russ ball and force opponents to do stuff they don’t want to with scoreboard pressure.

          • Henry Taylor

            “Season of the chef” is a wonderful turn of phrase – that’s why you’re the writer and I’m the occasional commentator.

            To be clear, I don’t think we’ll see full blown Pete ball at any point this season, the roster isn’t fit for it, but next week against the Patriots, for example, I wouldn’t be against them coming out with a more run heavy approach against an elite secondary and the best game to game adjusting head coach there is. Zig when they Zag as it were.

            • Rob Staton

              Fair points.

          • TomLPDX

            I think you make a very interesting point here, Rob.

            They can’t play Pete ball, but they can play Russ ball. Yesterday was a great example of this. With ATL getting behind they had to become more one-dimensional by forcing them into more passing situations, which in turn plays to our strength on the defense…our back 7. By getting ahead and forcing the other team to play from behind it increases our chances to keep the game in check and control it instead of “Russ the Savior” having to bring us back in the final seconds to win.

    • Big Mike

      “We don’t mention Russell Wilson enough with the biggest names……..” Boy if that ain’t the truth.

      Don’t blame Russ a bit for feeling like he apparently does. He wants championships and the Seahawks have been treading water for some time now. Time to change things up Pete. Hope what we saw yesterday isn’t an anomoly.

  92. Logan Lynch

    There are a lot of things on that station right now that make me cringe.

  93. cha

    Prescient to work out Justin Britt

    Tom Pelissero

    @TomPelissero
    #Packers RG Lane Taylor suffered a season-ending knee injury that will surgery, source said.
    12:41 PM · Sep 14, 2020

    • Aaron

      Britt at guard…*winces

  94. Volume12

    Anybody watch any CFB Saturday? Felt weird.

    Rattler for Oklahoma is super intriguing.

    Really like NC HB Javonte Williams. 215-225 runs hard, physical, gets a lot of YAC. Their LB Chazz Surratt is damn good too. Misses some tackles, but he’s got everything else. Checks all the boxes.

    Arkansas St WR Jonathan Adams was something else too. Whew.

    Syracuse S Andre Cisco is a ball hawk. TO machine. Just has a nose for the ball.

  95. cha

    Monday Press Conf w PC

    (laughs) “Really successful first week for us. Road for the first time. Managed the whole process. Players went along with it. New guys got on the road, got going. New experience w no fans not really a big issue. Can feel how important it is to generate our own enthusiasm. Didn’t affect the fb at all. Real pleased.”

    [ben Arthur] RW’s performance on film, what jumps out in review/takeaways? “Just showed his trust in WRs. Trust in work taken place over summer, carried over. Felt comfortable with guys playing with. Game got rolling, felt comfortable with guys up front.”
    [ben] Pass defense, how much was Matt Ryan, how much prevent? “In control of game middle of 3rd Q, weapons they have started throwing every down. Playing the clock, making sure they didn’t’ get back in the game. Matt Ryan at his best when sitting in Zone. Great weapons in Atlanta. Don’t care about yards.”

    [AJ] RW and Pocic chemistry? Lack of fans starting C easier? “No communication issue at all. Really worked together a lot in camp. Really smooth fit right now. No issues. Helps crowd not there.”

    [corbin smith] Falcons pressure on RW, 3 sacks in first half, none in second, encouraged? “First play of game made a mistake, wasn’t the OL. RW said he held the ball, missed a read. Hit more than we wanted. Timing better. 3 sacks in half felt terrible. Just a stat, we overcame what happened, made first downs. Just one game.”

    [john boyle] Garza talk to team? Message? “Met a while back, got to talking before camp. Took while to get done, very busy. Fantastic mtg last week. History of BLM movement. There at origin.”

    • cha

      [joe fann] DJ Dallas / Alton progress ot active roster? “Really far. On the verge, just depends on matchups.”
      [joe fann] Injuries? “Rasheem Green got a pinch, see how goes. Others just bumps bruises.”

