Curtis Allen’s week four watchpoints (vs Detroit)

October 2nd, 2022 | Written by Rob Staton

This is a guest article by Curtis Allen. After the game today tune into the instant reaction live stream which will be available on here and on our YouTube channel

When the 2023 schedule was released, most Seahawks fans were intrigued by the first few weeks of the season.  After the big opener against their blockbuster trade partner, they had a very manageable stretch to ease their way into the season.  Games against a rival they have historically dominated (San Francisco) and two of the worst teams in the NFL (Atlanta and Detroit) had fans thinking they might at least split those first four and get some forward momentum for the tough stretch that followed.

Well, here we sit after two demoralizing losses that featured disastrous defensive performances that Pete Carroll is once again struggling to account for.  A 2-2 split would be a welcome sight at this point but what this team needs even more than a win is something to hang their hat on.  Some progress fans can see in order to start building some enthusiasm for 2023.

The Seahawks desperately need to put in a better performance Sunday.  The state of this defense is deplorable and while the offense is not as bad, they are not equipped to handle the pressure of consistently needing to outscore their opponent in a boat race every week.

And yet, that is exactly what we have to look forward to on Sunday.  Both the Lions and the Seahawks have biscuit-dough-soft defenses and some exciting weapons on offense.

The main difference between them?  The Lions are badly banged up.  Star offensive weapons D’Andre Swift and Amon-Ra St. Brown will not play Sunday.  That comes on the heels of losing top safety Tracy Walker for the season as well as a whole random assortment of smaller injuries that other guys are dealing with.

Opportunities like this to play a game against a team without their two primary offensive weapons and one of their top defenders only come once or twice a season.  Seattle must take advantage.

Somebody Has to Make a Play on Defense

They really need something tangible they can point to on defense and say they are making progress.  Right now, they are near the league bottom in several crucial categories and they need something to build on.

The front four are not even lining up properly.  Fully grasping what they are being coached to do seems like a monumental task.  

Jordyn Brooks is struggling to have any impact at all.  Cody Barton cannot stop keying on the fullback and taking himself right out of the play – watch him do it for the second week in a row.

The safeties are overextended between handling their regular assignments and needing to tackle runners who have not gotten touched by anyone on the front seven.

They are historically bad in run defense.  Third downs are being conceded at a 48.56% clip.  Costly penalties are extending drives.  They have averaged 7 missed tackles per game.  

The only way you can play that badly and get away with it is to generate turnovers at a league-best level.  They are not doing that.

Enough is enough.

The veterans on this team should be professionally embarrassed that rookies like Boye Mafe and Tariq Woolen  – three games into their NFL careers – are having a bigger impact than they are.  Uchenna Nwosu is the only veteran addition that is carrying his weight.

Three full games of missed assignments, bad presnap reads and very little impact on the opposition’s game plan is more than enough.

Shelby Harris needs to fill a badly needed role on the defensive line by getting some inside pass rush.

Darrell Taylor must remind the Seahawks why they spent so much draft capital and displayed so much patience in his rookie year rehab.

The defensive linemen cannot keep getting pushed around this badly.

Quandre Diggs needs to start playing like Quandre Diggs.

The Lions have been very effective on offense so far this season.  But again, their impact starters are all badly banged up and even their second-level players like Josh Reynolds, D.J. Chark and T.J. Hockensen have appeared on the injury report this week.

Here is the question for the defense.  Can they take advantage of a diminished Lions offense, or will we be reading stories Monday morning of how the Lions’ coaching staff still managed to move the ball effectively with their second-stringers?

Another poor defensive performance against this badly handicapped offense will further expose this team and this administration as inept and make the questions grow stronger and louder.

****

That said, how can the Seahawks effectively defend this Lions offense that is scoring 31.7 points per game, good for second in the NFL?

This week, it begins and ends with Jared Goff.

The Lions have put him in a fantastic position to succeed this year.  They have an offensive line that is extremely solid, an effective running game and receivers that really challenge a defense.

That takes a lot of the pressure off him to carry the offense.  He can operate with a limited schedule because of the support staff all around him.

Let me throw some stats at you.  He has been sacked a league-low four times this year.  He is being pressured on only 18.5% of his dropbacks — a fantastic number.  How?  

It is not just the offensive line.  He is getting rid of the ball very quickly.  He is averaging only 2.3 seconds of pocket time per dropback and as the above numbers are showing, it is not because he is constantly under siege.

Look at this graph (and notice who #2 is)

Their offense is working because they consistently call for Goff to get rid of the ball as soon as he possibly can.

The Lions have found something that works with Jared Goff’s limited abilities.  Hand it off to your explosive runners and let them move the ball downfield.  Run some play action with designed pass plays that are one-look and throw and let them gain yards after the catch with their athleticism.  Take the snap and throw quick slants.  The margin of error for him is healthy because they are getting yards from the ball being in other players’ hands.

Well, guess what.  With his two favorite playmakers out this week and some others banged up, he is going to have to take more of the burden and that is fantastic news for the Seahawks because at the end of the day, he is still Jared Goff.

Watching him play this year, it is remarkable how much he telegraphs his intentions by not even looking at anyone but his primary target.  He practically must throw to his first read for the play to be successful.  Anything else is an adventure.  On one play in the Washington game in Week Two, his primary read was in triple coverage and Goff still tried to fit it in and nearly got picked off.

Yet incredibly, with that simple of an offense to work with, he is still only throwing at a 58.9% completion rate.

With Swift and St Brown out, the margin for error narrows to an uncomfortable degree.

It will be very interesting to see if the coaching staff keeps the bulk of the plays the same and just plugs in the replacement players, or whether they try to roll out some new plays to catch the defense off guard because they have not studied these replacement players in those plays.

I am guessing it will be the former.  Goff is just too limited to get him quickly up to speed on plays with any kind of complication that takes processing power.

