At half time you could be forgiven for questioning whether the Seahawks were a spent force.
By the end of the game you could be forgiven for thinking this is the start of Seattle’s march back into contention.
And just as a sense of satisfaction was settling in (at last, four weeks in) Chris Carson suffered a serious looking leg injury to take the gloss off the moment.
There’s no hiding the fact that this is the fourth game continuing a worrying trend. Seattle’s offense, for some reason, requires adversity to kick into action.
This time adversity equated to a 15-10 deficit against a struggling Colts team fielding a recently acquired backup quarterback and a third string center.
The response? A 36-3 second half, with Indianapolis’ three measly points coming after a Russell Wilson interception.
Suddenly Wilson was turning back the clock to 2012. The offense was explosive, balanced and exciting. The offensive line delivered a half of punishing competency and everything seemed right with the world until Carson’s setback.
The defense also took a step forward. A frustrating first two quarters was followed up by a second half where Indianapolis managed only three first downs and 32 total yards.
If a kick up the arse was delivered at half time — it might be an idea to take aim before the Rams game even starts next week.
That second half has to be the launch pad going forward — and we’ll learn a lot about this team in the next two games. Can they take that performance on the road against two very different opponents? One that is emerging and blossoming, another that is desperate?
They’ll seemingly have to do it without Carson, which is a mighty blow. Although he was very much part of a committee again in this game, there was no doubting who Seattle’s key running back is. A trio of disappointments so far — Eddie Lacy, Thomas Rawls and C.J. Prosise — need to step up to the plate in the way J.D. McKissic did this evening. We could also see Mike Davis called up from the practise squad.
McKissic showed why Pete Carroll and the team appear to be so enamoured with him (and why they kept him on the roster). He clearly needs some fine tuning still — but this was an explosive example of what he can do. His rushing touchdown defined ‘sudden’ and his spectacular receiving score emphasised his playmaking quality. It’ll be interesting to see if they can develop him into a regular feature on the offense. It felt like the inside run they had him do towards the end was a set-up to let future opponents know they’re willing to do it.
Carroll will no doubt love that McKissic, Marcus Smith and Justin Coleman had crucial plays in the game — three unexpected stars. Smith managed 1.5 sacks including a sack/fumble that led to Marshawn Bobby Wagner’s touchdown. Coleman had the pick-six early in the game — Seattle’s first for nearly three years.
There’s still plenty to work on of course but at least there will be some cause for optimism going into the Rams game. Imagine what this week would’ve been like without that second half turnaround?
Los Angeles are the perfect opponents next for the simple reason that it’s a great gauge on whether the way this game ended was the start of something or a red herring against an inferior opponent.
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I’m giving a game ball to…… the GM.
The team had multiple injuries at RB, CB and specifically DL during the game…. and had adequate replacements. Everyone wondered why they stacked RB depth in the offseason, now it is about to pay off. I thought Lacy ran with purpose and had some nice runs in the second half. In the past, if Avril went out, they would have a poor pass rush, but they were able to plug and play Clark and Smith into his spot and they got some nice pressures.
The whole team appeared to flip “on” the switch coming into the second half…. hope this is an omen of things to come. The Rams game will be a very tough one to win….. but there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Great summation of the game and situation going into the Tams game.
They play of Coleman, Smith in particular where huge IMO, The secondary with Griffin opposite Dherm and Coleman as the nickel in the slot looks good IMO even when Lane returns from injury. If they can add Smith on the outside with Clark, April and Bennet they might have a legit 4 man rotation of outside pass rushers.
Griffin looks sharper than I remember either Thurmond or Maxwell being 4 games into their tenures. The TD he gave up to Moncrief was a tough one; his coverage was tight and he was in a position to make the play even if he couldn’t quite turn it. But he’s sticky in coverage — tight and physical.
Additionally, Sherm remains the best run defending corner in the League. Some really nice run defense by the backfield tonight. Kam had his best game of the season. The entire LOB played very well, all without Lane.
I haven’t seen anything from Griffin I haven’t liked. Not a thing. He gave up 68 yards and a TD. Big deal. Its a learning lesson for him.
He sits next to PC and Sherm in defensive meetings for a reason.
He’s starting to get his head around. I was actually more impressed with him today than I have been these last few weeks, despite the slips.
Agree with all the comments here about Griffin. He had good coverage on Moncrief and that was just a great throw and catch that I think would have beaten most other CBs as well. If he keeps developing like he has been, we may have another defensive star on our hands!
