How excited are we to see this guy playing in the Super Bowl in this uniform? (Getty Images)

If you are a Seahawk Twelve like me, you might be having a difficult time deciding who to root for during this coming Super Bowl game. On the surface you don’t want to see the San Francisco 49ers for a multitude of reasons, but peeling back the layers, a Chief victory could open the floodgates for perhaps a more disturbing trend to effect the Seahawks moving forward. Thus, you could be sipping your AM coffee in some despair, either way.

This is my conflicted Seahawk fans guide that will help you decide for yourself. Hopefully once I get to the last sentence of it, I will have made my own decision.

Rooting for the Chiefs. 

The pros for this are pretty simple for me. Allow me to list the main ones.

Patrick Mahomes is an amazing football talent, and he seems like a really likable guy. For all the talk of Lamar Jackson being the new young quarterback that is going to revolutionize the way the position is played in the league, the simple truth is that no quarterback presently can compare to the talent that Mahomes possesses, not even our beloved Russell Wilson. He has an incredibly strong arm, size to see over the pocket, he can throw accurately from all kinds of crazy angles, and he has the athleticism to beat you with his legs. Oh, yeah, one other thing; he reads defense well.

I have been watching football for a long time, and I have seen a lot of dynamic play. There is no other quarterback that I can compare him with, at best I would have to combine about a half dozen players, and I don’t think that would completely describe him. When I look at Mahomes play, it makes me think of a young Michael Jordan in the NBA and how it felt when he was on the verge of taking that league over for years to come. It’s hard not to root for greatness when you see it blossoming before your eyes.

On the flip side of Mahomes sits Andy Reid for me. Personally, I think Reid is a fantastic football coach who is like fine wine; he just seems to get better over time. He has been a head coach in this league for two decades now, and he remains one of the most (if not the most) innovative offensive minds in the game. It is criminal to me that he has not won a title yet as a head coach, and like Mahomes, he seems like a really nice guy that you want to see finally win one. It would be an awesome story to see a dedicated old soldier of the game finally get his reward.

Thirdly, and perhaps the most import pro for a Chiefs victory is the reward for the long suffering Kansas City Chiefs fans. This team has not been to the Super Bowl since 1970, and I was three months old when they won it. So, I literally have no memory of the Chiefs doing anything significant in this league, like ever.

What I do have memories of is the years that my favorite team shared the same division with them in the AFC West, and how hard it was for Seattle to ever win in Kansas City. I remember the feeling that, while I should hate this club and their dedicated fans with the annoying tomahawk chop (painfully outdated these days), a bigger part of me was impressed by their devotion and traditionally making their home town Chiefs a difficult team to beat. Beating the Chiefs on their field, in front of those fans, always felt like a major accomplishment, and because of their decades of devotion, it would be nice to see them finally be rewarded another trophy after a half century of NFL football.

Rooting for the 49ers

On the surface, I almost want to puke in my mouth typing reasons why I would want to root for this team. They are the Seattle Seahawks’ main rival in the NFC West, and since Seattle entered into the division in 2001, the Seahawks have largely dominated them 24 to 13 in overall victories.

Yet to hear the average 49er fan talk (or whine), you, as a Seahawk fan, have to likely endure them bringing up their five Super Bowl victories from 1982 through 1995. This sucks for you because your team was largely mediocre to bad during that time, and overall, you only have one Super Bowl victory in your team’s history. While you have enjoyed your team’s overall success over theirs, deep down, it burns you some that they can continually gloat about their past filled with multiple titles. The only solace that you can ever take in that is knowing the gloating about the past is an incredibly loser thing to do, and a 49er win this Sunday washes even that away.

Another reason to not wish for a 49er win is that Richard Sherman would be validated for his bad behavior in his last couple seasons in Seattle. This perhaps sits a little deeper with me than the whole rivalry with San Francisco fans.

