Any prediction requires some wiggle room and a margin of error. In terms of the NFL, a win either way seems fair.
I thought the Seahawks would be a 10-6 team in 2019. They could easily end up 11-5 or 9-7. They have the talent at quarterback to achieve more than 10-6. They also have flaws that could prevent them from being much more.
Whether they beat the Rams or not on Thursday, I still see that as the range.
There’s also nothing wrong with that. A 10-6 record is above average. That’s where the Seahawks seem to fit at the moment. There’s a top tier of teams — Kansas City, New England and New Orleans. Then there’s a large second tier where the Seahawks call home. If they’re able to claim a playoff bye and guarantee at least one home playoff game — they’ll be a contender. The thought of having to win three road games to make a Super Bowl, for this team in it’s current guise, seems improbable.
Again though, there’s nothing wrong with that. They’re still growing. They’re one of the youngest teams in the league and they still have some holes.
It’s too soon to properly judge Jadeveon Clowney and Ziggy Ansah but so far — let’s be honest — the results have been a little underwhelming. Hopefully there’s more to come.
There’s also a lack of playmaking in the secondary. The Seahawks have some solid defensive backs — led by Bradley McDougald. Yet they’re still not making a ton of plays on the back end (PBU’s, hits, interceptions).
On offense they’re still working things out in the running game and the O-line play has been up and down. Thankfully Russell Wilson, Tyler Lockett and Will Dissly have started superbly.
DVOA pretty much sums it up. The Seahawks are currently ranked #7 for offense and #17 defense. Overall they’re #11 in the league. They’re ranked #8 in the NFC. That feels about right — a team very capable of making the playoffs but not quite in the upper echelon.
With cap room to spend and a haul of draft picks they’ll have an opportunity to leap forward next year — possibly into the top tier.
For now though, they’re a work in progress. It should be celebrated that during a fairly significant rebuild the Seahawks remain a playoff contender. Instead of spending every waking minute questioning Pete Carroll’s philosophy, second guessing their draft picks and over-analysing every loss — maybe people should spend more time acknowledging how hard it is to avoid peaks and troughs in the NFL.
Take the 49ers for example. Look how they melted away when things turned sour during Jim Harbaugh’s tenure. The Saints won a Super Bowl then spent years in no-man’s land — even with Drew Brees — before eventually returning to contention. The Colts flip between contender and top-10 draft pick all the time. The Jaguars should’ve made the Super Bowl the year before last. Look at them last season. The Broncos? Up and down like a fiddler’s elbow. Ditto the Ravens.
Really only the Patriots, Steelers and Seahawks have found a level of consistency over the years. The Steelers and Seahawks might not be able to match New England’s empire but neither play in the wretched AFC East. Imagine how many titles Pittsburgh and Seattle would have if they got to play six games annually against the Bills, Dolphins and Jets? It’s a yearly invitation for the Patriots to claim a playoff bye. When Seattle has a bye they tend to make the Super Bowl.
Between 2012 and 2015, three different teams won the NFC West with the division overall sporting a record of 148-106-2. In that same period, New England finished 12-4 every year and the AFC East was a combined 134-122 (with 48 of the wins coming solely from New England). In the last 16 seasons, the Patriots have won the division every time apart from 2008 (when they lost out despite having the same 11-5 record as Miami). Alternatively the NFC West has been won by Seattle eight times, the Rams three times, Arizona three times and San Francisco twice. All four teams have reached the Super Bowl.
If the Seahawks finish 10-6 again this year and don’t win a Championship — there’d be no need for a post mortem on a wasted year. The 2020 off-season might be the most exciting in Seattle since Carroll and John Schneider arrived in 2010. They rarely have so much cap room and draft stock and they already possess a competitive roster.
While a 3-1 start is impressive and encouraging, they’ve also won three games against teams with a combined 1-10-1 record. It’d likely be worse if the winless Bengals and Steelers hadn’t played each other on Monday. It’s also worth remembering how narrow their victories were against Cincinnati (one point) and Pittsburgh (two points).
In their only serious test so far they crumbled against New Orleans. It could be that type of season. There’ll be some exhilarating moments just as we saw against Green Bay and Kansas City a year ago. There will also be some days to forget.
In 2018 they played two games against the Rams that could’ve easily gone either way. That may well be the case in the two games this season. Thursday might be a coin-flip — a shoot-out determined by who makes the key play or two in the fourth quarter.
When you look across the schedule though, it shows a series of games that could equally go either way. A trip to Cleveland to face a Browns team capable of brilliance or nonsense. A home game against the inconsistent Ravens. A trip to Atlanta to face a Falcons team who are all over the place but Seattle hasn’t ever really had an answer for Julio Jones when they’ve met previously (27 catches, 327 yards, two touchdowns in four games) and they’ve given up an average of 28 points per game in the last seven meetings between the teams. They have to go to LA, Philadelphia and Carolina. They’ve got two games against a better-than-expected 49ers team. They also get to cross swords with old nemesis Bruce Arians and Tampa Bay.
The Seahawks will win some of those games. They’ll also lose some. It’s a tough looking schedule. Six or seven wins between now and the end of the year would actually be an achievement — especially if it ends in a playoff berth.
If they can beat the Rams on Thursday it might even be enough to launch a NFC West challenge. It’s a stronger division this year with three teams capable of taking wins from each other. Head-to-head records will be vital.
If the Seahawks win on Thursday they’ll claim first blood in that regard. So even if 9-to-11 wins is the destiny regardless — this weeks game is still crucial.
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Off topic, Justin Coleman is playing great with Lions. I got chance to watch 2 games highlights and he was balling, made crucial plays at goal line, an interception. In hindsight, I think we should have resigned him. There can’t be too many play makers in team.
Couldn’t afford him.
We could’ve afford him, just chose not to. Current CAP hit is 3M for Coleman. Ansah’s hit is 7,8M for example
My theory is:
1, PC undervalue nCB position, because he was able to fill it with noname guys successfully. No need to spend big money, draft someone high, because he thinks he can plug in a ton of guys and coach them up
2, He values his coaching skills (maybe much, maybe it’s a valid evaluation) for DBs because previous success
3, He loves this LB corps. He wants to play Kendricks, KJ and Bobby as much as he can
I think it was a mistake. Coleman was the best CB on the team by a wide margin, and nCB is pretty important, and not as easy to plug’n’play guys as PC thinks. Carroll has talent, but so does Coleman. Taylor or Amadi might play OK, but will give much less to the D than Coleman would’ve done.
The game against the Rams might will be hard to watch if they put Kendricks/KJ on Kupp
Detroit made him the highest paid nickel ever in the NFL. Yes his cap hit is low for this year, but they gave him a $10M signing bonus, and $25M base over 4 years. It’s not as though $3M cap hit is the only factor.
We’ll also be getting a 4th round comp pick (estimated) for him leaving.
I agree he is balling out, and would love to have him. That said, we were trying to extend Russ, Clark, Wagner & Reed at the time. Saying that Pete just doesn’t care or thinks he can plug in Joe Shmoe at nickel is probably off the mark.
We played Nickel almost 70% of the time last year. This year, we’re running base a lot more because the roster talent tilts more towards Kendricks than ______ at nickel.
Hopefully this will be a good learning lesson for Carroll in the future. But I highly doubt it.
