This is a guest post written by Curtis Allen for the blog. Curtis is well known within the community as ‘Cha’ in the comments section. We’ve all enjoyed his quarter report cards and game specific watch-points. Many thanks to him for putting this together.
There’s no disputing 2020 has been a turbulent year for the Seahawks.
The stunning amount of highs and lows witnessed this season would make for a fascinating case study if they weren’t so stressful for their passionate fan base.
Many of the challenges they’ve faced this year have been of their own making.
The Seahawks have once again not been able to connect their end of season roster, their offseason moves and their game planning and execution with a consistent, targeted vision.
Putting a team on the field that can play in a way that delivers sustainable success has been a monumental struggle for years now, one that has left fans unfulfilled.
This season, Pete Carroll has taken to using the word “uncharacteristic” to describe his team’s play so often people are wondering if he understands the meaning of the word.
The last calendar year has been well documented on the blog and in the comments section. The Seahawks ended 2019 with Russell Wilson, short on weapons, dragging a battered and bruised team into the playoffs. Their top three running backs were injured. They had a porous defense undermined by an anaemic pass rush.
The end result was predictable.
To their credit, the front office noticed this. They went into the offseason with clear needs and were armed with a handsome amount of cap room and a full complement of draft picks.
They came back with… a team that relies far too much on its quarterback, with three running backs that are injured and a porous defense undermined by an anaemic pass rush.
— Through 12 games Russell Wilson has been responsible for a staggering 84.3% of the team’s total yards of offense. That dwarfs his 74.3% number of 2019.
— The Seahawks spent about 18% of their available cap room on tight ends. Yet through 12 games the group has produced only 5.45 catches and 3.81 first downs per game and three total TD’s. For comparison, Will Dissly had four touchdowns in 5 games last year.
— Chris Carson, Carlos Hyde and Travis Homer have missed 13 games this year due to injury and have had severely reduced workloads in several others. Carson has yet to log 100 carries this season.
— Through eight games, the Seahawks defense was on pace to shatter the all-time yards conceded mark and had recorded only 19 sacks on an astounding 366 pass attempts, or 45.75 attempts per game.
All of this has placed considerable pressure on Russell Wilson and the offense — and it shows. To the point where now, just as the defense is finally showing some signs of being even a marginally competent unit, the offense is behaving like a rubber band that has been stretched so many times it has lost its elasticity and cannot take its original shape.
It should not be a surprise to anyone that this team has returned very similar results again this year. Similar process returns similar results. The old Henry Ford quote seems appropriate here:
“If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.”
Russell Wilson looks tentative and unsure of himself.
Pete Carroll is trying to will this team to success by cramming ‘believe’ into as many sentences as possible.
The running backs are being revered for their toughness one week and the next are being limited in their reps in the name of caution.
Raves by the coaching staff about Carlos Dunlap’s play and how the team ‘finally has a pass rusher that can get to the quarterback’ and ‘what a relief it is to get pass rush in non-blitzing situations’ has betrayed their early-season protestations that cheap part time players can fill the massive void in their pass rush.
Put another way, they’re reaping what they’ve sown. Yet again.
How can they break the cycle? How can they restore that singular vision that focuses their efforts and leads to sustainable success?
The 2021 offseason starts right now
The Seahawks need to look very closely at their team philosophy, their current roster makeup and the individual and unit results in the next four games (and hopefully the playoffs). They have a minimum of four games to get a real-world look at the results of the way this team was built in 2020, the players that are newly acquired and/or have been injured and are now coming online, what the coaching staff has done to point their players in the way of success and examine the very structure and identity of both the offense and defense.
Why such urgency?
This offseason is going to present clear challenges. They have minimal draft picks and are projecting to have very little usable cap space to augment the current roster that is under contract for 2021.
Major decisions need to be made about new acquisitions Jamal Adams and Carlos Dunlap. The long-term future of expensive veterans like Bobby Wagner need to be examined. And owing to their past couple of offseasons, they have precious few immediately available resources to draw from.
Every team in the NFL is preparing for the 2021 offseason in some way, shape or form at the moment — but this team is unique.
The Seattle Seahawks may present the biggest paradox in the NFL — they enjoy consistent relative success, yet they regularly have numerous and serious fundamental question marks that need addressing.
Thankfully, there is good news in all of this.
They have a franchise quarterback in his prime years and locked down for three more seasons.
Pete Carroll has the security of a five-year contract extension.
They have a large amount of salary cap room in 2022.
They have a soft local press and general fan base, thanks to an enormous amount of goodwill built up and star players that are extremely likeable and rooted in the community.
They have an ownership group that will likely sell the franchise in that five-year window and who may have a very enticing incentive for success. How much more value would the franchise gain if they pick up a second Lombardi trophy shortly before going to market?
The Seahawks are king in Seattle but my goodness — imagine what a second championship would do? You think the Hawks run the town now? They’d solidify their stranglehold on the town’s heart in a way never before seen — and that’s practically a license to print money.
Annually competing for a Super Bowl is within their grasp. They have both the means and the imperative to reach that goal. However, road mapping that achievement needs to start as soon as possible.
Why? Because it is going to take three fairly extraordinary things to achieve it:
1. An acknowledgement that what they’ve been doing isn’t getting them closer to a championship
The first step toward solving any problem is acknowledging it exists. And boy oh boy does it exist:
No division titles since 2016.
No byes earned since 2014.
A 3-4 playoff record the last five seasons.
Being out coached in games, outmaneuvered in the offseason market and plain outclassed by division foes with lesser talent.
A stubborn insistence on running a defensive scheme that depends on QB pressure with the front four, coupled with a resistance to acquiring the proper pieces to make it function.
A baffling inability to support one of the best quarterbacks in the game with complementary football.
In-game decisions that don’t demonstrate a clear perception of team strengths and the massive power of momentum that is available to tap.
Add them all up and you have a team that is consistently on the fringe of the Super Bowl conversation but never truly within striking distance.
We all know Pete Carroll burns to win. Yet the moves the team recently have made under his direction give the appearance of a leadership group uncertain of their charting, desperate to simply remain competitive and willing to be backed into a corner by time, circumstance and opportunistic teams and free agents rather than control their own destiny.
None of which is aided by Pete’s media presentation. Serious questions about the construction of the team and choices made under his leadership are often met with terse, almost dismissive answers that barely register as even acknowledging the premise of the question. Questions about COVID protocols, social justice and a fun locker room however, are answered with cheery brightness and clear, steely determination.
Coming to terms with the reality that they have faltered under Pete Carroll’s leadership will not be easy but on the whole, the body of proof is damning and crying out for a clear, honest appraisal.
