This article is a guest post by Curtis Allen — better known as ‘cha’ in the community
Record: 4-0
Thoughts
It’s a fantastic accomplishment to finish the season with four straight wins to stand at 12-4. That really says something about this team, to do it while enduring one of the strangest seasons in NFL history.
That said, we saw some less than stellar play on both sides of the ball in these games. Inconsistent play at times just did not instil confidence in the fan base or give the team much momentum. As a result, there are a lot of question marks about a 12-4 #3 seed. Which is an unsettling thing to say.
MVP
1. Michael Dickson
He continues to churn out an incredible body of work under pressure. Let us count the ways he excelled this quarter:
– Dickson had six punts of 50 or more yards with either no return or a one yard return.
– More impressive — five of those six punts were in situations where the Seahawks were tied or leading by one score. That is some clutch punting.
Need any more evidence of his awesomeness? In the Rams game, the Seahawks are up 13-6 and the defense has just made a goal line stand and given the ball back to the offense. Yet they can’t give Dickson an inch of breathing room and have to punt. They get flagged for a false start penalty on the first attempt. So let’s back up another baby step.
Dickson has no room. His back foot is a blade of grass from being out of bounds. He has to get the kick out in a hurry and the Seahawks would count it as a win to just get rid of the ball and turn back to the defense to make a stop after a 20 or 30 yard punt.
Nope. Dickson uncorked a 51 yard bomb. He gave the defense enough room work and hold the Rams to a field goal.
Oh, and just for fun he added a couple short punts that pinned the opponent inside their own 20.
His contract is up after 2021. He’s a priority this offseason to extend. Forget scoffing at the Pro Bowl snub. Dickson is the real deal.
2. Russell Wilson
He stabilized himself after a shaky third quarter and there are some things to really like and build on.
– A nice rebound performance against what appears to be a surprisingly competent Jets team.
– He reduced his turnovers, throwing just two interceptions in four games. As well, it could be argued both interceptions were not of the sloppy, risky variety but great plays by the defender.
– He led hugely impactful 70 and 74 yard TD drives against the Rams in the second half of the game. The Rams defense has been incredibly stingy in the second half in 2020.
– He demonstrated a bit more decisiveness, taking the rushing yards that were open to him, including a 38 yard run against Washington and a TD run against the Rams.
Once again he needs to balance aggression and keeping the ball protected. This has been a back and forth swing between Russell and Pete at times in his career. There are going to be times in the playoffs where Russ is going to have to make three or four really good pressure throws if the team is to succeed.
3. DK Metcalf
His offseason checklist will include some concentration work as he’s had some mental lapses. The illegal shift penalty killing a drive vs the Rams and jogging back to the LOS after a play when the clock was running.
He did improve this quarter on drops. He only had one.
His star continues to grow. He may not have had a signature deep catch this quarter but he continued an important trend for a young player — just about every quarter this season Metcalf has shown us something new. This quarter he decided to change it up and show us two new things – both of which further addressed some pre-draft criticism:
He can be a first down machine
13 of his 20 catches this quarter were for first downs. Think about that for a minute. 65% of his catches caused a first down. In the WFT game he caught the ball a couple yards short of the first down marker and turned up field and just bowled over the linebacker for the first down. Why not? He’s bigger than the linebacker. He landed on his head and got right back up.
“But he isn’t a good route runner. He’s fast but he can only run in one direction.”
He twice displayed fantastic physical durability
Early in the Jets game he limped off the field and into the tent when a defender fell awkwardly on his lower leg. He returned shortly after and continued playing.
In the WFT game he landed awkwardly in the end zone on a catch attempt and the video showed something leaning towards a mild hyperextension. Pete Carroll said he didn’t know how DK avoided injury, other than he’s so flexible and in such great shape it didn’t cause a serious problem.
“But he’s TOO muscular. All that muscle is going to pull and sprain and cause all kinds of trouble for him.”
Rookie of the Quarter
1. Damien Lewis
Not a shock. He’s been the Rookie of the Quarter every quarter this year. In a year with some encouraging contributions from this rookie class, he still stands out above the rest. He’s played 90% of the team’s snaps this year and the only ones he missed were due to injury not getting subbed for poor play. Easily their Rookie of the Year.
2. Jordyn Brooks
He’s progressing very nicely. Although drafting a WILL linebacker so high is an expensive proposition, he’s paying dividends. One of the reasons he was brought in was to fight the Rams’ edge speed on the perimeter. Job done. Eight tackles in only 28 snaps in the Rams game is an incredibly proficient performance.
Watch him lay out George Kittle and still make the tackle.
There’s been a lot of talk that the Seahawks can avoid bringing KJ Wright back, or that they can cut Bobby Wagner loose because of Brooks’ stellar play in the last few games. That’s overly optimistic of course but it does show the level of Brooks’ play this quarter. He started this year with Ken Norton saying ‘he’s got a lot to learn’ and ‘he’s got all the skills we like, he just has to get on the field.’ He’s made big strides since that time. He’s ready to be a fixture on the defense in 2021.
But if he really does want to start that conversation about KJ and Bobby, ascending in the playoffs with some notable play could give the talk some legitimacy.
3. Alton Robinson
Two sacks this quarter to raised his season total to four. Some have been comparing him to Frank Clark in his rookie season, when he got 6 sacks in limited reps. Let’s pump the breaks on that and let Alton grow a bit.
What’s impressive though is that the sacks have had a great effect and have been done with a very limited number of reps.
In the WFT game, he had a strip sack of Dwayne Haskins. That was in 24 snaps.
In the Rams game he had a key red zone sack of Jared Goff that killed the drive and forced a field goal attempt. The Seahawks were clinging to a 13-6 lead at the time. He accomplished that with 18 snaps.
It’s understandable that the Seahawks are limiting the snaps of a 5th round rookie, with Mayowa and Dunlap sharing his position and the “rookie wall” being a real concern. But he has shown a propensity for sacks at important times and come playoff time, that ability needs to be featured, not diminished.
Pleasant Surprises
1. Beating LA
That was a huge victory for Pete Carroll and the Seahawks. The division was on the line, they’d come off a game against WFT that was shaky and here come the Rams who have dominated them.
The Seahawks stepped up and provided a big psychological victory. They trudged through the mud in the first half — outplaying the Rams but not outscoring them — and yet they didn’t let the Rams come back in the second half. Russell Wilson leading some great drives later in the game was a real confidence builder after his disaster of a performance in Week 10. That goal line stand was a thing of beauty and something the defense can use to pump themselves up for the upcoming playoff game.
2. The emergence of DJ Reed
Did you know that the Chinese use the same word for ‘crisis’ as they do for ‘opportunity’? Reed proved to be the embodiment of ‘crisitunity’ this quarter. With Quinton Dunbar out for the season with injury and Tre Flowers out for three of the four games, they had a big, big hole at outside cornerback. Reed filled that excellently when given the opportunity. In fact, he’s thrust himself into the conversation as a starter in the playoffs and the team will definitely be considering him for a big role on the defense in 2021.
Reed has been incredibly durable, only missing a couple snaps this quarter. He has an interception, zero missed tackles, allowed a low completion percentage when targeted and his yards after catch allowed is miniscule. That’s the very definition of sticky coverage.
What’s more – Reed brings an attitude, an edge to this team. He has a chip on his shoulder from being discarded by the Niners that someone like Jamal Adams, fierce as he is, just has never faced professionally. It’s reminiscent of the early PC days, with Seahawks players like Doug Baldwin, Jermaine Kearse and Richard Sherman. Not only can he carve an important spot on this roster with his play, he can relate to and motivate players like Ryan Neal to reach their potential.
3. The OL performance in the WFT game
The Seahawks have struggled with seriously strong defensive lineman groupings in the past. Many were rightly concerned about the offensive line facing the Washington front four in this game. Brandon Shell not being available for this game and Cedric Ogbuehi being slotted at the right tackle spot only deepened those concerns.
This unit handled the defensive line quite well. In 57 offensive snaps, they logged zero sacks allowed and seven pressures on eight blitzes. They also opened hole after hole in the running game. Chris Carson, Carlos Hyde and Russell Wilson had great runs and they were able to pace the offense on the strength of this line handling and effectively leaning on the Washington defensive line.
