Hi my name is Curtis, and I’m a middle aged Madden addict.

I’ve been playing Madden since 2003. I know it’s not going to cause me to rob gas stations, or bust into my neighbor’s tool shed at 3AM because of this addiction, and I don’t think I will wake up naked on a grassy knoll beside Interstate-5 during rush hour because of it, either. So I think this is a healthy addiction to go along with my Seattle Seahawks addition.

They make each other complete. At least, that’s how I see things.

So, like you, I have watched these 2020 Seattle Seahawks through six games now, and I have come to the conclusion that they are what they are, and that is that they aren’t a whole heck of a lot better than they were last year. I think they have a good chance to go 11-5, maybe win a tough NFC West division, maybe even get to twelve wins, if all goes well.. just maybe.

Simply put, with that defense, I don’t anticipate that they will go far in the playoff, Maybe they get to the divisional round, just like they did last year, maybe.

It will be a shame if that is the result, because I think Russell Wilson will put up historic passing numbers with the need to win shootouts every week, and I think that will possibly lead to his first MVP award, especially if they somehow manage to win the West.

It will be a shame if they are not battling in the NFC championship game in a year he finally wins MVP, much less the Super Bowl. It will be a shame that he puts up historic passing numbers and doesn’t win MVP because his team’s defense was good enough to help secure the NFC West crown, and they are no more than a wildcard team.

Seattle’s money-ball plan to fix their pass rush over the off-season is not working, so far. I have little faith it will be much better with the players that they have in house as the season goes on, even if Snacks Harrison factors as a run stuffing defensive tackle, and Rasheem Green and Darrell Taylor come off the IR to contribute as edge rushers. I think this defense is what it is. They have some solid talent at linebacker and in the secondary, and they have a bunch of guys who are just guys on the defensive line, at best. That isn’t good enough.

That’s unacceptable for a team that boasts a 4-3 defense, or at least some hybrid version of one. In this league, you need to be able to win some battles rushing with four players. Seattle, presently, can not do this hardly at all. They have to send blitzers, and that leaves them vulnerable in coverage. It’s a terrible catch-22.

I’m not going to be mad at general manager John Schneider for taking a chance at some money-ball means to improving the pass rush last off-season. I actually think that it was a plan worth taking. Jadeveon Clowney is not worth $17 million annually, especially on a team that is paying their quarterback $35 million annually. I think adding Bruce Irvin, Benson Mayowa and drafting Darrell Taylor made sense.

Schneider couldn’t predict that Irvin would be lost to injury early in the season, and with Covid, it was hard to gauge Taylor’s recovery from the leg injury he received in college. Taylor was the best pass rusher available for them in the draft after taking linebacker Jordyn Brooks in round one, and Schneider took that chance. With high picks, you want them to go for the players with the highest athletic upside. That’s how you end up with a Frank Clark or a DK Metcalf at the end of round two. I firmly believe that Taylor was taken because Schneider identified that upside.

So, no, I am not going to demand that John Schneider be held accountable for these decisions like some others are suggesting. What they heck does that even mean? Pin him down and forcibly make him admit that he made a mistake by not overpaying for Clowney? Good God.

Football is football, and sh*t happens. It’s how a team responds to the sh*t happening that matters, and with the trade deadline approaching next week, I think it is time for Schneider to respond by not just trading for a pass rusher, but aggressively trading for multiple players to come in, and make an immediate impact just like Quandre Diggs did for the team last year at safety.

It’s time for John Schneider to go Madden mode, and here are my crazy bold Madden trade scenarios to help Russell Wilson not only win MVP, but for the team to win the whole damn Super Bowl enchilada.

Trade for edge rusher Everson Griffen

It was rumored all Summer long that Seattle was interested in bringing in this former USC Pete Carroll pass rusher. It was practically expected right up to the time Dallas sneaked in and signed him under their nose. The Cowboy season is busted with the loss of Dak Prescott, and they are now willing to deal Griffen. Seattle probably have him for a mid to late round pick, and he would be an immediate upgrade to Benson Mawoya.

He would also be a player rookies Darrell Taylor and Alton Robinson would benefit learning from. Frank Clark had the benefit from learning from Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril. Taylor and Robinson should be afforded a similar benefit.

Make this deal now, John Schneider.

Trade tight end Jacob Hollister to Baltimore for edge rusher Jaylon Ferguson

The Ravens have just traded for Yannick Ngakoue, and now are a bit stacked at edge rushing position. They need a boost for their passing game, and a pass catching tight end would probably be pretty desirable. Tight end is one area on the Seahawk roster that is log jammed, and Russell Wilson appears to prefer throwing to his receivers more this year. The math adds up here.

Ferguson was a raw yet productive edge rusher in college that Seattle had brought into their facilities just prior to the 2019 draft. He was the player I thought that they were likely targeting with their first pick, instead they took LJ Collier to play the old Michael Bennett role, and the Ravens were able to land him in round three.

Ferguson is different than Collier. He’s a pure edge rusher, and on top of being an immediate part of the rotation now, he would give Seattle three young edge rushers to build off of in future years along with Taylor and Robinson. This isn’t just a trade for 2020, like the Griffen scenario is. This is a trade for 2021 and 2022.

Trade for NY Jet defensive tackle Quinnen Williams

The Jets are a dumpster fire, and in result, they are presently having a fire sale. Ridiculously, they are now supposedly interested in trading their young talented defensive tackle, Quinnen Williams, who was a top five pick in 2019. It is rumored that they want multiple second round picks for him.

Honestly, if I am John Schneider, I am considering this heavily. Williams has rare athleticism for a DT. They have no player on their defensive that comes close to matching his upside. It’s unlikely that they will find a defensive tackle at the end of round two that matches that upside.

It seems like forever John Schneider and Pete Carroll have been searching for that illusive three technique pass rusher. They drafted Malik McDowell hoping that he would fill that role. They trade for Sheldon Richardson with the hopes he would do it. They extended Jarran Reed for two seasons in the hopes that he would finally grow more into it. Williams could be it for the next three and a half years of club control.

That’s worth a couple late second round picks for me, even knowing that the team will be without first and second round picks for the next two offseasons. They can figure it out later.

But for fun’s sake, here is an alternative trade scenario with New York that I can see might get the deal done. Maybe, just maybe, Schneider can convince the Jets general manager Joe Douglas to take Seattle’s 2021 second round pick, their 2019 first round pick LJ Collier, and there 2022 third round pick for Williams. Douglas would probably feel like that is a fairly handsome haul, and I think each former 2019 first rounder might be better fits on their new clubs.

Collier has been a fine rotational piece for Seattle this year. He’s flashed as a bit as an inside/out rusher, and has made some flashy run stops at critical times. I also think he looks more like a 3-4 five technique end than he does a 4-3 one like Michael Bennett was. The Jets’ 3-4 might be a way better fit for him.

Conversely, I think Quinnen Williams is a pure 4-3 defensive tackle, and that is the style of defense that would allow him to reach his full potential. I would even consider trading Jarran Reed and a second round pick for him (although, I think it is unlikely Seattle wants to part with Reed mid season this year).

Ideally, adding Williams to an interior defensive line rotation of Reed, Snacks Harrison, and Poona Ford would give Seattle’s a huge boost for the remainder of 2020. Suddenly, with Everson Griffen, Jaylon Ferguson, and this cat added, Seattle can have a defensive line rotation that can start winning some battle rushing with four.

I will say it again, but I think it is something John Schneider should strongly consider, even if it further guts their 2021 draft. I say just go for it.

Do a rare inter-divisional trade with San Francisco for receiver Dante Pettis

Despite a rash of injuries to their receiving group, the much hated 49ers appear desperate to get rid of former Husky and second round pick Dante Pettis. He’s been almost entirely phased out of their offense, and they have all but conceded that he has been a busted flush for them as a high round pick. He simply does not fit what they physically desire at receiver to mix with their dedicated run game.

Seattle flirted with signing Antonio Brown last week. It’s debatable how much interest Seattle actually had in Brown, but it does signal that they are looking to continue adding to their offensive attack. For one thing, it is unclear when Josh Gordon is ever going to be reinstated by the league. For another thing, it also feels unclear when Phillip Dorsett is going to get back from is foot injury. These are two reasons why Seattle might be seriously looking to add more to this group.

While Pettis is not the most physical pass catcher, he is a player that can get deep with their vertical attack, and he is a player that also provides huge potential as a punt returner. He is also well loved in the Seattle area as a former Husky and has a personality that would probably blend well with Russell Wilson, and DK Metcalf and such.

Simply, I think he is worth taking a flyer on. He has zero catches for the season, and might be had for a conditional 2021 seventh round pick. I doubt the 49ers are going to get much offers for him, and I doubt those offers are going to be much more than that. Given how he has played for them, they might be happy to face him twice in their division. I can see this trade happening.

Finally, bring back an old face at running back through free agency

Chris Carson’s foot injury is unfortunate, and he is listed as week to week. This means that he is probably going to miss the game against San Francisco, and it like means that he could miss a few other games afterwards. While Seattle has Carlos Hyde to step in and likely be serviceable, they also have third down back Travis Homer with a bruised knee, and Rashaad Penny doesn’t appear close to coming back from his knee injury from last year.

Suddenly, Seattle appears to potentially be in a bit of a bind at running back, and that isn’t a great thing heading into their match against the 49ers. There is even speculation that they might move receiver David Moore (who played RB a bit in college) to the position, as they presently have no running back to promote from their practice squad. Probably also not an ideal situation.

Is sure would be great to see Beastmode again, wouldn’t it?

Yeah, I’m not sure that’s going to happen again. Instead, CJ Prosise just got released from the Texans, and he would have intimate knowledge of the Seattle scheme. As injury prone as he is, he’s probably the player that they could sign today to get ready to play against San Francisco. He’s been in the league practicing, and therefore, he’s in shape to play. Until Carson is ready to go, why not just have him on the roster for a few weeks, and let Moore stay as a receiver.

Final thoughts.

If John Schneider makes one move, it should probably be to bring in Everson Griffen. His contract is affordable, and he would be an immediate upgrade to what they presently have at edge rusher, which isn’t much. If he is the only player John Schneider adds, that would probably be a successful trade deadline campaign.

However, I want Schneider to do more. I want a lot more. I want them going all in for 2020 and beyond. I want them to show the boldness that they have shown in years past, and what they showed during training camp with the splash trade for Jamal Adams.

Go get Quinnen Williams today. Go big, and don’t worry about the high draft capital. Williams and Adams can be the building blocks for the future. You’re not likely to find an young defensive tackle with his athletic potential at the end of the second round. Be aggressive getting him into Seattle and having cheap club control over him for a few years. Don’t be afraid to add a player you like on your roster into the mix.