10-6 still feels like a great outcome all things considered. These guys need a few of those tough losses to grow/learn together and will be stronger next year for it.
To compete for a SB next year, who needs to show the most development in the next 12 months?
There’s more than one answer, but Blair is a guy who sticks out at me. They need a stud safety and they drafted him before DK so they definitely like him. With the lack of good talent in the secondary – they really need him (or any safety) to step up because we know what we have with Hill/Thompson and it’s not impressive.
Amadi too, hopefully.
Hill is not an unimpressive player.
But for some reason Pete plays T2 before Lano…which is plain crazy
Because Tedric is a FS and Hill/McDougald are not.
Thompson was drafted for his ball hawking skills in college. He has shown exactly NONE of that with Seattle. For me, it’s time for him to start making game changing plays that are positive. Right now he’s making plays for the other team……I want to see Blair in there and roll with the growing pains. It certainly can’t be worse than what Thompson has shown.
It most definitely can be worse, trust me.
Growing pains at safety lead to touchdowns.
Trust Pete on this.
Yes. It’s right to trust Pete. When he thinks that it’s time to replace veterans with rookies, it will be done. I don’t know if that happens this year or next year.
Plus, replacing Thompson (FS) with Blair (SS) would mean moving McDougald from SS to FS.
https://twitter.com/bcondotta/status/1179904058385031168
“Listening to Pete Carroll on pre-game radio show talk about why defense has given up fewer big plays this year compared to last year and first thing he says is “being more disciplined.” When you wonder why some guys play and others don’t, it starts there.”
Hate to say it, but I think Thompson is our best bet at FS, for now, but the position definitely needs some improved speed + ball hawking. By mid-season, A. Colbert might compete for playing time at FS.
I consider Blair, Hill, McDougald as SS, only. Hill/McDougald are JAGs; Blair, the future, if only for his hitting.
Outside of Blair, Amadi, McDougald (consistency but at what price?), all should be expendable/replaceable.
IMO, safety position is just a big pile of average.
The Patriots are definitely great – but it’s just insane to me that BB/Brady have been able to play together all those years against the Bills, Dolphins, and Jets with NONE of them ever haven gotten a legitimate NFL quarterback to compete against. It’s no fault of their own and they have played the hand they were dealt (brilliantly) but there’s definitely some luck involved with that already greatness they have/had. Some teams go decades between good QBs.
Those of us old enough to remember Seahawks history prior to Wilson (or Hasselbeck) know how hard it is/was to get a great signal caller. This just isn’t one team the Patriots have been able to pit themselves against. They’ve gotten an entire division for a few decades of clown QBs opposing them. They’re crazy great, but crazy lucky too.
That 49ers team the Seahawks beat to go to the Super Bowl… the Patriots have never had a team close to that good in a division they’ve ever been part of in the BB/Brady era.
Definitely reinforces why re-signing Russ was so so important, and why it shouldn’t have really been a question of if we would. You just can’t let a franchise quarterback in his prime walk. They’re too valuable.
Nobody was ever letting Wilson ‘walk’. There’s a difference between letting a quarterback ‘walk’ and not being able to agree reasonable terms on a contract and therefore having your arm twisted as an organisation.
That’s not the point I was making, but okay.
You said it shouldn’t have been a question whether they re-sign him and that letting him walk was unthinkable. I simply pointed out that it was never a question of letting him walk. That was never on the cards. It was all about finding a reasonable compromise so a deal was possible. Otherwise you have to consider your options.
I’m not sure if you think I was taking a jab at you, but I wasn’t. To me, letting him walk (which I do not mean in the literal sense of “hey, it was a good run see ya later”) was unthinkable. It was crucial for us to bring him back because as BobbyK pointed out, teams sometimes go decades without a true franchise QB. Only point I was trying to get across.
I love Russ, he worth every penny. I’m happy they made the deal. But if Cards would’ve give us 1/1, 2/1, 2/31, 3/1, and 2020 and 2021 1st and 3rd round picks, I’d be fine. Murray seems rough, but with good coaching and staying healthy he can be a top3-4 QB in the league in 2-3 years. A trade would’ve mean rebuilding and would’ve been risky, but if Russ was ready to move on or he’d want just ridiculous amount of money then I think they’d have managed the situation well with the picks and CAP space
It feels like this game tomorrow night may be a good yardstick of where the Hawks are at this moment.
The first three games were filled with bad penalties, turnovers, “fluke” plays that caught them unaware and just misplays (TT mistiming the Ross TD and Flowers not backing him up).
They cut that out vs the Cards more or less but the Cards a pretty hapless opponent and the game felt like it was always in the Hawks’ control.
So, have they truly cleaned things up and righted the ship, or will a quality opponent who can ‘force’ bad plays or missteps show they just had an as-expected game vs a top 5 draft pick team?
A narrow win or a loss could translate to a 9-7 or 10-6 year. A clean game where the Hawks can dictate the pace and win comfortably could be a huge confidence boost for a young team and propel them to a 11 or 12 win season. This team typically closes the season like a freight train.
I just don’t think they’re good enough for 12 wins. Not this year.
Oh that’s a rosy projection to be sure.
I can see the pass rush getting Reed back and Clowney and Ziggy more in gear having an impact on the entire defense. There might be more turnovers to be had with a more frequently harassed QB in the coming weeks.
I’m pretty much with you on your prognosis, but perhaps just a *tad* more optimistic. I see us as a playoff team, but not a SB contending team this year without a lot of luck and some real development in the play-making and leadership department. I was hoping for this year to be a continuation of this largely new incarnation of the team, and then hopefully a step up into the top tier during the next couple of years. Sometimes it helps a team to get close enough to taste it to develop that myopic dedication to getting the grail.
I’ve always thought you needed 4 basic things to avoid swoons, cooperative ownership, good general/personnel management, quality coaching, and a true franchise QB. Consistency in these areas make avoidance of swoons possible. But most around here already know this.
Anyway, nice article as always.
I think we pull this game off with the short week. Seattle starting to feel good with last win coming home and the Rams losing heading out on the road. I believe the Rams are older less time to get ready is the difference. If we win I will still be on my schedule for a 11-5 season
I can see that thought process for sure — I can also see a Rams team utterly inspired to get this one after dropping the game against Tampa Bay.
the talk this week is how bad the Rams O line is and todd gurleys knees. SO they definitely need to dominate the LOS and take a bigger step forward with clowny, ansah, and collier.
This is favorable scheduling for Seattle. The short week really hurts the road team, especially in a division game. That trend has held up.
If it were a Sunday game I would expect the Rams to win, as a talented prideful well-coached team coming off an embarrassing home defeat.
But the short week should negate most of that situational benefit, if not all of it.
Should be very competitive.
I think the Rams losing this game will be more of a cause for concern than the Hawks losing it. The exception being the Hawks playing a dreadful game.
I think that is somewhat fair. Losing two in a row would be concerning for the Rams and would ramp up the pressure. Especially if Goff keeps turning the ball over.
For Seattle though — they’ve lost the last three to LA. And I don’t think we can take them really seriously as a threat to win the NFC West until they start taking wins off the Rams. It’s time to go and get one off them.
I’d say limit the damage Aaron Donald does up the middle and we’ll have a chance. Probably need to have another game where Russ breaks records in how fast he gets the ball out…
The Rams could be in trouble if they cant get Gurley going. If its a Goff first team they arent the same.