I loved Richard Sherman as a Seattle Seahawk. I thought he represented all the ideals (at least in my mind) about what made the Seattle region cool. He was intelligent, and talented. He was confident, and brash, and he was unashamed. Essentially, Number 25 was rock and roll. He was both Gary Payton and Kurt Cobain. His leap into the cheering crowd at Century Link Field after “The Tip” was so Seattle Grunge that I almost had an out of body experience watching it on my television set in my living room in 2014.

I loved Richard Sherman, and it absolutely broke my heart when I started to witness the ways he in which broke away from the ranks of my team. His infamous sideline rants when the going got tough for the LOB were hard to watch, as was his rant against the Seattle offensive coaching staff when during a regular season game they decided to pass at the one yard line. The way in which he treated members of the Seattle media when they asked harder questions during his press conferences came across painfully childish during that stretch, but perhaps worst, was the strong inference that he was the main anonymous team source in the Sports Illustrated article that came out in 2017 which centered on some deep seeded animosity within the Seattle locker room against star quarterback and ultra nice guy Russell Wilson.

For all these reasons, I was ready for a Richard Sherman breakup, and I continue to think that it was the right thing to do for the team. So, deep down, I just don’t want to see Richard validated on any level.

However, peeling back the layers, if I am to be honest, I can see one strong reason why, as a Seahawk fan, I should root for the 49ers over the Chiefs. Simply put, the 2019 San Francisco 49ers are in the Super Bowl playing a style of football that Pete Carroll loves. They are a dedicated running team that is backed by efficient quarterback play, and they have an outstanding defense. This is very much in the Pete Carroll philosophy of being a perfectly balanced team. The defense compliments the offense and vice versa, and a 49er win definitely validates Pete Carroll as a head coach.

To go further with this is that a 49er win over the Chiefs would put a major dent into the armor of the disturbing movement on Seahawks Twitter that wants to see Pete Carroll fired. First of all, let me say that I don’t believe this movement represents the majority of Seattle Seahawk fans, but they do seem to be a pretty loud minority that is led by a few analytic types who are deeply in love with the passing game. In short, they believe that Pete Carroll is holding Russell Wilson back even though Wilson is coming off of his best statistical year as a passer.

I have written this before, and I will be happy to write it again. I think firing Pete Carroll would more likely be a massive mistake for this franchise than it would to ever be the right decision. What he is able to do as a culture builder and what he is able to get out of his players is ridiculously rare, and his marriage to Russell Wilson is ideal. You want Russell Wilson in an offense that runs so that Russell Wilson can play to all of his strengths as a quarterback. He is not Tom Brady or Drew Brees, and he is certainly not Patrick Mahomes. Because the dude is 5-11, he needs a run game to build off of so that defenses are forced to play him honest. Don’t let anyone tell you different otherwise. They will be wrong.

So, because that loud minority on Seahawks Twitter has gotten so much attention lately by the local media (and even some national writers, for the shame of it), I really wouldn’t mind seeing this San Francisco 49er club get their sixth title. Yes, it would be egg on my face as a Seahawk fan. I would also have to endure Richard Sherman being right to some extent, and I would have to endure 49er fans now gloating about the present instead of loser-ly living in their past, but I would get to walk around with the knowledge that those who will continue existing in the Fire Pete crowd of Twitter will be doing it with a very thin argument, and I think that will be worth it, ultimately.

So where do I ultimately land?

Well, I would say that the way I closed out the argument for a 49er victory, I should be rooting for the 49ers. In my mind, it makes almost too much compelling sense, and the fact that Seattle played this team tough in two rival games in 2019 is still validating. Literally, a 49er win means that Seattle would have come one inch away from sweeping the Super Bowl champs in the regular season. It is something to feel decent about.

However, the truth of the matter is that bad rivalry blood is thicker than water, and that often means that it needs to defy plain logic. So, I just can’t do it, for better or worse.

Thus, I’m going to pull for the Kansas City Chiefs to beat the San Francisco 49ers. I am going to root for Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid to get their first Super Bowl victory as a quarterback and a head coach, and I am going to root for Chiefs fans to get their first Super Bowl win in fifty years.

I am also going to root for 49er fans to continue living in the past, and for their team to experience a Super Bowl hangover in 2020. I am also going to root for the 49er GM to make some hard decisions about their salary cap situation and how to hang onto their cheap talent that will suddenly get expensive to keep.