Go get another young edge rusher like Jaylon Ferguson if the opportunity is there. You’re not going to be drafting high for the next couple years, so be creative finding young talent to build off of. Let’s see what cream comes to the top in a battle between Ferguson, Taylor, and Robinson.

My father used to say that you can never have enough defensive linemen. Come on, Schneider, hear his words. Read this blog!

Be creative. Be bold. Now is not the time to play it safe.

With a few pieces added, this defense will not likely suddenly become like the legendary one that dominated from 2012 through 2015, but it can be one good enough to legitimately help win a Super Bowl in a Russell Wilson MVP level year. The defense, as it presently is, will likely not be enough to get it done, and that would be a shame.

This team has toyed with 10-6 and wild card births long enough. It’s time to win the West, and get back to the big show.

So do whatever is needed to get that done.

Go Hawks.

He who lives by the sword dies by the sword.

This is perhaps my favorite bible quote, and it is one that stays with me. Not only was the Prince of Peace great at curing leprosy, the dude was also hip to the Eastern philosophies of Karma. He understood that what comes around, goes around.

On a much lesser extent, this philosophy can be reflected in the game of football. It was clearly demonstrated Sunday night when the Arizona Cardinals handed the Seattle Seahawks a big dose of their own medicine for all to see. One could easily say “he who lives on miraculous play from quarterback and timely defensive plays, dies by miraculous play from quarterback and timely defensive plays.”

Thus far through the 2020 NFL season, Seattle has squeezed out narrow victories against New England, Dallas, and Minnesota playing this way. Now Arizona did it to them.

It will be interesting to see how Seattle responds playing against a red hot 49er team next week. Suddenly, victory against their uniquely hated division rival feels less certain. But maybe, this is the dose of reality that Seattle needs to have right now, if they are to reclaim the dominance that they once had. One would hope, anyways.

Here are my notes about this game.

The Good

I had a sneaking feeling that Tyler Lockett was going to have a big game against the Cardinals heading into this game, and he did not disappoint. Had Seattle found a way to win this in overtime, all the talk would have been about him being the player of the game. 15 passes hauled in for 200 yards and three touchdowns is an incredible stat line, but those stats don’t being to tell his story in this one. He made multiple miraculous catches against tight coverage, and it was an incredible display. This loss to the Cardinals stings perhaps the most because it spoiled an incredible effort from Number 16. He should have won this game. He did everything asked out of him to win it. It’s a shame.

Carlos Hyde looked great on the designed outside run plays he had come his way as he stepped in for an injured Chris Carson. That looks like a very interesting wrinkle in Brian Schottenheimer’s playbook. I could stand to see more cleverness out of the run game going down the stretch. It was another strong effort that was wasted in this loss.

Perhaps the most impressive play of the night that was wasted in this loss was DK Metcalf chasing down Budda Baker after the pesky Husky picked off Russell Wilson for what should have been an easy pick six. Seattle’s defense held off the Cardinals in the ensuing series, and had Seattle held on for the win, this would have been the play talked about all week. Brutal that DK’s effort on this play was wasted in this loss.

There’s not a ton of bright spots for me to note about the Seattle defense in this one, but I thought rookie linebacker Jordyn Brooks showed some nice plays against the potent Cardinal running attack. He looks the part of a starting NFL linebacker. Seattle needs this guy to continue stepping forward into his starting role in a big way, especially next week against the Niners.

The Bad

Russell Wilson continued his MVP quest making numerous incredible throws, but at least two of his three interceptions were bad throws and probably bad decisions.

Russ simply did not cook well enough in this one. Instead of lofting a pass in the flat for a potential touchdown that was way too easily picked off by Budda Baker, he probably should’ve put more zip on the ball. His second intercepted pass in the red zone was just a bad throw that never should have been thrown in the first place, and while it looked like Isaiah Simmons made a great play on his third intercepted pass at the end of the game, it also looked as though it was another pass that probably shouldn’t have been thrown, either. In result, instead of showing upstart second year quarterback Kyler Murray who is boss quarterback in the NFC West, Russell was the more inconsistent passer in this game, and it pains me to state that.

What is even more painful to state is that Seattle has become so quarterback dependent in 2020, it practically requires Russell to have perfect games each and every week. Very, very few quarterbacks are capable of that. Even the greatest of the greats have rough outings.

Seattle has got to figure out how to protect leads and close games, or this whole Let Russ Cook thing is likely going to fall short of any deep playoff run, much less any return to the Super Bowl. This is probably why Russell was clamoring for the team to add Antonio Brown. He knows how many points that they have to pour on with this defense. He’s likely figuring that if they aren’t going to consistently hold teams down in the fourth quarter, he’s going to have to be able to score at will most games.

At this point of the season, through six games, I frankly don’t know what the solution is to fix this defense. Yes, it’s true that they have been playing without Jamal Adams the last three games, and he is an X factor. Yes, it’s also true that they are likely getting Damon Snacks Harrison activated to play defensive tackle will help against the run, and perhaps getting Rasheem Green back will help some with the pass rush, somewhat. But how much can we honestly expect out of this unit without a true pass rushing difference maker up front?

Seattle obviously needs to add another pass rusher. It’s painfully obvious to the point that the announcers are saying it during each television broadcast. At this point, I don’t even think it matters if it is another edge rusher, or if it is a pass rushing defensive tackle. Just get somebody.

I also know that they were playing Kyler a certain way with their rushes as to contain him instead of aggressively going for the sack, but they needed someone to get home on him. Jarran Reed is a fine defensive tackle, but he is not a primary pass rusher. At best, he is a complementary piece. Benson Mayowa is probably a serviceable edge rusher, but he is not enough. LJ Collier and Damontre Moore, at this point, are just guys. Same with Poona Ford.

An why wasn’t Alton Robinson factoring in more? Isn’t he supposed to be the surprise rookie edge rusher who was flashing all through training camp? He flashed in earlier games this season. I don’t think I saw him on the field once. Why?

At this point, I have long passed sounding like a broken record, but let me state it one more time. Seattle needs to add another pass rusher. If they are not going to add through free agency with a Clay Matthews type, then they need to trade for one.

And if by chance they aren’t going to pull the trigger on getting a proven veteran pass rusher, then they might as well trade for another pass catcher to give Russell even more to throw to because he’s probably going to need it at this rate. This is why I was kind of into the team signing Antonio Brown. Yes, I felt dirty as dirty can be about wanting that, but I saw the logic.

Good freaking grief. Enough is enough. Do something!

The Ugly

Despite that faulty defense, and Russell Wilson not being his absolute sharpest, Seattle was still in position to win this game in the fourth quarter.. until that f***ing ref called that bulls*** roughness call against Bobby Wagner.

It was a routine bang bang football play that should have been allowed. It would have forced Arizona to punt, and potentially give Seattle good field position. Instead the BS ref made a BS call that literally helped the Cardinals score seven points, which was a massive difference in this game. Massive.

If I’m Pete Carroll, I am calling into the league about that play first thing after my alarm goes off Monday morning. That was total BS, and I hate blaming refs on losses, but good lord almighty.

Unacceptable. It’s like the league is doing everything they can to take the defense out of the game so the offenses can score more points. It’s gross.

There, I’m done writing about it. Moving on.

Moving Foward

Seattle will be hosting the San Francisco 49ers next week, and suddenly, it feels like there is more pressure to win that game. The 49ers look like they are circling back around to being a strong team again despite their long list of injuries. That’s the sign of a superbly coached team.

If Jamal Adams is able to be back for this one, and Snacks Harrison is finally ready to go at defensive tackle, it would be hugely beneficial for Seattle. Maybe even having Michael Kendricks active to rotate in at linebacker, as well.

The Seahawks going to need to be able to play fast and tackle well at linebacker and safety to handle all of the exotic run plays that San Francisco relies on. They will also need to be stout up front. I think this is why Jordyn Brooks was drafted, and why Jamal Adams was traded for, and probably why Kendricks was brought back and Snacks was signed. It’s to play against these NFC West division foes. It would have been helpful had these players played against Arizona. They are going to need them against San Francisco.

Oh, yeah. One more thing. Go get a fricking pass rusher, John Schneider. Bring one in this week. Pretty please.

Go Hawks.

Don’t let their docile name fool you, these Arizona Cardinals are a scary team. They have an exciting dual threat quarterback who is poised to give the NFC West Division fits for years. They have also surrounded him with an exciting group of receivers that features perhaps the best receiver in the league, he has a decent offensive line, he is paired with an explosive running back, and a fast play-making defense. The only thing that plagues them is youth and inconsistency. It would be helpful for Seattle if some of those inconsistencies show up Sunday night.

Expect this to be another very close game. The real test to how much of a Super Bowl contender Seattle is right now begins with this match. Here are my keys to the game, and final prediction.

Seattle Seahawks win this game against the Arizona Cardinals because..

Russell Wilson stays on point and takes whatever this harassing Arizona defense offers. This could easily mean not chasing as many deep passes as he did against the Vikings defense a couple Sunday nights ago. The Vikings defense featured the top safety tandem in the league that was determined not to be beaten over the top, and Russell still sought to throw against them when there was options underneath. He can’t do this again against Arizona. The Cardinals defense has top flight talent at safety with Budda Baker, and at corner with Patrick Peterson. This might be a game where Russ chooses underneath patterns to running backs and tight ends a bit more to keep the Cardinals honest. Quick passes to Tyler Lockett might also be more of a bigger factor at play.

All the potential Antonio Brown to Seattle hubbub has lit a fire under DK Metcalf, Lockett, and David Moore. Not that they needed this fire to be lit because each has been playing pretty well this season, but these men are competitors (especially DK). They probably understood their quarterback’s interest in Brown and were well aware of his interest in the pass catcher for months, but it would be hard to not let human nature take over for a bit, and they come out with points to prove. DK will face physical corners that he hasn’t faced since playing the Patriots and he might chose to put a little extra pepper in his play against them blocking in the run game, and in his catch after the run opportunities. Lockett is a good receiver to match up against Peterson with his route running, and I expect a good game from him. David Moore might be the ex-factor who plays with the biggest chip on his shoulder. Look for a few explosive catch and run opportunities going to Moore as the game wears on.

Chris Carson has a big night as a runner and pass catcher. This might be the game where Carson shows the nation that he is one of the most talented backs in the league while in a contract year. The Cardinal defense can be run on, and their linebackers can be challenged in the pass game. Seattle’s ability to stay balanced between the run and pass is likely to play a factor in winning. Don’t expect Seattle to retreat to a run game, but rather pass to set up the run and possibly take advantage of the Cardinal’s blitzes with draws and screens. Carson could have a big, big night in this one.