Unfortunately limiting the damage Aaron Donald does up the middle might be the same as saying if only we could win the lottery this week we can all have a new car!
Yup. That’s why I said “limit” and not “make him a non factor”, etc. We all know he’s gonna get his as some point or another. It’s just about damage control at this point.
BTW, was really fun to watch the NFL Top 100 vid of him winning #1 and how respected he is by his peers:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=siidva6lw-A
Great article, Rob. Way to put things in perspective. I think if we outperform, we can win. In reality, odds are we are not quite there.
Nevertheless, I want to trust the process, hence I think it’s more about how the team evolves and grows over the season. It’s not how you start, it’s how we finish. Hopefully the team can mature enough to narrow the gaps, identify the strengths and plug the needs in the off-season.
I agree, but I think the Rams games will be the difference maker for the conference, if we can beat them twice, 11-5+. If we lose twice if say they’ll be a solid 9-7. Our toughest games left are divisional in my eyes.
If they go on a run in the playoffs then awesome, if not I honestly think this roster comes back next year with their sights on the Superbowl, if they keep Clowney and Jefferson, and green and Collier can continue to develop that’s a line up to have faith in. Sprinkle in some draft picks at safety and corner and this defense can get to an elite status again. But baby steps, I think things will develop nicely this year, it’s still a young team and there will be stumbles and missteps.
Go Hawks and great article Rob
Respectfully disagree. You quote the DVOA rankings as though they are a projection of the season as a whole. In reality, Seattle has consistently played their worst games in September, with significant improvement as the season progresses.
To date in 2019, we’ve seen 3 games marred by Carson fumbles, the presence of which have significantly altered the flow and eventual score of the game. In the Saints game, I’d argue Seattle’s mistakes made as much or greater difference in the game than being supposedly out-matched by New Orleans (punt-coverage breakdown resulting in TD, Al Woods lining up over the long-snapper on Saints’ missed FG).
With regard to the offense, outside of Carson’s early fumble issues, though far from optimal, we’ve seen significantly better execution and consistency than in most years under Wilson (most notably due to Wilson himself this season). If prior season trajectories are anything to go by, we should only see further improvement from the current state in October and November.
With regard to the defense, subtract a [Saints] fumble returned for a TD, another [Steelers] to the 3 yard line (arguable, but I’m not counting this against the defense), and the punt return TD [Saints]; and you’re left with points actually allowed on the season of 67, or an average of 16.75 a game, which although against 3 weaker teams and a backup QB, still is a quality mark to start with in the NFL. Again, I only expect improvement as the season progresses due to typical development of the younger players, along with the return of Reed.
In summary, while improvement naturally can’t be guaranteed, all signs point positive based on history and the starting point this season. I comfortably put the over/under at 11.5 wins for 2019.
A few points…
No, I refer to DVOA to highlight the point I’m making about where the Seahawks are right now. As we stand here today they look like a second tier team not an elite team. DVOA adds weight to that assertion. Doesn’t mean they can’t improve. But my thoughts on where they are as a team are currently backed up by DVOA.
We’ve also seen three games where the pass rush has been distinctly unthreatening, the secondary is equally struggling to make plays, the running game isn’t as strong as it was a year ago and the O-line play has regressed a little from 2018. It’s correct that Seattle’s mistakes contributed greatly to the Saints loss. But they made bad mistakes in the first two games too and who’s to say Carson’s fumbling issues are in the past after one good game against Arizona? Can this young team play consistently clean football? That’s a major question mark.
Did you miss the bit where I said Wilson has started superbly — along with Will Dissly and Tyler Lockett?
They also have a tepid pass rush so far, aren’t making barely any plays in the secondary, conceded long drives to Andy Dalton, Mason Rudolph and Teddy Bridegwater and even the best player on defense — Bobby Wagner — has not matched his usual high standards so far. Of course it’s not all bad. DVOA says they’re currently the 17th best defense in the league per their analysis and that feels about right. Average.
If you’re comfortably putting the over/under at 11.5 wins then I’m afraid you’re in for a big letdown. That to me is as giddy as the 4-0 and 6-0 talk after the narrow win in Pittsburgh. I’m not trying to dampen anyone’s optimism (I think they go 10-6) but let’s be realistic here.
With regard to my comments on the offense, I wasn’t aiming to say that you’re overlooking Wilson’s, or the offense’s, production to date. My point was that they’ve started far better than in prior years, and that history tells us that it should improve beyond this. Said otherwise, with comparable improvement to prior seasons in October and November, the offense could, and even likely will, reach a proficiency we haven’t yet seen under Carroll and Wilson.
In the end, in order to project beyond what we have seen to estimate a season record, I’m leaning on historical trends through the season and applying it to where we are now. I would agree that if little changed, and the team played as they have for the rest of the season, then this is likely no more than a 9-11 win team. It’s the expected trend that pulls my projected win total up.
Im still hoping for an 11-5 season. That could be good enough for a bye week depending on who else is 11-5. The North will take each other down then you are just going up against the Eagles (which we play) the Cowboys, Saints (that loss could hurt). Then you got to win the division which might be the hardest part of all.
Nice post. I (tried) to say something similar in a previous reply that SEA need to beat LAR if they’re going to win the division, and they need to win the division if they’re going to make a meaningful run in the post season (and rise into the top tier of teams). I also said the remaining schedule is far from a cake walk. Road games at PHI, ATL, CAR, LAR, SF, even CLE, are all legit challenges.
I tend to agree this year’s team isn’t a 12 win squad. I think their ceiling is 11 wins, and their floor is 9, so a 10 win prediction is pretty safe. But I think the only way they get to 10 or 11 wins is if they at least split their games vs LAR, and tomorrow night’s game is their best chance to do that or better (sweeping the series). I’ll go a step further and opine that if SEA win tomorrow by truly beating the Rams (as opposed to the Rams losing the game or SEA squeaking out the win like they did vs CIN and PIT), they most likely get to 10-6 with a real chance to go 11-5.
Seahawks: 29
Rams: 23 (Goff throws INT to TT in final minutes)
I’ll be hiding in a cupboard for the next 24 hours. Go Hawks!
10-6 or 11-5 seem fair to me. They’re probably a notch better than last year but not a Super Bowl contender yet. It takes years to rebuild a team. This is only year two of the rebuild. We’re getting there.
I think it remains to be seen whether they’re a notch better than last year. We’ll find out shortly. The 2018 team played the Rams close twice and was able to beat Green Bay, Detroit, Minnesota, Dallas and Kansas City among others. This team hasn’t played the better teams on the schedule so far.
Nice article, Rob:
One item that wasn’t mentioned is that of penalties. In the first half against AZ, no penalties. The Hawks were in total control of the game at that point. In the second half, there were too many penalties and AZ had a chance to get back into the game. If they have penalty problems this year, 9-7 may be the bottom line. If they control the penalties, 11-5 could happen.
Also, first year in the Carroll / Schneider era, they had 2 first round picks and the bad contracts that Ruskell had signed were let off the hook when the league gave them a mulligan. It took 4 years to get to the SB. Now they have Wilson at QB, but started the rebuild with only 4 draft picks. I think they are 2 years away from being the BAMF’s of the NFC.