Griffin continues to impress me. I know people will talk about the TD, but its not like Sherm hasn’t surrendered a TD in his career. I like the fact that they always show Griffin so even keel on the sidelines. It appears to me he just soaks the game up
I want to go back and watch, but it sure seemed like something changed with the blocking scheme in the second half. It also seemed like wilson wasn’t taking as many huge drop backs.
I thought the same thing.
The announcers mentioned when Lacy was in they scrapped the zonw blocking and went power.
Didn’t they do this last year (or year before) during a few stints and it paid instant dividends?
I have no idea why we are still running a ZBS. With the banning of chop blocks, the ZBS seems outdated and ineffectual. We always look better running the ball with a power look.
Yep, then they went back to failing at ZBS. But Cable is the Best…
That last was meant as a reply to Trvor but my phone is wonky…
Did the Hawks seem to switch from zone blocking to power man when Lacy came in during the 4Q?
Wondered the same thing.
When Lacey came in, I didn’t see any power (gap scheme with pulling guard) but did see them go to the iso play (at least the run that the broadcast highlighted)
The injuries to two important young guys Fant and Carson is the really crappy and unpredictable part of the NFL. Hope both guys recover quickly.
Sucks about Carson big time. He was getting a heavy workload for a 7th rounder.
Why was he out there anyways?
That’s a fair question. Why weren’t they working Lacy more?
Good question Vol. Pete never really takes the foot off when they are rolling.
Plus, if Carson is your #1 RB and he was/is then you’d expect him to pound the ball to ice the game.
He only had 12 carries. But I was also wondering before it happened why they hadn’t started subbing in all their backups…
Hey look at that. A slash and dash RB can work in this offense. Huh.
But to a larger more important point. This offense is tailor made with their personnel for college concepts. Spreading the ball around, jet/fly sweeps to Lockett, bootleg/rollout PA passing, 3-4 different RBs, young athletic O-lineman.
Hopefully they realized this tonight.
Also nice that they stood Clark up and rushed him outta a 2 point stance a couple times. Its where sacks are coming from in the college game and the pros.
That was sick. He’s so explosive. Can absolutely see how he was a top-10 talent coming out.
Never understood why PC hasn’t done it more with him. Its taking Sheldon f***ing Richardson how many games now and he still don’t look comfortable in this scheme? It’ll come, but imagine how tough it is for rookies. Its one reason they rely on vets like Bennett and Avril.
Take advantage of athleticism and raw power.
Sheldon’s not there yet, but you can see the potential. Great motor.
Reed had himself a nice night. That’s heartening. Also, Jones continues to make plays.
Jones is winning on athleticism and length. There’s no technique there yet.
The whole scheme is deceptively simple hey? They don’t give their guys difficult assignments per se, but the assignments they give have to be executed almost flawlessly. Thought Reed had his best game of the year by a mile tonight, which was encouraging.
I think they’re trying things out at the moment. Kevin Clark over at The Ringer has been saying teams are treating September like an extended pre-season. It matters, sure, but it’s the time they have to play around and work some stuff out before football gets serious. You don’t want to be 0-4 like the Giants, but I’ll take 2-2 if we’ve turned the corner.
Bingo. It’s assignment sound. We saw it last week. One guy, one, is out of position or makes the wrong read, the thread will unravel.
Yep, no room for freelancing. Why we always see guys who flash in the pre-season get cut. Might be making splash plays, but they’re not doing what they’re told.
PC needs top shelf athletes on his D because you can beat them if you get a hat on a hat and get a push. It’s much harder to do that as you know when you can’t contain athleticism.
I had heard a few days ago (I think on radio) that the players on the edges of DL had the option to have their hand on the ground or stand up. They were specifically mentioning Mike B….. but I’m sure Clark has some latitude when rushing the passer.
He got a sack like that in pre-season. Agree completely using him that way has to be in the game plan more. He really is a freak athlete.
They used McKissic well tonight. Schematically, it looked like the role they hoped Percy would play.
Losing Carson is a kick to the crotch. Hoping it’s not serious long term, but it sure looks like he’s done for the year. But that’s why they signed Lacy.
He’s done bruh. Russ pulled him outta that pile because he heard a bone break.
Looked like a broken leg to me, and then the air cast pretty much confirmed it. Think he’s done for the year.
