Yesterday’s loss to the Chargers was deflating. Something was building in Seattle. They looked great in Detroit. They were 4-1 in their last five games.
This game provided a reality check. This is still a reset year.
Judging by some of the reactions, however, you’d think the Seahawks were a prime contender plummeting to 4-4.
You expect an overreaction with Seahawks twitter. It’s not as funny as it thinks it is during the week. But that’s still preferable compared to the miserable form it takes after a loss.
Anti-run. Trade Russell. Pete’s outdated. Why did they draft Penny?
Pick a negative and hammer it home.
Of course there’s nothing wrong with a strong opinion — especially after a disappointing performance. Yet all too frequently these days, the twitterati are quick to indulge in their favourite narrative.
There was a time once when people could just enjoy the ride. Sample the highs and lows of following a football team. Those were great days. Now everyone’s an expert.
It’s spreading too. I’ve seen it in the comments section here. People who should know better because they were alive in 2008 and 2009 — reacting to a loss against one of the NFL’s elite like this isn’t a reset year.
Who among us carried high expectations into this season? If you did, more fool you. The Seahawks bludgeoned their roster. They needed to. Major changes were necessary. It was time for a refresh, time to move on from certain individuals.
We’ve seen the benefit. Remember how you felt in the build up to the Chargers game? This team had you believing again. Yesterday doesn’t change that. It was just a reminder that this is a team in transition. It’s a roster that needs further work — and will receive further work — over the coming months.
Seattle’s biggest need is the pass rush. The draft is loaded with pass rushers. They have cap room to spend. They will have options.
If they finish 8-8 this year, it’ll be par for the course. Anything better will be an achievement. The playoffs are not out of the question. Let’s celebrate that it’s even a possibility.
Can the trade and philosophy talk for now. Let’s remember that Rashaad Penny is eight games into his rookie season and that’s it’s slightly ridiculous to write-off a player this early in his career.
Let’s not over-analyse a run on third and forever or suggest Seattle are one-dimensional. Let’s not hammer Tedric Thompson because he isn’t Earl Thomas or switch opinion on Brian Schottenheimer on a week-to-week basis.
Yesterday was an off-day against a very good Chargers team. Wilson played poorly. The offense struggled after Carson’s injury. They couldn’t find a rhythm or create any explosive plays. The defense couldn’t defend the run and didn’t do enough to pressure Philip Rivers in the first half.
It was a step back.
They also didn’t have any luck, the refs were poor (for both teams) and despite everything — they were two dropped passes at the end from having a two-point conversion attempt for overtime.
There will be more days like this in 2018. It’s going to be that type of season. Some great wins, some tough losses. Get ready for that. Be prepared.
Complaining about a loss is part of sports. But act like we’ve been here before — because we have. In 2011 and 2012 when this team rose into contention. They have an opportunity to do that again in the future. Hopefully it can still happen this year. If not, 2019 should be interesting.
Try to enjoy the ride because one day, Carroll won’t be here. Neither will Wilson. And you’ll look back on these days with great fondness.
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I 100% agree with everything you’ve said right here
Agreed. This year was always about progression. How fast can the young guys
and new guys grow up or contribute? How fast can How fast can the offense grasp a new playbook? Can we stick to our identify long term? I think we have answered then all partially will. We just need to keep showing it on the back end of the season. It kind of sucks having a year like this in the middle of done of our stars prime years but it is necessary. They are still a 8-9 win team with some maneuverability in Free agency and draft. The next step could still be big and right around the corner
I said, optimistically, at the start of the year that we would finish 9-7. Same record as last year. Yet, last year was not fun; the wins weren’t convincing enough, the losses utterly shattering to the standard we’ve grown so spoiled by these past seven years.
I predicted this year’s 9-7 would be a fun 9-7. Same record, but a totally different experience. And that’s been true so far. A lot of it comes from expectation (the root of most all suffering). It’s fun to see something build and grow. It’s fun to root for a guy to become his best self — much more fun than clinging to the idol of a champion and disbelieving his inevitable decline. Those were great players, and I never wanted to see it end. But it would and it did. C’iest la vie.
As Rob suggested, I am having fun on the ride. I believe in the conductor, I think he’s taking us somewhere fun, and along the way the drama is what we’re here to see, good and bad.
Here’s the only expectation I have for this team: Give the other guys hell, and make it fun. I think more often than not we can do that this year.
Agree completely.
+ 1 agree completly and my optimistic forecast was 9-7 too. Still think they can get there.
What’s really encouraging about this team I’ve found so far is that we’ve kept it close literally every loss. We’re amazingly only a few bad breaks and mistakes from being 7-1 or so right now. Haven’t been blown out in any game so far, not even against a supposed Powerhouse Rams. That to me is an incredible achievement from such a young group we have. All the signs point towards a very bright future ahead for this group.
The mark of a Pete Carroll team. Throughout, his blueprint has been unmistakable and consistent save for a few wayward moments. People don’t credit him because his innovations are considered a throwback, but I really do think he’s one of the more distinguishable football minds of his generation. It’s not all rah-rah. It may not be extreme X’s and O’s, but the strategy is remarkable.
You’re right socal, that’s what makes some of the losses so frustrating is that they’re right there like the Hawks always are in losses. Although these losses to the broncos, rams, and bears were more frustrating that the rest. Russell not executing like he has in the past i believe is the main culprit. I think that’s what ultimately separates a championship team to a 8-8 or 9-7 team. For this team its definitely lack of execution on the offense. Maybe it does get better after 1 season with schott.. At this point in Russell’s career, you shouldn’t see some of the mistakes he’s making. It just doesn’t seem like hes playing like a 100 million QB.
Great thread
Very well said.
Can not agree more with this. Go Hawks.
Expected the Hawks to be a 7 to 10 win team this season, and they’ll likely fall into that range. Lots to love and also some holes that will take another offseason or two to address. It’s a reset year but they’re still a fun squad to watch. So much more fun then the past two seasons, that’s for sure. A disappointing loss, absolutely. Time to overanalyze every single play and use it as an opportunity to get on a high horse and spout some sort of definitive statement on a player, coach, position group, phase of the team, etc…ridiculous. On to LA. Go Hawks!
After the first TD drive of the Chargers and the Hawks second series when Wilson reverted to a bad habit of spinning into a sack was telling. We have a very solid team. But I don’t know if KJ will be with the team next year. He’s just back from injury but watching that first drive was tough. The Chargers hadn’t changed many things from the previous two weeks and if our D knew what to watch for they took horrible angels at the runner. A loss was needed at this point.