If that is the case, the strategy is obvious.  Get the corners up on their men.  Press them, take away the easy catch and run and make Goff hold onto the ball and think.  Safeties and coverage linebackers, read his eyes.  I would be comfortable gambling by instructing the defenders to break on his first read and make him pay for his lack of vision.

Make Jared Goff beat you.

Execute on Offense

For all the flaws on defense, if the offense gets just a little bit better, they beat the Falcons on Sunday.  A bad penalty here, a communication breakdown there and a poor reaction to halftime adjustments have all added up to keep this offense from truly realizing its potential.

The lack of second-half scoring has been well documented.  When the Seahawks were once kings of the halftime adjustment game, they appear to have regressed badly and are getting roundly beaten in this very specific area of game management.

One of the biggest culprits is their tight end production.  The Seahawks have finally started to utilize them effectively after years of wasted resources at the position.  They have three of the team’s four touchdown catches, something considered unthinkable in recent seasons.  However, nearly all their gains have come in the first half of play and they’ve been effectively erased in the second half of the game.

Have a look at the split of their stats as a group through three games:

First Half:  15 catches / 191 yards / 8 first downs / 3 touchdowns

Second Half:  6 catches / 27 yards / 1 first down / 0 touchdowns

That is a serious drop in effectiveness.  The other two offensive areas (running game and wide receiver catches) also are showing a decline in the second half but not nearly as sharp as what the tight ends are doing.

The coaching staff must solve this.  It would appear that teams are rotating their safeties to cover the tight ends more often in the second half to effectively minimize the athleticism gap between the tight ends and coverage linebackers.  It is possible the team could design and utilize some more plays that take advantage of the height and reach of the tight ends to counter this.  Perhaps it is as simple as stretching the field with the wide receivers to make the defense a little more pliable and opening up some room underneath.

If they can solve this second-half swoon with the tight ends, they will get more first downs, which means more series, more chances for impact runs and deep shots to the wide receivers and more rest for the defense.  The impact of addressing this issue successfully needs to be understood by the coaching staff.

Win In the Running Game

The Lions have been only slightly better in run defense than the Seahawks this year.  Where is their defense the weakest?  They have been absolutely gashed between the tackles in the run game.  Miles Sanders (Week 1) and Dalvin Cook (Week 3) have had tremendous success running inside against this defense this year, combining for 115 yards and five explosive runs on only 10 attempts.

The Lions have not significantly added much to their interior defensive line since the last time the Seahawks faced them in Week 17 last year.  That was one of Rashaad Penny’s signature performances.  He ran 25 times for 170 yards and two touchdowns.  What area of the Lion defense did he attack?  Have a look:

Look at all those green 5+ yard runs right up the gut.

It was a fabulous performance.  Feel free to watch some highlights of his day.  You will see the interior at times giving Penny just enough room to get skinny and at others, just blowing lineman off the line of scrimmage.  It was like an express lane to the second level.  By the end of the day, Lion free safety Tracy Walker was becoming quite familiar with Penny.  Walker had no help from the front seven, as you see him being the lone player to touch Penny more than once.  If Penny can come even close to duplicating that performance this week, that will go a long way towards steering the team towards success.

It is also about time that Ken Walker get more involved in the offense.  He had a tantalizing run Sunday against the Falcons.  He can run inside and be used all kinds of ways outside.  A nice homecoming of sorts for him could be in store.

If these two can have the kinds of performances they are able, the offense can control this game and really build some confidence for the next stretch of games.

But as we know, the running game is not all about the backs.  The interior of the offensive line has been horrid so far this season.  They have made Penny and Walker earn every single yard when they run inside the tackles.  Nothing has come easy for them.

The PFF’s for the group are hard to look at.  Lewis leads the group with a 53.7.  Jackson has a 51.9.  Part time starter Phil Haynes is clocking in with a 43.3.  Free agent addition Austin Blythe is somehow making Kyle Fuller look like a preferable option with a terrible 39.6 rating.

What was supposed to be a steadying presence with bookend rookie tackles learning the ropes has been ghastly.  Once again – just three games into their NFL careers – the rookies are showing the veterans up.  That is not acceptable.  The Seahawks need the interior of the offensive line to click as badly as they need the interior defensive linemen to get their act together. 

432 Responses to “Curtis Allen’s week four watchpoints (vs Detroit)”

  1. Rob Staton says:

    I have a whole bunch of CFB week 5 quarterback notes to come on Monday

    • Peter says:

      Very intrigued by this.

      Starting to feel that Seattle might be out of the levis, Stroud, young running and might have to actually do the thing JS talks about but never does and start drafting a qb (or two) every year to get it right.

      Interested in how DTR plays in the coming weeks with a stout schedule right around the corner. One of my favorite players to watch.

  2. Big Mike says:

    Thanks cha. Outstanding as always I know Rob predicted a Hawks win today but I’m going a loss. Their o-line is still healthy and they’ll just run down Seattle’s throat all day imo.

    I noticed in the comments on the previous thread you mentioned Pete lamenting the loss of Collier and it being a huge factor in their struggles. Once he comes back and little changes, I’m expecting the next excuse (and for the remainder of the season) to be “we built this defense around Adams and then lost him before halftime of the first game”.

    • Mick says:

      Thank you cha, I really enjoy these. I think we’ll win today if we don’t shoot ourselves in the foot with the D. Shouldn’t be that hard to stop a bunch of second option receivers and a running game you know is coming.

  3. Sean says:

    How much of the defensive struggles should we attribute to growing pains in switching to a 3-4? I’ve read that it often takes a full year to convert from 4-3 to 3-4, but I don’t understand if that is mainly due to having two off seasons to transition to more suitable personnel or if it is more due to taking that long for players to learn the new scheme. Any thoughts from more knowledgeable folks would be appreciated.

    • Peter says:

      Not more knowledgeable but I’d have to guess player acquisition, right?

