I will be blunt. The Seattle Seahawks can ill afford to muck around against these New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football. If they want any shot at digging themselves out of a 2-4 hole and be in playoff contention by December, each Seattle player better bring their A game in this one.

A loss against these Saints will put them at 2-5 in a division that has the Arizona Cardinals currently at 6-0, and the Rams at 5-1. Best of luck catching either team moving forward, especially if both win this Sunday (Cardinals get the Texans and Rams face Detroit).

So, as I look at this match up on Monday night, I very much see a “do or die” game for Seattle. They have to beat these Saints. It’s a must.

A win against these Saints will put them at 3-4 with a really good shot at being 4-4 by next Sunday when they face Jacksonville. Then they go into a bye week with a small chance at getting Russell Wilson back against a very tough Green Bay team and then an even tougher Arizona squad, afterwards. The remaining schedule will offer more “winnable” games, but will also offer tougher matches within their own division.

In short, even if Seattle manages to get to 4-4 by their bye week, any road to the playoffs won’t be an easy one, but at least it won’t be an entirely closed off one, either. After all, we’ve seen these Pete Carroll Seattle Seahawks rally before. Multiple times, in fact.

But they have to take care of business first this Monday Night against a Saints team that is 3-2, and in possession of one of the very best defenses in all of football right now. Given that these Saints are currently in a dog fight for their our division with the Super Bowl winning Tampa Bay Buccaneers, this game in Seattle is also a very big deal for them, as well. They will want to bury these Seahawks on Monday Night Football, and make a statement to the league that they are a major force to deal with this season.

People are free to laugh at Jameis Winston as their QB1 right now, but Winston has been pretty efficient this season playing within himself completing over 60 percent of his passes for 12 touchdowns and only 3 interceptions in a ball control offense that would make Pete Carroll gleam with pride, if he were coaching it. There is some thought from those who cover the Saints that Sean Payton is starting to open his offense more for Jameis now as they are getting further into the season. One would think that against a bad Seattle defense, Payton might decide to let things rip even more.

Ironically, in many ways, these 2021 Saints have a look about them that isn’t too far off from Carroll’s Seahawks circa 2013-2014. Ball control offense built around a premiere running back and efficient quarterback play, and a top rated defense.

It’s also worth noting that former Seahawks defensive coordinator Kris Richard is currently the Saints pass defense coordinator. Given all the lamenting over current Seattle defensive coordinator Ken Norton Junior still being employed, knowing Richard was available last off-season for a potential return to Seattle, I’m sure is going to sting for a lot of frustrated Seahawk fans. It stings a lot for moi.

But enough of that.

Seahawks win this game by..

Playing significantly better on defense than they have at any point this season to take the run game away from a very talented Alvin Kamara, and forcing Jameis to beat them with his arm the whole game. Right now, Sean Payton has sorta been nursing Jameis along as his QB1. For most quarterbacks not named Brady or Mahomes or Rodgers, the run game is their best friend. If Seattle can manage to deal with Kamara enough to get Jameis in third and longs most of the night, surrounded by a hostile environment during a nationally televised game, maybe they get Jameis to revert back towards his turnover machine days. Turnovers could give Geno Smith more shorter fields to work with, and that would be a pretty significant advantage.

Geno Smith playing enough within himself as QB1, but not so within himself that he becomes a “Check Down Charlie” against the Saints. Geno is not nearly as talented as Russ. He’s probably not a quarterback who can function well off-script like we are so used to seeing Russ do against tougher defenses. That said, he has an NFL caliber arm and he can throw a nice looking rope down field when he has the play action working. We saw him do this last week against a good Pittsburgh defense. At some point in this game, Geno has got to dare this defense enough to keep them honest. If he doesn’t, the run game won’t likely function, and it’s going to be a long night as a Seahawk fan.

Rashaad Penny looking like a running worthy of a first round pick. The depth of running back for Seattle is starting to look flimsy with Chris Carson on IR, and Alex Collins banged up coming out of Pittsburgh. I’ve thought all along that Collins has been Seattle’s best runner this year. Even if he is good to go against this Saints defense, I’m not feeling great here.

What would really help Seattle out in this one is Rashaad Penny coming in fresh and breaking out with some big explosive runs. For as much of a bust as he has appeared to be as a first round pick, there is no other back on Seattle’s roster capable of taking it to the house like Penny. If we get an explosive night out of him, Seattle can win this game.

Seahawks lose this game by..

Not being able to establish the run enough to give Geno Smith a chance against one of the best defenses in the league. A working run game is going to be Geno’s best friend in this game. If the Saints stout front seven takes that run game away, Geno will be tasked to play hero ball, and it won’t likely be pretty.

Seahawks failing to stop the run game, and that allows the new and improved Jameis Winston to throw darts down field attacking the areas where Seattle’s coverage as been its weakest. I’m almost certain that Seattle needs to use Jamal Adams in and around the line of scrimmage most of this game to slow Kamara, and also send pressure towards Jameis. It’s going to have to be the dice Carroll and Norton Junior are going to have to be willing to roll because teams are figuring out ways to counter Adams on the blitz, and Seattle has not done a great job responding.

I think we could see early success with Seattle playing Adams down low, but I continue to believe that Seattle’s greatest weakness is its depth at defensive tackle. It feels like, as games wear on, these big fellas inside wear down. When that happens, big runs happen. When big runs happen, it all gets pretty ugly afterwards. The Saints have a pretty talented offensive line and a premiere runner. If I am Sean Payton, I am testing Seattle’s abilities up front to hold up for four quarters, and I am looking for ways to take advantage when they send extra to stop the run. Basically, I am licking my chops as a play caller.

Prediction

Oooooooooof.

This one isn’t going to be pretty, and afterwards, I think there’s going to be a lot of chatter about how Sean Payton has turned Jamies Winston around and is making him the top contender for the NFL’s Comeback Player Of The Year award. I kinda see him becoming Ryan Tannehill 2.0, and this might be the game to really put him in that discussion with the nation watching.

I’m feeling a lot of folks favoring the Seahawks in this one. It makes me question a bit what I’m seeing, or not seeing. My Dorks On Sports podcast pals all like the Seahawks in this one. The guys on KJR 950’s Seahawks Round Table, who all generally seem more willing to show skepticism with the Hawks than perhaps some folk over on 710 who cover the team, seem to favor these Hawks, as well. Perhaps it’s slow start to the season that the Saints’ offense has had with Jameis, and the fact that they are playing without their star receiver in Michael Thomas (and their starting left tackle and center) that has many feeling confident about the Geno Smith led Seattle Seahawks in this one.

I’m looking at the fact that over the last couple games, Jameis has been putting up bigger numbers, though, and that has me quite a bit more nervous. Last week against Pittsburgh, Seattle faced a geriatric quarterback who doesn’t have the arm he once had to test a defense down field, and he chose to dink and dunk against their struggling defense, and it worked enough to get the win. Even without Michael Thomas, Jameis has the top level arm talent test Seattle deep, and even if he doesn’t hit all those passes, that arm talent of his can work to soften up Seattle’s efforts to stop Kamara.

Therefore, I just see the New Orleans Saints riding this one to an easy 35-17 victory over the Seattle Seahawks. I got that kinda gross feeling about this one.

Ironically, this loss will come against a team that is built to win in a way that Pete Carroll would likely greatly appreciate. They are built to win at the line of scrimmage on offense and defense. They can run and take away the run. They have a big strong armed quarterback who can make chunk plays down field with play action. They can get after the quarterback on defense, and they can take the ball away. I suspect that this is how they will beat these Seattle Seahawks in this one.

What’s also going to be ironic, is that these Saints are one of the four teams that Russell Wilson made public that he would be winning to be traded to last Spring. I am positive that will be made mention on ESPN a time or two as this game wears on. It will be hard to image that Russ won’t be looking at the Saints’ sidelines with his own envious eyes as this game wears on. That’s likely to spark interesting sports talk next week, as well.

Which brings me to my closing question to you all right now. If these Seattle Seahawks sit at 2-5 next week, with the trade deadline a few short weeks away, do they become buyers to try to salvage their season, or to they become sellers to acquire the draft capital needed in order to commit to a roster rebuild in 2022?

If they lose this game to the Saints, I think this is the question all fans should maybe start asking. This is why this game is do or die.

Go Hawks.

Howdy 12th Life Readers

Here’s the latest episode of our podcast Dorks On Sports where we discuss lots of Seahawks, Kraken, Nick Rolovich WSU fallout, and the wonderfully hilarious comedy show Only Murders In The Building staring Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez. Please hit us up. I enjoyed recording this episode in particular.

Also, I just wanted to share some thoughts I’ve been having about my Seahawks lately, and I wanted to throw a question out to you all.

These are interesting times for our Seattle Seahawks. A month and a half into the season, sitting on a 2-4 record with Russell Wilson on the IR probably isn’t what we were anticipating. Yet, here they are, facing a what looks like a strong New Orleans Saints team at home on Monday Night Football next week.

