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!