Its too early to tell where this team is going. But history with the PC/russ seahawks say they always play better down the stretch. Except for one Blair Walsh inducing season. This year is different tho. Russell looks amazing. Maybe this is the year he carries us over the top. Every year we watch the run game, OL, defense breakdowns, passing all struggle out the gate in varying degrees. I still see all those things happening but not nearly to the same doomsday feeling.
2 things…
Need to see carson stop fumbling. That is the biggest issue on offense. If that gets resolved, I see the best offense PC has had here. And the pass rush. But i see glimmers of hope. All the players we need to step up are. Qjeff, woods, green, poona all making big plays. Clowney has been solid, not spectacular. Reed coming back will be key. Kendricks pass rush has been solid too. If they figure those 2 things out, I can see a huge run.
Definitely see 10 wins as the bar. But optimism is there. Like always, depends on injuries. The rams look vulnerable. There OL is finally crashing down to earth and Goff is struggling a ton with it. The niners have won a game turning the ball over 5 times. Things have fallen there way. The D is good, but jimmy is prone to turnovers. Both are tough matchups. But russ is dealing. Reading defenses, getting the ball out quickly. The play calling has been better. Year 2 of schotty and RW is looking great. What if this the year RW takes that next step. A la Brady did.
As far as them matching the performance of the teams of the past couple of years down the stretch, their are too many new players to make that assumption. In my opinion.
10.5….. I’ll take the over
The pass rush is nowhere near elite now, but the DL will improve as the season goes on, 3 guys without much if any preseason, Reed coming back, the rotational guys all tested early in the season, Jefferson and Woods look like starters if they have to be. If they can find a steady rotation when Reed is back, the pressure will improve and we have looked good against the run for the most part.
The secondary has been a mixed bag, a few big chunk plays, better job keeping things in front of them, better at getting their heads around for playing the ball, some bad tackling and lack of turnovers. They need some more pass rush to force some bad throws.
Inconsistency with the run game is a surprise, but should it be? We have seen these early season struggles before, we thought that was over, but here we are. The last game against a bad team showed a line that can impose their will and finish finish out a game. The run game feeds everything, possession rests a d-line, a fresh line gets after the QB, a flustered QB turns the ball over and an run offense with a lead kills it with play action, it’s a feedback loop we all hope for and know well. The way Russ is playing good luck shutting down the run and not getting burned in the process.
I expect the run game to become more and more consistent over time, and that makes 10-6 the floor for me, Thursday gives us a great chance to see where we are really at, and to see if the Rams have regressed. If we can get a win, or lose a well played game we will have a chance at 11 wins and the division.
27-19 for the WIN
10-6 the floor?
Be warned guys. There was a lot of this talk before the Saints game. The Seahawks haven’t shown anything yet to warrant this level of faith.
Exactly my point Rob, I expect improvement in the D-line, and more consistency on the o-line. This team will improve, the Rams will regress, that is my prediction. They finished off three bad teams with the run at the end of games, a 9-7 team finds a way to lose one of those games.
I won’t proclaim to know how these grades are determined, but PFF gives Griffin a coverage grade of 82.9 through 4 games- 7th best in the league.
There are 64 starting CB in the League. More than a few were former R1 picks.
7th best is 90th percentile. Not bad for a R3 pick.
I like the season Griffin is having. He does a really good job of preventing yards after catch, and he’s getting a lot better at passes defensed.
I’d like to see Flowers make that kind of progress.
Although Griffin is definitely playing well, much better than last season for sure, these PFF coverage grades seem really subjective. Nobody would argue that Shaq is the 7th best CB in the league, or even that he’s a true shutdown CB yet. He just doesn’t have the ball skills that someone like Sherm had, which is the one skill that really separates the top CB’s.
Also agree with Eric that we really need to see more improvement from Flowers. Almost feels like he played better last season. There’s clearly a lot of room for improvement, so hopefully he’ll make a jump the rest of this season. Would be huge for the defense if Griffin and Flowers were strong defenders!
It’s the season of malcontents. Looks like Stefon Diggs may be available for trade. He’s reportedly upset at his reduced role on an underwhelming Vikings team this year, and apparently he just didn’t show up for practice today. They may still work it out, but it doesn’t look promising.
He had over 1000 yards, 100 receptions and 10 TDs last year.
SEA don’t need him with their WR group, but I sure could see him developing some chemistry with Wilson and lighting it up. I don’t watch a ton of Vikings, but if memory serves, he’s a decent route runner and broken play specialist who finds a way to get open when his QB scrambles. Wilson has had better protection so far this year and hasn’t had to run around to extend plays like in seasons past, but he still does, and does better than almost anyone. Diggs would be a good WR to pair with him. A bit of ADB to his game.
If they could get Diggs in trade for one of the current WR and a pick, something like Jaron Brown or Malik Turner and a R3 pick, I’d say do it.
So Diggs is unhappy with his reduced role in MIN, but you think he would be happy to come here for a few targets a game and being tasked with blocking? Sure, winning solves just about anything and the upgrade from Cousins to Wilson would be huge, but I’m just not sure I see It.
Good read on The Ringer about challenges for modern day defenses. This blurb on what Pats did against Rams was enlightening:
They took the fastest kid they had on their roster, and they put him at safety, and then they took the safety and rolled him down and put him outside the tight end so that they had speed to the outside in case anything were to bounce [outside],” said Cody Alexander, a high school coach in Texas who runs MatchQuarters, a website devoted to defense. “They really only had two defensive calls, it was crazy.” Jones’s speed at safety, Alexander explains, meant that the Rams could never outrun him on crossing routes. “I think the future is really trying to find more of these hybrid type of defensive backs,” he said. “What the Patriots did was simple. I don’t think people understood how simple it was, and then they got multiple blitzes on third down.”
TCU’s Gary Patterson is a defensive-minded coach in the pass-happy Big 12 who’s chatted with NFL coaches about stopping college-style offenses. Patterson told Sports Illustrated that Belichick’s genius was running those two defensive calls and waiting to see what the Rams would do at the line before committing to either one.
Watched the SB summary replay last night on how NE beat the Rams. Get vertical rush, run a 6-1 to cover wide routes, lots of masked coverages…Patricia in Detroit did a similar style to beat the Rams mid-season.
Wondering if our answer will be similar upfront where we see us utilize the 3 LBs interchangeably but in a flatter 6-1?
Dont know if we have the personnel nor experience at the back end like Jones, McCourtney x2, Chueng etc to matchup as well in coverage. (Sure miss the LOB)
It’s crazy how good of a strategist Belichik is.
I really wonder what would happen to Brady if he would’ve been played in a different system and/or under a different HC. Or how would be another team under Belichik.
I think Brady is a solid QB, but nothing over-special (something like Goff or Wentz for example). But Belichik makes the Patriots a dynasty
The most interesting story to me in the NFC over many years is waiting to see which of the ‘Big 3’ QBs leads his team to victory to earn their 2nd ring.
Brees & the Saints?
Rodgers & the Packers?
Wilson & the Seahawks?
It’s proving to be very difficult to achieve that summit twice. Will one of them reach the undisputable heights & immortal level of Eli Manning with two titles this century representing the NFC?
And will any of them be able to challenge the AFC champion before Brady retires and the Chiefs get into cap trouble after paying Mahomes…?
I think this will be an ugly loss. Like 34-13. I definitely hope not, but I think they’ll burn us bad.