If our Hawks fall to these Jameis Winston led Saints, Seattle will be dropped to 2-5, and it will take an incredible effort for them to dig out of that hole into playoff contention by December.

Curiously, these Seahawks have been sitting on nearly $11 million in available cap space to make a splash addition (or two) to their team. With clear needs on the defensive line, and needs at corner (even though rookie Tre Brown played well against the Steelers), and now possibly other spots with injured running backs and spotty receiver depth, now would probably be a good time for Seahawk GM John Schneider to wheel and deal if Seattle wants to get back into the playoff race.

I would have liked to have seen some urgency come out of the front office after the loss to the Rams, but alas, we got diddly squat. Now, sitting in a hole at 2-4, well behind Arizona and Los Angeles in this tough division, I’m not even sure if I want them to be buyers at this point, and I am almost more welcoming a bit of a fire sale in order to get out in front of what feels like a much needed rebuild.

My simple question to all of you readers is this. Would you rather see John Schneider be a buyer to save the season, or a seller to usher in a rebuild for the longer term health of this team?

Feel free to leave your answer in the comments section for prosperity purposes.

Go Hawks

It’s hard for me to imagine how this game would have gone had we had a healthy Russell Wilson playing in this one. I understand the sentiment that many fans would have in believing that, if we had Russ playing, we likely would have won this game. Forgive me if I am a little less convinced.

This isn’t to say that Russell Wilson isn’t a significantly better quarterback to Geno Smith, he clearly is. I’m just saying that I have watched every single game Russell Wilson has played as a professional quarterback, and I think I’ve developed a decent sense on what style of defenses he can go after, and which ones are likely to give him troubles.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a dominant defensive tackle and defensive end combination in Cameron Heyward and TJ Watt up front. Defenses that have typically that combo has long made games difficult for Russ. If you have smart and talented edge rushers like TJ Watt, you can contain Russ, and if you have a dominant interior rusher like Heyward, he can easily be flushed into the loving grips of a guy like Watt, if Heyward doesn’t get there first. He’s a short quarterback, who often needs to hang onto to the ball longer to find his open receivers. This is a big part of what Russ is.

So forgive me if I watched and enjoyed a significantly less talented quarterback in Geno Smith often get the ball out quickly to check downs and quick slants against this aggressive front seven of the Steelers defense. Yes, Geno got sacked too, but I have a sneaking suspicion that had we seen Russ playing in this game, the sacks could have been a lot more.

I think this was a good game for Russ to stand on the sidelines and see how things were available to Geno and how Geno found enough success to give Seattle a chance to win it in the end.

I think this is also a really good game for Pete Carroll to see that Alex Collins can be more of a featured back in this league and rookie Tre Brown perhaps needs to be considered that starting left corner for his defense.

Here are more of my thoughts.

The Good

Alex Collins was undoubtedly the star of the Seattle Seahawks on SNF for me. His 20 carries for 101 yard and a score sparked Seattle’s offense in the second half that was very reminiscent of Marshawn Lynch circa 2012. He was quick and decisive hitting his holes and his cutbacks were next level. If Seattle had managed to win this game, there is no doubt in my mind that he would be the player most talked about this week. If Seattle is to win games with Geno Smith as QB1, Collins must be a more focused part of the game plan moving forward.

Bravo to rookie cornerback Tre Brown for flashing on this defense and making an impact when forced to play more after Sidney Jones got injured. I honestly cannot remember in recent history when a Seattle corner made a splash like this. If Seattle had managed to pull this win off, his critical late game third and short snuff of a screen pass would have been talked about all week. His defense of a sideline go ball earlier in the game was sweet to watch, as well. I’m not going to pretend that this dude is the second coming of Richard Sherman, but judging off what I have seen from left cornerback play from the Seahawks over the past three seasons, I will gladly take seeing this guy lined up there more moving forward through this season.

It was positive seeing the offensive line run block with solid success in the second half, especially to the right side of the line. Yes, Pittsburgh finally adjusted their defense to snuff the run out late, but that sorta opened things up for Geno to hit passes over the middle. This effort worked to Seattle’s second half advantage to get back into this game. It was fun to watch.

It was also nice to see Jamal Adams finally being used in this defense more like he was in 2020 as a box safety, and he was finally making some impact plays. I still have a lot of issues about this defense that Seattle is rolling out with, but at least I saw them using one of their best players to play at his strengths instead of being tasked with things that are not. This was a positive step forward. I will take that.

Finally, while many fans will remember the fumble that Geno Smith gave up trying to scramble up the middle in overtime, I will more likely remember his toughness against adversity and doing enough little things to give this team a chance to pull off a miracle win on SNF.

I will be honest, I didn’t give Seattle much of a chance in this one. Seattle played better than I thought they would and they got better play out of Geno Smith that I thought they would get. Yes, there were plays in which he did not look great throwing on a scramble to Tyler Lockett, and this fumble play at the end. But there are also plays were he hung touch in the pocket after play action and delivered beautiful touch balls down the middle of a good Pittsburgh defense. In short, I think he did enough to play within himself to game manage Seattle to an unexpected win.

The Bad

As impressed as I was with Tre Brown’s effort on defense, along with his mate on the other side in DJ Reed, I was not loving this Seahawk defense again in this game. We can talk about what kind of talent they have on this roster, and I don’t think it’s great (especially at defensive tackle), but for me, the issue still remains with what Seattle has at defensive coordinator in Ken Norton Junior.

My trust is completely broken as a fan of this team, and because Pete Carroll did not seek to replace him this off-season when former coordinators Dan Quinn, Gus Bradley, and Kris Richard were all available to be hired back, my trust is actually most broken by Pete Carroll. It is without a doubt that the Seattle Seahawks have played the worst defense in the Pete Carroll era over the past three and a half-ish seasons with Norton as the DC. While it is possible that not all of that is on Norton, something has to give, and honestly, maybe that is Pete Carroll himself.

In my inexpert opinion, this defense still looks like it is trying to do and be too much. It’s not simplified enough for the linebackers to play fast, and why did we suddenly see Benson Mayowa being used as a drop back linebacker through much of the first have when Ben Roethlisberger was finding most of his success? Who was Seattle thinking they were fooling with that look?

I’m done with this defense. Ain’t no defending these defenders anymore for me this season. Sadly, I also don’t think it’s their fault. I still think too much is on their plate. 4-3 defensive ends shouldn’t be tasked to be drop back linebackers. A talented box safety shouldn’t be asked to play deep coverage, and this team should be carrying more on its roster than three freaking defensive tackles inside. It’s beyond ridiculous.

Do you want to know why Seattle wasn’t using Collins enough in the first half? It’s because Pittsburgh was driving on this defense just like most other offenses have been this year, and that likely made Shane Waldron more compelled to dial up pass plays to try to get back into this game with little time remaining in the first after after long Pittsburgh drives. It’s a nature reaction as an offensive play caller.

So, yeah, forgive me if I continue to throw most blame towards the Seattle defense. Pete Carroll is supposed to be a defensive mastermind head coach, and his defense is continually playing like butt. I’m tired of it. I’m not even angry about it anymore. Just tired. I need change.

Sorry. Moving on.

The Ugly

Obviously the ugliest part of this game was seeing talented second year defensive end Darrell Taylor laying flat on his back on the field late in the game with an apparent neck/head injury. It actually hurt my heart because I have been loving his story this year coming out of nowhere to become Seattle’s best edge rusher, and maybe even the best young defender on the defense.

The news that the CT scans were initially clear at the hospital is a very big plus for him, but who knows how he is going to come back from this and how long he will be out. I have a very difficult time seeing this Seattle defense further turn the corner this season without him. Maybe Alton Robinson comes on more, or Carlos Dunlap will start kicking it in gear, but I’m not very hopeful.

I just hope Darrell is okay and will get back to full health at some point this year. The dude as sooooooo much promise as a player, and I think he’s a dude who you want to root for.

Moving forward

It’s a shame that Seattle wasn’t able to pull off this win. The whole complexion of their season feels shifted after this loss.

They are now sitting at 2-4, and are facing a better team next Monday night at home against the New Orleans Saints. Seattle will have to bring their A game without two of their best players on offense, and with a defense that is still sorting itself out and now has lost it’s best pass rusher.

Personally, I don’t want to see Seattle make any sort of splash trade for a big name defender at this point. I think the hole they are in is too far dug for them to climb out of. If they want to sign someone off the street (cough, cough.. Geno Atkins.. cough, cough), great. I just don’t want to see them trade valuable draft capital for another expensive older player.

In my humble opinion, I think a big reason why Seattle is in this current mess is that they have spend far too much draft capital trading for vets who they think will push them over the top, and the result is that most of those trades have not paid off, and because of all that, the young depth of this team is bad. This is the whole issue in a nutshell for me.

Simply, this team needs a reset and possibly a rebuild, and they need to go back to the 2010-2014 years where they largely functioned as a draft and develop team. I worry that at age 70, Pete Carroll is nowhere close to being interested in doing that, though.