Seattle’s defenders stay patient and disciple enough against Kyler Murray. Seattle should know by now how to play against Murray. The Cardinal’s star quarterback resembles their own star passer in many, many ways, and is even a more dangerous runner. Seattle has to stay disciple with it’s pass rush, and that probably means having their defensive ends play a containment game while a linebacker or safety spies on Murray. Murray can be inconsistent as a passer, and if Seattle can keep him in the pocket, that’s likely going to benefit its defense.

This is a good game to get a healthy Jordyn Brooks back at linebacker. He’s a fast player who’s strength is defending the run. Don’t be surprised if Seattle uses him as a spy on Murray (he did this very thing against him in college), and don’t be surprised if the interior rushers such as Jarran Reed, and Jonathan Bullard show up in the stats more than their edge rushers if Seattle’s defense does its job well enough.

Seahawks loose this one against the Cardinals if

Russell Wilson gets rattled by blitzes, turns the ball over, and they don’t get the run game going enough. This is what happened in a late season loss to the Cardinals last year in Seattle. The Cardinal defense is going to look to replicate this, and it is up to Seattle to have a healthy does of counters. Russell has to find and hit the wide open receiver when the defense blitzes him. Brian Schottenhiemer has to call a great game mixing in the run with the pass to keep the defenders more honest. The Cardinals cannot be in his playbook like they were late last year.

Seattle’s defense doesn’t contain Murray and they don’t do enough to slow the run game. The match up against the Seattle defense with the Arizona offense might be the real battle in this one. Because of Murray’s ability to run, Arizona has one of the top running attacks in the league, especially when you mix in Kenyan Drake. Arizona had a day in Seattle last year because the banged up Seattle defense couldn’t stop either on the ground. Seattle must make sure this doesn’t happen again.

This would have been a great game to get Jamal Adams back and get Snacks Harrison active at defensive tackle, but neither is going to happen. Therefore, Jarran Reed must have a solid game as defensive tackle. Jordyn Brooks must blend well with KJ Wright, and Bobby Wagner. Ryan Neal must continue to show his flashy potential at safety in place of Adams. Benson Mayowa and the other edge rushers must play a smart game of disciple with their rushes. The Seattle corners must not give up many deep passes. There are a lot of musts that need to happen on the defensive side of the ball.

My Prediction

I’m itching to predict that Arizona hands Seattle it’s first loss of the season Sunday night. I think they match up well against Seattle, they are coming off a flashy win on Monday Night Football against a struggling Cowboy team, and they have to be feeling the momentum. However, I am going to cut against my grains of logic and I am going to say that Russell Wilson and company find enough ways to win this one, improving to 6-0, with a final score of 31-27.

Seattle plays a pretty consistent brand of bend don’t break defense. While it frustrates fans, I actually think there is a method to this madness. They will continually be willing to surrender yards so long as they do not surrender too many points. I think the way Arizona likes to play on offense lends to what Seattle does fairly well with this defense, and that is to play strong enough against the run, and keep pass play in front of them. Eventually, the quarterback makes a mistake.

The big inconsistency to Murray’s game right now is his overall accuracy. Seattle just needs to figure out how to force Murray into making accurate throws. Defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr might get a little more creative with his personnel and play calling in this one with a week off of football.

On the flip side, I think Russell Wilson is going do come into this game very determined to show he’s the league leader for MVP and to show Murray who’s still boss within the NFC West quarterback circles. I also kinda think that with the Antonio Brown noise, the Seattle receivers might play with extra chips on their shoulders. Mixing in another effective Chris Carson outing, and this can be enough for Seattle to shine on Sunday night yet again.

While Arizona feels like the hot team right now, Seattle has had the benefit of the bye week to reset as a team on both sides of the ball. They are also the more veteran team, especially at quarterback. This is why I am ultimately making this fairly homer-ish pick.

I hope I am right.

Go Hawks.

Oh, how refreshing it is to have had a week away from this 2020 Seattle Seahawk football team.

Not that I haven’t enjoyed this version of the club, and all their merriment. They have squeezed out a 5-0 start to their season (first time in franchise history), and it has been a thrilling ride. Even more, Seahawk fans have been witnessing historic passing numbers from swashbuckling quarterback Russell Wilson.

It’s just that three of those five games where one score wins that came down to critical stops at the end of each game from a defense that has yet to have truly found itself, and that can put a lot on a middle aged ticker. Seriously.

An uncomfortable truth exists that these 5-0 Seahawks could be, at worst, 2-3, and that discomfort might not sit so well with some fans moving forward. Fortunately those fans have this blog, where I don’t focus too much on the analytics because I am too cheap to subscribe to Pro Football Focus, and like Russell Wilson and his head coach Pete Carroll, I draw from positives as a vital means of moving forward.

In short, football is a game of inches, and if we get too caught up on tape and analytics, then we loose the magic of the game as fans. Personally, I don’t want to loose that magic. So, while I can acknowledge that if Viking running back Alexander Mattison had simply cut to his right on fourth and short at the end of the game a couple Sundays ago, Minnesota would have dealt Seattle their first loss, the simple truth is that in the moment, he didn’t, and Seattle stopped him short, and that’s football.

Football is the ultimate “sh*t happens” team sport, and if you want to get caught up on those “ifs,” I can fully play that game. For example, if David Moore had hauled in that deep pass from Russell Wilson earlier in the second half, Seattle would have expanded it’s lead to a point where it would have been much more difficult for the Kirk Cousins to dig out of the point deficit. Further more, if on the next play, Russell had put a little less mustard on his next deep pass to DK Metcalf, Metcalf would have walked into the end zone for an easy score. If either of these plays happened, Seattle could have beaten the Vikings much more comfortably.

Ifs do not matter in football. You don’t win with ifs and you don’t loose with ifs. They don’t show up in the stats, and they don’t show up in the standings. How a team wins doesn’t really matter at the end of the final whistle. It just matters that the team has won, and Seattle should be celebrated for being 5-0.

How they got here, however, is quite a big distinction from the Pete Carroll Seattle Seahawks we have known in the past. Long gone is any intimidating defense. Also gone is a punishing offensive run game that could grind clock and wear defenses down by the second half of games. This is understandably hard for some fans to take. Admittedly, I am one of those (especially in terms of the defense), but I also have to admit that in their place are some pretty exciting things.

Thus far, Russell Wilson has been having a monster MVP worthy campaign as a passer, and he is now being supported by exciting offensive weapons, and an offensive line that has actually evolved into a good pass blocking unit. Seahawk fans weened on football from the Mike Holmgren era have been longing to see this happen under Pete Carroll for years. Finally, they have gotten their wish of letting Russ cook, and he’s been cooking.

Big bravos need to go out to Pete Carroll for adjusting his philosophy a bit because, frankly, this is probably what Seattle needed to do if they are going to compete for a championship this season. Seattle simply does not have enough talent to dominate on defense right now, and leaning into the talents of their best player is probably the right path to winning, even if that path might cut a bit against the grain of what the head coach might prefer his club to ideally be.

Here are some of my observations, and thoughts about the club as they move forward.

This isn’t your father’s Seattle Seahawks and that is okay (I’ve made peace with it)

Probably like many of you, I love football, and my passions are deep. I truly believe that it is the ultimate team sport, as it largely dependent on units playing collectively well. Two of my favorite things about football are great defensive line play, and a punishing run game. When Seattle went to back to back Super Bowls in 2013-2014, those where things that Seattle had in its favor, along with a plucky play making quarterback, and a uniquely talented secondary. It was incredibly easy for me to fall deeply in love with those teams, and it is hard to shake that love.

The 2020 Seattle Seahawks are far removed from those clubs. Presently, they don’t have anything close to a solid defensive line, and they haven’t shown the ability (or perhaps willingness) to control their games with a power running attack. They are leaned into their star quarterback to control tempo, stretch defenses, and perhaps pass to set up the run. For the most part, it’s working well enough.

Is it sustainable, though?

I don’t know, but I understand why the question is being asked as much as it is. I think the truth is that it is difficult to sustain winning and going far into the playoffs when the quarterback as to always stay the hot hand, and the defense has to depend on coming up with key big play stops when it hemorrhages yards like it has been doing. That is not an ideal formula, but if you have an all-universe talent at quarterback, and a seemingly opportunistic defense, you stand a reasonable chance to do what is conventionally difficult to achieve. This is the nicest way for me to put it.

So, I say, let’s just ride this thing out. Let’s embrace them for who and what they are.

This team will not remotely resemble anything close to Beastmode and the Legion of Boom. This is Russell Wilson and his Band of Merrie Men, and God bless them for it.

They are not power and dominance, they are speed and skill. Russell is our version of Robin Hood. He’s accompanied by DK Metcalf as Little John, Tyler Lockett as Will Scarlett, and Chris Carson as Alan-a-Dale, and Bobby Wagner being Friar Tuck, KJ Wright as Will Stutely, and lastly, Jamal Adams as Maid Marian (Sorry Jamal, I didn’t know how to cast you in this one. Still trying to get a feel for your talents).

Gone is power and intimidation. In is flashy swashbuckling fun stuff. They might feel overwhelmed by any opponent at times, but you just know that somewhere, someway, somehow, at some point, they will do just enough to win back the day.

My hunch is that they are simply waiting it out for their Richard the Lionheart pass rusher to come in around the trade deadline, but that’s another matter to discuss at another time.

This team needs their Richard the Lionheart pass rusher soon

I will be honest, this team needs to make a move to bring in another proven pass rusher. Benson Mayowa and friends are just doing enough to hold the fort down, but it’s not likely sustainable. Injuries happen and are likely to happen. Seattle needs, more than anything else, another legit edge rusher.

The edition of Damon Snacks Harrison is likely going to help Jarran Reed inside (at the very least help keep him fresher) and I think they have other bodies who can rush from the interior as well. What they need most is another edge rusher, and I believe they know that.

Who that player is a bit hard to pin down. My hunch is that it might be a player on another roster. For one thing, if they wanted to add a free agent like Clay Matthews, they could have done so at any point over the last few weeks. I think they are likely preferring to add a player from another roster who has gone through camp, has been playing, and will be ready to go once his gets here.

The one player that I keep going back to is Washington’s Ryan Kerrigan. He’s 32 years old, in his last year of his contract, Washington isn’t likely going anywhere close to the playoffs this year, and they might as well go with their younger drafted players. It would be a nice gesture to Kerrigan that they trade him to a contender this season, and give him a chance to taste a championship. If Seattle can land him for a mid round pick, it would be a really solid move. He could be a focal rusher again, and younger players like Alton Robinson would benefit greatly learning from him.