Why?
1, OL is not up and down, OL is plain bad. PFF is sometimes all over the place, but they grade all of our linemen as either backups or simply trash.
Fluker and Britt struggled a lot this year. Iupati as well. It can be a big game for Donald. Ifedi is mostly mediocre or bad. He needs help constantly. Brown is not his usual self. Not sure if it’s the biceps or something else. I feel Russ will be under a lot of pressure. I think 5+ sack is likely
2, Playcalling was awesome sometimes, but Schotty tends to overthink it other times. I’m not sure how well they’ll respond to the Rams. I guess they could be played with inside runs and let iOL tire out ADonald, and also use up-tempo and quick passing and TE seams. They won’t be able to run, I doubt it (I said inside runs to tire out Donald, not for gaining a ton of yards). Deep routes won’t work much. DK, Moore, Brown needs to have a good game in order for the team to stay in it.
3, Run defense struggled a lot (iDL). Not sure how Gurley will play, but if he’s solid then we’ll have some issues. Brown is not awful either.
4, Cooks, Woods, Kupp all talented. Goff might struggle. Passrush is vital. If they can pressure Goff a lot and he’ll have a hard day, the secondary will have a chance. Otherwise it’ll be pretty hard for them
I think the Rams will attack with inside runs and using a ton of 3-4 WR sets. Ton of misdirection as usual and some tricky plays possible too. I feel if they need/have an opportunity they’ll do a fake FG/punt too.
As for defense, I think they will want 2 things: stop the run and pressure Wilson. They’ll bring blitzers a lot. Carson, Dissly struggled some with blitz pickup and a blitz or a stunt can cause big troubles especially on the right side of our line.
Based on talent, this could be a close game. But I feel PCSchotty-PCKenNorton will be outcoached
10-6
Right now I will take the under.
The offensive line is atrocious by most metrics. The scoring actually regressed against Arizona. Russ, Dissly, Lockett all playing great then meh.
The defense is okay but think they will get better as line gets into game shape and Reed returns. If the offense could get its act together and play from ahead this Dline could pin it’s ears back and really concentrate on pass rush.Then maybe the turnovers start coming. Constantly playing from behind allows opposing offenses not to become one dimensional.
Not sure what to make of this game. If the Seahawks come out hot in 1Q – then I see something like a 31-28 win. If they start slow – I think we might get our doors blown off; 38-17.
To me, this feels like a game where whoever scores first will win in the end. Don’t want to be playing from behind.
Totally agree. Whoever needs to play catch up is going to make big mistakes.
I was on the 11-5 possibly 12-4 wagon before the season started. It all went well till that horrible Saints game.
It all comes down to this game tonight.
Win and at 4-1 with a W over the RAMS and we are back on schedule to win 11-12 games. Lose and 10-6 could end being too optimistic.
PC teams are notoriously slow starters and good finishers. Add to it Clowney and Ansah just getting into game form, the injured Ford and Reed 2 games away and you can see how that unit could become formidable later in the season. Add to it a surprisingly serviceable Green, QJeff and Kendricks blitzing and it could be fun to watch.
But, it starts with a W tonight….or it could become uglier.
At the quarter mark, I’m just curious what the community thinks of two players who aren’t having very good years so far.
Wagner – I don’t have his PFF grade YTD but last two years he was insanely high, and on the weekly PFF scorechart tweets he hasn’t cracked the top 5 for the Seahawks D. Seems like he’s not passing the eye test either. He’s made plays but definitely not up to his usual standards. LBs were viewed as a strength of the D but the guy right in the middle of it all isn’t having his typical impactful play in 2019.
Dickson – Both his yardage and his directional ability are off this year compared to last year so far. Last week he had two good punts and two clunkers. The 33 yard punt, the returner had to sprint up the field to catch. The two clunkers should have pinned the Cards deep but gave them more breathing room. The last one was a 51 yard beauty that couldn’t be returned because he pinned it against the sideline. I was thinking he is/was fighting an injury or something, but that last punt was fantastic. But overall he seemed to have regressed from ‘this guy is a weapon for us’ to just another punter.
Am I overreacting? Are there any stories or news tidbits where PC has been asked what is going on with these two guys?
I think mostly over reacting Cha! Bobby is still Bobby and playing well, leads the team in tackles every game. He’s critical to the success of the defense in ways that stats can’t measure or account for. The main thing is he’s healthy so far and likely to gain more traction as the entire defense improves throughout the season.
Dickson is fine as well. Punting perfectly all the time isn’t attainable, everyone has a down game here or there. He’s still a very good punter. Now, if he continues to have 33 yd punts, somethings up…
I always turn to stats when trying to evaluate a player’s performance from season to season.
Since entering the League in 2012, Wagner has averaged 140 tackles per season. Through 4 games in 2019, he has 45 tackles. That’s on pace for 180 tackles this year, which would be a career high. Not sure anyone would consider that a regression. Rather, Wagner is so good at what he does, and he does it with no self aggrandizement, it’s easy to lose sight of his on field performance.
Dickson had an amazing rookie season, so I think it’s easy to have high expectations for him. But looking at his stats show he’s only slightly off of his rookie performance. He averaged 48.2 yards per punt in 2018. Through 4 games in 2019, he’s averaging 45.9.
Problem with stats:
Is it necessarily a good thing for Wagner to be averaging over 10 tackles / game? For loss/gain, when/how?
What does yards/punt tell us about situational needs and/or quality of punts?
Not trying to be a dick, but most stats tell us very little about quality of play.
My understanding is that PFF tries to factor in the extenuating circumstances to account for the situation. At the end of the day it is still a judgement call so take it for what it is worth
Agree. PFF and other football/analytics does a better job of considering variables/context/etc. My comment was in regards to old-school stats like YPC, sacks, tackles, etc.
I think your comments are very fair. Wagner has been quiet — making tackles for sure but not impacting games. Dickson just seems off his game.
The Hawks have been lucky so far with the schedule, especially since they are once again trying to “find their identity”. I watched that Rams game last Sunday, and they can be totally had on D. If a QB like Winston can shred them, the RW is going to have a helluva game.
It’s supposed to be raining, windy and blustery. The Hawks haven’t played well in those conditions for a while now. Obviously, the running game is a key for this game.
I had strong convictions when I woke up about making some bold predictions, but my mind is changing as the day goes on so I’ll just stick to what I “want” to see tonight.
Some breakout performances on both offense and defense from some of the young guys. 200 total yards and at least 1 TD from the trio of Penny, DK, and Moore. 2 turnovers forced by Flowers, T2, Griffin.
Rob, you staying/getting up to watch the game live? (if so, I hope you are sleeping now and don’t reply right away…!)
I will indeed be staying up.
You DA man. That is dedication.
Kam Chancellor. Folks we all remember when Chancellor knocked Demaryius Thomas into next Tuesday(In the Super Bowl). The Rams are going to be running crossing routes until the cows come home. The Rams LOVE to run crossing routes. Can some one make a Kam Chancellor statement against a Ram receiver? Can someone knock a Rams receiver into next Tuesday when he catches a crossing route going over the middle of the field?
Okay now. Let’s win this home game. We need to score some points, stop their running game, and get after Goff. Let’s do it!
