This is a guest article by Curtis Allen…
On Sunday the Seahawks have one last game before the brutal five-game gauntlet laid out by the schedule-makers that will determine whether this team is a pretender or a contender.
I would surmise that the Rams are a perfect tune-up for it.
Just like the first game of the year, the Rams come into this one pretty banged up — with low expectations — and the Seahawks have a clear advantage in talent. The Rams are also on a three-game losing skid as part of a 1-5 run in the last six games that has tarnished the shine of an intriguing start to the season.
While we are all pre-disposed to never ever take a Rams team lightly, that should work in Seattle’s favor as a sparring partner for the heavyweights to come.
The Seahawks are a vastly different team than the one that played in Week One. Key players for this game who were not available for that one include: Jamal Adams, Devin Witherspoon, Leonard Williams and Jason Peters. Add to that the growth of young players like Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Boye Mafe (a very adequate fill-in for Uchenna Nwosu), Zach Charbonnet and the Rams cannot plan on playing the same team they faced in Week One.
On the flipside, the Rams have Matt Stafford returning from a thumb injury, Cooper Kupp is back and they have lost starting running back to Kyren Williams to injury.
The Seahawks are 4-6 against the Rams in their last ten games. That includes a high of beating them last year to secure a playoff spot, and a low of being bounced out of the playoffs in the opening round after finishing the season 12-4.
We have seen it all in this matchup.
How can the Seahawks walk away with a win Sunday and get some momentum built up for the stretch run?
Start Early
I have said this so many times about the Seahawks-Rams matchup I feel like I am on auto-pilot: The Seahawks must avoid a ‘let’s feel them out and see what they’re doing’ mentality early in the game. They have to get ahead of the game and come out charging and let the Rams try to adjust to them for a change.
Let me give you three Matt Stafford stats that back this up:
— First Down is his Worst Down. This year his completion percentage on first down throws is a miserable 57%. He has thrown for only one touchdown, had four interceptions and been sacked six times on first down for a dismal 70 QB rating. The Rams are nearly 50-50 run/pass on first downs.
— He is not good in the First Quarter. A 61.9% completion rate, only one touchdown throw, one interception and two sacks while he’s still getting his feet under him.
— About 58% of Stafford’s passes are thrown when the Rams are behind in the score. How does he do? Awful. A 57.7% completion rate, 12 of his 19 sacks, three of his seven interceptions are a pretty good story of why the Rams have been stuck in the mud the last few games. When he is ahead, he is far more effective. Coach McVay can settle into the game plan that he wants to play and giving someone like him comfort is just asking for trouble.
The Seahawks offense was one of the best in the NFL at early-game scoring going into the Baltimore game, ranking third in first-quarter scoring. In the last two games they have scored a grand total of three points in the opening quarter. Now let’s be right, they lost in Baltimore and they beat Washington, so it was not a smoking gun that led to a loss both games. However, a return to their effective starts would do a great deal in putting the Rams on their heels a bit and shaking up the status quo.
How can they get the offense on track early?
Run the ball
The Packers modelled a game plan the Seahawks should strongly consider in their 20-3 win over the Rams in Week Nine. The Rams started Brett Rypien at quarterback and couldn’t get on track offensively.
What did the Packers do on offense? They ran 38 times and passed 26 times.
They deployed a three-headed monster of Aaron Jones, A.J.Dillon and Emmanuel Wilson and didn’t ask Jordan Love to carry the offense. They got 185 yards on the ground, Love was a nicely efficient 20 for 26 for 228 yards and a sparkling 115 QB rating. They won the time of possession game by nearly 11 minutes and were never seriously challenged.
33 of those 38 carries were provided by the running backs, a number the Seahawks have yet to reach this season, despite the fact that they have a dynamic running back room that now includes Kenny McIntosh.
The Seahawks are running a 40/60 run/pass split so far this season and Geno Smith is nowhere near his 2022 pace in terms of production. A 20 for 26 passing game and a 115 QB rating off the back of a big rushing day would be a blessing for all parties involved.
One way to help this along: Oddly enough, the Tight End trio had some of their lowest snap counts of the year in Week One. Nobody recorded 50% of the offensive snaps and they were a bit of an afterthought as the Seahawks could not get the offense working in the second half of the game.
A return to 12-Personnel sets would give this team some muscle in the run game and give the quarterback some very attractive options in the short to mid-range passing game.
Defend the pass better
When we look back at that Week One game, the horrible offensive performance is what seems to have been stamped in our minds. But the defense was a confused, uncoordinated mess too.
The Seahawks managed zero sacks and only three pressures the whole game for a 7.7% pressure rate on Stafford. That’s about as calm a day any NFL quarterback could ask for.
The Seahawks kept switching their defense up, hoping something would stop the offense. This caused communication issues, misalignments and the Rams took advantage nearly every single time.
Whenever they rushed only four and dropped seven, they simply ran the ball on that light front or Stafford still found open receivers and picked them apart on in-breaking routes again and again. Puka Nacua burst onto the scene with 10 catches for 119 yards in his first NFL game in an impressive performance.
Now to be fair, the Seahawks have since tightened up and been more solidified as a unit — particularly on the in-breaking routes.
But a new (and yet old) defensive problem has emerged for Sean McVay to scheme to attack this defense: the Running Back pass.