As far as Penny goes there are a few things that have me worried about him. He runs with no power behind his pads. For a back who’s center of gravity is up top instead of middle/waist or low/legs that’s not good. I hope they get him on a new diet followed by a workout routine that focuses on a few balance workouts going into the off season.
The loss wasn’t necessarily a bad one. Rivers was held to only 50% completions and the Chargers were getting chunk plays.
We still have a good young core that has a good cap number.
He wouldn’t be the first rookie to need a full year of NFL training/conditioning to get his body right.
I’m surprised he didnt get more reps Sunday.
Regardless of if he pans out or not, Carson being out again is a legit reason to draft a RB.
It can definitely happen that Penny could come back conditioned differently. Chris Carson did this past off season and Penny seeing that could light a fire under him that he needs to come in the best possible shape because Carson is running WAY better than he is.
Nice write up Rob and great perspective!
I think sometimes we as fans bring up things like trade ideas and player movement just to create debate and discussion. There is nothing malicious about it and most times the scenarios are not realistic it is just playing fantasy GM.
For example I love Russ and don’t think the Hawks win an SB without him. I know he is elite and almost irreplaceable. But I also wonder what this team looks like with a couple of extra 1st round picks and an extra $30-35 mil per year in cap space. What if one of of those picks turned into Tua in 2020. None of this is very realistic and the Hawks will never trade Russ but as fans sometimes it is fun to discuss options and what if scenarios.
Thank you for this piece, Rob. Much needed perspective and cool down for the fanbase. Honestly I’ve just kind of taken to avoiding online stuff like Twitter and comment sections for a week after losses, unless the piece is constructive. The ‘hot’ takes are just so repetitive and boring now to the point of self-parody. Much rather spend my time doing something productive than engaging in any of the silliness.
Wise decision!
I wish I had your restraint. I tend to keep more quite after a win because I dont feel i have much to add when everyone is agreeing on the positives. But after these losses I cant help myself but jump on the hot takes with all my fury (there’s one in particular i find especially loathsome).
Perhaps Ill try and follow your lead in the future.
I am saddest because it wasn’t the new players that played poorly yesterday, it was Russell Wilson AGAIN. Again, he couldn’t just give up on plays, and throw it away. Again, he doesn’t see defenses as well as the elite QB’s.
It seemed like this was the great defense of the last 4 games, but against a very good QB. No defense wins every battle, and we took some licks, but overall I was happy with the defense, and Wags was heroic. Everyone battled.
Then we kept shooting ourselves in the foot, and the refs didn’t help. I know Russell will evolve into a better and better QB, and I still am not real happy with the play design’s which is part of Russell’s problems, but I just want to bitch.
So I feel better now.
I don’t post here a lot, and part of the reason is that in spite of never writing anything controversial, I am still not being published until someone gets a look at it first or something. It is insulting. It is pre-censorship. And it doesn’t allow me to see what I wrote right after I write it which is unusual and disconcerting.
I was past the pre-censorship thing a year ago, but now I’m on probation or something?
By the way, you don’t have to publish this, this is more a note to the monitor, but publish if you wish.
1. Your message was published without the need for any clearance on my behalf.
2. Here’s what happens. When you post for the first time, I have to approve the message. This is because my site, like every other WordPress site, gets a lot of spam messages. I get about 50 a day that have to be deleted otherwise they would appear in the comments section. I have to go through every single one and click the ‘spam’ option. If you change IP address, use a different login or a different email address, sometimes I will need to ‘re-approve’ your messages. And sometimes the site is just slow, possibly because it’s nearly 10 years old with an enormous amount of data thanks to all the blog posts and comments.
3. There’s really no need to use words like ‘insulting’, ‘censorship’ and ‘disconcerting’. Is this where we’re at in the western civilisation? People being insulted because their comments don’t appear on a blog immediately? Imagine all our ancestors fighting in the second world war and then trying to explain that while they went through all that for our right to live, we would then take our freedom and use it to claim one is ‘insulted’ because a comment about Russell Wilson having a bad game wasn’t immediately available for everyone to see. C’mon man.
This is exactly where we’re at in western civilization 😂 It’s considered desirable to be offended.
I will echo once more that something has changed over the last couple months for myself and others regarding the ease of commenting for some reason. It used to be that our user name and email would auto-fill when we wanted to comment, and many of us have experienced a strange delay in posting that wasn’t there before. It does impact the enjoyment of the site slightly. Would be awesome to go back to how it was before if possible.
The ‘delay’ is widespread. You are not being singled out. It’s been brought up and it started sometime in the spring. As of a month or two ago there is awareness of it but no easy solution.
I’m working to raise funds for a site upgrade. It might mean we lose a lot of the old posts (I’d archive some of the ones I want to keep). But this is an old site now with a lot of data attached to it. I suspect that is why it’s running slow.
Can’t speak for Rob but I think it is just a delay in the software that most of us experience. I don’t think he is censoring you. I experience the same delay for the last couple of months.
There is a delay on comments likely due to post overload
Rob
Thanks again so much for the hard work in running & contibuting so much to the site. What a special place to chat with your Hawk mates. It’s just fantastic as your article today underlined.
Thanks man
Unrivaled. It is by far the best Seahawks resource on the internet, no hyperbole needed.
Thanks 👍🏻
Wait, so you think Rob has the time to go through and validate every single post? On some threads that numbers in the 100s, particularly during the draft or playoffs. We all experience the lag, so there’s no reason to complain over the lack of instant gratifications. Have a little patience with this free to use site.
I think that there is an automatic delay – that perhaps can be altered – if someone could figure out where that delay is coming from. It may very well be built in to give Rob a chance to moderate discussion. As he mentioned, he has to remove spam posts.
It’s nothing built in
With QBs like Rivers, Rodgers, Brady & Brees it is critical to get them off of their spot asap. This once again reinforces my top off season wish to add a GREAT interior rusher/disrupter. Get right up in their face! Wish #2 is for that edge rusher. Wish #3 is for world peace…
Hey DC:
Top season wishes #1 and #2 are much more realistic than #3. (Just kidding).
What would it take to get Quinnen Williams in the draft?
Based on the LSU game, a top-10 pick.
One thing I still don’t understand is why we didn’t take any deep shots earlier in the game. The Chargers were practically begging us to throw deep to David Moore. Playing a single high safety that was completely shading the strong side. It was damn near negligent not to take a couple of deep play action shots.
And as far as the last play of the game – the DB for the Chargers made an amazing play to get a finger on the ball, changing the trajectory and rotation just enough to cause Moore to bobble it. I think most receivers drop that pass at least 3/4 of the time.
