Category Archives: Seahawks Football

Updates and opinions surrounding the Seattle Seahawks

by | April 28, 2012 · 10:22 am

Draft Fun

I don’t have a whole lot of thoughts on the draft so far.  I like it when the Seahawks surprise everyone, just because it’s entertaining to hear everyone react.  Their picks seem fine, but I can’t say I’m overwhelmed one way or the other.  Maybe one of the other writers here will do an analysis later, but the Seahawks are probably my least favorite Seattle team (not that I don’t like them, they’re just much lower on my priorities), so I won’t probably write a ton about it.

That being said, the draft and its bloggers have given us at least two pieces of greatness:

First we have new Seahawk quarterback Russell Wilson and his wife.  Mostly his wife.  This is somewhere between scary and awesome, but I hope she’s a permanent fixture on Seahawk telecasts.

And here are first round reactions in GIFs.  So good.  This is my favorite thing I’ve seen on the internet all month.  Maybe all year.  Edit- I didn’t realize he’s gone through the third round.  Make sure you at least scroll down to the Bryan Anger pick at #70. Enjoy!

-Matthew

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by | April 25, 2012 · 10:32 pm

NFL Draft–The 12th Pick

Tomorrow night, 32 players will be drafted into the NFL, and most will start for their respective teams in 2012. In the span of 3 days, every team will select a number of players that may make an immediate impact. This is what makes the NFL draft so unique, so exciting. The NFL draft is a 3 day bonanza, and although similar drafts happen in all pro sports, none compares to the NFL. So, how might things shape up for the hometown Hawks, specifically with the 12th pick?

Seahawks Top Needs-DE, LB

A cliché you hear around draft time is “take the best player available.” In other words, when you are on the clock, take the guy with the highest grade on your big board. I think some of this is posturing by teams because it sounds good to pick the guy with the highest overall grade, but the reality is teams usually draft to fill needs. For the Seahawks, most agree the “pressing” need is finding a stud to pressure the QB. For this reason, most mockers have the Hawks taking a defensive end with the 12th pick. That may well be what we see happen tomorrow night, and I’d be excited. But let’s understand the many layers that play into a pick, particularly a 1st round selection.

First, everything depends on what happens in picks 1-11. At this point, I’d guess Schneider and Carroll have zoomed in on 2-3 players, depending on how things shake out. In addition to this uncertainty, every draft is different in terms of how deep it is at specific positions, how many elite players there are, and whether or not a trade partner might exist. It’s easy to say the Seahawks need a lineabacker after Hawthorne signed with the Saints, so naturally this could be addressed with the 12th pick. But what if Seattle has graded the top 3 LBs 91, 89, 88, and they are confident one will be there with the 43rd pick. Why use the 12th pick on the 91 grade, when you can get the 88 or 89 in the 2nd round?

Back to the 2-3 players JS/PC have in mind. Believe it or not, the Good Guys don’t actually have access to the Seahawks war room, so I’ve not yet seen their big board. This is, therefore, speculation on my part.

Plan A-Ryan Tannehill. Danny O’Neill and Peter King have both insisted that if Tannehill were available with the 12th pick, Seattle would take him in a flash. This is hard for some fans to understand, in light of the Matt Flynn signing, but I’m buying it. It’s probably 50/50 whether Flynn will turn into a franchise QB, so Tannehill provides insurance if Flynn sucks. He could sit for a couple years, then either take over, or be trade bait. He has a ton of upside, similar to Jake Locker in many ways. The problem is, Tannehill seems destined for Miami, who holds the 8th pick.
Plan B-Fletcher Cox. The top D-lineman in the draft would be a heck of a fit in Seattle. Cox is not a speed rusher, but he is a versatile, 3 technique that could would be an immediate upgrade. There is a chance Cox slides to 12, but in all likelihood, he, like Tannehill, will go in the top 10.

    Plan C-The pick…Quinton Coples.

This is plan C, so if a trade can be made here, it would make sense. Assuming the Hawks make a selection, Coples is a freak and a guy Carroll might be enamored with. It’s hard not to compare Coples to Julius Peppers. He’s 6-6, 285 lbs, and a Tarheel. For awhile, Coples was graded by many as the top defensive player in the draft. There are concerns about his motor, that he takes plays off. Pete may just see this as a challenge.