Looks like a sprain
According to my fantasy updates:
“On one hand, it seems Carson avoided any structural damage to his knee. On the other, the rookie is likely still looking at a multi-week absence, at minimum. We’ll know more information once he goes in for an MRI on Monday morning.”
Which is looking better than what I first feared
I’ll be honest, I didn’t really see anything special during preseason that made me want him on the roster outside of a hedge for Prosise/Lockett. He didn’t look explosive to me on his KR duties.
I’m happy to say that I was wrong. He looked electric tonight and was moving at a different speed than the defenders. He’s not a big guy, but if he’s got a little Tarik Cohen or Tyreek Hill in him then let’s use it.
Also, the defense, esp. Sherman, rallies around him. Have needed that bridge since Lynch left.
I would not mind seeing mckissic returning punts . Lockett looks a little tentative back there.
Really need desperate Russ to show up at the beginning of the Rams game. These slow starts are not helping.
I don’t see this game as anything, yet. Not a turning point unless and until they actually turn it around for a month or more. But at least there’s hope.
Carson’s injury was horrific. I’ve seen many bad ones, from Thiesmann to the Lions OL guy, and this one was awful. Just gross! I’m so sad for that kid…
Agreed. Not a turning point by any means but a great confidence booster heading into LA next week. Only problem is next week that d line includes Quinn and Donald, which is gonna be another yearly nightmare for our o line. Already chalked this one up as a loss before the season began, and I still think it will be.
That’ll be tough to come back from. If he ever does.
Thats what Im afraid of Vol.
And now Odhiambo is out for ages with a likely bruise on his heart. WTF?! No way we do anything but get beat down vs the Rams this week now…
Seattle headed to 5-11 at best this year, and a real Crossroads for Carrol. This is 1985 all over again…
I remain skeptical. Against a better team, there might not have been an opportunity to turn things around at halftime. That first half malaise is a bad habit that is unacceptable.
The Colts are not a great team. Brissett is an average and inexperienced QB.
I don’t disagree, but at least it seems like something they could potentially build on. Tough test next week. if they can pick up where they left off, without the horrendous start, that would be a great thing.
They finally realised that they must move the pocket for these oliners and help Russ. They don’t have to cut the field in half but play action hard and moving the pocket on set pass plays seemed to slow down the defense of the Colts mightily in the 3rd quarter.
I also think the quick set passes to tight ends or rbs after chipping the edge is working. Hats off to the coaches for making adjustment during the game that wasn’t going hurry up. I still think that when this offense works best it’s with Russ running the qb option with run and pass options creating 3 way goes and really make the defenses play perfect games to stop them.
Definitely a fan of the better way they lined up and played man vs the normal cover 3 zone the defense played tonight. Great job mixing it up and it helped by time the d tonight got to the 2nd half and like Rob said let’s hope this is the sign that they are getting it together for a run.
I’ve followed PC since his NE days as HC. Read everything on him, books, articles, whatever.
Its not a great like for like comp, but what happened when his tenure at USC came crashing down? Awful decisions at his coordinator possessions. He’s always relied on how talented he himself is. So when it’s great it’s amazing. When it’s bad, he thinks it’ll be alright.
*positions
Watching Rams today I was struck by how much better they’re being coached. Plays designed to make the most of their talent, solid execution.
They’re for real. Don’t know how they’ll fare long term, or postseason if they make it. But they have some serious talent at some key positions and they are well coached. Kinda pisses me off about Fisher. What a waste.
I do think they’re much improved and on the way up, but not sold on them just yet. I wanna see them against a physical, sideline to sideline D first.
It’ll be a good matchup next week and a tight, low scoring ball game.
I think we put a few up on the Rams this time, and our D makes a statement against the highest scoring team (although they have only put up points on the 49ers, Colts and Cowboys….let’s see how they fare against an elite D). We hold firm and we get enough juice out of the O to win.
I don’t think Richard or Bevell, or even Cable, are awful decisions – but I’m also not sold on them being great. Richard is a clear step down from Quinn, we’ve got two and a quarters seasons worth of data now and it’s pretty obvious. Is he an above average coordinator? Probably? Maybe?
Bevell and Cable, I always wonder about how much blame to assign to them – given what we know Carroll wants them to produce. And they have consistently delivered incredibly efficient offences, top 10 by DVOA more often than not.
I do worry that a bit of nepotism is creeping in to the program though. This program has always had a very Maoist continous revolution streak to it, might be time to expand that to the coaching staff.