It is an old weakness that had not really gone away but has just recently been exploited by opponents in 2023. It reared its ugly head Sunday against the Commanders. The running backs Brian Robinson and Antonio Gibson combined for 11 catches for 161 yards and two touchdowns. Several plays were ugly coverage breakdowns by the Seahawks and the Commanders exploited them to great effect.
Now the Seahawks currently stand – once again – as one of the worst teams in the NFL in defending running backs in the passing game.
That throws into sharp relief a paradox that has been growing and growing the last few weeks: If Riq Woolen (78 QB Rat/51% comp rate Allowed), Tre Brown (75/65%) and Devon Witherspoon (80/55%) have been so stunningly effective so far this season, why are the Seahawks in the bottom half of the NFL in pass defense?
Two problems were revealed Sunday by the Commanders: On both of their big running back catch plays, they found Boye Mafe (51 yards) and Dre Jones (48 yards) in coverage on their backs and exploited that for 99 yards.
Call it luck, call it scheming genius, call it whatever you want. There is absolutely zero chance that those plays escaped Sean McVay’s attention.
They simply cannot happen Sunday and yet the likelihood given this defense’s history against the Rams seems high that they will. How can the Seahawks mitigate the damage? That brings us to the other piece of the puzzle.
Yards after catch
Both of those explosive plays were obviously fuelled by the yards after the catch. Yet it isn’t simply a problem of singular big plays. It is a challenge the very middle of the defense is experiencing on a regular basis.
Julian Love (109 QBR/75% comp rate), Bobby Wagner (105/74%) and Jordyn Brooks (94/82%) comprise a little over a third of the defensive targets in the passing game this year for the Seahawks. Those numbers – particularly for the linebackers – look ugly — and they are. Yet often times they are guarding the dump-offs, where a completion is simple and so QB Rating and Completion % are rightly pretty high. So, keep that in mind.
However – and this is a big however – the yards after catch allowed are a problem for this trio. They have allowed 468 yards after the catch, accounting for 20% of the defense’s passing yardage conceded. The two linebackers have conceded 331 of those yards after catch.
How does the team solve this?
More consistent pressure on the quarterback is a great start. That can slow down every process and make things harder.
The other way to solve it is so simple it almost is ridiculous to mention.
Tackle guys. Get them to the ground. Tackling has again been a problem for the Seahawks this year. They have 60 missed tackles as a team per Pro Football Reference and the Love/Wagner/Brooks trio has 16 of those.
We have seen runners and receivers pinballing off of defenders who are not in good form to tackle. That is unacceptable. The Seahawks simply must not allow receivers the chance to make more football moves after receiving the ball.
The Rams do not have a deep running back group and this is Matt Stafford’s first game back after a thumb injury. They will likely try all kinds of short passes and clever edge runs of wide receivers to get the offense in gear and ease Stafford back into the game.
This is not some deep mystery. They have done it – and done it well – against Seattle for years.
If the Seahawks want to control this game flow, they must tackle well, cover tightly and be schemed to close these weaknesses and give the offense the ball back.
Good work cha.
One thing missing from your analysis is (& this could be included in the analysis for every match-up for the last, maybe, 8 years) is to adjust to the opponent’s game plan. The thing that I miss most about the LOB era Seahawks is that they were all but invincible in the second half of games. If a team didn’t get ahead by at least a couple of touchdowns in the first half then you could switch off the TV safe in the knowledge that they were toast & the Seahawks coaching team would take away their lunch money in Q3 & Q4.
I also nearly choked on my cup of tea when you included Jamal Adams as a key player. Unless he is the one that organises the Christmas Party & secret Santa gifts, I really don’t see what he contributes to the team beyond sucking away a big chunk of the salary cap. But I won’t dwell on the point!
Did we adapt more effectively in the LOB time, or were just so nails – not to mention talented – with our base/standard defensive scheme that we were as as successful we were?
Fair question. I do think you have to give the coaches credit but, of course, you are right that the quality of players is a big factor. But that, in itself, says everything about the currect Seahawks team, right?
This isn’t a tune up game.
It’s a game v the Rams, and should be part of the acknowledged brutal stretch given how the teams are v each other, and recent history.
I agree. We are underdogs according go Vegas, so it’s a tough game, not a game where “playing down to the opposition” can be applied.
Great analysis as always cha.
I have little optimism for this game. Seattle is the better team, but the Rams always play us with Super Bowl effort and intensity.
McVay owns Carroll. Please prove me wrong.
24-20 Rams.
100% agree Troy. Carroll is McVay’s bi…..proive us both wrong Pete
Thanks as always cha. Good stuff.
I am visiting relatives in Florida and will probably miss the game today.
I also expect a Seahawks loss, prove me wrong!
Pretty excited for this game. Two very even opponents both trending in different directions record wise.
I like Cha’s first key point. Do not feel them out. Run the rock. Getting the win against WAS was necessary but far too hard to get there in the end. Seattle is/was the better team. Engaging in shootouts with bad teams doesn’t show me anything.
It’s such a boring statement but Seattle is poor on third downs for and against. We’ve seen a few examples of the runninbacks getting great yardage only to abandon it for a qb who is in an off year.
I’d love to see them ’86 the jamal missed blitzes and get Witherspoon going on that. Problem is obvious of course that JA is just a guy in coverage and Witherspoon is having quite the year.
The usage of the TE’s is laughable. Last year half the commenters were singing the praises and now each one is getting around a target a game. Such an advantage they are leaving on the table.