      [maz veda] Film on DL overall? “Working hard, busting it to get to QB. Needs to take advantage of matchups. Working hard.” {cha ed: lukewarm answer!}

      [brady] Air quality? Practice? “Wait until Wed. Are concerned about it. Don’t know what it was in southern California but they played. Not sure fallout yet.”
      [brady] Schott from booth? Permanent? “Yes. Liked it, worked out well. Talked about in preseason.”

      [art thiel] Pregame expressions, played without distractions, closeness of team due to Zoom meetings? “Start of it. A very important time for us. Capture moments of how important it was to share your story. Bare your soul. Emotional exchange.”

      • Rob Staton

        The answer on the D-line was so telling.

        No positives. ‘Working hard’. A facial expression that looked like a wet weekend.

        He knows.

        He also knows they were a couple of good moves on the D-line away from being an exceptional team and probably feels very frustrated that they didn’t get it done there.

        • Big Mike

          He should. Maybe a run stuff DT and Mathews can bump it enough?

          • Rob Staton

            It’s beyond past the time to act.

            Time to get a proper run stuffer and a veteran DE to take Walker’s spot.

        • cha

          That answer was a total word salad. I was transcribing it and I couldn’t even type it like it was a complete sentence a human being would say. He wanted no part of that question.

      • cha

        [art] 2017 anthem issues, meeting in Tennessee, what about that informed do something different this time? “First time we’d gone through depths of expression. Too close to the game for a first time meeting. Mistake on my part. Effected us too much. So emotional, sapped us some. Able to navigate and see things clearly.”

        [Curtis crab] Secondary pressures, Adams, Blair, how big a change? How to balance? “Really like doing it on the second first downs of the series. Look for opportunities (laugh – Coach Bill hope I didn’t tell you something). Not a set plan. Kenny has a good feel for it. Learning how players respond, but it’s Game 1.”

        [Gregg bell] Noticeable in building you had to generate your own energy? Fits what you’ve been doing for years? “Last Rose Bowl I coached, media said SC didn’t care about playing in the RB. Really pissed me off because they didn’t know what they’re talking about. Made a big deal to the team that we’re going to have as much fun as possible in a FB game. On sidelines, cheering, laughing on sidelines. Ref told him they’d have to be penalized if you continue to celebrate like this. Having so much fun they were going to penalize us! Not gonna get love on the road, you need your teammates to help. Unique setting, learn as we go. Good first outing. Critiquing stuff today. Energizing each other and play the best we can play.”
        [Gregg] NFL mandating crowd noise or up to teams? “Checked. Little bit of options w music, but levels consistent throughout.”

        [bob condotta] Blair first game in nickel? “Played well, real good feel. Had impact on game. Man to man did well. Against those WRs needed to be in nickel. Really glad he had the opp to get a lot of chances.”
        [bob] RB rotation? “First time out went fine. Want to get more than that in general. When RW is completing every pass, not discouraged about RBs.”

        [Jackie] Zoom meetings, benefits translating to field, relationships? “Team becomes closer, understand who other guys are, chance to communicate more accurately. So much yapping during game needs to take place. Closer you are better you can communicate. Clean FB game first time out. Looked like a really good demonstration of executing for first game. Hoped it would show up and it did. Pleased w where we are.”

        • Rob Staton

          That press conference was full of waffle and fluff.

          Only interesting thing was the D-line answer.

          • cha

            I would’ve liked a question about who is visiting this week or areas to shore up.

            • Rob Staton

              Me too.

              Alas, we get a question on the benefits of zoom.

        • TomLPDX

          Thanks Cha!

      • Sea Mode

        The Schotty from the booth thing is interesting to me.

  96. Hoggs41

    Interesting looking at the snap counts. KJ only played 56% with Brooks only playing 9%. Seems like they almost had Hill as the third LB as he played 37%. Mayowa and Reed played 90% and 85% which is to much. Irvin also at 85%

    • BobbyK

      The snaps for Mayowa, Reed, and Irvin are not sustainable to keep those guys at the top of their game by December. You’ve gotta keep Mayowa and Reed more fresh and Irvin is getting up there in age and never was a great pass rusher. He’s not going to be effective at all the more he’s on the field.

