Instant reaction: Seahawks lose 34-31, drop to 6-4

Two home games, two late comebacks after a difficult start. Eventually, two losses.

The difference between 8-2 and 6-4.

Following ten days of injury-related adversity, the Seahawks clearly fancied a bit more this evening.

A calamitous beginning proved that while you can, often, win a game in the fourth quarter — it’s also possible to make life incredibly difficult with a bad start.

Seattle opened this game conceding a big kick off return (Blair Walsh saved a touchdown). The Falcons wasted little time taking a 7-0 lead before a carless Russell Wilson interception soon contributed to a 14-0 deficit (along with a dropped pick by about three different Seattle defenders).

The Seahawks clawed it back with the now customary Jimmy Graham touchdown — and managed to get the ball back shortly after.

Wilson fumbled after a whiff by Germain Ifedi, defensive touchdown. 21-7.

The Seahawks also lost Shaq Griffin to injury after just a couple of snaps.

Nightmare start confirmed.

The game wasn’t lost at that point — but the dynamic had completely changed.

With so many injuries on defense (Chancellor, Sherman, Reed, Avril) it was always going to be on Wilson and the offense to keep scoring. Could they outgun Matt Ryan? The evidence tonight suggested they most certainly could.

Yet having gift-wrapped 21 points early in the day, Wilson alone wasn’t gone to be enough. Suddenly the defense was going to have to make big plays too. They needed to make up for the turnovers, try to get Seattle back level and turn it into a true shoot-out again.

A special teams fumble by the Falcons helped. Yet the defense, crucially, couldn’t get the sudden change. A pick, a fumble, something.

Even a couple of big stops would’ve been useful. A converted 3rd and 15 (checkdown to Tevin Coleman) and a converted 3rd and 8 (Matt Ryan scramble) led to 10 Atlanta points instead of two punts.

Instead, Seattle kept producing on offense but it was never enough. Jon Ryan punted for the first time with about nine minutes left in the game after multiple successful offensive series. And yet the Seahawks still trailed by eight.

The Falcons were 9/14 on third downs. An incredible stat. The Falcons ended with 34 points. The Texans scored 38 in Seattle — and Tennessee put 33 on a much healthier defense in week three.

The margin for error, once so wide, is now much smaller:

The late final defensive stop to give Seattle one more chance was valiant — but sadly not enough.

The Seahawks’ braintrust did their best to contribute to an odd night.

The fake field goal to end the first half was completely befuddling, purely because the odds of it succeeding were so slim. Luke Willson, handed a hot potato by Jon Ryan, was dumped for a loss by Grady Jarrett. With only seven seconds remaining it was touchdown or bust. However much you think you’ve seen something in the way Atlanta lines up — three points there in a high-scoring game felt like a no-brainer instead of asking Willson to make an incredible play.

It also meant Seattle couldn’t tie the game with their late touchdown and two point conversion and had to chase an extra field goal at the end.

You have to ask — has the Houston game given the Seahawks a misguided view on spiking the ball? Against the Redskins and Falcons there were opportunities to spike the ball, get set and work the field. Against Washington Wilson snubbed the spike and took a sack — tonight he chipped away and drained the clock. There was plenty of time — about 1:55 — to get into range and make it an easier kick (although you’d hope Walsh would have the leg from 51 yards).

Carroll was also seemingly persuaded into challenging a clear Doug Baldwin drop by the receiver. It took away a time out that would’ve been very useful at the end.

This result leaves the Seahawks sitting as the #8 seed in the NFC, swapping places with Atlanta. They’re still only trailing the Rams by one win in the NFC West and they own a tiebreaker.

Yet to have any genuine faith that they can threaten the NFC’s best with all of the injuries, they have to be able to play a much cleaner brand of football than they’ve shown so far. Too many mistakes and penalties.

The good news is Wilson’s performance and with LA’s handsome defeat in Minnesota, winning the West is still possible. It’s strange how these things work out. Suddenly the most consistent thing about the Seahawks is the Wilson-to-Graham connection in the red zone. Who would’ve predicted that a few weeks ago?

There’s little else that is consistent, however, and even when they started to see some progress in the running game it was cruelly snatched away with yet another injury — this time to Mike Davis.

The target now has to be winning the NFC West, collecting the #4 seed and at least making the playoffs. Nevertheless, you’d be forgiven tonight for being sceptical of Seattle’s chances. It just might not be their year — and if they don’t make the playoffs, it’d be a crushing disappointment for a team clearly chasing a Championship towards the edge of a very wide window.

If you want something to take your mind off the game, here’s a piece on Nick Chubb from earlier.

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163 Comments

  1. Pran

    End of 1st half 7 sec left makeable field goal.. failed fake punt
    End of 2nd half 7 sec left difficult field goal …Missed fg
    Sums up the season! See you 2018

  2. Nick

    Your opening paragraphs read like a reoccurring nightmare. We seem to always start off on the back foot.

    It’s not just one coach, it’s not just one player. It’s the way this team operates and it kills wins. Yes, you may have the miraculous comeback like with Houston, but if you want to get to the #1 seed you cannot regularly put yourselves down at the half. Some will point to 2013 and say there were many occasions when that occurred, which is true, but that season could have just been an aberration. Some times the ball just falls your way.

    Anyways, I’m not saying that this team is a “fraud”. They’re not. They’re a really good team. But once again they look like they are going to put themselves in a situation where they have to play on the road at least twice to get to a Super Bowl. And this team’s performances so far this year give me no confidence in their ability to pull three or two road games out against playoff-caliber opponents.

    To end off, Russell Wilson is unbelievable. What a joy he is to watch. Truly.

    • Volume12

      He’s a generational type talent. Already an all-time great. He’s revolutionized the QB position for years to come.

      • Nick

        For sure. We will be telling our grandchildren about his play.

        • Volume12

          They’ll always be a playoff contender with him, but we all know how JS operates, its SB’s or bust.

          • neil

            I believe you are forgetting about ” old man time”. Age catches p to everyone. RW’s escapability will only diminish as he goes forward in his career.

      • Trevor

        + 1

        His hilight reel when he is done will be second to none. Also his compete level and toughness are just at a different level. The only QB I can remember as physically tough was Favre.

        As Hawks fans we are fortunate as even in losses like today he makes the game a joy to watch.

        • Volume12

          Good point. I always enjoy watching Seattle play win or lose. Its just frustrating. We’re so much better than this. 2 games lost, as Rob mentioned, that are wins if they could just get out of their own way.

          PC’s own worst enemy has always been and will forever be his own team. And 13 personnel. 😉

      • C-Dog

        +1

        Generational talent. Can’t wait until they get him some runners who they can rely on complementing him with on a consistent level, game in and game out.

      • Mark Souza

        Imagine what he could do with a real offensive line.

    • Dylanlep

      Agree with a lot of what you said. Disagree that this is a really good team. Unless something drastic happens, they will finish the season with less than 5 rushing tds. They are also on pace to set the NFL record for penalties. Some good to great players, sure. Really good team, I just cant say that.

    • hawkdawg

      That pick he threw, though, was as befuddling as Pete’s quixotic fake field goal. Have no idea what either one of them was seeing or thinking on either play.

      • C-Dog

        There’s a chance that it being a shallow crossing pattern, he didn’t totally see Lockett in the traffic, but was relying on timing.

      • Ty the Guy

        IMO, he threw that ball WAY too hard.

  3. Trevor

    Summed things up nicely Rob.

    I actually thought the secondary played about as well as could be expected without 2 pro bowl starters and the other starting CB. Bennett and Richardson also looked domaint at times.

    If they can get Griffin and Reed back with a couple of weeks for the secondary to gel before we play the Rams who knows.

  4. Volume12

    How nice was it to see Tyler Lockett get his juice back in the return game? That helped a ton tonight.

    • Trevor

      If he can regain that form consistently it would be a huge difference maker.

    • Nick

      When was the last game he balled out like that on kickoffs? I genuinely cannot recall.

      • Volume12

        The Arizona game late in the year his rookie season.

        He’s another guy, like RW, I love watching play. His child like enthusiasm for the game is infectious.

        • Volume12

          Incredibly unselfish. He could be a damn good #2 for half the teams in the league and he’s a #4 here.