I have not reviewed the film or anything, but remember this a Gus Bradley team, his focus is like Pete’s, to not let anything get over the top.
To me it seems most of our deep success this year was beating man off play action, and the Chargers were playing more zone.
Rob:
As ugly as the Hawks game was, without the pick-six (all other things being equal), they are kicking a field goal instead of instead of needing a touchdown at the end of regulation. Even in the Superbowl years the Seahawks still had to “win ugly” a few time.
I’m not surprised by the loss. Clearly, the Chargers were the best team on the field but the loss doesn’t change my opinion that the Seahawks are rising. .
I would tend to agree. And I’m fully prepared for 7, 8 or 9 wins this year. They can go 8-8 and still be very much on the right track for 2019.
At the beginning of the season I thought 9-7 would be a successful season. I still do. If they can get 10 wins, they would exceed my expectations. Bruce Irvin returning could really help that pass rush. There were times when Rivers had idle time on his hands before throwing. I wanted to see Penny get some chances in the 2nd half so that was disappointing.
First of all, thank you Rob for writing this. I’ve been a Hawk fan from day one and it has been pretty tough sometimes…but I will always love my Hawks and games like yesterday are in the past.
I want to give a shout-out to Fluker. When I saw that Joey was put into Fluker’s spot after he went out I was like “Oh no!, Joey isn’t a guard, he’s going to get crushed!” He looked tiny between Britt and Ifedi. He held his own for the most part but I think JD is the cornerstone of that offensive line with Duane and Sweez holding down the fort on the other side. JD makes Britt and Ifedi better and that makes the whole line better. He is missed when he isn’t in there playing. I think Russ feels the effect as well. Let’s hope he can get back out there and dominate and take those tackle s to the water! I sure hope we extend him!
Go Hawks!
Fluker is a must keep for next season. Tremendous addition.
I was watching Fluker last game, I’m convinced he was hurting from the start. He was getting beat a lot on the inside. Which also contributed to Wilson being very jumpy in the pocket. I haven’t reviewed the game, but my impression was that Fluker was struggling to block before he left the game. Unfortunately the backups just don’t seem to be close to the level of the starters.
I agree with you Rob – Fluker and Sweezy are must have’s for next year. I think you can trace the improvement in offense directly to adding them to the line in game 3. I think you can trace some of the issues in offense last game to Fluker’s injury going into the game.
Even if the Seahawks somehow struck gold in drafting someone for the offensive line – those two should still be kept on the roster as starters until an injury forces them out.
A-Men!
You know = I’m generally optimistic about the Seahawks. I like the defense that they put together. I like the offensive line now that Sweezy and Fluker are in it. The receivers and tight ends are generally good. Carson and Davis have been running well.
But there are issues – and as fans we vent about them. When those issues are brought up and dismissed as fan hysteria or negativity – it just prolongs the conversation. And when those concerns aren’t fixed week after week, the conversation may get tedious for people that feel a need to defend whatever has been going wrong.
So = I’m sorry if I come off as negative sometimes. We are all coaches in our own way and general managers in our own kingdom. Like I said, there are many reasons to be optimistic.
Nobody is criticising an analysis of a loss as ‘hysteria’ or ‘negativity’. Look at my own instant reaction post on Sunday. Critical, honest and slightly negative.
What I didn’t do is call Pete Carroll outdated, call for Russell Wilson to be traded or hammer the Rashaad Penny pick.
That’s hysteria. That’s negativity. Not a critical look at a loss.
Obi Melifonwu signed with the Patriots today. I would not be surprised if Ken Norton had some input into whether or not to pursue Obi.
Hmmm, I hadn’t considered that. Good point. I was hopeful we would bring him in, but the word out of Oakland was that he didn’t love football enough, which is a non-starter for KNJ (can we do this now with Ken abortion Jr? I say yes…).
i hope that was an auto-correct
Oh. My. Gawd… yes, autocorrect. Holy hell.
Good post and perspective rob. This is the same team as it was a week ago, although we have a few more injuries and another loss against a tough team. If Wilson plays better and the refs give us a break here or there we likely win that game. The OL and defense are still outperforming expectations (for the reasonable folks at least). The overreacting online from week to week is embarrassing as a hawks fan but I’m happy to say that the crowd at the clink seems less bitchy. Hopefully fluker, McDougald and Carson are alright, each one is a big part of this team. I think we really missed earl yesterday but the defense still did their part (agreed we need better pass rush).
Rob,
Here is some real news you can’t wait to cover on the blog
“Viva Four-Ever: Spice Girls confirm reunion tour (without Victoria Beckham)” in 2019.
It’s just a crying shame Posh isn’t joining the girls…
What happened to Nazair Jones?. As a rookie he looked liked an exceptional rotational player who I assumed would be an excellent starter soon.
Has he regressed, are the other DTs just that much better or is there some nagging injury that is not being reported.
My guess is that there is something wrong but I don’t know what it is. Either that, or Poona Ford has just passed him on the depth chart. I believe that teams are “required” by the league to report injuries.
Interestingly, both Naz and Poona were (healthy?) inactives for the Chargers game, and the Chargers had success running the ball. There may be no cause and effect there, but interesting nonetheless.
I am totally fine with our philosophy. Be physical. Run the ball on them, don’t let them run the ball. I just wish we had a better plan B when we fail to establish the run. By all means, start out the game with a plan to dominate the game like we did vs. Detroit. But if it’s not happening, see if we can utilize Russ’s mobility more with rollouts and try to incorporate some bunch formations to create free runners.
Rob, I totally understand the reboot of our crabby fandom after a tough loss… Considering all the turnover on the defensive side and all the youth they’ve plugged in there, I am pleasantly surprised and getting excited about what they might become. Take away Russ’ 2 pick 6s on the year and our D is only allowing 17 points a game. In reality they’re only giving up 17 points a game!!! Of course they’ve made some mistakes, but they were expected to make some this season, in fact I expected more biggies up to this point. They’ve played out of their friggin jocks and I wouldn’t be surprised if this currently constructed D becomes an elite D by next season. I think we’re a pass rusher, a strong side backer and a bit more experience away from becoming elite. I love how our D is playing.
BUT, the same can’t be said of the offense. This offense is Chris Carson dependent. Without him in there they look slow and indecisive. Let me say that again, the offensive is dependent on a 2nd year back who has never shown himself to be overly dependent over a whole season. BUT we have a “elite” QB who should be the strength of the offense.The elephant question in the room is why are we a Chris Carson dependent offense? If Russ can’t show out because CC can’t make it on the field maybe the Hawks should be considering how much they’re willing to spend on Russ’ next deal???