2. The need for humility to examine every single team process objectively and courage to change those processes in order to get closer to a championship
They’re so fond of having “tell the truth Monday” in-season. They might need a whole week to examine their team-building missteps this year. How did they get here? Can they better target their aggression this offseason?
What is the core identity of this team? And why isn’t every decision and process geared toward retaining and bolstering that identity?
How can it possibly be that they spent $50 million and massive draft capital in 2020 and yet still put possibly the most inconsistent product on the field in Pete’s Seattle career? Why have they allowed their young players to have their development blocked by ‘here today, gone tomorrow’ veterans that don’t provide tangible on-field results? How do they continually struggle to make good use of their timeouts and constantly make head-scratching decisions during games? When was the last time a coordinator put together a game plan that was both consistent and creative?
Do they need to consider a different approach to the draft?
How about their organizational philosophy towards the salary cap?
For years they’ve been judicious about their cap room, gaining praise for being able to roll cap into the next season and being ‘fiscally responsible’ in order to extend key players. All the while, their competitors have freely added major pieces with far less appearance of cap room, while simultaneously avoiding the dreaded “cap jail” that seems to inhibit the Seahawks from making bold decisions to add that just-one-more weapon to an already solid group to put this team over the top.
They have a real opportunity to improve this team in a major way this offseason but it will require some boldness and cap creativity that has so far been unseen from this front office.
Do the Seahawks as an organization have the humility to look at yet another 10-6 or 11-5 season followed by a quick playoff exit and say ‘that is simply not good enough’? Do they have the courage to reevaluate their operational procedures and admit that changes need to be made?
The core desire is there but it will take an enormous effort to deviate from the pattern they have put in place.
3. A challenging and engaged ownership group that will finance the moves they deem necessary
Being bold takes ownership confidence and financial backing. That is not something every team enjoys.
Paul Allen famously had deep pockets and was willing to go get players and staff who were deemed necessary to success. Does the group under the leadership of Jodi Allen have a similar mentality? It will take those same deep pockets to both acquire talent and to pay talent who no longer fit the teams’ vision of success to go away.
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With all that in mind, what do the Seahawks need to look at in these final four games?
1. Are they truly putting their biggest player asset in the best position to succeed?
Buried in the offseason narrative about letting Russ throw more is the fact that supporting your quarterback comes in many different forms:
— Having a smothering defense to give you the ball with fantastic field position
— A run game that burns the clock and protects Russ from taking a physical toll
— Tight ends providing matchup nightmares and easy first downs
Have the Seahawks done enough to maximize the talent of their best player?
The Seahawks spent over $10 million and two draft picks on the tight end position. At one point in the offseason, there were more TE’s than Defensive Ends on the Seahawks’ roster. They clearly prioritized the position. Then the season started and that big investment became an afterthought week after week.
Have they phased TE’s out of the offense? Or relegated them to a blocking role? Or is Russ the reason they’re not getting many touches?
They will return Will Dissly and Colby Parkinson to the roster next year and Stephen Sullivan will likely return from the practice squad. Would a simple solid blocking TE addition suffice to fill the depth? Or do they need to re-commit to making the TE’s an important part of their attack?
What of the Running Backs? Can Rashaad Penny give enough glimpses this year to give the team confidence he can take on a major role in 2021? Do Deejay Dallas and Travis Homer have the ability to improve beyond third string and special teams players?
And Chris Carson. The Seahawks have an extremely tough decision to make there. He cannot stay healthy yet is a heart and soul player that sets the tone for the offense. The team is clearly not the same when he is not on the field. An honest and thoughtful evaluation of his skills, impact on the team and market value is crucial.
2. Can this defense consistently perform as constructed? Is Jamal Adams worth a giant extension?
A bad side effect of all the injuries they’ve sustained is they haven’t gotten to truly see what they talent they have assembled can do as a unit. They have four games to evaluate what they’ve got.
Jamal Adams, the biggest of the Seahawks’ offseason acquisitions, has produced some equally spectacular and troublesome results:
— He leads the Seahawks with 7.5 sacks and has provided pressure to get quarterbacks thinking about an audible to the opposite side
— He has missed four games with injury and not been 100% for other games. He is conceding a 113 QB rating in coverage and there is a cost to the scheme in having a strong safety blitz so much
Can the defense thrive with this output from the strong safety spot? Is it worth a massive extension that will force the Seahawks to cut back in other areas?
There’s been a persistent narrative that the arrival of Carlos Dunlap will balance the defense and reduce the dependence on blitzing Jamal so much. Yet in the 5 games since acquiring Dunlap, the team has blitzed Jamal just as much as before. Will that continue in the final four games and the playoffs? Will the results be different?
Adams’ acquisition and use challenges Pete Carroll’s defensive principles. Recently, when Pete was gushing about Adams’ performance, he said something of note. That Adams is a ‘risk-taker’ and that ‘he loves that about him.’
Carroll admitted that ‘sometimes the risks will get him but he’s a big part of our defense.’
Has Pete ever described risk-taking as a positive trait in his defenders? Maybe early in rookie Earl Thomas’ career? Maybe?
And how has Adams’ use impacted Quandre Diggs? Is he a good safety match for Adams? Has the scheme limited Diggs’ playmaking ability? And if so, is that an acceptable result?
3. What of the other defensive pieces?
The Seahawks cannot possibly be thinking of moving on from Bobby Wagner, can they? He is $17m against the cap next year. Is the cost/benefit leaning in the wrong direction? Or has part of Bobby’s play been the result of the front office utterly ignoring the interior DL this offseason? Would a recommitment to a stouter interior raise his play back to 2018 levels? We talk about supporting the QB. How about supporting the QB of the defense?
Can Shaquille Griffin rebound next year? Will the 2021 depressed market and his awful performance this year allow them to retain him and buy low on a possible Pro Bowl season?
KJ Wright has demonstrated time and again this year why he is such a good player. Will he price himself out of Seattle? Can Jordyn Brooks take over his role?
************
The Seahawks have a huge amount of homework to do and it’s not all of the simpler ‘paperwork pushing’ variety. Serious questions need to be asked. Core principles re-evaluated. Sights need to be reset on returning to the championship discussion.
The last couple of offseasons, the team has appeared more reactionary than following a cohesive, well-design plan of attack. It’s been starkly laid bare by the product they’ve put on the field. They’ve lurched from one circumstance to another and not been able to follow their stated goals to fill crucial, potentially devastating needs.
The sooner they can outline a clear, defined plan of action, the better prepared they will be to react to what an unprecedented 2021 offseason will throw at them and succeed.
If the Seahawks are serious about contending they will know in their heart of hearts the process doesn’t start at the combine, the first day of the league year, or the draft.
