Firstly, a win is a win. So while this one was mostly frustrating and about as unenjoyable as a win can be, the Seahawks at least avoided the embarrassment of losing to a quite terrible Arizona team.
The problem is, the Seahawks aren’t much better.
The Cardinals came into this game as desperate as any franchise in the league. They were ranked last in many categories. They couldn’t pass, run or defend. Those things are quite important in football.
First-year coach Steve Wilks was already feeling the heat.
As a consequence they decided to start their rookie quarterback for the first time. It was a desperate attempt to find a spark. ‘Over to you, Josh‘.
Everything was stacked in Seattle’s favour. The experienced QB. The momentum of a win last week. Arizona was hapless.
Yet the Seahawks put in a performance so disappointing, even with the win it’s hard to be optimistic for the rest of the year.
Rosen couldn’t have asked for a gentler introduction to the NFL. His most uncomfortable moment was when he raised his hand to Bobby Wagner for assistance following a five yard run. Wagner rejected the opportunity to help Rosen from the turf. He otherwise had a clean pocket throughout. He wasn’t harassed, pressured, blitzed or confused. He had all day to pick his passes.
Once again Seattle’s below-par pass rush was exposed.
He deserves some credit. He played well in his first start. But it’s not an exaggeration to say he was practically ‘eased in’ to the pro’s today.
It was frustrating. But this isn’t a surprise, right? We’ve known for weeks the pass rush wasn’t going to be great in 2018. They didn’t have Dion Jordan or Rasheem Green either. It was always going to be an issue today.
They could’ve done more to make life difficult for Rosen. But the defense is doing better than expected through four games. They aren’t the problem.
The offense is.
This unit was supposed to be a positive this season. They had the experienced quarterback, the new-look O-line, new coaches, a re-commitment to their preferred identity, a first round playmaker.
We all expected the defense to take a step back. Instead, the offense is trundling along. Starting, stalling, stopping, starting again and being ferociously dull throughout.
The quarterback looks uncomfortable, restricted and a million miles off his best. They were an incredible 0/10 on third downs. And worst of all — having told everyone over and over again how they want to run the ball — they continue to pick weird moments to contradict their vision.
The decision to pass on 3rd and 1 at midfield with a 17-10 lead in the fourth quarter was the definitive example of this. They ran the ball well today, averaging 5.0 YPA on 34 attempts. So of course… you pass in that scenario.
It fell incomplete. They punted. Arizona scored a touchdown. The Cardinals then missed a potential game-winning field goal. A game that was in control, that was crying out for the classic ‘run to win’ approach, was suddenly in grave danger of becoming a terrible loss.
They got lucky.
There’s still time to work this out and admittedly, this is the first time they’ve changed offensive coordinators in over seven years. It’s the first time Russell Wilson has worked with a new play caller. And we know Pete Carroll likes to get involved too, which isn’t always a good thing.
Either way, Wilson’s creativity seems to be completely stymied in this offense. The run has shown signs of life in the last two games. Wilson had flashes against Dallas but he just doesn’t look comfortable.
They have to fix this to have any chance of being remotely competitive next week against a fantastic Rams team.
It’s also time to wonder if this arena in Arizona (whatever it’s called these days) is cursed. Having taken Kam Chancellor and Richard Sherman’s Seahawks careers a year ago, it seems to have another victim in Earl Thomas after he suffered a broken leg.
This is likely the lasting memory we’ll have of Earl in a Seahawks uniform, flipping off the team he won a Super Bowl with:
— Eldin Beganovic (@eldinbeganovic) September 30, 2018
A lot of people are going to tell you that Thomas’ holdout and approach is validated by this latest injury. The opposite is true. The Seahawks are validated. They didn’t want more dead money committed to ageing players. They’ve been there, done it and got the T-shirt with Kam Chancellor, Marshawn Lynch and Michael Bennett.
If Thomas’ issue is they’ve changed their approach when he was next in line for the juicy third deal, we can all sympathise with that. But the Seahawks don’t owe him a repeated financial error. They protected themselves against this scenario.
However, they’re not without blame. Because now it’s official. They won’t get anything for Thomas. He will walk as a free agent in the off-season. They were pretty bad with him and scraped to 2-2. A second rounder was reportedly on the table from Dallas. They should’ve taken it and moved on.
Instead they’ll likely get nothing. And make no mistake, this isn’t a team close to contending. The next off-season is a big one if they want to reload and get back to the top. Yet they currently own just FOUR picks in rounds 1,3,4 and 5. They are unlikely to receive any comp picks as things stand.
They appear caught between a desire to compete this year and think longer term. In reality, they’re not doing either particularly well. They’re ill-equipped to be truly competitive and don’t have the stock to be ‘one draft away’ from an invite back to the top table in 2019.
Even worse, one of the few positives so far — Will Dissly — has a patellar tendon injury. The worst news possible.
This wasn’t a fun Sunday. Sadly, we’ve said that too many times over the last year and a bit.
You can now support Seahawks Draft Blog via Patreon by clicking the tab below.
Please tell me how much he received up front in his previous deal.
No idea. You’d have to ask Earl.
But his two contracts in Seattle were worth $58.3m.
25 million guaranteed at signing, 31 million guaranteed overall.
25 million guaranteed at signing, 31 million guaranteed overall.
A road win versus a division opponent. I’ll take it. With that said, this offense is frustrating to watch. Yes, it’s great they’ve had back to back 100 yard rushers but why can’t this team use play action to it’s advantage? Don’t get me started on the pathetic showing on 3rd down. Also, I think it’s time to send Marshall on his way. I’d love to see more of David Moore.
As far as Earl goes, it’s been our pleasure. Get healthy & good luck in free agency in ’19.
Usually I say a win is a win.
But this is a depressing one. Just when we thought the Earl Thomas situation couldn’t get any more shameful, it did….
Does anyone feel good about playing the Rams next week? I sure don’t.
Can’t even muster a drop of energy for this win.
The Rams might repeat last seasons beat-down next week.
Dang! Hope the players don’t feel that way.
Mark Schlereth said it best. ‘House of horrors ‘ today.
What even is this team? Do they know?
I should be glad they won, but ugh.
RW deserves an offense, not Schottenheimer. Something, anything is better than this late 80’s offshoot of ‘Marty ball.’
I didn’t get the Schottenheimer hire at all, and he’s not done a single thing to change my mind. I really wish they had gotten their hands on Todd Haley…
The bird from Earl was both wrong and justified at same time.
He knew the worst case scenario and as for the team, just sucks all around.
That being said, Earl, I heart you, thank you for who you are and really appreciate all you did for this team during your tenure, and most of all, you’re welcome back if/whenever our paths cross.
Thank you Mr Thomas, you’ll always be a Hawk in my eyes.
I didn’t watch the game, but after seeing the stats doesn’t Mike Davis deserve at least a mention?
The point of these pieces isn’t just to have a list of all the things that happened. It’s to try and offer some immediate analysis that is otherwise lacking. It’s not a game-report.
Davis played well but I wanted to write about other things.
I’m so sorry, it wasn’t meant as an accusation or anything – I absolutely adore this page and would never want to be rude, I love your take on things. Apologies!
At best, the coaching of this team doesn’t get in the way of this team winning. But at worst, and too consistently, this coaching staff tricks off time outs, makes mind-boggling play calls, and doesn’t seem to possess the ability to scheme players open. Pete’s philosophy works when we have a clear talent advantage over the other team, enough to overcome questionable coaching and vanilla schemes. But when we don’t have that talent advantage, we become horribly exposed.
I’m tired of watching offenses like Kansas City, Philly, and New Orleans having no problem at all putting 30+ points on the board seemingly every single week while we struggle to break the 20 point mark. I love Pete, and this has been the best era of Seahawks football that we have experienced ever. But it’s time for a change.
It is hard to watch.. This offense reminds me of the last few drives in the SB with the patriots while hawks had the lead.. 3rd n short and they go deep down the left side to jermaine kearse.. 4th down. punt, Tom Brady comes back to score another TD…. New coordinator same result.. the problem isn’t play callers.. Its Pete Carroll’s influence on the offense.. and hes ruining the offense. He does great things on defensive side but i think its clear at this point.. His vanilla flavor offense, bad play choices, and terrible clock management make the Seahawks a sub par team if the defense cant shut out the opponent..
There is no question that Pete is a defensive mastermind, and he is arguably one of the best talent evaluators/developers of defensive backs ever. That being said, his style of offense is archaic and does not fit in the modern NFL. He hired Schotty because he wanted a yes man that would be okay with Pete inserting himself as a playcaller every game at times, and I suspect this is the reason why DeFilippo from Philly didn’t want the OC position here.
It’s disheartening to wonder how many SuperBowls this Seahawks team could have won over the past few years if not for Pete insisting on meddling on the offensive side of the ball. No effective and creative OC will want to come to Seattle if Pete continues on what he is doing.
The thing that gets to me is how much talent they have. Carson, Penny, and Davis can run inside and out. Prosise can be a threat off the edge and in the passing game. The TE group has been surprisingly useful in the passing game. Baldwin, Lockett, Marshall, Brown, Moore is a good wr group with a varied skill set. Russell is one of the best in the game. Why are these weapons not being used?
Because Pete is trying to shoehorn a seven-year veteran QB into a rookie game-manager role while he insists on his personnel running a run-first scheme. There’s zero creativity to the passing offense, and it’s mind-blowing how the WR routes consistently stop short of the first down marker on third downs. A ground and pound offense is fine, as long as you can consistently convert on third. But with a remedial passing offense, good luck scoring more than 20+ points a game using that strategy.
Sad way to see Earl go. The Hawks were smart not to extended him but stupid not to have traded him before the draft or in the off season.
Earl was clearly playing not to get hurt and was clearly avoiding contact at times. He was certainly not his normal hear seeking missle like self. When you play not to get hurt you always seem to.
With McDougald and Thompson I really don’t think it will be a huge drop off. We will find out quickly with the best offense in the NFL coming to town next week. If we don’t find a pass rush it won’t matter.
This defense has played well with no pass rush imagine if we had one. Draft Ferrell or Burns next year and extend Clark. Then perhaps add one free agent on the DL and this defense could be elite again.
On offense please just get an innovative young guy like a Lincoln Riley and give Russel a system to let him flourish. I almost wish they had just let Cable go and kept Bevell. At least Russ was comfortable in that system. I would like them to come out in hurry up on the first drive next week.
On a positive note the OL is clearly improving with Fluker and Sweezy in the Guard spots.
Before we comment on this game, we should really ask ourselves if it’s really worth it. This feels like a time we could write some things that we’d regret in terms of picking sides or getting into arguments. Before we go off – I’ve got some things I could say – perhaps we should take that time to wait to comment, oh, say, maybe Tuesday. Instead, take the time you would have spent ranting – and maybe call a loved one or spend some time with that loved one as if you only had one more day to live. You’ll feel better about your time spent in the long run.
Good point Bobbyk. But it’s horrid Dissly wrecked his patellar for a game that clearly won’t matter, as Seattle is not making a playoff run or getting better–they are a team circling the drain.
And Earl breaking his leg without contact, then giving his lesser paid teammates and fans the finger after all those guys knelt around him…What. A. DICK!
I’m done with the guy who wore a cape and crown to his wedding. And I’m done with his washed up coach. It’s just a countdown to Schotty and Carrols firing now…
Not too much to be added Rob, you hit just about every salient point. Even with a change in coaches/play calling we still are unable to convert 3rd downs and be much more than impotent in the red zone. We could highlight a few individual efforts in a hopeful way, but since this is a team sport those efforts aren’t enough to make up for the rest of the trash. You did get me though, I predicted 1 and 4 after 5 and you challenged me for 2 and 3……….you got it, though they tried hard to help me instead.
I will admit it’s a personal angst…………………….I HATE when people don’t learn from their mistakes. Last season JS knew it was time to part ways with a poisonous Sherm but he got greedy and didn’t take any okay offers holding out for the big banana. Sherm gets hurt………….team gets nothing. Faced with the same scenario this season with Thomas…………….same mistake again. Sure, the injuries aren’t predictable, but are a high risk just the same. Seeking the perfect over the reasonable has it’s consequences. And therein lies the rub about this team. The same deficiencies repeat, again, again, again. Change coaches, change players, make supposed new commitments…………nada.
Sorry, 42 years of frustration with only the briefest (relative) respite is beginning to get to me I guess. I lowered my expectations for this season…………………………….but apparently not enough.
I fell your pain Uncle Bob. I really didn’t think that it would be the offense and Russel holding the team back this year. The young defense has played way above expectation up to this point even without a consistent pass rush. Ken Norton and Pete have done wonders with the group they have. The offense not so much. How do you go though training camp 4 preseason games and in your four game of the season the players still don’t know how to line up on a play. I believe they had to waste a timeout because of that on one play and then at the goal line Hunt doesn’t know he needs to report as eligible when he on the end of the line. Unfortunately it,s probably what we will see for the rest of the season as it would be about impossible to make a change mid season. I know it’s frustrating . I too have watched and rooted for this team since 76 but what they are experiencing now is just a small bump in the road compared to the utter and endless waste land of misery that the years this team and it’s fans endured when Berringer owned the team. Hang in there it will get better.
With the Earl Thomas and thus LOB era officially over (man they didn’t go quietly into that good night, and all at the same stadium where we lost the game that shall not be named) and the organization in a bad situation for rebuilding, you’d have to think this is Pete and John’s swan song, right? Get off the Titanic before it sinks (Sherm was right in that regard).
No idea. I don’t think it’s healthy for any of us to spend every bad performance second guessing the future of PCJS. There will come a time for that discussion, if the performances don’t improve. I’m still wary of blowing up the whole thing. There isn’t an alternative out there that screams ‘come get me’. And PC is still doing a terrific job with the defense. But offensively, they aren’t good. Wilson looks uncomfortable. And that’s not a good thing.
PC in the last year of his deal and no debate over whether to keep him and JS after 2018? It’s worth a healthy debate imo. To your point on the offense, I wonder if it’s just Russ getting used to a new OC and scheme. That being said, you might be able to count on one hand the number of people excited about the Schotty hire. I was hopeful for a reemphasis on the run, and that’s coming around. However, a Schotty passing offense screams outdated to me.
This game showed us we aren’t a good team, we are in fact a below .500 team. Next week will show us how far we are removed from being a championship team again. Can’t wait (sarcasm).
PC is signed through ’19 & JS through ’21 by the way. Can’t see Paul Allen blowing things up. Just doesn’t seem like his style. Hell, I’m in Portland & Paul Allen sure seems content with the Blazers playing mediocre basketball all these years.
I’m sure PC is thrilled with the run game the last couple of weeks (and rightfully so) but that should lead to more success in the passing game with your franchise QB & it hasn’t. That’s the issue.
Carroll is not in the last year of his deal.
It seems every decision pete and John makes these days blows up in their face. Our offense is a mess. I never thought I would say this but shotty is a downgrade from bevell. And Pete us a terrible game day coach. The end of the half was one of the dumbest things I have seen in a while
It’s just a continuation of bevell (or maybe pete). Don’t forget the offense the last few years has been wildly inconsistent, unimaginative, conservative, horrible on 3rd downs, horrible in the red zone, horrible on opening drives, horrible in first halves (except the two-minute hurry up before halftime), unable to scheme players open, unable to create and exploit mismatches, and unable (or unwilling) to counter the blitz.