      • dcd2

        Agree. They have to get some more DT help, to form some semblance of a rotation.

        • Hoggs41

          Agreed. We shouldn’t really have guys playing more than 60-65% of the snaps on the DLine.

  97. SteveLargent80

    I think PC’s response on the RB rotation was telling. They wanted to run the ball more, but RW played too well to justify it. I’m concerned they will revert to Peteball against the Pats

    • John_s

      It’s going to change depending on the team they’re playing. ATL lined up their Dline to shut down the run, opening up the pass. Similar to last year when TB was #1 against the run and they threw more

    • Aaron

      Let’s hope they’re flexible. Attack the team’s weaknesses and if that doesn’t work then adapt. Don’t get stuck running into a brick wall if it isn’t working or throwing a bunch if you get INTs and such. This offense is capable of beating opponents by throwing a lot and also by running a lot. They’ve got the personnel to do just about anything.

    • charlietheunicorn

      I actually find this an exciting development. Have the offense dictate to the defense what they can and can’t do. Will there be a time for the rushing defense to get to A+ level, yes. But if you can knock teams off their game plan or make the offense less predictable. Perhaps take a bit of a page form the Patriots playbook, by not being SO DAMN PREDICTABLE…. and get all the weapons involved in the offense. Speaking of which, how exciting was it to see multiple guys touch the ball (RBs, TEs, WRs). RW put the ball on guys, with plenty of space (no tight windows due to scheme) and they made plays for him. The offense is just scratching the surface……

      If they can shore up the DL, then buckle up AND get your hands and feet inside the car, this is going to be a hell of a ride.

      • charlietheunicorn

        Side note, Hugh Millen said some of the passes, were actually designed runs, but they added an RPO component to the play (not utilized last year) and RW was so on point delivering the ball, instead of handing off to the RB, making some great plays over and over again. It was implied that the TD to Olsen was such a play, but I’ve only seen the game once.

  98. JW

    I think the hawks have enough tools at their disposal offensively to make a good run. i was amazed to see a legit screen go for a TD. Im not overly concerned the Pats are going to give us a problem, last time we played Cam well and usually do except for that divisional round game. bellicheks D is always going to be a match up problem but the game in 2016? when we took their bacon from them showed we can outgun them. NO Brady, NO Gronk, if we can mange just to pull together some type of mediocre defensive performance were good. Russ is going to eat them for lunch and dinner.

    The cool thing i see is PC making this change earlier in a season, usually he waits 3-4 games in before making changes. feels like they have bought in to this philosophy somewhat. if our running game can get going… and it will… i think we have a juggernaut offensively that is going to cause a lot of problems for opposing teams.

    Also, Russ looked a heck of a lot quicker than years past. that triple option he took once he made that cut he was moving. testament to the work he’s done this off season.

    watching the cowboys game last night just puts a knife in my stomach that we could have had Everson Griffen. not a huge stat line but watching the game he just made his presence felt on plays. bummer.

  99. Aaron

    G-Men OL looking like vintage 2016 and 2017 Hawks o line. They can’t do even the basic things right. Are we sure Cable isn’t coaching them?

    • Aaron

      Anybody else find it so pleasant not to hear over the top Joe Tessitore and the odd commentary chops of Booger McFarland?

      • Big Mike

        Me

  100. charlietheunicorn

    Cha (or anyone) did they talk about Hill coming in on dime situations during any of the press conferences? I guess that was why he got to see some time on the field. They were bringing Blair in on “nickle” and Hill when they went to a “dime” look and then were using Adams as a DE/OLB pass rusher type sometimes in that look.

    I thought, considering everything, they played pretty well in some of the sub packages/situations. Hill contributed, which is more than I can say about him in the past. He wasn’t a liability in the role. Blair looked solid and had some nice hits and some nice coverage at times.

    I also wonder if they have given Adams the Polamalu green light to free lance a little bit and rush the passer if he thinks he has a shot to make an impact play?