It starts now.
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Interesting tidbit on the 710 ESPN website. Brock Huard said that Wilson is 13th out of 14 NFC quarterbacks on 3rd down passer rating. The eye test has told me all year that the Seahawks are an awful 3rd down team, but Wilson’s performance is genuinely unsettling.
Numbers 1, 2, and 3 on 3rd down passer rating in the NFC? Rodgers, Brees, and Cousins.
What happened to the quick hitters to Zach Miller that the Seahawks used to feast on in 3rd down? Why have we apparently abandoned TEs in the passing game? It’s just another sign of the overall team dysfunction.
Yeah the third down offense and defense has been trash all season.
I have no stats or anything to back this up, but when they are 3rd and medium they often seem to take shots downfield. I seem to recall them hitting on one to Metcalf (maybe Atlanta?). Perhaps they are getting greedy and looking for those too often instead of the 7-8 yard gains. I also notice (once again no stats) that RW never seems to throw short middle on 3rd down. Always seems to be to the outside. Seems like a defense would definitely pick up on those tendencies.
Also great write-up Cha!
For some reason the Seahawks don’t seem to have any easy conversions on offer. Getting a yard or three to move the chains doesn’t have to be as hard as they make it.
Nonsense. We have 3 great plays for 3rd/4th and short.
1. 7 step drop with a 50 yard bomb
2. Jet sweep with David Moore
3. Gut run with Travis Homer (or DeeJay Dallas or Alex Collins or Bo Scarborough)
Defenses will never see these coming.
The sad thing is… even in jest, this is kinda true.
Is it on Russ or on Schotty though? The play calls seem predictable or too cute. The failed 4th down conversions especially. I cringe when we decide to go for it on 4th down because I just know it will be a cute play that will blow up in their face.
Cha, excellent write up! Thanks! And Thanks Rob for giving it the thumbs up!
At least three potentially game finishing drives ended when Russell missed two longish passes, and last week with a QB fumble of the snap.
Good stuff. I have serious doubts that Pete is emotionally/mentally capable of an “acknowledgment of what they’ve been doing isn’t getting them closer to a championship” nor do I believe he has the “humility to examine every single team process objectively and courage to change those processes in order to get closer to a championship”. In fact, it appears since Paul’s death he’s moved in the opposite direction.
As for ownership, I also question whether Jody cares enough to even be bothered. Not really her fault. It was her brother’s baby (#2 child behind the Blazers in his eyes but his baby none the less) and she has no apparent passion for sports in general or the 2 teams she owns in particular.
These are my opinions but are based on behavioral evidence observed. I of course would love to eat a large plate of crow on my feelings about the situation.
Really good piece Curtis. Thanks for including him Rob. Both you guys are good at what you do.
I agree, this is an excellent piece of wring and generally spot on with respect to the challenges facing this team. It’s going to be so interesting to see how it all plays out! Very nice job Cha!
I’m with Big Mike on this one. There hasn’t been any evidence to the contrary on what you’re saying.
The last few off-seasons have been plain bad, and there has been no sign of acknowledgement. DK falling and getting a nice guard in the 3rd are all we can really hang our hat’s on.
We’re a Clowney and Dunlap dumping away from two historically bad defenses. I’ve been saying for months that Pete’s actions aren’t matching his statements in regards to ‘prioritizing the DL’.
Thanks for the commendation Big Mike.
I don’t disagree with you on the body of evidence PC and Jodi Allen have presented to this point – Rob’s piece on the 4 individuals touched on this very effectively – but shining a light on what I think it will take to get back on the road to success was more the point of the piece. And I meant it when I said it will take a departure from their current procedures.
Frankly I hear so much from even well-informed Seahawks fans at times that “Pete’s trying as hard as he can, winning is hard, not every single move is going to work out, some things are more about luck’ and other excuses when their expectations of a deep playoff run come crashing to a halt year after year. But like the piece pointed out, when the season ends again and again and again in a similar manner, hard questions need to be asked. Basic structural values need to be reexamined.
So many things aren’t necessarily about having all the answers, but asking the right questions. And that’s one of the great things Rob and the community do: frame the debate and give the fans a straightforward logic base to work from (even if that means being honest which isn’t always comfortable).
This year with COVID, the potential for a fair chunk of quality veterans available on the street free agent market, the typical free agent derby, and a combine and draft still effected by the pandemic, the NFL will not take a single breath this offseason. If we all have a strong grasp of the issues, the challenges and the potential possibilities and rewards we’ll be better armed to assess the moves that are being made.
Well said and I agree with pretty much everything you said. When you are in the same spot yearly, you’re treading water and we see the same issues so they are not as you say, asking the right questions. The problem is a dichotomy imo, on the one hand Pete no longer answers to anyone because Jody is removed mentally. The other side is even if she were inclined to make a change and then sell say 3 years from now we could well see 2 wholesale changes in a short time frame and I’m not sure that instability isn’t worse than a moderate level of ineptitude.
It really feels like we as fans that want more are stuck inn this limbo land of 10-6/11-5 and will be most or all of the rest Wilson’s prime.
So I love what you had to say as I mentioned in the first sentence of this post. Do you have a couple billion to buy the team? 🙂
Unfortunately there’s no relation to Jodi or Paul.
That I know of.
Beyond excellent. Thank you. You have given them a strategic planning roadmap. I hope they can do it and aren’t stuck in tactical day to day operations.
I also have to wonder about injuries. I know they are part of the game and not the team’s fault. However, if a team consistently exceeds the league average over a period of years you have to ask about it, right?
Sorry, this made it to the end of the last post.
For those who care I did some stat comparison of the first three quarters of the season.
Games 1-4 (1st Quarter):
Offense:
Pass Yards average…303
Run Yards average…113
Total Yards average…416
Scoring…35.5
Defense:
Pass Yards Average…401
Run Yards Average…76
Total Yards average…477
Scoring…27
Games 5-8 (2nd Quarter):
Offense:
Pass Yards average…293
Run Yards average…121
Total Yards average…414
Scoring…33
Defense:
Pass Yards average…323
Run Yards average…112
Total Yards average…435
Scoring…33.5
Games 9-12 (3rd Quarter):
Offense:
Pass Yards average…211
Run Yards average…116
Total Yards average…327
Scoring…20
Defense:
Pass Yards average…205
Run Yards average…121
Total Yards average…326
Scoring…19.5
Excellent and very well thought out. I think you nailed it.
One theory I’ve never heard anyone consider. Is there any chance Wilson had a hand in last off season’s signings. He and Holister seemed to be friends, perhaps he lobbied for his big new contract. Perhaps he convinced them to bring in Olsen after having played in a Pro Bowl? Maybe he advocated for over paying Irvin to get the old band back together?