Biggest Disappointment
1. The sputtering offense
This quarter, three of the four games featured some strange game planning, play calling and ineffectiveness of the offense for large chunks of the game.
In the Washington game, they directed many early touches David Moore’s way. They clearly saw something in their game prep that they liked. They manufactured several quick-throw plays behind the LOS for Moore but they had very little effect.
Why David Moore for those? Why not Lockett or Metcalf for those plays? David Moore is not particularly strong at those type of quick pass plays. He’s fantastic at coming down with deep contested passes. That is his strength. Not dipsy-doodling at the line of scrimmage.
It’s also worth noting that in that game Will Dissly got zero targets. Zero.
In the Rams game, they decided to once again in the first half call several long-developing plays. As a result, Russell Wilson was sacked three times and frequently threw the ball away or dumped it off for very little gain. Why? Was the coaching staff overconfident after the OL did so well against Washington’s defensive line the week before?
At any rate the effect was Russell Wilson running for his life and not being able to get in rhythm. It’s no wonder they went into the half 6-6 having outplayed the Rams.
Wilson has had many problems but the offensive play calling has been indifferent to their opponents’ strengths, Russell’s current struggles and their available resources (like the tight ends). They’ve got to adjust better if they want to progress.
2. The near collapse vs Washington
The Seahawks had a 20-3 lead going into the fourth quarter. They nearly blew the lead against a team with a quarterback who was no longer on the roster the following week. Just typing that sentence gave me a bad feeling in my stomach.
Dwayne Haskins had nine passing first downs and three rushing first downs in the second half. That’s unacceptable. Pete Carroll shrugged away that awful performance with ‘we didn’t focus on the blitzing until we realized they were going to be pass heavy. When we did, we stopped them.’
The defense did what they frequently do, come up with a big stop at the end of the game and that is commendable. Yet this raises concerns for when the Seahawks will face better offenses.
3. The Darrell Taylor situation is now officially a debacle
How did we get to this point? Pete Carroll teased the press and the fan base practically all season and then got snide with reporters when pressed on what Taylor’s status is.
Not being able to have a draft pick in during the summer for a full exam due to COVID and starting the season on NFI is one thing. Needing a few weeks of the season to get right is not too far off schedule.
Being told a few weeks in that Taylor is running and looks great is a nice bit of positive news. Then a nugget is shared that he can’t change direction but is quickly dismissed with another positive review of his status. Which only added to the confusion and frustration.
This quarter, the confusion was amped up to all new levels. Taylor is ready. No, he’s going to get a second opinion. No, he didn’t get the opinion this week. I’ll have more for you next week. He got the second opinion and he worked out and was really sore. I’ll have more for you Wednesday. Then nothing.
It’s very possible Taylor may never play for the Seahawks. That needs to be accounted for. Pete simply cannot just shrug this off or get snippy with the press for doing their job.
Playoff Goals
1. Russell Wilson, this is your time
Your year has been exhilarating, confusing and frustrating.
You’ve had fantastic games. You’ve had terrible games. You’ve had games that started out terrible and ended up fantastic.
Your coaching staff has made some very strange play calls this season. There’s no doubt you’ve been hamstrung at times by the coaching staff and there’s been some confusion and frustration evident in your play.
Now is the time to rise above all of it. You can do it. You’ve been to the Super Bowl twice. You’ve faced and overcome impossible odds before. This city and this team have seen you do things no Seattle quarterback in history has done. You can do it again.
You talk about being the best ever. You talk about the MVP. You’ve interviewed Sue Bird and Jerry Rice on your podcast. People who have had hugely successful careers and been able to sustain them.
Now’s the time to flip the script and join them. The defense is rounding into form. The special teams are sparkling. But let’s be honest – this team is going as far as you take them.
Rise up.
2. Use your depth
The Seahawks have carefully built their depth all offseason and protected it by having several players on a pitch count during games. At one point Chris Carson was spotted on the practice field in bubble wrap. It appears a real fear has been instilled into this staff after dragging a beaten and bruised team into the playoffs last year and having to bring Marshawn Lynch out of retirement for a run at a title.
Well, now it’s the playoffs. The gloves are off. This is what you’ve coddled these players for. Chris Carson needs to shift into gear and have about 20-25 hard charging carries and a 3-4 good catches. Pound the Rams into submission and give Russell Wilson some room to breathe and not have to carry this team on every single offensive play.
Will Dissly. Greg Olsen. Jacob Hollister. Use them to build offensive rhythm. Some fans have maintained that the Seahawks are intentionally not giving them throws to sort of ‘keep a trick up their sleeves’ and surprise defenses. Well, now’s the time to unveil the tricks. Give them their shots.
If you do that you’ll perhaps solve goal #3…
3. Get better on third downs. Please.
4/12 vs San Francisco
8/17 vs Los Angeles
5/12 vs Washington
These aren’t confidence-inspiring numbers. Even if you don’t score on every single drive, you need a better 3rd down conversion to win the field position game and keep the defense fresh for the 4th quarter.
Many thanks to Curtis Allen for this guest post
You can now support Seahawks Draft Blog via Patreon by clicking the tab below.
By the way — I am recording my first two draft prospect interviews tonight. Two defensive linemen. Will reveal who after recording. We’re also recording our pre-Rams podcast tomorrow and I’ll be posting a new mock draft this week too.
You have been on a roll with the content on this website. Well done Rob!
Oops, I see Curtis Allen wrote the article. Well done Curtis!!!! Nice to see some intelligent thoughts put down on paper. Unlike the rest of us fans — har har.
Thanks Alaska
One question for all…
Would you give Russ for Jets no2 pick + 2022 1st round pick (take back from Adams trade)?
Last year i would say no, because i didnt think Pete will be here much longer… But now… Pete has 4,5 years more, i agree with Rob, he will never let Russ cook again, and i think he is close to build top 3-5 defense again…with solid and cheap QB on rookie deal… Hmmm…
I didnt look at Russel dead money so this is more hypotetical question…
I personally wouldn’t make that trade for Russ, The #2 pick is highly valuable, but can you say with near certainty that any of the QB’s likely to be picked there are sure fire stars? Zach Wilson and Justin Fields appear to be very good but I don’t think either has Lawrence’s upside as a sure-fire star.
You would have to expect some significant drop off while trying to incorporate a new QB into the mix. For all of Russ’ issues, he is still able to turn it on most times when the team needs him most
One other thing to note though… several QB’s have been to the SB on their rookie deals.
In the last few years:
Mahomes
Goff
Wentz (replaced by Foles due to injury)
Wilson x2
Flacco
Kaepernick
Not to mention, the Niners got there with Jimmy G, the Eagles with Foles and the Broncos with a basically useless Peyton Manning and Brock Osweiler combo.
So an argument can be made that a good QB, who is cheap, surrounded by quality, gives you a strong opportunity to get to the SB.
Could the Seahawks put a boat load of picks and a lot more cap space to use to complement a QB drafted in the top-five? Possibly. Could it actually make them a better team, even if they lose some of Wilson’s brilliance? Not out of the question.
Yep, a very reasonable counter point for making a trade like this. Not often the Hawks are going to have the #2 pick, so they would get to draft a QB very high and put more talent around him as well with the cap savings.
I still think it’s unwise to get rid of Russ right now, he’s still a top QB in his prime and the face of the franchise! If I’m a betting man, I don’t think it happens in the next couple years at least.
Its enticing but would you trust the current regime to be able to draft well to achieve that given recent history. they have not replaced any star that they let go promptly.
Well in fairness, they’ve never had a #2 pick.
I think the question is more do I trust Zach Wilson or Justin Fields?
I think Wilson has legit, legit talent.
Sure, they also need to hit on some of other picks from the trade to improve the quality of the team.