As ha ha funny it is to see Seattle finally use a screen pass occasionally on the defense I’m concerned how Seattle plans to stop Kupp and Nacua. The middle of the field has been a liability for forever. Was grateful that WAS did not figure that out sooner.
Oh and to repeat myself: Run the Ball!! The rams are objectively mediocre to poor in stopping the run.
But if you do that you give up all hope of somehow, some way justifying 2 firsts a 4th and 18 million dollars a year and saving face/ego is clearly the most important aspect of the Adams debacle.
I expect a win today. In what has been an absolute slog to get to 7-3. The reason why Seattle has a minus 100+ point differential from the niners is this team no longer “always competes.”
Last game: qb can’t throw for a half and WAS with two great IDL is not good at stopping the run, so..lets keep throwing it..
High praise for the multi TE sets….let’s keep chucking it to JSN to get him going. And I like JSN but the TE usage last year when the team was a top offense to this year is abysmal.
And there’s JA. A bog standard safety. Who seems to have lost whatever he may have had years ago and let’s play him like the weapon when the real weapon is standing on the field next to him. It feels like 2-3 maybe 4 weeks in a row where he’s ‘just’ nearly got to the qb. But he can’t close and he can’t stone anyone anymore. And it feels like they are now counting on Witherspoon to be the eraser that Earl was because the safeties are middling to awful.
The TE’s have been targeted 12 total times in the last three games. So I was correct that it’s nearly one target per TE per game. Awful.
I know it’s not on JSN nor can everything be directly related….
But,
JSN: 48 targets, 33 receptions, 325 yards, 2 tds
Fant: 20 targets, 16 receptions, 232 yards, 0 tds.
It just feels like there’s an untapped level the team could be getting out of TE’s and Fant specifically.
They don’t know what to do to make the most of their weapons. Rather than it be a challenging guessing game for opponents, it’s more of a riddle for the Seahawks.
Pete’s DNA requires an All Pro blocking TE that is capable of being a great receiver. Zach Miller was the only one he’s had in Seattle that matched what he actually wants from the position. The playoff game vs Atlanta is the only standout performance stats wise that I recall Zach having in Seattle even though he led Oakland in receiving for 3 straight years.
This is the perfect way to describe it. A riddle.
Agree 100% with you and CHA, never has it seemed so obvious that a heavy run game to start makes the most sense, run it and dictate the flow
Defensively, I just don’t see a fix. The personnel isn’t there, the scheme doesn’t help.
I wonder if they will start to invest in lighter LB or heavier DB who is better suited to cover and tackle.
The defense is going to be what it is this year.
Going forward it does seem a personnel, schematic change is needed.
Folks of course are going to say are the safeties spend on dlinemen. I wish it were so.
This year just feels like taking lumps to be taking them. Short of a revelation if you think Seattle is this year, next year, two years away from title contention it isn’t happening with just Witherspoon as the blue chip player. Depending on your counting the last time Seattle got there it was three or four ( Sherman, earl, young Bobby, kam) who were the best or at the best in the league.
Axe the safeties.
It’s important more than ever to put the Rams away early. We’ve got no chance against the Niners if we’re trying to get a game-winning drive in the 4th while the Niners are sitting Deebo and Mccaffrey because theyre up 30-3.
Man, we need this L.A. win badly. I see us going 1-3 the following four weeks, with that one win as an “any given Sunday” type of victory. Really hope we can take the Thanksgiving game, both because we’ll need it for divisional leverage and because my 49er loving family will be over for the holiday watching the game.
If I seem nitpicking on the draftable qbs it’s not that I don’t like them I’m just turning over stones and crossing ‘t’s’ dotting ‘i’s’.
That said I was very stoked to see Ewers clean stuff up as the game went on. Arm as advertised by Rob. The only criticism I have and need to see if this was just a glitch or all the time, but his fake handoffs maybe defenses can’t see it but he needs to get a little tighter. Telegraphs pass pretty badly. Some qbs do such a good job with it, both handing it off and holding to throw, that they get a late hit penalty flag called onTaylor when he is doing his sack dance….
Ewers. Remains in the qb stakes with continued reservations that Pete doesn’t have the great development system that’s alleged.
Curtis must be hoarse from saying it:
Run. The. Damn. Ball.
Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined the Seahawks’ offensive problems would be “they have too many talented players and can’t find a way to spread the ball around.”
But here we are…
I’ve seen Bo Nix in the top 10 of a ton of mock drafts. Outside of a Stroud vs Georgia performance in the playoffs, I don’t see how any team could draft him in the first, let alone top 10
Nonsense talk from anyone projecting that
At least wait and watch the Nix vs Penix competition in the game coming up before projecting them higher!
The Commanders, who we scraped by last week, currently being crushed by… the Giants
Come on man. 1 minute earlier on pressing send🤣
Any given Sunday amirite….
Of course the G-men would jump out to a solid lead against WAS.
DTR is exactly the type of mid to late round QB the Hawks should have taken at some point over the last couple of drafts. I know Rob was pretty high on him and rightfully so.
Really hope the Hawks don’t try to get cute this draft and just take thier guy in RD #1 ideally Spencer Rattler but Penix and the kid from Texas are other options. The fact we had so much draft capital and didn’t even get a developmental QB to me seems like a wasted opportunity.
Last thing CJ Stroud is crazy good for a rookie and looks like the guy who lit up Georgia week in and week out. Sometimes teams overthink guys like Stroud and Herbert.