Very well done cha. Loved reading it. For sure these coming games are auditions for 2021. There will be so many decisions that they have to make. Some of these will be decided by what they actual salary cap ends up being and some will be related to the remaining games. This off-season is going to be an interesting one for sure.
I have a separate question to the community. Were people excited when they extended Pete or are people ready for a change?
Pretty obvious I’m ready for a change but now is not the time because of the ownership situation I’m afraid. Until there’s a new owner in place it would likely contribute to several coaching/GM changes over the course of a a few years and instability is worse then a moderate level of ineptitude.
We need David Tepper! Where are you!!!
I”m ready for a change in coaching – but we all know there is no guarantee the next group of coaches won’t be worse. Who is available? But that’s all a moot point when the coach has a five year contract extension. Why don’t they start with one thing, the strength and conditioning coach. Based on past rumors and his current (injured player) performance, he should be fired.
Most of what Rob identified as problems in management have been in place for many years and will continue until the end of Wilson’s contract in 2013.
Nice work cha. Rob, thanks for this. I’ll throw in my two cents:
– I think this season we are looking at 2nd place in NFC west, playoff revenge with Giants then losing next game. It would have been room for much better.
– Pete has to make some changes, I think he looks willing to try, I doubt he will take the experiments far enough. If he doesn’t get new coaches in his team, we’ll have the same story over and over again.
– I don’t see us winning big games if we don’t make a weapon out of the TEs. Both Dissly and Hollister have scored TDs before, we just need to use them right. But I see them as a solution for 3rd downs. It’s Schotty’s job to make this work.
– RBs have not delivered enough this year. I would keep Carson but not at any cost. I’d rather take my chance on free agency if he is not willing to understand that he is no guarantee and this should be reflected in his wage. Penny is also a big question for me, if he keeps getting injured we better let him go. Hyde is a good backup but not more than a backup.
– Jamal should not be acting without a plan. It’s the DC’s job, and Pete’s, to devise one such that we aren’t exposed by his actions. If that implies that Diggs can’t handle the secondary alone, throw in Neal next to him and change the scheme. I don’t imagine them admitting it was a mistake to overpay for him, so I think they will try to keep him. Chances are he will ask for more than we are willing to pay.
– One of Bobby Wagner and KJ will say goodbye. We have cheap depth at the position.
– Griffin will stay, but he won’t get better.
I hope nobody accepts this groundhog day scenario as acceptable, given the resources they blew this year.
I would argue he needs to make wholesale changes. He needs to bring in expert coaches to run his defense (and maybe even his offense) from outside of his coaching bubble. Enough of the old pals act.
Given how much they spent on the TE’s this year, it’s an underrated point how underused they’ve been. And it warrants an explanation.
IMO the Seahawks have handcuffed themselves to retaining Chris Carson by not doing a good enough job adding players who can be the lead guys next year. Dallas and Homer aren’t good enough. Hyde hasn’t done enough to warrant any faith. Penny isn’t a RB1 and can he even stay healthy? They’ve made a dogs dinner of this position and now they’re probably going to have to pay to keep Carson. The alternative is you sign the 2021 version of Eddie Lacy, I suppose.
I think they have to be brutally honest, direct and clear with their plan for Jamal Adams. They need to draw a line on how much they’re willing to pay him. And if he rejects it, they need to move on. I think it’s as simple as that.
Bobby won’t go anywhere. KJ might but for me they’d be far better off keeping him around.
I sincerely hope they’re willing to move on. He’s not good enough to warrant a big contract. I’d only want him for a modest return. Otherwise, let someone else pay him. Bring back Sherman at a cheaper cost.
Wayne Gallman is a FA this offseason iirc. He’d look nice in a Hawks uni.
I really liked what I saw of Gallman when I was looking at my NYG preview.
You would never lose money betting on how little the Seahawks actually use their tight ends in passing games. Sure they talk about using them, the fans talk about using them, but they don’t. Even when the running backs are injured, they don’t throw to the tight ends. I don’t know why they even fixate about having a decent tight end.
Well it looks like Pandora’s box of the off-season has been officially broken wide open😁. I really want to write a big response but with where I am at with this team I just don’t have the will to currently.
All I can say for now is that the answer to so many of the issues and ways to solve them moving forward lies in getting rid of pretty much all the coaches starting with Pete and Schneider as well. I have no confidence that they are capable of and/or willing to see and do the types of things necessary. They have shown us who they are for a long time now(and your run down of their failures going back some years shows it very clearly if even just from a numbers type of standpoint) and with the walls closing in they seem to function/react even worse both in coaching and free agency/drafting. I could throw out a spat of damning keywords against Pete and John but it really doesn’t matter at this point – not only are they what they are but they are getting/responding worse to everything in pretty much every facet of this team.
I’ve been a Hawks fan for life back to going to games in the Kingdome as a kid(and feeling the pain of blacked out games) no matter the record I always loved football and my Seahawks. Through all the ups and downs this is probably the most difficult to witness of all – squandering a HOF QB’s best years in a slow death spiral of poor drafting/free agency, poor philosophical ideals and poor to bad coaching. To see it all as a fan and know that things could be done so much better tears your guts up. The poor decisions and directions on and off the field year after year, game after game. So many of them truly make you wonder how professionals making millions of dollars can think what they think and do what they do.
I think you’d be hard pressed to find many other organizations that would view the Pete and Schneider regime as having gone from geniuses to jokes over the course of time running the Hawks. The joke is currently being played out on us passionate fans. This is how fans like myself can have such strong reservations and ensuing critical opinions even in the face of a team that usually makes the playoffs. We see the folly, we see the erosion, we see the failings and shortcomings and we see a franchise that has been carried by a QB for years despite his coach and GM.
We love auto-type.
The above last paragraph was supposed to read “organizations that -would’nt- view the Pete and Schneider”……
Nice article Cha. Best get on that #LetChaCook trademark asap.
Ha! You get 10% of T shirt sales as a finder’s fee.
Where can I send the check for $2?
Hang on to it for now. When you sell 9 more, put an extra one in the mail for me.
Shaquill Griffin today:
So forget always competing or going into a game determined to prove a point against a backup QB.
This Seahawks team takes opponents lightly, weren’t focused enough and got their arses kicked.
If you’re not scared by the mentality of this team after a quote like that, bloody hell.
As I said in the previous thread, That pissed me off and I don’t want Griffin on our team with that attitude. The real LOB surely didn’t feel that way.