Hopefully this formats correctly…from OTC:
Player Cap Number Dead Money & Cap Savings (Trade pre-June 1)
Wilson $32,000,000 $39,000,000 ($7,000,000)
So 32M in dead money if traded in 2021
No, I wouldn’t. Who do you get at QB? Trevor Lawrence is surely gone at first pick, the other QBs don’t seem to be in the same class. There’s a huge difference between what Russ can deliver and the pains of finding a new QB. It’s not the moment to get creative with this.
I also doubt strongly that Pete plans with letting Russ go. Even in a run-heavy O, RW brings the unexpected factor and makes the work easier for everyone.
It would need to be more than just two first round picks.
I think Jets R1 and R2, and our 1st and 3rd rounder back would do it. I’d like another 1st rounder but to get those picks THIS year I think holds more weight than a future 1.
I doubt the Jets would essentially give up on this draft for one player. I think you have to leave them some picks this year and accept some of the comp would be in 2022.
I also believe Wilson’s no trade clause was to prevent this scenario and similar ones.
As it stands today, are you leaning toward the Jets drafting a QB or rolling with Darnold and giving him other weapons like OT or WR? I know leanings can have changed from your last mock and know that rookie QB’s are not guaranteed to pan out as expected in the NFL.
I could see either prospect happening.
If they decide to trade Darnold, what do you think the compensation could be?
Probably a day two pick
If it’s the Jets two 1sts this year and the higher one of their two 1sts in 2022. For those three 1st rounders I definitely would think hard. If Wilson unhappy, then definitely yes.
I would trade Wilson for the opportunity to draft Wilson if we could get our #1 pick back next year and either the Jets’ 2 or 3 THIS year.
They could draft Wilson at #2. Then they’d still have two quality picks (their own 2 and the Jets high 2 or high 3).
I love Russ, don’t get me wrong – but I’d do this trade.
Just saw this comment on another site for an article about NFL coaching landscape…what do you think about this Rob? And again, this is just a fan comment…
I believe JAX, LAC or both will relocate to the U.K. in the next 3-5 years.
If you’re the NFL what better way to launch a full-time presence than having Herbert and Lawrence as the faces of you local franchises?
And why two teams? Same reason the Dodgers needed the Giants to relocate west with them:
1) Instant local rivalry
2) Teams traveling to U.K stay for back-to-back games
3) Lots of money for cash-poor Spanos
4) Khan recently purchased Wembley Stadium.
There’s logic in the thought process for sure and it makes a lot more sense to have 2 teams move over there logistically. I had never thought of that but seems like a way to ease the travel burden a bit, particularly if you are able to get teams that go over a bye directly thereafter.
FWIW — Khan didn’t buy Wembley in the end.
I don’t think any teams will move to London personally. Not in the near future anyway.
In truth, is there much of a market for American football in the U.K. and Europe? Especially to support the cost structure of an NFL franchise.
I can see Jax making the move, but the Chargers just moved into a brand new $5B stadium (not to mention they also recently moved from SD to LA). Can’t see them leaving and moving again
I don’t see the Jags moving personally. I follow the Jags pretty closely as my wife and her family are from Jax. I know there are plenty of dots that can be connected to get to that point but Khan has from day 1 that he intended to keep them in Jax. He has spent a lot of his own money to upgrade their stadium, something I don’t think he’d do if they were leaving. I also don’t think as much as the NFL wants it that a team in London is viable or a good idea. I could be wrong wouldn’t be the first time.
Good stuff cha. Thanks for the write up, It’s awesome having 2 good writers to entertain me nearly daily here on SDB. Kudos to both of you guys!
Very kind
Awesome read Curtis! I couldn’t agree more!
As you noted, what has really stood out to me over the last month and a bit is how well we have developed depth on this team at most positions group; the only one that has me concerned (with the Reed injury) is DL since Snacks left. Guys I thought were lost causes (Ogbeuhi) seamlessly substitute in. And the best part, most were based on opportunities JS snagged as they presented themselves (DJ, Dunlap, Snacks, Collins, etc)! Job well down JS!
As yourself, I am concerned about the Taylor situation, though optimistic this is a mental hurdle that he needs to address at this point. I couldn’t imagine the fear that one would exp on every cut OR just the simple sensation/pain that a titanium rod in your leg would give. Having a couple titanium dental implants, I will say that though strong, they do feel significantly diff, and it took me a while before I truly trusted their strength. Hopefully, this is the same with him. As Marshawn would say, dude needs some time to get his “Mentals” right! Right now it is just disappointment, as the DL has turned the page. If it is a career ender, that will turn it in a debacle,
As for the playoffs, as you’ve stated, this is on Russ. If he truly wants to be regarded as one of the GOATs, its showtime; unlike 2013-2015 he IS the leader of this team now!
Once again, thx for the great read.
You’re welcome
You make a big contribution to SDB both with guest posts and with informative comments. Thank you.
Rob: Quick question. Everyone loves both Tyler Lockett and Metcalf. So do I. I completely understand why Russell Wilson LOVES Lockett. Over the coarse of the season Lockett has taken some pretty nasty hits. Eventually it takes it toll on him. Do you think that Russell Should target the tight ends more often? The Seahawks do have some quality receiving tight-ends. I know that Lockett is a fantastic route runner and he is a clutch receiver who knows how to get open. But I would love to see the Hawks go to their tight-ends more often. Take some of those targets away from Lockett. Just thinking of Lockett’s health. Any comments.
I don’t think they need to take any targets away from Lockett.
I think they can and should find a way to get the TE’s more involved though.
Do we expect Gordon to play Saturday? Is it realistic to expect that he could make a real contribution?
Josh Gordon?
He’s not eligible to play.
Sorry, Rob. I thought he had been reinstated.
To muddle the situation, he is supposedly still participating in meetings and all that, but has not been allowed to play on the field by the league office.
Tyler’s targets per game have been bipolar this year.
NYJ+WFT+LA games: 17 targets
SFO game: 14 targets
Another stretch:
DAL game: 13
MIA: 4
MINN: 5
ARI: 20
SFO: 5
I think defensive schemes have a big impact on his targets. If teams were loading up on DK then Tyler got more involved.
Seahawks 4 tight ends, Dissly, Olsen, Hollister, Parkinson, have combined for 75 catches for 715 yards and 6 touchdowns. Which is a little under 20% of Wilsons completions. Seems like they target tight ends but its spread out between the big 3. Very difficult to justify Olsen’s salary for 24 catches though..
They have a good and deep set of TEs. Both Dissly/Olsen give you that dual run blocking or chip and then get open for easy short conversions.
You’d think they could use 2 TE sets more often to get the run going AND target those TEs when they don’t run. Teams have to leave safety help high with Lockett/DK on the outside. Seems like a team strength they aren’t utilizing enough.
Excellent post cha:
My own –
Biggest Surprises:
– The play of Poona Ford and Brian Mone. Was absolutely dreading the state of our DLine at the start of the season. Not so much anymore, though we are awfully thin if someone gets hurt.
– The defensive scheme. Never would have imagined that Jamal Adams would be used the way he was and blitzed. Was so pleasantly surprised during the ATL game
– Special Teams. In addition to the kickers, our coverage units have been great. Props to Cody Barton especially
– Brandon Shell and Ogbuehi. Looking now to be quite astute additions but I thought they a waste of money at the time
Biggest Disappointments:
– The TE group. They’ve done nothing in the passing game. Uncle Will hasn’t had much of an impact. We barely saw Parkinson. Hollister has been alright. Olsen wasn’t worth the price. Overall it’s been extremely meh considering the investment
–
Seems like everybody playing RT has been good according to PFF. Shell, Wheeler, Ogbuehi.
I guess Ifedi just was that bad.
“Not only did he not allow a single pressure, but Ifedi was flawless in pass protection not losing a single rep. Ifedi’s been very reliable ever since kicking out to right tackle and he should be a player that the Bears should look to re-sign at the right price.”
This was a statement from a Bears writer after their Vikings game. So clearly, we got ifedi’s alien brother who had a strong desire to hold every d-lineman within a 5 mile radius.
Darrell Taylor is practicing today?????? Mind absolutely blown.
Game changer for the playoffs! 😉
So he’s either starting, or getting put on IR based on that. ANYTHING can happen with this guy.