Not in the least saying the O isn’t a hot-mess…just that Schotty isn’t exactly a downgrade four games in to his first season
Earl has lost all my respect.
Other than that, this offense is a total mess.
Offensive play calling and design look awful and Russ seems completely out of sorts. Makes for ugly offensive football and 0-10 on 3rd down.
On the positive side back to back weeks with 100yd runner and 3 rushing TD in two weeks are more than we had all last year.
Can’t Schotty just watch the Rams, Chiefs, Eagles etc and steal some plays? kidding but not really
It’s a shame. Because the run is working again. Which was the priority. But does it have to come at the expense of Wilson just looking so thoroughly uncomfortable and out of sorts?
They have to be more creative with him. He’s too good to restrict.
Rob, this is absolutely spot on. Direct and to the point analysis of what is wrong with the offense. They want to run the ball, which is totally fine. And so far they don’t look half bad in that regard. But they are handicapping RW’s greatest strengths and stripping this offense of any creativity in the process. It is hard to watch.
*He was too good…
Russ took a lot of beating, hits and sacks. He’ll never be a Brady or Matty type of good reads, quick passes type of guy. He was definitely a surprise and that is why he worked his magic all the time. But he’s kind of a one trick pony. Opponent DCs are planning for him. And while Russ talent is magical, it can be easily defended. It’s not like a good scheme, solid WRs and good reads which cannot really be defended (or gameplan against).
Against Russ? He’ll need like 6 seconds to throw so just put pressure on him, keep him in the pocket. Or put pressure from the inside and delayed outside rush/blitz. He’ll pirouette into the defender. You won’t need to defend the middle of the field, Hawks can never throw a slant and throw really few middle/short crossing route passes. Just Have 2 deep safeties and solid CBs and at least an OK passrush and this system is doomed.
I’m not saying it’s all on Russ. It’s on PC, it’s on JS, it’s on Bevell/Schotty, it’s on the WRs, it’s on the OL, but it is also on Wilson. He didn’t really become better at all with his reads and misdirections, etc. On the contrary. He seems like staring WRs down even more, and staying even more with the first or second reads even if the third would be a much better option. He’s a great athlete, but I think his football IQ is not that high and he has obvious physical limitations.
Don’t get me wrong, I like Russ. I think he’s a great human being, and an awesome athlete and a good QB. Like top 10. But he’ll decline because of his playstyle. So I wouldn’t give him the highest contract, Not even a top 5. I’d make him the 7th-8th-9th highest paid QB (and if someone would really want him after this year, I’d give him up for 2019 first and second round, 2020 first and third).
I don’t think that’s even close to a possibility, but I’d love to demote PC to a DC role, and bring an offensive minded HC (some younger guy who could call the plays on gameday even). I’d keep Solari and I’m ok with Schotty (if new HC is great and can influence him as well). I’d keep JS for now (he has some awesome moves and some awful moves too). Not sure who’s the ST coach, but he needs to go too. I don’t think our coverage guys are that bad, but we really suck at covering anything and also blocking for FGs.
As for players, give me 2 good young OGs that can be eased into action while Sweezy and Fluker is with the team (+1-2 years), and maybe a vet RT (I know….hard to find, and Ifedi is ranging from awful to OK, but I’d like one that is OK or solid/good). 1-2 playmaking WRs (like Kirk or Ridley) (oh and please someone could tell Lockett to stop running f’in backwards on punt returns?), and probably that’s all on offense (if Russ would be traded, I’d take a solid but not shiny game manager QB and run a simple but effective system for him. Scheme the big plays not put on the players shoulders)
On D#, I’d definitely get a Kendricks type of LB. KJ is great, but he starts to get old, so I don’t think he’ll get a new contract. And tbh Kendricks looked much better. Get a disruptive DT (top 10 pick), extend Clark (solid contract but don’t go over the top), get someone for the other side (D. Lawrence? Or some rookie), and add solid depth to the edge. Depending on T2, I may like to get an FS in the next 1-2 years. And we’ll need an RCB. Flowers is OK, but I’m not sure about his ceiling. Maybe it’s just technique and trust in himself, but seems like he gives too much cushions to WRs and sometimes still get beat, and when not he can’t really make a play on the ball he always plays the receiver.
At least that’s what I’d do
As a hawks fan that committed to rebuilding this team. Let do it. Don’t spend 36 million a year on Russell. Trade him while you can. Get 2 first round picks if possible. Actually commit to the fact that we aren’t gonna win anytime soon. We are several years from being good. Commit!
The goal in any rebuild is to find a franchise QB. Trading one you actually have for two first rounders, at a time when there’s not a handful of great college QB’s coming into the draft, would be barmy.
If they were going to do this they should’ve done it last off-season, when there were a cluster of highly rated college QB’s turning pro and realistic veteran options like Kirk Cousins and Alex Smith.
The reality is the last thing they need to do is trade Wilson.
If they don’t let Wilson play like Wilson, they can and they should trade him.
He never was a system player, because there really was no system in a McVay sense to fit into. Over The years, he developed his own toolchain. The run game finally should give him the tools to control the clock, again. It doesn’t.
Because the WR corps short of Moore is not working. Marshall is the distraction I expected him to be, taking plays because of his name, not because of his ability. Baldwin still not in tracks, and you begin to wonder, is that a curse, or is it systemic failure, that sends so many Seahawk players to the injury report? I feel, that Pete Carroll’s system requires players to take risks they shouldn’t be required to take.
I keep see all these comments about how the injury completely justifies Earls hold out, behaviour and stance.
I see it the opposite way completely as now we see why the Hawks did not want to extend him and regret it like with Kam and Bennett. Fluke injury but perhaps if he is at camp, practicing and playing like his normal self instead of all the drama things would have been different.
JS clearly errorred in not trading both Sherm and Earl for 2nd round picks when he had the chance.
I hope Earl recovers quickly despite the classless gesture as he left the field. Everyone deserves good health. That being said I think he is going to be in for a huge surprise this off season when he goes looking for that big contract. Big deals for Safeties 30+ are not smart look at Kam and Eric Berry for examples.
The injury was Earl wanted more money. Can’t blame him for that.
The injury was why they wouldn’t pay ET. Can’t blame them for that.
ET didn’t want to be here. You can absolutely blame PC for that. You don’t play guys like that and I was in the camp of wanting ET to stay.
I can see both sides of the argument, but I’ve never understood why the Hawks played it the way they did. Earl wanted out, everyone knows that. Yet they kept him knowing they wouldn’t resign him and tagging him would just make him more bitter. The longer they held onto him hoping to get what they wanted, the more they decreased the chances that they would get what it. Teams knew they could just wait them out. Instead of trading him for a draft pick before the draft, now they will just get a com pick for him and that doesn’t help a team that needs to rebuild right now.
According to Skip Bayless, who’d been following negotiations closely and lobbying Jerry Jones hard to go get Earl, Jones met Seattle’s demand for a 2nd two weeks ago but Seattle upped the ante to a 1st. That pissed Jones off and he refused to have anything more to say to them. That’s why they were about to deal Earl to KC and probably would have if he didn’t get injured, where they had lowered their ask to a 2nd round pick again.
Hindsight is always 20/20 but they should have taken a 2nd two weeks ago while they had that opportunity. They got too greedy thinking they could ransom a 1st out of Jones for Earl.
“worse than a crime, it was a blunder”
while the line refers to a mistake Napoleon made more than 200 years ago, a similar thought occurs about this “re-set” and the front office
they made a big mistake last year when the thought they could still compete for a Super Bowl and re-signed Kam and Bennett, traded for Sheldon, and this year when they signed a bunch of JAG’s to lose their comp pics. They failed to take a honest look at themselves and they built a plan based on “hope”.
The REBUILD will take place – eventually – but now it will take longer
and while many fans will think it was good move move to not resign Earl now that he got injured, the players in the locker room are in sympathy with Earl, not management. This will fester and cause other problems. Do you think Clark and Wagner, K, etc will give a home town discount? Again, the odds of this turning out well were low, they should have traded him in the off season.
going to be a long ugly season, with a couple of Pete miracles thrown in to give us false hope.
0 for 8 on third down is not the stat of an elite QB, and he has not had a single game this year where he has performed like a top 10 QB, let alone top 3 or 5. i am not sure if it is him, the coordinator, a slump, etc. But we should not dream that he will tun into Brady or Rodgers and carry the team to victory. He is a complimentary piece, and if they pay him too much, they will not be able to surround him with enough pieces to content.
What was the deal with Baldwin not being able to get his route extended past the first down marker? I know of at least 2x RW hit him on 3rd down and Baldwin was a full yard shy of the first. Seemed really odd – was DB just rusty?
Probably. One thing I’ve noticed about Baldwin is they try and force the ball to him alot. Lockett, well Uncle Will was, is the hot option right now and the only guy through the air who moves the sticks. Another baffling coaching decision to not even give him any deep looks.
losing ET3 is a blow and it’s a shame. 12s will see life without ET3 earlier than expected.
EranUnger last week mentioned there’s a possibility if the Seahawks cut one player from the group Stephen/Mingo/Flucker/Brown by week 10 Seahawks get a 4th round Compensatory pick
Rob if that’s the case would you release 1 for a 4th rd compensatory pick?
I wont right off this season just yet but if the Seahawks aren’t remotely close by week 9 I would cut Brown or Stephen and in my view releasing 1 of those players would be like a trade for a 4th round pick.
I would rather they play the young players like Moore Ford and release Brown and Stephen liquidate by week 9
Stats wise offensively 60 Offensive plays 26 pass attempts 34 run plays and a Seahawk ugly Win missed FGs but a win is a win. If Sebastian missed the game winning FG I think 12s search for kickers!
Zero 3rd down conversions was awful to watch and I think PC overruled the 3rd and 1 and called a pass play. I have come to believe PC will do what he wants and even when there is logic to run the ball he will make up some excuse as to why they passed vs run the ball. I look forward listening to Brock and Salk when they ask PC that question on Monday.
I don’t think the Seahawks D can be the bully anymore and I truly want to see the Seahawks continue to RUN the ball. No matter how ugly today was.
I have accepted that this season will be very painful to watch and be a grind. If the Seahawks can learn their identity from this I am for it.
Rob – I look forward reading the NFL 2019 draft on safety prospects and linebackers
I think they need to cut more than one more player to get a R4 — might be a couple.
I think it depends on if/when/how much Ed Dickson plays. Considering Seattle suited just 2 TEs yesterday and one of the went down with a season ender, they need Dickson like right now. I want to say he’s something like 2 weeks from being eligible to come off NFI, but I’m not 100% sure.
We might have the worst coached, least imaginative, most predictable offense in the NFL. With an elite QB this far into his career it’s unacceptable. I’ve complained about Schott who looks lost out there but it’s Petes offense. The timeouts, punting I’m their territory when you needed a yard and they can’t stop the run it goes on and on. If Pete is still there and has this system in place Wilson will walk. It’s maddening to watch.
This team feels broken and I think Pete is too stubborn to change or fix it. First round running back is essentially your third strong tailback? Seriously? Pete is the greatest coach in Seahawks history and I will forever be greatful for what he built but it feels like a change is needed. I don’t think another year of this gets them any closer so what’s the point?
I think we all know that Earl could be a hot-head. So what. Sherman was a hot-head. Browner was a hot-head. Raging emotions is part of what made the LOB so effing Great. So, Earl flipped the bird when his emotions were roiled. So what. I would place a hefty bet that everyone hugs and makes up at a later date. He’s an emotional young man.
The bigger issue I have after watching this (yes, unsatisfying) win, is this: Perhaps Darell Bevell was a better OC than we gave him credit for?? Wilson was clearly better when Bev was in his hear than he is now. This is disconcerting.
Yes he was. I never understood the hatred for Bevell. Cable? I at least was the other side of the coin.
I was one who wasn’t happy to see Bevell fired, and I warned that we might end up missing him. And I was unhappy with PC choosing Schotty as OC. I’m sorry as hell it looks like I was right across the board. And it looks like Carrol is meddling with the offense, ruining any chance for Schotty to learn, adjust, and succeed.
When an old coach stops innovating, and starts micromanaging, it’s time to move on. That time appears to have come.
Bevell was a good OC. Said it for years. He was a scapegoat.
Bevell had some nice designs. But he was no good. He wasn’t the root of all evil and bad, but he had some tendencies that were easy to abuse. And even without those, he still was not a guy like Shanahan, McVay or Pederson (I know, these guys are HCs now, but all of them became HC because they were great OC minds. Sucks that two of these are in the NFC West)
Sadly this offense looks identical to Bevell’s.. If anyone remembers the SB against the patirots.. 3rd n short and leading… russ throws down left sideline to Kearse.. Incomplete.. punt and Tom Brady comes back to get another TD. Pete Carrolls influence has been terrible for the offense. It seems like the same results week in and week out. Doesnt matter who is calling the plays. Despite the good things he does on Defense, PC ruins the offense. Despite the win, I still feel like Paul Allen needs to keep a watchful eye out for the next HC. Just like how they brought in PC.. Its sad, for how many good things he can do with defensive players and scheme wise.. He ruins the offense on bad play choices, terrible clock management, and poor third down %..
I don’t see the comparison to Bevell’s offense at all.
But here’s the thing — Bevell was a scapegoat. He was never as bad as people wanted you to believe. People wanted him gone. So they got rid of him. Sometimes the grass isn’t greener.
+1
I will admit no Hawks fan wanted Cable gone more than me but I always thought Bevell took a lot of heat despite working with a young QB and defense focussed HC. I kind of wish they had let Cable go and let Bevell have complete control of the offense for at least one year. With the improved OL if Russ was still in his comfort zone you have to think things might look very different.
The grass isn’t greener because they didn’t pick a modern coach that can draw up a passing play. Now your all complaining that Russ doesn’t fit. Well if your going to run the ball 30 times you don’t need a QB to fit. Just someone to sling the ball when you haven’t successfully got a first down.
I have never suggested Wilson doesn’t fit.
Though I used Russell Wilson as a comparison my complaint has more to do with coaching. Bevell/Cable was replaced with more of the same or worse coaches. The new guys are still struggling to figure out how to use this team. Since this is a rebuilding year I’m not going to spend a lot of time bitching about coaching or players. My main point is that if you can’t design successful running and passing plays, it isn’t surprising that the team isn’t looking so hot.
Maybe it will be a good thing if we suck for the next two years. Then we may be in a position to draft Justin Herbert from Oregon, if he declares.
Isn’t that every team’s dream scenario, suck for a few years to get better draft picks?
Naw man, I’d just prefer to do everything possible to win today as well as tomorrow. Yep it can be a tricky balance, but many teams do it. I hate tanking and everything about it. Planning to or being ok with losing, ever, can create something bad in a culture that can be hard to get rid of. Never being satisfied with where you’re at and always trying to improve is the mindset that needs to be in every player’s head.