  5. Aaron

    This game pretty much sums up the season for the Hawks. Maybe they make the playoffs at 9-7 or 10-6, but I don’t see them making much noise. Already looking forward to offseason draft talk. Got a lot of positions to invest in, the foremost being RB, then LB, DE, CB, and TE should Graham leave in FA. We got a few guys to build off of on the o line, but probably need to select another guy at some point. We got some great pieces, but it’s just not our year. On to the next.

  6. CHawk Talker Eric

    “The margin for error, once so wide, is now much smaller”

    True words. This is still a great team with some exceptional players at key positions. But they’re not good enough without the likes of Sherm, Kam, Avril, Carson, Reed, even Fant (+ SEA’s 2018 R2/R5 picks) to continue to win while committing drive killing (or extending) penalties, failing to get off the field on 3rd down, and faking FGs.

    Speaking of FGs, one more thing they don’t have anymore – Haushka.

    • Volume12

      I mean to be fair, Hauschka cost us a 1st round bye in the playoffs.

      • NickW

        To be fair, Haushka only missed 4 that year, out of 41 attempts. That’s counting the playoff games. He was way better than people seem to remember. He was way better than the clown we have now. How many has the project missed this year already? Out of how many attempts? Ya, give me Haushka any day over this guy.

        • NickW

          Sorry I’m re-reading my comment and that sounded much snarkier than I meant. I just get tired of how everyone complains and says how bad Haushka was, when in fact he was way better than the project.

        • NickW

          Correction, he missed 4 out of 41 attempts for fg’s. The extra point after he missed 7 out of 40 attempts. That’s 81 attempts and he lost out on 22 pts for the team for the whole season, counting playoffs. That’s 18 games… The project has already cost the team 16 points in only 10 games with only 44 attempts… If he keeps this trajectory he will cost the team considerably more points.

      • Jujus

        Hauschka was responsible for the card tie and CArd loss @ home.

        • drewdawg11

          He also cost the hawks around $3 million against the cap, which is insane for a guy who had shown signs of decline, even if they were early indicators. I just wished at the time that we hadn’t signed Walsh. He’s been ok. He’s cost us one game. Last night I feel like the coaching staff cost us that one.

  7. 503Hawk

    Frustrating but not surprising. The flaws with this team start at the top.
    Another slow start puts them in a hole again. But, 58 seconds to go, 2 timeouts; I turn to my wife and confidently say “Plenty of time. They’ll get at least a FG.”… WHAT?!?!?! Why would Pete not take the three points?!
    Defense AGAIN can’t get off the field on third down(s).
    Blah, blah, blah. We hear the same post game review all too often.
    Let’s face it. We just are not that good this year (again). If we make the postseason it will probably be a one and done. These vets (those who are left standing) have got to be exhausted from the six consecutive years of playoffs.
    I will say this though; we may not play the smartest football team, but boy this team does have
    heart.

  8. PowerPeanut

    Woke up during the night and checked my phone for updates on the game. First thing I saw was ” Mike Davis injured, will not return” and all I could think was ” Of fricking course”.

  9. Ishmael

    We were speaking a bit about this on the last thread, but I do feel like it’s fair to be a little rattled about the coaching staff. Carroll doesn’t look like he’s enjoying himself, and the team has got away from what he wants them to be doing. There’s a fundamental disconnect there. And then there is this faint whiff of nepotism around the coaching staff. Lot of familiar faces, which I guess coulddd be a good thing, but it can also lead to a lot of yes-men and mediocrity. It’s never something that happens overnight, it’s like a parasite that creeps in undetected, unnoticed until it starts to eat things from the inside.

    They’re not playing scared exactly, but they’re not playing clear-headed. There’s a lot of shoddy decisions being made, and they’re hurting the team. Maybe with everyone fully fit they could pull off a miracle win, but with three-quarters of the secondary gone, and no run game? Not so much. The fake FG was surreal, the challenge in the fourth quarter, the dumb early timeout in the third… They just make life HARD.

    • Rob Staton

      Too many penalties, too many errors, some odd decisions tonight and not enough clean football.

      All adds up to a finger being pointed at Pete for the loss. They’ve lost two very winnable home games, changing the complexion of the season completely.

      • Ishmael

        That’s the long and short of it. They’ve always played chaos football, but they’ve been able to just stay in control. Now? Not so much, games aren’t being played the way they want and they’re flailing.

    • Drew G

      Seemed like Pete made decisions out of desperation (FG, challenge flag) when we hadn’t reached desperation mode yet. It’s frustrating to watch. And that doesn’t even include all of the penalties. Pete is accountable for this one.

      That being said, a Sherman-less defense did not look any where near as lost as an ET-less one like last year. Held them under 280 yards but gave them way too good of field position with turnovers and penalties.

      We play 49ers-> eagles-> jaguars -> rams.
      Rams play Saints -> Cardinals -> Eagles -> Seahawks

      That week 15 matchup is going to be a fun one.

  10. Greg Haugsven

    Looking for a reason that we can turn the corner and make a run. Mostly we are beating ourselves, If we can just eliminate some of the mistakes we can win. Like Rob said, play cleaner football.

    • Greg Haugsven

      Have to beat the 49ers to get to 7-4 then maybe gain some confidence by beating the Eagles. If we can get to 8-4 maybe we can make some noise.

    • Aaron

      Don’t see us any better than 10-6, which means we would be a 10 win team three years running, that’s a regression from dominant to good not great. Doesn’t mean the Hawks are done, they’ll never be irrelevant as long as Russ is our QB. Just means it’s time for some soul searching, maybe a couple coaching changes, and investment in young talent. Gotta stay young and build through the draft. I’ve seen this season’s story before and know how it ends, on to the next.

  11. Tien

    The Hawks played hard as always tonight and came so close but in the end we lost a game that we could/should have won. It wasn’t as if the Falcons were dominant tonight and the Hawks basically spotted them 21 pts with the two Russell Wilson turnovers and that long kick off return to start the game. Despite all the injuries and bad start, the Hawks unbelievably had a realistic shot to win this game but way too many holding, illegal contact, & pass interference penalties led to stalled drives for our offense or extended drives for the Falcons. What also frustrated me were the number of times when the Hawks shut down the Falcons offense on 1st & 2nd down to set up 3rd & long and then inexplicably, we allow the Falcons to convert the third downs and extend the drive.

    But to me, we lost this game mostly due to indefensible decisions by Pete Carroll. In a high scoring game, how do you bypass a virtual chip shot of a FG at the end of the half? And even if you decide to risk it by going for a TD rather than a FG, a shuttle pass to Luke Willson from 20+ yds out?! Really, in what reality does he score on a play like that?! And then that challenge on the Baldwin play that was clear to anyone who saw the replay that it was a drop. Either the Hawks don’t have anyone competent looking at the replay videos or Pete just ignores advice from his staff and just goes with his guts…neither of which are good for our team. Not gonna lie, I’m still bitter about that slant pass in the SB against the Patriots but previously, I was able to chalk it up to an isolated brain fart on the part of Carroll. After tonight, I’m starting to think that this is Pete Carroll being Pete Carroll, taking unnecessary risks for the big payoff rather than doing the safer smarter thing. I don’t care much for the Patriots or Beliechik but the Patriots make other teams beat them and they usually don’t beat themselves. I can’t say the same for our Hawks.

    Sorry for all the negativity and I’ll still root on the Hawks next week and the rest of the season. But I guess I’ve resigned myself to the fact that though this team still has the talent to go deep in the playoffs/win the SB, our talent is no longer overwhelming so that it can overcome boneheaded decisions by the coach and poor discipline/penalties by the players.

    On the positive side, other than the interception & fumble, Wilson played another incredible MVP worthy game tonight! Lockett finally was dangerous on returns again and Davis looked like a legit starting RB for the first two quarters until of course, he got injured.

    On to next week & Go Hawks!!

    • hawkdawg

      Hormones. Pete gets “hormonal,” in his words. Hormones interfere with rational brain function.

    • lil'stink

      Those 2 turnovers by Wilson were killers. Yeah, he made some great plays. But gifting the other team 14 points kind of brought his game back to the mean.

  12. House

    I have said it time and time again… We shoot ourselves in the foot and make things harder than they need to be. I’m calling it now. This was a “come to reckoning” game and we will beat the Eagles…

    Its interested to me that we are without Sherman/Kam, lose Griffin early/forced to have Maxwell play significant minutes and still played a game that we could’ve won. DAMN…

    The fact that we are a game behind the Rams and currently hold the tiebreaker helps us no doubt. I don’t want to rely on that and we need to get our stuff together.