So, I fear that we will see them trade a valuable third round pick for an aging big name corner instead of leaning more into a younger guy like Tre Brown, and just signing a street veteran or two to get better at defensive tackle.

If any trade were to happen, I would honestly welcome a bit of a fire sale, and embrace the notion of a 2022 rebuild now. I don’t see Pete Carroll being willing, though.

So, here we are.

Maybe a win against the Saints next Monday will make us all feel better. I would welcome it.

Go Hawks!

Howdy Twelves!

Oh, the thoughts I have on these Seattle Seahawks right now. Before we begin with this SNF preview, I just wanted to point out the link above that is the latest episode of the Dorks On Sports podcast where we discuss the Seattle Kraken, life with Geno Smith as Seahawk QB1, thoughts on the Steelers match, the Jon Gruden mess, and then we spend a lot of time talking Ted Lasso (which will be spoiler stuff if you haven’t watched all the way through season two). Fun episode, good talks, gets a little raw in spots, but we always strive to keep it light as possible.

So, this game on Sunday Night Football, in Pittsburgh, against the Steelers, without Russell Wilson.

Okay, here’s what I’m thinking.

There are likely to be fans who are going to become increasingly more down on the Seattle Seahawks this year, and I sensed that happening well before the Russell Wilson finger injury.

I would love to call these folk fair weather fans, but I gotta be honest. I think there is likely to be an increasing portion of diehards who have been with this team for a very long time, such as myself, who might start turning away some, and it’s not just because this team will be without Russell Wilson for four to possibly eight weeks or more.

I think there’s likely a growing number of diehards who have just become exhausted in how the Seahawks ship as been run over the most recent few years. If Pete Carroll and Ken Norton’s defense continues to play at this historically bad pace, I would not blame a single soul from turning their heads away from that, especially in the excitement of Seattle now having an NHL team playing real games.

I will be watching these Seahawks closely, win or lose. I will be looking for whatever little victories come out of losses, and I will glow about whatever wins they can manage to pull off. My expectations for this team have fallen to a low that I haven’t felt since the 1990s, frankly.

So, I just want to see if Geno Smith can function and have success in this Shane Waldron offense, and whether third down efficiency will improve with a quarterback who will perhaps look more towards taking what is more available to him instead of seeking out the more dynamic play down field. Many think that has been a major issue with Russell Wilson. Let’s see if a lessor talent at quarterback creates a weird step forward in ways for the passing offense.

I want to see if second year defensive end/linebacker Darrell Taylor can expand his role and production as the leading sack earner for this defense. I’m eager for that.

I want to see if Pete Carroll can fix this horrific defense to serve as something that is at least functional. Right now, it’s not even that.

I want to see how Russell Wilson comes back as a passer, if watching the game on the sidelines gives him better insight into how Waldron wants to run this ship. Over five games, I’ve developed doubts about whether a Ram style offense that relies so much on quick timing throws is a fit for Russ. Going into the season, I thought it would be, but I’ve jumped off that ship. I would love to be proved wrong.

I would love to see Geno Smith win some games as Seattle’s QB1 and play well enough to show the league he can be a starter in this league. Personally, I think that would be a great story.

And finally, I would love to see Jamal Adams be put in a position on defense that better suits his skills so that he can have an impact on games. The way this team has been using Adams is the biggest disappointment for me, overall, through five games.

All that said, my expectations are pretty low for this team to win games now and it starts with this one against the dreaded Steelers this Sunday night.

Seahawks win this one by..

Geno Smith building off of his strong late second half outing against the Rams last week, and running an efficient offense that moves the sticks be mixing run with pass and getting the ball out accurately and quickly. This is ideally how an Rams style offense is supposed to run with Shane Waldron coming up to the PNW to install it. This is what Pete Carroll had hoped it would be for Russell Wilson. It’s about hitting receivers on quick patterns to slow pass rush and move the sticks. If Smith can run it close enough to how Carroll and Waldron want it to be, this gives Seattle a chance in this one.

Getting good production from Chris Carson and Alex Collins at running back against a good run defense. The Steeler defense is good and its strength appears to be against the run. This game will be a good test to see if Seattle can lean more into its run game without Russ running the show. Seattle has good guards to run behind, and I like the potential of mixing Carson with Collins. If they can get it going enough, Geno’s job probably becomes easier as a passer.

Carroll finally getting his defenders back on the same page in coverage, especially the middle of the field. As bad as the Seahawks defense has been in coverage, Carroll insists that it is all very correctable. The Steeler offense is not great. This might be a good opportunity for Jamal Adams, Jordyn Brooks, and Bobby Wagner to get their games turned around.

Stopping the run. The Steelers have a talented young running back in Najee Harris. As games have worn on, the Seattle defensive line has shown a predictable weakness against the run due to how light they appear at defensive tackle. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to look at this match up and predict the Pittsburgh will intend to lean into Harris to secure a home win. Seattle needs to take that run game away.

Seahawks lose this by..

Not getting their ground game going enough to take pressure off of Geno Smith against a quality Pittsburgh defense. Chris Carson and Alex Collins have to be productive and if they aren’t, this could get ugly early and stay ugly the whole way through.

Seattle not fixing their defensive issues with coverage and Ben Roethlisberger taking advantage. Big Ben isn’t the same player he once was, but he is still a very proven vet who has seen a lot of football. He’s probably licking his fingers looking at the footage of Seattle’s pass coverage this week. If Seattle doesn’t fix this defense, Seattle isn’t likely winning this game.

Prediction

Sorry Twelves who believe Seattle has landed at a soft point in their schedule. Steelers are going to win this one handily, 24-17, I predict.

Unless Carroll gives into making Jamal Adams more of the blitzing in the box safety he was for this team last year, I don’t see Seattle turning a corner enough with this defense to pull off a win. Carroll seems intent on playing Adams back more (probably to help the corners), and that is taking away what is probably Seattle’s best weapon on defense. Until I see that change, I won’t believe it actually will.

Because Adams has been reduced to being a non weapon, I see the Steelers leaning in Harris knowing that Big Ben will find success against Seattle’s weak middle of the field coverage as the game wears on, and the Steeler defense being good enough to force Geno into a situation where he has to win this game with his arm.

Alas, the conclusion of this game will feel very anti Pete Carroll football. They will not have played good enough defense, and they will not have been able to lean into the run game enough due to being forced to chase points with unfavorable time left on the clock.

Hope I’m wrong.

But let us look for all those little victories.

Go Hawks!

Well, this has suddenly become a very fascinating season for our Seattle Seahawks, hasn’t it? Maybe not in the way we had been hoping, for but let me count the ways.

Never before has Russell Wilson ever missed a game of professional football. In 2016, he played through a high ankle sprain that would have kept most quarterbacks off the field for weeks. Russell Wilson critics can list many things to make their case as to why he isn’t their preferred flavor. One thing that can never be questioned is his toughness and overall durability. Well, an injury to his middle finger on his throwing hand will now prevent him from properly gripping a football, and we will see Geno Smith as our starting quarterback for possibly six games or longer. Word has filter out that Russ intends to be back within four games, but that would be two week sooner than medical experts have projected. We shall see.

Jamal Adams is currently playing like one of the worst defenders in professional football. Through five games, his Pro Football Focus grades have been abysmal. In fact, he is graded as one of the worst safeties in football. That sucks because he is also the most expensive safety in all of football.

While a strong argument can be made that Seattle is not using his skills properly, it is still inexcusable for a player that Seattle traded two first round picks and a third round pick for to be playing this poorly. A top end strong safety should be able to be functional in coverage. Jamal Adams has been awful, thus far.

Pete Carroll’s 2021 defense is on pace to become the worst defense in the history of the NFL. Let that sink in. When Carroll was hired by Paul Allen twelve years ago, he came into the PNW as a defensive mastermind out of USC. For the first six seasons of his Seattle tenure, this label held true. One can argue the the Legion Of Boom was the best defense in all of modern football, but slowly, that defense has eroded and what is left in its place now is horrendous.

There is many reasons that I can list as to why I think it is in this state, but that is another long piece to write. Let me just say this; this Seattle Seahawk defense, in its present state, can not stop the run for four quarters, they can’t generate a reliable pass rush, and they can’t cover worth crap.

Even if Geno Smith plays well in place of Russell Wilson and the Shane Waldron offense functions well enough for Seattle to win without Russ, I find it incredibly hard seeing these Seattle Seahawks winning the majority of the games left on their season with this defense playing this way. If you can’t stop the run, and you can’t stop the pass, you literally do not have a functional defense. The Seattle Seahawks, right now, do not have a functional defense. It’s a tough task to win where you are strapped with that kind of mess.

And finally, there is this whole other situation. Despite all the off-season Russell Wilson controversy, at the start of this season, I believed it was highly unlikely we would ever see the Seattle Seahawks actually ever trade Russell Wilson, and I certainly never believed that Pete Carroll’s job as head coach and vice president would ever be at risk (even in a down year).