It could be that PC/JS like South Carolina’s Melvin Ingram, the fast rising Chandler Jones, Nick Perry, Courtney Upshaw, or some other d-end ahead of Coples. Or maybe PC/JS view linebacker as the greater need, and Luke Kuechly and Dont’a Hightower are guys they love. That would make sense too, but given the difficulty to find top defensive ends, and the success PC/JS had finding KJ Wright in the 4th round last year, finding a bookend pass rusher makes a ton of sense here. Or perhaps its the offense that Seattle is bound to improve at #12. Keep in mind, the Hawks defense ranked 5th in points per possession last year, while the offense ranked 27th in the same category. Awe, the intrigue of the NFL draft. Tomorrow, we finally get answers, not rumors and mockers.

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by | December 31, 2011 · 1:26 pm

Insightful Quick Hits About Your Local Teams

A Good Guys Post!! Stop everything and read!! This only happens every couple weeks!! The Good Guys are also busy guys, and the blog has been quiet lately, much like a friend that you have not spoken to in a while. The Good Guys are your friends, let’s catch up!

My mind is swirling with sports crap, which is not irregular by any means. I think I’ll just spew things out in a “local teams quick hits” format, and hopefully you love it. If you don’t love it, you’re just bitter, or grumpy, but I’m neither so don’t blame me.

MARINERS!
At this point, the off season is clearly hinging on Prince Fielder. The M’s have been quiet this winter, but when Prince signs, I’d imagine a couple moves will soon follow. I want Prince in Seattle, for a lot of reasons, but honestly if we don’t get him, I won’t be devastated. I’ve invested a good deal of time following the rumors, and I just want it to end. Assuming Prince signs elsewhere, the likelihood of the M’s contending for anything in the next 2 years seems bleak, but I’ve learned to not assume much in sports. Joey Votto could be available in a month for all we know. My point is, I don’t want to see a fire sale quite yet (felix), regardless of Prince.

HUSKIES FB!
Keith Price out-dueled RG3 in the Alamo Bowl, I can say that without hesitation. He is so smooth, poised, and likeable. I can’t wait to see what he does over the next 2 years. Of course, some of his performance is being overshadowed by what has to be the worst defensive performance any of us has seen. I knew our defense was bad, and this game was a recipe for disaster, but I can’t say I expected to see 777 yards given up, nor did I expect to lose by double digits, despite scoring 56 points. It is embarrassing on some levels, like something we are ashamed of is now out in the open. It’s like when a married couple is having some issues at home, but then they go to a restaurant and start throwing dishes. It’s like, well, I guess the whole town knows now. That made sense in my head.

HUSKIES BB!
The Huskies will win the Pac 12, you can put me on record for that. We all know the conference is down, and the Huskies record is not what we are used to seeing, but I think this is Romar’s most talented squad. On paper, we are loaded. I’m excited for the next couple months of Husky bball.

SEAHAWKS!
Depending on Sunday’s outcome against Arizona, the Hawks could draft as low as 19, or as high as 10 in 2012. Either way, ready yourself for a heavy dose of QB chatter for the next few months on sports radio. Common topics will include, “should the Hawks trade 3 1st rounders to get RG3?” “is mark sanchez a viable option?” “could kellen moore, ryan tannehill, or brandon weeden be the guy?” I love the chatter, I really do, but it gets old pretty quick. Nobody knows what will happen, but I do know the Seahawks look to have a promising future. I should also note that I have some crow to eat, because I said the 6-8 wins Seattle gets this year will be the most meaningless wins in team history, but 2-3 wins would mean a top tier QB in the draft. Well, I have flipped my stance on this, because the 7-8 wins are the result of a lot of things starting to click, and this trumps the high draft position we’d have if everything went wrong this year.

SONICS!
The NBA is back, and I can’t resist watching it. I loved the Sonics when they were here, probably more than any local team. Every so often there is some new arena story that pops up in a local paper, just to get my hopes up. A new one surfaced a couple weeks ago, about a possible arena in SoDo, headed by a San Francisco businessman that recently purchased a valuable piece of property south of Safeco Field, for $21.6 million. An unknown Bellevue investor is on this too apparently, and a proposal could come out in the months to come, in hopes of acquiring more land to build an arena, then lure NHL/NBA. In the mean time, Joe and I bought tickets to a Blazers game in February, against the Clippers. Should be fun, although I told Joe rooting for Portland would feel odd, especially if the NBA returned to Seattle someday, and I had to remember that one night I rooted for the Blazers. Yuck.

SOUNDERS!
I’m sure you all know the off season moves SSFC have been up to. No? Oh, well let me recap. We signed an Austrian keeper, Michael Gspurning, a Swedish defender, Adam Johansson, and now rumors have surfaced that the Sounders have agreed to terms with a 23 year old DANISH! midfielder, Christian Sivebaek.