I am just impressed that he actually exists! Although to be fair no confirmed sightings yet.
Who’s Malik Taylor? Sorry. I mean Darrell McDowell? Is he a Seahawk?
I’ve been using this with friends Bobby. Kudos and thanks
Lol’d in side…sadly…deeply…
Biggest hope for 2021 draft at this point – please avoid players with injury histories (like Darrell Taylor) in the effort to find extra value. You can’t contribute if you’re on an injury list and we don’t know how much Taylor can ever contribute. Right?
Practicing is further along than McDowell got at least. Hopefully he comes out of it okay and can be a factor in the pass rush if the Hawks get beyond this wild card round.
Source? Won’t believe it till I see it…
Wow pete said him it himself. Wild start to 2021.
Seahawks tricked me by having a press conf today. I’ll type it up when it gets posted.
But PC said Darrell Taylor is practicing today. For what that’s worth.
Pete was literally asked today by Michael Dugar:
‘How are you so good at this, answering questions from the media?’
So, take my gag suppressant before I listen? Go it.
And how could Pete respond?
-I treat every media question as a chance to go 1-0.
-I’m just really jacked and pumped to get these questions.
-I’m good at answering because these questions are embarrassingly obsequious.
– all of the above
Also fired up.
I didn’t mind this question because it was within the scheme of the questions he asked everyone today. I fully expect MSD to come out with an article on the Athletic later discussing the player/coach vs. media and how they handle it. Booby had a really good answer to it as well.
I didn’t hear Wagner’s press conference.
But still… seems a bit of a ‘meh’ topic. Especially for Seattle’s players and coaches, who are barely challenged and often asked banal questions.
Just a pattern I’ve noticed from Mike Dugar. I read all his articles on the Athletic and have noticed he asks questions for an article he is writing. Booby’s response to the question was funny…he said something like “That came out of left field…” but then went on to talk about the advice he gives younger players to the media in general and also posting on social media. It was a good response actually. Just an observation so I didn’t mind. Pete actually had a decent response to it as well, bringing up something he learned from someone he couldn’t remember in his distant past.
I keep mispelling Bobby’s name…he’s not a boob! 🙂
Corbin Smith had a pretty direct, critical article about the Hawks’ offense. Maybe there’s hope from some reporters.
Tuesday Wild Card Playoff Press Conf w PC
[Jen Mueller] Adams’ injury? “Work through week, see if he’s ok. all the way up to game day to work that out.”
[jen] Postiive about it? “My general outlook, I’m positive. More than not.”
[ben arthur] Offense now vs early season? “Generally I’m not a worrier, so that doesn’t apply. If you look at who we’ve been playing, those guys are really good. Early year defenses weren’t playing to this level. So different circumstances. Rams best in NFL. I’m not sure about answering your Q, getting ready to put a game plan together we can execute. Whatever it is, it is. I don’t care about the numbers before, the stats, or any of that stuff. It’s all gone. What happens now is what counts.”
[ben] Iupati and Shell back do for offense? “Stability. More experience than guys playing. Help guys next to them. Starters for a reason.”
[corbin] Ryan Neal got snaps early helps in case Adams out? “A lot of confidence in Ryan in the way he played, because of what he showed us. Played hard, tough, playmaker, very aggressive in style. Position and makeup of spot, off the bench for Jamal, pressuring right off the bat. That’s what we think of him, in same mold. Really good statement make in games played, happy to have him.”
[maz veda] Good mix on roster in playoffs? “Young guys look up to guys. Helps to have guys that have been there. Helping settle nerves, concerns, they don’t change their process. Our guys, they know. Stick to it championship prep. Good to have young guys excited, game calls for juice. Both sides something to offer.”
[larry stone] Buffalo game D, where turnaround? “Gave me confidence is years of coaching, knowing hwat you see isn’t always what you get. A lot things to put together that hadn’t coalesced, so take some time. Confidence even though guys hadn’t played well together yet. Hadn’t seen us that bad, knew it wasn’t going to be that bad. Kenny great job keeping guys together. Still a lot of improvement to make. Exciting challenges.”
[john boyle] 10 years since Beastquake, moment? “Breathtaking. So memorable and historic moment, for even the league too. Nobody else could’ve finished the run the way he did. Exhilaration came from odds we faced too. World champs. Moment in time frozen. Hasselbeck laying a block downfield too.”
[john boyle] first playoff game – think 10 years? “Way beyond what I thought could happen.”
[bob condotta] Jarran Reed update? Lewis year? “Oblique strain is what he has. Be real careful during week. Much better than weekend. Cause for optimism. Lewis great season. Gotta be All-Rookie. Overcame bumps and bruises. Mentality great. Ed O said you’re gonna like him from the day he walks in. Done extremely well in Junior C. Ready for him to be good because what Eddie said. Done nothing but continue to express he fits. Can play center some day if we need him to. Marvelous draft pick.”
[art thiel] Only one game of film on Ram QB? “Really good game. Bounce back from first throw picked off. Winning FB game. They’re excited about it. Didn’t protect him, threw all over yard. Spread formations. Ran well too. High level of excitement in his ability to have another good game.”
[Gregg] Diff from Goff? “Not much. Took off quicker. Nice job on 3rds, ran for a couple himself. Plays basically same, style of play same. Impressive.”
[Gregg] Josh Gordon in playoffs? “Nothing to report. Heard nothing from league.”
[matt] Tyler and DK complement each other? “So uniquely different. Style. Results throw and they catch it and make plays consistently. Tyler years. Think how long he’s been good. DK continues impressive in different fashion. Get along well, help each other. Good relationship.”
[Curtis crab] Shell off COVID nice, and ankle back? Collins now? “Shell never caught virus. Bounces right back, really happy about. Looks great with ankle, one more week helps him. Collins excellent out of college. 3 years 1000 yards SEC. Experienced, savvy. Looks quicker than ever. Finished drive off perfectly. Love having him around.”
[brady] Norton Jr, fav people in NFL, why? “Go back to player he was. Coached him as a player in SF. Know him as a leader of a championship team. Even though he was a Bruin. Always something special about Kenny. Fire, creativity, way he thinks. Goal in coaching. Told him NFL needs him as a coach. Makeup, competitiveness, toughness, his way. Such a figure, all those stars in SF dodged when he came around, call anyone out. Epitome of a leader. Get around young kids in college, so much to share. Unbelievable perspective. Wanted to show guys what he experienced when he played.”
[tim booth] Adams vs Jets, similar w first postseason game like Dunlap too? “I’m on the lookout for who might need a little something. Curious how people experience it. Can’t say I get to every guy, but I am looking and listening and coaching. Help them be their best. Doesn’t always mean just young guys. Other guys they’ve dreamed of it, some can make it too big. Remember keep perspective in proper place, my job.”
[tim] Hyde back? “Yes ready to go.”
[Michael shawn] Get good at media part of job? [cha ed-yack]
“Joe ask you didn’t ask your question man! C’mon!”
[joe] What’s that? About Darrell Taylor? “Yes! He’s practicing today!”
***There’s some fantastic banter after PC leaves the podium****
[joe] Dave, is Darrell Taylor really practicing today?
[] Good question
((Tyler Ott ducks on camera, turns tail and bolts))
[joe] I agree, feels like we need complete 100% clarification on that.
[] I don’t know if that was a joke or…
[art thiel] I think we all got pump faked
[] I don’t know why he would call Joe out for that though..
[joe] It’d be a silly thing to joke about on his part
[] If that’s not true, and then walk off…
Typical good work cha 👍
One small critique is the part about the Darrell Taylor “debacle”
Cherry-picking one unsuccessful draft pick out of an entire (very successful?) draft class and using a hype word like “debacle” is slanted.
Did you read the whole piece?
Didnt age all that well considering the news just hours later on Taylor
Nothing would make me happier than Taylor on the field making an impact.
But it’s going take more than one flip comment by PC to invalidate all the strangeness surround this situation all year.
Yes! I thought your playoff goals were both well-written and well thought out. Not the “let Russ cook again” superficial type of stuff you can find elsewhere. Starting off with Dickson as MVP made me smile but you backed it up. I don’t think enough has been written about the ST in general because the Offense and Defensive storylines have been so big.