I also think DTR is a cautionary note. To me he looks out of his depth. His release suddenly looks so slow and elongated. In college he was a fantastic playmaker but now he looks overwhelmed slightly. Early in his career but still.
Other terms that are misused: MVP
Currently there is no one outside of maybe Garret who has been more VALUABLE as a player than Stroud this year.
I think Lanar wins because it’s a popularity contest. But they have been good mostly the whole time he’s been on that team. Valuable? Sure. But more valuable than Stroud? Doubt it.
Jim Nagy and the guys at the Senior Bowl have been killing it the last couple of years.
Never heard of Tank Dell till the Senior Bowl. He lit it up there and now is lighting it up on Sunday.
So many examples like him.
Jamal Adams is OUT today
Knee? Corbin Smith made me groan but was right…it can take a full year of activity to work through complications.
🥱
It’s ok… I think he’s already proven his worth and justified his contract this year.
Every game he’s ever played actually.
Pretty bummed. Who’s gonna do all the little things on defense that keeps the unit firing on all cyl….. oh wait, my bad.
Why do I get the feeling I wouldn’t have even noticed had you not mentioned it… 🤷♂️
Remember last year how any criticism of Quandre Diggs was met with a stern “he’s still recovering from a serious injury!” ?
I remember posting that Adams might never return from that injury that even if he did, 2023 would be like Diggs’ 2022. That was met with scorn and derision from Seahawks Twitter.
Now this.
The Seahawks doubling down on this duo with restructuring has already proven to be a disaster.
Imagine what the Seahawks could do with $34million more cap in 2024 if they’d done what I proposed in January and sent those two packing.
Diggs & Adams are elite players Curtis
You’re just a hater
Ask Quandre
It’s sad the seahawks think this given he’s their in-house journalist
I guess no contract is too large for a player as amazing as a guy who “plays like a top-10 safety.
Diggs should get Dugar to write a murray style manifesto about why he should be paid as much as Adams next year. According to hawks best practices he’d have a point.
MSD is so desperate for the players to like him. The team could be 0-11 and he’d say “they’re just a bounce here and there from being a winning team.”
100% spot on
Sucking up to players happens so much these days with social media so prevalent
MSD not the only one who does it either
Well if MSD says it, it must be true
Priors confirmed
It really should be considered a fireable offense. Oh well, we’re stuck with PC until he decides to walk I guess.
The trade for Adams was a firable offense. Doubling down on the contract restructuring just makes it even more so.
In 2021 he played at a non elite level. To continue this until 2025 is part of why Seattle won’t win with current model Pete.
💯
ESPN headline: “jets to pursue Adams trade in off-season”
I was temporarily both extremely elated and confused.
Then I realized they were referring to Davante. Damnit.
Same when I saw that 😂
Right there with ya. Then as the article loaded, reality hit me….
This is a huge game for the Hawks. If they loose today in all likelihood they will be 6-8 by Xmas Eve.
I mean. Jared GOOF is more like it…
Glad my team isn’t slated to pay him 31+ million dollars next year for mid level results….
.
.
.
Is this thing on? I’ll see myself out.
I hope everyone is ready for some McKayla Maroney-level disappointment today.
Herbert and Allen need new coaches in the worst way.
Good grief! In Montana, CBS dropped Seattle vs LA to show Jets vs Bills. You gotta be kidding me…
That’s bullshit
Join me by listening on Kiro 😅
I love Raible but had to listen all through the 90s when even in King County games were blacked out. Too many flashbacks….guess I’ll go clean out my car…
That’s too good.
Spoon with the early sack
Call the holding on Mafe please
I’d say the pash rush is a wee bit improved from their first meeting
Spoon is so good
Good start for the defense!
Checks notes….
Why pass on 2nd and 4?
Why?
I don’t want to harp too much but that 2nd down call was atrocious and emblematic of what’s wrong with the offense.
Great opening play to pick up 6 on Walker’s run. Go back to him. Let him pick up the 1st down and establish the run.
Why pass? And why some awful lateral play that gives the defense time to catch up?
Creative
Screen to Bobo
Wow do the Seahawks telegraph the run.
You know when I think about it, Lockett is the only consistently good thing about the Seahawks offense over the years. I’ll add in early Russell Wilson to that list also. But not Marshawn because he wasn’t here very long.
Baldwin
I thought that was a pretty cheap unnecessary roughness call. In wrestling, we call that a tilt.
Just keep running the ball this game
There it is. Love seeing the run to set up the…you get it.
Any chance he caught that with the right foot in bounds and on the turf? Doesn’t look good
Is it really a play-action if Geno fakes the handoff to…no one?
Clearly, Sasquatch was right there.
Wow that was a helluva 3rd down conversion pass to JSN
4 pass 4 run.
That’s the recipe.
Walker looked like he got injured
Yeah he’s in the tent
Fingers crossed its nothing for walker coming off the field.
Excellent ball placement by Smith
Disagree with the announcer you put it where only DK could catch it
Superb catch DK
Nice drive, just what we like to see.
Quick start on offense? ✓
this should be the game plan for geno to get the ball out quickly he just so often holds the ball way too long
7:30 minutes off the clock.
Ball control is where it’s at.
6 runs / 8 passes and one of those was a “pass” to Bobo on a screen.
I can dig it.
That’s on the heels of a 2-QB-hit, 3and out Rams series.
Follow the formula, boyos.
Geno looked calm and stood tall in the pocket. For not the first time this season a very efficient drive on the scripted plays…can both continue?