As I read that again, yeah it unintendingly sounds PC like, but isn’t that the mindset you want to know is inside all your players? I know, I know, getting quality players is critical as well, but how effective would that be if great guys came in, yet everyone knew that losing wasn’t really that bad an outcome?
Side note: I was at the Seahawks game Sunday with my son and although the Hawks were what they were, they hate losing. So they just made sure they sucked a little less that the Cards, which was harder than it may sound. I also had a funny feeling of pride with the Hawk fans there. They were often rocking the stadium with Sea, Hawks, Sea, Hawks. High fives between every fan with a Hawks jersey after the game and the chants continued down the excelators and into the parking lots long after the game was over. They are very used to winning. Can’t remember the last time I had that much fun, and 10x over with my 8 year old son. Funny thing, seriously that game converted him to be a Hawks fan too (he loved the cards, we live in AZ) He got up this morning, put his Hawks shirt and hat on I got him and as my wife and I were waking up we’re could here him in his room repeating chant he heard 100x yesterday . . . Sea, hawks, sea, hawks. Seriously.
At the end I found myself being ok losing this one. Was quite meh when we did. I actually think both Earl and the Seahawks we’re validated from their point of views. Earl wanted security and was playing well. Seahawks didn’t want to get stuck with the bill. Both are losers now. So disappointed for dissly. His game is not explosion or quickness based. Hopefully he can come back quick. Offense planning and execution is bad. Im not chasing for Pete’s head but they need something new on offense
As Paul Allen, I’m asking the question, ‘what is the vision for the Seahawks’?
Is there a plan to create a championship caliber team?
Does Pete still have the fire to do this? Should he be the architect? Is he being stubborn for the short term while suffering longer term damage?
Is Russ still the centerpiece going forward? Assuming he is can we find a flexible innovator to get the most out of a Russ lead offense? What if there’s a young, coveted signal caller available when the Hawks pick? Do they pull the trigger, doing what was once nearly unthinkable?
Entering October, the Headless Horseman comes to mind as an image for the long term vision of the team. Lots of questions.
“Rosen couldn’t have asked for a gentler introduction to the NFL… He had all day to pick his passes.”
Yes. Let’s put it this way, consider the following factoid; from 2015-2017 the Oakland Raiders were tied for 24th in cumulative sacks over those three seasons. Now, let that sink in for a moment. The Raiders had Khalil “$141 million” Mack for three years and Bruce Irvin for two years and STILL couldn’t get past bottom third in sacks. How is that even possible? Seriously, how does that happen?
Conventional wisdom is just that, conventional, but sometimes even conventional wisdom is correct. Conventional wisdom about a rookie QB is that you blitz him early and often, and that wisdom is correct. So what did the ‘Hawks do today? Yeesh.
Weird to say this, but Schotty is only the second worst coordinator on the team right now.
I’ll just leave it there, I don’t want to get into the whole establish-the-run-game bit right now. Look up “ugly win” on Wikipedia and the entry has just been edited to reflect today’s game.
Completely agree. For all the D coach praise over the beginning of the season, I didn’t understand why they weren’t blitzing more today with a rookie QB. It’s a reach, but I blame Pete and Norton for Earls injury. He (Rosen) should never had that much time on that TD. Send someone to flush or hurry Rosen. What were they thinking today?
As far as the finger, I don’t care as I am sure that was meant for management, not the ‘team’. It’s not a surprise or the first time this has happened, that along with the way in which everyone came over means the player’s support Earl more than management which is also understandable, but not a good sign for the state of the Hawks. Can’t wait for a former player to write a book.
Im sorry but blaming Earls injury on Norton saying he’s the worst coordinator we have us ridiculous. Should they have blitzed more? Absolutely. But remeber this defense has been playing great and above expectations so far this year and is playing better than the offense. Its Pete’s D but Norton is executing it. Who has gotten all those turnovers so far that the offense hasnt turned into TDs?
Should not have to blitz against one of the worst OL in the NFL.
Need to find a way to pressure and disrupt. Would like to see more J. Martin.
I’m not going to get into it too much. Davis and the offensive line should get some recognition for a good running game with over 100 yards. Other than that- there aren’t many bright spots. Seahawks look very similar to the Cardinals – and that is a bad thing.
I have to wonder if the field goal holder isn’t quite getting it right?? Seabass has missed a lot of critical field goals, I don’t think that is all on him is it?
I knew this was a rebuild year, but between poor play and a lack of draft picks next year – this really sucks.
I posted this above…But it speaks to your comment:
It’s just a continuation of bevell (or maybe pete). Don’t forget the offense the last few years has been wildly inconsistent, unimaginative, conservative, horrible on 3rd downs, horrible in the red zone, horrible on opening drives, horrible in first halves (except the two-minute hurry up before halftime), unable to scheme players open, unable to create and exploit mismatches, and unable (or unwilling) to counter the blitz.
Not in the least saying the O isn’t a hot-mess…just that Schotty isn’t exactly a downgrade four games in to his first season. Let’s not forget that for most of his 7 years, Bevell had Marshawn, a generational Defense that aided his O immeasurably, one of the greatest mismatch weapons in NFL history in Graham, etc…yet all the above still applied.
Sorry, this was meant in reply to Stevo’s comment about Schotty.
They never lacked imagination or consistency under Bevell. And Wilson played his best ball under DB.
Now look what they have.
“They never lacked consistency”.
We can agree to disagree on this one. Not sure how that can be said after recalling the last few seasons of constant 3 and Outs. Of constantly laying an egg the first half of most games. Of constant red-zone struggles. As for imagination…people didn’t just make up the Run, Run, Pass, Punt moniker. It was definitely earned. So yes, I suppose they were consistent in these aspects.
Well there you go. ‘They constantly did X, they constantly did Y’. They were very consistent. Slow starts in the season, growing to a point of great success later on. Similar issues but similar strengths. They also seemed to rank in the top-10 for offense annually. They were very consistent over Bevell’s tenure.
Growing to a point of great success? You’ve even admitted in a previous article that Seattle sat on a razor’s edge of success/failure, usually depending on the outcome of the last drive, whether it be offensively or defensively. And it almost always depended on sand-lot improvisation, not a function offense. We’re there good, well-called games? Sure. Will there be under Schotty as well?…I would guess so, but time will tell. You constantly discuss avoiding rash judgements on small sample sizes, yet four games in (3 without Baldwin) you drop comments like “now look what they have.” it has not been good, but jeez let’s give it time to play out. Hey, at least yesterday we saw a screen pass for the first time in 7 years
I was never one to hammer Bevell. I thought it was mind-numbing at times how people just resorted to that. Lowest common denominator type stuff. They fielded a very good offense that, mainly due to the bizarre nature of the ‘committee’ offense, had some issues at times. Cable handling the run, Carroll handling the vision and chirping in, Bevell trying to come up with a game plan and call plays throughout all this influence. It wasn’t easy. But he’ll never get the credit he deserves for some of his play designs, the way he helped nurture Wilson in the early years and the way our offense was consistently in the top 10. And yes, they were consistent.
Would’ve been interesting to see Bevell get a season without Tom Cable. The running game is what got everybody fired, at the end of the day. Maybe even Kris Richard, since his unit was constantly on the field. I’m not ready to close the book on Schottenheimer yet, but we can clearly see he is not as creative as Bevell already.
The positives…Ford looked good…eating up blockers…Moore flashed…penny looked good…the negatives…they need to play more. On d flowers played well. Lockett was left out of the offense in the red zone. That is idiotic…he’s the best wr the hawks got. Earl…a bad way to go…you were my favorite. I guess when got 58 million…you can afford to flip off your employer.
While Penny had steps into the right direction, does he play like a first rounder?
Watched that Lions@Cowboys game, Kerryon Johnson’s first touchdown, whole OL swings left to block an outside lane, two high speed cuts, shoulder pads down, running over and through Heath, another cut, TD. This is play design, and I wonder if and when we can expect something like this from our staff.
It’s way too early to assess penny…we’re not winning the super bowl this year…start penny…cut marshall… put Davis on the bench.
I found it weird, what Pete Carroll said on his presser. If they think, he is not ready to be thrown into battle, what exactly makes him a first round pick? They have to show more confidence, and he needs snaps. A lot of snaps.
Shaun Alexander had a little over 300 yards rushing his rookie year. Let’s try not to throw dirt on Penny just yet.
Rob, I agree 100% with your viewpoint. To the fans that didn’t want to trade him, I bet that 2nd rd draft pick is looking better now. I never wanted the Hawks to extend him, the hawks were never going to be a contender, so they should have traded him when they could. Now they get nothing.
My theory is Earl knew his leg was hurting with a stress fracture, and that is why he didn’t practice. He was trying to rest it, and only played in games in a careful manner trying to hide it. Just like Sherm last year who was playing with a sore achilles heel, and he was trying to hide it and not say anything about it, and it eventually tore during the game. Earl knew his leg was sore and he wanted to get signed asap before the leg broke.
I am feel bad for Earl, I don’t want to see anyone get hurt. But his middle finger gesture to the team was extremely wrong and uncalled for. Did he forget that same team did pay him handsomely with his fist 2 contracts, and they never once said a bad thing about him during his holdout. Good riddance Earl, and you don’t deserve to be in the Hawks Ring of Fame ever…….
I thought the exact same thing. Team doctors probably knew a re-injury was a decent possibility.
The only problem is, then why not jump at the R2 offer they reportedly got before he gets re-injured? Probably just got too greedy, asking for two R2’s and so hoping to recoup a R2+R3. Turns out the risk of waiting wasn’t worth it. Sucks to get nothing, but at least they didn’t get burned on another 3rd contract.
Say hello to Pete Carroll and his ” glass alway’s full ” attitude. He never seems to think in terms of ” what if ” negatives. When they couldn’t get a trade done for Thomas, my first thought here was ” what if he plays and gets hurt , we will get nothing in return for him”. Well hello! Where are we now.
I am okay with passing on 3rd and 1. An obvious rushing down, why not try something that the Cardinals were not expecting. That is being creative instead of predictable, which is what everyone is complaining about. My frustration is not calling a better passing play and the poor execution.
they were running well and there wasn’t 8 men in the box, a terrible call, i wonder if it was schotty’s or pete’s call,or if russ audibled, we will never know
I see where you’re coming from, but sometimes when you need a yard, you shouldn’t overthink it. Happened to us once before in that stadium. Especially on a night we were getting 6+ ypc.
If you are going to pass, at least run something creative, play action, RPO, a rollout…
I think at this point its pete trying to mix it up.. only problem is they were 3rd in 6 and got an encroachment.. then on 3rd n 1 came out in a similar formation and then couldnt protect.. Go figure.
Besides the rams and kc, nobody in the league has looked that great. Everyone has a lot of holes and is either a dysfunctional offense or defense. My biggest thing is that the hawks need to continue to improve. Pass rush looked better last week but this week we refused to blitz a rookie qb. If we knew that Arizona was going to blitz often against us, why did we only run 1 screen? We are being out coached against teams that have the same or less talent.
So it’s a Chiefs vs. Rams SB53 then. Can’t wait for a 55-52 kinda game with all offense and defenses are swiss cheese. Might as well name it the Big 12 Bowl…yawn!
Ya, even those teams have looked shaky on defense. I’m just saying that the league in general looks shaky, not just the hawks. Eagles are very beatable. NE looks good one week and then porous the next. Steelers….vikings defense isn’t as scary as it once was. As bad as the hawks look, the elite teams of the league have huge chinks in their armor too. Jags d looks great but the o is a mystery
That was essentially what happened in SB52 & that’s the way the NFL wants it. Why do we think they’re changing/adding all of these rules that help the offense & penalize the defense?
Say what you want about Super Bowl 52, but both conference championship games featured four of the five best scoring DEFENSES in the NFL.
Just a thought before considering running one of the best defensive coaches in NFL history out of town…
AFC Championship: Ravens at Jaguars
NFC Championship: Bears at Rams
Super Bowl: Jaguars over Rams
The Chiefs always start fast on offense. Like you said, their defense can’t stop anybody, which is why they wanted to trade for Earl Thomas. Once the playoffs start, the Chiefs will have their hindparts handed to them by a team like the Jaguars or Ravens.
The disrespect is real. Not by PC/JS but by former players. One could argue that Pete coached up the best out of the past teams, what he got was ” reading books during team meetings,” “Pete carrol belongs in college” or players that are supposed to be team leaders flipping him off etc. when your winning, you can look past all of that, but it is getting pretty ridiculous . He needs to change his philosophy. It kind of feels like this might be Pete’s last stand. why are the best players so ready to leave Seattle? His treatment of players would make you think that the opposite would happen and the older veterans would want to stay, and it is quite the opposite.
I actually dozed off during the 2nd half. SEA have become a boring team to watch. Even the win vs DAL lacked excitement.
The takeaways are the only bright spot on D. Otherwise it’s all no pass rush, soft run defense, leaky secondary. It’s even worse on offense. I may catch flak for saying this, but I don’t care: I hope this is Carroll’s last season. Whatever secret sauce he once had, he’s lost it. Oh sure you’ll see elements of it, flashes from time to time (like an overachieving D) but he wont ever take this, or any other team, back to the Dance. @ me all you want, but you know it’s true.
0/10 on third downs? With Russell Wilson at QB? I mean, really. C’mon man.
While I have empathy for anyone who suffers a major injury, I’m much more disappointed for Dissley than Earl. Before he broke his leg, Earl got beat badly by I forget which ARI WR. It was a simple speed mismatch. For a defender whose game is all about speed, it wasn’t a good look. I wish Earl the best, but I don’t think SEA is losing a player as much as a reputation at this point.
I think the offense has been boring for most of Pets tenure. It was just we had read option and marshawn lynch and some good chunk plays and a stellar defense.. It made me think about how vanilla the regular season is for pete and its defiantly by choice.. Just like they exploded in SB 48 and in the playoffs.. they can turn it up but throttle back in regular season… which is frustrating to watch.
Thats why Pete wants to win in the kicking game, defense, running the ball..
Even with limited draft capitol I think any team with a legit quarterback is “one off season away” from being back on top. Admittedly some teams are mush closer than others, and more picks would increase the odds, but if you hit big on a couple early picks (A Marshon Lattimore/Alvin Kamara impact is not impossible, however unlikely) and maybe make a few key additions in FA (look at McDougald, or think back to the Bennett and Avril deals) it is certainly possible to turn this around in short order.
Agree with the article.. just an additional point..
Why did they keep Sea Bass over Myers? That’s second year in a row they messed up the kicker. Signing Sea Bass was as underwhelming as signing a kicker can be. Why does this area seem to be a concern year after year?
Said that on the day they cut Myers, and got loughed on. Myers is 7 for 7.
But, TBH, I’m not entirely sure, if Seabass is the problem here.
Everybody needs to take a chill pill. The sky is not falling. The O-line had is best game in a few years. The running backs actually had some holes to run through, and Wilson wasn’t under attack as soon as he got the ball. They SUCKED on 3rd down, but we all knew this was not going to be a playoff year. Carroll won a Superbowl with conservative offensive play calling, and that’s what I saw today.