Yeah, that’s why I said it’s not a great like for like comparison. But he’ll hire from within because he thinks he can just keep plugging them in so to speak. Its the blowback to his confidence.
His D’s have always been insanely talented and he’ll replace someone with a guy that lacks experience and is inferior to his D.
If he’s not careful, as the captain, he’ll sink this ship and go down with it.
To be fair didn’t Quinn have a much younger, deeper, ascendant defense to work with?
Hahaha +1 for “Maoist continuous revolution streak”
What’s happening with Odhiambo? Don’t sound good for him either.
I heard he is in the hospital due to issues breathing.
Yeah I heard he was laying in the locker room with coaches and teammates surrounding him.
Took a hit to the chest. Sounds like a helluva hit.
Could be chest injury that forced Tobin into the lead role at LT. Doesn’t really matter if it’s Tobin or Odhiambo next week tbh, Quinn is gonna have a field day, as will Donald.
He got rocked by a cheap shot from behind (head/back).. and was a bit woozy… then later he played, but had trouble catching his breath according to some reports. He continued playing thinking it was fatigue, but when he got in the locker-room, collapsed more or less. Scary stuff.
The shot I’m referring to was by #93 Sheard from behind late in the 3rd quarter (I think).
Indeed. I really hope that he is OK. That was a cheap shot and the referees didn’t even throw the flag. I thought that there were a number of bad calls against the Seahawks once again. Odhiambo really showed some toughness to come back and play, hopefully he has recovered and is doing fine now.
I have never heard of a bruised heart, but that’s what they called it.
I’m hearing the injury news on Chris might not be as bad as we all thought…
Heard it might be a “significant” sprain with no broken bones. This info is coming from Twitter. Keep your fingers crossed and PRAY.
Really?
That’s hugely encouraging. Hopefully the reports are right for his sake.
🙏
Sherman also said the injury might not be as bad as some thought in his post-game interview.
Bad sprain could mean ligament damage. Which could be anywhere from 6-weeks to 4-6 months. But no broken bones. Once again, this info is coming from Twitter.
Watching the play… and watching the foot go multiple directions…. it didn’t look good.
Short term IR could be a viable option if things work out.
Well, I’m guessing it’s significant enough he’ll be out enough for injury designed to return, and maybe it’ll be a high ankle sprain and they’ll be lucky in 4-6 weeks. I think the fear was he could’ve had a broken ankle, ACL/MCL tears, and perhaps a broken leg as well, on the blows that bent him backwards afterward. Clayton said he had no boot on in the locker room.
For Sherman to say it’s better than he thought I would assume he saw Carson walking in the locker room. His knee is fine from everything I’ve HEARD. He didn’t break his leg either according to Pete. Everything I’ve heard is based on his ankle. And for him to not have a boot on HAS to be a positive sign in terms of damage. Because if not they would definitely have him in a boot to help with swelling/bruising for surgery.
PRAY.
They initially thought he broke his ankle and the x-ray came back negative. He does have a break to the leg below the knee. It was not a compound. He was placed on the IR today, but from what I read earlier, they did not rule his season to be over.
What’s the theory on Shaq Griffin’s decision on the big Brissett run? Did he lose track of where he was on the field and thought Brissett could still pass (maybe it was near the 1st down marker and he thought it was LOS), did he lose his mind and see Brissett pointing his way and turned himself into a blocker forgetting what team he was on, or a business decision against a huge QB?
BTW, I didn’t think Griffin played that bad of a game. He didn’t allow YAC and he had pretty tight coverage, including the TD to Moncrief, he just couldn’t rip it away with the arm.
He might have thought the QB was going to run up the sideline and was trying to turn him back inside…..
and I thought they tried to pick on Griffin and he held up by forcing some very tight window passes.
He was saving a TD, there. He sealed the sideline, kept himself away from the blocker. Smarter play than ppl think. Showed discipline.
Don’t care that it was the Colts.
This game was special. That 1st half was the last straw. The defense was struggling -I think from despair that no relief was coming from the offense. This could have been bad. Wilson’s touch down run will mark a turning point for the season. If you weren’t there it may be impossible to see the way the defense as well as the rest of the team responded. It changed everything. It provided hope and the team fell in with him. We finally saw what this team could do. Ride or die with these guys. Burn the ships, it’s time to conquer.
A few thoughts.