Wow, just wow. Admitting that the team was unprepared and unprofessional. And basically admitting that the coaches aren’t doing their jobs. Is it any wonder that fans are ready for a new direction?
kudos to him for speaking the truth, this happens every week, all teams do this a few times a year, some still win because of it
My feeling is he is speaking the truth for himself, not the rest of the defense. He is in a contract year and this is his attitude? Every game he plays will affect his next contract and right now he has said that twice. I really question his resolve and what he is all about at this point. You think Bobby and KJ are feeling this way? I don’t, I see effort from those guys every week.
No, not kudos to him for speaking to truth.
He should’ve helped make sure nobody had that attitude in the first place.
the usual talk from players is this is the biggest game of the year but there is no accounting for the subconscious saying that we should take care of business with only 90% effort and before you know it it’s too late
when there is a prme time game against a tough opponent you can visibly see the effort is much better
Didn’t he say something about being lulled to sleep by an offensive strategy earlier in the season?
Against Dallas maybe? Or Minnesota?
He did.
Problem was the offense, and has been the last few weeks. Need to start producing again.
What the hell has happened to Will Dissly? His first 2 years were cut short due to injuries, but when he did play the guy was excellent. Now, I don’t even notice if he is on the field or not..
He’s been open on routes in the middle of the field, but Russ isn’t throwing to him. He’s looking for the long ball.
Sometimes I wonder if Russ is trying to pad DK’s stats so they can combine to be the next Montana/Rice combo. Ever since he said that weeks ago I’ve been wondering this and his actions point to it. Am I overreacting?
Considering Wilson stated that he wants to be MVP, no you are not.
Injuries have also taken a bit of a toll imo. He’s lost some short area burst and perhaps a little overall speed.
Who do you guys think the Seahawks will trade in the offseason to get more draft picks?
It’s hard for me to see them going into the draft with only 3 or 4 picks especially with all the needs on the roster. I could see them moving off Bobby with jordyn brooks being cheap and looking good.
Also hard for me to see them keeping jarran reed with how expensive he is and his lack of production.
Maybe they look to move Tyler lockett if they don’t want to extend him. I wouldn’t want that to happen but he might be able to return some picks.
Bobby Wagner is the golden child of defense. They seem to see him as Russell on defense. They aren’t going to trade him.
They’re not trading Lockett. No chance.
There’s only one obvious player they could trade and get any kind of value and that’s Jamal Adams.
So do you think it’s likely they will go into the draft with only the 3 or 4 picks they currently have?
Well they’re not going to trade Bobby or Tyler for some throwaway pick just to boost the numbers.
As I said, there is one tradeable asset on the roster and that’s Adams. So either they keep him and live with the situation THEY created by dealing for him in the first place or they trade him and get some picks back.
Yeah I feel that. I just think there roster isn’t very good and they need a couple got drafts to get it to the point they need, but they don’t have any draft picks. So I guess it will be more of the same these next couple years having russ try and save them.
Thanks for the responses. I Enjoy the blog!
Bobby Wagner will be the 2021 version of KJ Wright.
He’s got a big fat juicy cap number, he’s not the youngest guy on the field, and fans will be sharpening their axes to cut or trade him all summer. “Cut or trade Bobby” will be the proposed solution anytime the Hawks are up against a wall or a top player becomes available.
And it won’t happen. He’s the captain of the defense in many ways.
He’ll suit up in blue and green in 2021. And be fantastic.
Outstanding, cha.
One small quibble: I’m not sure the Seahawks really “have a large amount of salary cap room in 2022.” The raw number looks good but they will have only 17 players under contract, the third-fewest in the league according to OTC. Measured by cap space divided by number of positions to be filled they’re 13th in 2022, which is certainly better than 23rd or 32nd but not really a cause for celebration in my opinion. And it’s not as if they have a huge amount of draft capital to fill those positions by that route.
Thanks for the feedback but I could not disagree more. The cap room is fantastic and opens up all kinds of interesting possibilities.
“Players under contract” is overblown. On the 2020 salary cap, the Seahawks have 27 players accounting for $19m of cap room. Half their roster accounting for less than 10% of the cap.
I have no doubt they’ll be able to replicate that result in 2022. But just for fun let’s double those 27’s salary for 2022. $38million.
That will give them 46 contracted players. How much cap room will they have for the remaining players? Over $100 million. That’s ‘kid in a candy store’ money.
They will have the flexibility to completely reshape this roster if they like. The only limit will be their ambition.
2022 will be wide open for most teams in the NFL….. but 2021 is going to be a hard nut to crack salary cap wise…. it can be done, but you can’t lay out a fat contract to an average player (CB Griffin).
Or commit about $18m to a blitzing safety
They need to get some better corners on the roster, someone with the attitude the sherm had. They need more of that swagger the lob used to have
Nicely done Cha!
C “Howitzer? Hammer? Harold? Hollister?” A-
Thanks for your continued contributions to the blog. Methinks the blog will agree with much of your article, but I fear that proper self assessment is lacking with the current powers. Moves and picks have been more panicked lately, to yours and robs points. Since it will be very difficult to improve the team in the short term through the draft and FA, it would be nice if schemes could be changed to fit the personnel. Can we please blow out the jets Sunday? Christ.
Rob, we don’t use government names on here…. 😉
I prefer to think of him as the popular SDB poster known as Cha.
lol
Via 49ers writer for The Athletic:
Come home
I hope the starting corners next year are Sherm and Deandre Baker with Reed, Amadi and Blair backing up
Sigh…
It’s getting really old. Schotty HAS do be better.
Is this the way other successful teams game plan!?!? Here’s what RW and Schottenheimer said: we have a great plan A, and our plan B is well, our plan A, until it’s the forth quarter with a couple minutes left…
But even in the 4th Q they have no plan but plan A
after 1/2 time, but preferably in the 2nd quarter… mix some screens and shorter passes in… or heaven forbid, run at the 6 AND 7 MAN BOXES. If you know they are going to play zone most of the game, exploit it….
I get so sick of “game plan” talk from some coaches. It’s like they’ll keep running into a brick wall after their plan doesn’t work and can’t figure out that something different might work sooner. I look at Bill in NE this year – that’s a bad team who had a lot of players opt out, but he never forces a stupid plan during a game. He actually adjusts in real time. Something the Seahawks are obviously too stupid to do based on the comments from players (who know more than us). That’s where a lot of fan frustration comes in.
They are stubborn, arrogant and a failure. No question..if I see that since Cards game and they did not see it for 6 weeks, either are acting ignorant or unfit.
So let’s see, these guys are paid millions of dollars to coach and play football and “it took too long for SEA to adjust to shorter, quicker passes”?
Someone please explain to me how any number of us sitting at home can see this problem quickly and these guys can’t?