The defense is playing very good football. I think they are at least as good as the were last year (with Sherm, Kam, and Bennett). They have two up and comers at corner, one very good remaining Safety, and a solid linebacking crew. The D-line was very good against the run in the second half. AZ seems to have a gamer now at QB.
I think that Wilson’s problems are mostly of his own making. He holds on to the ball too effing long. He can’t scramble around as much as he’d like because defenses are forcing him to stay in the pocket.
PC won a Superbowl, because the defense held the Broncos to 7 points. Only 14 of their points were offensive plays.
The OL problems are not fixed, and it’s not the players being bad per definition, but the unit being in constant turmoil without real depth. The Seahawks are not a team capable of building an above average line, they are wasting draft capital on this unit instead of patiently analyzing what player fits. There is hope, Solari seems to have fixed that with the Jones-pick. Andre Dillard next, plz.
What I like about Rosen is his stance. He makes errors, but he doesn’t get broke by them. Look into Sam Bradfords halftime face in the first games, and you will know, what I mean. Rosen is the best QB the Cards could have thrown into what is an almost impossible situation.
Wilson’s problem are our WR #1, 3 and 4. Only Lockett delivers, and Moore gets too few snaps.
Only 14 points were scored because of the offense? Wtf are you talking about?
Hauschka had 6 points from two field goals
Lynch had a TD
Russ threw two TD passes (one to Jermaine and one to Doug)
Sounds more like 27 points to me (counting extra points).
You understand that some people actually watched that game right? “PC won a superbowl, because the defense held the Broncos to 7 points. Only 14 of their points were offensive plays.” No, actually they won a superbowl because all three phases of the game were dominated. Your concept of “PC’s superbowl” is, at best, wildly off-base. That’s like saying the seahawks won that game solely because of Hauschka and Harvin. Hold that..
Ouch, forgot that Lynch TD, which btw came after a nasty interception deep into Bronco territory. Still, more than half of the points from defense and special teams.
There is no debate on the dominance, the Broncos where nearly shoot out. But the idea, that a conservative offense won that game is completely ridiculous.
Hey McZ: This was the second start for the two grizzly old guards. This time they had Britt at center. They were literally punching holes for the RB’s to meander through. This starting o-line will generate a running game. Sweezy was always a run blocking guard. I hope both of these guys can stay healthy. Left tackle looked solid as well. I didn’t hear Iffedi’s name with flags attached either.
Earl Thomas holding out was completely justified. How much is he owed in 2019? Zero dollars. His value will now drop when he begins negotiating with teams this offseason. It’s often said this is a business – so Earl should be understood when he treats it as such. He and LeVeon Bell both are acting in their own self interest, which is what NFL teams do 24/7. It’s just that when an injury happens, teams can cut their losses with relative ease. Players have to deal with the worst of it, and their situations are compounded when they are assured minimal or no future earnings. It isn’t hard for me to comprehend this. Preserving one’s body in order to obtain maximum value is just common sense, and Earl just showed us why. We don’t question when workers seek higher wages in nearly any other field, so why should this be different? Although flipping off the sideline was not a good choice, it was born from emotion, and I think it’s questionable to scrutinize a player’s conduct after a devastating injury. Instead of being guaranteed money in next year and beyond, Earl will now have to embark on likely a year-long rehab process with his future in doubt. No, I don’t blame Seattle for not re-signing him, but I completely empathize with Earl for putting his body on the line with zero promises for next season and subsequently receiving the nearly worst-possible scenario. Seattle had to nothing to lose by allowing him to play. Earl had to do enough risking for both parties. And now Seattle hasn’t lost a thing from what transpired today, while Earl will be left to take on the entirety of the repercussions.
This is incredibly wide of the mark.
The teams aren’t acting in self interest. They have a 90 man team to handle, reduced to 53 by the season and it’s a constantly changing beast. They can’t just keep paying everyone what they want. They have to manage a hard cap. That’s how they got into bother in the first place, trying to reward Kam, Bennett, Marshawn etc for past performance. So the way they’re acting is perfectly plausible. Earl Thomas signed a contract until the end of 2018. Nobody forced him to. He was paid $40m for that contract and the Seahawks have paid him $58.3m for his career to date. His decision to hold out because he wanted long term security was his choice to make — but yesterday merely proves why the Seahawks didn’t just pony up new cash. There’s a good chance they’d be stuck with more dead money down the line.
I never understand this comparison to other industries that you make. It’s a nonsense. If I decided tomorrow I wanted more money I couldn’t just not go to work. I’d be fired. And I wouldn’t be able to fall back on nearly $60m. You’re not entitled to receive a huge pay rise when you decide you want one, especially when YOU agreed to a contract. That’s life. It’s reality for practically everyone in the world. I sympathize with Thomas because he suffered a bad injury. But that’s it. He’s still getting paid millions for the risk. How many men and women in the world take even greater risks in their profession without the millions? This is often forgotten by those who go to bat for Earl. Reading some of these comments you’d think NFL players were going into war zones. They play a very physical game and the chance of injury is relatively high, but so are the rewards. C’est la vie. There’s nothing unique about NFL players there. Ask rugby players or hockey players about the risk. It’s sports. Earl received $60m for the risk he’s taking. To play a game.
Of course Seattle lost something. There are no winners with this injury. Only losers. But you’re argument is very one sided.
I feel like you aren’t comprehending where I said that I don’t blame Seattle for not giving into an extension. It makes total business sense. But it also makes total business sense for Earl to push for more money. He doesn’t have an entitlement to more, like you’re saying, but he does have a legit gripe that he isn’t being paid at the top of the safety market. Also being owed $0 in 2019 is definitely a cross to bear when you are playing a game from which you could suffer a career ending injury in any moment. I’m more than annoyed by people downplaying player’s intuition that they should get what they can get while they’re playing. And its not as if Earl is coming from an unprecedented arguing position. As you said yourself, the Seahawks have paid players who were a year out from the end of their contracts, but Earl was not given the same consideration. And while it’s true I can’t hold out from my job, it’s also true that workers (and players) have voices to demand that they earn more. I cannot hold out from my job but I can certainly speak up. You’re calling my argument one sided and resorting to condescension, but I think shooting down anyone for speaking up for their own family’s vitality and continued well-being as far as they can get it and saying the team is the only one in the right is the only one-sided argument being made here. I respect you Rob but I am highly skeptical of this point you’re making and how you rail against commentors who disagree with you sometimes.
But he doesn’t have a legit gripe. He was the highest paid safety in the league. It just so happens that in the subsequent four years, others have overtaken him. He is weeks from having an opportunity to once again be the highest paid safety in the league. C’est la vie. Aaron Rodgers didn’t hold out when he suddenly wasn’t the highest paid QB. There’s a cycle to these things. You’ll never be the highest paid for very long.
The way you phrase the situation is just off IMO. What I call ‘being a free agent’ you strangely call, ‘having $0 guaranteed in 2019’. Well, yeah. That’s called being out of contract. I could suffer a career ending injury driving to work tomorrow (it’s an hour every day there and back). There are guys fighting in wars right now. People running into burning buildings or working to keep us safe. There are guys playing a whole range of physical sports too. Why do people act like NFL players are somehow taking some unique risk and therefore should never be in a position where they actually… you know… have to test the market having made nearly $60m in your career already.
The Seahawks have ZERO obligation to pay anyone just because they paid other players. Zero. ‘Earl wasn’t given the same consideration’. So what? They don’t have to pay Earl like those guys. They just don’t.
You’re also making my argument for me. You admit you can’t hold out. Earl held out. Point proven. None of us can do what Earl did and just not turn up. Fact. And we don’t have $60m in the bank either. It’s his choice to hold out. He can do what he wants — but it doesn’t warrant sympathy. We’re talking about a guy who has earned a kings ransom already, wanting even more money. Generations of Earl’s family are secure for life.
And spare me the crying act about condescension and ‘railing’ against people. It’s called a discussion. A robust argument doesn’t require an apology at the end.
Well said. It struck me today how you never used to see players act so indignant if they aren’t catered to. Whatever happened to, “I hope I get the chance to finish my career here, that would be awesome. If not, it’s a business.”
Players hit free agency all the time. It’s extremely rare for a player to play their entire career somewhere.
Hey Rob:
Another consideration is that ET’s “bird” was indicative of what happened to the Seahawk’s locker room after “the interception.” Some players just couldn’t get past it. Many of those defensive guys who got paid, like Sherm and Bennett, turned on Wilson and Carroll. The Seahawks nearly lost the locker room. Carroll and Schneider were forced to jettison some of them. ET seemed to have the same attitude towards the Seahawk team with his holdout and his finger.
I thought the Hawks tried to give the LOB a team that would be a contender last year. Unfortunately, the o-line was among the worst units of any kind in pro football. It was just time for everyone to move on.
Mr Offseason
You do realize the Hawks have paid Earl over $50 mil and they will pay him $8.5 mil this year for 4 games and 12 practices. Yeah they have treated him horribly poor Earl.
Mr Offseason
After signing contract If Thomas had a bit down season he would still got 8.5 million guarantee as per contract. Now after he got injured Team will have to sign someone else to take his place and will have to pay obviously without dipping into Thomas pay check. So Team is still losing money and talent.
You can argue if Thomas had a down season, team can cut him in that case as per CONTRACT he would still get the total guarantee money so nothing wrong for both the side. Only when player outperforms he wants more money as if he was not aware of his potential at the time of signing or there was no better offer from other team. In 2011-2012 there was big fight between players union and NFL so these rules we discussed and agreed by both parties who makes $$$ for living.
Thomas is my #1 favorite player but the day he went to Dallas locker room he lost all the respect as a player. By showing middle finger he lost all respect as a human. Time to move on as we did for Sherman and Chancellor.
Rob you were 100% right we should have taken 2nd and i know you were so disappointed after that news for all good/right reasons.
And the Seahawks put together a team that won a superbowl ring and made Earl Thomas part of the legend of the Legion of Boom. That legend will live on long after other things fade.
1st off I’m not sure about the Earl Thomas that everyone is taking about this year. The guy I’ve watch these 4 games this year did not look anything thing like a 14 million dollar Hall of Fame defensive back. there was 4 play in this game that stand out to me. He got caught flat footed and beat 4 times 2 of which he was lucky the ball was throw his way, 1 the got by deep in the middle and the receiver dropped the ball, and the last was the TD pass where the receiver did crossing route behind him where he had to run to caught up and kick the receiver when he dive for that TD pass. During this game you could see without camp and practice he was huffing and puffing. I love what he has done for this team until this year and the fact he no longer wanted to be here can mostly be blame on him but some can be put on Seattle’s shoulders for not taking a 2nd for a dissatisfied player. Bottom line what happened today with him not good for him or our football team.
I did see 1 play that gave me hope briefly. We actually pull off a well executed screen pass to the running back which Seattle hasn’t done in years. Why doesn’t RW do the run option anymore, why does it take so long for our receivers routes to develop compare to other teams, and why do we not have RW under center and have him do play action pass from it like he use to do that was when he really got the chunk yardage.
This team got old faster than the coaching staff thought it would and I think trading away 1st round drafts picks for Harvey and Graham did not help this team. Its definite in my eyes that this is not a reset but we have fallen into a rebuild mode. Without the draft capital I’m just not sure how long it will take to get back to where we were but I am hopeful.
Mark, you truly are mad if you don’t think Earl has been anything other than good this year on the pitch for Seattle.
I do agree though that we are in full rebuild mode rather than roster reset.
I agree Earl looked like a guy playing not to get hurt and avoiding contact. I said in an early post I don’t think he will be missed as much as everything thinks he will be and I for one will certainly not miss he drama. Just wish they had traded him this off season.
Look at Bennett and Sherman people were upset that they were let go but have they really helped the Eagles or 49ers. Really who have PC/JS let go who went on to star elsewhere. Perhaps Rob Parker and to a much lesser extent Clinton McDonald and Alex Collins. Even Beastmode has really done little of Oakland.
We think of these guys as the legends they are when they were in their prime. When they hit 30 they are not it is like being a Senior citizen in the NFL.
The 22-28 year old ET will be missed. I am glad someone else will be paying the 30yr old ET coming off 2 tibia fractures on the same leg.
2nd round pick for Sheldon Richardson…2nd round (35th) pick for Malik McDowell…2nd round for Duane Brown…and 2nd round for ET…
4 2nd round picks in just 3 years…
And yes, pick for Brown is wasted pick for me…we won’t even be PO contender while he is under contract…
What are you doing JS?
Starting LT are extremely rare, cant get them with 2nd or 3rd rounders very often at all). Brown was a good trade no doubt.
As for the others I cant argue, they’ve wasted too many good picks for short term value.
They didn’t trade a 2nd round pick straight up for Duane Brown. They also traded a 3rd round pick, too.
Brown has always been overrated. He’s ok, nothing more. But ok was a step up to what we had starting at that position. JS has been horrible the past few years both on the trade front and in the draft. Thus you see a team that is completely bare in terms of talent.
Hey SeaTown:
“Bare in terms of talent.”? The last couple of drafts have brought in plenty of talent. We have two young and very talented Corners and a solid stable of running backs. Maybe you haven’t noticed that punter they drafted in the 5th round. We still have Russell Wilson (who hasn’t been at his best, so far, but that won’t last), and a VERY good linebacking crew. Even with ET out, the Safety position seems to be in pretty good hands.
I watched Brown at LT quite a bit. He’s much better than “OK.”
We have all seen the offense struggling over the past 4 weeks. On a re-set year with a new OC and starting the year minus your best and most reliable weapon, that in itself should not be a shocker.
Still, a win away in September is a win away in September. 2-2 after 3 away games is not the end of the world either. Discounting last night’ win because it was against the horrible Cards is also a mute point. Inter division games are never easy and this game comes after facing 3 teams who are all .500 and (in 2018…) and a murderers row of defenses. Denver is 11th in YPG and 3rd against the run, The bears are 4th in YPG and 2nd against the run and Dallas is 5th in YPG and 12th against the run only because we ran 161 yards against them when they allowed less the 90 in their other 3 games.
The negatives described are real and clear but I personally try to look and see if I can see some process that may get this offense on track as the season continues.
The Steady improvement in the runing game is real and I dare say that is has probably been the early focus by a new HC under PC (and probably consumed much of the training time). The OL looks to be finding it’s identity both in the run game and better pass protection. The scoring drives in the 3rd quarter showed me a glimpse of how this offense can play when they are less predictable (run run pass), when RW makes the zone read real and when using the play action passing game.
If Schotty is indeed learning (jury still out) and can mix and match the game plan better, we could see sustained growth with this unit. they may even convert a few 3rd downs by mid season.
We all cringe knowing that the Rams are coming to desecrate our home field and hand us a serious ass whooping. It may happen exactly like it did last year or it could be a team in transition playing to level of their opponents.
I think we will loose the Rams game but it will be closer than most believe it to be.
THE GOOD
Seattle is now 2-2 primarily thanks to it’s recommitment to the run game with two different backs gaining 100 yards on individual efforts. 176 yards on the ground on the round against an aggressive defense that features Chandler Jones, Hassan Reddick, Corey Peters, Markus Golden, Deone Bucannon, Budda Baker and Patrick Pederson is impressive.
Russell Wilson and Mike Davis looked really good running the zone read together.