Biggest disappointments is a subjective so maybe a near loss and the failure of one particular draft pick are your personal biggest disappointments. I would certainly include the sputtering offense as one of my biggest disappointments. My own personal disappointments were missing the top seed in the conference and no fans for any games.
Intelligent comments from guys like you and Vol 12 are a big part of what made this site so enjoyable for so many for so long.
I was referencing my comments in the section on the rookies. I had some pretty positive things to say about individuals and the class overall. No cherry picking here.
The rookie class has come on and made some strong contributions in the 4th quarter of the season. Lewis has been good all year but his spot start at center was so cool to see. I read yesterday that Brooks finished the season with a PFF of 49 compared to Patrick Queen’s 29.8.
Queen makes some tremendous plays, but he was not the LB they were looking for.. he is built too “miller” lite. They wanted a guy with speed, but also could bring the wood if necessary and hold up over 16 games. Brooks has exceeded my expectation for year #1.
When you use a 3rd to move up in the 2nd to draft a guy that plays ZERO plays through 16 games, “debacle” might be a kind description.
You don’t judge a draft by one pick and you can’t expect every pick to work out. Seattle got 2 starters from this draft – no team in the NFL had more. Every player made the team and 7 of 8 made some kind of contribution – only Minnesota got more.
It would have been cool if Taylor had contributed too. But given the way PCJS has fixed the pass rush, I think “debacle” is a hype word.
The problem is that those unsuccessful picks have mounted up. So it hurts when a high pick like Taylor doesn’t even play. Especially at the defensive end position where they are searching for answers.
That’s the real issue. They had an urgent desperate need at that position (because of offseason failures) the pick dis nothing to address. He could still end up being a great pick in the long run, but criticizing the pick seems fair to me.
Would y’all rather the Hawks play against Wolford or Goff?
Obviously Goff has more experience and is a league average starter. However, I am most worried about McVay’s scheme in general as that’s what causes us to struggle more so than QB play. I do not expect the Ram’s offense to be inept this game, but I do think it will be another low scoring affair with strong defensive play for both teams.
Great question. Saw highlights between Rams and Arizona Wolford was not afraid to throw and t run ( total 50 yards for game). I would rather prefer Goff at least we know what to expect. I think we will see both QB.
If you can’t beat John Wolford in his second NFL start you have no business being in the playoffs.
For that matter even Goff with his current form.
McVey is channeling his inner Sean Peyton…
https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2021/01/05/sean-mcvay-wont-make-an-announcement-on-starting-qb-this-week/
I had to watch the Rams beat the Cardinals as my TV network was to cheap to show the Seahawks game.
I was left worried, Wolford put in a good performance, was fairly accurate in his throws against a blitzing Cardinals team, and is a good runner. Also, he had a receiver drop a touchdown pass. Akers their running back had a poor game.
Rams defensive line is going to be excellent and disruptive no matter what. The only question is how the Rams secondary will perform.
After all the joking about Geoff’s passing abilities, I saw a better Quarterback in Wolford last week. They moved the ball, they were in the red zone at least 4 times.
But even worse – the Rams are playing for revenge. What are the Seahawks playing for? They already had their revenge game. The Seahawks are playing for pride, the win, Russell’s goal to prove himself great? The desire for a win vs the desire for revenge? I think revenge will win out if the Seahawks don’t bring more energy to the first three quarters.
You are all going to LOVE the interview I’ve just done with LA Tech’s Milton Williams.
Better yet… he is a Seahawks fan!
One more interview to come tonight, will reveal who it is shortly. It’s someone we’ve talked about quite a lot on the blog.
Sweet! Looking forward to these and all your interviews coming up.
Milton Williams one of my favourite interviews so far.
VERY impressive.
Quick, name the other Seattle 1st round pick from LA Tech.
Hint: I’m old.
Some quick research found no one??
another hint: not football (sorry) (I’m old)
I found…Mike Green, former Sonics player
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Green_(basketball,_born_1951)
Great!! last year interview worked pretty well. Would have loved to have Robert Hunt on hawks team but hey we got Lewis. Keep up the good work Rob and thank you. Hope we get to know next hawks little bit earlier.
loved the post – – your structure always so organized, good stuff.
on this point re Russell –
“Your coaching staff has made some very strange play calls this season. There’s no doubt you’ve been hamstrung at times by the coaching staff and there’s been some confusion and frustration evident in your play.”
I guess I’m in the minority – but I’m not sure I see it. RW had 297 pass attempts in wks 1-8, and 261 in 9-16; if you reduce the outlier OT game w AZ from 50 attempts to a more normal 30 attempts, it’s pretty close to a wash.
Are we just making the assumption that RW’s hesitancy on throws, and the way he’s uncharacteristically run right into the pass pressure at times – is based on him being hamstrung? I think that’s giving him a pass.
Now. Iike all of you, I’ve been a Hawks fan way too long to not know how amazing Russell Wilson is – he’s a magician playmaker who evolved into a super accurate pocket passer too, and he’s at his best in the clutch. And it also does not make sense to me that an age that is firmly in the middle of his career, and in a season where he was at one point playing like the MVP, that his athletic skills have suddenly eroded.
That’s why I’m still a bit baffled – why I keep thinking that he will snap out of it (as he did in the 2nd half vs the Rams). But there have been long stretches where he hasn’t given us much reason for optimism, and that is the giant question hanging over this playoff run.
Great points. They’ve still thrown a bunch, it’s just that their efficiency per pass play has diminished.
Well there are many things that factor into his poor play, but I think it is hamstringing your QB to constantly call long developing plays when you’re playing, for instance, the Rams, as they did in both games. It takes a toll on the QB, like it or not. I’m thrilled RW overcame it in the 2nd game, but he had one of his worst games as a pro in the first one.
How do you line up Kyle Fuller over Aaron Donald, have Alex Collins off the street as your feature back, and not have a package of plays to keep Russ out of harms’ way? How do you target your $7m tight end only 4 times in that game?
I also think during that red-hot offensive stretch in the first few games that the playcalling was at times atrocious. Many times, the only thing the offense needed to do was stay on the field and eat the clock, not score points. And they kept calling plays that exposed Russell to hits, sacks and difficult throws. It appears to have taken its toll.
One thing Chris Simms has pointed out about the Seahawks’ offense a couple times in his podcast (which is a great listen), is that unlike a lot of the effective offenses with great QBs in the NFL, they really don’t have a lot of plays with “easy” throws for the QB to build up some momentum and take the pressure off the quarterback to be perfect. I very much agree with that. So many series, if Russell doesn’t make an above-average play every set of downs, they sputter and they end up punting.
So yes, I think Russell bears some responsibility for his play, but I don’t think this offensive staff has guided him towards sustainable success. Thus, my entreaty that Russ “rise above” it.
fair points. I’d say in general – I agree w the point that we just do not have the ‘easy plays’ that most teams seem to have in there arsenal.
Are we confident that they are calling more long-developing plays and that’s a root cause? It’s tricky to tell without the all-22 view of things. Because it does seem that there are times when RW has time in the pocket – and is just not making quick/confident decisions, whether it’s to take the throw, take a few yards w his feet, or get rid of it.
Anyway, I don’t want to bag on the guy any more than I have – just hoping for a turnaround.
It would be nice to have the all-22 views so we can see if Russ’s WRs are open or not.
I suspect that sometimes they are and other times he’s got nowhere to go. My guess is around a 50/50 split but hard to say without an all-22. There are certainly times you can see him go though his progressions and either get sacked eventually or find a 4th option very late if the pass pro has held up. OTOH, there’s times you see a guy open even on the TV view and he apparently doesn’t see him.
Some clichés with truth mixed in…
Take it one play at a time
Put together effective drives, keep 3rd and longs to a minimum.
Capitalize on mistakes of the opponent, minimize your own mistakes.
Whole Team: Take no hostages, leave nothing left on the field. Play physical. Take it to the opponent. Play as a unit, as a team, as one.
Lastly, believe so you can achieve. No quit. Championship opportunity.
