Sunday Aftermath: Seahawks Face Toughest Challenge Yet, The New York Giants September 29, 2008
Posted by thesportsmaster8000 in Football, Giants, NFL, Seahawks, Sports.Tags: Football, Giants, NFL, Seahawks, Sports
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The NFC West fared about as good as the global economy this weekend. The Rams fired their head coach. The Cardinals got downright embarrassed, and most likely will lose WR Anquan Boldin for at least a game or two. The 49ers could only muster three field goals in the first three quarter of a tough loss to the Saints. One could surmise the NFC West team that performed the best this past weekend was the Seattle Seahawks, who were given a Week 4 bye.
While the bye was a good opportunity to heal an injured starting lineup, fans hope that wasn’t all the week was used for. The Seahawks head into Week 5 with a chance to turn some heads for something other than terrible luck with wide receivers. The Seahawks will play the defending Super Bowl champs, the New York Giants.
With both the Cowboys and Eagles losing this past Sunday, the Giants won’t just be playing for peanuts either. They’ll be playing for a seemingly commanding lead in one of the toughest divisions in the NFL. The Seahawks could be playing for a 2-2 division lead of their own with a win and both a Cardinals and 49ers loss. All signs point to a game with more action than a Michael Bay movie.
If you’re more into a heartfelt drama than an action flick, Seahawks vs. Giants has the makings of a soap opera too. The return of oft-troubled Seahawks WR Koren Robinson will be part of the drama. As will the likely return of both Deion Branch and Bobby Engram.
In the words of Barney Stinson, suit up boys and girls. Let’s go play some football.
Sunday Aftermath: The Seahawks Down, Not Out September 15, 2008
Posted by thesportsmaster8000 in Football, NFL, Seahawks, Seattle, Sports.Tags: Football, Motivational, NFL, Seahawks, Seattle, Sports
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The Seattle Seahawks haven’t started a season 0-2 since the 2002 season. In 2002, Seattle started the season 0-3 and stumbled to a 7-9 record. 2002 was the season that marked the beginning of the Matt Hasselbeck era (Week 8). Interestingly enough, 2002 was the last year that San Francisco won the NFC West. 2002 is in the past though. The 2008 Seattle Seahawks are better than the 2002 version. Are they not?
With only two games played in a 16-game season, it would appear as if a lot of the Seattle faithful are jumping ship faster than Billy Zane from the Titanic. The post-game hysteria isn’t uncalled for by any means, but we must temper panic with composure. We’re the four-time defending NFC West champions for Pete’s sake! This isn’t the first hole the Seahawks have had to dig themselves out of. In 2005, Seattle started 2-2 and looked more than a bit shaky in losses to Jacksonville and Washington. Seattle won the next 11 games and finished the season 13-3. Oh yeah, and they went to the Super Bowl that year. The NFL is full of surprises.
If ever there was an excuse for an 0-2 start, the Seahawks have one. Going into the game yesterday, Seattle had four healthy receivers out of nine total (including Wallace). Four has been quickly reduced to three after Logan Payne went down after a vicious take-em-out-at-the-knees tackle. Two starters from Seattle’s offensive line are on the mend. Subsequently, the right side is comprised of guys who coaches deemed just not good enough. Obviously it is a skeleton crew out there. This is the NFL however, injuries are to be expected.
Despite a banged up bunch, Seattle was still optimistic because of the division they played in. Optimism went out the window with San Francisco’s win. The division is truly up for grabs now. If Seattle does make it to the playoffs, a closer division could turn out to be a good thing. Look at last year’s Super Bowl, Giants vs. Patriots. Dare I say battle tested vs. cruise control? For too long Seattle has played the part of cruise control. Defeating division opponents without a second thought. The NFC West is becoming the division I imagined, excluding St. Louis of course. A division that will challenge Seattle to be more than they are. The Seahawks don’t understand the challenge yet, but they will.
Regardless the tough loss and amidst the new challenge, there are a few bright star for Seattle. Sunday’s game against San Francisco proved a few things.
- John Carlson can catch.
A consistent tight end that can catch the ball has been on Mike Holmgren’s Christmas wish list for sometime. Entering his last season, Holmgren finally has one.
- Julius Jones and the offensive line just bought a chemistry set, and the running game is coming together.