The offensive line ran blocked like angry beasts.
While it feels like Wilson is restrained, an efficient 19-26 for 172 yards might be a lot of what Pete Carroll is looking for at QB position when the run game is clicking like that. Is it fun for the fans? Arguably not.
The David Moore citing for the passing game was nice to finally see. I’d like more of that, please.
I was pretty nervous heading into this game minus Rasheem Green and Dion Jordan. The pass rush was tested, but they got Rosen off his stop enough when needed, and it was cool to see Jarran Reed get his third sack in two games. Reed is looking more like a guy the team can build around up front.
Tre’ Flowers continues to impress as a rookie safety to confer convert.
The offense had zero turnovers.
Seattle is in second place in the NFC West
THE BAD
0-10 on third downs is putrid. It’s almost impressive they still won with this stat line. They will get better here.
Brandon Marshall continues to drop passes that he should catch. I could stand to see more Moore moving forward.
The Cardinal receivers were getting open deep but were dropping easy completions against the defense.
The Will Dissly injury was a major punch to the gut. He was becoming my favorite rookie.
The Earl Thomas injury was heartbreaking. Would this had happened had he practiced and played through the preseason? Was he holding himself back a bit and got injured as a consequence?
The decision not to deal Earl to Dallas for a second round pick will be questioned heavily all year. I was actually in favor of the team holding to their guns and not trading him for less than a first and some change.
THE UGLY
Janikowski’s misses were really hard to watch, especially after a season worth of the Blair Witch Project.
Going for it on 4 and 1 with a pass instead of the run when they had been dominating the Cardinal defense on the ground all day. They could have manned up and ran the same play over Fluker’s side that they did when Davis got his second TD.
Earl’s middle finger salute to the Seattle bench is likely the last thing he will ever do in a Seahawks uniform, and that is a shame.
MOVING AHEAD
I suspect Carroll and Schotty will figure out a way to balance the run game with opening up the offense more for Russell Wilson. September has almost always been a wacky month getting things started for this offense under Carroll. I would suspect that time to come most likely after the bye week.
The defense loosing Earl Thomas concerns me the most, but it will be a great opportunity for Tedric Thompson, assuming that the plan is to move forward with him as the starter and not bring in a veteran.
While Seattle has only four picks in this year’s draft, they will more than likely trade down to acquire more, and they should also have room to be spendy in free agency for the DL. If Seattle’s DL next year features Jadevon Clowney, Derrick Brown, Jarran Reed, and Frank Clark, I’d be pretty good with that.
Do you think the Seahawks should dangle Wagner, Wright, Baldwin and Duane Brown to see what they can get on the trade market? These guys are all around that age when productivity and durability will take a nose dive at any time, and I’d hate losing them for nothing like Sherman, Thomas, Kam and Bennett, especially now when it looks like they’re at least a couple years away from being true contenders with the least(?) amount of draft capital.
Also, should they release all the free agent vets they picked up this past off season to get back the three comp picks from Sheldon, P-Rich and Graham? That’d mean eating some more dead money his season and next season to go with Kam’s.
So many confusing moves the past few years 🙁
No.
The Seahawks path to future success is not to sell low on the few players they have that are any good.
As for releasing the FA’s — that’s harder to do now with the injuries stacking up. But it’s something they have to consider down the road if they don’t improve and lose more than they win.
Well…we cant get anything for Baldwin or KJ…but yes I would trade Duane for 3rd round…and if they don’t intend to resign Bobby then maybe it is better to trade him…we saw how it ends with Sherman and ET…I really hope that it will not be the same with Bobby… I think we can get 1st round pick for him if we trade him before trade deadline…next offseason maybe we can get 2nd round…and after that we cant get anything…so…
Why would you trade Brown for a R3 though? What good would that do?
They don’t need a firesale. They had opportunities, like Earl, to trade players not part of their future. They chose not to do it. Now they have to work with what they have.
This is like suggesting that they should just throw every game left in their season so they can get the 1st overall draft pick. From an armchair GM standpoint, you can trade your best players accumulate a whole lot of picks and hope that you hit on them. What I think you end up with is a whole lot of raw rookies you have to train up, hope that those draft picks hit, and get stuck in Browns-esque hell for a long time. At this point you have to take the lumps for swinging and missing on going all in for a championship last year and keep doing your best to add talent around Wilson and Wagner and hope that you have better luck moving forward. We’ve had horrible injury luck for the past two years and I know it’s easier to try to find someone to blame; however, sometimes you just get unlucky on that front and it sucks.
I think we so easily don’t make the connection that if you are a coach in the NFL you kind of have to believe to your core that you have a championship caliber team every year and do everything you can from a roster perspective to get there. Otherwise you lose the locker room. How are you supposed to motivate players when you’ve resigned yourself to a “rebuild” season.
I don’t think they would get a first for Bobby. And I wouldn’t trade him unless he makes it clear that he doesn’t want to be here and won’t re-sign. He’s talented and very professional which is exactly what you want in your veteran leaders.
Gotta keep Bobby, it’s a no-brainer. That said, he’d fetch more than a 1st.
Just win baby.
I wonder how Kenny is feeling this morning? Probably a similar feeling to when you go out and get wasted, then wake up and remember all the stupid things you did and said the night before… #shameface
Rob, what do you think what is trade value of Justin Britt at the moment?
And would you trade him for 3rd round pick? We have Pocic to replace him…we spent 2nd round pick on Pocic and as it stands right now he will be healthy replacement next sunday…
I would honestly like to see more of Hunt. I thought the interior of the line was stoutest when he was playing, but all 3 spots were new, so it was hard to tell cause and effect there. Either way, I’d love to see Hunt out there more and see if he is truly an every down caliber player.
I don’t think he has any trade value. Very few players do.
No I wouldn’t trade him and I doubt you’d get a third rounder. How many teams trade mid-season for a center?!
If you were the GM for another team, would you trade a 3rd round pick and pay Britt’s salary? He’s an average center and paid like he’s one of the best. His cap hit is almost $8M next year and over $12M in ’20.
If I were GM of another team, I wouldn’t touch that at all. In fact, you’d have to Brock Osweiler it for me (give me a pick to take on that joke of a contract).
This is the kind of game that leaves a knot in your stomach. Earl and Dissly both gone? Man…
I thought the Shotty hire was a bad one earlier in the year. It seemed like Pete was just picking somebody he knew and would be a good “yes man.” His limitations were well known at the time, and his track record spoke for itself. I thought it was a bad hire then and had a long way to go to convince me otherwise.
Nothing I’ve seen has even hinted he was headed in the right direction.
Shotty reminds of a Pop Warner coach that got stuck coaching just so the team could play, but the closest he ever got to football was Madden 2004. You have a dozen or so formations, but only 6 different plays you can run. Usually you default to the one that worked last time, and when it gets to be third down you just pick the random “suggested” play. Once in a while you throw up a random bomb and are lucky enough to connect.
0-10 on third downs? Come on! Wilson could’ve drawn a play in the dirt and said “that play on one” 10 times and converted at least one. Third and 1 at midfield and you throw the ball? Has Wilson even kept a ball on the read yet? I don’t know if he is coached to do that or not, but I find it hard to believe he suddenly got scared of running the ball.
Lastly, I’m a firm believer that an “unintentional” delay of game (or wasting a time out to avoid one) is the absolute worst penalty you can get on the football field and completely inexcusable. It screams disorganization and confusion, and general lack of awareness in the game. There is no reason you can’t get out of the huddle. The game management is embarrassing.
Totally agree with the notion of Schottenhiemer being a Carroll yes man.
I think after last season, Carroll had enough of seeing a finesse offense that couldn’t run and wanted, more than anything else, to get back to his core belief that the offense should be built on the run and not having to rely so heavily on QB play.
What talented young upstart coordinator is going to want that gig? You don’t get head coaching gigs calling a conservative grind it out offense. Schottenhiemer got the gig because he said yes to it.
The Seahawks seemed to copy Dallas’ terrible gameplan from last week. Its so frustrating cause Schotty got it so right last week, mixing up the run with the pass including enough PA and deep shots.
So what the hell happened this week? Thats the kind of offence you run when Brian Hoyer is your QB, not a pro-bowler like Wilson. Good luck keeping up with Rams with that lack of courage in the play calls.
Its a tough situation because, to me, the team’s major issues are incredibly fixable coaching blunders. And after the Dallas game, I know they can call a decent game, so what the hell happened?
Gutted about Uncle Will, the dude was on his way to fan favourite status. Hope he comes back the same dude.
ET situation, sucks. Just all of it. Lets all just stop talking about it seeing as theres nothing left to do but wait for him to walk for nothing.
Jarren Reed is taking another big leap this year. If this year is about finding the next core, Reed is one of those guys for sure. It seems the Seahawks are pretty good in round 2, shame we keep pissing those down the drain.
One thing is certain, if Vannett is the #1 TE going forward, we are in big trouble (along with all the other problems)….The guy doesn’t have the “it” factor. He looks slow, unsure and even his blocking isn’t on par with his college blocking.
And I saw Earl out of position quite a few times yesterday, I know he will be missed but now there is no doubt that the Hawks will be moving on from him, sans any compensation.
The Rams will more than likely destroy this team even with their starting corners absent.
A win never felt worse.
No play action and deep shots off the awesome running game? Thats what RW is best at, come on.
Sad for Earl but excites to see what Tedric Thompson can do.
Delano Hill has been quite disappointing. Another misses tackle. L
Also the trade for Luani looks better if he can contribute.
Glad to see Marshall benched for Moore in the 2nd half.
Very concerned foe the draft next year. Not near enough picks and I’m afraid we’ll win enough games to pick outside the top 10.
Marshall has been a big disappointment so far. Not sure how long he’ll be on the roster at this rate.
Does cutting Marshall help with the comp formula? Probably unrealistic to get a pick at this stage though.
No Marshall was not a compensation free agent! G. Fluker, TE Dickson, DT Shamar, LB Mingo, and WR Brown are the 5 acquired CFA’s. We lost 3 CFA’s to free Agency. We don’t have much invested in Fluker, Dickson, and Shamar.
Don’t think you can get rid of Fluker, Dickson (due to Dissley’s injury) or Mingo. The run D has not been good so I’m not sure how cutting Shamar would effect the DL, and I think we can probably due without Brown, however that will leave our WR group thin.
Embrace the rebuild.I said it last year but even more dire now- trade bobby Wagner while you still can. Called for trading MN last year too, but that’s pointless now. I trust Pete can find and coach up a very good MLB again. Time to go all in.
Happy about the run game. Ridding tbemsekves of cable was the best thing for it.
I have confidence there’s more unseen to this offense and this is a typical Pete carrol slow roll out.
We need to stop with all these zany ‘trade everyone’ suggestions.
The Seahawks don’t need a fire sale. They have enough holes. Trading more players to create more holes isn’t a solution.
this isnt the mariners. There isnt anyone we should be trading left.
We need to extend
#1 Coleman
#2 Clark
#3 Reed
Thank you, Rob. If I have to read one more ‘Blow up everything! The end is nigh!’ take I think I might lose my mind.
We’re in kind of an awkward and rough situation as a team, yes, but the answer to a rough situation is never to panic and flip out. You settle the hell down and figure out solutions.
That’s right.
And they need young guys who are currently in the bottom half of the roster to develop and become major contributors. Guys like Poona Ford and David Moore.
IMO there is more hope for the 2018 rookie class than there is for the 2017 rookie class.
Dang? The article’s central thesis is about a team going nowhere with limited draft picks for n do year.
What’s dang about suggesting trading a player past his historical age peak
And where did I suggest trading everyone?
Zany indeed.
That game was a microcosm of every season since Super Bowl 49.
– Bad luck with injuries
– Questionable decisions on short distance downs
– Terrible on 3rd down
– Special teams struggles
– Disgruntled stars
At least the run game worked.
There’s been very little to demonstrate that the leadership of this team know how to get out of this slump. Earl’s situation is a case in point. They Seahawks could have traded him, but they wanted to have their cake and eat it too and now they’ve got nothing.
I can’t really hold anything against Earl for flipping off the sideline. His teammates know who it’s aimed at and they understand Earl took a risk even playing games. Luckily for him it sounds like a clean break and he should be ready for free agency.
It’s completely miserable to see a legend’s career with the team end like this.
And with little draft capital for 2019 I honestly don’t see the Hawks getting much to help rebuild this team. They’ll have to trade out of round 1 again and likely spend a decent amount in FA. This could be one of those 3-5 year rebuilds. I wonder if PCJS wanna be around for that long.
Time to poach David Wells from the Chiefs practice squad. IMO
will the Hawks poach David Wells from KC’s practice squad????
What does it say about the quality of play in the NFL that this Hawks squad is 2-2 and could very easily be 4-0 if they had gotten a couple of calls or the OL had been able to start out with Sweezy and band Fluker at the Gaurd spots.
It says that we’re in Week 4.
We could just as easily be 0-4 but for a couple dropped passes and lucky heel tips touching out of bounds on otherwise TD passes…
(don’t really want to go there, but had to say it. I know your point was about the level of play around the league)
Whenever I hear all the national media saying this injury justifies Earls hold out and ridiculous behaviour it makes me want to throw up. They make it out like the Hawks screwed him over because hey did not give him an extension. It is laughable.
They do realize he has made well over $50 million dollars and will get paid $8.5 million this year from the Hawks for 4 games and about 12 practices. No one seems to mention that.
I don’t think he gets a big deal on the free agent market but I hope he does for the comp pick potential.
Too many holes to worry about comp picks. Like last off-season, we’ll have to sign more than we lose, netting us nothing. It will be a challenge to fill out the roster.
Preparing for more Mingos and Marshalls in our near future.
Agreed Trevor. They wasted money on Lynch, Chancellor and Bennett. I’m still not sure why we traded Bennett? Anyway, the Seahawks just haven’t been successful with 3 contracts. Earl would have been the next big failure in cap management. Seahawks dodged a bullet.
As too next comment about holes in roster, looks like another year where UDFA and a few key free agents will rule. That isn’t all together bad. Seahawks current lead receiver and running back were UDFA. It can be done. The Seahawks should go back to their old formula. Pick defense in the draft – since that is where the talent lays and that is where the coaching talent is. Give Russ the UDFA since he has an offensive line now.
You’re likely right that Earl likely won’t get a big money deal next year. Earls crippling injury yesterday is exactly why he wanted to get paid or traded, to maximize his earning potential. Just like Kam last year. He was denied that luxury, and its going to cost him millions of dollars. So yeah through that lens the Hawks screwed over Earl.
At the same time JS/PC have screwed themselves over. Its baffling how much talent the Hawks have lost since the start of the 2017 season, and received basically nothing but a 5th round pick and $15+m in dead cap space.
Don’t feel too bad for Earl. I am sure he has millions invested and with the stock market booming his account must be growing hand over fist through earnings and dividends.
The harsh reality is Earl deserves a 3rd contract, and the Seahawks deserve to be cautious with their checkbook. Both teams are on very solid ground with their positions. It’s a tough nut to crack for both teams.