T-BIRDS!
I went to a T-Birds came this past week, and saw a fight, 6,000 Kent Krazies, 2 zambonis, and at one point a hockey game broke out! T-Birds won 2-1 in a shootout, and I now follow some of their players on twitter. The players, by the way, are 15-20 years old, mainly Canadian, and all around good guys like us. As for the fight, here’s what Mitch Elliot tweeted that evening:

Mitch Elliot@melliot7
“Took more punches to the face then I had shifts tonight”

NORTHWEST EAGLES!
Last but not least, the NU Eagles Men’s basketball team is 15-0. Matthew and I are proud NU alums, and Andrew is currently attending. Matthew is the all time blocks leader at NU, and I hold the record for 8 consecutive triple-doubles. That was my test to see if you are still reading this. If you are, dang you have some serious spare time!

Finally, an Ichiro quote to wrap things up. This really should be how all posts conclude.

Nikkan Sports: There are some that think age may have played a part [in your rough season].

Ichiro: I admit that lately I find myself enjoying Enka music during Kohaku Uta Gassen. I am also more concerned about how young people are speaking and find that my skin is drier. So there are times where I feel like I am getting older.

HAPPY NEW YEAR.

-Dan

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by | September 15, 2011 · 10:12 am

Poll Question–Luck, Prince, or Blue Chips?

Seattle sports fans, which of these scenarios would you most prefer see play out?

-Dan

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by | September 13, 2011 · 3:23 pm

Luck Power Rankings

Qualifiers: Must suck, Must need a franchise QB, Must have Luck!

1- Cleveland 0-1
The Browns are improved, but also seem to find ways to lose. The AFC North is no cakewalk either.

2- Seattle 0-1
Against San Fran the defense was good, the offense was bad, and special teams was ugly. Still think a couple home wins are likely, especially against weak division foes.

3- Cincinnati 1-0
Will the Bengals have a top 10 pick? Will the sun rise tomorrow? The answer is yes to both.

4- Kansas City 0-1
Did not expect KC to be bad following a 10-6 season, but a tough schedule + injuries + regression is a bad combination

5- Denver 0-1
Te-bow! Te-bow! Te-bow! That sums it up.

6- Buffalo 1-0
A week 1 win was unexpected, the blowout fashion was shocking. Still seem destined for a top 5 pick as usual.

7- Indianapolis 0-1
As long as Manning is out, Indy is on this list. Could they pull a San Antonio Spurs and go from Manning to Luck, ala Robinson to Duncan?

8- San Francisco 1-0
Beating the Hawks does not help their case, 1-2 more wins should eliminate the 9ers and Harbaugh’s dream of coaching his college bf

9- Miami 0-1
If the strength of the Dolphins is their defense, Miami could be in real trouble after giving up 600 yards to the Pats. The Henne led offense played better than expected, but AFC East is brutal.

10- Minnesota 0-1
39 pass yards for McNabb. Things could get ugly quickly, Ponder may be called upon sooner than later.

-Dan

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by | August 10, 2011 · 1:00 pm

Glaring Similarities–2011 Huskies & Seahawks

The commonalities began last season, when Pete Carroll was brought in to lead the Seahawks. He brought a few USC guys, and we couldn’t help but notice that the Huskies had done the same thing one year prior with Sark and Holt. The 2010 seasons played out quite similarly, with both teams accomplishing much more than their record would have indicated; the Huskies went 7-6 and won the holiday bowl, while the Seahawks finished 8-10, won their division, and even came within 1 game of hosting the NFC championship. Nice accomplishments despite unimpressive records were not the only parallels.

Husky avg. margin of victory-9; won by less than a TD in 4 wins
Hawks avg. margin of victory-12; won by less than a TD in 3 wins

Husky avg. margin of loss-26.5; loss by more than 3 TD in 4 losses
Hawks avg. margin of loss-21; loss by more than 3 TD in 3 losses

Heading into 2011, the glaring similarities continue with our 2 local football teams. Here is a list I’ve compiled, without stretching it too far (i.e. yes, they both play in Seattle, and yes, both play on field turf)

1. Inexperienced QB following the exodus of a legend- Price following Locker, TJack following Hasselbeck

2. Emphasis on running the ball- A talented but young offensive line to create lanes for Polk and Lynch, both known for hard, all out style