I don’t know if he is the specific target but I think this is likely the type of player Seattle wants. This is the type of move I am fully expecting Seattle to try to make. Fingers are crossed that they do.

Is Seattle’s defense as bad as we think?

A lot is being made about Seattle’s defense this year. Beat writers have noted that they are giving up yardage at an historic rate, and it has also been noted that no team has ever won a championship with a defense that has surrenders such yards.

This is not my attempt to put pretty red lipstick on a pig, but I think there are a few things to keep in perspective.

First thing is that while this defense has surrendered up huge yardage, it is actually middle of the pack league wide in points allowed (15th overall). This is what matters most to Pete Carroll, and when you couple that with the amount of turnovers the defense has generated, the head coach is likely pleased with that, as well. Defensively, he mostly wants to take away the ball, and he wants offenses to settle for field goals instead of gaining touchdowns. From this perspective, this is pretty much what his defense has been doing.

Secondly, this defense unit hasn’t been playing together as it has been fully constructed to be. Injuries happen, but we haven’t had the starting secondary playing together much with Jamal Adams out a couple games, and Quinton Dunbar also missing time. Further more, Seattle lost starting SAM linebacker Bruce Irvin early, and then has played largely without rookie first round pick linebacker Jordyn Brooks. Irvin and Brooks both provide a lot of speed and instincts in the front seven and Seattle has had to play without those attributes.

Also, a much as Seattle’s defense has felt incomplete as a unit, young players have stepped up and that is a good thing. Ryan Neal has been a surprising revelation at safety in place of Jamal Adams, and Pete Carroll has stated that he has earned a role with the starters moving forward. It will be interesting to see what that role is.

Also emerging is nickel corner Ugo Amadi, and rookie firth round defensive end Alton Robinson. Both players look like they belong in this league and look like potential starters. Amadi is showing the tackling and play-making instincts that he had at Oregon, and Robinson looks potentially like another Seattle mid round steal from the draft.

While I will circle back to the belief that Seattle needs to add another pass rusher to this side of the ball, I also feel like I have seen enough from players who have been playing to think this can and should be an improved unit by the end of the season. We still haven’t seen Snacks Harrison team up with Jarran Reed at defensive tackle. We haven’t seen Adams on the field with Ryan Neal in a dime defense, and we haven’t gotten enough of Jordyn Brooks playing with KJ Wright and Bobby Wagner.

One proven pass rusher could be enough to make this defense more complete unit. So go get one.

Moving forward through the NFC West

The Seattle Seahawks appear to be playing in the best division in football and they have yet to play against their division opponents. They all look formidable, and they will get the Cardinals this weekend, and the 49ers next. The true test to their season is about to begin.

If Seattle is truly to become a championship level team this year, and if Russell Wilson is truly an MVP candidate, winning against the Cardinals and the 49ers over the next two weeks would be huge to accomplishing both. The Seattle Seahawks have a lot at stake in these early NFC West matches, and I like that.

I like Russell playing with a bit more of an edge and determination in these games. I like Seattle rested coming out of their bye week, and focused on the opportunity to pull further ahead of the pack.

I also think that these opponents are all going to provide tough match ups. The Cardinals look like they have the second most talented quarterback in the division, and a player that will only get better. The 49ers proved recently against the Rams that, despite their rash of injuries, they are still a well coached team that you cannot take lightly, and the Rams look like they might be the most balanced club in the division. If Seattle wins this division, they will have earned it.

When the season started, I projected Seattle likely ending up with an 11-5 record, possibly winning the division, and if all goes well, a 12-4 record. I think this can still be the case. I think once these clubs start playing each other, they are going to beat each other up a bit. I don’t see any NFC West team clearly dominant over the others. In fact, I can see three of the four clubs all making the playoffs. This division is that talented. 11-5 might win it with tie breakers.

This is why I will once again circle back to Seattle needing to add one more pass rusher. This division is far from won, and anything Seattle can to fortify itself better, it should most definitely do.

So, just go get one, John Schneider. Go get one more rusher. Give Russell his Lionheart.

Go Hawks.

Here is a medical fact that I have always found very interesting. Statistically speaking, people of faith stand a better chance fighting through major illness, surgery, and recovery than people who are not believers. This is why surgeons will often ask a patient, or a patient’s family if they are a person of faith.

I know this from a personal perspective because two decades ago, my father, a man who was in his mid seventies at the time, had to have open heart surgery to repair three arteries. He was a big lad, and so barrel chested that x-rays had not detected two other arteries that needed repair. What this means is that once the surgeon got in there, the medical team suddenly had to take emergency measures to repair these additional arteries that they had not anticipated, and what was thought to be a fairly routine procedure quickly became a harrowing one.

I will never forget seeing the blank expression of this surgeon as he met us in the waiting room afterwards. We had a feeling something was up because the event went much longer than what was estimated.

He looked at us, and he said that he had good news and bad. He told us what had happened and he explained to us that the next 48 hours would be critical in his recovery and it could go one way or the other. He then asked my mother if our dad was a man of faith. When she answered yes, I witnessed an expression of some relief on this man of science’s face. He simply said “good” and then referenced the medical stat of those who believe over those who don’t.

My father survived this surgery, and it provided him a few more years to be with his family. We were fortunate. All of this brings me to the Seattle Seahawks, and this game against the Minnesota Vikings.

No team in professional sports wins the power of belief game better than the Seattle Seahawks do. Read that sentence again, if you need to do that. Take has much time as you need to process it.

There is no team in professional sports that wins by the power of believing more than the Seattle Seahawks. Not the New England Patriots, not the Golden State Warriors, and God bless them for just winning their fourth title, but probably not even the Seattle Storm.

The decade long success of the Seattle Seahawks is built on this culture. It’s a culture built with the foundation of positivity. The architect of this culture is head coach Pete Carroll, and his superintendent is quarterback Russell Wilson. If you are still skeptical about this foundation, if you still doubt its sustainability, you are just simply living in denial now. They have way too much history on their side.

This is the fundamental, undeniable formula for their success. It is led by two men who refuse to believe that they will not pull out a victory at the end of tightly contested matches, no matter how improbable the feat might actually be, and it’s an infectious belief that spreads through the sidelines onto the field. When the going gets tough, they lock in, and they believe, and they win these sort of nail biters more times than not.

It’s magic. The Seattle Seahawks win countless nail biting games with this magic, and this game against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday Night Football was no different than many, many others.

By most metrics, the Minnesota Vikings should have walked out of Century Link Field with a win. In fact, had they settled for a field goal instead of going for it on fourth down during the final minutes of the game, that field goal would have given them an eight point lead ,and it would have forced Seattle to not only have to score a touchdown, but to also go for a two point conversion just to get this game into overtime, and hopefully win the coin toss because their defense was pretty much gassed completely. Had Minnesota kicked the field goal, their win probability would have been nearly a hundred percent. Instead they went for it, and somehow, magically, Seattle’s struggling run defense stuffed it out, and gave Russell Wilson a chance to score.

No team wins the power of belief game better than the Seattle Seahawks do. They did it again in this game, and they made history by going 5-0 for the first time even in it’s franchise history.

Here are my thoughts.

The Good

Russell Wilson wasn’t his sharpest. I was worried that this offense was going to lean into him too much in this one. I sniffed that trap. Wet weather hasn’t been his best friend over the years at Century Link, and seeing how statistically poor the Viking defense had been against the run this year, I thought this would be a game Seattle should lean into Chris Carson more. When Russell started chasing deep balls against two of the best safeties in the league, I was prepared to have to write about a Seattle loss where Russ cooked up a grilled poop sandwich. Instead, Seattle made decent enough second half adjustments, Russ took more of what the defense was giving him, and he ended up having yet another great MVP level sort of second, capped by a dramatic fourth down game winning touchdown pass. Bravo, Chef Russ.

DK Metcalf is my player of the game. He was clutch as a receiver can be in the second half, hauling in big chunk plays and two touchdown grabs, including the game winner. I have said this before, but I will say it again; DK Metcalf is a superstar in the making. The ceiling of his potential in this league is off the charts high. He is just still scratching the surface of that potential. Soak in that for a bit.

Seattle got a great game from defensive tackle Jarran Reed. He might have been the best player on the defense on Sunday Night, and that is taking nothing away from KJ Wright, and Bobby Wagner, and a few others. Reed was disruptive against the run and pass. He didn’t get any sacks, but he created opportunity for others, and made plays on his own. I’m going to be excited to watch how having Damon Snacks Harrison lining up next to him will look like after the bye week. Snacks should make Reed better. A lot better.

Benson Mayowa also had another good game rushing the passer, getting that critical fourth down stop, and also the game clinching strip sack in the final seconds. Some fans have been down on the Mayowa signing, but I have been pleased with it. While he’s not a game wrecker, he looks like a Seattle rush end. I think he’s going to get better as the season wears on.

KJ Wright had another terrific game, Bobby Wagner was active, and Cody Barton probably had his best game as a professional linebacker. While he’s not an intimidating tackler like the other two, Barton plays coverage well, and he played the run much better in this match. The team probably wants to get rookie linebacker Jordyn Brooks back into the lineup as soon as they can, but this was a much better outing for Barton.

Ryan Neil had another nice game filling in at safety. It will be interesting to see how the team uses him once Jamal Adams gets back. Neil has shown a consistent knack to be around the ball. His play tends to stand out on the screen, maybe even more than others in the backfield.

Chris Carson had a great game running and catching. I will say this now; I think Seattle should strongly consider extending his contract. I know that in the modern NFL you’re not supposed to drop big cheddar on running backs, but this guy is special, and I think he just fits what Carroll wants out of a back too well to see him walk at the end of season. Just my view.

The 49ers got their butts whooped by the Dolphins. Go Fins.

The Bad

Seattle had an opportunity to lean in to Carson and the run game more and they squandered it away far too often by chasing big pass plays against a defense that isn’t good at stopping the run, but has great safety play to take away the deep pass. Had Seattle lost this match, I would spent a lot of time griping about that in this piece. However, Seattle managed to find enough ways to magically win, so I won’t, but I still will.. just a little.

Seattle could have ran more against this Minnesota defense, and they probably could have ran with ease. This would have chewed more clock, kept their defense fresher, and made third downs more manageable for Russell Wilson. I feel like they got swept up too much in the Let Russ Cook thingy, and it nearly bit them in the ass. If they aren’t careful, it could do it in a game later in the season when much more is at stake. I hope that they go into the bye week thinking about that.

I’m all for letting Russ cook, but not for the sake of it. I’m about this team winning significantly more. Simply, I think that they would have likely won this game more handily had they just stayed more balanced with the run. This is the one big bad thing that I took away from this game.