One thing in the reality of the situation is the players agreed to this CBA. Ownership has the right to abide by the terms of the agreement. If it’s so bad, get your union together and get stronger CBA, or come up with a more creative solution to this problem.
The tough part about that is the union represents thousand of players and these guys with the franchise/top of the market deals are the 1%.
(For the record, I am neither pro-ownership or pro-union. Just pointing out the reality of the situation.)
Interesting antic-dote this morning by Brock. When Earl broke his leg the first time (and was pissed and tweeting about retirement, etc) he evidently elected to not have surgery to put a rod in his leg. (most likely against the advise of the team doctors, or just without consulting the team at all) No wonder we were extremely hesitant to extend him because wala, non contact, breaks the same leg, same place.
Interesting stuff. Was wondering about that, especially since the injury appeared to be non contact.
Another reason why they should have traded him.
No contact? Toe stuck in turf, and momentum took his leg into the WR body. Replay of the 1st injury from Kam’s leg.
Rob,
Do you have any thoughts on the overall rookie RB class so far this year?
IMO, for all the build up going into the draft with so many day 1/2 names, it seems the overall product has been pretty disappointing.
Even Penny was given a secondary load to Mike Jones yesterday, ROJO finally made his debut, Chubb and Michel have had middling success so far. Just seems to be pretty underwhelming so far.
Sony Michele looked awful good yesterday and Saquon Barkley is explosive. Let’s give the class more than 4 games before we tag it a bust.
I think it is way too early to be making a blanket judgement like this. It’s literally been four games into the season. Saquon looks like the real deal. Sony and Chubb looked good yesterday, and will only get better. Kerryon is picking up momentum and so is Royce. Penny has shown flashes but not had much opportunity yet in a messy situation.
If people were expecting these RBs to all just drop in like gangbusters a la Kareem Hunt and Alvin Kamara then that was never realistic in the first place. Not to mention it took Alvin about 4-5 games to actually get going as well, and Kareem has come back down to Earth this season. So still way too early to judge here.
Let us never forget. Seattle took a 3rd string RB in the 1st.
Not disappointed at all. It’s very early.
Watching Saquon, Penny, Chubb, Michel and Kerryon yesterday, they all flashed. It was encouraging. And Freeman has played well too. I’m probably missing others.
*sees several rookie RBs starting*
“Overrated class, right?”
It’s bizarre. I don’t understand the ‘overrated rookie RB class’ thing at all.
All I saw yesterday was Nick Chubb making explosive plays, Sony Michel announcing himself with the Pats, Saquon continuing to be Saquon, Kerryon continuing to be Kerryon and Penny for the first time showed real flashes of quickness and quality.
It’s a good start IMO.
And some of these guys might bust. Might not make another season, but that doesn’t preclude the rest of the class from developing.
Instant gratification culture or something.
I sure wouldn’t have minded getting a different tail back from this class.
Woah woah woah, slow down with the all or nothing talk. I never said the class was a bust already. I said so far it has been underwhelming for the way it was billed pre-draft. I have no doubt some of them will be great and some will be complete busts.
Its disappointing to see half the class barely playing 4 games into the season. Heck, RoJo wasn’t even active the first 3 games, and many on here, myself included, were practically drooling on ourselves over him pre-draft.
There was a ton of excitement over the RB class this year and that feeling is somewhat deflated right now. Thats all I’m saying.
Why is it deflating though?
What do people honestly expect? 6-8 rookies to take the league by storm?
Freeman, Chubb, Kerryon, Penny, Michel, Barkley all looked good on Sunday. We need to stop expecting too much too soon from the rookie class, whatever the position.
Would “less impact than anticipated” be a better description?
Again, I’m not saying they are busts by any means. I’m fully on the lets wait and see train. I was genuinely excited to see something of a RB revival going into the season, and so far and somewhat disappointed.
Take Penny for example as he is the one closest to our heart. Carson being out was the perfect opportunity for him to get a chance to shine, yet he was out carried 2-1 by Davis…a known quantity with known limitations. Penny had a better ypc than Davis, and looked good doing it. It was deflating to me though, to not see him more and see what he could do if he carried the work load. I want to see more of our first round investment.
Likewise for Chubb and Michel, until this week neither had a chance to show much. Chubb averaged 30 yds a carry this weekend, and even then those 3 carries were all he got! I want to see more of that!
Maybe my anticipation was off going into the season, its entirely possible. I view RB in the NFL as the most likely position to have quick returns on investment. the number of touches per game is high, as well as a significant chance to be able to make magic happen (a la Chubb this weekend). I certainly didnt expect healthy scratches, and 5 carry games for a fair number of the early round picks.
I think we should all stop judging rookie ‘impact’ after four weeks.
I really dislike the direction of the offense, especially watching many other really exciting teams. We can still be a running team, and be innovative with scheme and passing. We have talked about this ad nauseum, and it seems Pete just doesn’t want to embrace anything new. I wanted Bevell gone, mostly because of how unprepared the team seemed in the first halves of games. That said, an even more vanilla coordinator is not the direction I wanted.
Put all that aside though, what I extremely annoyed by is the players inability to 1) execute and 2) overcome adversity. So tired of the presnap penalties, unnecessary holds, protection breakdowns, missed throws, poor routes, dropped passes. There have been so many avoidable mistakes that could make this offense way more efficient, but the players cant get out of their own way.
Then, when the mistakes happen, they can’t ever right the ship, and seem to lose even more yards more often than not.
There was one point in the second half where I cynically thought the Seahawks would get more yardage if they punted the ball on first down. At least they wouldn’t be moving backwards from penalties or behind the line receivers getting tackled.
Go Punters!
Can we draft an offensive coordinator? That’s our biggest need.
Yes
Listening to announcers gush about LA Rams offensive coach just about made me want to barf. I’ve been waiting for signs of cap trouble or other season defining issues. So far they are everything the Seahawks wanted to be.
This is their make or break season. They have to pay Goff and others or let some go in the coming off season.
I’m not much for instant reaction. Not to say there is anything wrong with it. I just like to think about things more before saying anything. With that being said:
The hawks started the season with 3 away games and one home game. If you would of asked anyone for a 2-2 start at the beginning of the season we would all take it. Look around at the rest of the league. Anyone besides the chiefs setting the world on fire? Look at the Seahawks schedule. They were definitely in both games they lost. Is the offense hard to watch? Yeah. They have been hard to watch offensively forever. The oline seems to be playing way better then they ever have. Russell isn’t a rocket scientist. I’m saying he isn’t a cerebral qb like Brady or Rodgers. Have you ever heard him talk? Hahaha, he will get used to the new system and the offense will play better. He is an athlete not the smartest guy on the field. I’m fine with winning ugly and being in every game. They will get better. I can see them as a wild card at the end of the season in the scrap heap of the NFC right now
I’m content with 2-2. I just think an analysis of the way they’ve performed offers little encouragement. I don’t see a gradual build. I fear we’ll find out exactly how lacking they are this week against the Rams.
I love this team and this site to death. Maybe its because I’m frustrated with this team but I get irked by 2 things that keep getting retread about Earl and the loss of former stars.
The first is the whole, “If i wanted more money I can’t just stop going to my job” argument. It is insane to me. Being a professional athlete is one of the most unique and specialized “jobs” in the world. I cannot even compare it to anything besides being an actor or a musician. Nothing about the the job is normal. Athletes hold out because they can and it is an actual negotiating tool. You can debate all day if it is an effective tool but it still is. I mentioned musicians and actors because they are also positions that aren’t bound by hard attendance and contract points. Musicians cancel tour dates all the time and album releases are bumped back at times. Many actors and actresses are notorious for holding up filming and production. Many are bound contractually to record labels, production companies and agencies. People in these occupations are not living in the same world as us. You don’t have to like it but it is an accepted practice in these businesses.
The second is the, “well he was paid 54 millions dollars so he should just be quiet/grateful” comment. That’s a lot of money no matter how you swing it but its not like the Seahawks broke the bank on him. Matt Khalil signed a 55 million dollar 2nd contract a few years ago. He will earn more than Earl’s whole career in 5 years, plus what he made on his 1st contract. Check PFF or DVOA or whatever but im gonna bet Earl is worth more wins and a better player than Khalil or many others. I know they play different positions and the market dictates this but the best players should be paid the best right? The 54 million argument gets thrown around like it was charity. Make no mistake, he earned that money.
I’m not sure what to think about the team management. They had a loose atmosphere that bit them in some ways and now have swung too far back in the other direction for their own liking. You can make a hard line and trade or release guys before they drop off like the Pats, but if you are going to do it then do it. I think they want to but don’t have the stomach to. They haven’t had the stomach to do a lot of things lately. They need to figure some stuff out before Russ’ contract is discussed.
I’m still interested in the development of all the young guys playing and getting experience. I’m still gonna cheer for our vets to have success. I’ll be watching no matter what.
1. I think we all appreciate that athletes live in a different world than us. My issue is quite simple, and I think others are in a similar place. I don’t have a problem if Earl Thomas or anyone else opts to holdout. I have a problem when I’m told how hard done to they are or it’s implied we should have some sympathy with their situation. I have to laugh every time someone implies they put their bodies on the line. Sure they do. So do millions of other people in a far more dangerous and important fashion for nowhere near the money. This to me is just as ‘insane’. Heck, I’ve broken my ankle three times playing soccer. Anyone who plays sport takes a risk in some way. Rich millionaire wants more money, therefore reneges on his contract to try and force employer to give them even more money on a longer deal. I can accept this is par for the course. But I’m not going to get down on my knees for these players either. Just like I wouldn’t for an actor or musician crying about money for their great sacrifice that is rewarded with fame, fortune and status.
2. I don’t see where anyone has implied Thomas should be ‘grateful’ for having earned $58.3m so far. It’s just an established fact that he’s earned that much. Pointing it out is perfectly fair and it provides context in a discussion. Your suggestion that Seattle didn’t ‘break the bank’ for him is simply not true. They made him the highest paid safety in the league. Unless you literally wanted them to break their cap (bank) to give him an obscene deal for his position, I’m not sure how making him easily the highest paid player at his position in 2014 can be described in any other way than a handsome reward. It was well earned, of course. But they paid him. Your point about Matt Kalil is a red herring. We all know positions are paid differently and are valued differently by teams. Let’s now run through all the crappy QB’s who earned more than Walter Jones. Or let’s run through Earl’s career earning and compare it to Steve Young’s. We could do this all day. The simple fact is the Seahawks have paid Earl Thomas extremely handsomely for his tenure in Seattle. He might be the best paid safety in the history of the league for all I know. It’s possible.
Fair analysis. And I acknowledged as much. The narrative is just old and I wouldn’t care to talk about it ever again haha. I’d rather comment on getting out of this mess.
I hear that! 😉
What are the chances of getting Stringfellow WR back from the Titans practice squad? I thought the Seahawks gave up on him too soon.
Uh, I think he retired from football.
One thing that makes me laugh is the new use of ‘pro run crowd’ as a term. I’ve seen it on Twitter and Field Gulls today.
No such thing exists.
There’s an ‘anti run’ crowd and a ‘people who want you to stop ramming the anti run BS down our throats every five minutes’ crowd.
I really don’t understand being ‘anti’ or ‘pro’ anything in this game except being ‘pro-winning’ and ‘anti-losing’. There’s so many situations and tools to deal with them in football it seems to be really close minded to just dismiss one aspect completely. Like should we be ‘anti-kicking’ because you can’t win every game off kicking alone? No there’s a time and situation for everything.
It’s been proven that you can’t win a championship with a run-first offense. Pete Carroll is simply chasing the ghost of the late, great great Pete Carroll of those golden yester-years of football, circa 2013 (and then almost again in 2014). I recently saw highlights of that game, it was shown in black and white and the footage was all grainy, but they added some really triumphant horn music that really brought it to life.
Seattle literally won a Championship with a run-first offense. So did the Broncos.
Maybe I wasn’t being overt enough — my comment was complete satire. People act like 2013/14 was another era of football, and I reject that completely.
Then I completely agree.
I’ve seen it so much lately, and it’s really starting to aggravate me. This whole EPA thing is great in theory, but the way some of the “analysts” talk about it, they make it seem as though you should pass on literally every play. No sane person would actually create a gameplan with zero called runs. I’ve seen the argument that there’s no correlation between a successful run game and successful play action, but you still need at least the threat of a run. Otherwise, play action is useless!
Numbers and stats are fun. In fact, I’m working on one stat right now that interests me and I’ll post some findings when I get it finished up. The stats do not, however, correlate exactly to game flow, setting up other plays, etc. They aren’t the end-all be-all! The players still have to line up and execute, and the “analysts” would probably not be successful if they were actually calling plays in those situations. Also, if these people are so smart and successful, why aren’t they working in the analytics departments of NFL teams? I suppose that’s because coaches are too old fashioned to see the light and embrace them. Rant over…for now.
One thing I am getting tired of reading by too many supposed fans is that our OL still sucks. This is a good line. In my opinion, it’s well above average. There are running lanes that RBs from years past simply didn’t have.
Part of the problem with the OL is that Russell holds it too long at times and runs himself into sacks. There’s no way pocket passers like Brady or Manning would have taken the amount of hits and sacks that Russ has allowed up to this point.
Another head scratching problem is the OC they’ve paired with Wilson. It reminds me of those years when John Elway was handcuffed with a crappy offensive system that didn’t play to his strengths. The Broncos handcuffed Elway in a system ill-suited for his talent and then expected Elway to win it late. It was a formula that worked for winning games because of Elways’ greatness, but not championships until they got an OC that played to his strengths.
Having Schottenheimer paired with Wilson made no sense at the time, nor does it a quarter of the way through the season. I remember when Carroll took over and especially took Red Bryant and put him into a position to play to his strengths (when they moved him from DT to run stuffing DE on the strong side). Bryant was bad at DT and became a major asset when he put him into a position to play to his talent.
In my opinion, there are two teams in football; one with their quarterbacks and others searching for them.
This Seahawks rebuild is so much different than when Carroll and Schneider took over. This time around they have a franchise QB and when you do – fortunes can quickly change.
Last time, they had an abundance of draft picks to begin their rebuild. They had the #6 and #14 overall pick in the first round AND had a second rounder, too. This time around, they have their pick in the first and no pick in the second. But, again, the current scenario is better because they have a QB.
On one hand, it’s easy to have faith they can turn this around with Wilson because they’ve quite successfully done a rebuild before. On the other hand, Carroll isn’t as in tuned with the college players anymore (he recruited many of the guys they ended up drafting) and they have proven they can take a superior team and drain it with bad drafts and non-Pro Bowl talent on offense or defense (Lockett made it on ST).
All I know is that Pete Carroll needs to pull a Red Bryant with Russell Wilson – play to his strengths. They can both run the ball and play to his strengths. And, seriously, if you’re Russell Wilson – would you really want to play for an OC who handcuffs you? Before you use the “but they make millions” argument, let me rephrase – would you be happy with a boss at your job telling you to do things that you know will make yourself and the company less successful and the job less fulfilling than it could/should be?
Personally, I’d like to have seen what Bevell could have done with a LG as good as Sweezy and RG as dominant at run blocking as Fluker. He never had a healthy Brown at LT (minus a short time) and even Ifedi is much improved in year three in comparison to his first two years in the league.