Maybe, just maybe, they will have to cut Richard Sherman to keep defensive lineman Arik Armstead, and maybe, just maybe, that will allow Seattle and Sherman to make some amends to each other, and Sherm can rightly return to the PNW (where he belongs) and wear the 25 once more in Seahawk blue. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, after all, and if we learned anything from Marshawn Lynch this year, we learned that.

I can dream about that last part, anyways. It never hurts to dream.

I love you Richard, but go Chiefs.

Get bigger and badder on the defensive line and add more speed off of the edges. Go Hawks.

A few days ago, I wrote a piece on this blog about things that what I thought the Seahawks would likely do this off-season. It was a bit extensive, and you review it here, but essentially I stated that I felt there would be a number of changes to the defense and they would try to surround Russell Wilson with more weapons on the offense.  None of this was far reaching stuff. Most GMs for most teams that fall short of the Super Bowl probably want to improve their team somewhat similarly. The distinction with Seattle, however, is that for the first time since 2011, they will have significant salary cap space to be more aggressive in free agency, and they have ten draft picks to play with.

For this piece, I want to spell out my own wish list for these Seahawks. It’s not a crazy wish list. I’m not going to ask for Jody Allen to fire Pete Carroll and pull the next brilliant offensive minded head coach with a chiselled chin and piercing blue eyes out of thin air to lead the team. I’m also not asking them to sign Jadeveon Clowney and then add Kansas City superstar defensive tackle Chris Jones, Rams’ sack master Dante Fowler,  Tennessee right tackle Jack Conklin all in free agency, and then trade for Odell Beckham Junior.

I believe I have put forth a fairly realistic wish list of the things I would like this team to do that will help put them over the top in 2020 and set them up for future years in the Russell Wilson era. So, here it is.

Lean Into Russell Wilson More

It’s been a frustrating week of Seahawk football following their loss to the Green Bay Packers in the divisional round of the playoffs. Apparently, there has been a civil war brewing on Seahawk Twitter about firing Pete Carroll that has spilled into the airwaves of the Seattle sports radio station that I listen to daily.

I will be honest. I don’t Twitter. I probably should to promote this blog, but the truth is that I’ve been both lazy and apprehensive of joining (I’m a Gen X slacker who is also a Libra, which means I take a double long time to make a decision and act). Perhaps this year I will, but either way, here is my definitive position on the whole Fire Pete Carroll thingy.

I believe that it is inaccurate to say that Pete Carroll is holding Russell Wilson back. I am no football expert, but from my observation, I would say that the offensive coordinator change from Darrell Bevell to Brian Schottenheimer has helped Russell Wilson’s game considerably. I think Schottenheimer has cleaned up A LOT of Wilson’s game in terms of mechanics, footwork, and pre-snap reads. I think the level of play from Wilson over the last two years to his previous six years has been largely a night and day difference in the positive, and I don’t think there can be much dispute in that.

Let us all remember that it wasn’t that long ago that there was a Trade Russell Wilson civil war brewing on Seahawks Twitter, as well. After the team went 9-7 and Seattle missed the playoffs, many fans felt Wilson had regressed considerably enough that the team was better off to deal him while they still could. I thought that was ridiculous then, and I think the Fire Pete Carroll thing is equally ridiculous now.

Pete Carroll has built and maintained a winning culture in Seattle. This team just won eleven games and advanced to the divisional round of the playoffs, and they came close to beating the Packers in Green Bay.  In my opinion, they did this with a significant talent deficiency, and it wasn’t just about Wilson’s magic. Carroll coached up marginal talent.

Therefor, I think it would be a horrendous idea to fire Pete Carroll now. They just finished the second year of a major rebuild and they are heading into a critical third year of that project.