      Taylor and Ford look lost and like liabilities at times. Where the looked solid with flashes especially taylor last year.

      Rob had the great 3-4 discussions and my take away was Seattle currently needs an upgrade up front, an upgrade at linebacker, and (yet again,) an upgrade at safety to make a 3-4 work right.

      • Big Mike says:

        “Upgrade at Safety” Peter? No worries, the peacock will be back next year.

        (OK, I couldn’t even type that with a straight face, let alone say it out loud)

        • Peter says:

          Fingers crossed. Would love to move from 28th place in sacks to about 24th in sacks.

          Plus I’m already missing the fall fashion tips.

    • cha says:

      I think that is a good question. It is possible that is a factor, but giving Pete Carroll that leeway is a really tough ask for me. For these reasons:

      1-They typically have started awfully on defense in the exact same system. In 2021 for instance, they brought back 10 of the 11 starters (Kerry Hyder was the new face), the same Defensive Coordinator, and the defense once again was a disaster.

      2-Pete Carroll’s interactions with the press all offseason. He consistently batted back suggestions that changing to the 3-4 was a major adjustment. He has also refused to use the “R-word.” Rebuild, retool, whatever you want to call it. There has been no public acknowledgement that this team is taking a step back in order to set up taking several steps forward.

      3-Missed tackles, dropped interceptions and dumb penalties are rarely a function of a scheme shift. The Seahawks have had those in spades so far.

      • Elmer says:

        A. Maybe it’s growing pains, Maybe it will bet better.

        B. Maybe the players who are seeing the field in support of the shift to more 3-4 principles just are not good. If so, it must be recognized and acted upon with personnel changes.

        C. It’s fashionable to blame the head coach. But what about the so-called addition of talent to the defensive coaching staff? Can they be held accountable for doing a poor job of teaching players what their responsibilities are and communicating effectively?

  4. Trevor says:

    Great writeup once again Curtis.

    Given all the Lions injuries to key players this looks like a winnable game for the Hawks. I am conflicted because as a Hawks fan I want a quality game and win but on the other hand a loss here to the Lions could go a long way towards a top 5 pick in next years draft.

    • Peter says:

      I hear you.

      My worry about 2-2 against the diminished lions feels like Seattle beating the crap out of the lions last year. A bit of a mirage.

      For me I just want something cool to start developing. Right now all the team has done is sub out long developing passes for short quick passes while the rest of the units are boring, uninteresting, ineffective, or sometimes actually embarrassing. It’s the same tired game since around the time defenses changed up their scheme against the other qb.

  5. Trevor says:

    Just heard Jim Nagy talking about Tarik Woolen and he said Pete Carrol told him that Woolen is the DB prospect that he has been waiting 40 yrs for with regards to his physical traits and speed.

    • Big Mike says:

      I really feel like he’s going to develop into a really good CB. And for all my (warranted) criticism of Pete Carroll, it feels like he can still teach CBs.

      • Trevor says:

        I agree. Seems like it is a solid rookie class with Woolen and Lucas being the two guys who appear to have star potential at first glance. Still need to develop but the early signs are definitely positive.

        • Peter says:

          Just get a little life out of mafe and hope Walker gets better as he moves away from injury and this will be the best class in years. And actual hope going forward.

  6. Peter says:

    Very interested to see if Seattle can run the ball.

    Obviously the defense needs to make big strides however this game won’t really show anything in that department with detroit having two of their main pieces out.

    The run game is stale though. And was as much through the first ten games of last year. Enough is enough. Geno is playing much tighter football than expected yet this team is relying on great first half play to get it done. And it’s not happening.

    Doubt the pressure against the qb will be there but it would be nice to see Taylor, mafe, johnson, owusu, or any one get some kind of pressure.

    Seattle is a road team now so I think Rob is right to pick Seattle to win. Me, I’m still thinking Detroit. Both defenses currently suck so the tie goes to the better producer on offense.

  7. UkAlex6674 says:

    Another great write up.

    For me Seattle gets the W but it will be more of a ‘how did Detroit manage to lose’ rather than ‘a good performance from Seattle’.

  8. 12th chuck says:

    you hit a great point with the halftime adjustments. It’s been an issue for several years. I think the hawks have scored 3 points in the second half in this year’s games. Terrible, and it lets you see that pc has his preference of play calling. I will give credit, they have quit throwing the ball behind the l.o.s so much, I hope this trend continues

  9. Palatypus says:

    In what is undoubtedly a bad omen for the game today, The International Osprey Foundation -the world capital of Seahawks – was on Sanibel Island.

    And I say WAS on Sanibel Island because there isn’t much of anything left on Sanibel Island after Hurricane Ian.

  10. cha says:

    Inactives

    Myles Adams
    Justin Coleman
    Artie Burns
    Joey Blount
    Phil Haynes
    Dareke Young

  11. Trevor says:

    A beat up Lions team might be the easiest game remaining on the Hawks schedule. Not to sound too negative but if they don’t win this week then it is not a stretch to think they could end up with the first overall pick. The next game where it looks like they could be favoured would be at home New Years day against the Jets.

  12. Blitzy the Clown says:

    I think we’re about to be 1-3.

  13. Peter says:

    It’s a strange feeling hat in hand every week eating a tiny portion of crow that Geno Smith is somehow not the problem with this team.

    • Matt says:

      He has proven that he can be really good with the opening script. No doubt.

      It’s when the script goes away that he goes back to good OL’ Geno

      • Peter says:

        True.

        But if I’m honest I didn’t even see him good with the opening plays before this.

        • Matt says:

          Neither did I – granted, his success has been against bad defenses.

          Denver was a hot mess in the first half, defensively.

  14. Mick says:

    Yeah who needs a WR3 when you use the TEs right…

  15. Chris says:

    Dissly looks way better without russ

  16. TomLPDX says:

    Uncle Will for the score! That was a decent drive except Penny couldn’t get a yard to save his life!