    I’m still trying to figure out the halftime fake FG… Where was Luke going to go?

    In the end, I did see some positives and even in defeat, we learn. We learned that our margin of opportunity shut a little more and we need to control our destiny! #gohawks

  13. Pran

    Still waiting for that elusive dominant win on a team with good QB. Until that happens… fake FG is not the real reason.. every win or loss has something like it. We are just not disciplined and coached good enough to play dominant football. Result would have been similar even without injuries and Talent is not the problem!

  14. East Side Stevie

    Anyone else find it frustrating that in almost every game Jimmy G is good for a dropped TD or dropped 2 point conversion?

    I encourage everyone to go back and watch that play because WOW what a moment by Russel Wilson Im not sure there is another QB in the league not named Aaron Rodgers that can escape that pressure from the D Line and run 10 yards backwards, spin and launch a dime to the end zone. RIGHT THROUGH Jimmy G ‘s hands…

  15. Forrest

    Regardless of what happens this season, next off-season will be a key determinant of where this team is going in terms of championship contendership.

    Meaningful changes around the team and staff. Good. RB and defense in the draft. Good. Retaining (one or two of) Sheldon, Jimmy and/or Paul. Great. New playbook(s). Probably a good idea.

    Relying on a defensive core who are only deteriorating with age. Bad. Making no changes to the offense and defensive ideologies. Stagnent and bad. Stubbornness to do ANYTHING differently from a preconceived set of ideas. Predictable and growth-stunting.

    This season in particular has shown the flaws with PC’s way of doing things. On defense he’s become too reliant on 3-4 players who are aging and have no meaningful backups (DL has been okay I guess). Offense is better, but the mentality with everyone (including Wilson) is: don’t worry until the 4th quarter, or we’re down by 20; then and only then can we pump on all cylinders.

    Anyway, I’m not trying to be negative, but my expectations for the rest of the season are minimal at best. Rams don’t look as scary, so winning the West is totally possible. Past that I don’t think they have much going for them. Either way, go Hawks!!!

  16. H M Abdou

    If the Hawks make the platoffs, I don’t think they’ll go far, but they will be a tough out.

    • H M Abdou

      *playoffs, hehe.

  17. Kyle

    I hated the Walsh signing and now even more. You don’t have the leg for a 51 yard shot? Come on man, this is the nfl. Missing left or right at that distance is the only acceptable miss.

    This rushing attack is putrid. I hate it. Offseason their needs to be changed on the staff and if pete has his hands to far in the cookie jar, he needs to get it out and let these coordinators adjust early and actually make some plays early.

    Positive note, the screen pass was super effective tonight, astonishing right? Who would have thought.

    I have loved Chubb since rob first brought him to my attention. When he took over for gurley I was so impressed. I would love to see him or Guice on this team to be the lead back of health checks out.

  18. East Side Stevie

    Here is some really frustrating news:
    The Seahawks D without; Sherman, Chancellor, Cliff Avril, Whilhoite, Shaq G, Deshawn Shead, 2nd round pick Malik Mcdowell.
    Held the Atlanta Offense to the following:
    Matt Ryan under 200 yards passing (his lowest of the season)
    Tevin Coleman 43yds rushing (2nd lowest rushing yards Atlantas leading running back accumulated during a game all season)
    Julio Jones 77 yards

    We did not lose this game because of our Defense.
    Terrible clock management. Questionable Offensive situational coaching. Unlucky turnovers. (Our Offense gave them 7 points from the RW fumble) We lost by 3 points with those players missing on the Defense alone. We were 2 yards away from overtime on a field goal. Unfortunate but we get back the following players before the playoffs:
    Luke Joekel
    Deshawn Shead
    Chris Carson
    Mike Davis
    Maybe Malik McDowell (doubtful)

    • 503Hawk

      You nailed it. Rarely does this team GET BEATEN. Usually it is we BEAT OURSELVES! So many mistakes. That is what is so, so, so frustrating.

    • bseattle

      To be fair, adding in the PI yardage to Matt Ryan’s passing totals would be a bit more telling on how well the defense played.

      • East Side Stevie

        Ehhh…. possibly that’s fair. But what are we suppose to expect because before injuries our secondary would be the following:

        Kam Earl

        Shead Sherman

        Shead injury insert Shaq
        Kam injury insert Bradley
        Sherman Injury insert J Lane
        Shaq Griffin injury insert Byron Maxwell

        This is why I dont think its on our Defense. We were missing that much and look how close we were. I know injuries shouldnt always be the excuse of “But” or “well what if”
        when you have that many missing pieces you cant ask or expect the same outcome. They played damn good for what they had. Look at what Atlanta did to Dallas.

  19. Pran

    Just saw the replay of fake field goal..long snapper Ott is to block DT Grady jarret. Good call coach.

  20. Forty20

    That was less a gut-wrench and more a kick to the balls I reckon. To overcome everything before and during the game and take it so close only for a 51 yard game tying field goal to fall a yard or two short almost physically hurt.

    Wilson had two costly mistakes that set us back significantly but my gosh is he a monster. Everyone league wide is talking about how important Aaron Rodgers is/was to the Packers but I honestly think Wilson (although a lesser QB) is more important to this team. Also, it might be overly reactionary but I think every QB barring Wilson and Newton get a roughing the passer call on the sack that led to a fumble recovered TD. He does more with less than anyone else.

    Jeremy Lane was brutally bad tonight. A tough early PI call set the tone for his game and from there Jones, Sanu and Hardy (?) feasted on him. The dropped gimme intercept was the cherry on top. As soon as Griffin was lost to concussion protocol we were up against it defensively and the Falcons clearly identified Lane as the weak link in an already weakened secondary. We needed our pass rush to get home against Matt Ryan early and often to aid the backfield and it just didn’t happen.

    After showing genuine signs of progress earlier in the year, Ifedi was every bit as bad as Lane while Aboushi got embarrassed several times as well.

    The stats only say 50 rushing yards to our running backs but it feels to me like that was genuinely one of our better games on the ground. Mike Davis and JD McKissic found some small creases and started falling forwards to finish their runs instead of getting stonewalled and knocked on their arses.

    As has happened so often this year, just as we get a glimpse of something encouraging or awesome it gets taken away from us. Davis was flashing some real talent today. He laid a little bit of boom on the Keanu Neal I believe – which is no small feat – and was everything on screen plays that Rawls isn’t. Shifty, sets up his blockers and fights for every inch down the sideline. Hopefully he can rebound on a short turnaround.

    Bevell called a really solid game. We punished the Falcons with both RB and WR screens and saw some cool red zone stuff with Wilson that a chunk of fans have been crying out for.

    Pete on the other hand almost single-handedly cost us the game. Mike Salk has berated Pete face-to-face in a slew on Monday morning interviews this season about keeping those crucial time outs up his sleeve for the 2min drill and Carroll even admitted how important they so-often prove to be. And he throws two timeouts away tonight. Yes there were a ton of other factors between injuries and errors but if he gives #3 two time outs on the final drive I think we come home with a TD and the game.

    That isn’t even mentioning his terrible call contextually to go for the fake FG. A silver lining aside but I liked the play design on the fake FG.

    It feels like that despite all the set backs and all the frustrations we are agonisingly close to where we want to be. We are yet to produce a full-game effort from head coach right down to special teams so in that sense I think we are still contenders. Given our set backs and our upcoming schedule, if we end up making the postseason you will know we have earned our ticket there.

    • C-Dog

      I thought Bevell did a really nice job, as well. Loved the play action screens back to the runners. Just another thing that defenses will have to consider. One of the real bright spots that was wasted in a loss that could have been a win.

      • lil'stink

        I thought Bevell was great. Our screen game usually stinks. Dan Quinn knows this, probably didn’t plan much for it, and we end up maybe having our best screen game in the Russell Wilson era.

  21. Steele

    Odd decisions. Bad first halfs, starting in holes. Russell running for his life. Heroic near comebacks. Etc. This kind of consistent inconsistency has been going on for many seasons now. As significant as the injuries are, the problems are top down and systemic. Attitudinal. Will this team ever have the cohesion?

    • H M Abdou

      That 2013 championship season seems like a couple of decades ago.

  22. KingRajesh

    Seahawks generated 360 yards of total offense. 344 of those yards were generated by Russell Wilson. That’s 95%.

    The Falcons generated 284 yards, and Matt Ryan was responsible for 207. That’s 72%.