1. Fantastic win. Seattle needed to get back to the run game; they earned 194 yards on the ground. Seattle’s defense needed to get back to it’s DNA; it converted two turn overs into touchdowns, surrendered only 255 yards, and sacked Brissett 3 times and harassed him routinely. This is Seahawks football 101.
2. The loss of Chris Carson is a big time punch to the cut, but bravo to the coaching staff to get more create with Tyler Lockett, JD McKissic, and adjusting out of the ZBS to power blocking for Eddie Lacy who quietly lead the team in rushing yards, and the 4th quarter, none the less. This is two home games in a row that they put teams away using the power run game. Let’s give them credit.
3. Russell Wilson has been taking a lot of heat lately, but he was a BOSS tonight. That TD run was special, and his second half throws were on fire. I’ve said it before and I will say it again, the notion being floated about that Seattle could be looking to replace him is total lunacy. I don’t see regression at all. I see him struggling at times to build trust, but I think he’s going to start catching fire.
4. Let the JD McKissic era begin. I don’t care how he’s used, get him on the field more often.
5. Solid defensive play. Marcus Smith, and Justin Coleman showed that they belong. Michael Wilhoite had a solid bounce back effort, and Bobby was a beast. Naz Jones continues to impress, and Jarran Reed did some solid stuff inside. Sheldon Richardson will get sacks, but right now, he might be there best DT against the run, and on third down, he continues to provide 1v1s for other players., and he makes others around him better.
6. I love everything about Shaquille Griffin.
7. Love the ways the OL controlled things in the second half, but the postgame locker room collapse of Rees Odhiambo is pretty scary. I hope he is okay.
8. I can see Seattle loose next week to the Rams, end up 2-3 at the bye week, and still win the division. That said, I also can see Seattle going down the La La Land and beat the Rams next week, and loose the division. Point is; there is still a bunch of football left to be played, so enjoy the ebbs and flows of the season.
9. Jimmy Graham has quietly strung together two decent bounce back games. I’m still unsure how much of a fit to the offense he is. IMO, it was interesting that he was the target on the two INTs thrown by Wilson; the first pass not the best throw but the second one bounced off his hands in the seam. For a QB who doesn’t like to risk throws in tight coverage, I’m not sure how much this helps their chemistry.
10. Mock Draft Colts Edition.
21: R1P21
OT TREY ADAMS
WASHINGTON
Seattle needs help at LT.
R2 SHELDON RICHARDSON
Seattle likely looks to extend
85: R3P21
RB RASHAAD PENNY
SAN DIEGO STATE
The injury to Carson sucks donkey donuts. Might Seattle go RB with the first pick?
123: R4P21
CB KEVIN TOLIVER
LSU
Seattle looks for another mid round lengthy outside corner.
160: R5P22
DL RASHEEM GREEN
USC
Hard to resist another long Dliner who can play inside/out, and a hedge for McDowell coming bak from serious head injuries.
168: R5P30
WR CODY THOMPSON
TOLEDO
No E going into a contract year. P Rich set to be a FA. Seattle might look to go WR even earlier.
242: R7P20
TE RYAN YURACHEK
MARSHALL
Iffy Jimmy Graham resigns, IMO. They could resign Luuuuuuke and look at the draft.
243: R7P21
QB MATT LINEHAN
IDAHO
Seattle drafts a QB in the Year of the QB.
247: R7P25
DL B.J. HILL
NORTH CAROLINA STATE
BJ Hill adds depth at the 1 tech.
Oh I got a hunch they’re looking at RBs more than any other position sans the O-line.
Me too.
What we saw from RW in the 2nd half is the amazing QB he is when protected adequately. He don’t need immaculate protection. Just OK to good. When he isn’t his mechanics regress. As would any QBs. We literally just saw it 2 years ago with Matt Ryan.
It was vintage Russ tonight. 26-28 att is right where you want him. He had a chip on his shoulder tonight and I’m here for it man.
Your right. There ain’t a QB out there that would thrive like he can. Its not a bad idea to add some insurance, but a QB in rounds 1 or 2?
I agree they need OL talent but with our OL being so young I hope they add some vet free agents instead of more early picks unless Nelson is on the board still or the OT from W Mich falls to round #3.
I could see them going RB, DT, QB, LB with the first 4 picks depending on who is available. This RB class is really really good.
One of my favorite things I saw came from that post game interview where RW admitted that he got a little antsy and ran into a few sacks. He settled down in the pocket in the 2nd half and started throwing rockets.