Hell of an opening drive
Despite the success of the passing game, I still want to see the Seahawks run the ball. I don’t want it all on Geno Smiths arm. Just mix in those runs without telegraphing them, and wear the Rams out.
Verrrry nice.
What stood out that drive to me, how crisp and accurate Geno was. Despite some pressure he was on point, on time, and damn that was nice. Also running game doing its thing, let’s just hope they keep it up
Safeties man
SIGH
Love is terrible
I’d be a hypocrite if I didn’t say it, so nice play calling and mix by the OC and good execution by the players on that offensive drive.
can we cut all of these safeties
Our group of safeties should be called The Ministry of Love.
Because watching them is torture.
Wow Cooper Kupp
Don’t see him drop those
He just came back from an injury so a little rusty??
He made up for it by overpowering elite safety Quandre Diggs
Well thank God that wasn’t caught because that was just a little blown coverage.
Nice tackle Diggs
Can only assume a fly flew into his helmet
Diggs is elite so would never make a mistake
The refs missed a clear hold on Dremont Jones but called a really slight OPI on Kupp ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Nice tackle Q.
He does not provide much value to the defense. I think they can get more from a 3rd round rookie.
There was Diggs with the stellar coverage and sure tackling.
You just don’t understand the game all that well.
/s
Diggs is terrible cant wrap up at all
They are calling this game really tight.
Another PI WTF
Frank Clark totally whiffed
I forgot he was even out there
Consistently inconsistent and undisciplined defense
The way they are calling this game with the flags we are going to be in for a loooong game.
what injury does adams have now?
Please just get Adams off my TV screen
Nice stand at the goal line!
Tre Brown with the sure coverage
Please, please can we not break to Adams on the sideline after every defensive play.
Should have known Big Mike already had this covered…
😄
😀
🙏
His knee is holding up well
Good coverage by Brown
It really was
So if Zach runs for nearly a 100 today are we gonna hear from all the seahawks Twitter dolts that said drafting another running back in the second round was a mistake?
I love drafting two great RBs two years in a row. Now it’s up to the OC to use them more than 40 percent of the time.
Where are the Charbonnet pick haters now?
Pretty effen quiet from that gallery
Crickets
Damn K9 pretty much out the rest of the game
For Christ sake…we were second and five stop with the dumb offensive penalties
Our Safeties dreadful, weakest area of team. Lack of investment?
Damn man you just hit on the problem. Awesome call by you!
I’d like to see if Coby Bryant can’t bump off Love
8 first downs already? I’m speechless.
Evan Brown looking pretty good today
Are they really even trying if 90 percent of the defensive salary cap doesn’t go to the safeties?
Don’t look to me. I was calling for the 11 safety sets.
Doink
52 straight redzone scoring drives snapped today. Great stand.
That incompletion was on DK
Poor cut and the ball bounced off his chest.
Let’s calm all the talk of great coverage, guys
Yep
Announcers 🙁
Agreed, I don’t get that route concept with DK. He needs to be a one cut and go type, not a juke and cut. That is more of a JSN or Lockett route to me.
Seahawks TO:
Quality control coach must have seen eskridge on the field for 3rd and long.
Good one Peter. That got me
😀
Great catch by JSN
Great catch by JSN but terrible throw by Geno
💯
And then there’s JSN making a Geno moon ball look great with a wonderful effort.
Please announcers, stop praising the wrong guy.
Jsn and geno is looking sharp today.
This is where radio fails me…
They’re saying K9 has an oblique injury. Probably worried it was another hernia.
JSN could teach DK a thing or two about how to high point a ball
so true
Did that ball move when it hit the ground…? (JSN catch)
Third and one-stop being cute just hand the ball to Zack
Even the announcers are willing to talk up the merits of running the ball. Too bad they didn’t do it on 3 and 1. Looks like they are reverting back to throwing the ball alot.
Yes to more Charbonnet.
why not run the ball with zach
At least they did that on 4th
Did you guys know RB’s aren’t important.
Is utterly undisciplined stupidity
Zach should get 25+ carries in this game
Geno with a Delay of game really after a penalty already
Jesus Christ offense what the hell. At this point we are only playing for field goal now
Myers is locked IN
Myers so money
Thanks for the edit Rob. I never like misspelling a guy’s name
In my defense, I am eating a lot of cheese as I watch and blog
Famous last words!
i believe at the end of the game seattle will have 20+ penalties maybe more
The penalties are frustrating, but I like the offensive game plan and play calling to this point. Good balance of run/pass, get the ball out Geno’s hands quick and control the clock.
Myers almost 33% of all of seahawks points this year.
Breaking the odd year curse.
I thought he was good on odd years?
Just barely bad on odd years.
Love has made more of difference with that blitz than Adams has all year with his.
18 million
He’s an awesome cheerleader tho
I think u r forgetting about his tryout for the Sounders play vs the Browns
Was the skill or blind luck?
With Walker hurt this game it’s a shame Kenny McIntosh is inactive.
I feel like we’re seeing more creative blitzing this year than we have in your spouse or am I just misremembering?
No sounds right. My spouse was never a creative blitzer
😀
I don’t know mine has blindsided me a few times.
*years past
when ever Dallas runs I always think he’ll fumble the ball with the way he holds the ball
Love it!
3 to 1 time of possession…
It’s weird how love and spoon can also blitz…
Run him again
*not wide
It’s like you say Wyman….there’s a lot of play action.
Stafford isn’t looking accurate or comfortable out there, cha’s pointing out how he struggles early is spot on!