I hate to say that injuries are good, but the injury to Maurice Morris might have been just what the doctor ordered. With Morris out of the picture for a bit, Jones is the guy. Being the featured back is what Jones signed up for. He didn’t sign up for split carries. He had that in Dallas. Jones is the man. He and the offensive line should excel now that the onus is on one back, one style.
- Billy McMullen is better than Courtney Taylor.
While McMullen’s fumble was inexcusable, I’ll give him a pass due to the fact that he wasn’t even in the NFL this time last year. That said, McMullen is averaging 16 yards per catch. He is a big target for Hasselbeck (at 6′4″, tallest receiver on the roster), and the two might be able to develop some chemistry. A receiving corp comprised of McMullen, Deion Branch, and Bobby Engram sounds good to me.
- The sack attack is back!
The Seahawks recorded an amazing eight sacks against the 49ers. No matter how bad an offensive line is, eight sacks is still impressive. As some of you might remember, Seattle were fourth in total sacks last season. The attack that at times last year resembled a piranha frenzy struggled more than a fat guy at Gold’s Gym in the opening game against Buffalo. With Patrick Kerney and rookie Lawrence Jackson both recording two sacks, the attack is back on track. The reemergence will lead to bigger and better performances by the entire defense.
With both good signs and bad signs, there is still a cloud of mystery hanging over Seattle’s 2008 season. Parody really is good for the NFL and for Seattle. If we knew the outcome of every season, we wouldn’t be entertained. Long-time Seattle fans have seen the Seahawks go through far greater trials and tribulations than the ones faced this season. These are the kind of struggles that separate the true fans from the wagon jumpers, and as the true fans know, the Seahawks are down, but they are not out. Go Hawks!
With Burleson Out, The Sportsmaster 8000 Offers Seattle a Few Suggestions September 9, 2008
Posted by thesportsmaster8000 in Football, NFL, Seahawks, Sports.Tags: Football, Michael Phelps, Michael Vick, NFL, Seattle Seahawks, Sports, Usain Bolt, Wide Receivers
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With the latest news that Nate Burleson will be placed on injured reserve for the rest of the season, the need to bring in some receiver help becomes all the more critical for Seattle. The subsequent release of WR Jordan Kent and rookie RB Justin Forsett does nothing to alleviate the situation. With Kents departure, Seattle is left with two healthy receivers going into Sunday’s game against San Francisco. Don’t get me wrong, I think a team could go in a beat the 49ers with a Cub Scout and a homeless guy as the leading receivers, but I’d rather not take that chance just yet. So, it is time for Seattle’s front office to mull over some possible free agent pickups, and I thought I throw in a few suggestions to help out Tim Ruskell and company….
1. Steve Largent.
Don’t fault me for getting people’s hopes up. It was Matt Hasselbeck who made this suggestion. While he is better than anyone we currently have one the roster, I just feel like the game has probably passed him by. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Get Largent on the phone and if he wants his old number back, take it out of retirement.
2. Koren Robinson
Assuming he’s sober right now, this could be an interesting pickup. I’m sure it wouldn’t take long for Robinson to start right where he left off, dropping passes and frustrating Seahawks nation! Not only can he drop passes, I’m sure he’d be able to muff punts too which would be a great addition to the leagues most formidable “special” teams.
3. Usain Bolt
When there was a lot of chatter about bringing Bolt in for an NFL tryout, I laughed. That laughter was replaced with that strange undulation that is something between laughter and crying as Seahawk receiver after Seahawk receiver went down with a serious injury. That is when I devised a checklist Seattle can use to weed out possible replacement receivers. Let’s see how Bolt checks out. Pulse. Check. Alright, he could be a good option. Plus, how sweet would a Bolt jersey be? Shouldn’t that be how we make front office decisions anyway?
4. D.J. Hackett
Oh, that’s right! We decided not to pay him in free agency because we had concerns about his ability to stay healthy. WTF! What is every other Seahawk receiver doing on the roster then?!
5. Michael Vick
With every Tom, Dick, and Harry calling for Seattle backup QB Seneca Wallace to step in and play I say Seattle gets Vick. Isn’t Wallace just a poor man’s Vick? Imagine the possibilities. Of course, this would all require some intricate prison-escape plan. The escape could be spun into a hilarious Harold and Kumar-type buddy comedy. Have Vick go incognito, and sign him as a receiver. Make sure you put a no dog, no rooster clause into that contract. Sit back and enjoy.