Like many others, I saw the pairing of Wilson and Carroll as the dependable secret sauce for the Seahawks to remain a playoff contending team, and I believed that, as long as Pete Carroll was coach, he would likely never be truly willing to part with Wilson. I believed it would take a ridiculous haul to pry Russ out of Seattle, and that sort of offer would be unlikely.

Right now, I think it is entirely possible this could be the last season we see both figure heads in Seattle. I hope I am wrong on that, but I have to be honest, I think we could be sitting inside the perfect storm that could ultimately send them both out of the PNW, even if Carroll can somehow summon enough magic to make his Seahawks competitive in December (more on that later).

So what are these Seattle Seahawks to now do?

Recently, I have read compelling reasons as to why the Seattle Seahawks should just start the process of blowing the whole thing up now with a fire sale. Long time Seahawks writer Brian Nemhauser wrote a very strong case for it on his Hawk Blogger site that I think is well worth the read for any diehard Seahawks fan.

Personally, I wouldn’t be upset if this actually happens over the following days and weeks. I think the biggest reason why we are in this position as a team is that Seattle hasn’t hit well enough in recent drafts, and I think, because of that, this organization has felt more compelled to trade high picks for expensive veterans in order to stay competitive in the tough NFC West where other teams have had more down years that have led to opportunities to draft higher, and therefor, collect better talent out of college.

This is the function of parity that the NFL is built on, and I believe it has finally caught up to Seattle. It certainly feels that way.

Arizona and San Francisco have younger and better rosters by way of draft positions, and the Rams have done a better job collecting talent and scheming them to success than Seattle has. Credit Seattle for staving off these rivals for a decade of football, but it looks like it has finally caught up to them.

Watching San Francisco and Arizona play each other yesterday, I could see all that young bright talent from both clubs popping off my television screen. Seattle simply does not have than on their roster, not to that level.

So for me now, entertaining this thought of a full blown rebuild, nobody on this roster is really that sacred. Not the quarterback, the middle linebacker, the “defensive weapon” safety, the left tackle, or really anyone else, if the right deal is there.

In his piece, Nemhauser lists DK Metcalf and Darrell Taylor as the only two players that are untouchable for him, and I can dig that. Both look bright fixtures for the future to build on, but I gotta be honest, if Indianapolis comes calling for DK and offers me two first round picks, I am listening.

In my gut, I believe that Seattle needs to suck it up, bite the bullet, and truly get back to building this roster back up through the draft. I think we need that sort of rebuild, and I am ready for that.

The reality is, though, that I don’t think rebuild is on Pete Carroll’s radar. At age 70, I don’t think he’s interested, and I think he’s going to see the present state of his team as a unique challenge to prove his coaching mettle. I don’t think it is in his DNA to coach his team to tank for any rebuild, and frankly, I don’t blame him. In fact, I praise him for it.

Pete Carroll is many things. He’s an eternal optimist, he’s a master culture builder, and above all, he’s a shrewd motivator. He’s also not stupid.

He’s probably well aware of what stakes are staring at him. If his 2021 team ends up bottom basement in the league where they don’t own a first round pick in 2022 because of the Jamal Adams trade, it’s very unlikely Russell Wilson is going to want to stick around. His camp might likely go nuclear and demand a trade this time, instead of weirdly sorta sideways suggesting one like last off-season. That could easily create an instant fan apathy that could make Jody Allen very nervous as a hand’s off owner who trusted Carroll to maintain a playoff level team in Seattle.

As much as she would probably prefer not to be in this position, she could feel compelled to make a very tough decision for the very first time as team owner. There have been some rumblings that she might be looking to sell this club in a few years, and she has seen franchise stability and a loyal fan base as a big selling point to maximizing profits in such a sale. If this is true, if that stability and loyalty from fans feels suddenly in danger, Carroll could easily end up with walking papers.

Pete Carroll isn’t going to want to go out like that. Therefor, I think we are likely to see him attempt to pull over a miracle in Seattle.

Instead of any fire sale, I think it is much more likely we could see Carroll spend more draft capital trying to bring in more pass rush to fix his defense. Who and what that player is, I have no idea, but I do know this; Seattle is currently resting on roughly $11 million in available cap space, and Carroll keeps insisting it’s the lack of consistent pass rush that is holding his defense back and the cover stuff is fixable.

If Carroll truly believes Geno Smith can successfully run this Shane Waldron offense, and he is one big time pass rusher away from turning this defense around, this move feels very obvious and predictable. I think we could see it happen fairly soon.

Pete Carroll won’t go down without a fight, and he will use adversity as a motivating force for his players. He won’t quit on this team because he doesn’t want his players quitting on him. That’s not how he wants his legacy to end in Seattle. That’s not the culture he fosters.

I expect this team and coach to put up a fight. Whether that is right or wrong for the long term health of this franchise in a tough division is a different matter, but this is what I expect to happen. From a pure football fan perspective, I’m intrigued to see what comes out of it.

What do I, Curtis Eastwood, life long diehard Seattle Seahawks fan since 1983, want to see happen in these fascinating circumstances?

Well, this is a very interesting question.

A big, huge, gigantic part of me would welcome a fire sale right now.

If the Colts called for DK and offered me two first rounders, I would say “deal.”

If Sean Payton suddenly calls from New Orleans and offers me three first round picks, a third, and Jameis Winston for Russell Wilson, I’d likely take it.

If Bill Belichick wants to take Jamal Adams off of my hands for a third round pick and a run stuffing defensive tackle, I’d bite that bullet.

If former Seahawk front office exec Scott Fitterer calls me about Duane Brown and offers me a third round pick, I’d say “cool,” and if someone wants Bobby Wagner for a second round pick, I would do cartwheels as I say “oh, hell yes.”

As I look at this team, I see these pressing long term needs: starting left tackle, starting center, starting defensive tackle, two starting cornerbacks, starting tight end, starting running back, and I probably also want one more talented young edge rusher to mix in with Darrell Taylor and maybe Alton Robinson.

It also goes without saying that if Russell Wilson does in fact want out, we need a new longer term answer for QB1. Even if the next starting quarterback isn’t coming out of college and is currently on another NFL roster, draft picks help getting him to Seattle just like this team did years ago getting Matthew Hasselbeck up here. That move turned out pretty well for the club.

I gotta be honest in also saying that if Pete Carroll decides to fight and manages to somehow coach this team up into playoff contention in December, I would be pleased to see that happen. I have always remained a Pete Carroll fan, even in the face of his declining defense over recent seasons. I will always be a Pete Carroll fan.

As a Pete Carroll fan, I would love to see him pull off a coaching miracle in a season when so much is stacked up against this team. I would love to see the growing number of Pete Carroll haters among the Twelves eat that flavor of crow.

Afterwards, as a Seattle Seahawks fan, I love to then see Pete Carroll back it all up, and ride out into the sunset with the title of best coach in Seattle sports history firmly secured.

In the end, I’m ready for a regime change. I’m ready for new blood, and a fresh perspective on how to build and manage winning football in Seattle.

Twelve years in Seattle as head coach is a heck of a run for Carroll, but I’m ready for something new, especially with local boy and Super Bowl winning head coach Doug Pederson sitting out there potentially ready to step in. I see a lot of cards lining up for that.

I just think Pederson potentially stepping in, still being young enough and with perhaps fresh perspective, with a year away from football, is too enticing. I believe he also has a history with John Schneider too from the Green Bay days, if Schneider wants to still stick around. Either way, I just sort of sense this being a perfect storm for this particular opportunity.

This move might even entice Russell to want to stick around. One thing I feel most certain about, if Pete Carroll remains head coach, I don’t think Russell and his camp will want to remain here. I honestly think Russ, right or wrong, believes he needs to get away from Pete to further his legacy. I think what we saw happen last off-season were calculated attempts at a long breakup so that he doesn’t leave Seattle perceived as a villain.

I certainly hope I am wrong, but I think that’s the likely case, and honestly, I think I can probably take this one further.

I think that if Sean Payton decides that he wants Russ down in NOLA, Russ is likely going to want to go there no matter who is coaching in Seattle. Russ is such a Drew Brees fan, and I think it is highly likely these two have talked about Payton. Whether Pete Carroll stays or a new coach comes it, if Payton believes his team is one Russell Wilson away next year of betting him another Super Bowl ring, his team has a lot of talent and draft capital to make Seattle a very attractive offer.

This is another reason why I think a hiring such as Pederson is important. If Seattle needs to make a change at quarterback and go through a mini rebuild, I want a younger coach who knows quarterbacks to handle that task. I trust Doug for that. He comes from the Holmgren tree as a player and the Andy Reid tree as a coach, and Holmgren did a pretty could job establishing his offensive identity in Seattle, and finding the quarterback to run that ship.

Doug Pederson did pretty darn well with that in Philly, too, when you think about it. Maybe it didn’t work out for the long run for him in the City of Brotherly Love, but getting fired in that market shouldn’t be seen as much of a blemish. After all, that was the franchise who thought it was a good idea to fire Andy Reid and replace him with Chip Kelly.

Just some of my thoughts, anyhoo.

Closing Thought

Before I end this, I just want to bring up one more final thought to this State of the Seahawks address.