    This is unsustainable.

    • Volume12

      Imagine a PC coached team having 1 rushing TD by a RB 10 games into a season.

      • Matt B.

        McKissic should’ve had one, tried to bounce outside when he could’ve cut in earlier behind the blocker and got in. However, I agree with your overall point, not very sustainable although I think game script dictated a more pass heavy game plan again. When you’re down 2 scores so quick and constantly playing from behind you’ve got to be a bit more aggressive. And honestly, how terrible is it that we lose Davis like that after losing Carson, Lacey’s had injuries, Rawls lost his vision, Prosise with continued injuries, we’ve just had terrible luck with getting any consistency with RB’s. O-Line run blocking has been bad but still we’ve just had incredibly horrible luck on RB and O-Line that would be tough for any team to overcome. It’s a game of inches and this team has a tendency to leave most games close causing us to win some that we shouldn’t and lose some that we should win.

  23. C-Dog

    1. Russell Wilson is the offense. He’s the pass game, and the run game, as well. This is going to be an interesting final stretch of games to see what comes out of it. I picked the Hawks to go 11-5 before the season, and that certainly is being greatly threatened. If Seattle were to not reach the playoffs for the first time in the Wilson era, but it puts them in good position to draft a really talented and dependable RB to fit into this offense, and complement Russ for years, I would frankly take that.

    2. Get ready for the Sherman and Kam-less Seattle Seahawks. Quarterbacks are going to take their shots, and if there is success either in catches, or drawing PIs, and if it results in points that Seattle has to chase, they can ill afford to have early turnovers that result in easy points given up. The window for mistakes is much tinier. There needs to be urgency to score early. Does this mean they might go up tempo earlier to grab leads?

    3. Tough seeing Griffin go down. Really hope he’s able to bounce back sooner than later. They needed him out there. Jarran Reed was also missed. It was encouraging seeing the defense hang in there on a thread against a dangerous offense.

    4. Throughout the first four games of the year, I was done with Jimmy Graham. I was ready to trade him for Duane Brown straight across. Now, I’m officially on the Jimmy Graham bandwagon, and hope that he sticks around. I hope he doesn’t read this board and that I pissed him off.

    5. Nice to see Tedric Thompson come up with that big special teams play. Rookies making an impact on teams is a good way to eventually see the field.

    6. The call at the end of the first half was asinine, and reeked of utter unnecessary desperation. I actually hated it more than the dreaded Super Bowl call, I think.

    7. Nice to see Sheldon Richardson get that almost game saving sack. Richardson fits this defense really well, and it would be a stunner if they didn’t re-sign him, IMO.

    8. Seattle needs HELP at running back. Can not stress that enough.

    9. Mock Draft Falcons Edition.

    22: R1P22
    RB NICK CHUBB
    GEORGIA

    Assuming Chubb shines at the combine, Seattle may not want to get too cute trading back and missing on a back that can complement RW for the next five to six years. That said, watch them trade back and acquire more picks.

    R2. SHELDON RICHARDSON

    Seattle works out an extension to keep the DL rotation deep, especially if they are faced with life after Kam.

    124: R4P22
    CB QUENTON MEEKS
    STANFORD

    Seattle looks to add depth at corner.

    146: R5P8
    EDGE MARQUIS HAYNES
    MISSISSIPPI

    Seattle looks to add an athletic rush backer to play SAM

    151: R5P13
    LB T.J. EDWARDS
    WISCONSIN

    Seattle sees value in adding a potential three down coverage backer.

    168: R5P30
    G SCOTT QUESSENBERRY
    UCLA

    Seattle adds depth on the OL

    233: R7P11
    QB RILEY FERGUSON
    MEMPHIS

    Seattle drafts a QB

    244: R7P22
    TE CAM SERIGNE
    WAKE FOREST

    Seattle drafts a TE

    251: R7P29
    RB LAVON COLEMAN
    WASHINGTON

    Seattle double dips at RB

    254: R7P32
    DL B.J. HILL
    NORTH CAROLINA STATE

    Seattle drafts a DT

    • Volume12

      That SB call. Didn’t hate the fact it was pass, just the fact it was a slant.

      • C-Dog

        Yes. Absolutely. Had to be the perfect pass at a critical moment to work.

      • 503Hawk

        +12

      • Kenny Sloth

        Hella predictable little shitty pick route to our fourth receiver

    • Mark Souza

      C-Dog, I don’t really care for that draft much. It ignores our biggest needs and doubles up on units where we don’t need help. We don’t need D-line help at the moment. We are deeper and more talented there than any team in the NFL. We also don’t TE help. We have two screaming needs, O-line, and defensive back.

      I think we are at the end of the Kam Chancellor and Richard Sherman era, and we need replacements. At the moment, I don’t see those players on our roster. We also need to think about replacing Earl Thomas. He is an exceptional talent that allows the Legion of Boom to do what they do. But his game is predicated on blinding speed. He undersized and aging. When he loses a step, he’ll just be an undersized safety and that day is coming soon. I’d like to think he’s a Darrell Green type who can run 4.3 until he’s 40, but so far there has been only one Darrell Green, so I’m not holding out much hope.

      On the O-line we need at least two new bodies that not only stick with the team, but take over the RG and RT positions. That side is an open gate, and Ifedi is clearly a bust. Maybe it’s time to stop evaluating O-linemen to a specific physical type and Combine test scores, and start paying attention to who already has the skills to block and has proven it in college.

      We also need running backs (plural). I really don’t want to see Lacy, Rawls, or Prosise back next year. That leaves us with only Chris Carson and Mike Davis. We still have a lot of very good players, but we need an infusion of talent in very specific places.

      • C-Dog

        I would put RB at the biggest need presently.

        While I do agree that OL is something to continue improving on, I want to see what the OL is when Luke Joekel comes back, and maybe a shift of Ethan Pocic to the right side.

        I fear the Kam era might be at the end, but I think Sherman comes back next year. I would expect them to continue targeting corner in the draft. I think they might have Kam’s replacement on the roster in Delano Hill, but they will continue going with experience in Bradley McDougald. IMO, Earl isn’t slowing down anytime soon. I thought he was playing at an MVP level before the hammy tweak.

  24. Volume12

    TFW Pete makes one of his wacky decisions.

    https://mobile.twitter.com/SBNation/status/932795967270776832/photo/1

    • East Side Stevie

      is that That Face When ?

      • Volume12

        That Feeling When

  25. Ukhawk

    Welcome to life without a run game. IMO This is all stems from the OL, if not you can’t control the line then u can’t control the clock, you have too many negative plays, get poorer play action, nothing to keep defended honest, lesser third & short ability, higher turnover risk, poorer field position and a more tired, vulnerable defense

    • Ukhawk

      that wasn’t very well written – Apols

  26. Rawls

    I think we’re seeing the case for not drafting an RB early. They’re injury prone and don’t last as long as other positions.

    • East Side Stevie

      Thats exactly why we need to draft an RB early. We cant keep doing what we’re doing. Since 2016 season we have had over 20 players carry the ball for us. (Full backs and Trevone Boykin included) You have to have the self awareness to know when something isnt working. We have to find the guy or the 2 guys. This committee approach doesn’t work if your main 1 or 2 guys arent durable. It also does not work if you are giving 3 carries each game to 2 different players. It oddly feels as if they are still experimenting with the work load. One week a guy is on the inactive list the next he is playing then in the next game a player gets hurt he then is on the inactive list and the player who wasn’t active is now active. Its a cluster fuck. They want their identity to be running the ball (its not) but they, being Pete and Bevell and Cable are going to want to draft a RB early.
      I still believe they trade down 2 to 3 times before making their firt selection.

  27. Ehurd1021

    This season is a WASH to me, personally. Too many injuries for the Seahawks to sustain or build any kind of momentum that could lead to a championship. With that said, Seattle needing to replace and rebuild begins now. Period.

    Kam Chancellor — Replacing Kam is going to be difficult. I sit back and marvel at Quinn being able to find Keanu Neal as quick as he did with Atlanta. The physical presence/mentality (enforcer) that Kam brought to this defense was amazing and it’s going to be missed until it’s replaced. Not only with his physicality … but his size and athletism in being able to cover TE’s and H-backs – which gave Seattle so much flexibility in a pass-happy league.

    Tyree Robinson/Oregon (6’4″/205) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCMzZnIoNdA. Now, does he have the physicality of Kam at this moment? No. However, he does have the size and athletism with some instances of physicality that make him look very promising.