I felt like this was Russ’ year to show that he didn’t need as strong of a running game or an elite defense to lead the Hawks to the playoffs. I wasn’t expecting 13-3, but 9-7 or 10-6 wasn’t too hard to ask of a QB who believes he’s worth 15+% of the total salary cap. So far Wilson has lost 2 games, and if not for SeaBass’s miss in Denver I would tag Russ wholly with that one as well. He is missing far too many open guys for an “elite” veteran qb, and he still hasn’t figured out how to step up and throw a check down or throw it into the stands and save a sack or simply step up get sacked for 5 yard loss, sure beats the ole’ 15 yard twirly whirl sack (that move is really getting hard to watch). I’m seriously doubting whether Russ is that elite guy who deserves a massive chunk of the team’s money pie.
That’s what has me so crabby after this loss. I feel like the strength of our team still isn’t Russ. In his 7th year and after the blowout of our roster on the defensive side the keys of the team were handed over to him, and he hasn’t stepped up. He’s the reason why they’re 4-4 while the defense is the reason why they COULD be 6-2.
I remember the late 80 Hawks well, 8-8 was always to be expected and by week 15 Wayne Cody was on the TV explaining all 26 scenarios how the Hawks could make the playoffs. We even made a few playoffs, but we all knew Krieg would be Krieg in a big time playoff moment and we’d lose.
Here’s my fandom reboot… I hope my doubts about Wilson are wrong. I will gladly admit it. Prove me wrong Russ. Please! I can’t stand 8-8!
I think 8-8 is fine as long as it appears to be a prelude to more. I think there has been evidence of that so far.
I feel that it takes half a season to adjust to a new offense. So, I am willing to give them some slack. If after one more month, there are games where the offense looks like crap, then I know its Scotty/Carroll.
The defense is young and missing pieces, so they are doing better than expected. However, the offense has been underwhelming especially when its playing from behind. It feels like when the Hawks are trailing by 2 scores, the offense just freezes. Yesterday, they didn’t even throw a downfield pass in the 3rd or 4th quarter.
What are the issues with the offense (of course other than getting used to Scotty’s offense)? Why is Wilson looking so underwhelming this season?
And regarding Penny, I am not going to call him a bust. But, this organization has never drafted a good running back during PC/JS tenure while you see other teams find stars in later rounds. Doesn’t mean he won’t develop but its fair to be skeptical of using a 1st round pick on a RB.
Just as I posted this comment, I came across this article –
Part 1 – https://www.fieldgulls.com/2018/11/2/18055222/seattle-seahawks-2018-offense-nutshell-russell-wilson-moore-davis-baldwin-carson
Part 2 – https://www.fieldgulls.com/2018/11/5/18063896/seattle-seahawks-schematic-mathchup-offense-cardinals-49ers-vikings-panthers-schottenheimer-wilson
It kind of makes sense that the Air Coryell offense that Scotty likes to run is making the offense play more conservatively. They seem to be having trouble big time when they get behind and need to make explosive plays. It will be interesting to see how they adjust and if they are successful.
I think people get way too bogged down on the ‘RB in round one’. That’s the main motivation for all the Penny talk. Nobody is talking about Rasheem Green being anonymous. Both Penny and Green are having somewhat difficult rookie seasons. It happens. We need to be patient with these guys. There’s every chance a R1 rookie DL, LB or OL would’ve taken time to settle too. Heck, look at Ifedi and Britt. They needed time.
But Rob, your evidence is only 40% of our current highly effective offensive line. I can’t stand waiting for instant gratification!
Regarding Green, everyone knew he needed a year or two to develop and was a 3rd round pick. So, that was the expectation. We have seen Clark/Reed take a similar path before.
Penny’s case is different since RB is an easier position to contribute early. When you see guys like Barkley, Chubb, Kerryon Johnson, Michel (when healthy), Lindsay doing so much better and Penny plodding through, its going to raise questions. Penny might develop over time. But as of now, if he cannot beat Davis on the depth chart, that is not a good use of a 1st round pick.
Overall, they have done a horrible job of evaluating RBs. Not just drafting but things like keeping Christine Michael over Spencer Ware and Prosise over Alex Collins. They got lucky with Lynch but otherwise do not have a good track record with RBs.
I also know every FO has weaknesses. Bellichick blows day 2 pick after day 2 pick on DBs. Its going on for years. So, at the end of the day, it is what it is.
We can’t say they ‘got lucky’ with Lynch and ignore it’s one of the all time great trades in franchise history. They’ve identified a lot of talented RB’s.
It’s always assumed RB’s can just settle in easily. It’s a poor assumption IMO.
It’s as simple as this for me. People just need to give Penny a frickin break.
I believe Scot McCloughan to be the best scout of college talent in the NFL. He was really high on Penny calling him a sleeper rookie of the year candidate. He also tweeted “Rashaad Penny. Football Player.” That’s more than enough for me to have a little faith that Penny still has the talent to be a bell cow RB.
Four RBs went in 12 picks – Penny, Michel, Chubb and RJIII. Good for the Hawks getting the guy they think will be the best fit out of those 4. It’s not like they passed up on any good pass rushers in that range of the draft.
LAC roster is strong across the board. Gordon is finally running like a true R1 pick. It only took him 2 previous seasons to find his stride. Say, maybe that’s a reason to ease up on Penny?
SEA always play it close down the wire. Always in a position to win, even if they don’t convert. I was disappointed by the loss, but not really upset or surprised, in part because LAC are so solid.
+1
Gordon always had the talent, his success this year is because the Chargers invested in their offensive line. Russell Okung is their LT, they used a 3rd round pick in 2016 on Dan Feeney, this year they signed a three time Pro Bowler Center in Mike Pouncey, they used a 2nd round pick last year on OG Forrest Lamp (Lamp was injured last year, so last year was kind of his medical red-shirt freshman year). IMO its the Chargers offensive line jelled this year and they have legit talent on their o-line. So my take is that Gordon was running behind an below average o-line his first two years. Now that he has an above average o-line he can finally do his thing.
I think our o-line is just as talented with the additions of Sweezy, Fluker, and o-line coach. Yes, RB is the easiest position for a rookie to make an impact. They don’t need to learn a new technique like a CB or O-lineman. They don’t need to learn new pass rush moves or how to better use their hands like d-lineman. They don’t have to learn to run new routes, practice their crispness of running new routes, they don’t have to adjust to playing against CB’s playing press coverage. All they have to do is know the play, hit the assigned gap, or if zone use your vision to find the hole. By far RB is the easiest position to make an impact as a rookie!!!!!
I have one suggestion.
This delay of softver is really annoying.