Enjoy these games this season, win or lose, if you can.

No, I don’t think it is likely that we are to see these Seahawks in the playoffs this season, but it doesn’t mean it can’t happen, and if they put up a good fight against these odds, that will be fun to watch.

We should all root for Geno Smith to play well in place of Russell Wilson.

We should be excited if Darrell Taylor, who some more cynical sorts thought might not ever play a down of professional football, continues to lead Seattle in sacks all the way through the season.

We should be happy if Jamal Adams can turn his game around, and if Jordyn Brooks does, too.

We should enjoy watching Russell Wilson come back from injury and giving it a good fight at the end.

If Pete Carroll is able to turn this defense around enough to make it functional again, we should enjoy that, as well.

Even if none of these things happen, I think we should be grateful for what Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson have brought together in terms of professional football in Seattle for the last decade. I hope most fans will take this approach.

If Seattle does not make the playoffs this year, Carroll and Wilson’s record of getting to the playoffs together in ten seasons will be eight out of ten times. Of those eight playoff runs, they went to two Super Bowls and won one, they went to the divisional round four times, and they lost in the wildcard round twice. I would take that ten year stretch over and over again as a Seahawk fan in a heartbeat. Hell yes, I would.

There is a negative narrative out there among some Seahawk fans and writers about what this club has only accomplished in the last five years. Fans are free to look at their favorite club anyway they want to, and I won’t tell them they are wrong.

That said, even in the face of what is presently upon us as a fan base, I am choosing not to look at it negatively like that.

I have lived through 1990’s Seahawks football. I know what bad football truly looks like in blue and green. I think what Carroll and Wilson have done together over this decade is remarkable football. If it all ends this season, I won’t be upset. I will be grateful.

As the late great George Harrison sang it, all things must pass. If this era is going to be over with soon, I will be ready for the next. I’m in this with this team for the long haul.

Go Hawks.

I’m not actually angry or upset about this Seahawks Thursday Night Football loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Far from it.

I was angry a few weeks ago when the Seahawks puked up a loss to the Tennessee Titans when they should have put them away with a 14 point lead heading into the fourth quarter. It was a loss that induced an anger in me that stayed for days into weeks. I’m honestly still miffed at that one.

I was pretty upset to see what they did against Minnesota, too. It was honestly one of the worst games of defensive football that I had ever seen from a Seattle Seahawks team and I have been watching pretty much every game since 1983. That’s a lot of Seahawk football I’ve taken in.

After those two losses, I have dropped all expectations I had about the Seahawks for 2021. So, this loss to the Rams doesn’t really bug me. I’m disappointed Seattle lost, but I’m not upset that they did.

The Rams are a better team. They have better talent on defense, and collectively, they play better offense.

We can debate all we want to about who the better quarterback is between Russell Wilson, and Matthew Stafford (I say Russell is), but I don’t think it matters.

I’m not a Stafford believer, and I don’t think he is remarkably better than Jared Goff. This game didn’t alter my opinion. I think Sean McVay coaches a very friendly offense for quarterbacks to play well in. Goff had very little troubles beating Seattle in this offense when he was in a Rams uniform, and now Stafford can have a bit of a clunker, too, and still beat Seattle with relative ease.

If you have any doubts on just how well this style of offense can suit almost any given somewhat capable quarterback, just look at none other than Geno Smith when he had to replace Russell Wilson in the second half. Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron is running mostly the same offense up here, and if I am to be honest, of the three quarterbacks that played this Thursday night, I thought Smith looked the best.

But the issue for the Seahawks is not Russell Wilson and the offense. The issue is a defense that I cannot fathom is a defense of a Pete Carroll coached team. I could write a long piece about all the issues I see on this defense.

I think they are needlessly light up front at defensive tackle and because of that, they can’t stop the run as games wear on.

I think they are also needlessly light at cornerback and that is preventing them from playing a style of coverage that Pete Carroll would likely prefer.

I think the Ken Norton Junior is long cooked as a defensive coordinator and I fear Pete Carroll’s loyalty to him will prevent Carroll from making a much needed change.

Because of all of this, I have little faith these 2021 will be a playoff contending team by December. If you can’t reliably stop the run, and you can’t stop the pass, you aren’t going to win enough games. It doesn’t greatly matter who you have at quarterback. You are always going to be forced to win shootouts with the disadvantage of the other team having the better defense to go against.

So, really, I’m just in this as a fan who loves and adores the Seattle Seahawks, and will watch every game this season looking for the little victories and hoping these Seahawks will build towards something special again down the road.

The Good little victories in this game.

Good for Geno Smith going into this game in the second half and replacing an injured Russell Wilson when Aaron Donald and company were looking to further shut this Seattle offense down.

Smith is probably a pretty limited quarterback, but he looked poised in the face of pressure, got the ball off quick and mostly on target finding open receivers down the middle of the field. Smith moved well to evade pressures and picked up yardage with his legs, and he spun tight balls down field to tight ends, and DK Metcalf. It would have been a tremendous story if he would have pulled out a win, and he had a chance towards the end before throwing an interception when Tyler Lockett tripped on the top of his route.

We will see if Smith can lead Seattle to any victories in place of Russell Wilson if Wilson can’t go over the next few games. Again, I don’t have great expectations but I’m here for him as a fan. I’m pulling for him.

This was a good game for DK Metcalf. It was fun seeing him beat Jalen Ramsey for a touchdown against weirdly soft coverage (news flash; I’m not wild about the state of the Rams defense either). For Seattle to stand a chance against any decent team this year, they need games like this from DK. I’m encouraged.

For as putrid as the Seahawks defense seems to be, Darrell Taylor has now collected four sacks in five games into the season. That is super promising, and it looks like, if he can stay healthy, he has a decent chance to develop into the next great Seahawks edge rusher. That’s something to build on.

Michael Dickson remains a punting god, and it pains me to say it, but I think he might be the best player on the Seahawk roster right now. Anyhoo, that’s something, at least.

The Bad

The Seattle Seahawks are paying Jamal Adams big time money to be a play-maker and a difference maker on their defense and he is doing neither through five games. I think he had a particularly bad game against the Rams. He gave up an easy touchdown to a tight end that a supposed premier strong safety simply is not supposed to give up.

This label of Adams being a “defensive weapon” appears to have escaped Ken Norton Junior. The defensive coach seems to be very stubborn not using him enough in the box, where he is able to play at his best. It’s probably due to the poor play at corner where Norton feels he needs to play Adams deeper, but the sad fact remains. Seahawks are not getting the most out of what is supposed to be their best player on defense and that is a firing offense.

At this point, if they aren’t going to alter their defense to allow Adams to play to his strengths, I think they might as well look to trade him. Unfortunately, I fear they will do neither.

To dump more on this defense, I’m here to tell you that Pete Carroll has lost his way at what he used to prefer up front at defense tackle, and it painfully showed up in the second half of this game against the Rams. Through the height of his tenure as head coach and vice president of this team, the Seahawks carried a bulk of big bruising defenders inside, and they often came in waves.

Red Bryant, Brandon Mebane, Colin Cole, Alan Branch, Tony McDaniel, Kevin Williams, Ahtyba Rubin, and Jarran Reed were all first and foremost big beastly run stuffers who could occasionally get after the quarterback, as well. This effort against the Rams was a tipping point for me. I have zero faith that this defense can turn it around, and it is almost squarely on what they carry on the roster inside up front, and their stubbornness to shore things up.

LJ Collier is too light and not twitchy enough to be much of a defensive tackle and they used him rotating at three technique behind Poona Ford (also not the biggest guy). Al Woods gives good effort but he is probably a rotational piece on most other defenses. Brian Mone is proving more and more to just be a guy. Seattle desperately needs help inside, and it numbs my mind why they haven’t added there when Geno Aktins and many other proven sorts are available as free agents. This has costed them at least two of their three losses through five games. People can belabor what Seattle has at corner, but if you can’t reliably stop the run, well then..

The Ugly

Russell Wilson’s dislocated middle finger on his throwing hand. Well, the one thing many Seahawk fans have feared for years appears to now be upon us.

Russell Wilson is injured enough where it is likely he could miss a few games. It’s a darn shame too because I thought this Waldron offense was on the verge of taking off for him. Even though the Rams jumped ahead after the half, I was still believing Russ could win a shootout against a Ram defense that really isn’t that good.

We will see how long Russ is out for, or whether he is going to insist on playing with a middle finger that will give him problems, or if he will shelve himself.

This is not to be meant as over reactive hyperbole, but I just want to touch on this for a moment. If there is an area of Russ’s mind where he is thinking more and more about wanting out of Seattle for a fresh start somewhere else in 2022, for whatever reasons, he might be inclined to sit out several games until he feels his finger is a hundred percent. If he is positioning himself to force his way out, he probably wants to put on film the best version of himself as a passer in 2021 to make himself more trade worthy as an older quarterback with a higher salary.