And it’s not just our staff. McVay never came off his game plan vs. NE in the Super Bowl. He supposedly has an encyclopedic knowledge of every play he’s ever called and he can’t change the team’s approach? Sure I get that maybe they didn’t prepare for what they saw and therefore didn’t practice plays that might be effective in the situations they aren’t totally ready for, but for God’s sake they have stuff in the playbook that supposedly every offensive player should know.
Even if you are a team that is relatively successful at throwing downfield, should the gameplan *ever* be “the deep ball”?
Even at the best, it’s a low percentage play, and can lead to a lot of negative outcomes.
I would think that if you want to take deep shots, the best “plan” would be to establish the running game, and utiilize play action… which happens to be a strength of Russ.
Will be very interesting to see if the press asks PC about that today.
Might be a nice diversion from the litany of questions about shoes, COVID and injury updates.
I want someone to ask Carroll about Griffin’s comments that basically the team mailed it in last week.
Nice piece, cha!
So much frustration with this team as it is and lack of upcoming resources to make the circle complete.
RB – Carson is an injury prone stallion. He’s that beast you feed the ball to 25 times per game, except he can’t handle that load. Is it really worth paying for someone who is proven to be injury prone? If he could stay healthy, he and Penny could be a good/great duo for ’21. But if you want to bet on Carson staying healthy, then I’ve got cheap lake front property to sell you in the middle of the Sahara Desert too.
TE – So much has been made of the stupidity in investing so much into this position and not actually even using it. It’s like buying a new suit but never wearing it anywhere. WTF. Olsen gets $6 million to not be a factor, a 4th round pick was used on Dissly (and Parkinson), and Hollister is getting big bucks not to play (more now with Olsen out). Why invest in something you won’t use? So dumb.
DT – People complain about our bad luck with injuries (I don’t count Carson, Iupati, Olsen, etc. as “real” injuries because it’s your fault for being so stupid to expect guys like to stay healthy when they’re proven to be injury magnets) but imagine the horror of this defense if Reed or Ford would have had to miss time this year? The depth is amazingly terrible. Ford and Reed are asked to play too much and we’re really going to see a shit show if either of those guys have to miss an extended time.
DE – The silver lining in all of this is that Darrell Taylor has been the difference maker they expected when they used a 2nd and 3rd round pick to trade up to nab him the selection right before the Steelers took Chase Claypool. If he can get just a little more help from his teammates, he has a chance to break Michael Strahan’s single season record in sacks. Such a wise move from Pete and John, but that’s why they make the big bucks.
LB – It’s almost like the off-season plan was, “Hey guys, lets have great TEs and LBs this season and lets sign a whole bunch of FA OL. Then we don’t have to care about anything else.” But, hey, they invested heavily in the LB position. In addition to KJ and Bobby, they gave a lot more money to Bruce Irvin than anyone else would have considered for an old player who was never a very good pass rusher in his prime (vastly overrated) and used a #1 pick on a player to be good depth this year. Thankfully, Brooks is looking better as the season progresses because I’m sick of crappy early picks and we’re at the point where we just need good young players – because there’s certainly not enough of them. But at least LB and TE are/were stacked! Except Cody Barton isn’t depth. He’s a body
SS – When you use a 2nd round pick on a strong safety, you expect him to start by year two or it’s a failure. When you trade the house (starting SS, 1, 1, 3) for a player, you would expect that player to be a potential franchise QB or a player who will put you over the hump for legit Super Bowl contention). The Seahawks sold the house to have an above-average mediocre team with no DL at the time of the trade.
CB – I like Amadi at nickel. I don’t like Griffen’s attitude and Dunbar hasn’t been good. The corners suck pretty bad. I don’t hate Flowers as much as some people but I only want him on the team next year as competition for the back-up job at RCB.
This is a team that needs 5-6 picks in the first three rounds of the draft, but it’s a team with only a second rounder. It’s very hard to be optimistic right now.
That being said, this season isn’t over. Due to the fact that I don’t think there is a really good team in the NFC – that gives me hope. Not a lot, but a little. Because if there was a team like the Chiefs or Bills (especially the way they pounded the Seahawks) or even they physical Titans (even though their pass rush sucks) I wouldn’t be so optimistic. But if they can escape the clown show of the NFC contenders, anything can happen in a one game winner take all game if they have to face the Chiefs or something much better than themselves. So I’m saying there’s a chance… I’ll continue to hold out that hope until they’re defeated in January.
If they even play a game in January after that last regular season matchup.
It greatly pains me to say this…………it’s time to let Chris Carson move on. Sign someone who stays healthy please. Is Wayne Gallman (FA to be), dynamic enough to carry a good portion of the load and stay healthy?
I don’t think they can afford to let Carson go and roll with a FA like Gallman who hasn’t shown enough yet.
To me, they’ve backed themselves into a corner with Carson by not tapping into the RB class this year.
Sadly, you’re probably right. It seems the only solution is to draft someone. Maybe if they trade Adams and get more picks they can do so. Won’t happen tho imo.
Backed into a corner is right.
The position is so obviously important to this team, and they now need to spend significant resources to either resign an unreliable (but excellent) player, or draft a guy (in a draft where we have few picks).
There have been many opportunities over the past few drafts to get “the next guy”, and they both passed on talented players, and picked untalented ones.
Perhaps they are hoping Penny will step up, but it’s pretty clear that he isn’t the kind of back (even at his best) that they want to be the main guy.
The Penny pick is indicative of their errors.
They could’ve had a bruising, physical, explosive, tone-setting runner with years of SEC production (Nick Chubb).
Instead they take a flashy player from San Diego State with only one year as the starter, seemingly because he had ‘a great health grade’ (but had never had his durability tested as a ONE year starter). And what’s happened? Chubb is a war horse and Penny has spent most of his three years injured, producing only the occasional flash play.
‘We want to be the bully’
Looks like the Rams want this game.
They know the Jets have a chance of getting a win
Do y’all think there is a single position they are better at now than the super bowl years? I would argue quarterback and maybe wide receiver, but other than that they are worse everywhere.
Nice write-up, Cha. Thanks for the time and effort to put together such a thorough overview.
Honestly, at this moment, I’m kind of less interested in what players they acquire/let go until some changes/adjustments are made at the coaching level. It doesn’t matter how many great players we have at a position (just look at Lockett, Metcalf the last couple games) if our coaches can’t or won’t adjust to what the opponent is doing.
Even this current group of players is capable of competing for a Super Bowl, IMO, with better game planning and in-game adjustments. We’ve seen what the offense can be in the first few games of the year; it can be spectacular if the OL and RB health holds up and we don’t play right into opponents’ game plan. After adding Dunlap and if a healthy Dunbar can provide a couple turnovers (he seemed to at least get into good positions early in the season), even our historically terrible defense seems to have found a manageable way forward, albeit against lesser opponents the past couple weeks.