Like you said, he had a chip on his shoulder tonight and played with a lot of fire. It was awesome to see him let his emotions out a bit. Sometimes I think he could stand to do that more since it seems to really get the rest of the team fired up too. It’s good to be even-keeled and stoic most of the time, but a little emotion here and there doesn’t hurt. The guys on D seemed to love it.
Me too. It was almost like you could feel with that TD run, he was like “alright, enough is enough.”
No way we lose the division.
The Rams may have started well but they won’t sustain it. Plus, let’s see what thet are made of when they drop 2 or 3 on the spin. The Cards won’t win it largely due to the lack of DJ; and the 49ers…well, they are the 49ers.
Next week will be a good game though and I agree we may well lose – but I think our D holds firm and we get enough juice out of the O to get the win. Let’s not forget the Rams have put 40 on the 49ers and Colts…..and I don’t think the Dallas D was particularly highly rated coming into the season. Yeah the Rams will play us tough no doubt. But Wilson playing with a chip on his shoulder coupled with the D holding firm gives us the W.
Was it just me or was luke wiilson blocking like a boss tonight?
+1
He will be the TE we sign this off season. The other players seem to love him too.
I’ve always loved him. Thought he was always underrated and was so glad that we brought him back this season
He’s got such a great personality too if you ever catch his radio interviews. I saw they did the Techno Rave TD celebration again!
That’s what I’m thinking.
I love when Russ is a runner not a scrambler. He has proven he is smart avoiding big hits. Wish they would go back to designing more runs for him to keep edge rushers in contain mode instead of attacking.
That TD run and dive was Madden like!
I think that run is really what energized the team. He put his body on the line to get that TD and I honestly don’t remember a lot of times when he gets that fired up. Usually he’s the stoic, robotic QB we’re used to…but after that run, he showed a ton of emotion. The D guys on the sideline ate it up too.
Huge turning point. Right or wrong, this team’s culture demands physicality/sacrifice from all positions. RW’s run jacked everyone up, esp. the defense.
Nice to see Darboh getting more snaps. He looks like a thick powerful guy. Love to see him get some bubble screen or short crossing route touches to see how he runs after the catch. He is built kind of like Montgomery in GB with a little more length. He could end up being a solid add when he learns to run routes.
My initial thought was “We finally have a big-body WR that can run those quick slants”. He’s got a wide frame to box out defenders. I’d like to see more of him.
Praying for Carson. Let’s hope he’s back for end of season. Extremely worried about Rees. Saw the hit saw him struggle to get up and surprised to see him go back into game.
love they gave us more 2 tight ends and Luke!! vanette and he can block … so happy we using the talent we have better. Luke has been with Russ long time and finds a way to sneak open/ improvise/ make things happen. Gotta love his TD on Canada Day!
Griffin is 4th musketeers 4 sure!! He is special talent with work ethic and humility. Knows he’s got lots to learn and savvy enough to soak everything he can from and Pete
Oct 01 is Canada Day? In what country?
we always use July 01, can’t believe 35 million people get it wrong every year!
Lol maybe they have a Canada at C-Link or something.
I think that is when the Blue Jays play the Mariners
Was Canada day at century link last night. Had a special video from Ryan etc. I think maybe we were trying to welcome the Canadian fans as hawks have a good following. North of border
ok, now it makes sense.
Soak up knowledge from Sherman and PC
Was at the game and my biggest takeaway was the atmosphere. It hasn’t been that loud since 2013. Maybe the wine and cheesers are selling their tickets? Great offensive performance against an underrated defense, which the defense fed off of. Shout out to Marcus Smith who might just be our missing 4th edge rusher.
‘Wine and cheeses.’ LOL
Mos def need to bring the Bremerton, Federal Way and Puyallup back to the CLink.
Like Public Enemy, the 12s need to ‘Bring The Noise.’
Was it my imagination or did Lacy look like his speed doubled after Carson went down? Maybe it was just the first time he saw a hole open up on the line and the surprise thrill of it kicked his adrenaline up.
He was also running down hill, rather than outside zones where he’s more lateral
Lacy hasn’t exactly been given a chance yet.
Chris broke his ankle.:(
That might not be the worst news to be honest.
Everyone is different but I broke my ankle badly when I was 16 (double bone and ligament fracture). Was playing soccer again seven weeks later. When I was 20 I sprained my ankle and didn’t play for a year, needed crutches for two months and was hobbling around for a long time after.