This team simply is lacking Pro Bowl talent and that is 100% on Pete Carroll and John Schneider. There is nobody either of them can blame for the reduction in talent through the years.
As down as I am for a fan who would like to compete for a Super Bowl (not an 8-8 finish), I will say this… this system can/will flourish with the right talent. Jacksonville may go to the Super Bowl this year the only thing they care about is playing dominant defense and running the ball. I’ll take them over the Chiefs any day because I know Andy Reid will pull a Marty Schottenheimer come playoff time.
The other thing… Pete is considered the Godfather of coaching up DBs. We’re about to see him put to the ultimate test because now he doesn’t have Earl Thomas anymore. The only other time Carroll didn’t have Thomas at FS, the Seahawks weren’t “coached up” and their secondary was a detriment.
Nice post! Agree with almost everything.
If you honestly believe the team is going nowhere and isn’t competitive there should be no objection to offloading any player talent over age 27/28 for either younger players or immediate draft capital. Otherwise you’re stuck in the same limbo the Seahawks are in between competing this year and not. And if you’re disappointed about the team not getting anything for Sherman, or earl, it’s time to man up and advocate seeing what one can get for Wagner and Baldwin. Unless you’re content to see them whither and decline on a bad team. Like objects in a mirror, their demise is closer than it appears.
And if you’re worried about how a roster restoration can happen with so few draft picks next year, there’s really only one way to fix it.
Either the argument adds up to a conclusion worth
making or it doesn’t.
It’s not as black and white as you make it to be. You need a healthy balance of proven veteran studs and young hungry up and comers. Too many vets and you’re prone to wear and tear. Using all younglings makes for a lack of consistency and leadership.
But consistency and leadership are what we’re lacking now
No no no
You don’t get more competitive in the future by creating MORE holes you HOPE to fill. That’s not a solution.
They need to add talent not strip everything down and become an expansion team for five years. Let’s not be influence by the Earl situation. That was different. They made a clear decision not to extend him. They should only consider trading players when they come to that conclusion. But players like Bobby, Russell, others. They are clearly not there. They don’t need a fire sale.
But why not extend Earl, but extend ANY of the others?
Because Earl is getting old? Bobby and Doug and Russ are all start to getting old.
Because Earl had an injury? Yeah, how about Doug right now? Or Bobby also had some minor ones lately. Russ played it through in 2016, but with this many hits and sacks, who knows what’ll happen.
I get why they don’t extend Earl now, or a couple of weeks before. But why didn’t they extend him before the season? He still played at a really high level. And if he’s playing his game, he’s definitely the best player on the team. He’s a crybaby drama queen… but he’s not on the same page as Sherm or Kam or Bennett.
I understand… they want to go younger and some other reasons probably. But if that’s the case, then just trade at least 1-2 of these guys too. Do you think they’ll extend KJ? I highly doubt it (if yes then ETIII situation is just that much stupid). Do you guys think they’ll get anything for him? Nope.
This team don’t have the capital to extend it’s key players AND get new talented ones (either from the draft or FA).
That means mediocrity or worse for a couple of years.
I’d rather take two years of 2-14 and then like 7-9, 11-5 (PO), 12-4 (Conf championship), 14-2 and SB then 6 years of 8-8
There are quite a few reasons why they might decide against extending Earl.
Bobby, RW, KJ — when have they produced any drama?
This whole year has been about ridding some of the noise from the team. Earl has, in 12 months, publicly appealed for the Cowboys to trade for him, held out, returned, then refused to practise (even if he has a headache) and then flipped off the sideline after getting injured. And this is just what we know about.
That’s before we get into Earl contemplating retirement just 18 months ago or the fact that the one area of the team they’ve consistently been able to reload is the secondary.
Listen — nobody wants six years of 8-8. But they aren’t the only two options — mediocre or suck and gradually get better. You can turn things around pretty quickly. The Seahawks can do that too. But they need to make better decisions moving forward. A fire sale isn’t necessary.
What a complete and utter dork. 😂😂
Oakland– As he readied his game face for what he hoped would be his first NFL head-coaching in exactly 9 years and 10 months, Jon Gruden say in the coaches’ area of the home locker room at the Oakland Coliseum on Sunday Morning, scripted through his cell phone and got some decidedly disturbing news.
“Damn– Khalil Mack had ANOTHER strip sack?” Gruden asked rhetorically, shaking his head at the Oakland Raiders assistant coaches in his midst. “Are you…kidding me?”
Ahh man. That sucks to hear about Paul Allen. 😢
Totally. The best of fans.
Best wishes to Mr. Allen. I hope Karma is keeping score because he deserves some good mojo. He’s a very generous, philanthropic individual who has made significant contributions to the advancement of science, healthcare and conservation.
Yep. Heal up brother.
Hawks are at a crossroads with PCJS, worth a read…
https://www.fieldgulls.com/2018/10/1/17921494/pete-carroll-might-be-holding-the-seattle-seahawks-back
the best coach in Seattle history, but not without flaws.
I think writer of the article does not understand the reason Pete loves to run the ball, or rather, why it is important. Run the ball and keep the ball out of the other teams hands. Let’s see if he tries that against the Rams, limit the possessions that Goff and Co get, keep the game close. Of course, that doesn’t work if they go 0 for 10 on 3rd down. Even with terrible play calling, 0- for 10 is not a good look for Russell. Have to put a lot of that blame on him.
with regards to Pete, I think he was able to win by just getting a bunch of players that were just better than most other teams, USC and the Hawks. Not sure he can win with average talent, and really not sure he is good for the offense. And his defense has nowhere near the d line talent he needs to make his defense dominant.
I just don’t see a team that can compete for a championship any time soon. Maybe if Russell was elite, but he has been mediocre this year and last year he had a lot of empty stats. Really doubt he is a top 3 or top 5 qb. He can play like it at times, but them has too many stretches of “meh”. And if you pay him Rodgers money, you cannot load up on talent around him. Lots of teams with QBs on rookie contracts that can spend more everywhere else. Hawks are around 24th in Offense, by yards and points. The o line is decent this year, rbs are good, Russ should be better. Can you replace a top 3 or top 5 qb? no. But is Russ even top 10 right now?
no easy answers and John and Pete cannot make more mistakes. We just get to second guess and hope
That article is so one sided and unfounded that it is ridiculous.
1. It’s one thing to be a part of the “anti run” movement. It’s another to do it as a Seahawks fan., Since 2012 you can pretty much correlate Seahawks wins with heavy run game-plan. The SB years had 53% run plays and last year was the only true passing year.
2. Investment of resources on the defense. Well, it is no longer the case this year so things must be great.
3. 4th down strategy – Yes, PC and most NFL coaches must be idiots but I’m sure they will amend their ways now that they read this article.
4. Team building decisions – Yes, the Seahawks certainly had their share of blunders with Harvin/Graham/Sheldon/Earl etc. They also brought in Bennett, Avril, McD and even that lousy RB from Buffalo. When you do a hatchet job you need at least to pretend to balance it.
5. Pete won’t change. That is the winner. After a full article that does so little to substantiate the premise that Carroll is bad at his job, and ignores so many positives about his work, the killer argument is he won’t change his ways and therefore Paul Allen should start looking for a new HC.
Just a very very poor work.
Agreed. Horrible read. I’m actually dumber for having read it.
Passball vs Peteball?
Enough of that rubbish!
PC turned 67 two weeks ago. Bruce Arians called it a day with 65, Mike Scioscia just quit with 59.
Instead of discussing PC’s type of football (which won’t change) and if it carries us anywhere (it won’t), the real question should be, if he can execute a rebuild.
Man, finally got around to watching that trainwreck of a game after a long golf weekend. It’s becoming increaingly difficult to find the energy to watch this team.
I know this is probably a stupid line of thinking, but I’m really concerned about the team throwing a new contract at Wilson. He is not playing like a top-10 QB and the thought of making him the highest paid player in the league seems crazy to me.
This team is in full on rebuild. Wilson hasn’t shown the ability to make the players around him better. If anything, he makes them worse by holding onto the ball too long. Slap the franchise tag on him next year and see how the team does. I don’t want to see the team crippled by a monster contract for an average performing QB.
I’m not advocating for or against an extension. My hope is always the same and that is ‘to win our next championship asap’. If trading Russ helps us win another title then fine, go for it. The way our FO has been operating he will just walk for nothing in free agency (wishing that was sarcasm). Here’s what I see though regarding our team and a RW extension.
1 – It doesn’t have to be a ‘team crippling’ contract if he gets another extension. He’s not going to get a blank check but he will get hellza bank. That’s the cost of doing business with QBs. Remember that when he came into the league on the ‘cheap rookie deal’ that he was joining a stacked roster. If we lost Russ tomorrow to injury we are possibly the worst or near worst team in the league.
2 – Who exactly are we saving the money for? Who are the up & coming core players on our roster that are going to eat up $107,882,585 worth of projected 2020 cap space?
We as fans are still coming down from the ‘high’ of winning it all. It’s been a slow and steady decline for most of 4 years and now the wheels have finally come off. Quite the hangover. What I want to see at some point is a clear trend reversal. Hopefully this season is the low point.
The highest paid QB in the league is the most recently paid QB in the league.
Why do people keep forgetting/ignoring this?
All this moneyball rubbish regarding Wilson is my least favourite fan take.
He’ll get paid, because he’s a clear franchise QB, everyone will freak out and in 2 years time it’ll look like a bargain.
My hot take on Wilson. Positives: His best pass is the long ball where he has a good touch, he is showing some scrambling ability. He is a leader.
Negatives: He has a hard time throwing in the pocket or over the middle because of his height (or poor blocking). He isn’t as fast as he used to be so he is tackled more often on scrambles and q.v. option is looking slower. He hasn’t improved as a qb- and his health is slowly declining.
RW is going to make at least 25mil/year when he signs his next contract, IMO. He’s struggling thus far, and it’s hard watching the product right now. His weaknesses are the short yardage game and holding onto the ball too long, which relates to his struggles in the shortgame. He’s going to get slower as he ages, but who doesn’t? If there was ever a game were he could demonstrate that he is growing as a SUCCESSFUL quick-passer, then this upcoming LA game is it. He will not be able to hold onto the ball for more than 3 seconds without being punished; especially without TE Dissly. He and the coaching staff must recognize this, and adapt coherently, or else the offense, and, subsequently, the defense will suffer.
As I think about the Seahawks season so far and the reactions to it, I keep coming back to the power of expectations. Since late 2012, the expectations for SEA have basically been Super Bowl or bust. Even last year with an aging core, they traded for some pieces and tried to make one last run.
This year, most of us lowered our expectations and claimed to want to see some young guys step up, build a new young core, or something similar. 4 weeks into the season, the team is 2-2 and coming off back to back wins with a 100 yard rusher in each game. The defense has played better than we hoped. Some young players are showing real signs of growth.
And yet, I can’t remember another time in the PCJS era where there is so much negativity. I get it, the offense isn’t performing as well as we imagined, SEA lost the first 2 games where they could have (and maybe should have) won, etc. But why are so many people acting like this adversity is surprising? Is it because they still expect a SB caliber team every year?
SEA is winning ugly…but they’re winning. I don’t know what their final record will be, but for now I hope to keep seeing a team that fights and claws for every game. It’s not going to be easy, and it sure as hell won’t be pretty. Welcome to Seahawks football. Maybe some people forgot what this looks like.
The only things that frustrate me are the ones where they get in their own way. Winning in the NFL is supposed to be hard, and the ball (and/or refs…) can either bounce your way or not any given Sunday. But what none of us want to see are the coaches making it any harder on the team than it already is.
Making the same mistakes over and over again not only deserves, but needs criticism.
I certainly don’t expect a SB caliber team with the talent we have lost over the past year, but I do expect a minimum of competence and progress. I can see it with the defense (though without ETIII remains to be seen), but the offense keeps shooting itself in the foot. And it’s almost more frustrating because they FINALLY got the run game going after nearly 2 years, only to see the play-calling and passing game basically collapse and our franchise QB regress.
I understand this sentiment. Some of the playcalling baffles me too and I remember feeling the same way in the Bevell/Cable era. I was hoping this would change with the OC, but given some of Schotty’s past maybe that was wishful thinking. Still, it’s not too late for them to turn things around. I feel better about having to hope that the passing game improves than waiting on the running game to show up like previous seasons. This seems like a more realistic part of the offense to get straightened out, especially with Dougie Fresh back.
+1 on that sentiment.
Besides, I think the only way the current passing game can trend is up… 😉
Great comment. What was always the most interesting part of this season to me was the young guys. Not just the rookies but the guys getting their first chance to play meaningful minutes show what they got as well. You can’t help but be impressed with Mcdougald, Flowers, Shaquille, Poona, Calitro, Dissly, Carson, Mooore and Dickson. Will any of them be stars? Maybe, maybe not. Its up to them and the staff. Also enjoying the reclamation projects like Fluker Sweezy, and Kendricks.
The thing i get most negative on is the offense and the potential waste of a legit playmaking QB. The offense is predictable, unimaginative, unable to adapt and outright opposes the strengths of the best player on this offense and on this team in Russell Wilson. We can run the ball and that’s great but pass scheme and playcalling are frustrating. Russ is not completely innocent i understand but this man has really had no help besides Doug going on 4 years now.
This upcoming week is going to be a telltale regular season game. Even if they lose to the Rams but keep the game competitive – I think there will be reason for future optimism.
If they are blown out, which I hope they are not but, unfortunately, expect them to be, I think that will show how far they’ve fallen and how far they need to get back to.
Right now, there seems to be an awful lot of optimism from some for beating the Cardinals this past week.
However, if they somehow beat the Rams without Earl Thomas – I think there is going to be a lot of consumption of kool-aid with respect to the future. I’d love to eat crow with thinking they have absolutely no chance against the Rams (who have more talent and an innovative offensive mind for a head coach, nevermind Wade Phillips being one of the better defensive coordinators of the past 20+ years).
I also expect a blowout, but something deep inside also wonders if this might turn out to be like the Philly game last year. Maybe, for one game, everything will just click against a legit SB contender, even if it falls back to earth the very next week?
On the Cards game, without wanting to write off a hard-fought road win, those drops by the Cards’ WRs I think drastically covered up how poorly the Seahawks played against a rookie QB making his very first NFL start.
I agree Bobby that the odds are slim but I like our chances a whole lot better this year with an improving OL and run game than I did last year.
I am curious to see what Pete and Norton come up with to get some pressure on Goff and make him uncomfortable because if he has all day back there the Hawks young secondary has no chance against the Rams weapons.
I am praying for rain and wind 🙂
I approach this game like I have every game against the Rams. I just pray that they don’t injure any Seahawks players. Though it seems like I should have been making that prayer before the played the Cardinals the last few years.
Anyway = the Rams defensive line is clearly a good one, I just hope they don’t roll or otherwise hurt our offensive line, which is not in the best of physical condition.
My conspiracy theory…
Wilson and the offense are being deliberately held back to get fans to accept it when they don’t renew Wilson.