    • cha says:

      That was just the kind of drive that was excellent for an opening salvo but when the defense gets a sniff of what you’re doing you will have to adjust and make some yards on the ground.

      • Matt says:

        Happens every week. Waldron can script a great opening and Geno can read the script really well. To your point, when that goes away it all folds – as it has, every time.

  17. Chris says:

    Our interior oline is garbage

  18. Trevor says:

    I thought and almost hoped that Geno would be the reason the Hawks struggled this year. So far however the exact opposite is the case. He has been decent to good while the defense and run game have let the team down.

  19. Chris says:

    The offense is way more fun to watch so far this year

  20. Mick says:

    Neal should get more credit for his plays.

  21. Trevor says:

    Been saying this since week #1. When this offence focuses on TE heavy sets they look good. They have done this starting every game. Then in the 2nd half they move away from it for no apparent reason. Hopefully today is different.

  22. GoHawks5151 says:

    Man can Waldron draw up an opening drive. Good mix. If he can figure out halftime adjustments he may just be alright

  23. KD says:

    Good job Lockett. High five

  24. AlaskaHawk says:

    Nice to face a team with a defense as soft as the Seahawks have been. Maybe that is overstating it since the Lions have stopped the run.

    A lot of us wondered last year what the Seahawks would look like with a different Quarterback. One that could throw short passes to tight ends and maybe even some day a screen pass. Now we know. Thank you Geno Smith. I heard a lot of crap talked about him last year. Not saying he is elite, in fact he is maybe average. But that is good, because we get a glimpse of what an average quarterback can do with this system.

  25. Mick says:

    I mean, we did spend a second on Eskridge, of course Lockett must return.

  26. TomLPDX says:

    Ok, back to reality…

  27. Kyle R says:

    Shoot ourselves in the foot with special teams… defense has a chance to show a backbone and hold them to a field goal. Nope explosive first play strike for a TD.

  28. Blitzy the Clown says:

    Excellent play calling so far on offense. Well done Seahawks

  29. DriveByPoster says:

    Well, I guess that’s one way for the Defense to get off the field more quickly.

  30. Chris says:

    Can we call a run play that isn’t up the middle?

  31. MattG says:

    Geno earning his way into the Derek Carr tier of QBs.

  32. seaspunj says:

    Geno making the most of his chances as a starter… I seriously hope the front office dont sign him long term as the starter …

  33. Palatypus says:

    Seahawks game plan: 1) Have Geno Smith run. 2) Have Travis Homer pass.

  34. Kyle R says:

    Either the Lions are selling out to stop the run or our line cannot run block right now, but it might not matter since it appears we can pass at will on them.

  35. GoHawks5151 says:

    Charles Cross needs the weight room. Abe neutralizing Hutch

  36. cha says:

    3rd and 3 Seahawks going with Josh Jones & Ryan Neal instead of Cody Barton.

    I approve of this move.

  37. seaspunj says:

    Crawford looked stupid on special teams

  38. ShowMeYourHawk says:

    Annnnnddddd…….. here comes the pointless challenge from Pete.

  39. dand393 says:

    WTF is Pete challenging here what an idiot

  40. HOUSE says:

    Come on… We can’t let stuff like that happen

  41. Rob Staton says:

    What an embarrassing challenge

    FFS Carroll

  42. cha says:

    I guarantee Pete after the game on the challenge: “I thought they would see something.”

  43. KennyBadger says:

    Is the guy running the punt return team the same guy advising Pete on challenges?!

  44. Blitzy the Clown says:

    Moronic challenge

  45. ShowMeYourHawk says:

    This Detroit team may not be very good but they play like a team with something to prove. I’ve missed that from the Hawks. Been at least 5 or 6 seasons.

  46. Blitzy the Clown says:

    Diggs is a shadow of his former self

  47. AlaskaHawk says:

    OMG -lol at that flag getting picked up.

  48. cha says:

    Refs should be embarrassed they even threw a flag on that play. Good on them for calling it off.

  49. Chris says:

    I can’t believe they would even throw that flag

  50. Chris says:

    The refs try so hard to be involved in the games.

  51. AlaskaHawk says:

    I am totally prepared to throw a fit over the refs. I’m conditioned by their behavior in previous games.

    My pet peeve, is when a receiver has control and when is it a fumble? Saw two different calls in two different games last week. One of them being on the Seahawks.

  52. ShowMeYourHawk says:

    Eskridge sighting! Drink!

  53. Chris says:

    Wow, an outside run

  54. Hawks4life says:

    Feed Walker the ball, would love to see what this kid can do

  55. cha says:

    First series – TE’s

    Second series – WR’s

    Third series – RB’s

    I like it.

  56. Blitzy the Clown says:

    Fantastic lead block by Fant

  57. Palatypus says:

    Watching hurricane coverage yesterday, after a couple’s house was washed down the street, I couldn’t help but think Pete would say, “We’re close. There a foundation here.”

  58. Big Mike says:

    Nice effort DK

  59. Mick says:

    So glad to see Myers delivering again.

  60. Blitzy the Clown says:

    Well done Jason Myers. That’s a confidence builder

  61. Big Mike says:

    So am I the only one that still hates the sight of Ford field for what the NFL did to us in 2006? Yes I know it was a long time ago… I will never get over it though.

  62. Rob Staton says:

    Dameon Pierce is pretty good huh

  63. DriveByPoster says:

    It was interesting watching Myers on that kick. He looked so relaxed whilst he was waiting for the snap that it almost looked like he really didn’t give a toss. It obviously worked though!

  64. Chris says:

    Mafe has such good closing speed

  65. cha says:

    Darrell Taylor bit on that play action so hard he didn’t even see he had a free look at Goff.

  66. HOUSE says:

    COBY!!!

  67. AlaskaHawk says:

    Bryant may end up being the spark plug of the secondary, nice strip!