It’s going to be another pretty interesting offseason. They have enough draft capital and salary cap, but that defensive line is almost all on expiring contracts. Ziggy, Clowney, QJeff (who is having a great year), Reed, Woods and B.Jack are all expiring. Basically starting from Poona, Collier and Green next year. It’s going to take a pretty healthy cut off their salary cap and draft capital to rebuild that.
Between the d-line, RT and secondary they still have some pretty major holes between them and being a powerhouse in 2021.
Well, they do have $75m to spend and three picks in the top-64. So they’ll have a chance to address these issues.
If we were to re-sign Clowney, re-sign Ansah, extend Reed, and Extend Jefferson, how much of the $75MM do you estimate would be eaten up? I realize that it’s still early and we don’t know what the season will bring in terms of production and injury status.
Let em test FA imo. Either bring em back or score more comps. Rinse repeat. I really miss 5tech Leo bookends
Why re-sign Clowney or Ansah? Are they really worth what they’ll get paid. Take the comp picks, move on.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Jefferson and/or Reed (doubtful) aren’t extended in-season.
Well you tell me Elmer… how much would Ansah command as a free agent based on his performances so far? Or Clowney?
Who a year ago thought they’d get that duo at the price they did?
And if you paid them all $20m (which you wouldn’t) — you’d still have $15m.
Let’s F****** GOoooOOOOOOooooOOO
Looking forward to Britt vs. Donald, Part II.
N o l o v e l o s t.
It’s important to remember that as each year brings a new season, it also bears new teams. Judging from what occurred previously may not carry much weight in determining the outcome of the present. The Rams are not the same team as they were a year ago. The same could be said with the Hawks.
The Hawks are a better team than they were a year ago. I can’t say the same with the Rams. Are the Hawks good enough to overtake the Rams this season? We shall soon see. If they do, a 12-4 outcome for the season may not be out of the realm of possibility for this year’s version of the Hawks.
So, we should not sell them short of the potential growth for THIS season.
Look… growth is possible.
But there is absolutely no evidence of a 12-4 team so far.
We need to have realistic ambitions for this season. 12-4 is not realistic.
LJ Collier inactive again.
Four rookies inactive in total — Blair, Ursua, Jennings, Collier.
If Collier can’t move past Jackson on the depth chart, is it time to get worried?
Be more worried if Rasheem Green dont take a step forward
No. He was hurt all pre-season and he’s a rookie.
I did say, “If they do, a 12-4 outcome for the season may not be out of the realm of possibility.” A win would be an indicator of the possibility, since they lost both games against the Rams last year. This would show there is improvement from the previous year.
If not, a 10-6, or 9-7 record is a high probability for the outcome of THIS season. It should be fun to watch.
I don’t think a win tonight makes 12-4 possible. They have a very difficult remaining schedule.
A 12-4 season takes a very special team. They aren’t that. Not yet.
Finally, game time!
My wild guess:
Half time:
SEA 10
SF 17
Final:
SEA 27
SF 24
Curious inactives for the game. Surprised Blair and Collier are inactive. I get the others. Maybe they want Collier and/or Blair to watch a game.
Hoping for a good game
Go Hawks!
So many fumbles
Let me dig out the comments from week three on how to lose at home…
Jaron Brown doesn’t have money in the bank for errors like that.
When’s AJ Green healthy?
Diggs?
Too expensive
Russ is gonna come back hot.
Pass pro needs to be better
Aaron Donald needs to be worse
They need to do something different. Wilson hasn’t had a second to throw.
Donald is too good. Once in a lifetime talent.
Seahawks playing the same game as New Orleans.
Can you please give RW a nanosecond to throw the ball. Please!
They’ve got to do more than let Donald go 1v1 teeing off vs the guards with an occasional Chris Carson last line of defense.
Need to attack the perimeter and stretch them out. Some extended hand-offs to the WR’s, a toss, a sweep. Something to get them moving sideways instead of attacking straight up. Otherwise Wilson is going to get hammered.
Beautiful PBU by Jamar Taylor
Y’all realize Bradley McDougald is the best player in our secondary lmaaaaaaaaaaoo
That this game is only 6-0 now is some kind of a moral victory. It should be worse…
This
OL not starting wellllll. Zero energy outside of a couple guys. Need a big momentum playr
This is going to be very painful to watch at this rate
Hopefully our OL can pick it up, guys in the backfield almost immediately
Perfect throw, great catch! Tyler Lockett amazing!
Dissly’s too
Dissly too. Wilson is on an entirely different level than he’s been before. Masterful.
Was that the effing pass of the year?
That might be the best catch-pass I’ve ever seen
The Sloth household is losing its mind
+1
What. A. Catch.
What do you, miracles do happen! Lockett channeled his inner Baldwin, that was a classic Dougie Fresh play!
Wilson Lockett combo is unplayable
Wilson to ___ is unplayable
They’re making adjustments in pass pro. Insert Jones.
Russ to Lockett is sick and how does Dissly get so wide open this consistently.
Quit with the effing penalties..
Penny looks thick. Picking his way on that pitch. I loathed his scheme profile overdraft because he NEEDS a lead blocker. He’s like early Lynch, needed Mike Rob to be his eyes. I think he’s “more coachable” than Lynch but he’s reeeeaallly young
Predraft*
Probably throw of the year for Russ. If so Lockett owns like at least 4 of them
This OL is getting beat like a drum. Fluker got benched and now Jamarco Jones is playing RG, even Britt is giving up easy pressures.
👏👏👏
And it’s preventing the Seahawks creating any rhythm or flow.
Fluker is injured. Hamstring.
Defense has started very well.
Kenny Norton loving it.
Been getting somewhat decent pressure on Goff. Need to hit him and make him jittery.
I want to see BWagz firing up this defense. He needs to provide a spark thats been missing this year so far.
Good defensive series
We’re an O-line away from taking a stranglehold in the game.
How MVP is Wilson to this team? Most other QBs would have been sacked several times already.
And Carson. He makes his own. At least tonight he is.
A magician.
D has started fantastically.
You know…this is just a good game. A war. What I love about football…
From what I remember, 3-4 defenses has always given this offense fits. Starting to double Donald now
What a play to DK!
Perfect throw and DK is so fast he was all alone
*hands on hips* BuT hE cAn OnLy RuN iN a StRaIgHt LiNe’
How many teams had him high on their draft list only to drop him because of the underwear olympics?
I bet they have heartburn tonight
So stupidly open
Deep sluggo post filth.
Great play design getting him in the slot to run away from the backside corner/safety covering for the deep middle on the role out. Russ even under threw him!
Yeah baby!
It’s time for our D to really start finding its identity. It’s nasty…
I like they direction that they’re heading. After getting hit in the mouth. They just bounce back and make the necessary adjustments.
Clutch tackle by Kendricks. Gurley is hard to bring down in the open field.
And Wasn’t Al Woods being held?
And as I type, that’s a nice tackle by Griffin. Really good at preventing yards after catch.
That fumble was by Clowney Nice play
That’s a clean fumble
Very clean. Polished, even.
Even though I’d still like to see more pressures, he’s starting to get comfortable in this defense.
Carson runs the way Bobby Wagner tackles: he makes it look easy. Like he’s on a different level.
And OMG Dissly. He’s unbelievable!
RW is working his magic tonight. Whew!
This has been a fantastic game so far. Truly fantastic.