If all he has is a broken ankle, that is amazing, it looked to me like his knee got shredded as well.
So seeing sideline views of Pete Carroll, even after we were up big, he seemed genuinely pissed off. He did not seem like his happy smiling self when the Hawks are winning. I’m curious as to why that would be, as he seemed that way even before Carson’s injury.
I thought he looked positively gutted after the Carson injury — but before that his body language to me suggested ‘determined’.
A thought on Cliff Avril and Frank Clark. With Avril getting up there in age, and so far this year he doesn’t look as effective as he’s been, compared to Frank Clark he looks just as good as ever.
Why not start Frank and have Avril rotate in? Keep Avril fresher throughout the year.
With Avril’s injury that might end up happening anyways. I agree, Clark is a monster.
On that last pressure in the 4th quarter when he looped inside, he looked like a linebacker he was so fast.
Good win against a crappy team. As Rob said, hope it gets everyone fired up. The Griff is legit. Coleman stepped up. Those 2 could be the starting CB next yearThe Mik will replace Prosise. Naz can take snaps from MB. Lane/Sherman/Graham/Joeckel/Lacy/Prosise all more than likely gone.
2018 draft needs:
RB
OT
WR
Resign Wilson/Richardson
Why Prosise? He is still under a cheap rookie deal and we have control. He shows too much to let go that early. Despite his injury woes. Nope….the Sise is better than the Mik.
I know this is a football blog, but 1st and foremost blogs are about human beings as fans coming together for something we enjoy and share a passion for.
So as a compassionate being, my heart goes out to those in Las Vegas. 58 dead and 500 injured is gut wrenching. Prayers go up for those that lost a loved one or can’t find a loved one. 😢😢😢
🙏🙏🙏
Prayers going out to victims in Las Vegas and all those who are without power, water, food or shelter from the storms. Unfortunately each one of these events seems like it will occur over and over again. And it is hard for those who are unaffected to understand the loss and grief that follows.
I appreciate the words. I live in Las Vegas and have ties to Law Enforcement here. Being a 13 year combat military vet, I didn’t protect freedoms for people to due crazy stuff like this…
Amen.
I guess this is the new reality. I make as much sense of this as I did Oklahoma City or 911. WTF is this world coming to?!
And Seattle still trying to do calculus when getting the ball to Graham in the Red Zone, when its 1+1=2 lol!
If Carson is your main guy, is it just me or does any one else think it was a major blunder to keep him in there with about a half a quarter to go and a big lead ?
nah, you can’t play scared and the rookie needs/needed the reps. Lead running backs finish out games.
Injuries happen. It’s part of the game.
I love the three new players that showed up last night. McKissic, Marcus Smith and Justin Coleman. Plus excellent play from Griffin and Reed. All good signs.
It was great to see McKissic out there, I’m finally seeing a running back with a burst of speed. Now there is no way that he can be a main back, he is too small and valuable for that. He needs to be saved for the explosive receiving and running plays.
Griffin, the more I see the more I like him. Our next great cornerback. Coleman is showing good hands and route jumping abilities. The hands in particular are something that has gotten lost from defensive secondary. Earl Thomas in particular seems to have lost his knack for interceptions. Nice to see a player with the abilities.
Overall a good game. I’m going to attribute the better offense to blocking and different play calling = though I have no statistics to back it up. Still, when all your backs are able to run the ball, it says more about blocking and a worn down defense than anything else. Even Lacy looked good. I think he will be the main back with Rawls moving forward.
And now for the rushing stats, what percentage of offensive plays were called runs. In the first quarter we had 14 offensive plays, and 7 were called runs = 50%. In the second quarter we got all pass happy and abandoned the run, 9 offensive plays and only 1 was a called run = 11.1%. As a result, we lost the time of possession battle 19 minutes and change for Indy, 10 minutes and change for the Hawks. And yes, we had very little production from the runs, but as I’ve said before, run production often comes in the second half if you stay committed to it. The first half running percentage was 34.8%.
In the third quarter we had 26 offensive plays, and 11 were called runs = 42.3%. There were positive signs concerning Seattle’s commitment to the run in the 3rd. At one point we ran 3 consecutive times, resulting in a 1st down. And after a 1st down sack when it was 2nd and long, we ran, resulting in McKissic’s touchdown run.