  68. Chris says:

    Taylor should spend less time talking and dancing and more time being a smart football player

  69. Romeo A57 says:

    Except for the Fake Punt and TL fumble, a good start to this game by the Seahawks. Geno is playing great and the defense is making plays. I am shocked, where has this team been?

  70. Chris says:

    The refs are taking over the game

  71. Blitzy the Clown says:

    Damn I so wanted DK to score!

    • AlaskaHawk says:

      Used to hate that long play without scoring when I was in a fantasy football league. LOL

  72. AlaskaHawk says:

    Yee Haw. Go Hawks!!!! Go Hawks !!!!

  73. Henry Taylor says:

    Well this is more fun.

  74. Blitzy the Clown says:

    The offensive coordinating has fantastic today

  75. ShowMeYourHawk says:

    DK doesn’t stutter step, he probably makes it in the end zone. That said, Geno has been surprisingly efficient so far. Emphasis on “so far.”

  76. Mick says:

    Unfortunately again the kind of game to make people dream, not realizing we still have the same problems we had last week.

    But I’m happy to see the rookies contribute and a solid gameplan from Waldron.

  77. pdway says:

    Detroit’s D is of course not a good one – but there’s no reason not to state the obvious – – Geno looks really good today. Good decisions, accurate throws both short and long. Good for him.

  78. Blitzy the Clown says:

    Little off topic but it’s a commercial break…

    UCLA WR Jake Bobo 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

    With an offensive triad of DTR, Charbonneau and Bobo, I think UCLA > USC.

  79. Romeo A57 says:

    This game is over. The Lions are way overmatched today. Nice to see an easy blowout win by Seattle. Not sure what it means going forward.

  80. cha says:

    Defense.

    Looks like they’re rotating Barton and Neal. And Jackson & Sidney Jones are swapping.

    Mafe & Johnson seem to be getting more snaps than Taylor.

    Shelby isn’t Aaron Donald but he’s getting more push than anyone else has inside.

    Woolen is giving guys pops in the run game.

  81. Palatypus says:

    1) Have Geno run.

    2) Have Homer pass

    3) Only throw to the TE in the end zone.

  82. seaspunj says:

    tough 2nd and 23 1st down … its plays like these that just cripple this dee

  83. cha says:

    What was Barton doing on that play? Did he think Goff would throw to the double covered guy or the wide, wide, wide open guy?

  84. Chris says:

    Cody Barton is aweful

  85. Chris says:

    These refs are way to involved in the game. Wat to many tick tacky calls

  86. Blitzy the Clown says:

    Brooks makes tackles but he does not make plays

  87. Rob Staton says:

    Lions look like a team missing a bunch of key players

    Impotent and poor

    But surprised they look soft — thought they’d be clawing more than this

    Been easy for Seattle so far

  88. Chris says:

    We will see if the hawks can play a full game on offense

  89. Blitzy the Clown says:

    Woolen got fooled

  90. Blitzy the Clown says:

    Challenge the call Pete!

  91. ShowMeYourHawk says:

    I look forward to Pete taking his foot off the pedal in the 2nd half and going 70/30 run.

  92. pdway says:

    Our offense sometimes looks like it can be a really effective unit – you can see it.

    The defense is just full of holes though. I thought they’d be a bit better than this.

    • Blitzy the Clown says:

      I think it’s pretty ironic Geno isn’t the weakest link on a team coached by a defensive guru who claims they aren’t in a rebuild

      • Kyle R says:

        The defense has been shit for 3 years or more with a “defensive guru” as head coach. If Pete doesn’t have the overwhelming talent advantage he can’t win. Not an X’s and O’s coach at all yet doesn’t give his assistant coaches the freedom to use their ideas and schemes.

    • AlaskaHawk says:

      It will be even more ironic if Geno plays them out of the best quarterbacks in the draft. They can always sign him to a four year contract – har har.

    • 12th chuck says:

      effective e when they don’t try and run the ball

  93. Kyle R says:

    The offense is going to need to show up for all 4 quarters today because I fear the defense won’t show up for one today.

  94. Big Mike says:

    Detroit kicker will be selling insurance next week

  95. Palatypus says:

    My random half-time thought of the day:

    Cooper Kupp should trademark a sports drink and pull a She-Hulk on Cooper Rush.

  96. AlaskaHawk says:

    The defense line did okay on the goal line stand. Three stops isn’t bad.

    Looks like a competitive game.

  97. Big Mike says:

    Palatypus: your comment about female refs throwing flags for something that happened 17 years ago was hysterical.

  98. Henry Taylor says:

    Let’s go Tariq!!!!

  99. cha says:

    Tariq!

    RUMBLE YOUNG MAN RUMBLE

  100. Blitzy the Clown says:

    INT #2 for Woolen!!

  101. ShowMeYourHawk says:

    Tariq! We’re witnessing the birth of a really special career, methinks.

    • pdway says:

      had the exact same thought. the signs are there.

      and here’s a question – – is there anyone on the Seahawks defense that you would trade Woolen for today? I don’t think there is….

  102. Chris says:

    Tariq baited that all the way

  103. AlaskaHawk says:

    Seahawks just tripled their second half production rate!!! I’m looking forward to watching Tariq for many years.

  104. Robbie says:

    That boy is fast!

  105. Mick says:

    We nailed this draft with Woolen and Lucas, everyone else is a bonus already.

    • Trevor says:

      Agree completely. Both those guys have pro bowl potential. If Cross and Mafe pan out it was an A+ draft.

  106. Big Mike says:

    The thing about Woolen that most makes me think of Sherman is his willingness to tackle.

  107. Peter says:

    There it is!!!