The Ugly

The offensive line had a rougher game pass blocking. It’s one thing to have a rough outing against Dallas that has Aldon Smith and Everson Griffen, and Demarcus Lawrence, but it’s another thing to give up four sacks against a Minnesota defensive line that has Yannick Ngakoue and a bag of roasted almonds. Seeing roasted almonds sacking Russell Wilson was not fun, but Russ hanging onto the ball long enough so that roasted almonds could sack him also wasn’t fun. I will let you decide who should be blamed more. It just sucks knowing the roasted almonds can sack your star quarterback on any given Sunday.

Moving Forward

The Seattle Seahawks head into their bye week going 5-0 for the first time in their franchise history. Say what you want about the state of their defense, lack of consistent pass rush, at times leaky coverage, etc. Complain all you need to about how they are not blowing out other teams. 5-0 is an impressive accomplishment.

The bye week comes at an ideal time. Players who have fought hard can rest, and players that this team badly needs to get back onto the field can get healthy enough to play. Having Jamal Adams on the field is going to help this defense immensely. Having Snacks Harrison in the middle of the defensive line with Jarran Reed is going to be huge in a NFC West division where all their rivals love to run the ball. Having Jordyn Brooks on the field will help against the run, as well.

Having this bye week also provides an opportunity for Pete Carroll and the organization to self scout and adjust, and just possibly bring in a new face or two from the outside to help. Atlanta just fired Dan Quinn, and it’s a logical thought that Carroll might try to coax Quinn to come back on board to help his defense, even if it is just a consultant gig for the rest of the year. Quinn might love the opportunity to reset in the PNW with the club that he won a Super Bowl title with as a coordinator. This is something to monitor over the next few days.

Also, I think there still is a fairly decent chance that they could pull off a trade for a player on another club who is seeing their season now officially going down the drain. Maybe Seattle convinces Washington to now deal pass rusher Ryan Kerrigan? I could see a move like this potentially happening within the next week. This would be the ideal time for general manager John Schneider to act. We shall see.

But for now, believe in these Seattle Seahawks, or don’t believe in them. It doesn’t matter. What matters is the foundation of belief that they continue to thrive with, and where it might take them.

I gotta feeling about this club. It’s a special one, and it’s one that I haven’t felt this strongly about since 2013. So, there we have it.

Go Hawks.

Russell Wilson is having an MVP caliber year. Through four games little has been done to truly slow him down. His 360 yards for 2 touchdowns and an interception against the Dolphins last week was his least impressive game, and I think most starting quarterbacks in the league would gladly take that outing. The true height he reached this early season was against a strong New England Patriot defense on Sunday Night Football where he threw 5 touchdowns against what was likely the best secondary that he will face all year.

The Minnesota Vikings know that they will have their hands full dealing with him as a passer. Their pass defense hasn’t been good this season, and they should expect Seattle to try taking advantage. Mike Zimmer’s defense has done a good job against Russell in the past, and they will need to dig back into those game plans in this one. Simply, expect them to use their star safeties to help stop Russell from cooking. It will be a tall task.

On the flip side, the Vikings offense features their own cook, and that is star running back Dalvin Cook. Their game plan will likely be centered around their do-everything running back. Yes, they have enough talent at quarterback, wide receiver, and tight end to beat you other ways, but really, this offense is all about Cook running and catching. They will see a Seattle defense that is without it’s star safety Jamal Adams, and they will see that linebacker Cody Barton did not have a good game against the Dolphins, and I think they are going to try to get the ball into the hands of Cook to allow him to make his plays early and often.

While Seattle has been fairly stout against the run, this thinned out defense will also have to contend with some talented Viking receivers and tight ends. Seattle defenders must tackle well in this one, and they must do a good job keeping passing plays in front of them. Making Kirk Cousins dink and dunk down the field is likely what they will want to do. Just don’t give up the big runs, and limit the big pass plays. This will be their main task.

Keys To A Seahawk Victory

Russell cooks by taking what the Viking defenders give him. The whole league knows how much Russell Wilson love the deep ball. A key to defending his deep ball is getting great safety play on the back end, and an athletic linebacker spying on him. The Viking defense has played against him well in the recent past because they have players that fit this formula. If he gets caught up chasing too many deep passes, this could be another rougher outing against this defense, but considering that the weakness of the 2020 Viking defense is at corner and depth at linebacker, this might be a game that he uses a short and quicker passing attack to his advantage. He did this well against the Patriots a few Sunday nights ago. He could have plenty of opportunity to continue this approach against this Viking squad that might be more concerned about the potential of his deep ball.

Chris Carson and others get going in the run game. Rain is likely to be a thing in this game, and historically, Russell Wilson hasn’t always been at his best in wet games. If it gets wet, this will be the first game of the season Russ and his pass catchers will deal with these conditions. Considering that the Viking defense has additionally not been great at stopping the run, this could be the game to really get Carson cooking with the rock. Russell will still likely attack this defense with deep passing, but the benefit out of it might be more to soften them up for the run game. Expect Carson and other backs to also factor in with check down passes and screens. If Carson has a big night, Seattle probably wins fairly handily.

The Seahawk defenders tackle well enough in space. This is not a great match to be without Jamal Adams, Jordyn Brooks, and Bruce Irvin. A big benefit to Seattle would be if Brooks is healthy enough to play and factor in. Minnesota loves to run it’s offense with a traditional two receiver and two back look with a pass catching tight end. Looking at Seattle’s defense, this is how I would attack it, especially with how poorly Cody Barton played at linebacker against the Dolphins. If Barton is on the field, he must tackle better against Dalvin Cook. Don’t be surprised if newly acquired defensive tackle Snacks Harrison plays in this one to help keep these Seattle linebackers clean to make plays. Don’t be surprised if Seattle gets Brooks on the field if they think he is healthy enough to get some snaps. His strength is against the run. If Seattle can slow Cooks, this would be huge.

Seattle gets big nights out of Jarran Reed, Benson Mayowa, and Alton Robinson. I have a sneaking feeling that they are going to activate Damon Snacks Harrison. His presence on the field will not only help Seattle linebackers, it would likely help keep Jarran Reed fresher to rush the passer from the interior. The Minnesota offensive line can give up pressure from inside and they are weak at right tackle. Benson Mayowa had a solid game rushing the passer against the Dolphins, so if Seattle can get Minnesota in third and long, he and Alton Robinson could enjoy big nights. Kirk Cousins is not a great quarterback when he feels the pressure. If this scenario plays out, it wouldn’t surprise me if each of these players come out of this game with sacks.

Seattle’s defense continues to create turnovers. If the game is wet, and Seattle continues to play bend don’t break and invites Cousins to take the underneath passes, which he is prone to take, this could create opportunities to create turn overs. This would be an opportunity for KJ Wright and Bobby Wagner to jar the ball loose while barrelling down on pass catchers and ball carriers. This would give Seattle safeties and corners the opportunity to anticipate where the ball is going to make plays on the ball. Like Ryan Fitzpatrick last week, Kirk Cousins is a good quarterback to play bend don’t break with. If the check down is there, he will likely take it. This is a game of cat and mouse that Seattle defenders can win, if they are on top of their game.

How Seattle Can Loose This One

Seattle has a rough night containing Dalvin Cook and that opens up the play book for Cousins for a shootout. Minnesota’s offense has not had a statistically great start to this season, but they have played better in recent games with the emergence of rookie receiver Justin Jefferson factoring in. If for some reason, Seattle cannot slow down Cook, if they get gashed up the middle, if they miss tackles in space, if they keep Cousins in third and manageable, Minnesota has enough talent on offense to win a shootout against Russell Wilson, if Wilson doesn’t have a particularly sharp game, or perhaps even if he does.

If Russell Wilson has a stinker, and the Vikings find a way to slow down Chris Carson and Seattle’s other runners, this is the best way for the Vikings to win. The chance of this happening is probably pretty thin, but you know, .. any given Sunday.

Game Prediction

Seattle holds off the Vikings in a fun Sunday Night match-up, and they go 5-0 for the first time in franchise history, winning 41-33.

It’s likely going to be a wet night of football, and it goes against my instincts to predict a high scoring affair, but both defenses will be without key defenders, and both offenses feature a lot of fire power. Therefore, I think each team scores a number of points here.

Another key for an exciting match up is that both teams also have a lot to play for. Minnesota will scrap to get back into the NFC North race, and will likely play with a degree of desperation and intensity. Seattle will fight to further hang onto its NFC West supremacy, which is perhaps the toughest division in football, and they will want a buffer of wins to distance themselves from the Rams, 49ers, and Cardinals. Expect a dog fight in this one.

I think a big difference maker in this one is that Seattle’s defense is much better at stopping the run than Minnesota’s, and Minnesota’s offense has not been very good on third downs. Minnesota will likely do enough to move the ball between the twenties, but when Seattle starts defending the red zone, where they have statistically been good, this leads to Minnesota settling for field goals, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Kirk Cousins turn the ball over against this bend don’t break Seattle defense a time or two once he gets down in there.

Then when you also factor in that the Minnesota defense has had a difficult time stopping both the pass and run, this likely spells another big night for the Seattle offense. Seattle can beat you with the run and they can beat you with the pass, and I think they are likely to do it with both in this one.

At least, this is how I see it anyway.

Go Hawks!

I have only ever owned and worn three Seattle Seahawk jerseys. One is that of Russell Wilson’s, which I have worn regularly since his rookie year. Another is Michael Bennett’s, my favorite Seahawk defender from the Legion of Boom era, and a player that I admired greatly for his unique ability to play defensive end and defensive tackle at a high level. And the last is Cortez Kennedy’s, Seattle’s hall of fame all-pro defensive tackle from the 1990’s, and the player who has been my personal favorite Seahawk of all time not named Russell Wilson.

Notice how, outside of Russell, I have felt compelled to seek out and acquire jerseys of Seattle defenders who played defensive line. Further more, notice that each player had spent quality time playing defensive tackle. Truth, be known, it’s a thing for me.

I love defensive tackles. I’ve always loved defensive tackles. I’m a middle aged dude who is a product of the 1970’s and 1980’s. As a Gen-Xer, my first football hero was not Steve Largent, Walter Payton, or Roger Staubach. It was Mean Joe Green. Before I climbed on board of the Seahawk bandwagon in 1983, I was a Steelers fan, and it was all about their star defensive tackle. In pee wee league, I played defensive tackle. In high school, I played end and tackle.

Oh, yes. I do love so those defensive tackles. William the Fridge Perry, Cortez, Haloti Ngata, Warren Sapp, Kevin Williams, Jim Burt, Joe Nash, Aaron Donald, Richard Seymour.. the list can go on and on.