6. Matt Millen
I’m not suggesting we sign Millen as a receiver, but if there is ever a time this guy might be of some use, the time is now. A man who dafted four receivers in four consecutive first rounds displays the kind of foresight that Seattle obviously lacked. Look at Detroit. No receiver shortage up there!
7. Michael Phelps
I think this Olympic theme has promise, so hear me out. He wins gold medals like Ken Jennings wins Daily Doubles. He hangs out with a NFL receiver (Braylon Edwards). He’s tall. He’s hot like wasabi right now, so Seattle games might enjoy a wider market. Finally, football pays way better than swimming so just flash some benjamins in front of him and it is on like Donkey Kong.
There you go Seattle. I just did all the hard work, all you need to do is pick up the phone and make it happen. By the end of the week, we could go from two healthy receivers to nine. Think of the possibilities then!
Gored and Bloody, the Seahawks Will Move On September 8, 2008
Posted by thesportsmaster8000 in Football, NFL, Seahawks, Sports.Tags: Football, NFL, Seahawks
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The Seattle/Buffalo game was an ugly affair (if you are a Seahawks fan), but there are still many reasons for optimism.
Initially I was worried after all three phases of my beloved Seahawks laid a big fat goose egg, but then I started to calm down and look at all the factors that lead up to the “Blight in Buffalo”.
More than any other single factor, the greatest is our depleted receiving core. If you were like me, you thought that these young receivers actually had a chance. Hell, I’d heard a lot of good things about them in training camp and saw some good stuff in preseason. They could be the stop-gap for a game or two, right? Wrong. The addage that preseason is just that took on a whole new meaning for me Sunday. The good news is that Burleson shouldn’t be out too long (so saeth Holmgren). In the sort of good news pile, receivers Deion Branch and Bobby Engram are making progress with Branch being back as soon as next week and Engram shooting for an early October return. Tossed in the optimistic pile, Rookie tight end John Carlson started his NFL career off well with four receptions for 52 yards. As important as the tight end is in Holmgren’s system, sit TE Jeb Putzier on any play that there is a snowball’s chance in hell that the ball could be thrown. The season has just begun, and with a receiving corp at full strength, the Seahawks will be a better team than the one that showed up in Buffalo.
With renewed hope in the receiving corp, the next factor is the offensive line. Offensive is the only way to describe the way Settle’s big men played in Buffalo. I wish I could say that as soon as Sean Locklear returns from his one-game suspension next week things will get better, but football isn’t that simple. The answer to our line woes is not as evident as the one for our receiving woes, but one has to believe that with a man like Coach Mike Solari running the show an answer can and will be found. In the end, we always have Walter Jones, and that helps me sleep at night.
If Solari gets some time, maybe he can help out Coach Bruce DeHaven and the boys on special teams. When they say special, they…. No, I’m above that joke. Kidding aside, Seattle’s “special” teams needs something special. Punter Ryan Plackemeier showed both good and bad, neither of which made me feel particular good about the punting game. Kicker Olindo Mare was far from spectacular with a 45-yard field goal that limped over the crossbar. Punt coverage was terrible as it appeared Seattle had been practicing arm tackling all off season. Of all the miscues, the biggest is awareness or lack of in this case. Never was the lack of awareness more evident than on the Moorman to Denney, make Seattle look like a bunch of jackasses, play. While I probably should be more worried than I am, I’m not losing any sleep over our special teams play. This could be because we’ve never had stellar special teams play. More importantly, I’m not worried because this had to have been a slap in the face and a wake-up call for the unit.
As long as the concierge is holding the phone, maybe he/she should give Seattle’s defense a call. Fox play-by-play man Ron Pitts couldn’t stop calling out Seattle’s self-proclaimed “elite” defense. He often uttered statements akin to, “If they are going to call themselves elite, they need to make a play here.” By the end of the game I thought about calling up the FCC to see if Pitts could be fined for his belittling use of the elite Seattle/Seahawks defense. If there is ever a factor that I think Seattle has the best chance of addressing and changing, it is the defense. Seattle has a good defense. We have defensive superstars. The game in Buffalo was an aberration, no question. However, actions speak louder than words, so I’m calling on the Seahawks to live up to their billing. Make Ron Pitts eat his words!
The season has just begun, and there is plenty of time to write the ship. The way I see it, both the Chargers and Colts lost opening week, and no one will write them off. So don’t write off the Seahawks, not just yet!