The thing is, they say they do this constantly. That’s precisely the meaning of “always compete”. But the results continue to be the same year after year, so… 🤷♂️
Thanks Sea Mode.
Keep in mind the how important the word “objectively” is. It needs to not be influenced by personal feelings or opinions.
And just because they say they are in public doesn’t make it so.
They’ve said the pass rush was addressed with Bruce Irvin and Benson Mayowa.
They’ve said Darrell Taylor will be ready to play soon for weeks and weeks.
They’ve said Jamal Adams has been awesome in coverage.
Just saying it doesn’t make it so.
George Orwell agrees with you.
That’s what is so infuriating to the fans who follow the team closely… the dissconnect from what we all see, from what we hear from the team (Pete, specifically).
How much of it is PR, and how much of it is disillusionment, is what I wonder/worry about.
This is the best piece I’ve read on the state of the franchise.
My quibble is in the supporting your qb section. With Lockett a little banged up, it is clear that the WR room is too thin. While other teams look to get their quarterbacks as many dynamic receiving weapons as possible, Seattle stood pat with two great receivers. Gordon, AB, and Dorsett cannot be your backup plan if one of the studs is banged up.
Akers and that Rams run game look scary.
Well, so much for this being a game.
And I fear so much for Seattle making a game of it vs. LA in a couple weeks.
scam newton
I wonder what outfit he will pick out for the post game press conference.
Noticed the headlines on Griffin’s comments about taking the Giants too lightly. What an indictment of this coaching staff. SMH
Patriots 6-6
Dolphins 8-4
Seahawks 8-4
This is the worst Seahawks team under Pete ..
Great job Cha.
But you’re still going to have to summarize PC’s press conferences. Essential reading.
Aye aye
Great write up!!! hadn’t realized it was Cha until reading the comments, nice work man. It’s been such a wild ride on the team culture, being underrated and playing with a massive chip on there shoulders to a Super Bowl. Falling apart after losing the Super Bowl on that interception and having to drop future HOF members off the team to regain the Locker room. Choosing a HOF QB for a HOF RB, FS, CB and top pro bowl DE, and BAMF Wr because the QB position is just to damn important. Establishing a new core with a set personality they think could survive tragedy in their lives and come back from it probably could get over something like a Super Bowl loss and not start pointing fingers at one another or fall totally apart as a team. Great guys, nice, good business men, professional, great PR image, but that doesn’t make for great, it makes for consistently pretty good. You need some nutballs with a screw half loose and something to prove. Ray Lewis type I probably have done some shady stuff but you gonna love me Sunday guys. I think the social justice issues created a higher demand for players that wouldn’t say the wrong thing or even the right thing in the wrong way. The team lacks an edge, a personality, honestly a Sherman type emotional leader that hold everyone accountable from Coaches to players including the QB. With the way Brooks is playing, would losing Wagner for Sherman be a bad thing? He doesn’t think he’s going to be a 49er next year, and would go along way to fixing the culture.
Cha, well reasoned, and we’ll supported: thanks for that. And to Rob, as always.
I’ll take any positive news at this point, even from the mouth of one of our two “Mr. Optimism”…
Not to sound pessimistic but if the Rams take the ball out of Goffs hands basically and focus on the run like last night the Hawks basically have no shot against them the way they have played this year.
The Hawks used to be the physical team and the Rams were the finesse team it is the polar opposite now.
Another Blog favourite Cam Akers looked amazing last night. Another example of a guy who you watched in College on a bad team who you knew was going to be an impact player but still lasted till near the end of Rd #2. Both he a Claypool were physical freaks on offense who went after We traded up for Taylor. Hard to stomach.
I have no confidence in Seattle beating LA
Me neither. None.
Akers looked great last night. Sucks that he ended up with the Rams. I have to agree that the Rams look dominant in our Division. They professionally put their opponent down and finished them last night. It will take a strong effort not to end up like the Patriots.
Thank you Mr. cha for your exceptional analysis and (sad) state of the union. Felt like Tell The Truth Thursday. If this had been your interview for GM you would have the job tomorrow. Rarely have I read such a well-reasoned assessment of how the Hawks are squandering a quarterback situation that many franchises search for for decades, and a roadmap for how they need to address it. But never have I been more convinced that Positive Pete is incapable of taking the bold action you’ve laid out. #MediocreForever
Maybe it’s just me, but I get the sense that Russ has lost a little of his top-end speed. Perhaps that contributes to the jangly nerves in the pocket on 3rd down? Harder to play Houdini, hold the ball ad infinitum, and then make a schoolyard play if you’re not as elusive as before.
Of course, rolling out Jamarco Jones (who really should be on the interior, but, well, injuries) and then having to shift over to 4th stringer/deer in headlights Chad Wheeler, left Russ’ easier escape route side (being right-handed) compromised, so maybe that’s part of it too. Man I hope Shell comes back soon.
And it didn’t help when the coaching staff left 4th string guy by himself on an island with no help from a TE or RB in blocking good NFL DEs for 2 series in a row. Absolutely ABYSMAL coaching in that instance. But of course they somehow thought Bradley Sowell could protect RW’s blind side a few years back and because of that kind of decision making, Russ came the closest he’s ever come to getting hurt to the point of missing time (and probably should have) when Suh hurt his ankle after a whiff “block” by Sowell (I was at that game).
I have one question for you today Rob what happened to the bully? Nobody fears the Seahawks do they?
Nobody fears the Seahawks.
They haven’t been an intimidating team in years.
They’ve completely lost all semblance of that.
Sometimes they look like a PAC 12 team.
You can get after them. The reverse isn’t true. I can’t remember the last time the Seahawks physically took it to an opponent.
Rob you said a couple times on the cast that the Seahawks want to be the bully, etc but they don’t even talk about that anymore. But what do they talk about in terms of identity? I quickly pored through my recollection of press conferences and I can’t identify a theme or a goal for a team identity.
The closest I can come up with in their press comments is when Pete says guys are “jacked up” but I take that as more about adrenaline and being speedy around the field than displaying a tough mentality.
Tom Cable was a tough coach in every aspect of the word. Mike Solari, Brian Schottenheimer…”tough” isn’t an adjective I’d pull if you asked me to pick 5 words to describe them.
Defensively, Gus Bradley and Dan Quinn had an edge to them and even in the early days when their DL’s were super pass rushers, you had 300lb monsters up and down the line like Alan Branch, Red Bryant, Brandon Mebane and Clinton McDonald to deal with.