I am patron here, but I am ready to give some extra money in next couple of months for new softver/site.
If there are more of you who wants that, maybe Rob can tell us how much money he needs for that and we can try to collect that before the end of February (to have new softver before combine 😀 )
I’m loathe to appeal for money. The price of web design is about 10x what it was when I had this site made in 2010. I’m working on a solution before the combine. I would simply encourage patience at the moment.
Well said!
This is a great forum to read and for me occasionally join in with. I’m sure there’ll be those who’d be happy to assist where possible, especially given the time Rob puts in.
https://thedraftnetwork.com/2018/11/06/debunking-the-myth-of-the-weak-2019-wr-class/
I think that’s a weak article personally.
He basically just listed a bunch of names that are overrated by draft twitter and didn’t give any details on why any of them deserve to be talked about as high picks.
No ‘debunking’ took place.
Fresno State Senior WR Keesean Johnson 6 2 199Lbs breaking records at FSU including Davante Adam’s records. Both WR’s went to East Palo Alto High School. Adam’s strength is route running in the NFL. Adams said what he admires most about Keesean Johnson is his route running! Comparing the 2 WR’s Adams (2nd round) is an inch shorter and had a lot more balls thrown to him from Derek Carr basically Carr threw everything to Adams a whole lot vs. Johnson getting less balls thrown to him in a far more balanced offense. With that disadvantage Johnson broke Adam’s records.
Yeah, but it’s hard because most of us put the Hawks at the start of the season somewhere between 6-10 and 9-7
I thought 6-10 or 7-9. But even I became excited after the Cowboys game. And especially after the Rams game. I thought “wow, we might go 11-5. We might even go to the SB if this kind of development pace for the new offensive gameplan, and young guys continue”. So yeah… this game was a hard slap in the face. It hurts and a general human reaction is to search for reasons. So don’t hate too much on the coach coordinators, armchair QBs and GMs (OK, there are some guys who just think to know everything better. That’s different)
Hi Guys,
I’m not trying to change the subject of Seahawks but I just saw Bohemian Rhapsody and it was such a great movie, I had to share that with you all. If you go see it, see it in IMAX.
Go Hawks !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I do think there is a certain amount of raised expectations after the team played so well for 3-4 weeks. My personal frustration is more of a “WTF was that??” type reaction than a “Burn it to the Ground” reaction. While the extreme reactions that have floated around are moronic and a waste of time, a loss like this is particularly disappointing after the last few weeks. Its frustrating to watch Wilson go from a perfect passer rating (take it for what you will) to an atrocious game. Its frustrating to watch the Offense roll through teams off both great play calling and great execution, only to see them completely lost when Carson goes down.
(Side point: How do you explain how terrible the offense is without Carson if running doesn’t matter?)
Thank you for this much needed perspective, Rob.
I could not possibly agree with this more. I can’t look at Seahawks twitter anymore. After the Lions, you would think that this team was primed for a possible Super Bowl run with the reactions. After the Chargers, you would think that we weren’t going to win another game and they need to blow it up.
RW and PC both have contracts that run through 2019. How about we see how this season plays out . You are one of the premier defensive minded head coaches paired with one of the top QBs in the league. Maybe Dexter Lawrence paired with Jarran Reed inside next year makes a decent defense dominant again. Maybe in year two, Rashaad Penny is ready to take over.
Maybe we should just relax a bit, and as you said, not confuse 2018 with 2009.
Another factor that can’t be stated enough IMO is that, besides being one of the AFC’s elite as it already is, the Chargers were coming off a bye week. Look at what we did to Detroit coming off of our bye week, with the extra time to rest up/get healthy and game plan. This is the NFL; at this level, it makes a significant competitive difference.
I wonder if it would ever be possible for the league to make the schedule so that teams coming off bye weeks play each other?
Great points Rob!
Definitely sucks as the site gets more traffic, it gets more negative internet BS, alas, you effort to keep it civil and grounded is much appreciated!
Looking into next week, I see this as a great barometer yet again. Can this OL take it to a tough Rams team again? Especially if they are without Fluker?
Can the offense generate explosive pass plays again? If the Rams can get Peters to not bite so much that would take away a lot what they accomplished in the last game.
Can the defense cover better? We know the Rams are gonna Ram, but man they had guys so wide open last time.
This is Schotty’s chance to prove he can evolve and adapt. If we have the exact same plan as last time I think Wade Phillips will adjust. What new wrinkles can Schotty throw in to generate the explosive plays?
I am still looking forward to the rest of the year, specifically hoping to see growth from Green and Penny, and see the secondary continue to improve. The pass rush needs an influx of talent, not much we can do there.
Great read Rob, and I know this is in response to comments like mine, from the reaction post. You are totally right that perspective is required.
I got caught up in the last few weeks of how good we looked and decided that think this was the norm. The reality is we can do that to bad teams. The other reality is that we really are just a middle of the road team and to expect us to beat the Chargers, etc is just setting myself up for disappointment.
I’ve always appreciated your efforts on this blog. We have agreed on a lot. Disagreed on some. But I’ve never felt like you were unfair with your rebuttals. Keep up the great work and I’ll try to do better with my negativity, though I think I’m relatively constrained on that front sans Rashaad Penny, lol.
Thanks 👍🏻
Here’s a question I can’t get out of my mind.
Are there examples of running backs who took multiple years before they began to thrive? It seems the good ones who have sustained above average success in the league start out hot. I’m not trying to be negative, but unlike other positions..it seems like we should have some expectation of first round running backs succeeding quickly if they are going to be good for a long time. I don’t think it’s wrong (or too early) to discuss whether or not Rashaad Penny was a good or a bad first round pick for our beloved hawks.
Successful First Round Round running backs and total yards their rookie season…
2007- Adrian Peterson (1,341), Marshawn Lynch (1,115)
2008- Jonathen Stewart (836), Chris Johnson (1,228)
2009 – Knowshon Moreno (947)
2010 – Didn’t see anyone who had sustained success in the league
2011- Mark Ingram (474), is he an example of someone who’s been an above average RB?
2012-Doug Martin (1,454)
2013-None taken in the first round
2014- None taken in the first round
2015- Todd Gurley (1,106), Melvin Gordon (641)
2016-Ezekiel Elliot (1,631)
2017- Leonard Fournette (1,040), Christian McCaffrey (435 yards rushing, 651 yards receiving)
I know rushing yards aren’t everything, but the above list seems to show that good running back typically start out good. They don’t *usually* ease into above average production like players at other positions can.