3. QB waiting in the wings- 2012 draft or free agency as well as Montana/Lindquist/Miles

4. Strong receiving core- Kearse, Aguilar, Kasen, KSmith for UW, Rice, MWill, Tate, Obo for Hawks

5. Newcomers- WRs Kasen and Rice, TEs Sefarian-Jenkins and Zach Miller are the headliners

6. Focus on acquiring and developing bigger, faster, stronger athletes- The USC way!

7. Leadership void on defense, specifically MLB- Mason and Lofa are gone, both were vocal leaders, and heart of the defense

8. Counting on the class of 2010- Both 2-deep depth charts are littered with guys entering their 2nd year. This comes as no surprise, given that 2010 was Sark and Carroll’s first class of “their guys.” A few similar positions that come to mind are safeties Sean Parker, Taz Stevenson (UW) Earl Thomas, and Kam Chancellor (Sea). O-lineman Erik Kohler, Colin Porter, Ben Riva, Colin Tanigawa (UW), and Russell Okung (Sea). WRs Kevin Smith, DiAndre Campbell (UW) and Golden Tate (Sea).

9. Expectations- Had UW landed Jake Heaps, we might be talking about 8-9 wins, and if the Hawks re-signed Matt, the same would be true. As it stands today, 6-7 wins is the number I hear most for both.

10. 1-2 years away from championship contention- Ty Willingham and Tim Ruskell each left their program/team in shambles, meaning Sark and Pete inherited a major re-building situation. It looks as though each are building towards championship contention around 2012-13 (same with the Mariners!)

Other less notable similarities–Question marks at fullback and linebacker, possible strengths at tight end and D-line. Last but not least, the punting game looks promising!

-Dan

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by | July 27, 2011 · 10:22 pm

Here Comes the Sun

Yesterday was a dark, dark day in Seattle sports.  One of the worst I can remember, to be honest.  I take no pleasure in recounting it, but, for the sake of this post, I’m going to anyway.

It was a Tuesday, a grey and wet day in Seattle.  Much like the rest of the Summer has been.  It was also grey and wet in New York, which just so happened to be where the Mariners were playing their game.  Were it not for the rain, that threw off C.C. Sabathia’s groove, the Mariners’ were at a very high risk of getting no-hit.  Thankfully, the rain delayed the game for a while and C.C. lost a little bit of his rhythm.  The Mariners’ were one-hit and lost their 17th straight game.  What a relief.

17 straight losses is a franchise record.  17 straight losses is the most consecutive losses in the past 6 years and one of the worst losing streaks of all time.  Jeff Sullivan, at Lookout Landing, mentioned that 17 straight losses has happened less times than perfect games have been thrown in baseball.  It’s amazing.  There was also this look at it from Matthew at Lookout Landing.

But, it could have been worse.  The Mariners could have had a perfect game thrown against them.

Of course, it was worse for Seattle sports fans.  Earlier in the day, before the 17th straight loss, we found out that Matt Hasselbeck would be leaving the Seahawks, via free agency, and the team was going to sign Tarvarias Jackson.  I’ve mentioned that I’m not a huge Seahawk fan (or NFL fan) before, but I was still a bit upset by this news.  Hasselbeck had been quarterback of the Hawks for as long as I’ve paid attention to them.  He led them through the best years that Seattle NFL fans have ever known.  We let him get away and then signed a backup quarterback from Minnesota who no else seemed to want?

Looking back, a lot of the reactions I heard yesterday may have been overreactions. But, at the time I thought they were completely justified.  One of our teams had just lost their 17th game in a row.  The other team had just lost the player that was the franchise icon.  And who knows if the Sonics will get to play this year because of the NBA lockout….. Oh, wait.  Yes, yesterday was a ‘Seattle Sports Fan Day’ by definition.

But, the sun rose and, fortunately, sports move on. Continue reading →

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by | February 27, 2011 · 5:37 pm

2012

In 2005, the Sonics made it to the 2nd round of the playoffs, UW basketball earned a 1 seed after winning the pac-10 tournament, and the Seahawks won the NFC. Despite the Mariners and UW football sucking, 2005 was a good year. Seattle sports fans have only seen blips of success since, and nothing close to ’05. But in 2012, not only may the world be ending, our fan frustration may also.

Here’s how much I have been looking forward to the year 2012-for the past 2 years, anytime I have created a password, 2012 is included. I might regret giving out that info, but oh well. When I think of 2012, it puts a smile on my face. The way things are shaping up, the 5 local teams should all be good, if not great. The word re-building should be replaced by contending, and young prospects should be on their way to becoming stars. Let me elaborate, by looking at how the local teams project a year from now.
Continue reading →

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