Really Geno WTF
For how good our offense has looked today we should have more than 13 points. Damn self inflicted wounds.
I thought I was watching MTV, old jackass show, but the cameramen keep showing Jamal Adams.
Post of the week
Waldron needs to draw up a half page playbook for these goal and 20 plays
Inside each of us is two seahawks.
One looks sharp as hell.
The other is trying to find how many penalties is too many to keep the Rams in the game.
Where’s Boye Mafe?
Great minds think alike.
Blitzy I was just getting ready to post that
Where is Boye Mafe?
He got held badly on about the second drop back of the game. Since then good question
Have you guys noticed the increased rotations? Both on offense and defense. I’m guessing they are looking to not beat up our most important players, with the game coming up Thursday.
I know its hard to believe. But Frank Clark is worse than Taylor defensing the run.
Screens and the edges is where you can attack this defense so far today.
Is it just me or does Frank Clark look terrible out there
Nice sure tackle by Spoon there!
Seattle playing Clark over the younger guys reminds me of last year with burce irvin
He’s back in.
I freaking love the creativity on offense and the aggressiveness on defense. Where was this in the RW era?
Mafe’s back out there
2 FGs instead of say a TD and a FG now biting us
Yep very ture
When you’re marching down field but can only come away with a field goal because of self infected errors it really is so deflating.
Geno’s 150 yards at half feel so much better than we had that last week.
Rams have us right were they want us with Cooper out and Puka Nacua in. Killed us the first time.
First they have to put a QB in the game that they signed off the street.
Poor Cooper Kupp, the man cannot catch a break. However, I cannot get out of my head in regards to his resemblance to Hans Klopek, the creepy neighbor “The Burbs”.
Get the ball to start the 2nd. A TD on that possession would be a good thing.
100%
Since it’s halftime, shout out to Washington for their win last night in Corvallis
They deserve to be in the CFP
They should disqualify Michigan, but they won’t.
They won’t get there after Oregon Beecham in the Pac 12 championship game
Sincerely wish to be wrong
*beats them
If Geno ever makes it to Canton, his induction inscription whatever has to be ‘ain’t write back’
Maybe the hall of mediocrity in Hillsboro.
Catch the damn ball Will
Uncle Will earning the big bucks with that drop
Turnover worthy play
Also defensive holding worth play.
I know it’s the modern NFL but there is nothing wrong with a run play on 3rd and 2.
Especially when you have a power type back
Exactly I have little double he could have got two yards. Hell might have even caught them a little off guard.
3 straight passes. SMH
Shane is good at scripting one or two drives per game, besides that zero feel for game. He has hit his ceiling. Jittery Geno is back…get ready
Now I’m not defending Shane Waldron, but I have been wondering/questioning in regards to not only the execution of Waldron’s weekly gameplan (which I do think is legitimate concern), but Geno Smith’s ability to digest Waldron’s playbook. Is it possibly to complex? Is the playbook completely open?
Is about time they made a holding call
Mafe!!
Mafe making an appearance today!
And he’s the guy that created the holding call too.
Him, Spoon and Reed have been the bright spots this year on Defense.
Now take advantage of the field position offense!
God the announcers and halftime show are so clearly pro rams. Sometimes I only want Seattle teams to win to remind the rest of the country the west coast is more than just California.
We got it but hate the play call on 4th and 1
Cripes on a pogo stick.
The last two games Seattle should just stop and kick a field goal once they get to the 30 no matter the down. It’s not like we’d get anything more than a field goal anyway.
I would have kicked the 55 yarder
Myers the mvp 10 games in.
Geno holds the ball way way to long
Broken clocks and blind squirrels. This is a game where Pete could say “we just have to clean some things up,” and he’d be right.
But the 52 yarder will work as well
Really fortunate that third down pass was not intercepted.
Oh boy.. they do hate to run the ball and instead have HOF Geno throw risky passes..
High snap. Great job by Dickson there.
Looks like the Rams are turning up the heat defensively. We better hope our defense can hold them.
The Way they are rushing Geno Smith, this is going to go downhill fast. More running plays please. Also why is the offensive line making these stupid holding calls. This is a coaching issue.
Is Seattle not running the ball anymore?
Up in a game….let’s make it as hard as possible from here on out.
Yeah Pete never wants an easy game make it a nail baiter and decided in the 4th quarter
Geno playing ho-hum. Let’s do a 60/40 pass run
In other news. Reports of the niners demise seem greatly exaggerated.
As long as they’re healthy…
Sure. But they are and they are killing a lesser team.
Exactly my point
It may be hyperbole but I’m not sure they lose another game if they keep everybody health
My bad my friend.
They got CMC going early and it set everything up for Purdy, who is having a great day.
I don’t understand how there is no defender within 5 yards of Puka most of the times
Damn Spoon is such a sure tackler I love it!
Defense looks great. Offense needs to stop putting so much on Geno. He ain’t that guy and there is nothing wrong with that. It does mean run run pass is a good idea though. I feel confident that committing to the run early will yield results late in games
RUN THE DAMN BALL
I’ll come on man getting sacked is better right?
For real. So frustrating.
They should have snapped the ball when the Rams were shuffling their line like that.
what a surprise another punt
No where to throw the ball…how about away.
Which only results in intentional grounding..
For Geno maybe. 40 years of football shows ne you can throw the ball out and towards a reciever to live another day.
We have Geno though
Nicely played I literally laughed.