    Richard Sherman — attempting to replace Sherman isn’t going to be as difficult as trying to replace Kam. Now, could Sherman come back from an Achilles and continue to be an all-pro player? Absolutely. However, for a 30-year-old corner to make that transition that would be remarkable. However, It’s not probable and even if he did I think the SMART choice (financially and strategically) for Seattle to go in a new direction early rather than wait. This defense needs new blood badly. I also trust in Pete system and coaching and his ability to find corners to compete in his system.

    Quenton Meeks/Stanford (6’2″/190) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bs62TV2hq8E&t=141s

    Joshua Jackson/Iowa (6’1″/192) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyDEYOnDOv8&t=16s

    Adonis Alexander/Virgina Tech (6’3″/195) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GuW44xbNtg

    A big area of concern on the defense that I’ve noticed for a few years has been the talent and bodies that we’ve had at the SAM backer position. So far we’ve gone from Mike Morgan to Micheal Wilhote and now Terrance Garvin. I would argue both Garvin and Wilhote are stop-gap players but the front office NEEDS to find better talent and production at that spot that we’ve lacked since Brue Irvin walked out the door.

    Matthew Thomas/FSU (6’3″/230) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKjFxpf9j6U

    • East Side Stevie

      Word around the campfire is that Josh Jackson is returning to Iowa for his senior year.

  28. Hawk Eye

    Heart of a champion, but not the mindset. Too many penalties and mistakes early in games. Cannot continue to put yourself in a hole and expect to get out of it. We have seen it time and time again. The lack of closure on 3rd down, especially 3rd and long, is just not good enough to win a championship. Other teams have talent, other teams prepare, so you cannot just show up and play. They lack the ability to dominate either line of scrimmage to do that. The D line is good, but it does not dominate.
    I have been patient and waiting until week 10 to judge this team this year. 6-4 is about right. Can they win the next 6? Yes. Will they? I doubt it.
    And as great as Russell was, he made 2 critical mistakes that cost them 14 points. Ryan made none and that is the difference last night. Can’t look at the good without also seeing the flaws.

    I think they have the offence to compete, although the lack of a consistent running game means they can also struggle with 3 and outs and put the D in a bad position and may be more turnover prone. the o line is not the worst in the league and I can see it becoming at least average or slightly above next year.

    nice to see Lockett returning kicks like it was 2015

    still hopeful, but really not expecting the season to end with a parade in Seattle 🙁

    • 503Hawk

      “Heart of a champion, but not the mindset.”
      Well said, unfortunately. 🙁

  29. Mark Souza

    We lost because they’re better than us. We played valiantly and had the 12th man advantage, but it wasn’t enough. On offense, they out-man us at every position but tight end and quarterback. Their O-line is superior to ours. Their running backs are better than ours. Their receivers are far and away better than ours. The two quarterbacks are close, and we have the better tight ends, but that’s it.

    On defense, the D-lines are close (though we have superior depth). The LB corps are close. But their DBs are better at this point than ours. Keanu Neal is what Kam Chancellor used to be 5 years ago. And Atlanta was a 5-4 team coming in. There are better teams than Atlanta in the NFC. I don’t know if we make the play-offs this year, we’re right on the cusp talent wise, and will flirt with getting in, but it hardly matters. If we make it we’ll be quickly bounced out like last year.

    It’s time to rebuild. If we want to go to the Super Bowl again, we need to let go of a lot of the household names we love, storied names that got us our first Super Bowl win. We need to find the next generation. And we need to recognize that old football adage that “games are won and lost in the trenches” is dead on, and build an offensive line that can protect our best player, and push opponents around. If we don’t make the playoffs, the good news is we’ll get a better draft position. I just wish we had more draft picks, because to be a contender again, we’ll need to hit on a lot of them.

    • Colonel KurtZ

      The delusional comments afterwards, about an exciting game where the home team looked close to winning, but in reality, was never ahead and never in control, is really exasperating.

      Quinn is off the Pete carroll coaching tree and looking at Atlanta, they are everything that PC could want. I even think their receivers are better than ours – the key play in this game was a drop by Doug baldwin, who then got his coach to burn a timeout on an obvious drop. Compare that to Julio Jones’ catch along the sideline where he out jumped two Seahawks AND got his feet down.

      No, Atlanta is better at every position than we are, including QB. Matt Ryan keeps his head up and delivers the ball down the field to his bigger stronger faster playmakers, what an NFL QB is suppose to do.

      And the adulation for Russ Wilson in a loss where he threw a really bad interception (again) is getting asinine.
      He ducks his head often, doesn’t step up in the pocket enough times when it does form, and turns half of his plays into sandlot shit. His baseball windup bugs the shit out of me and tells me that throws he should be able to make are now tougher cuz of injury or age, or just being late on his reads, so he has zing balls that should be out of his hands earlier. that’s part of the reason we have more drops this year than in previous years, his throws being less catchable.

      Now, granted, its exciting and makes for great TV but we can’t see how many guys are open out of their cuts. He has the heart of a champion but he is at the apex of this really sloppy divided organization that has a whole lot of old players who are overpaid.

      Time to start the purge.

      • mishima

        You think their receivers are better than ours? Sano and Jones are 2 of the best in the league. We have Baldwin.

      • peter

        The browns are looking for fans.

        But seriously start the purge? really. His completion percent, Td’s to ints are on par to be the same this year as every year. While you may not like the “sandlot bleep,” is he supposed to stand in an imaginary pocket when teams don’t respect any kind of run and get drilled?

        Atlanta has a good team. You know what? they should. To get this team they treated themselves to 3 consecutive playoff less seasons, from 2013-15 going 4-12. 6-10. and 8-8. Matt ryan has taken his team to the playoffs 5 times since ’08 and Wilson has been every year he’s been in the league.

    • neil

      I wholeheartedly agree. I believe the rebuild has to start with the coaching staff, ALL OF THEM.

  30. mishima

    What the hell is happening with Ifedi? Instead of improving, he’s regressing. Ifedi/Aboushi: shit show.

    • Mark Souza

      Ifedi is the product of a flawed evaluation method the Hawks use to evaluate O-linemen. They are enamored with measurables. Somewhere along the way they convinced themselves that they need a physical type that matches up with today’s D-lineman. They have concentrated on size and quickness, figuring O-linemen need to be just as quick as D-linemen. That kind of thinking, looking for a physical type, has led them to draft D-lineman and the repeated failed attempts to convert them, and to draft the likes of Ifedi and Carpenter.

      First, the model we are using is flawed. You don’t need your O-lineman to be as quick as the D-linemen. O-linemen have an advantage. D-linemen have to run further to get around them, so O-linemen don’t need to be as quick. But they do need to understand angles, leverage, and technique. They need have balance and footwork, and they need to know what to do with their hands. But the Hawks haven’t been grading for those things, so we end up with a lot of busts. Their thought has been “we can train ’em up.” But that hasn’t been working out well.

      Justin Britt has been their only real success story. But look what he was. He was a champion wrestler who was wrestler quick and understood the importance of balance and footwork, the importance of leverage and hand placement. Ethan Pocic also looks like he’s going to work out. But our list of failures is very long.

      We are locked into this mindset that we need a specific physical type to make the zone blocking scheme work. What we need to be looking for is linemen that have proven in college they have the skills and ability to block. Screw the zone blocking scheme. Draft the most talented people you can, the ones with balance and footwork, the ones who have already shown they have the technique, leverage and hand placement, the ones with the size and disposition, and then develop a blocking scheme that best utilizes their talents. That’s where we need to be.

    • C-Dog

      I wouldn’t be surprised if Ifedi ends up back at RG next year, and after an offseason in the weight room, Ethan Pocic becomes the RT. Pocic has better feet, and I think a case can be made that to block for RW, Seattle needs two tackles that can move.

      • Mark Souza

        I think you’re right, C-Dog. It would make the best use of what he can do instead of highlight what he can’t. He would have a chance to be successful there.

      • mishima

        Agree, but instead of asking OTs to block superior athletes in space, create a pocket and ask RW to stop freaking out.

        Not sure Pocic has the reach to play OT. Might need to go Brown – Pocic – Britt – Ifedi – FA (or Fant/Odhiambo).

        Starting to wonder if Ifedi is just an idiot.