Dissly is my new favourite player.
I love Pete having more guts to go for it on 4th down this year.
He shoulda. Dont like kicking it there in that situation
Nevermind..
QJeff is having himself quite a night
What a BS penalty, he hit him in the thighs.
Ziggy was pushed by OL Allen… bad call.
Pete not running for few inches sucks with so much working for offense…momentum killing event right there allowing Rams back in to game…
They’ve got to be aggressive in a game like this, 4th and 1 from your opponents 30 with less than 2 minutes time is the perfect time for that.
They don’t have to be overly aggressive on every play in every scenario.
It was a gettable 48-yarder to go two scores clear.
Perfectly logical to kick.
I’m not trying to Twitter this and second guess every decision, but in that scenario and in this game I would absolutely would go for it.
That’s fine.
But I also think it’s perfectly plausible to back your kicker to make it a two-score game there.
I was perfectly fine with the FG attempt. We just missed it. The old rule of thumb is that if you;re a good team you play it conservatively at home and more aggressive on the road.
The field goal was the right call IMO.
Just missed it. Need to execute.
Seahawks Twitter’s pissing and moaning again because… Seahawks Twitter.
Pete can’t be faulted for the missed FG. It was the right call. Prevent Def is always susceptible to being picked apart. Should be a fun 2nd half.
DK Metcalf is 13 yards away from being on pace for 900 yards and 6-7 TDs
And that’s with last weeks stinker.
On like 40 catches lol
Oh come on
KJ’s looking slooooow
That was too easy..
They’ve adjusted. Game of adjustments.
Seattle needs a counter on defense… or they need to go toe-to-toe with touchdowns.
Because this is starting to look like the Rams offense in the last three games against LA.
Spread out the LBs then go right at em.
Hate spl teams coach..when do they fire him. What a turn around for Rams.
Defense is not right where it needs to and can’t be relied up on to hold up all game
What?
One missed FG and you want a coach fired?
It’s not just this game alone…same story forever.
They gave up 15yards return instead of pinning deep
On one punt Littleton came unblocked and almost blocked
Come on man.
You’re calling for a coach to be fired because a serial kick blocker almost (but didn’t) make a play, Dickson had a rough punt and they missed a FG.
We don’t call for firings on here during a game.
I wonder if the Ram’s RT will ever get called for a false start this game? He’s jumped several times already.
In fairness, Ifedi’s been jumping early for four years.
7 tbf
touche’
tho, ifedi does get his share of penalties, i believe.
Russell Wilson going full on Michael Jordan here
I’d really like to see less of Jaron Brown.
That was all on Wilson. Poor throw.
Agreed. Just everytime I see him on the field, I just don’t see how he’s adding to the offense.
Wondering if Wilson expected Brown to come back toward the LOS on that play, to make it a safer throw. Brown was several yards past the first down marker, and so had room to come back and still get the first down.
That one was on wilson
Clear throwing lane. Russ has to step into that one.
Amadi’s punt coverage has been really good for a rookie
With Thorpe missing so much time, Amadi is making the most of it
I think I’ve worked out why Century Link isn’t as loud these days.
Everyone’s on their phones… complaining about Pete Carroll on the internet.
where is the lie? 🕵
I can’t do twitter during games. Thank goodness we have the blog instead
Russell is so special
Carson is in danger of becoming BAMF
What a drive.
Badass.
Money for nothin and chix for free
Nice play by Thomas. That’s good to see.
I wonder if SEA holding LAR to 2 early FG instead of 1 or 2 TDs will be the difference in the game.
This will go down to the last possession. Hopefully, the ball is in Russ’ hands.
Pete…where are the defense adjustments?
I miss when the defense was showing some resistance earlier.
This is way too easy for them.
Tackling is SO bad.
Absolutely no answer. None at all. Hot knife through butter. Just like the last three games.
Took less than a half to work us out and we’ve no answer.
McDougald, Griffin and Thompson all whiffed on that play..
Safeties needed big time.
Even Wagner who was a sure thing last year has been off this year. He seems slower to read plays, react, and finish tackles. Kendricks tackles well, but keeps breaking containment assignments.
Wagner missed lot of practices during his contract negotiations
Doesn’t bode well for the rest of the game
We went from playing stout D to not being anything more than wet toilet paper.
Looks like they’re just doing a deep drop… letting our aggressiveness up front create space underneath and the drop is buying Goff enough time to exploit all that time and space. Plus they’re finding matchups.
I’m not sure what we can do to adjust really. Guys need to make plays. Maybe blitz.
Tackling has been woeful again.
I missed almost the whole 1st quarter, but it looks like McVay again. Changed Goff’s launching points mixed in with PA, and Seattle can’t get any pressure.
No pressure
Like butter through us
He didnt get that
Let’s hope Woods’ great goal line stop fires them up
Tedric Thompson has been washed out of plays, missed tackles, and generally been subpar.
Man….a guy like Blair would be really good for a game like this. Flying around…speed, hitting people. Wouldn’t be any worse than what we’re getting now.
Amadi’s heads up play would be huge too. Hes a guy who could generate turnovers and I’m surprised they aren’t using him against the Rams of all teams..
That’s twice tonight Dissly has been able to catch the unexpected flip from Wilson. He has good reflexes.
And Carson just keeps screaming “I’m a BAMF!”
Man.. why do our RBs trip regularly
That turf is slippery. Just a bunch of rubber beads until you really plant your feet into the stringy part
Be grateful for that turf though, it’s why Marcus Peter’s didnt stop that TD lol
Wish it was grass for the Sounders
Damn I was hoping they scored before the end of the quarter. Go into the 4th with the lead.
Oh well, a come from behind win it is.
Well this has been a game, please let us pull this out. 🙏
Bwag and KJ log a lot of minutes. KJ is not a spring chicken any longer. Playing all downs may come back to bite em.
That third down completion might be the play of the game (and the game winning play).
Incredible from Cooks.
I can’t stand Aikman, says Griffin was all over him, yeah he was grabby, but Cooks clearly pushed off extending his arm. Great catch though. I imagine he just got the wind knocked out of him.
Thought he arm barred him too DC.
I dont get how that’s a catch? What happened to control through going to the ground?
If he had control when he hit the ground, the catch is complete and the play is over. I’m not saying I agree with it but that’s what they ruled.
Hardly any of these passes do we have contested catches.
This defensive effort makes me want to throw up
It’s Clowney or nothing. He’s their only threat from the outside. They let Goff get dialed in.
I’m glad McVay challenged this. He should lose
Great call by the ref
Do we even have 1 sack?
*Dave Chappelle meme* got anymore of them…. 9 minute 4th quarter TD drives?
Carson has been the better RB in this game
This is the right offensive strategy. Plenty of time to run the ball. Bleed the clock and make sure you score a TD.
That’s the refs paying back the weak call against Ansah
Exactly. Gotta call it both ways.
Classic clay matthews, dirt bag
Carson trash talking at the end of that run makes me smile
So, so good. Most underrated back in the league IMO.
Carson’s just f*ckin’ with us now
Cardiac moment
DK gotta bring that in
Russ put it in his hands man.
He’ll be reliving that play in his dreams tonight.
Goff owe us a INT
Thank you Goff.. missed a few chances earlier but not this time. Huge confidence booster for TT
Anyone have any confidence our D will stop ’em?