Also, there’s nothing pretty about being a defensive tackle. It’s grueling work taking on guards and centers, and much of the time, it is about soaking up blockers so that other players around you look better, like the ends and linebackers. Further more, if you are doing your job well, it often doesn’t show up in the stats, and it leaves fans thinking that your position doesn’t matter as much (especially in a scheme that Seattle deploys in which you are not allowed to freely charge up field, instead you must lock up with the blockers to diagnose where the play is going before reacting).

Yet, the reality is that the entire success of the defense starts up front, and really it starts with that one player that lines up in the gap of the offensive line that resides between the guard and the center. Some call it the nose tackle, some call it the one technique. But let’s call it for what it is, the dude is a defensive tackle, and heading into the 2020 season of football, the Seattle Seahawks were willing to start their season scary thin there.

In fact, I can’t remember a season where Seattle went into their season more thin at the position. It was especially shocking considering that their head coach is a defensive minded one who had always shown the preference of having a deep rotation there.

Every week, after every game, I wrote about the need to bring in the best defensive tackle available on the market, Damon Snacks Harrison. It had been rumored for months that he was the free agent player Seattle was most interested in. Every week, for months, I had anticipated his signing with this club, and every week, for months, I found myself disappointed and dejected when no deal was done.. until yesterday.

It took the Seattle Seahawks all the way through the first week of October, all the way to the day before my birthday, but they finally got this deal done. Damon Snacks Harrison is now a Seattle Seahawk and this is a huge deal for the club in a multitude of ways.

What Snacks Brings to Seattle

Simply put, he brings all-pro talent as an early down defender that, at 6-3 and 350 pounds, has the size and strength to tie up multiple blockers, so that others can make plays, but even more impressively, he can make plays himself. 2019 was one of his worst statistical seasons, and he still managed 49 tackles, which would be pretty great production for Jarran Reed, who Seattle just signed to an expensive two year contract extension. Snacks will make Reed look better now, and he will allow others pop out more, as well.

He is the perfect big bodied defensive tackle for Seattle’s scheme. He will keep Bobby Wagner and KJ Wright clean from blockers so they are free run around and make plays against the run. He will allow Reed to stay fresher, no longer having to play over seventy percent of the snaps, and therefore, likely to have more juice to rush on third downs. Even against the pass, Snacks is now probably the one true player up front to tie up multiple blockers for players to rush the passer on early downs. He will make defensive ends Benson Mayowa, Alton Robinson, and LJ Collier better. Bank on it.

It is not surprising that he is the one defensive lineman on the market that Seattle would have been the most interested in. He is the perfect Pete Carroll defensive tackle. He can play nose tackle, and three technique. Like Ahtyba Rubin, Brandon Mebane, Tony McDaniels, Alan Branch and many other before him in this scheme, he brings size, strength and veteran savvy at this critical position, and honestly, if he has anything left in the tank, he probably comes in and plays the position better than any of those guys, and they were all pretty good players for this club.

This is a huge deal for the club. Huge.

Seattle May Not Be Done Adding Talent

Detractors of this Snacks signing will clamor that Seattle has still not addressed their need for more edge rushing help. They have a point.

No, Snacks is not Jadeveon Clowney, or even Clay Matthews. While I would argue that his impact might be more valuable than a quality edge rusher, especially once this team starts playing games against each of their NFC West foes who all prefer to run the ball, I concede that Seattle still likely needs more help there.

Yes, sure thing. Yup, yup. Seattle can use another edge defender, and I still believe that a move for one could be coming, especially when you consider that Seattle will be granted a bye week next week after the Sunday night game against the Vikings. It could be Matthews. It could also be a player on another club that Seattle might be willing to trade for.

Watch for what happens when the Washington Football Team plays the Rams this Sunday. If they loose to the Rams (likely), they will be 1-4 for the season, and they might decide to tank for the Trevor Lawrence sweepstakes.

Their all pro edge rusher Ryan Kerrigan is on the wrong side of thirty and is set to become a free agent after the season. He is still a highly productive player, and probably still has a couple more seasons left in the tank, even though he is 32 years old. Seattle might feel compelled to give Washington their second round 2020 pick if they can reach a two year extension with him. They will have a two week window with the bye week to hammer out a deal.

Yes, that pretty much guts Seattle’s 2021 draft class, but with Covid impacting college football right now, they feel compelled not to invest so much in that class, especially considering how solid their 2020 class looks with Damien Lewis, Alton Robinson, Freddie Swain, and DeeJay Dallas already making positive impacts in games. If they get Kerrigan onto the roster with Snacks Harrison in 2020, and get him signed to a two year extension, I would probably make that deal.

In a year in which Russell Wilson is playing his ass off chasing the MVP, just get him the stars that he is asking for, I say. If a Super Bowl run is well within reach, why not?

I like a defensive line a heck of a lot more with Ryan Kerrigan, Snacks Harrison on it to go along with Jarran Reed, Poona Ford, Benson Mayowa, Alton Robinson, and LJ Collier. That much is certain. if they did this move in addition to bringing in Snacks, suddenly, Seattle goes from what was perceived as a major weakness, to a unit that could be group that puts this club over the top this year.

So, yeah. I think we could see another move coming, but right now, I really like this one. For my birthday, the Seattle Seahawks gimme Snacks. I dig it.

Go Hawks!

Whether at home, or on the road, good teams find ways to beat lesser teams. This is the way of team sports. However, sometimes good teams can get caught napping during the course of a match against a lesser opponent, and if they are not careful, they give them new life. If that lesser team has just enough talent, that come back and bite the better team right square in the butt.

Seattle flirted with being bit in the ass during this match, and there was really no need for it. Instead of going for it on fourth and three in the red zone during the first half, they could have kicked an easy field goal, especially considering that Jason Meyers had hit an impressive 55 yarder earlier in the half. Instead, they failed to convert that fourth down attempt, and they left points on the field.

Later in the second half, Russell Wilson threw a pick in the end zone. It wasn’t the pick that annoyed me, it was the fact that once they got to the ten yard line, they decided to throw three times in a row, instead of mixing in the run when it was clear that the Miami defense was having trouble stopping the run. Watching this, it felt like they were trying to force a touchdown pass to feed the Let Russ Cook crowd, and I wasn’t happy about that. Not at all.

Simply put, in a game in which the struggling Seahawk defense was able to turn things around enough to play a fairly decent against the Ryan Fitzpatrick led Dolphin offense, Seattle’s much ballyhooed offense left points on the field that would have likely led to more of a blowout. After winning back to back nail biters against the Patriots and Cowboys, personally, I would have preferred that blow out. I think that I earned it as a fan, and I don’t think I’m alone in that among the Twelves in feeling that way.

Good teams find ways to beat lesser teams. Great teams find ways to bury them. Seattle is a really good team right now. They still have a bit of work to do to become a great team in 2020.

Here are my notes about this game.

The Good

Russell Wilson didn’t have his best game in 2020 against these Dolphins. He was 24 for 34 passes attempts, throwing for 360 yards, with two touchdown passes, and an interception in the red zone. If this is his worst game so far in 2020, it only proves how excellent he has been through these first four games. Russell is staying on course for winning MVP honors this year, and that should not go unmentioned here. He made the plays that Ryan Fitzpatrick couldn’t.

Quietly, DK Metcalf had another strong game at receiver. This is becoming the norm in 2020. Yes, he had another drop, but his ability to get deep, catch and run, and bully defensive backs is simply next level stuff. He’s not the most polished receiver that Seattle has, but he clearly has the biggest upside. His enormous upside is starting to become more and more realized with each game this year. This is exciting stuff.

David Moore had yet another splashy game. Seattle is getting really good production out of him in his contract year, and this is boding well for an offense that is still playing without Josh Gordon. When you put also factor that Seattle is also getting good production from rookie sixth rounder Freddie Swain, this is really exciting stuff. Tyler Lockett was uncharacteristically quiet against the Dolphins, and it felt like it didn’t matter. It’s now not unreasonable to contemplate whether Seattle has one of the deepest receiving units in the league. They just might.

For all the talent in the pass game, running back Chris Carson wins the game ball for me, and it isn’t close. Coming off of a game in which Dallas Cowboy defensive tackle Trysten Hill tried to twist him like a pretzel with a dirty alligator tackle, Carson ran with power and grit against these Dolphins. I fully believe that Seattle could have ran at will against these Dolphins as much as they wanted to by mixing in rookie runner DeeJay Dallas with Carson. We can speculate whether they were passing more to let Russ cook, or they were passing more to rest Carson who was coming off a knee sprain, but it was clear that every time he touched the ball, Carson made the Dolphin run defense look pathetic. I came into this season thinking that Seattle should let him test free agency in 2021. This gritty performance against Miami has me considering that perhaps they should reach a deal with him as the season progresses. He just feels like a heartbeat player who offers so much in attitude and production. These are players to build off of.

I was flirting with giving my game ball to linebacker KJ Wright. While I was annoyed that he dropped at least two interceptions, he made splash play after splash play against the run and pass. For me, he was the best defender in the game.

Bravo to Pete Carroll and defensive coordinator Ken Norton Junior for adjusting the defense to allow for an effective “bend don’t break” defense that forced Miami into field goals, and turnovers, instead of allowing explosive plays for easy scores. I’m the first to admit that Bend Don’t Break isn’t the most inspiring style of defense to play, but I believe that this is probably the best way for Seattle to go about it this year. For another year in a row, they are likely not going to be a quality pass rushing team. It is what it is, so far. By blitzing more and playing with more aggression, it is going to hamper coverage. Therefore, I think it is best to play coverage. I think KJ Wright had a great game because Carroll had the linebackers drop back more, and he was able to better play coverage and diagnose what was in front of him. Even though Seattle didn’t get a lot of sacks, they hurried Fitzpatrick into passes that were more easily to defend and pick off. I hope Seattle stays with this philosophy when star safety Jamal Adams get back.

For back to back games, cornerback Shaquill Griffin and safety Ryan Neal both grabbed interceptions. Both players played well, but Ryan Neal is making a case for himself to stay on the 53 man roster for the rest of the season. He looks and is playing like a Seattle Seahawk safety, and that is a good thing. He is perhaps an important reminder to Twelves that Seattle is still a develop from within club. It takes time to develop the techniques that Carroll demands from his defensive backs. Neal feels the next development player now starting to emerge. This is a good thing.

Right corner Tre Flowers had a horrific outing against the Cowboys last week, and bounced back better against the Dolphins. He did nothing flashy, but he didn’t play like a total liability in coverage. I’ll take it.