No damn excuse for Geno to have over 40 passing attempts this game but he will.
💯
We could use a turnover
Mafe strip sack?
Yeah feels like we need something anything to seal the game away.
In other news, the Bills and Jets are beating the crap out of each other and the Bills have seriously bad luck with injuries.
That’s a badly blown coverage and 6 points if he doesn’t overthrow
No defender in the zip code..lol
I think he may have been Frank Clark’s responsibility.
Tampa getting a little frisky…
Why is Haynes starting over Bradford?
Pete trust him more for some reason
Bradford is a rookie and Pete loves that holding them back development plan
Veteran presence.
Is Bradford hurt still? I thought maybe he was.
Maybe this.
Lock time
Get happy feet out of there! Time for Drew Lock?
Dissly getting the big bucks play.
Aaron donald is undefeated against our qbs.
He has owned every interior defensive lineman we’ve ever put out there in front of him
Aaron Donald is the closest resemblance to Lawrence Taylor I’ve seen on the football field. He is incredible, every Sunday.
Lock baby! Sorry for Geno though hoep its not serious
Run the fu***** ball. This is complete bull. Waldron needs to figure it the f out
All in all very uninspired play calling
Well Drew Lock fans…
need to Lock it down
And why are we trying to block likely the greatest defensive tackle of all time one-on-one withh Phil Haynes?
Zip it (the pass) and put a lock on it (the game).
Not very high on Geno these days but damn Donald is a bastard
Like most of you I do wish we were running the football more. However with Walker out I understand you don’t wanna overuse Zach
They got to use some time up and it won’t happen with the incomplete passes.
Still trust Dallas then to spell him and continue with running plays. Passing 3 out of 4 times just doesn’t work against this D
JSN never looked for the ball
That was a beautiful backdrop. A fine example of Greco Roman technique.
😂😂😂
WTF, this is football refs. What the heck, I wonder if he hadn’t posed afterwards if they would have let it sliP?
Nice bullshit penalty 10 minutes after it happened
Fucking weak call on Spoon
They made the same weak call against the Rams early in the game. Can you say evening the playing field?
The Rams were flagged for far less earlier in the game. If we had the Jets/Bills refs it would be “no blood, no foul.”
Woolen not fooled
Give me a bleeping break on that call.
Beautiful D play all around! Hit on Stafford and the INT!
Yeah buddy.
That is a get your qb killed play design
Yes = who smacked Stafford?? Good play! And Woolen is playing pretty good today.
Mario Edwards. Hit him like a freight train. Ouch.
Best play of the day to pay back Donald.
It’s Lock time for next few weeks
Cam Young??
Nice call on that one Sea Mode
Two deep shots on 2 3rd down plays…ridiculous play calling
Just for the record, that backdrop is illegal in high school wrestling pretty much everywhere, because you can break someone’s neck.
I wonder if he would have got away with it if he hadn’t posed over his trophy?
So much for a hot start on third down. Did all 4 of our conversions come on the first drive? Now we are 4 for 13….
Wish the Seahawks had built up a bigger cushion. Fortunately the Rams have played down to our level = so far.
Well, he did turn his hips, so maybe. He didn’t drop him into a pinning combination.
It was about time for the defense to do this
Why do we play every game at every teams level.
Coaching. Pure and simple.
That time we had 200 yards to their 19….
I’ve come to the conclusion our 2012-14 teams won on talent and the players nothing to do with the coaching.
100%
It also helped that league did not figure out Pete’s D until 14
It’s been feeling that way for a while.
Well not every teams level, BALTIMORE game comes to mind
The second I pressed send I regretted that omission.
As usual much better balance and play calling from the Rams
Don’t they normally get away with that?
I just looked up Seahawks stats, 29 passes and 19 runs. Not what we hoped for.
Defense wise they are reverting back to their Stage Name = Hot Butter!
Utterly shit call
Yes nice flop!
Jesus Christ that is a terrible call he fucking tripped and fell
PREPARE TO SUFFER.
Yes this 4th quarter is getting painful now. I don’t even know what to say that would help the Seahawks!
You got to dig deep?? Because the Rams have leveled up their play.
Dreadful, game changing call. But I can’t believe this game is as close as it is.
That call was hot garbage. But Seattle has nearly doubled their total yards with penalties today.
Sad trombone
Game changing bad call by refs.
And if the NFL would employ a sky judge he would have overturned that call and would have been fourth down
So interesting that they won’t do it when it’s been called for by numerous people for quite some time
But not Las Vegas.
Bingo
Yes what happened to the New York review? Surely some camera caught the flop?
typical Seahawks football down to a 1 possession game.
We need a nice long drive of a balanced mix of running and passing ending in TD to ice this damn game.
But what we are going to get is anyone’s guess.
I predict pass pass pass punt
You were close
Waldron forgot he’s allowed to call more than 20 run plays in a game
Well.. Lock is not earning much playtime either. Time to draft a QB
Levis was available *shrug*
Awful play calls
Can we fire Shane
The whole second half has been a joke
God forbid we run the ball.
Almost right hahaha….shit
And there is the sideline fade call. At least it is about the same as a punt.
has seattle forgotten how to run the ball
Earlier today, I saw a Las Vegas Raiders player’s cleats decorated with hearts, spades, clubs, and diamonds.
A bad omen.
i am embracing for the worst …. ugh this is git wrenching
It’s a miracle if we win this game. All the coaches can be left behind in LA
“we want to be the bully again” Well fucking do it and play like it then!