  108. cha says:

    Watching him play this year, it is remarkable how much he telegraphs his intentions by not even looking at anyone but his primary target. He practically must throw to his first read for the play to be successful.

    https://twitter.com/Seahawks/status/1576645522605178881

  109. Chris says:

    Mafe not playing like a raw rookie

  110. Blitzy the Clown says:

    Only Darrell Taylor wasn’t in on that

  111. Troy says:

    Cha got his defensive big play!

  112. Blitzy the Clown says:

    We have a good thing going today. Looks like 2-2 is in the bag, so even though the win isn’t at stake, we best not see the usual second half anemic offense.

    No excuses

  113. Volume12 says:

    Woolen is special. That’s Sherm 2.0

    • Trevor says:

      Nice to see you back Vol! You have been missed. Agree completely about Woolen that kid looks like he is going to be special. Not afraid to make a tackle like Sherm as well.

    • Rob Staton says:

      Clearly Woolen’s start is very encouraging

      But I don’t get the Sherman comp — they seem very different cornerbacks

      • 805Hawk says:

        I agree 100% Rob. They aren’t the same player. I think we get a little lazy comparing to old Seahawks. We compare this year to 2011, Tariq to Sherm, LJ Collier to Avril…okay, no one ever did that….but you get the point.

  114. TomLPDX says:

    Penny sighting! Finally…

  115. Palatypus says:

    In other league news. Biscuit got benched. Kenny Pickett at QB for Stealers.

  116. Blitzy the Clown says:

    I want to see DK catch a TD pass

  117. Blitzy the Clown says:

    D’oh!

  118. Chris says:

    2nd half woes on offense continues

  119. ShowMeYourHawk says:

    “Just a bit outside….” Jesus, Myers.

  120. AlaskaHawk says:

    I wish they would keep Metcalf’s routes past the first down marker. They have other players that can run short routes.

  121. Blitzy the Clown says:

    Still only 3 total second half points for the Seahawks this season.

    I wouldn’t be in the least surprised if we don’t score another point today.

  122. Palatypus says:

    If it makes you feel any better Kenny Pickett just threw his first NFL interception.

  123. cha says:

    Poona Ford trying to beat his blocker around the edge….LOL

    3-4 wasn’t working on that play.

  124. Chris says:

    There’s the defense we know

  125. Blitzy the Clown says:

    Was that Josh Jones who got steamrolled by Williams?

  126. cha says:

    Cut Cody Barton

  127. ShowMeYourHawk says:

    Sleepy defense trying to hand tackle? You get what you deserve.

  128. Chris says:

    Could’ve tanner muse be any worse than Barton?

  129. Chris says:

    Or how bout bringing k.j outta retirement

  130. seaspunj says:

    this dee is in such trouble and may need 2 more drafts to fix these problems

  131. Henry Taylor says:

    Copy Barton not paying attention again

  132. Trevor says:

    If you play fantasy football the opposing teams leader rusher when playing the Seahawks is always the easiest pick of the week. Patterson last week and Williams today were no brainers. This run defense and LB group are abysmal.

    • ShowMeYourHawk says:

      Same with opposing TE. When your matchup’s TE is playing the Hawks, you know they be putting up 15 fantasy points.

  133. ShowMeYourHawk says:

    Barton making a business decision on that 2 pt conversion. WTF?

  134. Blitzy the Clown says:

    Goff Gashes Goofed Gulls at Goal line

  135. Robert says:

    And now the 2nd half implosion begins…

  136. Big Mike says:

    The offense needs to score some points in the 2nd half this week or we’re gonna have a loss that is gonna be ugly because this defense isn’t gonna hold them down the rest of the game.

  137. pdway says:

    our LB’s are so weak – worse than I’d hoped.

    also – would it kill Fox to give me a replay of the defensive holding that gave them the 2nd chance on that 2 pt play? Play barely lasted 2 seconds, how was there even time to hold…..

  138. Trevor says:

    The Falcons just had a 10 play touchdown drive. Every single play was a run. Not even one attempted pass.

  139. 805Hawk says:

    I’m rooting for the Hawks. I always will. But, I’m a little concerned that they are good enough to get 7-8 wins and draft in the mid teens. Likewise for the Broncos. If that happens, I believe PC will stick with Geno, sign him to a three year extension and we will be in that draft range for years.

    • Peter says:

      I don’t know about that. Fun game for sure. But this is the lions. A win today does not mean this team is anywhere near 7 wins.

  140. Blitzy the Clown says:

    He got it

  141. Big Mike says:

    Damn the turf monster

  142. Blitzy the Clown says:

    Hey look it’s another 2nd half total offensive collapse for Seattle

  143. pdway says:

    Refs are just way too prominent in this game…..

  144. AlaskaHawk says:

    Geno is starting to panic.

    Way too many flags out there now.

  145. Kyle R says:

    In Gino’s defense I heard that whistle too

  146. ShowMeYourHawk says:

    Gulp. Getting slapped in the head really messed with Geno on the end of this drive. Dude is playing with no composure.

  147. Kyle R says:

    The Refs are about as well oiled machine as the Hawks defense.

  148. Big Mike says:

    Wow what a break
    Now do something with it Geno

  149. Palatypus says:

    The manatee is getting a lot of playing time with Baltimore today. Mostly in the pistol formation.

  150. cha says:

    PENNY UP THE GUT

  151. Chris says:

    Wow!

  152. Henry Taylor says:

    A second half TD on O. What a novelty

  153. ShowMeYourHawk says:

    Ballsy call by Waldron. Well played.

  154. Blitzy the Clown says:

    Salvation!

    Though it reeks of bad officiating

  155. AlaskaHawk says:

    Wow! What a turn of Events!!!! Yee haw – Go Hawks!!!

  156. Palatypus says:

    Wait, wasn’t Penny supposed to throw a pass there?

  157. pdway says:

    thought i heard the whistle on that 4th too….but that’s a killer for the Lions.

    38 points….been a minute since we’ve hit that number……

  158. Mick says:

    What’s this D doing???

  159. pdway says:

    jesus …Barton does not need to play another game for us….is there nobody out there better than him?