**Communicate efficiently and effectively on the left side of the defense between the CB, SS, FS and OLB on coverage and assignments on WR, RB and TEs**
cha, my hope is that…. Taylor gets on the field and gets a tackle this season. That, in and of itself, would be awesome to see.
“Get better on third downs. Please.
4/12 vs San Francisco
8/17 vs Los Angeles
5/12 vs Washington”
This point got me curious to do a quick lookup of the league leaders in this category – – seems it’s a pretty good stat if you’re looking for something that correlates to team success – top 3: Bills 49.7%, GB 49.4%, KC 49%.
We are pretty much middle of the pack – at 40.2%.
Great follow-up on cha’s insight.
I had hoped that Olsen was going to have a big positive impact on Seattle’s 3rd down efficiency because of his past performance finding open holes for quick easy completions. And Dissly hasn’t shown the pass catching ability he showed prior to his injuries in the past two seasons. Seattle’s 3rd down efficiency was about the same last year as this year I think.
Is improved TE play what Seattle most needs to bump their 3rd down efficiency to elite level?
I think they need to find someone with a similar skill set to Baldwin or a Cole Beasley.
When I watch them – I think it’s all about the run game, and also avoiding penalties (less of an issue this year than prior ones).
There is a huge difference between getting 4-5 yards on running plays vs. getting 0-2 yards. The former sets you up for the 3rd and 3’s that we are pretty adept at converting. It’s when we get to 3rd and 8 or longer – that we have just never been good at converting. Teams blitz us, and for whatever reason, we are just worse than other good teams and dealing w it.
Historically Seattle has been middle of pack in 3rd down conversions. I believe 2015 was the last time we were good (top 5). That spans both Bevell and Shotty.
I suppose that begs the question is Russ or Pete somehow the issue?
I agree that it is too early to say Alton Robinson is the next Frank Clark, but Clark only had 3 sacks (not 6) his rookie year and Alton has 4 in less snaps I believe. If we got four sacks (is that second behind Chase Young or does someone have more as a rookie?) from D Taylor and Alton was hurt all year most folks would be ok with that. Hopefully we get something out of Taylor since we are seeing how just having a couple of decent rotational rushers can lead to double digits sacks between them if you keep their snap counts low (Benson is balling-great value signing) and you have a good player like Dunlap rushing from the other side on 3rd down.
We need to stop comping to Frank Clark’s rookie season.
People forget that Clark was a top-10 talent physically and fell for reasons we all know about.
With respect to Alton Robinson he is not Clark.
And once Clark figured it out and didn’t have Avril and Bennett in front of him, he ended up realising his potential.
Just curious why you think Alton couldn’t be the next Clark? Are you referring to style/athleticism or by the numbers/stats? With the low number of plays he’s had this year, he looks to be figuring it out as the season went and to end w 4 sacks is a great Rookie year. Plus it hasn’t felt like luck or flukes, to the point I would expect him to learn more moves, hand work and IQ next year and only improve from here. Also why not comp Clark’s rookie year? He was a top 10 talent as you mentioned so comparing him to our young guys who were not only drafted closely, but never even been considered a top 10 talent. I know people go at your comments Rob, but this is a genuine post to hear your prospective given the draft scouting work you do and as a knowledgeable Hawks fan.
Totally different players physically
This comparison reminds me of when Raiders fans were convinced Maxx Crosby was better value than Nick Bosa because the former had 10 sacks and the latter had 9 in their rookie years last season. I remember a good video breakdown that included film and pressure stats that showed how great the difference was between the two.
Now, Crosby followed that up with a 7 sack season and Bosa was essentially out all year so he may indeed turn out to have better value as a 4th rounder vs. the #2 overall pick, but just looking at their rookie years, Bosa was much better.
People also like to mention Clark had three sacks and turned in to a good player…
While ignoring all the players who got three sacks as a rookie and never developed into anything.
Exactly right! We are just deluding ourselves if we repeatedly comp to great successes and never comp to the failures. The odds are, Robinson will not be Frank Clark. Let’s just give it time and see how it all plays out.
I think they compare them and not every player that got 3 sacks is because J Reed and Poona are still lined up next them in the middle, making the comp legit. And they completely different physically, so crazy he still played way less and less physically talented as Clark, but out performing his rookie year. And Clark thiss year too statistically. I know you live Clark’s post season play so I’m excited to see how Alton does if anything
They are still completely different players
That doesn’t mean Alton can’t be a better player than clark. Not saying he will but physical profiles don’t always mean a player will be great.
But it’s all we have.
People are comparing him based on rookie sacks. I’m comparing him based on physical upside.
Cha; really enjoyed your piece, and thanks as always for the P.C. presser-transcript! Great stuff, and what a valued member of the community you have emerged as!
Rob; thank you for the great content you’ve given us over the course of this ever-so-weird season. I love that you feel good about making a space for contributions from a member of the community at large, and love it even more for the hunch that your using the extra time to cook up something really special for the blog. (ie. The interviews😉).
As much as I am on the edge of my seat re our guys’ playoff hopes, I’m also pumped in a major way for this most interesting and challenging of off seasons.
I know you’re gonna kick ass there, too! 👍
Thanks Bankhawk
Good stuff Cha, thanks. I liked your assessment of DJ Reed, especially his “chip” and how he can energize other young newcomers like Neal. He’s not a big guy but he hits hard and flies around the field. If he’s benched for Flowers I will break my TV.
They really found something with DJ.
University of Alabama star DeVonta Smith won the Heisman Trophy.
Note: Going into the title game he leads the top division of collegiate football with 105 receptions, 1,641 receiving and 20 receiving touchdowns.
Something keeps gnawing at me that this might be the last chance at a Super Bowl for awhile. With the cap and lack of draft picks, I really see a decline the next few years (especially when DK becomes the highest paid WR in the NFL in a couple years). I see no way how next years Seahawks can/will compete with a 49ers team they could barely beat the other day without almost all of their starters. Not just that – but I don’t see them ascending at all. I want to be wrong, but when you’re not in the greatest cap position (it’s not terrible) combined with no frickin’ draft picks for awhile – that’s not a good combination. Schneider may know/sense this and jumping ship to Detroit looks better than people realize. The Lions would name a street after him if they could reach the NFC Championship Game, whereas we’ll (Seahawks fans) just complain about wasting another year of Wilson’s window.
I agree. We will need some extremely solid drafting in the middle rounds and some great UDFA pickups. The last two years were much more impressive than a string of weak drafts prior, but we will have to hit on almost every pick from now on to stand a chance.
I couldnt disagree more. The 49ers have no QB. The way I see it we are the favorites to win the division next year as well.
A year ago their currently injured QB led them to the Super Bowl.
He threw for 191 yards COMBINED in their two wins to get to that super bowl. Led is a strong word.
He was still there.
By saying that Bobby does that mean you think they have a chance this year?
When they add Matt Ryan they’ll have a QB.
There’s one way to remedy the ack of draft picks Bobby: trade Jamal Adams.
Won’t happen tho cuz it would be tantamount to Pete Carroll admitting he was wrong trading for him in the first place. People with absolute power are loathe to admit making a mistake.
We as fans do a lot of complaining about Jamal, but Pete loves the guy and even though it cost a kings ransom to get him Pete believes it was worth it. Jamal is here to stay and after his soon to be whooping contract we’ll have even less capital to get good players.
Agree with everything you said Tom.
If Seattle gets a Super Bowl with him playing a major part in that, it would be worth it imo. Otherwise, nope.
Admittedly I liked the Jamal trade so leading off with that, we don’t win the NFCW without him. I think his play and energy, not to mention specific actual plays on the field have won us a game or two alone. At his age, just learning a new system, guys around him learning his style of play, I think he was a perfect player to add the D to start building around as Bobby and KJ wind down their careers. Add in the young DL guys that have stepped up in the right direction, Jordyn Brooks, Ugo, hopefully Blair somewhere on the field, Poona, DJ Reed, Alton, mayyyyyybe Taylor but who knows the Hawks have put together a great nucleus of young and hungry defensive players. They aren’t quite there and may never get there but reminds me of a bunch a kids that nobody really knew who started playing dominating defense, hitting guys hard and telling everyone about it in an attitude that left people mad in 2012-2013. A few key veteran adds similar to Dunlap and hopefully before midseason next year and a full training camp to gel together and this group has me excited to see where they’ll go, all being led by our All Pro safety.