  31. AlaskaHawk

    There is not a lot I could add to these comments. Another running back down = it seems like a cursed position this year. RW holding onto the ball too long as he tries to make a play – well that’s familiar – sometimes it works , sometimes he gets sacked and stripped of the football for a big loss.

    Frankly, even with all the injuries and lack of third down stops, the defense did enough. Special teams play had a few blunders, coaches decisions had a lot of influence on the end of the halves. The Seahawks were still in a game that they shouldn’t have been in, it should have been a blowout!!!! I attribute that to the Seahawks heart!!! I was happy to see the mental toughness to fight for 60 minutes.

    Of course it seems like penalties played a factor, and I do think a few (like Lanes first PI) were unfair and influenced the game. Refs just can’t lay off the first long TD pass interference call — no matter how ticky tacky.

    I’m not one of those calling for PC’s head. With all the changes in roster due to injuries, you can bet that everyone is coaching their ass off, trying to get the new guys ready. Yes it is his fault on the poor calls at end of halfs. Just like it is RWs fault that he kept throwing short passes with less than a minute on the clock. You got to throw the ball downfield RW = but we have seen this before with their offense. The no yardage passing game. Even 10 yards with the last two passes would have made an enormous difference = but so would the timeouts they wasted.

    For me = I considered the season to start sliding downhill with the Washington game. If you can’t beat the bad teams, why pretend you can beat the good teams?? While I hope that the Seahawks make the playoffs, I doubt that they will. And if they do= how far can they go without a running back?? I won’t even say running game, they don’t have a healthy back to use in a running game.

    In some ways I would be relieved if they didn’t make the playoffs, because that would be a sign that the coaches need to change (versus when they should have been changed after the second superbowl). Of course I’m being hypocritical as this is also the most injury laden season I can remember. And I don’t think that should be on the coaches!!! My issues have more to do with play design and play calling. Especially with the notorious first half slow starts. When your a run first coach it is hard to switch into a pass first offense. It is hard to design and practice new passing routes week after week. But that is what It takes to be successful.

  32. GeoffU

    This was a huge loss — couldn’t afford both this and the Redskins. Looking at remaining schedules, it’s very likely 10-6 isn’t good enough and we’re sitting at home for the playoffs. That means we have to go 5-1 to finish the season. Only one loss between @ Jags, @ Cowboys, vs Rams, vs Eagles.

  33. SheHawk

    Many good points Rob. We’re better team than how we played. Hate to see 2 home losses resulting from primarily a lack of discipline. Seems we’ve crossed the fine line they balance from fun over to sloppy. This starts at PC. Hate to compare but Bill B simply doesn’t tolerate “sloppy” on the Pats who also re-invent themselves every year to stay fresh. So in that area Bevel called a great game. We added in screens and different looks.

    Unfortunately there were many times last night when sloppy mistakes negated something amazing. Thompson’s fumble recovery was a great special teams play yet we netted Zero points from it. Tyler was awesome! Russ is brilliant as always but needs a run game. So it was encouraging to see Davis get his chance. He was a nice spark tonight.

    As for LOB V2 -needs work and need our Rook back asap! Lane seems to concede 5-7 yards on LOS allowed them to run routes unchecked? Earl was key and McDougal is solid😁 Was nice to see Maxwell play well. BMax, Griffiin with Coleman in nickel as CBs and LOB v2 will be fine (not like having Sherman and Kam but good enough to win games) Hope to see both Davis and Griffin back soon.

    Love the mocks especially picking up UW Coleman mid draft.
    Do any of you see a fit for WSU Hercules M.? So fun to watch! Could he concert to SAM given his size and speed?

    • C-Dog

      If I were Hercules, I might strongly consider adding 25 pounds in the offseason and come back for 2018 in a year that I could be billed as the next Aaron Donald.

      • peter

        I could see it. I wonder if Seattle likes Hercules? Their game is different but he reminds me a bit of Bruce Irvin in that WSU has him line up all over including at least as I’ve read as a DT.

  34. SheHawk

    meant to type -Hercules could convert to SAM which is position we should draft next year

  35. Ty the Guy

    The Season is Not Over….

    I feel the most for Bobby Wagner. Quite possibly might end up being one of the best MLB’s of all time and we can’t appreciate his game, because we have ongoing issues.

    1. Injuries suck. But we have some quality depth.

    2. Penalties suck. What gives guys? I’m all for being aggressive, but this is getting old.

    3. Ifedi is NOT the answer at RT. I’d like to see him back at RG. Maybe Joekel can take over when he returns. Fant should be our RT starting next season.

    4. Lane is a slot corner. He is not our best slot corner. We can use the cap space next year.

    5. Eddie Lacy has no place on this roster. Take the losses. Sign a hungry cat off a practice squad. Definitely get more production.

    6. Pete deserves a lot of the blame for this one. Several bad decisions and he almost made another at the end and potentially let the clock run out.

    This one hurts. Russ threw the ball too hard on that pick, but other than that did about all he could. The D played better than I expected, except on a few key 3rd downs. As far as Walsh goes, if there is a big leg on the market, bring him in for a try out. Where we stand right now, I would have much rather have given Haushka the money and never signed Lacy.

    • mishima

      re: #5

      What are they thinking? Lacy is the new C. Williams: Own it, cut him, move on.

      Also, why was Rawls a healthy scratch? What’s going on?

      • pran

        probably his mind is not in right place..he needs a reset and might be alex collins for a different team

        • Ty the Guy

          You’re probably right. Rawls almost seems like he is trying too hard. Is that a thing?

          Either way, no more FA RBs unless they are UDFA.

  36. Kenny Sloth

    Just had dental surgery during the first half of the game yesterday.

    It hurt less than the second half i watched.

    I’m gonna veg out on some cut ups this week and drop you guys some fiery scouting reports

    • East Side Stevie

      Cant fucking wait

  37. Kenny Sloth

    Before anyone talks about Blair Walsh and Pete Carroll

    We gotta talk about Russells turnovers. A fumble 6 and a long pick return straight at their best DB??

    Russ was Russ and did a lot of incredible things to keep us in it late.

    But in my opinion nothing is more important than turnovers.

    Wish more people discussed the causes of these mistakes rather than some poor situational football.

    • pran

      He was the reason we were in that big hole. spl teams made up for their early mistakes but killed again with that late penalty on the last pun return.

    • Volume12

      Let’s talk about Ifedi’s man has whooped that a** in every. single. game. this year.

      • pran

        whats the surprise when its the standard. Its on Russ and Coaches to make things work.

      • Kenny Sloth

        So true.

        He keeps getting fucking punked.

        Russell seems surprised by the recovery skill of Duane Brown.

        Hes like whoa Thats elite never seen that b4

    • peter

      Agree to disagree here. Pretty bad turnovers last night but if nothing is more important than turnovers Seattle is still tied with 3 teams for a positive differential of 5. Wilson is good for 9 turnovers (int’s and lost fumbles) and 23 td’s with ZERO help on the ground.

      That’s what’s cool about and frustrating about football. Bad turnovers sure, but how about a placekicker not dropping two games on the year? OR how about Seattle’s d getting off the field on third down early than 2 minutes to go at the end of the game. Maybe they don’t lead the league in penalties and first downs on penalties. How about big balls pete decides that Luke “molasses,” Willson doesn’t try to run against Jarret who might actually be faster than him with 25 yards to go and just take the points. Or don’t burn timeouts 4-5 minutes into the third and then listen to the fans when Doug dropped the ball to burn a challenge.

      The int I can not discuss that was straight steamy crap, but the fumble I’ll discuss. Russ was getting destroyed because Ifedi sucks at his position and Oday Aboushi is basically just as bad. I read a lot of words about Wilson causing his own sacks and holding on the ball too long which is fair, but I’m also seeing a QB on pace for something like 48 sacks for the year with no running game and an Oline that can’t tell how it wants to block and a guy that gets creamed as often as he gets a pass off on the occasions that he stands in the pocket.

      • Volume12

        The right side of this O-line is a dumpster fire.

        • peter

          Which sucks because Ifedi truly looks the part but he’s just SO slow to react. You think coming from a high tempo spread with Manziel he’d have better recognition. Seattle has taught me patience with dudes like Richardson and Britt so maybe there’s hope but I’m starting to wonder if Joeckel comes back maybe shuffle Pocic on over there?

          Oh and I’ll officially admit that I was wrong doggin’ Pocic he seems to be handling himself quite well….