It would be like divorcing your spouse because they aren’t as on the surface interesting as other spouses in other marriages you see around you, even though generally you’ve gotten along well, and are doing well raising the kids and paying off the house. Two years later, you could easily be sitting alone in your living room in your soiled underwear watching something adult on your screen with a half empty bottle of scotch in front of you, while your spouse and their new partner are taking your kids to Disney Land and are buying a Tesla together. Call me conservative, but I just think it is best to hang onto what you have and trying to make it work even better.

What Pete Carroll can do better is to lean into the skills of Russell Wilson even more, from time to time. They can start out games more aggressively on occasion, and test the defense with the passing on first downs more. I would also like to see even more motions and misdirection plays to utilize Russell abilities to throw on the run.  They can also vary the tempo of the offense in the first half of games to keep the opposing defenses on edge.

They don’t need wholesale changes on the offense, they just need to continue adding more wrinkles and layers for their star quarterback. This is a perfectly reasonable request heading into year three of Brian Schottenheimer’s play-calling, and it’s not about passing more than running. It’s just about mixing things up a bit more.

Be Aggressive In Fixing The Defensive Line

Seattle failed to improve their defense in 2019 from 2018. In fact, many ways, it got much worse. They were a horrible tackling team, and they were a bad pass rushing team. I think they were merely so so in coverage.

Part of this is probably on coaches, but I think a much larger portion is on talent. It might have been better for Seattle in the long term that they traded Frank Clark to Kansas City for two high draft picks, but it clearly made 2019 a harder season defensively. I think it all mostly starts and stops in the trenches.

Seattle must vastly improve it’s pass rushing situation, and the situation in general on the defensive line for it to truly get back into championship contention. A more charged pass rush would allow the team to play more aggressively on offense. A more charged pass rush would probably also help Seattle be more aggressive in coverage. But none of this matters if they can not stop the run. All of this can be fixed by fixing the defensive line.

When I look at this 2019 defensive line of the Seattle Seahawks, outside of Jadeveon Clowney, I don’t see anything special. I see a few players that, at best, are kind of jack of all trades – master of none types. I also see some others that are kind of in between types, almost playing without a true position.

The years when Seattle had a strong defensive line, they had multiple players that were special in their own ways. Red Bryant was a massive left end at 6-4 and 320 pounds who able to take away the left side of the field on early run downs, and that was a huge advantage for Seattle. Michael Bennett had special versatility to play as a pass rushing defensive tackle and end at a high level. Cliff Avril had special ability to convert speed to power as a pass rushing end. Brandon Mebane had special ability to play nose tackle with strength and leverage. Frank Clark add special speed and strength and athleticism off the edge. Tony McDaniel had special length and toughness inside. The list can go on.

Jarran Reed is a perfect example of a player that is a jack of all trades master of none type. Pro Football Focus has listed him as the 49th best player heading into free agency. They noted that he is good at a lot of things but not special at anything, and they land on him being a quality player in a defensive line rotation. In four years of watching Reed, I think that this is a really fair take. I like him a lot as a player, but he just doesn’t feel like a guy you want to over spend on. He doesn’t offer special size, or twitch inside. He is a good leader, and a tough guy, and a guy that you probably want back at the right cost, but he is probably not a building block.

I want Seattle to acquire building block players on the defensive line in 2020. In my opinion, it all starts with Jadeveon Clowney, and his rare ability to disrupt. If I were to look at what Seattle traditionally has had on it’s defensive line during the height of it’s defensive prowess under Carroll, I would ask general manager John Schneider go add special size and special speed to Clowney’s disruption, if he is kept.

We will get into free agency later when it is apparent who will be available, but if I were to give an example of what I would like to see on this team in 2020, it would be Jadeveon Clowney playing one end spot and a speed rusher like Dante Fowler playing the other end, and then a massive body wrecking the interior like defensive tackle DJ Reader from Houston. If they can acquire that and convince Jarran Reed to come back on a reasonable deal, I am liking Seattle’s defensive line a whole heck of a lot better, and I am guessing Bobby Wagner is going to like it, as well.

Earl Thomas once was asked about the importance of the play of Brandon Mebane a few years back. I remember him saying something to the effect that the players on the back end appreciated him and that the success of their defense all started with his play between the guard and center, that the whole defense started there. I just really want to see Seattle get back to that.