Knowshon, McCaffrey and Gordon didn’t get off to flying starts and they had a lot more snaps
That’s a strong point. But two of those names you just listed ended up with incredible numbers at the end of their rookie year. It’s also a bummer that the Seahawks drafted a player who isn’t receiving more snaps at a position (running back) where first round rookies have historically received A LOT of snaps.
The data above seems to indicate that a running back’s rookie year tends to tell us a lot about their career trajectory. I am not interested in being cynical and dwelling on “what ifs”. I am interested in analyzing whether or not this was a good pick. If it wasn’t a good pick, how can the Seahawks avoid making the same mistake going forward?
I think we should just give Penny a chance and not refer to his selection as a ‘mistake’. It’s too early to say that.
Really wish we could move on from this.
I’m really not trying to beat a dead horse here and I really want to give Penny a chance. I am cheering for his success!
I know you say you want to move on (so do I). Here’s the thing though…the Seahawks made a HUGE effort to improve the run this year and put tremendous resources into that area. A huge part of their identity is the run game. This blog specifically wrote several articles detailing the importance of the run game. So I think it’s important to have a legit conversation about what we’re seeing from Penny. He was a huge spend from John and Pete! They clearly weren’t comfortable going into the season with Carson and Davis. Their fears have been realized with Carson’s latest injury. I think it’s okay to analyze Penny’s play…and perhaps even say he hasn’t shown anything close to what we should be seeing from a first round running back.
For a team that ‘feared’ him getting hurt, his workload sure hasn’t shown that. Only Todd Gurley and I believe ‘Zeke’ Elliott are touching the ball more ever since they’ve found their run game again.
That’s the issue with RBs in general. Short shelf life so you ride them until the wheels fall off.
How can we say that though?!? That’s what frustrates me really. People are conflating Carson and Davis playing well with Penny being a bust. He gets no snaps. When he has had snaps, like against Oakland, he’s looked fine.
I think it is time to move on.
I get the desire to move on. I probably well. I have doubts that Penny’s end of the year rushing numbers will look like anyone’s from the list above, which IMO is not a good sign for his career. I really hope I’m wrong!
I guess I just think that first round picks are a massive investment in a player. We are at the midpoint of the season…which seems like a fair time to start analyzing(not in great detail) how the last draft class is shaping up. I don’t have a huge desire to dwell on Penny’s success..but I also don’t have much of an appetite to ignore his failings. You mention him being “fine” when he’s gotten carries. This is at a position where good first round running backs typically succeed early.
With all that being said..this is my favorite blog to visit with the best information! I just think it’s fair to start being a little critical of the Seahawks first round draft pick.
It doesn’t matter if the numbers are the same. He’s not getting the same snaps.
Agree to disagree!
I think it’s completely rational to say he just hasn’t gotten his fair chance yet. I hope you are right and the he will be looked back on as a strong first round pick.
I see his lack of snaps as validating my point though.
The fact that he hasn’t gotten a lot of snaps is alarming..and historically unusual for a first round running back. I also feel it’s unfortunate that he looks much less talented than running backs selected in much later rounds.
Again..I hope that he turns the corner and has a great second half of the season!
It’s not alarming. A player in his second year, Chris Carson, has played particularly well. And when Mike Davis has been called upon he has also excelled.
Here’s Penny’s two most meaningful games so far:
vs Oakland — 9 carries, 43 yards (4.8 YPC)
vs Arizona — 9 carries, 49 yards (5.4 YPC)
There’s no ‘corner’ to turn. Two other players have justified their place at the top of the depth chart. A rookie, who started the year injured and has had to work his way back to 100%, has ended up third on the depth chart. I’m absolutely staggered that people are trying to find drama out of this when it’s really quite simple.
And between this, the anti run stuff and the ‘trade Russell’ nonsense… man following this team is more of a grind than it was a few years ago.
Rob, sounds like you need to ease off the throttle with these folks then. Might not be the worst idea to stop engaging so much. They’ve said their piece, you’ve said yours. Yet they still want to come back to the same topics. Don’t give them anywhere to go.
Nice research effort! Ingram is a great running back and won a Heisman playing for Alabama. I would definitely say he is above average. I was going to say elite, but he hasn’t performed quite as well with the Saints. However wth Drew Brees at the helm of the Saints they are definitely a pass first type of team. Ingram has averaged 4.5 ypc over his seven year pro career.
Jamaal Charles, Joe Mixon to name a couple more. Its more common for RBs to get off to a fast start than other positions.
But its a bit of a false narrative that they always do, Penny still has plenty of time to deliver on his draft position.
They didnt get off to fast starts i should say.
Totally. I was looking at first round running backs specifically though..it makes me even more disappointed to look at second and third round running backs who have had success 🙁 Those seem like better rounds to take a chance on a running back!
Other slow starts = our own Mike Davis, a fourth rounder that was cut by the 49ers and landed in Seattle.
Right…
I am fine with third and fourth round running backs easing into success…not as big an investment of resources. Also..mid round running backs usually don’t get as much playing time right away as first round running backs.
Penny was drafted in the first round…and is the third string running back. It’s not even close. I would love an article or a conversation about how we got to the place where our first round running back is third on the depth chart. First round decisions deserve to be more heavily scrutinized than picks from the later rounds IMO.
Hey Noah:
The season is only half over. We haven’t seen how Penny does in his first season yet because it’s only half over. If Carson is out for a few games, I’d bet a dollar to a dime that Penny gets his chance.
I hope he does get his chance and I hope he is awesome!! I’m just alarmed at the gap I see in talent between Penny and other successful running backs.
I just wish Russ plays little relaxed especially when we get behind or playing against a good DL. Russ also did not have one 4th quarter come back this season out of 4.
New offense for the first time in his career.
I also think he is fighting the old spin out and run cover mentality, on some he starts to fall back on it and but then doesn’t fully commit, so he doesn’t escape or step properly.
I’m guessing the two factors lead to the hesitation and panic. Overall I think he has upward trend on the season despite the dip on Sunday. There have been a lot instances this season where he stepped up and/or to the side and delivered a perfect strike.
Just want to join the chorus of folks thanking you, Rob, for taking the time to write this piece as well as the other articles you regularly publish.
Your insight is unique and your perspective is tempered. I look forward to reading your site because you have an (increasingly rare) ability to be objective about both the positive and negative.
Thanks for taking the time from your family and other pursuits to do this for us all – we’re lucky as a fan base to have you.
Thanks for reading and for the kind words 👍🏻
On a different note, some of these socks are starting to at least point in the right direction.
https://thedraftnetwork.com/2018/11/05/ledyards-2019-mock-draft-3-0/2/
https://syndication.bleacherreport.com/amp/2804576-2019-nfl-mock-draft-matt-millers-latest-projections-midway-through-nfl-season.amp.html
It would be great to get Polite as many have said. I’m not too sure about Tillery. I think he is good but don’t know enough about him to know if he is the interior pressure guy we need.