      • Kenny Sloth

        Luke Willson is one of the fastest players on the team.

        I like a lot of your take here and the turnover differential is a big part of what informs me that this team is better than their record. Russell has had a great year. He didn’t have a great game until the middle of the third. We know he’s a 4th quarter QB on a 4th quarter team, but we need to hold everybody accountable like they do themselves.

        • peter

          I just think this year is going to be pretty hard to pin the blame down to anyone. in hasselbecks last year’s he was terrible. but Wilson struggling, though extremely frustrating is hard for me to count as problem one. maybe it’s a problem but not the most pressing, yet.

  38. vrtkolman

    It really sucks drafting in the 25th spot or lower in every round for as long as we have. I can’t help but think how good Keanu Neal would have been here, but he went in the top 20 so no chance as usual. It’s a good thing of course because the team is successful, but man the draft really is designed to close that gap between the good and the bad… and close it fast.

    • Rik

      Parity seems to work for every team but the Patriots. He-who-must-not-be-named has somehow figured out how to continuously remanufacture a top-shelf team with years of bottom-shelf draft positions.

      • peter

        Here’s how: Solder, Chandler Jones, Jamie Collins, Jabal Sheard, Ninkovich, Barkevious Mingo, Chris Long, Donta Hightower, malcolm butler, legarrette blount, Akieem Hicks, Sebastian Vollmer, Allan Branch, Vince Wilfork, Revis, Brandon Browner,………

        Some of these guys you draft Like Collins and Jones but mostly you convince free agents to play there for about two years to chase a ring. Obviously, there’s something about their culture that attracts guys who have just the smallest window to continue playing great in. New England has been pulling that move for years and their drafts are just as spotty as Seattle’s which to me is the case that their coach and or GM are literally the best ever in the game.

        • vrtkolman

          After I put some thought into this, they have had a ton of good luck as well. After 2011, their division has been atrocious while the AFC in general has been kind of a joke. They only had to beat the Colts and a beat up Steelers team missing Bell and Brown to advance to their last two Superbowls. And in those two games, they required a massive collapse by both teams to get out of there with the Lombardi. You can’t discount luck and the Patriots have had a lot of it.

  39. Gohawks5151

    So much wasted opportunities. Davis was doing so well. Its a shame and hopefully he can bounce back quickly. Something I noticed about Davis last night and Carson earlier besides just hitting the hole, is the depth they are running with on runs outside of the tackle. Rawls in particular is so close to the line when trying to bounce it to the outside that he basically tackles himself or leaves himself no room for cut back. The throwback screens were a godsend and can easily expanded upon (maybe bubble or RPO to rollout side and screen to back side). I do not understand our ineffectiveness on 3rd and long. Only rushing 4 gives us 7 in coverage. That should be more than enough to cover especially in a 3 tight end look. They were even getting what they wanted with early throws and throws underneath and still they couldn’t finish the tackle. Frustrating. Seeing some criticism of Duane Brown. He was holding out all year and has the bad ankle and yet is very solid. I dont get what the expectations are. We weren’t trading for Tyron Smith and yet Brown has been more than good and will be better with time and Joeckel back. I have a fear that we will just be hitting our stride on the O line and run game, as well as the Backfield adjusting to live without Kam and Sherm, a bit too late. Really need to pull a few wins soon. Not all is lost.

    • East Side Stevie

      i am hearing that Mike davis will miss 3 games.

      BUT Chris Carson will be practing in 2 weeks and probably makes his comeback against the Rams on 12/17

    • RealRhino2

      Yeah, Davis and his 3 yards per carry were killing it.

  40. pran

    Blair Walsh is done..this was his chance for redemption and he could not. Who wants a kicker who cant be relied 50+ yards. This was his first attempt at 50+ and he failed miserably.

    • East Side Stevie

      I doubt they even bring in a guy to compete with him.

      I hope they do, but I dont see it happening.

    • Kyle

      I hate that they even brought him in to begin with. The guy has no leg and shrinks at big moments. why bring someone in like that?

      • RealRhino2

        Meanwhile, Hauschka is sitting with a 90% FG success rate and a 100% XP success rate. Turns out, when you don’t screw with a guy by replacing his good long snapper with crappy ones, he can kick pretty well.

        Just another in what is becoming a growing sting of bad keep/cut/trade decisions….

  41. Aaron

    Last night was the first time I accepted something I’ve seen for two years running now. That final play where they had the split screen of Blair Walsh and Pete, I looked at Pete and even before the missed FG I saw a man who is tired, he is tired folks. Pete has done great by us, he’s given Hawks fans what they always wanted, a SB win. This game wasn’t lost solely on Pete, but he has the lions share of the blame to me. I do not believe it’s an overreaction to seriously consider gracefully moving on from Pete Carroll either this offseason or next. He is a spectacular coach, he’s help build a spectacular team year in and year out. He’s help assemble a great group of coaches. However, keeping things as they are isn’t progress. When you’re coasting you’re falling. I accepted that last night Pete has hit and past the peak of his era in Seattle. Love ya coach, but to everything there is a season.

    • Volume12

      He’s spent man.

      The last years of his USC tenure are here guys. Didn’t want this, but it appears the writing was on the wall.

      • Volume12

        I live with my little brother, he ain’t little but, anyways. His girlfriend watched the game with us. She watches like 10 games a year with us. She says ‘look at his face. Does he even like doing this anymore?’

        • mishima

          I said the exact thing to my girlfriend: ‘Pete’s having no fun.’

          Frustrating year for everyone.

          Team needs an infusion, a spark, some swagger.

          • Kenny Sloth

            +1

      • vrtkolman

        God I hope not. He’s going to be remembered for the worst play call in NFL history, not that he built up a championship winning monster in both college and the NFL.

      • Ehurd1021

        Those USC days were an issue because Pete got too comfortable with his coaching staffs and it eroded that program from the inside-out. Significant changes need to be made, honestly. What is going to be the difference is whether or not Pete falls into that same trap with the Seahawks like he did USC. Only time will tell.

        • RealRhino2

          Yeah, I was going to say, he’s assembled “a great group of coaches”? That’s like saying we’ve drafted a great group of running backs, because all of those guys are on other teams. I can’t think of the great group of coaches we have on staff right now. It sure ain’t the OC, DC, OL coach, RB coach, or ST coach. So we have what? A good DL coach maybe? Is it our great DB coach that gets us to give up 3rd & long like nobody’s business?

          The great coaches are all gone, just like at USC, and Pete’s replaced them with his family and the Peter Principle…

    • Gohawks5151

      I hope not but i can see your point. The USC days were a little more of the give up variety than what we are seeing (and sanction avoidance depending on what you believe). If anything last night was a “trying too hard” scenario with that fake FG. I think he is an emotional guy and some of the his cornerstones (Kam, Sherm, Avril) being gone are really affecting him. That is an adjustment he has yet to make in coming to the NFL. He loves his guys and raised them since they were pups. Now he is staring at letting them go. In college it was more organic as there was a set time for roster turnover. Now hard choices are on the horizon. He is still a great coach and talent evaluator. But he has to come to term with a few things not just for players but coaches and possibly scheme tweaks too. Hope he has more left in the tank because no other coach on this staff can carry on what we have going. Quinn was that guy IMO.

    • pran

      He need to bring fresh perspective in to coaching… Pete is still damn good let him bring new coaches and thoughts!

  42. Volume12

    I wonder how nic is doing after last night’s meltdown on here. That was rough. Woof.

    • Hawk Eye

      he said he was done,
      well, the American people won’t have Nic Hansen to kick around anymore….

      if anyone is old enough to know where that is from, you win a prize!

    • Kenny Sloth

      Glad I was having dental surgery instead of having to witness that.

      So great that those kind of guys are very few and far between here.

      • Rob Staton

        It was too much. I apologise to anyone who had to read that. He’s in timeout for a while.

        • East Side Stevie

          Who is Nick Hansen and what did he say?

          • Rob Staton

            Someone who has posted in the comments for a while. He went on an angry, sweary tirade last night after the loss.

  43. Ehurd1021

    It seems like Pete has an “always compete” attitude, but that mantra and belief system doesn’t exist within the coaching staff. If we’re being completely transparent and honest… significant changes to the coaching staff should’ve been made after the SuperBowl.