He’s the 45th ranked safety this season by PFF
Wasn’t he ranked as one of the top 2 safeties in the league the prior two years by PFF?
Why do you think his PFF grade is so bad this year?
a) he’s a terrible safety
b) No preseason games to get used to scheme and iron out the mistakes, but he looks like he’s playing more scheme-consistent at the end of the season.
c) the groin injury sapped his speed, acceleration, and change of direction for several weeks after he returned to the field
d) the shoulder injury he picked up in the first Rams game that resulted in multiple missed tackles
e) broken fingers impaired his ability to make tackles and the splits interfered his best chance for an interception
Assuming he’s healthy, do you think that he’s going to be worse than a top 5 safety next season?
I think he’s graded poorly this year because he’s not played well in coverage, has had to be blitzed way more than anyone else in the league, that a lot of his perceived quality this season is down to sacks that are entirely manufactured, that he’s not necessarily a great fit in the scheme and he’s actually had very few impact plays.
I don’t know if time will be a healer here but I do know that in a few weeks he’s going to ask for $20m a year so they better be ready.
Another factor to consider in the valuation of Adams is his health.
Two separate shoulder injuries for a safety are concerning… especially when his main value is in his play around the line of scrimmage.
Shoulder issues are often long term/chronic issues.
Fully agree with you as well.
Talent on the roster matters a lot. However, there is a lot of talent on the roster (excepting a couple position groups) right now that is not playing to its potential. Different gameplanning or coaching could probably get better production out of the talent on the roster. So that is an area for potential growth. I can’t say I’m really optimistic about it given that Pete is probably locked into most of his approach, but there is at least a plausible venue to offset a decline in the roster.
Id be willing to bet the 49ers are going after Stafford. Cut Jimmy G and trade for Stafford you actually gain a little cap space but obviuosly lose a draft pick/s.
Can’t see it. Stafford isn’t a Shanahan type.
Matt Ryan, Kirk Cousins or a draft pick IMO.
Did it seem like they took DK off the field for a series of plays late in the 3rd or early 4th quarter and the offense started moving like we have seen early in the year. This is not a slight on DK, this is me wondering if RW is looking for him TOO MUCH. Once he started to have to go to the other guys, read progressions…. he turned back into the RW we love…. play making and making good productive decisions.
Just wondering if anyone else got this vibe from the game?
My take was once we got behind the 49ers, Russ went into hyper mode and started being more aggressive. I really believe that Rob is right in that Pete has curtailed aggressiveness until he doesn’t have any choice.
My thought was once Wilson became more of a run threat later in the game, SF was using a linebacker to spy instead of dropping in coverage.
A very fine read. Thank you Cha.
Thanks Cha,
Enjoy your well thought out and reasoned input.
I wonder if Leonard Williams could replace Dunlap next year. Younger, equally productive, monster in the run game. Williams looks like a healthy Clowney this year. Jamal Adams could likely do some persuading if needed as well.
Only if you’ve got a spare $20m a year to pay him.
Barely an inconvenience!
(Sorry, I’ve been watching again… 🤣 https://youtu.be/4_Tm0SxIp6w )
Perhaps a more challenging issue is how do the Hawks pay Wagner, KJ, and Dunlap who are having great seasons, but are all on the back side of 30. At some point their production needs to be replaced with younger options.
I don’t question their durability at this point, it’s more whether their athleticism that typically declines sharply.
Dunlap’s age doesn’t concern me yet.
DEs often stay productive into their mid 30’s, and he still seems plenty effective to me.
KJ’s game has never been speed, and it seems like his move to the strong side has benefitted him. I think it makes sense to extend him at a reasonable rate.
Wagner is the tough one for me.
What made him elite was his speed and explosion… two traits that have clearly declined over the past year or two.
He is a great teammate and is smart and he still comes up with the big play here and there.
But he is *not* a LB to be feared, anymore.
It’s difficult to argue that he is anywhere worth the salary he is getting.
Maybe they can change too two year contracts to limit the damage of a player either getting injured or just declining in effectiveness.
I wonder what are the odds that Bobby retires at the end of this season or next. In no way questioning his competitive fire, but he seems like a proud guy. Would he keep competing if he feels slower? It’s not unprecedented. What if KJ retired and Bobby slid into KJs current role in a couple years?
All speculation of course, but I do think we have to consider that these guys might hang it up too, or go to short term contracts to keep the option of retiring open.
Frank Clark had 3 sacks his rookie season.
And?
lmaoooo
I don’t have a sub to the Athletic but this looks like an interesting read
https://theathletic.com/2300975/2021/01/06/earl-thomas-iii-where-seahawks-ravens/
It was a really good article with multiple contributors, including Mike Dugar.
Didn’t reveal anything we don’t already know to be honest. No revelations. Just a retelling of what happened.
Happy to hear D Taylor is on the field practicing with the 53 man squad. Can’t play until you practice. If Taylor can make it on the field Next season as a disruptive rotational pass rusher ( Big IF) then the draft was pretty solid ( Brooks, Lewis, Swain, Dallas, Robinson and Parkinson – having an impact in 2021. Great write up Cha – really enjoyed it.
Rob 2 players i am interested in your opinion that could fall into the Hawks draft range:
1. Rondale Moore ( Purdue) – seems like forever since we’ve seen him on a field but he was an impact athlete unique size and speed. Not the traditional Seahawks wr but could fit nicely between Lockett and DK.
2. Joseph Ossai ( Texas ) Defensive end. He plays a position at Texas called the “Jack” is that like a “Leo”? seems to be rising in the draft rankings.
Thanks for the Blog and the great content you provide weekly.
Moore R1, Ossai R2/3 depending on how he tests.
In a 3-4 yeah. JACK is your outside weak side LB. Gives a tweener a role.
Moore would be absolutely amazing next to Lockett and DK. Perfect complement.
No chance though unless we pick up some early draft capital from somewhere.
For the record, I don’t want nor do I expect Russell to be traded this offseason. But since people are talking about it and seem to be focused on the Jets, the team I’d think would be very interested is the Raiders. They are in a division with Mahomes. They have a new stadium. They want to generate buzz and compete. Carr is not the guy to get you over the hump, he will not beat Mahomes, and his dead cap hit is minimal after this year.
Trading for Russell Wilson immediately accomplishes all of those things. And we know Gruden loves Russell. The difficulty is would they be able to provide enough compensation?
The answer would be no.
Any team making a trade like this would need to offer a top-two pick.
A trade like this just seems so unlikely, and really unprecedented! Can’t think of a situation where a top level QB in his prime, like RW, was traded!
And why would rebuilding teams like the Jets or Jags go “all in” like this? Aren’t they better off nabbing the top QB option in the draft and building from within under their new regimes? At least they have hope of nabbing a top player and having him under club control for five years on a rookie scale contract. Both teams are more than a top level QB away from serious contention IMO, and at least the Jets have some serious draft capital to work with. They can also trade Darnold for more, or trade out of #2 for a king’s ransom!
I tend to agree with this.
If I imagine myself as a Jets fan, would I want to trade all those draft picks for Wilson?
How good could they actually be with him over the next few seasons?
Their best hope going forward is through the draft, not trading for a QB in his 30s, even one as good as Wilson.
I’ve also thought the same, but my counter would be that the owner simply puts his foot down because he is tired of playing the QB draft lottery and losing. So he gives the mandate to trade for a proven star. Maybe not the best team-building strategy, but it would at least win you some games and perhaps console a long-suffering fanbase.
A completely valid and reasonable counter point for sure! It could be argued that there’s no better way to kick start a rebuild than to acquire a proven, top level QB in his prime! It just seems unprecedented for a team in the Seahawks position (competitive every year) to essentially tear things down by trading their franchise QB!