I’m not going to pretend to know what is inside Russ’s mind on any of this. I’m just going to say that as he approaches the mid life of his career, it’s likely that his legacy will mean more to him than ever before, and if he isn’t seeing it in Seattle like he used to, we might get a longer stretch of Geno Smith playing than we are anticipating right now.

It’s very curious to me that Russell chose not to speak to the media after this game. When Jimmy Garoppolo was knocked out of the game on Sunday for the 49ers, he at least took the time to speak to the press, and it is all a forgone conclusion his days in the Bay area are numbered.

Russ chose not to speak, and it reminds me of the playoff loss to the Rams in January where he chose to take a very long time coming out of the locker room to finally speak very uncharacteristically solemnly to the Seattle press. We all know what followed a view weeks later when he decided to air his views about the Seahawks on a national media tour.

Moving forward

This will be an incredibly interesting time for these Pete Carroll Seahawks over the next ten days before they play again.

They have never faced having to play without Russell Wilson since they drafted him in 2012.

They have so much to fix with their defense.

They are sitting on roughly $11 million dollars in cap space. Does the continual miserable state of this defense force them to now make some bold roster move or two to acquire more talent to try to save their season, and Carroll’s reputation as a defensive minded head coach?

Does Carroll dump Ken Norton Junior as his defensive coordinator when there is a bit of a bigger stretch between games to make a coaching change?

If not, will Carroll stick with Norton out of loyalty and simply take further control of the defense away from him?

If Russ is to miss several games, do they ride with Geno Smith, or do they try to acquire another quarterback to compete?

I will be honest, this is not the state of the Seattle Seahawks that I wanted through the first five games, but I am intrigued.

As a general fan of football, I’m fascinated at where the Seahawks are right now.

I honestly think anything is possible.

I think it’s possible that they are facing a season that is heading towards the toilet bowl quickly where, by the end, owner Jody Allen might be forced into making hard choices with Pete Carroll, especially if she feels her team is in danger of losing future ticket sales in a market that now has an NHL team and a baseball team on the rise. I think that is now very possible.

I also think that Carroll might decide to kick it in the ass, and go all in on trying to win on defense, and make drastic changes within the next few days to try to save the season enough where his team is playing competitively in December. Seattle has curious been sitting with a lot of cap space. Do they now attempt to make a splash trade to help the defense?

I’m curious to see how Geno Smith continues to play if Russ can’t go for a while. The biggest positive that I took away from this dreadful game against the Rams is that the Waldron offense appears to be quarterback friendly. I am interested to see if that holds true through a possible stretch of Geno starting.

I am not wishing for Russell Wilson to eventually be traded away, far from it, but if that times comes, and Waldron is still the play caller, I now have hope that his system is good enough that Seattle’s next quarterback will prove to be useful and productive. That is one silver lining that I personally can feel could about after this game.

Ah, these Seattle Seahawks.

Go Hawks.

Howdy, 12th Life Readers

Before we get into the nit grit of this Seahawks vs Rams preview, just a reminder that I got a new podcast going with some pals that we like to call Dorks On Sports. Above is our latest episode where we go through the Seahawks win over the 49ers, give our keys to the game and predictions with the Rams, have fun with Urban Meyer weirdness, and discuss the Ted Lasso Mariners and other matters. If you like, please follow us on YouTube, Spotify and Apple, and other sources where podcasts are available.

Okay, the Los Angeles Ram.

Hmmmmmmmmmmm..

Throw out all the records when the Seattle Seahawks and the Los Angeles Rams play each other.

No, seriously, throw them away.

These pesky Rams have been a major thorn in the side of Seattle for the better part of a decade now. Even when they were a loserville franchise prior to ditching St Louis and moving back to sunny, scenic Southern California, these Rams have always known how to it it messy for Seattle.

Now a days, with Rams being largely a shinning gem inside a very tough NFC West division, this team has absolutely no fear of Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks. Even in an embarrassing loss to the Arizona Cardinals inside their own stadium, immediately afterwards, to a Rams player, they probably collectively thought “that’s okay, we go up to Seattle on Thursday Night.”

On a short week, with the possibility of playing without their two best pass rushers in Carlos Dunlap and Darrell Taylor, the Seattle Seahawks will host a high flying Rams offense that now features the powerful arm talent of Matthew Stafford. Seattle’s defense showed some promise against a good 49er offensive on Sunday in a winning effort where Seattle knocked out the 49er starting quarterback, and forced them to play a raw rookie passer.

Can Seattle’s defense find it within themselves to follow that effort up with another decent outing against Stafford who has found new life as a veteran NFL passer?

This is probably the question that this game is going to come down to as to whether Seattle can pull off back to back wins in a very short week. Can the Seahawks defense just do enough?

Hmmmmmm..

Seahawks win by..

Continuing to do what they did offensively against a good 49er defense from the later portion of the second quarter on. This includes but is not limited to Russell Wilson on the move instead of trying to prove to the world that is he Payton Manning in the pocket, Russell Wilson as a running threat, Russell Wilson throwing dimes off play action boot legs, Russell Wilson supported by a committed and effective run game, Russell Wilson playing up tempo, and finally, Russell Wilson having the keys to the offense in changing calls at the line of scrimmage just like he marvelously did in the second half against the 49ers. If all this happens, I think Seattle hangs a lot of points against these Rams Thursday night.

Alton Robinson, Rasheem Green, Kerry Hyder Jr, and Benson Mayowa (if he plays) gotta come alive as pass rushers against these Rams. It doesn’t look like Darrell Taylor and Carlos Dunlap will be able to go against the Rams with ankle and toe injuries in a short week of practice. If I have to pick one pass rusher to come through on Thursday Night Football for this defense, I’m probably picking Alton Robinson. There is just something about this dude I really like. He kind of reminds me of Cliff Avril a bit. I think that with Dunlap and Taylor out, this game is his grand opportunity to shine. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Green get more active again too, as he might have to shift back more into that Leo role with the other dudes out. However, it works out, though, somebody in this group really needs to step up big.

Continuing to simplify the defense so that Sidney Jones settles down more as the starting left corner, and mixes in better with the other starters is the other really big key in this. Here’s what I want to see out of these guys against the Rams. Be aggressive with the Ram receivers and challenge them. Don’t over think it. Work to upset their timing, challenge their routes and play coverage everyone can be on the same page with. Sidney Jones was a really good cover corner in college at Washington. Let him be a cover corner in this defense. Don’t have him stay in retreat mode because Stafford and company will eat him alive. If Seattle can play aggressive coverage at home in front of jacked up Twelves, that will help their pass rush.

Seahawks lose this one by..

Russell Wilson trying to win this game against Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey as a pocket passer instead of mixing it up all game long. Which side of Russ are we going to get? The one who wants to win it from the pocket, or the one willing to truly challenge a spotty Rams defense with his legs? I really hope it’s the latter and not the former in this one.

Being passive and playing with fear against the strong arm of Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay’s playbook. You know what really made the Legion of Boom great? Yeah, there was some talent involved, sure, but those dudes played fast and fearless. Richard Sherman and whoever played corner opposite of him challenged receivers at the line of scrimmage even with dropping into zones. Carroll needs to remember what the core of his famed defense was about. They played aggressively on the back end and that helped the pass rush out. If Carroll has these DBs playing too safe and soft in coverage against Stafford, this will get ugly as a defense again. That is not a situation I want to see.

Seattle turns the ball over and doesn’t get turnovers. This one is simple. It’s all about the ball. Seattle can’t turn the ball over in this one and give Stafford more scoring opportunities. Seattle’s probably going to need to take the ball away at some point, as well. It is all about the ball.

Prediction

The Seattle Seahawks show some true grit in this one, and win a barnstormer shootout against the Los Angeles Rams, 38-34.

For those that love offense, this is the game for you. I think Seattle now knows what it is on offense. They have to be aggressive in tempo, be willing to take whatever defenses give, and they need Russell Wilson to be a dual threat the whole damn game. This means not allowing pass rushers to key on him when he is a pocket passer. I suspect they got this realized now, and Russell Wilson will have a signature game as a passer and runner. I’m here for it.

Defensively is going to be where the real adventure is for Seattle. This isn’t a great match to be without Carlos Dunlap and Darrell Taylor. Stafford has been getting the ball out quickly, too. I think the Seahawks will have to live and die with being more aggressive in coverage. Sometimes it might look great, but I think it’s probably also going to burn them some, as well.

I do think that at home with the Twelves, Seattle does enough in their pass rush to disrupt Stafford and get him uncomfortable, and I still just don’t believe in Stafford enough when the game is on the line. I think he’s prone to turnovers in those situations and I see those situations happening this Thursday night.

Get ready for a Ryan Neal interception that ignites the crowd and the team.

At least, that’s what I’m hoping for.

Go Hawks.

29-17

That’s the Seattle Seahawks overall record against the San Francisco 49ers after this game on Sunday.

San Francisco 49er Fan loves to flaunt his/her team’s many championship rings in the face of Seattle Seahawk Fan, but the truth is simple between these two clubs, ever since the Seattle Seahawks joined the NFC West in 2002, Seattle has largely owned the San Francisco 49ers.