Gotta stop the Rams here.
Last thing we wanted in this game, rams down by 1 with over 2mins left…. this doesn’t bid well for us
lt was a competitive game..
And they won it!!
Have to blitz
Is that a pick?!?
You damn right it is
Ball game!
Yessir. Sure looks like it.
Give it to Carson and turn out the lights.
I swore the Rams only had 1 TO left
Lost two challenges
What a play in such a crucial moment!
That’s an interception
TT coming through!
Glad they didn’t do something reactionary like bench him. It takes time, and plays like this, to help a player reach his potential.
T2000
What a play from Tedric. Finally showed the ridiculous ball skills he had at Colorado
They shouldn’t have blown the whistle. Who knows where TT ends up if they let it play out.
Great point. Loved him running the field getting the 12th man involved.
https://youtu.be/Y45PQG1Pu3c
T2 high fiving the fans
Loved that, have your moment Tedric!
TT needed that to boost his confidence.
On to Cleveland…
Assuming they close it out, what a great win. Come from behind to take the lead then clamp down on defense to hold on to it and finish.
Great game overall, but them winning it this way will be a big boost into next week and beyond.
I hate myself for this
All is forgiven
I can’t believe Carson had back to back 100+ yard games 4 days apart. Especially running the way he does. That’s impressive.
Travis Homer making the highlight reel!
He is a playa
Can’t make it easy
Can’t believe they lost yards on 3rd down..giving back the ball with so much time
What’s with the big cushions!
Gotta be more aggressive
Last season mcvay went 4th and 1 to close the game… when it’s our chance Pete blew twice today. Luck favored Wilson’s efforts.
I know right? I hope they change their philosophy…I damn near lost my voice yelling at the tv. I think we should’ve been better prepared for the hurry up offense, that killed us tonight
OMG
I just died
OMG! Oh my f***ing god!
Wow we caught a huge break. Made that way to hard! On to next week lol
I do not want to dissect this game. Yet.
WE EFFING WON IT!!!!
worst defensive effort, got bailed out. Not happy with Ken Norton in the 2nd half.
Goff is made to look like All-pro…agree.
A win is a win baby let’s go!!!
F the Rams!
Unbelievable, we got so lucky not to blow that one. I think I can live with that!!!!!
What a game!
One heck of a game. I think I aged five years. Go Hawks!!!!!!!!!!!!
We just beat the NFC champions and our new division rivals. I’ll take that. Sometimes you need a win like this to get you believing.
That was Seattle’s game and the football gods shined down on us.
The missed FG before the half, the Ziggy penalty that made it a 10 point swing, having the chance to ice the game w/ under 2 minutes.
Paul Allen baby!
Russ on another level
WOW
OMG SUCK IT LA!!
Paul Allen with a gentle kiss (from heaven) of the ball wide right?
12th Honor Ring inductee. How perfect.
Bottom line…we both missed a FG from about the same distance.
Proof he’s not a robot
Win or lose, these Seahawks play entertaining football. It wasn’t always like this. Even in past winning times.
Wilson’s emotion at the end there says it all. This was a huge win. It loses a little luster that they needed a bit of luck to make it happen. But they’ll remember they fought hard to come from behindto take the lead.
It was a great game. Tip of the cap to the Rams. Love ’em or hate ’em, they’re an awesome rival. Some of the best football you’ll see all year when these 2 teams matchup
Grateful for it. And the community that it creates.
One of the worst coached games by our staff in a long while. Some horrible calls, especially Carroll’s decision to kick the field goal at the end of the first half rather than go for in on 4th and inches.
Still, we are winning despite not playing anywhere near our best. Our pass rush will eventually show up and then look out!
It wasn’t a horrible call. I think I’m with you in that neither of us woulda kicked it, but if he makes that it changes the complexion of the game.
It was 48 yards. Not a chip shot. Wet conditions too. If he missed it the Rams take over where they hold it, another 10 yards from the LOS, giving them good field position – which happened…
Much smarter move to trust your OL and Carson to get half a yard. The game really turned on that play. Rams offense got cooking and never slowed down. I bet Pete admits it was the wrong choice in his presser.
Don’t want to be “that guy” and crap on what was a phenomenal win. Just great to be 4-1 when we still have so many areas we can improve!
Props to Seattle defense. They generally played pretty well and the pass rush was improving each week.. just 2 more weeks then… the full power of the defensive line can be unleashed.
Were we watching different games? I think the D will eventually emerge but they barely got any pressure the whole night and guys were running free in the short and intermediate.
They fought to the whistle and were playing an extremely tough opponent so there’s no shame, but I don’t think they played at all well.
The defense is definitely a work in progress. They need more. They need another off-season of building for me.
But fair play tonight — two turnovers and they got enough of a stop at the end to make it a tricky kick.
I’m the first to call out issues but the defense played amazing tonight. Not by stats or something like that, but they played up to their current potential. Let’s be honest. This is a mediocre defense: KJ getting old, Bobby plays too much, Kendricks plays with his hair on fire, but busts assignments, Clowney is only OK, QJeff is solid but hot and cold and not a game wrecker, Ansah seems old and weak (he got run over by a TE), Poona is still young and Green has a long way to go. T2 is mostly wrong with some right moments, Lano is a ghost, Flowers has no swag and tight hips and grabby, Griffin is hot and cold, McDougald is a jack of all trades master of none.
There are no Donalds, Watts, ETIIIs, etc in this group. Heck, not even Clarks or Colemans.
BUT they at least played like Clarks and Colemans this evening. There were some issues, but I think that’s mostly on short weak, playing too many snaps and coaching decisions (playing too soft at the end). They played really good. But in the future this defense needs a game wrecking star (BWagz is awesome, but he’s not a game wrecker, he’s just the best MLB). Someone who can get 14+ sacks, or someone who can get 5+ FF or INTs regularly
Imagine how differently we’d be talking about this game if Zuerlein nails that
Rob must about woke up his whole family in the weeeeee hours of the mourn in jolly ol England watching this game!
Woke up both kids, my wife and the next door neighbours.
Been a while since one of these nights. I always wonder what they think when I’m shouting and jumping around at 5am.
I’ll admit, I had Seattle 3-2 or 2-3 at this point…. so 4-1 is feeling amazing.
But as RW says, no time to sleep. Another big game coming up in 10 days!
I said this before, but this game would be a worse loss for the Rams than the Hawks. This was their rebound game, and they came up short when they were smoking hot to avail their last loss. For us, we’re a half game behind the 49ers for first place.
Hallelujah!
4-0 in the Action Green Jerseys!
Greg Zuerlein was blinded by the neon, prove me wrong.
Unbeaten in neon.
Happy about the win and wow Russell keeps on his MVP type season. Still extremely concerning about the lack of sacks and pressure on the QB. Trying to stay optimistic but I don’t think we’re going to see it this year with the guys we have. Yes Reed will help but it’s very concerning to watch right now.
Defense is a major work in progress for sure. They have to grow. Or they need to get better in the off-season.
Tonight though — let’s celebrate a great win.
According to advanced stats, that RW to TL touchdown pass had only a 6% chance of being completed. No other completed pass this year in the NFL came with percentage points of that.
Hahaha at Rob flailing at 5. am. I was flailing at 11 pm with my wife in bed and NEEDING sleep.
We do what we do.