While Seattle didn’t generate multiple sacks, it was fun to see run stuffing defensive tackles Brian Mone and Anthony Rush combine for the lone sack against Fitzpatrick. Both guys weigh about 350 pounds. Good God, that’s 700 pounds that piled on Fitz. I don’t know if I’m more impressed with the mammoth run stuffers or the bearded gum chewing middle aged passer to took that punishment. That play would have likely killed me in half.

The Bad

Look, I get the whole Let Russ Cook thingy. He’s the best player on the Seahawk roster, and the offense should go more through him. It just makes too much sense. However, going back to that red zone series in the second half when he forced that interception on third down in the end zone, Seattle had opportunities to continue running the ball down there, and yet they chose to throw three times in a row. Had Russell thrown a touchdown instead of that pick, I likely wouldn’t be writing about this, and I am the first to admit this. However, part of my semi reluctance to fully embrace letting Russ cook, it that it could lead to chasing stats instead of calling a smarter game. The Dolphin defense was on its heels against the run in the third quarter. Seattle’s offensive line was being the bully. They could have called one run play down there in that specific series. That is all I am going to say about that. It would have been smart, in my opinion.

While I love that the defense adjusted to play a much better game against the Dolphins, I don’t love that they are continuing to not generate much sacks, and I especially don’t love that KJ Wright dropped a couple fairly easy enough interceptions. Bend Don’t Break works partly because it can lend for turnovers. Like the offense left some points on the field, the defense left some turnovers out there. I want to see that change. Grab those picks for goodness sake. Grab them.

The Ugly

Ryan Fitzpatrick in an extremely likable player. He’s gutsy, and highly intelligent with that Harvard education. He’s a natural leader, and best of all, he’s a character with goofy beard and gum chewing, included. I’m a Ryan Fitzpatrick fan, but good lord, he physically looks someone who should be mowing football fields, not quarterbacking on them at the highest level. I couldn’t help but chuckle every time the cameras zoomed close on him breaking huddle. I feel bad putting this in my Ugly category, but now at 1-3, if I’m a Dolphin fan, I think I’m calling for Tua. Fitzmagic had a nice run, there’s a lot that he can hang his hat on, but let’s see what the young guy with major upside can do. Go Fins.

Moving Forward

For the last few weeks, I have been a broken record about bringing in defensive tackle Snacks Harrison and pass rusher Clay Matthews. I will continue beating this drum.

While Brian Mone and Anthony Rush are showing better than expected depth behind Jarran Reed and Poona Ford, a healthy motivated Snacks would likely bring enough early down it-factor stuff to rest Jarran Reed more for obvious passing downs as Seattle main interior pass rusher. This cannot be underestimated. Reed is the best interior rusher and he is playing too many snaps on all three downs.

Likewise, Seattle needs more than Benson Mayowa as the main edge rusher with Alton Robinson, and Damontre Moore rotating in. Robinson had another key run stop behind the line of scrimmage and is flashing his upside, but he is not all there yet. Clay Matthews could come in this week, and he would likely be Seattle’s best edge rusher. That’s significant. That’s worth $5 million for me. Why Seattle hasn’t done this yet is curious to me, to put it nicely. Maybe there are trades that they are monitoring, and are playing a game of patience.

Needless to say, my patience is getting continually being tested. With Ryan Neal’s splashy play, is there a need to carry Lano Hill at safety? With Lockett, DK, David Moore, and Freddie Swain all flashing at receiver, do they need to carry Penny Hart on the roster right now?

If Seattle continues to play adequate bend don’t break defense, it could be enough for them to maybe win the division and advance a bit more in the playoffs. If the cards fall right, maybe it even takes them to the big show, but as we all know, injuries happen, and Seattle simply needs better depth on it’s defensive line. They are depending too much on Benson Mayowa and Jarran Reed to stay healthy. Adding two quality vets on the defensive line would huge for this team. Huge.

So, I am going to say this again. Go get Snacks. Go get Matthews. Do it this week, John Schneider.

Go Hawks.

The great white shark is the most terrifying creature in the ocean. In a land full of division, very few of us would argue against this assertion. It can grow to the length of twenty feet, and it has jaws and teeth that can bite a human swimmer in half. Further more, it often strikes not from swimming on the surface where you can easily see it’s massive dorsal fin, but by torpedoing itself upwards from lower depths, grabbing hold of it’s prey with it’s massive jaws, going airborne with its victim only to come crashing down onto the surface of the water in a violent barrel roll, thus leaving bloody mess for other sharks to be envious of.

Terrifying. Anyone who laughs at my reluctance to swim in ocean waters simply have not watched any of the Shark Week stuff on Discovery, let alone the classic motion picture Jaws. Simply put, it’s funny to laugh at this sort of fear until it’s not funny, and when it is not funny, it’s bloody gruesome.

The dolphins, on the other hand, are probably the most beloved creatures that swim in the sea. They are arguably as intelligent as humans, they are social, and playful, and stories have been told for centuries about how they have saved ship wrecked sailors and whatnot. They are our allies in the waters, and we love them. Menacing they are not.

Yet, at the same time, while they probably rank as one of the least intimidating swimmers with a dorsal fin, they are cunning hunters, and they particularly know how to defend themselves well against a massive apex predator such as the white shark. They can out swim the beast and then, with enough numbers, ram with their pointed snout so sharply into the gills of the predator with enough force that they can actually kill the big dumb animal.

The Ryan Fitzpatrick led Miami Dolphins very much resemble these creatures that they are nicknamed after, and when the superior Seattle Seahawks play these Dolphins this Sunday in sunny South Florida, they need not be the Great White. They need to play smart, and be the Orca Whale, who is the true monarch of the sea. They must play smart, powerful, in sync with each other, and they must decimate these cutesy sea mammals with the ease that they are capable of.

Here are my keys to the game.

Be Smart Offensively

Russell Wilson has been historically sensational through these first three games of the 2020 NFL season. He has been the best quarterback in the game, and very few reasonable minds would argue against that. He has been generally on point with his quick passes, and he has been incredible with his deep ball, and he has found his spots to beat you with his legs.

If there is a trap in this game, it might be Seattle getting caught chasing too often the deep pass off of play action. They have been hugely success with this play against Atlanta, New England, and Dallas. It would be easy to expect the same against a statistically soft Miami defense in this game.

Miami head coach Brian Flores is a smart football mind. He has coached football on both sides of the ball for the Super Bowl winning Patriot dynasty for years. I think it is likely that he will have looked at Seattle’s tape and will have installed a game plan on defense that has his defenders not biting on the play action, and he will have his safeties play extra deep.

Russell loves the deep pass. It’s become his signature play, and there are times when he gets caught up chasing it when it is not there, and the result is often eating sacks on early downs. This is the result that Seattle needs to avoid. Just take what the Miami defenders are giving.

Miami has not shown to be a great pass rushing team, and they have been generally a bad team against the run. Further more, they have done a poor job defending in the red zone. Even if Chris Carson doesn’t play, Seattle can still be a reasonably strong running team with led by Carlos Hyde, and they are top of the league at scoring in the red zone. Therefore, Russell and the offensive simply need to be patient, and just take what Miami is giving them, and that is likely going to be opportunities to run the ball, and opportunities to perhaps pick them apart a bit with short to intermediate passes, especially if Flores has his safeties playing extra soft.

If Seattle does this, it could mean a big day for the running backs not only carrying, but catching out of the backfield. This could be an interesting story line in the game as Seattle roster carries two backs from the University of Miami, Travis Homer and DeeJay Dallas. Both backs are noted as quality pass catchers, and if Chris Carson does rest during this match, both would likely see certain action.

Be Cautious and Wait For Opportunity Defensively

It has been well documented how often Seattle’s defense has been beat deep through the first three games of the season. It’s has been historically bad. It has gotten well under the skin of head coach Pete Carroll. His cardinal rule on defense is to not get beat deep. They have blitzed more often this season to help generate pressure, and that has left their coverage exposed. I suspect adjustments are coming.

Carroll might have his defense start to mimic a bit more of what it did last year and that is offer up the short passing game between the twenty yard lines before it tightens up in the red zone. It may not be fun to watch, but one thing about that defense last year was, while it gave up a lot of yards with little sack production, it tightened up and played well once opposing offenses got to the red zone. Essentially, Seattle was able to use the shrunken field and the back of the end zone like an extra defender. Looking at Miami’s offensive production, there are reasons to feel that Seattle could apply this approach.

For one thing, Miami’s offense has not generated a lot of yards through the air or the ground. Ryan Fitzpatrick is a smart veteran quarterback who will be looking at the way Seattle has been blitzing and giving up big pass plays, and he will likely be licking his fingers in anticipation for the big plays that he can take advantage of. He will be looking to use Seattle’s aggression against them just like Matt Ryan, Cam Newton, and Dak Prescott were able to do. The big difference here is that Fitzpatrick is not at the level of talent that these quarterbacks are at. So, Seattle might have opportunities to play a little safer game of rope a dope with him.

Seattle might sit back in coverage a bit more, and dare him with short passes, and once they get a bit more of an understanding of how he is attacking, then they might send the blitz with the knowledge of where Fitz is likely to go with the ball. This is what they did a lot of last year and it worked well against teams like Philadelphia who were a bit thinned out on offense.

It might not look pretty at first, you might be pulling your hair out at various times in the first half, but opportunities for plays on the ball and sacks may come as the game wears on, and if Seattle is scoring touchdowns where the Dolphins are settling for field goals, that is likely the only stat that will matter to Pete Carroll. He will consider that a good day for his struggling defense.

Seattle Must Avoid Abundance of Further Injuries

We all know that injuries are a part of the game, but last week against Dallas was particularly rough. It is highly unlikely that Seattle will be playing with Jamal Adams at safety, and he has been their most dynamic player on a troubled defense. If his backup Lano Hill, who has been nursing a sore back, also cannot go, who really knows what they will roll out with at safety?

It is possible that they will move Quandre Diggs to strong safety and have nickel corner Ugo Amadi play at free safety, which he did in college at Oregon. It is also very possible that Ryan Neal will make his first professional start at safety after coming up with the game winning interception last week against Dallas. There is also a chance they activate former Green Bay safety Damarious Randall off the practice squad, who they signed two days ago, if they feel that he has picked up enough of the defense and is in enough shape to play. Needless to say, whatever they do at safety, they probably cannot afford another injury there, especially if that injury happens to involve Quandre Diggs.

Also still concerning on defense is depth at edge rush. Benson Mayowa and rookie end Alton Robinson are the only true Leo rush ends on the defense, as LJ Collier is a five technique, Damontre Moore is kind of a ‘tweener, and Shaquem Griffin is purely pass rushing linebacker. Any injury to Mayowa or Robinson could have this defense in trouble yet again.