Can’t believe some of the names people have going in the top 20.
It would be physically painful to pass up Devin White for Tillery…very painful.
Rob I am curious about your thoughts on R Green? He looked awesome in pre season but had been basically invisible since the regular season started. I know he has had some injuries but his lack of any sort of impact play is a little concerning.
I think patience is important with all rookies and even more so with Green given his age but I was curious of your thoughts. IMO his development into a contributing pass rusher is critical going forward. I would argue even more than that of Penney becoming a lead RB at this point given the roster.
Thank you Rob. This is exactly what I was getting at yesterday with my comment.
This also leads me to a question I’ve been thinking about. Is it just me, or has this year in particular been even more full of bipolar Seahawks fans than usual? I don’t know if it’s the prevalence of social media or what, but I swear that every week it gets worse. Even the comments section here has been full of overreactions one way or another. I get it that as fans we have the right to voice our opinions however we see fit, but it’s honestly exhausting sometimes to see some of these “hawt taeks” based on limited information. I’ve “only” been a Seahawks fan for about 20 years, so I don’t have the really poor memories like Dan McGwire, the 1992 offense, etc., but I’ve seen enough to know that this is not a terrible team. The way some people act, you’d think the 2018 Seahawks were some version of the Browns.
There’s definitely been a shift. This isn’t the fan base I remember from 2011-12.
Definitely not, and I wouldnt expect it to be. 2011/12 Seahawks fans were still long-suffering Seattle sports fans. Back to back Superbowls changes all of us to some degree and adds a new generation of fans. My Mother-in-Law started watching games and wearing Seahawks gear to work on Blue Fridays.
Secondary ticket prices have increased over 50% since then, also. Possibly, success has priced the ‘good’ fans out of the CLink.
Hey Mishima:
You hit the nail on the head. I was a season ticket holder from the early 90s through 2008. Two tickets to a game today costs almost as much as my entire season ticket did in 2008.
I also wonder how much betting on games and playing fantasy football has affected fans’ emotional responses to games and teams.
How about a little QB “elite” category perspective?
Maybe “elite” QB playing history would enlighten us?
Tom Brady: 1-st year in NFL – 2000, 19 seasons played, so far.
Aaron Rodgers: 1-st year in NFL – 2005, 14 seasons played, so far.
Drew Brees: 1-st year in NFL – 2001, 18 seasons played, so far.
Ben Roethisberger: 1-st year in NFL – 2004, 15 seasons played, so far.
Phillip Rivers: 1-st year in BFL – 2004, 15 seasons played, so far.
——————————————————————
Russell Wilson, 1-st year in NFL – 2012, 7 seasons played, so far—–> (with much more to come)
——————————————————————
My conclusions:
–Years of starting and lack of major injuries are vital keys to achieving “elite” status as a QB.
–Wilson has –36% to 50%– of the seasons played by the supposed “elite” (however – older) QB’s.
–All of the listed QB’s have had piss poor games now and then & some were really very, very bad.
–Perhaps when Wilson has the same # of years of playing QB, he’ll be considered “elite” too?
–Maybe a much better comparison would be to look at them all at the same point of their careers?
–I’m fine with descriptions of “very good” when describing Wilson, for now, but he has a very strong potential to be “100% elite, or maybe even GOAT” as his career continues in future years – IMO.
‘I’m fine with descriptions of “very good” when describing Wilson, for now, but he has a very strong potential to be “100% elite, or maybe even GOAT” as his career continues in future years – IMO.’
Agreed. Very good and next in line with a group of guys like Wentz, Newton, Mahomes, Cousins but behind the five you listed, who has shown he can have elite stretches of games and has elite qualities.
Some fans might not like the deal he’s gonna get and should, but if you don’t have a QB like him or some of the others you got no chance.
Hey Vol:
Don’t forget the atrocious O-lines that Wilson played behind in 2015 – 2017. They were just BAD and there was NO running game. I wonder how great Brady, Rogers, et al would have been. I can see that he probably has a bit of PTSD from those years. It may take some time to work through that. He had to run around and try to make something happen, or nothing would happen. That seems to manifest itself with his tendency to hold onto the ball too long.
Something that these QBs have in common…..
defenses have been neutered by the NFL via ticky-tack penalties and by design to increase scoring.
Not to say they are not quality QBs, but the reason for their success and longevity has as much to do with how a defense can and can’t play these guys anymore. I mean, jesus. roughing the passer is almost called on every play a DE gets near a QB now a days…. long ago, guys would get blown-up routinely. If you can avoid injury and play long enough, you can win 2 SB rings (Like Eli, not mentioned above).
Arizona St DT Rennell Wren (6’6, 300 lbs.) This guy learns how to disengage from blockers he’s gonna be a monster at the next level. Does not move or look like a DT. Not in the elite category of his his years DT group, but certainly in the next tier.
Freak athlete. 4.85 40, 2.88 20, 34.5″ vert, 10″ broad.
Renell Wren vs Udub (2017):
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3jkrrb404eo
Thanks V12. It’s good to hear this year’s group of DL is even deeper than we’ve heard, especially when DL/front 7 is where Seattle needs to shore things up.
I appreciate it when posters provide info on a prospect with links, rather than just saying something like ‘X looks Seahawky’.
Dude moves more like a Hoopster. I know he’s playing on the interior but I wonder how he would do at End. He certainly has the athleticism to pull it off. Reminds me a bit of a bigger Frank Clark with that fluidity.
. It certainly looks like Carson is injury prone and is going to be a constant casualty. That is hard to take when you see Alec Collins pounding the ball every week for the Ravens. They just resigned Tremaine Pope who has been sitting at home for a year, { as far as I know} I don’t think he will be in shape to contribute . Mi ght have to take another running back in the draft next year. With the Hawks seemingly out of playoff contention, all that matters now is weather Wilson shows he is worthy of the money he is going to ask for.
Pete and John have shown that they’ll do whatever they please when it comes to the draft, often going in the face of conventional opinions, but I think taking another RB next year is unlikely except for two scenarios:
A RB they love falls to them at a position of value and they can’t pass it up
They take a late round flier on a RB that can line up out wide ala McKissic or Prosise
I don’t really see either of those happening.
Sure, Carson clearly has a history of injuries but I think people are too quickly dismissing Penny. He hasn’t stolen the starting job, but I think that’s more of a testament to Carson’s ability than a disparagement of Penny.