Get Better Defensive Coaching.

I would like to see some improvement to the coaching staff on the defensive side. I am not necessarily calling for the firing of coordinator Ken Norton Jr, but I am asking for more help, and if their is a better coordinator available, I think Seattle should go get him.

In my previous piece about Seattle’s 2020 off-season, I suggested that they might be interested in bringing back former defensive coordinator Kris Richard. Personally, I think it would probably be a wise idea, but I think that there are a lot of moving parts that would need to happen. Firstly, I think there would have to be strong interest on both sides. Would Richard want to come back to the place that left him go two years ago? Would Carroll be able to suck up whatever pride he had and admit that maybe letting Richard go was a mistake?

Also, there are probably going to be some ruffled Seahawk feathers to consider. Would Ken Norton Jr and Kris Richard be able to coexist on a coaching staff together? Would Richard only come back if he was the coordinator again? Would Norton be willing to take a demotion and just coach the linebackers again? If Norton is fired, how would that sit with star veteran linebackers Bobby Wagner and KJ Wright who love the guy?

These are the things Carroll would have to weigh, but that facts are the facts. The 2019 Seattle Seahawks were a horrible tackling team, and considering that the defensive coordinator is a former pro bowl linebacker and a former linebacker coach, this feels inexcusable to me, to be honest. There is no reason for this team to have been so terrible at tackling, and it was a problem at all three levels of the defense.

Now perhaps part of the issue was that the defensive line was so underwhelming that players behind them over shot plays in an effort to over compensate. Perhaps getting back to bigger bodies at defensive tackle solves a lot of this issue. Maybe it was simple alignment issues, but either way, I just wonder if Ken Norton Junior is a better position coach than a coordinator, and he just had too much on his plate to hone in on the fundamentals that have usually always been a hallmark of a Pete Carroll defense.

I’m a patient Twelve, but I think I have seen enough here. So I am guessing that probably most Twelves have, as well. Any move from Norton might be just the thing to rejuvenate this tired fan base. There is a standard on the defensive side of the ball that has been set in Seattle under Pete Carroll that needs to be kept and fans will not tolerate seeing the defense have the same issues in 2020. These are the things Pete Carroll must also weigh.

One other thought I had was perhaps Carroll bringing in a well regarded former player onto the staff. Would Kam Chancellor like to come on board to coach up the DBs? Would Cliff Avril like to assist with the defensive line? Both of these guys weren’t just great players because of their physical skill sets. They were great players because they were great students of the game.

There’s probably many other considerations in coaching out there that haven’t crossed my mind yet, but it just feels to me that this is another aspect of the team that desperately needs to be improved on. I’m ready for change here, anyway.

Give Russell Wilson More Weapons

The Fire Pete Twitter crowd wants to see Russell take over the offense more? I got news for them, it won’t happen until Russell has more weapons. Schottenhiemer was happy to dial things up more with Russell when they had DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Will Dissly on the field with Chris Carson against the Steelers. That was then, but after Dissly went down a few weeks later in Cleveland, you could sense the reigns about to be pulled back.

Here is the reality that I think the Fire Pete Twitter crowd needs to here and read: Russell Wilson is a really good quarterback but probably needs more talent around him to really get over the hump. The reason why Pete probably likes to dial back is because Russell’s style needs to be supported by a run game to be effective. He is not Peyton Manning, or Tom Brady. He can’t just drop back and air it out all over the place because he is SIX INCHES SHORTER THAN THE AVERAGE LINEMAN IN FRONT OF HIM.

There, glad I got that out.

And that is not to say that he isn’t elite in his own way. (of course he is). I’m just saying he needs to be surrounded by more talent, just like most other quarterbacks in the league. I honestly think that if a relatively healthy Doug Baldwin had been on this roster in 2019, that may have been the difference between Seattle playing on the road in the first round and getting a first round bye and then hosting a playoff game in the following week.