    The staff has fallen into mediocrity on BOTH sides of the ball. I had NO idea until last night when Gruden mentioned that when Quinn left to Atlanta he took over 12 personnel coaches etc. from the Seahawks. That’s amazing. The Seahawks also lost Ken Norton that same year to the Raiders; no telling how many coaches from the staff left with Norton. People won’t focus on these losses but they do matter and the coaches we replaced these men with haven’t lived up to those expectations. Period.

    Kris Richard – below average defensive coordinator. I understand he’s working with aging talent in comparison to Quinn. However, our inability to generate pressure and get off the field on 3rd downs SINCE he took over has been noticeable. The defense – from the coaching staff to player/personnel – needs to improve. We need fresh blood on this team with new voices from the coaching staff.

    Darell Bevell – mediocre offensive coordinator. The negative energy he brings alone should’ve resulted in going in a new direction after the SuperBowl lost. Period. Wilson needs a new voice and system to operate under; outside of Wilsons unique ability to create and extend plays what can you honestly say Wilson has grown? You could argue Wilson has regressed in regards to basic fundamentals (pocket awareness, etc.) Yes, I blame that on coaching. I blame that on our offensive coordinator not putting our franchise QB in the best possible position to succeed.

    Tom Cabel – tired of the excuses. This offensive line and running game fall onto HIS inability to find talent and the all-around philosophy he employs within his coaching. Once again, I believe a new voice is needed that could bring in a new voice and mentality within offensive line coaching.

    Changes need to be made. People keep saying Pete looks uninspired and tired. Fine. Then he needs to add fresh blood – from the player/personnel to the coaches – into the organization that can rejuvenate him OR he needs to retire and walk away from the game. I thank him for everything he’s done. He’s an amazing man. But if his heart isn’t in it anymore and he’s not inspired then walking away might be the best option. I obviously would hate to see him walk away from the game… but something has to give. I don’t believe in “championship windows”… the Saints, Steelers, etc. are showing how 1-2 solid drafts can completely turn around a franchise. The Seahawks need to stop thinking about 2013-14 and start realizing that those days are LONG gone. Time to rebuild, from top-to-bottom.

    • Aaron

      Pete’s mentality of giving people second, third, fourth and more changes is such a double edged sword. He gave Bevell a second chance after 2nd down and goal from the 1. He’s given Cable multiple chances during these past three years of mediocre at best o line play. That’s who Pete is, he doesn’t give up on people, or coaches, or players, or his system. It’s an admirable quality, but everything has its limit or excess. It’s become far too comfortable in that small and closed inner circle of coaches and players. The buck stops with Pete, and he admits that and owns that. However, that doesn’t mean blame all goes on Pete. As I mentioned above, it’s not all on Pete. I feel he’s tired and we need to consider a graceful way for him to exit. I also agree with you that fresh blood needs to come in. Fresh doesn’t always mean better, but if you’re coasting you’re falling. Always compete extends to every single person on that team – players, coaches, and personnel.

  44. Ehurd1021

    Let’s say Pete retires next season or the year following that… and let’s say Quinn doesn’t win a championship in that same time span – his core unit that he’s built will also be much older and getting paid, what is the possibility of Quinn leaving Atlanta to come back to the Seahawks as a head coach lol?

    • East Side Stevie

      Quinn isnt going anywhere as long as Atlanta’s winning.
      Quinn wants to have his own success that he builds. Coming back to Seattle would be like a hand out in his Eyes. I think Atlanta is a great place for Quinn to continue coaching.

      Of the people to elevate as HC in a post Carroll situation I would have to say Darell Bevell.
      Chris Peterson at Udub would be interesting.
      Urban Meyer.
      Josh McDaniels.
      Maybe they hop on the 30-39 year old train. Teams in College and NFL have increasingly been using this method for HC and for Coordinators/playcallers. Its becoming a growing trend.

      • East Side Stevie

        Whats that guy at Penn St. name? He came from the SEC.

      • Kyle

        What about the Gruden Grinder himself? He loves Russ and is a championship level coach?

      • LeoSharp

        I think Chris Peterson has made it pretty clear he wants to be a college coach. He could change his mind but I doubt it’ll be soon enough.

        Based on previous moves by Paul Allen, Tom Cable seems like the mostly likely choice from the coaches on the team. He’s the only one with prior head coaching experience and is already an assistant head coach.

  45. Kenny Sloth

    Ouch Blades 2-5 Fulham that was hard to watch Rob

    Maybe not quite ready for promotion this season, but FulhAmerica sure could make it back to the Prem playing like that.

    I like this kid Antonee Robinson at Bolton via short loan from Everton.

    He’s another US-UK dual prospect. Blazing speed. Sure starter for turnaround Bolton

    • Kenny Sloth

      Lol I tund out too soo .

      Almost pulled it back in a wild 9 goal game.

      My American interest waz subbed early after looking like crap.

      • Rob Staton

        It was an incredible game

  46. Ed

    Just need to get in. Would it be great to have a home game or two, sure. But the Hawks can beat any team in the NFL. Eagles and Vikings are playing great, but they don’t have playoff experienced QB’s. Loses of 8/8/3/3. They should be 8-2. They need to just:

    1. Let Wilson loose the entire game. Maybe the Hawks could be ahead instead of trailing the entire time
    2. Cut down on the penalties (OL holding) (DB holding) (DL offsides)
    3. Don’t waste time outs and challenges

    • East Side Stevie

      Sounds great but the NFL isn’t a perfect world.

      • Ed

        Agreed. But with how many injuries this team has and yet the last two games they have basically had the game won if not for bad coaching. Still enough talent to get to SB, PC needs to help, not hurt.

        As for next year, Avril/Kam/Lacy/Joeckel/Lane/Rawls/Richardson probably all gone. I woukd say part ways with MB and RS, clear space and resign Clark and Richardson. If you are smart enough to get rid of Bevell and Richard, maybe resign JG.

        Draft needs:

        RB
        WE
        OL

        • Greg Haugsven

          Really if we can get the 4 seed that is about the best we can hope for. If the rams and us have the same record the remaining 5 games minus the one we play and we beat them then the west is ours. They have a pretty tough schedule.

  47. swisshawk

    I’m still waiting till Lane someday catches something thrown his way, maybe even a football…

  48. vrtkolman

    Freeney waived, that is surprising. Maybe he regrets coming back to the game?

    • Aaron

      Maybe he thought for sure he picked the right SB winning team to come onboard half way through the season. Now after all these injuries the past couple weeks he was like, “I’m out…I’m done.”

      • Kyle

        At least we have what seems like the resurgence of dion Jordan

    • Forty20

      If Shead is ready to go and Griffin remains under a concussion cloud, chances are Carroll and Schneider deemed it more important to boost the cornerback roster. What Atlanta did to Jeremy Lane was almost too explicit for live television.

      • mishima

        Watching Lane try to bait Ryan, talk trash & front swagger was one of the most ‘shit ridiculous’ things I’ve seen in the NFL. Dude’s a clown with no game.

    • Kenny Sloth

      Maybe Dion Jordan and Marcus Smith made him a cap casualty.

  49. Greg Haugsven

    There is a ton of good NFC games coming up. All sorts of match ups with the Vikings, Eagles, Rams, Falcons, Panthers, Saints, and Seahawks going against one another.

    • Alex6674

      Agreed – this season and it’s play-off aspirations are far from over!!!

  50. Ehurd1021

    Ken Norton was JUST fired. Could the Seahawks bring him back in as the LB coach?

  51. Alex6674

    But despite all of the reasons listed above as to why we are 6-4………..we’re still 6-4, and we should be 8-2. I can see us winning the West (the Rams will drop at least 3), then as long as we have a ticket to the lottery we have a chance, however slim. Yes injuries have hit hard this year, but we still have a very good D and Russ playing at elite level. Let’s draw a line under what has gone on so far, and just go 1-0 each week.

    Two other points. 1) I believe we beat the Eagles when we meet 2) I read somewhere after the Atlanta game that the Seattle D is like a fighter who has nothing left but still knows how to fight – I woul love to find that article and email the author after the D turns it on until the end of the season.

    Go Hawks!

  52. ZHawk

    Another interior O-lineman left off this list who could be a solid pick is Will Hernandez from UTEP. Massive frame but displays athleticism like he’s 30 pounds lighter. Consistently opened up holes for Aaron Jones last year, and hasn’t seemed to slow down this year. Has the technique and physicality to step into this league and succeed immediately and for a long, long time. Check him out vs. Texas last year: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIV0EjoNzvM

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