In the 4th we had 18 offensive plays, and 11 were called runs = 61.1%. The percentage of called run plays for the 2nd half was 50%, and for the entire game, 44.8%. This was the most run oriented Seattle has been this year, and they stuck with it even though it wasn’t working in the first half.
It is all dependent on blocking and healthy backs. You can’t look at these stats in isolation and say run is good. The truth is that whatever works is good. By the end of the game all running backs were running successfully. Was it the running back, the blocking, or a tired defense. Just remember that a tired defense is equally as tired on pass plays.
Totally agree. I’d love to see us commit more to the run, but you gotta go with what’s working most. The Pats wear down defenses by passing 40+ times and wearing down the pass rush. It’s kind of a wait and see thing each game. Hawks don’t really have an identity to fall back onto like previous years, so they gotta do what they gotta do to win. If that means run run run then I’m all for it, if it means pass to set up the run then I’m okay with that too.
Whatever happened to the slant pass in the Seattle offense? I don’t remember seeing one this year. We used to run them all the time. The thing about slant passes is they are almost indefensible. Sure, they don’t usually get much yardage, usually 4 to 6 yards, but occasionally they pop for double digits.
What the slant does for an offense. First, they are really quick. Even if a blitzer comes clean, he likely won’t be in time to stop a slant pass. If the defense slides the corner inside to try and stop it, it opens up the outside for something really big. If the defense slides the LB out to be in position, it opens up the middle for run plays.
With our pass blocking issues, why aren’t we making this a staple of our offense? It not only helps the line in pass protection, it helps the run.
I don’t recall seeing many slant passes in the Russell Wilson era. Some people have attributed that to his height. Others will remember the infamous superbowl pick. Which was a puzzling call considering they DON’T throw slant passes in the middle.
I agree with you though. It is a useful pass that most teams make. Also enjoyed seeing Colts set up the screen pass. Another pass play that has eluded the Seahawks.
I think it’s because of Russ’s height. It would work if all the linemen cut block but they don’t seem very adept at that. I’d love to see more screens besides bubble screens, but I think that’s a height issue again. They are limited by Russ but those limits are far less than the advantages. Just gotta execute up front more, but then again next game is at LA so I doubt that’ll happen much.
So sad to see Carson go down. I hope it’s a 6 week heal instead of a surgery and IR like Earl’s.
On the good side, McKissic. Wow, it’s like having Percy Harvin back without the baggage. Sweeps, jet sweeps, wheel routes out of the backfield. This guy creates match-up nightmares. I hope they start game planning for him the way they did for Harvin, but hopefully this time without totally disrupting what Seattle does.
Best Comment Ever: “It’s like Percy Harvin without the baggage.”
Give me a double helping of McKissic. And keep using him as a receiver too!
Here are some key stats provided by ProFootballFocus Elite from the game yesterday:
•On 33 dropbacks, the offensive line only allowed 6 pressures. Definitely the best of the season for them.
• Justin Britt was perfect in pass protection with no pressures allowed.
•The run game for the Seahawks created 112 yards BEFORE contact for the running backs. That’s 3.39 yards before contact per carry. Highlight of the season.
•The running backs added another 2.48 yards per carry after contact with seven missed/broken tackles.
• Russell Wilson threw the ball greater than 20 yards downfield eight times against the Colts. He completed five for 165 yards. Five such completions is most in NFL this week.
• Bobby Wagner allowed just one catch for 5 yards on two targets. Great coverage over the middle of the field.
•Seattle’s pass rush created 20 pressures. That’s greater than 50% of the dropbacks for Jacoby Brissett.
•11 Seahawks generated at least one pressure, with Sheldon Richardson creating three.
• Richard Sherman was in coverage for 34 pass snaps. He was targeted once and it fell incomplete. Sherman has been having a career-type season, even for him. He has no interceptions because quarterbacks won’t challenge him.
• Justin Coleman really stood out yesterday. Was in pass coverage for 24 snaps. Allowed one catch for 13 yards on three targets. The 13 yard completion was for the conversion on a 3rd and 13. Also had one interception on a pass to sidelines that he ran back for a touchdown.
Encouraging stats for the O line against a decent D line that features Jabaal Sheard and Jonathan Hankins. Not a great line but no slouch either.
Thanks for sharing this Alaska
So apparently Carson broke his leg just below the knee. I don’t know the severity of it. That and a high ankle sprain. Depending on the break, the sprain could be what takes longer to heal.