I’d expect that, except for adjustments further down the depth chart in players such as Prosise, we’ll see a similar lineup at RB next year.
Also, in response to your comment about Wilson:
He’s worthy of the money he’s going to ask for. Unless he literally asks for the entirety of Paul Allen’s estate (and even then), he’s not going anywhere and we shouldn’t want him to.
You don’t find QB’s of Wilson’s caliber in every draft – look around the NFL at the carousel of QBs at teams like the Browns, Bills, Arizona, Minnesota.
Not only is Wilson legitimately a good QB, despite how many feel following Sunday’s performance, but consistency has a value of it’s own.
And let’s not forget, within two years Wilson will be about the 5th or 6th highest paid QB in the league.
If people are under the mindset you can only afford mega money for Brady, Rodgers or Brees, you’ll be waiting forever to pay a QB.
If that’s the way you feel about Wilson – then I’m sure you will agree that a run first team can also afford the best running back they can find. Because they will be using that running back a lot. Why rely on the fickle draft when you can buy a good running back?
Even a run-first team needs a good QB. I think it’s fair to say that Pete’s on an extreme side of the Run/Pass spectrum, but I don’t think that means the QB position is irrelevant. Look at the history of this team around 2011 and 2012.
Whether we agree with it or not, Pete has made it clear what his offensive philosophy is and the cornerstone of that is the run game. Trying to do that with Nathan Peterman under center won’t be consistently successful even if you have Barry Sanders reincarnated to take the hand off.
Maybe you can make an argument that Schottenheimer (and I’d say more importantly Carroll) stubbornly favor the run to a fault, but I don’t think that means they should let Wilson walk.
I could be wrong, but I think we’re fortunate to have him as our QB, he’s likely to ask for top-QB money, and it’d be a mistake to not give it to him.
I’m not arguing about the rest of the team. I’m simply saying that a running team needs a good/elite running back. If you can’t find one in the draft then you pay for one in free agency. Just like the Seahawks did with Marshawn Lynch. Just like the Seahawks have done with three out of the five starting linemen.
So when your crunching numbers and figuring how much you can pay Wilson, add in the cost of three offensive linemen and a running back. That will probably be another 30 million.
Agree with this completely. It looks like the best version of Wilson is one that throws it 20-25 times a game with a great running back creating play action opportunities. So if you are going to invest 32-35 a year in a slowing down Russ, better keep all options open on finding a top tier running back that can play more than every other game at best.
I can’t even be mad about the loss since San Diego always seems to give the Hawks a rough time. But as so many of the commenters here have already said, The Hawks are doing better than expected and have shown that the fire is there, and this team just needs a few more pieces to really start bringing it together to the point where this is a legit SB contender again. It’s not that far off in the future and there is still a TON to be optimistic about, and a lot of room to draft those young players who are going to be pissed off for greatness.
Speaking of which, i know he’s been mentioned a bit before, but Chase Winiovich is turning into one of my favorite players to watch in this draft class. I’d fully expect the Hawks to trade back once or twice and take what the experts would deem a late day two pick at the end of the first round. He seems to be a real character and a cool guy. Although he’s listed at 6-3 and 255, the things that I love about his game are:
1.) Total effort guy. Never gives up on a play and looks like he would run through razor wire to chase down the ball every time. He’s just relentless without being reckless.
2.) Very aware. I don’t see him getting fooled much at all. He’s very good at tracking and containing. He’ll take just the right position to not get caught off balance to stall the ball carrier just enough to let the defense swarm.
3.) Very good at disengaging the tackle at just the right moment. If the play is in his general direction, he’s not just going to get stood up while the play goes by him.
There may not be that elite, high level lineman, interior or exterior, available for the Hawks when they pick, wherever that may be. If they want to go with a depth approach and trade back a few times, then i hope that Winovich is one of the first two picks. He’s the kind of fiery player that can help bring an identity back to this defense.
Winovich is high effort and technically excellent. I think the Seahawks, however, might be put off by his lack of length and he’s unlikely to be a great tester. And I do have reservations about whether, if he is a marginal athlete, whether his ability to succeed translates to the next level. The combine is big for him.
If the Hawks wanted to finish better than 8-8 this season, they probably lost that hope in the first 8 games they should have finished better than 4-4. Now, other than the in division games vs AZ and SF, it’s a gauntlet, with a home game vs GB the “easiest”.
Rob, did you watch LFC last night?
What British journalists say about the atmosphere?
This is our biggest win after 1991!
I still cant believe that we won LFC!!!
Sadly not, I was working at a different game last night. Congrats on the win 👍🏻
Since Bruce has cleared waivers do you think we should add him?
He’s signed with the Falcons
Reunited with DQ and gives the struggling Beasley some competition. Nice addition IMO.
I think everyone knew this year is about improvement and a work in progress with a chance of the playoffs. We were never super bowl contenders but either he mess in the nfc, anyone has a chance to make the playoffs. But that doesn’t mean we can’t be disappointed. 1. The offense was supposed to carry the team because of our young defense. That has not happened. Our defense has looked more consistent than the offense (even with a lot of assignment mistakes). 2. We are supposed to be a run first team. I’m our wins the run set up the pass. In our losses we seemed to try to force the pass instead of the run. It’s all in game reaction, but it is easy to point to that when we try to pass and russ gets sacked and we go three and out. 3. Despite being in “reset” mode, we are in every game so far and no one is unbeatable. I think back to our super bowl year and one of the big differences that year is that we won all the close games. We didn’t blow anyone out and every game was a nail biter. This year we have lost 4 close games. Why can’t the hawks win every game or at least have that mindset? Also, fan optimism isn’t a bad thing.
Unpopular opinion: I want the Seahawks to win, but the goal is always to win a championship. Anything less is considered a loss on the season. It’s one thing when you’re a real contender, but when you drudge through games with inconsistency from one to the next, that’s not a champion team – clear as day. That’s alright, we’ve known it was going to be a reset year.
I would rather see a worse record to get the best possible draft position. This team hasn’t had a superstar talent added in a long time. Part of that is because we’ve chosen at the back-end of each round. Doesn’t mean there isn’t top talent in later rounds, just really hard. No one likes my opinion on this, and that’s fine. I’ve even been called “not a true hawks fan” smh. I Just want to see a top ten player/athlete on our roster instead of hoping a third round pick will explode to superstardom every year. At the very least, it would allow to gain more from trading now.
That’s going to be a tough viewpoint to maintain. With PC coaching the defense up the way he can, and RW playing the way he can as healthy as he can, the Hawks are simply not going to be getting a natural pick in the top 5 while those two are in town.