    • cha

      He talked a little about it (above in my post) – basically said they game plan the DB pressure, etc a lot and there are “a million variables” to take into account.

      I think Sunday after the game he was asked about Adams, if they allow him to freelance? He cracked a joke about they have no idea what Jamal is going to do on any play. Then straightened up and said Ken Norton calls the plays and they know how they’re using Jamal on each play.

      I’d surmise they give him a little freedom (not unlike a QB to check into something if he sees something) but they don’t want him going off book too frequently.

  101. cha

    Oh my goodness.

    First 3 defensive plays for the Titans: Clowney into the backfield disrupting on all 3.

    This is like going to your ex-girlfriend’s wedding.

    • Scot04

      Very hard watching him play, and imagining him still as a Seahawk. Him with Adams would have been a fun tandem to watch. Instead we’re stuck with Irvin and Mayowa. Such a drastic improvement to our pass rush.🤬

    • charlietheunicorn

      I wonder what Clowney is thinking when he takes a look at Ryan Tannehill? Regret?

      • cha

        At this point I think he’s more concerned with Gostkowski LOL

        • Scot04

          I’m guessing he’s thinking there’s a greater chance for the Titans to win their division or atleast make the playoffs in the AFC. Seahawks in toughest division and tougher conference.

      • Denver Hawker

        I suspect based on his words, he’s thinking about what gives him the best chance to cash in on FA next year. We can debate where that actually is, but I believe that’s all he’s thinking about.

  102. jopa726

    A Kicker’s Inconvenient Truth – There is a lot more space outside of the Uprights then Inside of the Uprights.

  103. Justin Mullikin

    Great Game. I enjoyed the Podcast. Absolutely need another DT at the least.

    Patriots run game makes me a little nervous.

    We have some BAMFS on Defense!!!

    • Spencer Duncan

      70 snaps for Mayowa and Irvin is way too much. If another DT allows Green and Colllier more snaps at DE it seems like it would benefit everyone. Additionally, time to call up some pass rushers – need at least one more.

      Would like to see some Robinson snaps too – I’ll admit, i got caught up in the off-season hype.

  104. BruceN

    Rob, what would it take for you to be part of PC’s post game Q&A? Some of the questions that are asked eave a lot to be desired.

    • Rob Staton

      A game in London

  105. HOUSE

    Watching the TEN/DEN and I was hoping we could’ve drafted Jeffery Simmons and redshirted him last year. I think the kid could have a very good career.

    • pran

      agree.. there is not much contribution year 1 whoever they draft anyways..

  106. Trevor

    Can someone please explain why the Hawks have not brought in Matthews and a Veteran DT this week? This team has a shot if they could just do something with the DL.

    • Rob Staton

      Can only imagine they want more money than Seattle is offering.

  107. Spencer Duncan

    “O-line Snaps & PFF Grades vs Atlanta

    LT Duane Brown 62 snaps for a 75.9 PFF rating
    LG Mike Iupati 49 snaps for a 37.9 PFF rating
    LG Jordan Simmons 13 snaps for a 58.5 PFF rating
    C Ethan Pocic 62 snaps for a 55.2 PFF rating
    RG Damien Lewis 62 snaps for a 67.9 PFF rating
    RT Brandon Shell 62 snaps for a 64.4 PFF rating”

    Didn’t get a chance to watch this game but based on comments it sounds like Shell didn’t look great. Do these numbers align with the eye test, particularly with Iupati and Shell?

    • millhouse-serbia

      I really dont understand theis grades…

      Iupati had 60,7 pass blocking grade, 41,2 run blocking and overall grade was 37,9.

      How is that even possible?

      Whole OL had much better PB than RB grades except Lewis who had 47,0 pb and 80,8 rb.

      Pocic had 66,2 pb grade.

      And even we had much more pass than run snaps Lewis has better overall grade than Ethan.

      • millhouse-serbia

        42 vs 20 was ratio pass vs run.

      • Spencer Duncan

        PFF grades are always a little screwy. Just wondering if they at all validated what actually happened in this circumstance.

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