This isn’t me being a poor winner in the face of San Francisco 49er Fan, either. If San Francisco 49er Fan had read me preview piece heading into this match, San Francisco 49er Fan would have read the praise I heaped on his/her team.

I love what the 49ers are doing as an organization. I think they are by and large building better through the draft in recent years than Seattle is, I am very envious of their offensive and defensive lines compared with Seattle’s, and I like their coaching situation a lot.

I think the two big differences between the clubs right now is at quarterback, where Seattle has the clear advantage, and that win/loss record they share. I think both of these two factors gives Seattle a good shot at beating San Francisco each time these two clubs play right now. Russell Wilson is the superior player at the single most important position on the field, and Seattle owns the psyche of San Francisco.

Think about it. I would argue that, deep down, there is more pressure on San Francisco to win these matches than Seattle feels. Yes, Seattle was the more desperate team heading into this game, but larger picture, I think their is greater pressure likely placed on the players and coaches of the 49ers by ownership and fans to beat Seattle than there is placed on the team that calls the PNW home to beat them.

When Kyle Shanahan took the 49er coaching gig, it was said to have been the hire to “beat Seattle.” When they mortgaged their future first round picks trading up last Spring to take quarterback Trey Lance, the team tweeted out something to the effect of “we’ll see your Russell Wilson and raise you Trey Lance.”

This is the stuff an organization does when another one is under their skin. I should have looked at this numbers game, and had more confidence in my Seahawks heading into this game. I had Seattle losing this in my preview prediction, 27-23.

I’m happy that I was wrong on that vibe.

Let’s break it down.

The Good

After a horrible start on offense where Shane Waldron seemed to believe Russell Wilson could beat this aggressive 49er defense from the pocket, and the 49er defense seemed to be inside his playbook, Waldron got Russ moving more by the second quarter, and the offense game came alive. Bless him for doing that.

I love Russell Wilson as a quarterback, I think he is top five talent still in this league when used the right way, but the dude isn’t a pocket passer. Getting him running, getting him moving outside the pocket, letting him use his best traits as a passer, having him a threat in numerous ways is how you make up for the fact he is a short quarterback. I don’t know if Seattle has to use some sort of rope a dope method at times to survey how a defense is playing Russ before they turn him lose, but it felt like it in this game.

Russell Wilson was the biggest difference in the game, and it was obvious. That second half red zone touchdown pass to Freddie Swain was Jedi-ish as he spun out of pressure. We have seen this so sort of play out of him so many times, and yet it is still so amazing to watch it when it happens. Russell Wilson had a fantastic day yesterday.

Alex Collins had a special day, too, as a runner. I don’t know what it is about Collins these days, but I just really like him right now in this offense. I am starting to wonder if this Waldron offense just fits him better than the other backs on this team. No disrespect to Chris Carson, but I want to see more of Collins running the ball as we get further into the season. I am becoming more convinced on him having a big impact in games.

DK Metcalf had a really good game against Minnesota last week and followed it up with another really strong game against San Francisco. It feels like things are clicking for him more in this offense, which is a really good thing. I love me some Tyler Lockett but having defenders needing to think more and more about 14 is probably more of a key to opening up this offense than anything else. That’s why it’s so vital to getting him going.

After watching what was perhaps the worst defensive effort I have ever seen from a Pete Carroll coached Seattle Seahawk team last week against Minnesota, credit Carroll and Ken Norton Junior for settling this defense down as the game went on against San Francisco, and getting them to play pretty decent ball (apart from one very obvious blown coverage).

I thought the defensive linemen and linebackers were much more tuned into what San Francisco was trying to do with their screen game against them, I liked how Seattle blended in their blitz more sparingly with rushing with only four and finding ways to get pressures, and I really liked that Tre Flowers took this game off from starting at corner. I hate ripping on players, but after that debacle against Minnie, I felt he need to ride the pine. Sidney Jones wasn’t perfect, but Seattle’s defense just seemed more functional with him in the lineup, and against good receivers, too. Having defensive back Ryan Neal on the field in Seattle’s dime look also seemed like the obvious right call. Those are some things to build on.

Finally, don’t look know, but through four games, second year defensive end Darrell Taylor has collect three sacks and is looking worthy of being that player Seattle traded up in the draft for in 2020. I really like the collection of Leo ends Seattle has with Taylor, Carlos Dunlap, and Alton Robinson. If I were Seattle, I would try to bring in an impactful interior rusher before the trade deadline. They are sitting on roughly $10 million in available cap space right now. If they can add a bit more interior rush to compliment these edge rushers, I think that could be the key to salvaging this defense and really making their club a contender. That’s my thought anyway.

The Bad

The obvious bad thing in the game was giving up yet another ugly busted coverage in the second half of this team that needlessly gave San Francisco new life. By all post game comment accounts, it was Sidney Jones who broke coverage and wasn’t on the same page with Jamal Adams. Because he is still so new to Seattle’s system and this was his first game playing, let alone starting, I can forgive this.

That said, Seattle was fortunate to be in a position in the second half of the game going against a very raw rookie quarterback who, mechanically, was all over the place, and it showed. Because Lance was throwing so many balls into the dirt, it was hard to know just how much of a step forward this defense took and how well Jones played outside the broken coverage. So, I still don’t know where we are at on the back end of this defense.

My inexpert hunch is that because there was still a communication issue that led to the broken coverage, perhaps Ken Norton Junior still needs to further simplify his defense for his defenders. My gut tells me that perhaps Norton and his coaches have put too much on this plate for their players in this scheme. Seattle carries a ridiculous amount of coaches on their staff compared to other clubs. Maybe there is just too many voices in the ears of the defenders.

I don’t know, but just spitballing what the underlined issues are, but one thing is clear; communication is still an issue and it needs to be fixed.

The Ugly

Watching the very awkward throwing motion of Trey Lance at times. It’s obvious that Lance is a naturally gifted athlete who can escape pressures and extend plays with his legs and arm, but based on this one game, he looks a long way off from being an NFL caliber starting quarterback. There were times in this game where I thought he looked more like Alex McGough than Patrick Mahomes.

He is very young into his career and could still develop into a star, but if I am San Francisco Fan who watched him play in this one and then watched Mac Jones on Sunday Night Football, I’d be questioning whether my team traded up for the right quarterback. Jones looked very capable against a Tampa defense that is much better than Seattle’s. Just sayin’.

Moving forward

This was a quality win for Seattle against a good ball club on the road. They face a division opponent in the Los Angeles Rams this Thursday night back at home.

We are all too aware of how the Rams have gotten into the psyche of Seattle over the past decade. Even when they were a bad club coached be Jeff Fisher, the Rams have given Seattle fits.

Ah, division rivalry. The Rams are to Seattle what Seattle is to San Francisco. They are our royal pain in the ass divisional opponent.

That said, I like Seattle facing them at home on a short week. I feel like I’ve seen this scenario play out before on Thursday Night Football between these two teams and it worked out in favor for the Seahawks.

It’s going to be a huge game.

Last week’s loss in Minnie had me pondering a potential Seahawk rebuild in 2022. This win against the 49ers has breathed new life in my hopes Seattle can still be a playoff contender this year. A win against the Rams this Thursday will make me feel like Seattle can still be the favorite to win their division again.

So just beat those pesky Rams. Beat them hard.

Go Hawks.

It’s odd for me to think that the 4th game of a 17 game NFL season would have such huge weight for these 2021 Seattle Seahawks; a team with a veteran Super Bowl winning and future Hall Of Famer quarterback in his prime, a Super Bowl winning future Hall Of Famer head coach, a Super Bowl winning All Pro and future Hall Of Famer middle linebacker, offensive weapons galore, and a defense that supposedly features one of the best safety tandems in the game.

Yet, here we are, looking at a Seahawk team that plays defense like the Three Stooges, and has an offense with a full blown Jekyll and Hyde complex. Not a great recipe for winning a difficult division, or even making the playoffs as a wildcard.

That said, I firmly believe that had Seattle done what it was supposed to do against Tennessee two games ago, we would have a very different feeling about these Seahawks today (even with an ass whooping from the Vikings on the road). The way they lost to the Titans left me with a very eerie feeling about this club, and I’m positive that I’m not the only Twelve that felt that. That’s why that particular loss bugged me so much.

I think it’s possible that loss had a strong carryover effect on the Seattle players heading into Minnesota. It looked that way on the field, especially for every single dude suited up to play defense. That was one of the worst defensive efforts I have ever seen on a football field.. ever.

Make no mistake, this is a huge game against San Francisco. As I have studied them from afar, there is something about that team from the Bay that hasn’t completely impressed me like I thought they would through three games. This isn’t me as a diehard Twelve speaking, either.

I have been very impressed by their coaching, offensive scheme, and their front seven on defense for a few years now. If I was a 49er fan, I would be jacked about what that team can be for the next decade of NFL football. That said, they look beatable right now.