  160. Henry Taylor says:

    There must be someone else that we can play instead of Cody Barton

  161. Kyle R says:

    Cody with the Hawk tackling we’ve come to love!

  162. Blitzy the Clown says:

    Cody Barton laughing my freaking ass off

  163. cha says:

    Cut Cody Barton II

  164. Chris says:

    Cody Barton showing up big again

  165. Nicholas M says:

    Cody Barton out here playing two hand touch!

  166. AlaskaHawk says:

    This team is going to drive me to drinking!

  167. ShowMeYourHawk says:

    …….I can’t even. The tackling skill of this squad is the worst I’ve ever seen.

  168. Feindt says:

    A Cody Barton Special- just dont tackle haha

  169. Chris says:

    I wonder how Dave Wyman is going to defend Cody this week.

  170. Romeo A57 says:

    Seahawks looking good then Barton let’s the Lions back in the game. We should be real interested in Rob’s Linebacker Draft Ratings during this offseason.

    • Rob Staton says:

      Just sign someone competent

      They don’t need to be amazing

      Plenty of ‘OK’ linebackers out there and ‘OK’ is fine

      Amazing that they didn’t add someone to at least challenge Barton

  171. Kyle R says:

    The really sad thing there is Barton didn’t even need to tackle him….just shove his ass out of bounds.

  172. Palatypus says:

    Jacksonville was leading 14-0 early in the first quarter on the road in Philly.

    The Eagles have scored 29 unanswered points.

    Sound familiar?

  173. AlaskaHawk says:

    I’m going to give Geoff some credit for recognizing who to throw too. He’s a veteran and it shows in games like this. Add missed tackles and we got a game.

  174. Rob Staton says:

    This defense man

    Terrible, again

    • Elmer says:

      This is beyond embarrassing. They stink. They can’t find their ass with both hands.

      I want to see Pete quit being diplomatic and get mad. Fix this defense now or heads will roll. Pull your thumb out of your butt or you are gone.

      The Seahawks did some video stuff on tackling awhile back. Make that required watching. Many times.

  175. seaspunj says:

    meanwhile the Steelers Pickett era has begun

  176. pdway says:

    Defense is so bad this year….they don’t do anything well. Josh Jones is a back-up, but he’s terrible too. There’s not a strong unit on that side of the ball.

  177. Big Mike says:

    Robert Smith with the KISS reference. Nice

  178. cha says:

    The Lions

    -Came into this game seriously banged up

    -Have committed 8 penalties through 3 quarters

    -Have 2 turnovers including a pick six

    -Have missed 2 PAT’s

    And they are still within a score.

  179. Nicholas says:

    It’s nice to see Parkinson involved with the offense this year.

  180. pdway says:

    one plus – – it is cool to see the Hawks using their TE’s for once. Parkinson definitely has the size/athleticism you want in a TE. Looks good w the ball in his hands.

  181. seaspunj says:

    why does Lockett layup and not go for more RAC yards?

  182. Seattle Person says:

    We’re basically watching a Madden game today…

  183. ShowMeYourHawk says:

    Is it just me or have we only gotten a few yards every time Geno audibles into a run?

  184. Big Mike says:

    I don’t know what the over under was on this game but if you bet the over I’m thinking you’re already in

  185. Big Mike says:

    Was Gino a tick late with that throw?

  186. Mick says:

    Just a field goal there is too little.

  187. Big Mike says:

    Is that is not a good thing to see

  188. Palatypus says:

    Looks like the Falcons are going to have a winning streak.

  189. ShowMeYourHawk says:

    DK just has the mud butt. No worries.

  190. Trevor says:

    Marcus Marriota 7/19 for 139yds and an INT. Still Falscona win the game.

  191. Palatypus says:

    Matt Hasselbeck was critical of the Chicago Bears offense this morning calling it “a service team.” But isn’t the Ravens offense, too? I mean it looks like Navy with Ricky Dobbs.

  192. Chris says:

    This game is gonna come down to us burning up the clock on our last possession

  193. Palatypus says:

    Pickett with his second interception.

  194. Mick says:

    We give up way too many yards, too easily.

  195. Big Mike says:

    If the defense could have gotten a stop there the game might well have been over

  196. Feindt says:

    Ds making Look Goff and Geno like MVPs…

  197. ShowMeYourHawk says:

    Only the Hawks could make a middling TE that’s not lived up to his draft status into the second coming of Kelce.

  198. Kyle R says:

    4th and 9 with Geoff and no starting WR….Seahawks defense “sure why the hell not take it”

  199. Blitzy the Clown says:

    Too easy like a hot knife through butter

  200. Palatypus says:

    The over/under today was 48. Who had the over?

  201. seaspunj says:

    PC will spin this

    this is typical PC football 1 posession game

    let’s see if Lions onside kick

  202. AlaskaHawk says:

    Dang!!!!! Now Geno and the offense have to make another touchdown.
    Because they can’t give the ball back to Detroit with time on the clock.

  203. Chris says:

    Imagine seeing Cody Barton play his whole career and thinking that you could start him this year. Just one reason why Carroll has to go

  204. Trevor says:

    The play of this defense is a direct indictment of Pete Carrol and should get him fired IMO. Have always been a fan of Pete but it is time for a change.

  205. Kyle R says:

    Hey Pete….pssst I think they might be going to TJ Hockenson on just about every play.

  206. Mick says:

    A FG is not enough, we should try and run the ball so we burn time.

  207. pdway says:

    not that it matters much – but that was really OPI on the receiver who pushed his corner into Neal’s path – and opened things up for Hockenson. I only mention b/c every time we’ve breathed on their WR’s today, there’s been a flag.

  208. Troy D says:

    All I wanted was bad but entertaining. Getting it from these guys. Defense is really bad. Really, really, really bad

  209. Feindt says:

    Guess which TE is starting against my Fantasy Squad hahahah

  210. Peter says:

    The old Pete carrol razzle dazzle.

