Atta boy Olindo!!!
Category Archives: Seahawks Football
Seahawks smack 49ers 31-6
Coming into the Seahawks game today, I honestly had no idea what to expect. I have been supportive of the new direction Pete Carroll and John Schneider are taking the Hawks in. I really feel I have no choice. When a team wins 9 games in two years, and look really bad doing it, blowing up and starting over is a good course of action. Because of this, expectations are hard to gauge.
The 49ers have been the chic pick to win the division all off season. They have a stout defense, some nice skill position players, a solid offensive line, Frank Gore and, uh, oh yeah, Alex Smith. Somehow the fact that Alex Smith has done absolutely nothing in his pro career was lost all the experts. Maybe because the rest of the division is so bad, people figured he was the lesser of all QB evils. I have never been a believer in Smith, and have been vocal that the 49ers will go as far as Smith takes them, no matter how good their defense is. Today was a perfect example of this fact, even though the Niner defense wasn’t great either.
The shocking 31-6 waxing the Hawks put on SF was a joyful surprise. I thought all along the Hawks had a shot to win, simply by virtue of the home field advantage and first game adrenaline, but I never thought they would completely dominate in all areas of the game.
Defensively, the Hawks shined. Early in the game while the offense was still feeling out the Niners defense, the Seattle defense spent a lot of time on the field. Bending, bending, but not ultimately breaking. Three times SF was in the red zone, only coming away with 6 points. They held Frank Gore to only 38 yards on 17 carries, and forced Alex Smith into an interception. Because the defense was able to hold the 49ers down, they gained confidence and became extremely aggressive as the game wore on. Right off the bat in the 3rd quarter, Marcus Trufant picked off Smith for a TD, which in many ways was the finals straw for SF, they had no fight after that. The Seahawks sent blitzes from every conceivable angle. Chris Clemons and Red Bryant were in Smith’s face all day long, and the secondary did a great job covering and hiding looks. Mid way through the 3rd quarter, I had the distinct feeling the game was on ice, Smith had zero confidence in his line, Gore was constantly getting stuffed, the WRs were unable to get YAC and the 12th Man was bringing serious noise. The defense was my MVP for the game. They played with their hair on fire, all the while playing with discipline and control. That is a scary combo for opposing offenses.
Offensively, the Hawks warmed up as the minutes ticked by. The first play of the game, Matt Hasselbeck threw as bad an INT as you could throw. But, like the good veteran he is, Matt bounced back and made play after play, hitting Mike Williams, Butler, Carlson, Branch for various gains. The running game was efficient, not great by any means, but able to get small gains. Overall the offense was efficient, not making mistakes, gaining first downs, and exposing mismatches in the secondary. I would like to see the running game get better, but seeing Matt Hasselbeck look like his old self was so great to see. A healthy and aggressive Hasselbeck will spell success for the Hawks.
Having Lofa Tatupu, Matt Hasselbeck and Marcus Trufant healthy and fast makes this team a team that can indeed win the NFC West. That is not the kool aid talking either. Considering how bad the 49ers looked today, and how pathetic the Rams and Cards looked as well, the Hawks are sitting pretty after one week. Injuries are the key, they must stay healthy. Denver will be a very difficult game, Mile High is a brutal place to play for road teams. Can Seattle go in and win? If they play defense like they did today, they can be in any game in any venue.
Game 1 of the Pete Carroll era is a smashing success. I hope Seahawks fans (myself included) will enjoy this. Just take it all in and enjoy the week. Please don’t be the boo hoo naysayers you have been all off season. Put on your Hawks colors and get ready for Denver. Talk some smack, have fun, dream big. This is Seattle, bad things are always around the corner, so let’s get on the bandwagon now and have a blast!
-Joe
Filed under Seahawks Football
Alex Gibbs resigns
Reports all over the place that offensive line coach of the Seahawks, Alex Gibbs, has resigned. This is shocking news. Speculation is the Hawks will release OG Ben Hamilton, who Gibbs brought in to help mentor Russell Okung. So much for that plan. This development is mystifying on so many levels. I understand how a guy can resign over health issues, which if that is the case, I hope he is fine, but it also could be the fact that it is becoming more and more apparent by the days and weeks that this franchise is rebuilding, and Gibbs may not have the patience for that. Wish he would have figured this out when he decided to come back to coaching. Ridiculous!
-Joe
Filed under Seahawks Football
Hawks cleaning house
The news yesterday and today is that T.J. Houshmanzadeh has been released by the Seahawks, additionally, today, Jason LaCanfora is reporting they have released J.P. Losman, leaving Seattle with two quarterbacks on the depth chart. Obviously this will not be the case going into week 1. I fully expect the Hawks to sign a 3rd stringer soon, because as we know, Patrick Willis, whom they play in the opener, has a knack for putting QB’s in the hospital.