Give Russell the same trio of receivers that Jared Goff has in LA, and we probably aren’t hearing squat all from the Fire Pete crowd these days. That team that won the Super Bowl in 2013-14 had Golden Tate, Sidney Rice, Doug Baldwin and Percy Harvin on that roster. Yeah they lost Rice and Harvin to injuries throughout most of the season, but the point it that they went into 2013 loaded.

DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett are nice pieces. Will Dissly looks like a nice player if he can ever stay healthy. Go get Russell another receiver that can push those other two guys and can consistently test the defenses in eleven personnel. This coming draft is loaded at receiver. I know they got needs elsewhere, but go get one of those guys, and while you’re at it, go grab a tight end that can challenge Dissly.

Be cutthroat about giving Russell more weapons. 2019 was what it was because this team did not have enough. It’s that simple.

Firing Pete Carroll isn’t about anything about building around Russell. Giving Russell more legit targets for defenses to deal with is. Go Hawks.

Get Better Pass Blocking On The Offensive Line

This is the annual wish for these Seahawks under Pete Carroll. For me, it isn’t even that the line was that terrible, at times in most games they actually looked fairly decent, and yes, I agree with the notion that Russell Wilson often invites sacks by the way he hangs onto the ball chasing the big play, but I also have to acknowledge that they can improve on personnel in front of him.

Mainly, I don’t think Germaine Ifedi is a great right tackle for Russell Wilson. That isn’t to say that he is the terrible player that a lot of Seattle fans make him out to be. I actually think he has improved as a player considerably, and is now a decent player. I just think that for a short quarterback who needs to move around to see things and extend plays, Ifedi feels more like a guard playing tackle. I think he false starts often because he needs to get an early jump on a quicker defender because he is not greatly athletic. I also think he sits in his stance in ways that tell defenders that the play is either going to be a run or pass due to his lack of athleticism. Because of all this, I am happy to move on.

I would actually rather see them convince George Fant to stay and take over at right tackle, or draft a player that was athletic enough to play left tackle in college that can transition to right tackle in Seattle. Many other teams have done this in the league with success. I would like to see Seattle use that same approach, and with a lot of junior tackles declaring for this coming draft, this feels like a year where Seattle could get a good one early, even if they do their standard trade back (which they likely will).

I would also like to see them to give Phil Haynes a shot at winning the left guard spot. In his brief appearance in the Packers game, he looked pretty good in pass protection, and was blocking for Wilson when Wilson started to do his second half magic. That small sample size showed me that Haynes might have something that is starting caliber. They can bring back Mike Iupati, but let the competition be an open one in camp.

Lastly here, I would like to see the club work out a deal for Justin Britt to stick around on a restructured deal in 2020 that will offer cap relief to address other weaknesses on the team. If this doesn’t happen, he is probably going to get cut, and that is just another hole on the offensive line that they will need to sort through. I’m not sure that they want to go into 2020 with a rookie center and potentially a rookie right tackle starting.

Fix The Strength and Conditioning Situation

I am saving this one for last, and I think it might be the most important. This team lost far too much talent on the field due to torn pectoral muscles, core injuries, neck stingers, sprained ankles, hamstrings, achilles injuries, knee injuries, hip injuries, and broken limbs. It was freakish.

The Seattle Seahawks have to get better at their strength and conditioning. This one year under Ivan Lewis was disastrously bad. I suspect there were players playing through stuff that wasn’t even being listed. It just seemed obvious.

If there is one coaching change that I would have Pete Carroll make to this staff, it would actually be at this spot here, and as stated above, I definitely want to see some changes to the defensive staff. Seattle simply can not go into the 2020 season with these same results or worse and expect to win the division.

They can’t. So please fix.

Closing Thoughts

This isn’t a big wish list. This is not an unreasonable wish list. There are other things that I could add. I could ask for more competition at cornerback (I probably should ask for more competition at cornerback). I could ask for maybe more speed at linebacker, but I just see other more pressing needs, and paths to regaining control of the NFC West.

The most important thing for me is for the team to entirely fix the defensive line. Getting Clowney back would be a great start but they need a lot more. The good news is that I think Pete Carroll and John Schneider know this and they will be better equipped in cap space than in years past to handle this task. They will also have a bunch of draft picks top play with.