For as loaded as they appear on their defensive line, they’ve given up yards on the ground and through the air. If Russell Wilson and Chris Carson bring their A games next Sunday, if feels like Seattle can hang points on this club. The thing is, of course, Minnesota’s defense statistically didn’t look all that either, and Seattle only managed 17 in that game. Hence the Jekyll and Hyde of the Shane Waldron offense, thus far.

Offensively is where the 49ers really scare me against what has been an inept Seahawk defense, and that’s putting it nicely. If Seattle is going to win this game, we need to see a dramatic defensive turnaround happen this Sunday. If it doesn’t, Seahawks aren’t likely to win this game, and they will sit 1-3 heading into the red hot Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night football. Oh, boy.

Therefore, this is why I say this game against the 49ers is huge. Yes, there is a lot football left to be played in a long season, but if in a week’s time, Seattle is sitting 1-4, it will take an astonishing rabbit hat trick from Pete Carroll to turn this ship around enough to still compete for a playoff spot, much less any hopes of a division title.

Would this 70 year old coach have that in him? After watching what happened in the fourth quarter against Tennessee, and what happened days ago against Minnie, I have formed serious doubts, and I have been a huge Carroll supporter in the face of many who have long jumped off his bandwagon.

I want to believe that these 2021 Pete Carroll Seattle Seahawks don’t compare with the 2008 Mike Holmgren Seattle Seahawks, where suddenly it felt like it was time for the Walrus to hang it up. I’m not going to lie, though. My mind has been going there plenty the last few days.

A win against these bitters rivals from the Bay area on their home turf this Sunday, will very likely have me putting those thoughts out of mind. A win against these 49ers followed by a win against the Rams on Thursday Night will make me think these 2021 Seattle Seahawks can still be a team of destiny this year. It’s a big week of football coming upon us.

But a loss against San Francisco will leave me with a sinking feeling that the end of a very special era in Seattle sports history is possibly coming sooner than hoped for, and an entire rebuild could be staring at us all next off-season. I’m not one for hyperbole, either.

From my perspective, if the Seattle Seahawks fall to a record that is significantly below 0.500 with a healthy Russell Wilson playing every game this year, it would be time to blow the whole damn thing up, and start fresh. Total regime change might be needed, and nobody on that roster would be sacred.

So, yeah, big game coming up.

Seahawks win this game by

Controlling tempo and clock offensively by scoring quickly when needed, and draining clock as required to secure victory. That simple.

This is Shane Waldron’s time to shine and prove he has the chops to be a quality offensive play caller. He needs to keep with the same creativity he has shown in the first half of games into the second halves of them starting this Sunday against a decent San Francisco defense. He needs to figure ways to keep Russell Wilson in third and short instead of third and forever. If they do that, they stand a good chance of pulling this game out.

Stop being a confused clown circus act of keystone cops on defense. Carroll needs to decide this week what this defense is, and just be that defense.

Are they a pressure Bear style defense where they play tight coverage with five guys on the line of scrimmage, or are they a 4-3 defense that rushes with four and drops seven into zone coverage? You can’t play the Bear front by playing soft coverage, and that appears what they have been doing so far this season. Even if they retreat back to the traditional Carroll 4-3 cover three thingy, the corners need to play with more aggression and challenge receivers for any pass rush to happen.

If the Seahawk corners can manage to challenge these 49er receivers, that should help buy time for the pass rush, and Jimmy Garoppolo is not great at handling pressure early and often. If they Seahawks can make him uneasy throughout, Seattle can and should win this game.

Seahawks lose by..

Not doing enough offensively to keep Russ in third and manageable situations where many more options become available for him to convert and sustain drives. Defenses know how to play Russ on third and long plays and Russ hasn’t figured out how to beat them with any consistency, yet. Third and longs will be a killer for the Seattle offense if they are in that situation most third downs against San Fran. The 49er pass rush is too talented.

Continuing the clown show efforts on defense by not simplifying the scheme enough to suit the talent on that side of the ball. If Seattle can not simplify what it is doing on defense so they guys can play fast and confident enough in their duties, than Pete Carroll has absolutely lost it as a defense guru. This game needs to be the start of a defensive turnaround. If it isn’t, I don’t see Seattle winning this.

Prediction

I fear it’s going to be a disappointing outcome for the Seahawks this weekend. I’m bracing for that reality now.

As of now, I have zero faith in this defensive coaching staff to turn this defense around quickly. If it happens, I think it’s going to be gradual. I think the realistic question will become whether they can turn it around enough to be playing meaningful football in December. Perhaps that should be the reasonable goal for a successful 2021 season.

San Francisco wins this game 27-23 against Seattle.

I do think it will be a game where we, as fans of Seattle, will feel like we can pull it off, but I just don’t trust that defense to hold it together in the end. I see San Francisco pulling off a late touchdown score that puts them ahead, and doesn’t give Russell Wilson and company enough time to match it.

I’m hopeful that we will see some positive improvements on offense and defense in this game. That can be a building block to salvaging this season and having Seattle playing competitively for the playoffs in December.

I hope I’m wrong, though, and Seattle pulls this one out. Right now, my trust is broken.

I can’t fathom why this team hasn’t brought in Geno Atkins to help the defensive line.

More over, I don’t get why they chose not to just offer Richard Sherman a deal. They had the salary cap space to add both dudes, and I think both make this defense significantly better. I also think Richard would have loved to had return to Seattle with an opportunity to finish his career here. I will be honest. I will be bummed about that blown opportunity for a while.

How ’bout those Mariners, though? Pretty exciting stuff there.

Go Hawks.

Hey there, 12th Life Readers.

Just another plug for our new podcast show Dorks On Sports. Episode 3 dropped yesterday, and I wanted to share here.

This episode was a lot of fun to record Monday night, despite re-living the dreadful Seahawks loss to the Vikings. It’s a shorter episode than the previous two, and I think for future episodes, we would like to have them all run at about 40 minutes or so as compared to the roughly hour long ones we recorded with the first two.

In this episode we lament the state of the Seahawk defense, I create a bit of chaos when I suggest that if the Seahawks don’t get a win within the next week between the 49ers and Rams, the result could become an entire rebuild next year. Things get much cheerier and goofy after that, especially when we talk Mariners, and other what-nots.

You can watch these episodes on YouTude, or follow the audio on Spotify and Podbean. If you dig, please spread the love. We really enjoy doing these, and I absolutely love my podcast team.

Thoughts On Richard Sherman And The Seahawks

Well, anyone who has regularly reading my little blog knows how much I have wanted to see the Seattle Seahawks reunite with Richard Sherman. I saw a very obvious need at cornerback heading into the preseason, and I saw an even greater need after the first three real games of the regular season. From a pure football sense, bringing Richard Sherman back to Seattle just made too much sense for it not to happen, especially considering that he wanted to come home.

From a fan’s perspective, a Richard Sherman return also made a ton of sense. Sure, there would be a group of fans who wouldn’t be down for the idea. They would recite that his awful sideline antics from five years ago, and all the alleged beefs that he had with Russell Wilson and the way the team coddled the quarterback, and I very much understand all that.

That said, I believe that the vast majority for Seahawk fans would have glowingly welcomed him back, and his infusion back into this defense would have very likely gotten a fan base that is growing more and more impatient with Pete Carroll and John Schneider, jacked up and excited. I cannot help but think of the missed opportunity here.

We all know who and what Richard Sherman is. He’s a highly intelligent and talented football player, and he is as fierce of a competitor as there is in the league. He also demands accountability, not only from those around him, but from himself first and foremost. He’s also a natural leader and teacher and his teammates on defense love him.

In my humble opinion, Seattle whiffed on the opportunity to bring him back big time. If they can’t turn this defense around enough to make it to the playoffs this year, their decision to not bring him back will be heavily scrutinized by fans that are increasingly starting to get more and more put off by the decision making processes of this club.

Richard Sherman mentioned Seattle in his press conference yesterday and he used the term “stringing along.” Richard Sherman took a minimum contract with Tampa to play this year.

Seattle couldn’t find it within themselves to offer him that, especially after what happened against Tennessee?

I don’t know how that sits with you but it is not sitting well with me.

Presently, the Seattle Seahawks are sitting comfortably with over $10 million in salary space right now. I cannot remember the last time they have carried this much into a regular season.

Chances are they are going to trade to pull off a trade for a big name player before the trade deadline with that amount of cap space. My hunch is that player could very easily be a cornerback, probably that Gilmore dude in New England is a good bet, and maybe that turns their season around and the make the playoffs yet again.

Some will praise them for being geniuses for making the move, but here is how I am likely to look at it, if that trade is ultimately for a corner. I am going to look at the fact they could have had Sherman on the cheap, and they could have used that money perhaps on a pro bowl quality center to finally fix the offensive line, or they could have used it on a big time pass rusher TO FURTHER SOLIDIFY THE DEFENSIVE LINE.

So, yeah. I’m a little bummed that they didn’t actually make Richard Sherman any offer, that they just strung him along, and really, strung many of us along, too.

I really hope that the beat these 49ers this Sunday. I can use that win. Amen.

Go Hawks!