On the Housh front, I am fully in support of cutting him. I know his defenders will say he is a competitor and wants to win, hence his brash behavior, something Seattle sports needs because we are a soft sports town, and the Hawks are a soft team. News flash: He was on the team last season that was the softest I have ever seen. Huffing and puffing, undercutting your offensive coordinator, and going on local sports radio stations ripping media members who are paid to critique and give their opinions was chump and frankly embarrassing to the franchise (I include Deion Branch in my criticism as well…). Teams in the NFL with distracting, big ego diva players will not go far. (Unless you are the 1990’s Dallas Cowboys who had HOFs all over the field, they are the exception…). The Seahawks are light years from that. The Hawks need team players who keep their mouths shut and go out and let their play do the talking. I could give a rip what Housh did in Cincy. What he did in Seattle was meaningless. I’d rather have Mike Williams, Deon Butler, Golden Tate. They have something to prove and will play hard and won’t belly-ache about getting the ball, then disguise that opinion by saying “oh, I just want to win, I’m not bitter”. Sure, never heard that before, c’mon.
The Seahawks have a long way to go to be in serious playoff contention, so a move like this I think is healthy in purging the team of problems and looking to the future. Is it a drop off in talent? Probably, but I think it will be an increase in moral and team chemistry. This is Carroll and Schneider’s team. Any time they cut ties with the Ruskell era, I am all for it. I am fine with the Josh Wilson trade as well. If they don’t think he fits, better deal him, or he’ll be a problem as well. Wilson has some talent, but people are overreacting like the guy was a pro-bowler. Again, the Hawks will be thin in the secondary, but this regime wants to see if Walter Thurmond can play. I like the move. I think Thurmond has all the tools to be a good NFL player.
Overall? Addition by subtraction.
-Joe
Filed under Seahawks Football
NFL Draft — Seahawks Preview
I’ll admit, I am a sucker for the NFL draft. It’s a top 5 sporting event for me. I know lots of people don’t understand the hype, and so many of these first-rounders turn into busts, but for me, it’s a holiday. A lot of people must agree, because the draft has exploded into must-see TV, which is why it is now a prime time event beginning this Thursday evening. If anyone asks me why I care so much about a bunch of rookies being drafted, getting boat loads of money, and often not living up to the hype, my answer is simple. In 3 days, my favorite NFL team is going to add roughly 10 players, and it is entirely possible that 3 or 4 could be immediate starters. That doesn’t happen in other sports. So, if you are as excited as me, and the Seahawks are your team, perhaps you’re interested in knowing who the future stars of Seattle might be. Let’s take a look at the Hawks draft.
Needs (in order)-
1- Offensive tackle: This is the most obvious, glaring need for Seattle. Walter Jones will likely announce his retirement in the coming weeks, leaving Ray Willis and Sean Locklear as the starting tackles. The Hawks, and especially Tim Ruskell, got burned last year by not addressing the offensive line with the 4th pick. This team is rebuilding and if Hasselbeck is to stay healthy, he needs left tackle protection.
2- Defensive end: Not far behind the need for a left tackle is the need for an impact pass rusher. The Seahawks were horrible at getting to the quarterback last year, tallying just 28 sacks. The Seahawks best ends from last year, Patrick Kerney (retirement) and Darryl Tapp (trade) are gone, leaving a gaping hole at the position. If the season started tomorrow, your starting defensive ends would most likely be Chris Clemons and Lawrence Jackson…ouch.
3- Safety: The Seahawks defense is in better shape than the offense, but safety is definitely a concern. Seattle released Deion Grant recently, leaving Jordan Babineaux and Jamar Adams as the top starting candidates. Seattle hasn’t had a good secondary since 2005, and a big reason could be that they haven’t drafted a safety since Ken Hamlin in 2003, and have instead opted to fill the position through free agency. (i.e. Brian Russell, Deion Grant, Lawyer Milloy)
4- Running Back/Wide Receiver: Anyone who has watched Seattle the last couple years can see this team desperately needs a game breaker, someone who can score on any given down. Burleson was the closest thing to this, but he is in Detroit now. Many thought Seattle would acquire Brandon Marshall to be the playmaker this offense desires, but Miami won his services. Players like Julius Jones, Justin Forsett, and T.J. Houshmandzadeh can all be solid contributors at the skill position, but none provide the true #1 talent that puts fear into opponents. (i.e. Chris Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald, DeSean Jackson)
Notable Picks- and more after the jump! Continue reading
Filed under Predictions, Seahawks Football
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