Ken Norton, even being a former player and the son of a legendary boxer, again, “tough” just doesn’t come to mind.
And their personnel decisions seem to match that lack of toughness. Drafting Penny over Chubb, thinking Mone is tough because he’s 360lb, Flower’s fragile confidence, Griffin’s admitted mental lapses, etc.
I seem to recall a significant moment/game, in Pete and John’s first year, that the Seahawks were totally pushed around and manhandled.
I think it may have been against the Steelers?
Anyway, John has said in interviews, that they decided, “never again would they have a team that would get bullied like that”, or something to that effect.
Man, I wonder how they must feel now, 3 years into a “reset”, and they have built a team that gets bullied by a 4-7 team, and that can bully no one else.
It’s such an inidictment of the GM, really.
I can’t help but wonder how things would have gone if we’d “lost” JS to Green Bay a few years back.
Preach it brother. This team is as soft as eider down (for our English blog owner).
*Jim Harbaugh voice: “noooobody!”
Very nice write up Cha. A lot of thought and solid data behind it. Agree with most of it like the disengaged ownership or the same ole, same ole approach, etc. I’m torn by the state of the Hawks. On one hand this franchise has been the most successful franchise in NFL after the Patriots in the last 10 years. Rushing to seek wholesale tear down and redo from top to bottom reminds of the Lions situation who ran Caldwell out of town after two seasons of 9-7 in 2016 and 2017 to go 9-21 under a new (hot) coach in Patricia. At the same time, status quo is getting staled and as Rob has mentioned we need new blood in OC and DC positions who can bring fresh ideas and an edge. I’m one of the few in minority who thinks the roster, with all of it quirks and perhaps not a perfect fit in every position, is not a bad roster. There are very few organizations and rosters that can claim they are much better like Baltimore or KC. Niners and Rams are missing the key ingredient, a transcendent QB. Heck, even 49er fans complain about heir drafts and roster. After watching McVay calling the game last night with all the creativity, movements and savvy to protect Goff (at times taking the ball out of his hands in key moments) we can see what difference a coach can make. same on the defensive side (to be fair no one talks about the challenges of integrating so many new players into a defense that relies so much on communication and harmony without camps and pre-season games). I think if Pete brings in two strong OC/DC coaches who don’t just rubber stamp his direction, this team will be in a much better place. I’m less worried about the CAP situation and how much they pay to the players. They have navigated that much better than many teams in the past.
Do I want the Hawks to win another SB, yes. But I wouldn’t call what we have trash either. For that we should look no further than our opponent this week.
Thanks again and nice job on the piece. Go Hawks…
Cha,
Great write-up.
Part about PC having a championship will, I don’t see that in his posture, or hear it in his voice anymore.
His relentless cheerleading sounds just like that now, cant, practiced, and when combined with his lines about “Win Forever” and “Always compete” (which we really dont hear anymore,) they make for a verbal crutch that old men lean on when their minds are failing and the stress of living in the fucked-up present forces them into a mental space, where things are safer, better…. Really, just the past, in all its rose-tinted glory.
So this peppy, give-it-the-good-ol-college-try way of running a franchise, that Pete perfected in LA /USC, he thought he could run with a bunch of grown-ass men in Seattle. That’s what split the lockerroom in half…. Actually, it split it between the LOB/the defense and RW.
With the Super Bowl fail, PC had a big choice. Being the defensive coach, wanting his team to ‘bully’ the other teams,… He chose RW over the LOB.
And he got rid of all of the bullies, in favor of his biggest sycophant, a guy in RW who mimics PC in his press conferences, win or lose. Same wording, style, everything.
RW has become annoyingly cant and repetitive, like his Boss, manic when he needs to be reflective. He said he has “been great and will be great again” in a presser and nobody called him on it because we have become immune to this open self-mythologizing during the MVP campaign. (HOF and all this in this history-making MVP actions)
Especially after his run of form, it is borderline delusional.
If you are running for MVP, and the number you think you need is TD passes, you are gonna wait until DK gets open in the endzone, because we aren’t trying to win a game anymore, we are after history. (RW talked about making history with DK… an historical connection)
When you start openly talking about ‘history’, you are just that….. history.
Sending a quick thank you to Cha for taking the time to write this interesting article.
Also wanted to send a shout out to Rob – I reread your article about Richard Sherman and enjoyed it even more this time.
I don’t see Seattle seeing these errors until they have an owner who is willing to analyze the faults and demand answers. Currently it is only Pete and John looking themselves with no boot to fear.
Not saying PC & JS aren’t trying to be critical of themselves or doing their best for the organisation but football teams rely on a all-in owner for Superbowl success as they desire to lift the trophy as much as the player. Who is that person at Seattle Seahawks
Cha, or Curtis Allen to your non-Seahawks Draft Blog acquaintances, just curious, is your middle name Harold, Henry or perhaps Hieronymus?
Curtis, good work. Thoughtful, insightful and overwhelmingly I agree. Cha, I also enjoy your day to day contributions. Bravo!
Rob, as always love your stuff, and thanks for giving Cha the opportunity!
Now – on the subject of our beloved Hawks…
To vastly over exaggerate:
There are 32 NFL teams. All tying to find the magic sauce, the unicorn, the keys to success and the resources to see that sauce “cook.” In their way are 31 teams, a cap and injuries (brutal, undeserved, striking at the worse possible time to the most important ingredients in the sauce. Remember: a Super Bowl, a hated enemy, a 10 point lead, a game completely under control and then the gods unleash an anvil to fall on an Avril and the lead, the game, the championship, the legacy, and the exquisite joy all just evaporate. Gone forever. That was just one injury, to one player, on a 53 man roster and it sunk Seattle’s Titanic. A season is a million moments, a billion seconds of coin flips any of which can make or destroy a season.
GM’s and coaches are hired to be fired. Hired to be adored (if they are lucky) then discarded. So it ever was, so it ever will be.
To my aged jaundiced eye DangeRuss seems (perhaps even much) slower, predictable. The team is incapable of scheming for 3rd downs and short yardage. To me the abomination is not their failure it is their incomprehensible inability of even attempting to scheme a solution. I refuse to believe this is the players fault. It is the play selection. We lack imagination, attention to strengths and weaknesses and are transparently one dimensional.
With apologies to Monty Python, Something has gone askew on our treadle. If we don’t fix it we’ll have to face the Spanish Inquisition and NOBODY wants to face the Spanish Inquisition.
Still, fool I am, come Sunday, cold Corona in one hand, pizza slice in the other, I shall face the TV and pray to all the gods that this week, this game, they’ve fixed the broken treadle.
Hope springs eternal.
Excellent article. I hope Pete reads it because I have little hope anything changes.