However, the Jets are actually in a unique position, with ample cap space and considerable draft capital. They have enough ammo to make a trade like this (if not RW, then maybe another top QB) and still have some left over. They also can easily absorb a high cap hit and still have ample space to add additional talent!
Still don’t think it’s very likely, but stranger things have happened!
I don’t think a Wilson trade will happen, as others have mentioned, the teams with the resources to trade, would not be desirable locations for Russ. Miami is a qb away from being really good. Tua isn’t it.
Again, as others have mentioned, to me, Wilson might not be as good as he thinks he is/wants to be. Wild oscillation between hero ball, and game managing. And that is ok, if Russell accepts that. The interception against LA, where he could possibly run for a first down, but instead throws across his body and directly to the defender….I felt like I was watching a Mahomes highlight, up until the result.
Not ready to give up on Tua just yet. He will be getting a new OC next year and he has a lot to learn still. If Miami is smart they will keep Fitz as a mentor for Tua and just keep teaching him.
As for Russ, if he just taken off at a run in that play it would have been a Mahomey moment for him…instead…interception
Tua is what he is.
Very, very limited physically.
yes, as a long time Dolphins fan, I find myself very underwhelmed with Tua.
I think they should seriously consider drafting a QB at #3.
Except that Carr did exactly that.
https://www.espn.com/nfl/game/_/gameId/401220219
If Rams beat us and then lose to Saints, what would you say who HD better season, Rams or Seahawks?
Who had better season?
Well it’s obviously the Rams.
Because losing to John Wolford in the wildcard round would be a disaster.
The Rams getting further with a QB injury would clearly be better.
By a huge margin
Wouldn’t it be the Rams either way? By definition they’d have made it further.
Yep
Wilson isnt going anywhere, he has the best 1-2 WR combo in the league and a top tier RB and solid OL.
Let’s be honest. If you can’t use those weapons the way you want to, do YOU really have them, or does Pete have them. Staying also means you’ll have to play Pete ball.
We’re 12th in rushing, padded by Russ’ production. The Oline IS coming up, ranked 16th in pass protection which is the highest its been in a decade actually. However, its concerning that the best player on this line is still 35 year old Duane Brown. How much longer can we depend on him. I like your positivity, but I don’t think it’s exactly sunshine and rainbows for Russ in Seattle. He could definitely land in places where the grass is at least as green…
PFF’s predictions in free agency for top 100 players, only noting anything involving SEA.
Shaq Griffin- Signs with SEA, 3 yr 28.5 million (9.5M APY), 15.5 million guaranteed.
Quinton Dunbar- Signs with SEA, 2 yr 12 million (6M APY), 9.5 million guaranteed
Chris Carson- Signs with BUF, 3 yr 27 million (9M APY), 15 million guaranteed
Leonard Floyd- Signs with SEA, 3 yr 40 million (13.33M APY), 22.5 million guaranteed
KJ Wright- Signs with SEA, 2 yr 12 million (6M APY), 6 million guaranteed
Blergh
Dunbar won’t get 600k a year, let alone 6m. Awful prediction.
Yeah, no. Cut ties w/ him. He was ass
Only one I liked was KJ Wright’s prediction
Is DJ Reed a free agent after this season? Do you think his play warrants a deal like that?
I am half way through that article and just read the Griffin prediction (3 yr 28.5 million (9.5M APY), 15.5 million guaranteed) and was wondering what the people here thought about that.
I agree with Rob about Dunbar, he can walk.
After the SF game, my price dropped for him from 8M APY to 6M APY and strictly only CB2. If he struggles against LA’s backup QB, I would send him out the door with no offer.
Carson in Buffalo would set their offense up real nice…
Most of the predictions are terrible. Someone will pay Griffin, probably Jacksonville. Carson could get that. Dunbard maybe gets what he got this year ($3.5m). Wrights could be about right. DJ Reed is still under contract for 2021.
We also need to resign Pocic and dont have the cap space to sign all those guys.
Dunbar will be lucky to get much at all.
Say what you want about Jamal, but can’t deny he’s tough. Playing with 2 broken fingers and injuries in both of his shoulders.
I watched his presser a little while ago and while he was talking about how he would be out there no matter what or how banged up he’d be out there. My first thought was Monty Python and the knight at the cross bridge never giving up!
It’s merely a flesh wound
Right, and I got the wrong scene. It is the Black Knight scene I meant…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmInkxbvlCs
‘Tis but a scratch!
Ah man, I didn’t get a chance to respond to the original Wilson article but since I see it being discussed here I’ll add my piece.
For me, that second half of the 2015 season will always color my hopes for vs. the reality of Wilson. You almost never see that level of dominance at every level: short, intermediate, deep, third down, tight windows, rhythm throws – it was all there. Despite the rough ending in the playoffs, that season ending made me believe Wilson could legitimately be an all time great at Peyton/Brady levels. Then…
2016 – starts out rough, Wilson gets hurt, has his worst season. But he was hurt so…
2017 – running game is DoA, OL sucks, Wilson throws for a bunch of TDs and is in the MVP convo despite pretty poor efficiency and lack of consistency. If we could just fix the OL and get a running game…
2018 – Yes! Improvement! Wilson-Lockett is deadly efficient, the running game is back, and the deep pass is flying with deadly results. The only major issue is the bonkers-high sack rate and troubles with the straight dropback game and 3rd down. Ugh, if they just threw it more they would just be dominant! Hopefully Schotty makes that change.
2019 – It gets better! DK joins the gang, the deep passing dominance continues, and Wilson starts out with 19 TDs to 1 pick. Then the second half happens, Lockett gets hurt, and the offense grinds to a halt as the RBs summarily pass away in consecutive fashion. Let’s get more OL depth, healthy RBs, 1 more year for DK, and run it back!
2020 – It’s happening! Russ is having his 2011 Rodgers, 2018 Mahomes, 2007 Brady, etc. season! 19 TDs and 3 INT in 5 games… then 21 TDs and 10 INT in the following 11. 2nd lowest YPA of career at 7.5. What is going on? They’re throwing and throwing and throwing and it’s just as much of a grind as the dreaded RRP.
Through all of this I’ve been waiting for the payoff to the dominance at the end of 2015. We’ve seen glimpses of it in each of the past 3 seasons, but the consistency just isn’t there (it wasn’t in all of 2015 either to be fair). I’ve seen people talk more about Russ’ issues: inconsistent process and movement in the pocket, missing open receivers, taking too many avoidable sacks, and generally not executing the offense as designed. The tradeoff for breaking the structure of plays is big plays vs. negative plays. If the balance isn’t there, the offense will suck. This playstyle also doesn’t lend itself to consistent elite offensive production.
So I guess, for me, it’s about coming to terms with the fact that Russ is great, but he’s not THAT good if that makes sense. Peyton, Brees, and Brady perfected their crafts and mastered to finer details of playing QB to compensate for their physical deficiencies. Mahomes and Rodgers generally have struck the balance between playing within structure and breaking structure in search of big plays, though both have had their struggles. Wilson just hasn’t been able to do that consistently.
I wanted to believe that the ills with the team lay everywhere except the QB, but time and film have shown that isn’t true. While Wilson definitely gives Carroll an easier job, he creates some issues for the coach. There will be days where the offensive production is going to be low tier where the defense must compensate. When he’s having a bad day, they need a run game to completely take over the game to save the game.
At the beginning of the season, Brock and Salk proclaimed “This is Wilson’s team,” (not wrongly based on how things were going). Well, after the season we can confidently say the team is Pete’s and if Wilson wants to “take it back,” he has to play better more consistently, end of. Starting this Saturday. Give me a reason to believe, Russ. I still want to.
Luke willson is back 1,2,3,4,5 TE …
Makes you wonder…why?
We have invested so much in that group which i don’t mind. Are we utilizing the resources?
No, is the answer.
Probably because he’s the best street FA available that isn’t a complete disaster (i.e. Earl Thomas) and the Seahawks have a roster spot to fill, and maximizing depth at all times is critical both in a pandemic and with the playoffs this weekend.
The best street free agent?
Have you studied the list?
If they need depth then they should sign a DT as soon as possible.