Things are generally less concerning on the offensive side, however, should Chris Carson not play in this game, and should Carlos Hyde get banged up, that could prove unfortunate for Seattle as, again, the Dolphin defense is one that you can run on, and Seattle would then be forced to lean into second year player Travis Homer, who is not proven to be an every down back, and rookie DeeJay Dallas, who has not yet played a down in this league. If Carson is good enough to go, I would be tempted to use him in this match, and maybe spell him a bit more with Hyde. That’s risky, though. Ideally, Seattle should be able to take care of business against this defense by not playing him, and getting him ready for next Sunday night against the Vikings.

How Seattle Might Loose This Game

Simply put, too many injuries occurring to an already banged up team, especially on defense. If this occurs, Russell Wilson is still talented enough to pull off enough magic to get the win, but they would be really tempting fate.

The Dolphins are a beatable team, but they are not completely terrible. While Fitzpatrick is a journeyman passer, he is a crafty one. Former Husky running back Miles Gaskin has played really well for the Dolphins this year, and has been a bright spot both as a runner and pass catcher. The Dolphins also have talent at tight end, and historically, tight ends have given Pete Carroll defenses problems, even in the Legion of Boom era. Devante Parker is also a really talented receiver that Seattle’s corners have to contend with, and they have had plenty of troubles covering talented receivers this season.

Even if Seattle does not sustain much in the way of injury, Miami has enough weapons on offense where Seattle cannot continue to play with poor execution in the secondary, and expect to win comfortably. They cannot be a Great White coming into Miami expecting to throw their weight around with gnashing teeth and poor fundamentals. They have to be the Orca in this one. They have to play dominant both physically and mentally, showing proper patience and execution. If they do this, they should get out with a win fairly handily. They have yet to show that they can this with consistency on defense this year, but the season is early, and I still trust Carroll will eventually fix this. Against Miami would be a good point in the season to start this process.

My Prediction

Seattle wins this one fairly handily, 34 to 26.

The Dolphins will be competitive in this game, but Russell Wilson will not allow himself to be beaten by Ryan Fitzpatrick in a shootout. I think Flores is likely going to preach that his safeties stay deep and his linebackers don’t bite on play action. This is going to spark a little bit more of a chess match, but Russell Wilson will ultimately take what is given. He might not throw for as many touchdowns as in previous weeks, but that might mean that they pound it into the end zone a bit more with their backs, should that unit stay fairly healthy. Miami has been terrible against the run in the end zone.

Defensively, I see Seattle giving up yards, but I can also see them forcing Miami into field goals, and maybe a few turnovers once the field has shrunk enough that Fitzpatrick is forced to throw into tighter windows. Miami has been a relatively decent red zone scoring team though when they’ve gotten there, so this is the area of the field where Seattle has to play fairly well on defense. Seattle did that last year, so there is reason to think that they can accomplish this in this game with a little rope a dope.

This might be a game where Russell cools down a bit, but the cooling down might be more to do with what is available for Seattle’s running game, and this could be the type of game with Pete Carroll reverts back to a mentality to just do what is safely needed to get the win so that they can get ready for the Sunday Night Football match up next week against the Vikings where may he lets Russell get back to more cooking.

This is how I see it unfold. A bit less of a barn burner, more of a safe win with a final score that makes the game look closer than it actually was. Dolphins get a late field goal to bring the score within eight points, they don’t win the onside kick and Seattle drains out the clock. Something like that, anyways.

Go Hawks.

Russell Wilson is on a mission. His agenda is to crush NFL passing records this season, and to crush the souls of his remaining doubters while guiding his team back to the Super Bowl. Troy Aikman knows this. Through four quarters of football at Century Link Field, Aikman desperately held onto his soul, taking as many veiled shots as he could at the Seattle passer.

Troy Aikman’s time is nearly up. Russell has his soul in his sights, and eventually, Aikman is going to have to submit.. just like Pete Prisco and the others. Until then, Seattle fans have to endure him trolling Russ each time he and his friend Joe Buck call a Seattle game.

What a game to watch, though, right? I anticipated that this match was likely going to be a shoot out, and it proved to the case. I also thought that it was likely going down to the wire, and it did. This was pretty much the game that I was envisioning, and Seattle won because its star quarterback was able to make the plays that he needed to make for the team to pull ahead at the end, and Dallas lost because their star quarterback couldn’t. It was as simple as that.

A lot of Seattle fans are going to stress out about the state of this team’s defense, but at some point, I think you have got to tip your hat to the other team. Dallas was a league leading high scoring offense in 2019, and it looks like they are very poised to be that again this year. Yes, there is a lot that needs fixing on the Seattle defense, but I actually saw a few encouraging signs with that side of the ball that give me hope.

But let’s break down this game.

The Good

Russell Wilson may not have had his sharpest game of this young 2020 NFL season against the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboy defense had got him rattled a bit with some early hits and sacks, and a few times, his passes were a bit off while feeling pressure. Still, he went 27 for 40 passes while throwing 315 yards and 5 touchdowns with no picks for a QB rating of 130.7. Troy Aikman can suck on a gas pipe. Russ had another great game, it just wasn’t as sharp overall as it was against New England and Atlanta. Had DK Metcalf not fumbled away the deep pass Russell hit him with for an easy score, Russell Wilson would have thrown 6 touchdown passes in this game, and Seattle probably would have won a lot more comfortably. Think about that. Russell was sensational yet again.

Tyler Lockett also had a great game, and what nearly catching everything thrown his way. If this dude does not make the pro bowl this year, I’m going to bite someone.

Yes, DK Metcalf had the stupid fumble waltz towards the end zone that negated an easy touchdown grab, but he more than made up for it with the game winning touchdown catch off of Russell’s deep pass. DK’s potential in this league is mega stardom, and he is just merely scratching the surface. The Seattle superstar athlete that I compare him to is Sonic legend Shawn Kemp. That’s exciting stuff.

My game ball, however, goes to Ugo Amadi for stepping into the nickel corner role, and stepping up big time. He made numerous key plays, and I honestly thought like he might have been Seattle’s best defender on the field at times. This is just kind of a gut feeling that I have, but I think that as this season goes on, Amadi will be a big factor to Seattle’s success. He’s a player that just has an it-factor about himself, and I think he’s starting to really get it now. I’m excited to see it unfold.

The other young defender that I think has a special it-factor about himself is rookie defensive end Alton Robinson who in his very first NFL game had a number of flash plays in the backfield, and had that critical sack against Dak Prescott during that final drive. I want to say that Robinson has a bit of a Cliff Avril thing going on with himself. He was the one player on the defensive line that was consistently generating buzz among Seattle beat writers during training camp, and it showed in this game. Buy stock in this kid. I think he’s going to be a good one.

Defensive tackle Jarran Reed had a critical strip fumble sack that lead to a score. I noticed in the other two games of this early season, Reed was getting close on a few pressures, and it was nice to see him get home on Prescott. He was also the one who got pressure on Prescott when he threw that pick to Shaquill Griffin. We need him to keep this going, like big time.

Last positive for me about this game was seeing young players coming up from the practice squad making impactful plays down the stretch when they were thrust into action on defense. Most notable were Shaquem Griffin stepping in at rush linebacker, and, of course, Ryan Neal stepping in for the injured Jamal Adams and grabbing the game winning interception. I don’t know what Neal’s long term prospects are in this league and I’m not going to pretend to, but I will just say that what a stellar way for him to make a splash. It further proves that Seattle’s is still very much a draft and develop club, and they still believe in being committed to developing from within. I, for one, appreciate that philosophy greatly.

The Bad

DK Metcalf did that really stupid thing. I don’t want to talk about it anymore.

Injuries caught up to Seattle in this match. Loosing promising rookie linebacker Jordyn Brooks to a sprained knee is a blow. Chris Carson’s knee sprain is a huge concern, as are the knee sprains to starting guards Mike Iupati and Damian Lewis. Loosing superstar do everything safety Jamal Adams to a strained groin is also a major concern. My hope is that Adams will just miss a minimal amount of time. Hopefully none of these guys miss much time. I get it that injuries are a part of the game, but damn.

Cornerback Tre Flowers had an extremely rough game in coverage, and for a long stretch, it seemed like he could not do one single thing right. You know that you are having a rough game when you give up long passes for touchdowns, and then when the ball hits your hands and chest for an easy interception, it bounces off your being into the hands of the receiver you are covering for a first down. That’s when you know that you are truly stinking up the joint.

Shaquill Griffin had a pretty interception, but he also had his fair share of long explosive plays given up. It was hugely concerning to watch that, as well.

For the first two games I have been using the lack of quality pass rush as the main excuse for all the explosive plays that the team has been giving up, but listening to Pete Carroll and Griffin’s press conferences, it seems pretty clear, from the team’s perspective, there are communication issues and execution issues between these players in the back end. Needless to say, they have gotta clean this stuff up. I fully expect them to do this. The season is early, and even in the Super Bowl years, Seattle’s defense had stretches of having issues. It’s time to fix these issues now. So do it.

The Ugly

Listening to Troy Aikman take veiled shots at Russell Wilson, and the whole Let Russell Cook movement. Aikman clearly enjoys dismissing and discrediting Russell, and I’m not even really joking about it. He has always been eager to point out whenever Russell has a pass that is less than perfect, and I don’t think I have ever heard him steep deep praise on him whenever he sends one of his brilliant arching deep balls into the hands of his receivers. Instead, Aikman will go onto praising the receiver for the catch.

Think I am exaggerating? When bringing up the Let Russ Cook movement, Aikman noted the NBC analyst Chris Collinsworth has jumped on the Russell bandwagon, and he laughed with just enough of an obvious hint of sarcasm when saying that maybe it was his time to jump on board as well.

Whatever, man. Kiss your Super Bowl rings knowing that you were a glorified game manager for Emmitt Smith. Stop hating on Russ.

Moving Forward

This is going to be a busy week for Pete Carroll to sort through the long list of injuries that are now on his club. Hopefully, he will not have to IR anyone significant. It sounds like Chris Carson is not expected to miss much time. Fingers massively crossed there.

This is also a week in which they are hosting veteran defensive tackle Damon Snacks Harrison. It would be a great move if they can sign him, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they look to bring in veteran edge rusher Clay Matthews. Seattle still needs more of a rotation on it’s defensive line. Snacks Harrison would likely free up Jarran Reed to rush more. Don’t underestimate how vital that can be. Clay Matthews would add proven veteran talent to mix in with Benson Mayowa, and Alton Robinson. I honestly believe that these two simple signings would help this defense out significantly. A deeper rotation up front may also help the players on the back end play freer and with more confidence.

So, go get them, John Schneider. Get it done.

Go Hawks.