That was such a horrible offensive sequence. I blame the OC three straight passes with a back up QB was stupid
The refs are seeing so much that are seeing the “imperceptible”
yeah, that was a good one
We are on the precipice of McKayla Maroney’s level of disappointment.
Good idea let’s call penalty on a guy that had nothing to do with the actual play
seriously so many penalties this is ridiculous
In my opinion that was our chance to hold on and win the game
All these penalties on both sides are driving me crazy. We really deserve to just play each other game after game in some sort of football purgatory where our dreams are flushed down the drain!
good ol’ Diggs
Offense is dead in the water in 2nd half..horrendous.
Defense sucks enough to let Rams win.
This game is all on coaches..horrible play calling and execution everywhere
Great tackle Quandre, you almost had him like always
He’s clearly afraid to tackle properly. He just throws his body in, hoping to knock the guy over, i guess.
It must be nice to have your main QB go down and be able to pull Stafford out of your rear pocket!
This is the season. 5 game losing streak coming.
And you beat both of us to it
They are going to get murdered in the next 5 games.
You beat me to it
First of 5 straight losses coming up
OUCH. Why do I feel like Stafford is better than both our QBs??
Vaunted run D and pass D crumbles like a pack of cards
What do you expect? Offense can not get a first down, so defense has to be on the field all the time.
3 yards in the 2nd half the first game.
Did we beat it this time?
It’s games like these that explains my deep visceral hatred for the Rams. Even back in the Jeff Fischer days this shit just always happens against these guys.
And the common thread is Pete Carroll
I think McVay will run the clock down to win it with a FG
GG
Seattle can never win against the rams
Pete Carroll
Soft team, shitty coaching.
Next time I have food poisoning I need Shane Waldron. Nothing can stop and clog runs like him.
That sounds like a KJR voicemail to me.
Father and Son strategizing on the sideline?
So at the start of the game seatlle had a 50/50 run to pass then it turned to 10/90 run to pass while they were ahead why
And you won’t see one damn question about that in the press conference
How good is Bobby Wagner?
How critical was Adams support from the sidelines?
Who knows, maybe they’ll shank the kick…?
Greg the leg isn’t their kicker anymore
Waldron is a terrible OC
Except one pre-scripted drive per game. Once defense adjusts he is a JAG
At least it gives us a chance, and only will need a field goal.
is geno really playing
Well.. Lock does not have the maturity to rise up and grab opportunity. He is a career backup..
Both are different types of turd sandwiches….I just want the cheaper one and a rookie QB next year
Watch them run the ball.
Drew looks like he hates playing for seattle
GG
I wasn’t expecting that short pass in the middle.
This whole officiating crew should be fired.
I dont pete is the right coach for seattle anymore
Hasn’t been for sometime
very true should’ve retired years ago
I agree that Pete isn’t the right coach anymore.
At this point I so mad at his hubris and stubbornness I don’t even want a statue for his ass outside the stadium anymore.
Shades of the last game where Geno and Metcalf finally connect.
there’s the ball game
i hope now they lose out for a better draft pick
yeah, especially that 2nd rounder!
Oh…
Draft pick and so they don’t blow a huge amount of money on Geno… but I am sure they will keep him around at an extreme salary. They have kept Diggs and Adams around despite poor contributions.
Praying to lose all the games here on this season.
Until Pete and his unfit coaching staff is fired..cant hope for better times
OMG that hurts! So close!
Is 10 wins 5 losses against Pete Carroll
And 2 of those wins were against terrible backup quarterbacks
As was mentioned earlier this week he owns Pete lock stock and barrel
Fuck you Pete, Shane and Clint!
Nosedive this season.
Atleast we know both lock and geno suck and pete will never trust lock even with an injured geno
We better draft a QB now
Fire Shane Waldron to the fucking moon. Every loss this season outside of the Baltimore game can be attributed to him. Not entire blame but the lions share of it
Wow. The one thing I thought we had going for us…
Even if the field goal was good, this team is gonna get decimated over the course of the next five games, especially against the 49ers…
Agree I’m not putting this on Myers at all
Would have been the worst 7-3 team in nfl history…
Yup. Better to expose the warts now instead of covering over them with a lucky win.
If you miss a FG on 3rd down it turns the ball over?
You don’t get a 4th down to try again?
No, it’s like punting on 3rd down.
Teams go for it on 3rd down in case there’s a mishandled snap and that pushes the field goal back slightly. But if you miss the field goal it’s a turnover on Downs
i mean – WTF are they thinking w that run play after the DK catch? 33 secs left when DK caught it – spike it and you have 25 secs left and can run any pass play you want to get 5 yards. so f-ing dumb
Agree. Not sure why they didn’t just run up and spike it.
Well smartness is not our forte. Pete is given this opportunity to show his smarts due to a stupid play call on the other end by McVay preserving some time
I just read the rules. That’s dumb. I always assumed you would get another try.
Why do it then? Throw a pass to the sideline, and try to get closer. 10 seconds is enough to throw and then kick with 2 or 3 seconds.
That was really really bad football by the Seahawks. The whole thing.
The shirt pass in the middle. The run instead of spike. The whole operation was terrible.
Geno should have known better than to throw a short one in the middle to Charbonnet. That’s 20 seconds off the clock, minimum.
I can’t shake the feeling that Stafford is better than both our quarterbacks. Too bad he is getting up there in age.