Carroll’s philosophy is a stingy defense + run game. A top tier QB soaking up $$$ is not in the plans. That is why the O-Line suffered for years because you had to cut $$$ somewhere to afford that Pro Bowl defense we fielded.
I’m struggling to buy into this one…
I for one think that this OL unit is gradually becoming a strength for this team. The last two weeks have been a huge improvement with Sweezy and Fluker in at G. They bring a toughness in the run game and interior that this team has sorely lacked. it is no coincidence the Hawks have had back to back 100yd runner and 3 rushing TDs in the last two weeks.
You can try to diminish the impact of the Run game all you want but Pete’s philosophy has always been tough defense and a power run game to control the clock and impose your will so that in the 4Q you can finish strong. You can like it or hate it but this is his coaching style and what he believes.
The last two weeks were perhaps two of the top 5 ugliest wins I have witnessed as a 34 yr Seahawks fans but the thing is they were exactly what Pete wanted. They ran the ball, played tough defense, created turnovers and won the game.
This week will be the true test of not only this Hawks team but Pete’s philosophy. Mcvay is in many ways the anti-Pete. He is a young offensive HC. The Rams run and innovative but simplistic in many ways offense that is predicated on stretching teams vertically and horizontally. The Rams want to play fast on offense and don’t care if they run or pass the ball they just want to find mismatches.
If the Hawks can come out and run the ball down the Rams throats it should help neutralize Donald who has killed Seattle in recent years. It will also keep the Rams offense off the field and help keep the defense fresh. The key on offense will be Russ converting on 3rd down and hitting 2-3 at a minimum explosive plays in the pass game.
On defense the Rams are going to move the ball and score points. They have too many weapons not to. The key will be Norton dialling up some pressure at the right time and the Hawks hitting Goff whenever possible to make him uncomfortable. They need to turn the ball over at least twice.
On special teams the Rams have dominated the Hawks in recent years. Dixon giving the Rams a long field whenever possible and Seabass converting all opportunities are a must.
Do I think the Hawks will win? No but I certainly think they can be more than competitive unlike last year. If they can turn the ball over and Russ can produce some magic which we have not seen so far this year an upset is not out of the question.
Either way we will see how the philosophies of two polar opposite HC (Carroll / Mcvay ) play out and it should be a ton of fun to watch.
Yeah, no. Gotta disagree Trev. With all due respect, If anyone thinks Pete wants to win going for 0/10 on 3rd down than I don’t know what to say.
I think I said if they want to win they cant go 0-10 on 3rd down.
I wrote
“The key on offense will be Russ converting on 3rd down and hitting 2-3 at a minimum explosive plays in the pass game. “
Yeah your right. You did. Guess I should read more carefully.
I don’t expect the beat down like last season, but I also think we’ll end up losing twice to the Rams this year.
Rams 37
Seahawks 21
“If the Hawks can come out and run the ball down the Rams throats it should help neutralize Donald who has killed Seattle in recent years.”
I don’t disagree with that, the Hawks need to keep their identity up.
But for sure, I think they need to play to their opponents’ weaknesses, and Peters is hobbled and Sam Shields is on the other side for Talib. The Hawks will have plenty of chances to exploit that.
I don’t have hard data to back this up, but I was shocked that the Vikings didn’t target Peters every chance they got last Thursday. When any WR with any speed lined up against him, Peters backed off 7 yards because he didn’t have his full burst. The Vikings were essentially given a free 5 yard quick out completion + YAC on a lot of plays. And you beat that pigeon until they take him out or make him play tight and slide over the top help to him, which opens up space elsewhere.
For sure they have to run well and often, but Baldwin-Lockett-Brown-Moore-Marshall will consistently have chances to be open and RW needs to find them.
Talib? He is on IR, may miss the rest of the season
that is why they went away from Peters
I don’t think the Rams have a great D, but Russ never plays well against them, so not expecting a miracle.
Hoping for one though.
I was saying Shields is on one side filling in for Talib and a hobbled Peters is on the other. My point was a counter-point to Trevor’s thought about running. There’s room to exploit this secondary.
my bad, I misread your post.
agree about their secondary, just not sure Schotty is into secondary exploitation…..
Look at this play from Chicago. So simple, yet magnificent.
Triple motion, dual QBs, just toss it to a guy with wheels. 🔥🔥🔥
https://mobile.twitter.com/TampaBayTre/status/1046929320441274368/video/1
Love it!
The funny thing about all these offenses like Philly last year, Chief, KC, Chicago this year running all the sweeps and RPO’s etc you would think the Hawks have the perfect QB for this in Russ. With guys like Lockett, Moore, Prosise running the sweeps. Weird they don’t at least try some of that to open things up a little.
hawks is leaving a unique tape with each game for the opponents to study. I am sure they will attempt more explosive plays vs rams. cardinals game is a setup..hope so
It’s maddening to see them waste him. Continue to try and out think themselves, surround him with lackluster weapons, and just lack any creativity/consistency.
Weapons are there..if not its on coaches in failing to develop. its the creativity that is missing but we can only expect so much in Pete’s simplistic football. Its on Schotty to have a feel the game after few drives and add some wrinkles.
Weapons are there? Where? Lockett and Baldwin are the same player. Am I missing someone? Tre Madden?
Wilson needs to step it up. He’s playing scared, and that’s on him. If he doesn’t have the courage to change plays at the line, then he is doing nothing more than being a “yes man.” Manning, Brady, Rodgers are considered “field generals” because they make adjustments when necessary, with or without the approval of their coaches. I just don’t currently see Seattle as Wilson’s team, because he doesn’t take command.
I can take or leave all the sweeps and gimmicks.
I just want to see better use of play action and Wilson in a comfort zone. If they can get to that, they’re rolling.
Warms my heart to see Royce Freeman as one of the more productive rookie runners.
And the funny thing, he’s not even the most productive rookie runner on his team (in terms of yards and ypc).
Almost like you can find RBs anywnhere.
NFL has suspended Kendricks indefinitely per Garafolo.
This marks the end of an era for me. It seemed like the Seahawks could do no wrong in the first years of Carroll and Schneider. The past two years have been exactly the opposite. Almost nothing has worked out for the Seahawks since the 2017 draft: The Malik McDowell pick; the Fant injury; Carson’s injury last year; the trade for Sheldon Richardson that left them without a second round pick this past year; the trade for Duane Brown that left them without a 2019 second round pick; the injuries to Cliff Avril, Kam Chancellor and Richard Sherman that left them nothing; the Dissly injury; and now the Earl Thomas injury. The magic seems totally gone from the Seahawks now. I hate to say it, but I really have reached the point where I think the smartest thing the Seahawks could do now is try to trade Russell Wilson for future draft picks to rebuild a whole new team. I just don’t see any way the Seahawks can put together a contender in less than three years now, so Wilson would probably be better off now with a competitive team while he is still in his prime, and the Seahawks would be better off with the draft stock to start rebuilding.
But…
1. Can they realistically expect to get proper value for Wilson given his age and pending huge contract request?
2. Is the best way to ‘rebuild’ really to put yourself in the position of trying to find a new franchise quarterback, having already given one up?
3. Even if a team gives you three decent picks for Wilson, they’re unlikely to all be in the next two years. So is everyone prepared to plough through 2-5 years of crap to maybe come out the other side?
To me it just doesn’t make sense to trade Wilson without a logical backup plan already being in place. You’re just ensuring years of QB scouting and searching.
I don’t have any interest what-so-ever of continuing conversations of firing PC, firing JS, trading RW, etc. we are enough of a hole already, no need to dig it so deep we can’t find a way out excel for “tanking”, which is another option I see proposed that I refuse to entertain. The Hawks are not a tanking organization and I’m not a tanking fan.
Go Hawks
I do want to say thank you to those of you that continue to paint a picture of hope that is not made of rainbows and unicorns, but of some factual information. Even if it may be overly optimistic, I’d rather have that than gloom and doom and the negativity that drives fire and trade everyone and let’s start over.
However, on a positive/sarcastic note, if the Hawks do go down that road, Hue Jackson could be available soon and may be an excellent Head Coaching prospect. :/. LOL
Coaches drive the NFL. Always have, always will. Nowadays ecspecially, you better have someone that’s clever and understands where the game is going.
I’m not buying into all this ‘where the game is going’ stuff. It’s easy to forget that Tom Coughlin won two Super Bowls not that long ago and is now overseeing the Jaguars as they become a top tier team. Is he down with the kids?
Denver literally won a Super Bowl three years ago with a statue at QB incapable of throwing a pass 15 yards — but they ran the ball, played great defense and special teams and won a title with Gary Kubiak.
The team they played in the Bowl? Carolina. With Ron Rivera and a team whose mantra was ‘keep pounding’ — playing a tough, physical, run down your throat and play great defense style.
And every year Bill Belichick and Tom Brady manage to be competitive without re-inventing the wheel. They’ve done what they do for a long time.
Also easy to forget how crap the Rams and Chiefs looked in the post-season last year. Looking great in weeks 1-4 is fine and dandy. It’s funny how often the more maligned physical style makes the difference in the playoffs.
This had nothing to do with PC, and everything to do with Schottenheimer. I have no issues with PC’s philiosophy. We both know defenses travel and will win you a lot of games, and with defenders getting bigger, faster, smarter it’s why I referred to ‘where the game is going.’ Make them worry. I’m not saying they have to invent something never seen before. But a little juice would be nice.
Coughlin went and got a guy in Marrone who embraces analytics and is pretty flexible.
Carolina played to Cam’s strengths with the triple option
Kubiak is a perfect example. His offense is never completely in the hands of the QB. His system is/was very QB friendly.
Bad news about Kendrycks although we knew it was coming.
Potential good news re TJ Green. Even though he hasn’t graded out well in the last 2 seasons with the Colts he hasn’t had the DB coaching he will get from Carroll.
If PC was able to squeeze some juice out of Mcdougald and Coleman then let’s hope he is thirsty enough for another glass with Green!
Really excited for the Rams game on Sunday. It will be a proper test to see where we really are at. Will it be like Philly last year? Or will it be like the 42-7 beat down? Or somewhere in between?
Who knows?!!!!
GO HAWKS!
I suspect it will be in between. An extremely comfortable LA win but not a shellacking. Hoping SEA somehow pulls it out. But the Rams have so many weapons on offense.
Couple things I’m wondering today.
Earl and Diss on IR today, Kendricks suspended indefinitely but no corresponding moves announced. Maurice Alexander and TJ Green tweeted things that seemingly indicate they’ve been signed by SEA. Alexander played some OLB along with SS during camp, so I could see him coming in as depth for both positions. Green is likely a developmental project. Not sure if that’s on the active roster or PS. I imagine Darrell Daniels (or possibly Marcus Lucas) will be brought up from the PS unless there’s another TE out there that they want.
On a related note, I wonder if the 3 safety sets in Dime will continue now that Earl is out? They were putting Earl, McDougald, and Thompson out there all at the same time. Maybe that’s why Alexander was brought back. He could play a hybrid LB/SS role (big Nickel) and they could keep the 3 safety sets.
I honestly don’t get all the doom and gloom. Losing Earl is HUGE, but we were prepared to play without him before the season started. Let’s see what T2 can do. If wright comes back soon the Kendrick’s injury isn’t a huge blow. You all realize we just won a road game against a division rival and this is the reaction. These ugly wins aren’t new, especially on the road. The Cardinals have good players on their roster and they were desperate for a win, this wasn’t some JV team. Some people are the biggest negative Nancy’s and yet their expectations are still through the roof.
We are finally running the ball again. Our big uglys are playing well up front. The defense has been surprisingly good considering all the young guys and turnover. It seems like our greatest weakness has been qb play (drops and guys not getting open doesn’t help), luckily our qb is the best player on the team and we know he is at least capable of playing at an MVP level (as recently as last season). Russ is learning a new system for the first time in his career, give him a little time to get adjusted, hopefully there isn’t something physically wrong with the guy. . Remember Matt Ryan’s first year with Kyle Shannohan? It can take some time. I’m stoked on the OL (fluker has been a game changer) run game and young overperforming defense. Only a matter of time before Wilson starts balling.
Appreciate the optimism, but I take little solace from the win against a terrible Arizona team. Especially given the way they played, which was poor IMO. I fear for this upcoming game. Big time. Hope the fear is unfounded but I can’t remember a time in the Wilson era that I was less confident about a game, especially at home.
Just don’t be surprised if the running game gets shut down. LA Rams have an elite defensive line. I’m just praying we don’t suffer any injuries on the offensive line.
Their weakness is in the secondary.
The Rams are a far better pass rushing unit than run defense. I actually think they should be able to continue their commitment to the run on Sunday. I just think the problems will occur if/when the Rams light up Seattle’s defense and suddenly they need to keep up in the box score. Hard to stay committed to the run when you’re down 14 in the first half.
I wonder if the Carroll magic will work on TJ Green? I really hope he can make a pro out of the guy. We need a break with some of these add ons because we are low on draft picks. If we can get Green to pop that would be a huge bonus! Also, whats up with Naz Jones? He was looking so promising last year. We need him to take the next step in a big way.
I wish I knew what is going on with Jones. Maybe it’s health related, he looks thinner to me this year. Poona Ford might move ahead of him on the depth chart.
Pete puts people in the dog house for some strange reasons some times. For Naz, I’d say it has something to do with discipline in the run game. He does flash enough that you have to wonder why he isn’t at least in on 3rd down. Could possibly be health related. Poona is awesome.
Thoughts on Gardner Minshew from WSU? Saw a replay of their game vs USC on. Kept thinking to myself that he is accurate, strong armed and got some wiggle to escape. He is playing pretty lights out and making some big plays at crucial times. Senior guy with not a lot of tape though. He seems to be playing to at least Luke Falk like levels and i know he got some love on here last year.
Extremely fun to watch but not holding out any hope for the next level. I believe he was going into a coaching career until the opportunity at WSU came up. But life is more fun when Mike Leach has a good QB so they’ll be a fun team to watch this year.
According to Skip Bayless, who’d been following negotiations closely and lobbying Jerry Jones hard to go get Earl, Jones met Seattle’s demand for a 2nd two weeks ago but Seattle upped the ante to a 1st. That pissed Jones off and he refused to have anything more to say to them. That’s why they were about to deal Earl to KC and probably would have if he didn’t get injured, where they had lowered their ask to a 2nd round pick again.
Hindsight is always 20/20 but they should have taken a 2nd two weeks ago while they had that opportunity. They got too greedy thinking they could ransom a 1st out of Jones for Earl.
Don’t think it was greed. JS is a fairly straight GM/negotiator and Dallas messed him around this year. Very easy to believe he was happier to deal with KC for a 2nd, rather than Dallas (unless they were offering a 1st). Integrity has some value, even in the NFL.
Is Jon Gruden stupid or something?
https://mobile.twitter.com/Sam4TR/status/1047565467492073472/photo/1
I couldn’t disagree with you more. Our defense is going to be one of our best yet, with or without ET, and our offense has all the tools needed to be our best offense yet. Our offense may even live up to the talent on the team, but if not, it won’t be our drafts’ fault, it will be our coaches fault.
If we still had Bevel we would be 4-0 this year. Just my opinion, of course….
I’m not sure what you’re disagreeing with Stephen.