    At least it’s a fun (?) Big 12 style shootout

  211. Trevor says:

    When was the last time the Hawks scored 40+ and lost?

  212. Blitzy the Clown says:

    Is Eskridge hurt again

  213. ShowMeYourHawk says:

    Turns out that getting more than 5 plays a game is too much for Eskridge to handle.

  214. pdway says:

    the penalty calls are getting crazy….

  215. AlaskaHawk says:

    The refs are toying with us. Like a cat on a mouse.

  216. Chris says:

    God the refs can’t wait to throw flags

  217. Big Mike says:

    It’s really nice throw there

  218. Palatypus says:

    The referee in the Baltimore/Buffalo literally just said, “Time out Buffalo, their fourth.”

  219. Big Mike says:

    Ravens had a 20 to 3 lead against Buffalo, just lost 23 to 20

  220. pdway says:

    again – – acknowledging the level of competition – but is this the best full game of Geno’s career?

    Feels like it’s the best one I’ve seen him play as a Hawk.

  221. Chris says:

    The lions keep stopping the clock with these injuries

  222. Trevor says:

    Abe vs Hutchinson today. Win Abe.

  223. cha says:

    Why is Geno snapping the ball with 12 seconds on the playclock and the game clock running?

  224. Mick says:

    Yey way to go Penny.

  225. AlaskaHawk says:

    Yes – Penny. Two or three counter plays that have scored today. Yeah!!!

  226. pdway says:

    i mean….crazy ass game……

    Penny!!

  227. Chris says:

    Damn good playcall

  228. ShowMeYourHawk says:

    *exhales* Nice execution by Geno, Penny and the OL.

  229. Blitzy the Clown says:

    Abe Lucas my man

    • Big Mike says:

      Lifelong Coug fan here so you know he’s my man too.

      • Kyle R says:

        Third generation Coug and graduate myself Big Mike….love Abe!

        • Big Mike says:

          Seattle U. grad here but grew up in Spokane so you know that’s Coug country.

          • Kyle R says:

            Nice. I’m the opposite I grew up North of Everett but went to WSU. My grandfather was a lineman in the late 40’s for the Cougs and actually was accepted and played in the East/West shrine game in 47 I believe. Drafted that year too by the then Washington Redskins. So I was brought up as a baby to be a Coug.

  230. Feindt says:

    Hahah I feel entertained. What about you?

  231. Chris says:

    Imagine if we even had a decent interior offensive line

  232. Kyle R says:

    I know it’s the Lion’s D and they are hurt but I have to give it to the offense today. They came and played hard today. However the defense…..well…..

  233. Troy D says:

    LUCAS IS A MAN. He washed that out and the pull guard cleared the lane. Penny with the big day. Offense did grea today. I am entertained. Defense sucks though

  234. seaspunj says:

    i can already hear the press conference in my head

    PC will downplay the dee

  235. ShowMeYourHawk says:

    Pete just can’t help himself. He knows the red flag isn’t to indicate he’s out of him, right?

  236. Palatypus says:

    Looks like Pete threw a challenge flag for something that happened 17 years ago again.

  237. Chris says:

    I doubt even Pete could downplay this defense

  238. AlaskaHawk says:

    I think Pete just wants to rest he defense and maybe substitute

  239. Blitzy the Clown says:

    This is worth challenging because of the game situation. But it’s a bad challenge because he’s going to lose it

  240. Chris says:

    Might as well take a chance at this point

  241. Palatypus says:

    Pickett threw a 3rd interception.

    Stealers lose!

  242. ShowMeYourHawk says:

    You know, I have to say I’m not the biggest fan of these “Defense-optional” games. NFL should penalize both teams for not rostering league-average defensive sides.

  243. AlaskaHawk says:

    Seahawks setting records on offense and defense today!

  244. seaspunj says:

    I am actually hoping the Lions tie this they earned it

  245. pdway says:

    we just can’t guard anyone….

  246. ShowMeYourHawk says:

    DET didn’t even burn a timeout on that drive. What an awful defense we’re fielding.

  247. Seattle Person says:

    48 points and it’s a nail-biter… My gosh.

  248. seaspunj says:

    hope they onside kick it towards Barton

  249. 805Hawk says:

    What’s the point of a “defensive minded” coach if your D is this inept year after year?!?

  250. Big Mike says:

    Why would Bellore touch that ball?

  251. cha says:

    The Seahawks score 48 and the game nearly came down to trusting Nick Bellore’s hands.

  252. Chris says:

    This game is far from over with our defense

  253. Scot04 says:

    Thank Goodness for Dallas

  254. Dinosaw says:

    Seahawks defence like Tottenham’s v Arsenal.

  255. Big Mike says:

    Now there was the interior offensive line making a huge hole

  256. AlaskaHawk says:

    Now they are showing some killer instinct. Ram that ball down their throat.

  257. Blitzy the Clown says:

    This is how you close out a game. Yes it took the entire second half, but they closed it out and get the win.

  258. Troy D says:

    Did they say that is the first time we never had to punt in a game? Led by Geno Smith. Things you didnt expect.

  259. Roy Batty says:

    Fun fact: The Detroit Lions offense outscored the Seattle Seahawks offense…and still lost the game.

  260. AlaskaHawk says:

    And it was based on offense with a helping hand from the one defensive interception.

    This was one of the most exciting games I’ve seen with the Cadillac Heart Attack Hawks.

    They even beat the vegas spread!

  261. Mick says:

    Happy we won. Boy our D sucks bigtime.

  262. seaspunj says:

    let’s go
    Rai
    Dahs

    need the new Broncos mantra to

    let’s Slide

  263. Troy D says:

    I will say this. Geno is earning himself a few more years and pay even if its as a backup somewhere long term. Good for him. Likely worst case for him now.