Fix the defense by fixing the defensive line and possibly some changes to coaches and scheme, and be bold about it.

And while you’re at it, don’t forget about Russ on the other side and what his needs and wants might be. Otherwise, the Fire Pete crowd will surely let you hear about it.

Go Hawks.

Expect this wild Seattle Seahawk ride to settle down in 2020. Go Hawks!

The 2019 Seattle Seahawks were a fun team to watch, and yet, they were also an exhausting team to watch. It has taken me a few full days after the divisional round loss to Green Bay to properly draw an analogy to this club.

For me, they were most like an exhilarating carnival ride which, at various points, you questioned your own sanity while riding it, but you had fun screaming throughout the experience, and then once you had gotten off the ride, you made the instant decision that you never needed to go on it again.. ever.

I loved these 2019 Seahawks, but I don’t need to feel the constant barrage of nail biting close finishes again. In 2020, I just want to see them bury inferior opponents instead of playing down to them, and save the close matches for the teams that are better match up against them. I suspect the coaches and the players want that, as well, and because of that, I suspect some major changes to occur, especially on the defense.

After watching Pete Carroll’s season ending press conference, I think I have a pretty decent sense of what directions this team will likely go on to improve upon their 2019 campaign. Here is a breakdown of the moves that I think will likely be made.

They will address their strength and conditioning program

The first thing Coach Carroll brought up when asked about his disappointments to how their 2019 season played out was the crazy amount of injuries that occurred. I expected him to instantly start talking about the lack of pass rush, but I think truth be told, injuries played a big part of that, and in other areas of the team, as well.

In terms of pass rush, Ziggy Ansah could never stay healthy enough, Jadeveon Clowney played with a core injury during the second half of the season that will require surgery, and Jarran Reed played on a twisted ankle through the end of the season. Those were probably the top three guys that Carroll was most counting on for sacks, and they weren’t playing healthy enough.

Then going throughout the roster, they lost starting tight end Will Dissly to an Achilles injury, they lost starting running back Chris Carson to a broken hip, they lost starting center Justin Britt to a knee injury, and they lost the promising talents of running back Rashaad Penny to a knee injury. They also lost linebacker Mychal Kendricks to a knee injury late in the season, but he also missed games with a hamstring issue. Left tackle Duane Brown played through a pectoral injury and missed games with a knee injury. Starting corner Shaquill Griffin missed games with a hamstring injury. Good lord, it’s amazing that this team, as battered as they were, managed eleven wins.

First year strength coach Ivan Lewis has got to be on the hot seat. He was Carroll’s strength coach for a while at USC but left to follow Steve Sarkisian to Washington, and back down to USC. Dedicated Twelves have noted on social media that injuries have followed Lewis whenever he has gone over the last decade as a strength coach. Perhaps Carroll has seen enough and is ready to reboot the strength program yet again.

Some scheme changes and perhaps the coaching staff will occur on the defense

Carroll expressly noted that there will be some changes on the defense through all levels, including scheme. He noted that they may need to go back to how they have done things in the past. He noted that they gave up too many explosive plays, that had troubles defending the perimeters of the field, and they couldn’t get their pass rush going with four linemen. He didn’t shed light on the question of whether there will be changes to the coaching staff, other than to say “nothing to talk about, no.”

In my own parsing of Pete talk, I think that latter bit means there could likely to be some coaching changes. Here is what I think might happen.

When I pair that with his comment about going back to what they had done in the past, I can not help but look at the fact his former defensive coordinator Kris Richard is presently available for hire after the coaching turnover in Dallas. I don’t know if that would mean firing Ken Norton Jr to bring him back, or creating a situation where they are both on the staff and maybe making one the assistant head coach, but I will say this about Richard; Seattle’s defense was significantly better when he was calling the plays from 2015-2017 than when Ken Norton Jr was doing it in 2018 and 2019. Part of that is probably personnel, but I also think part of that was coaching, and in 2018, Richard was highly credited for turning the Dallas defense around when it took over the secondary there.

Personally, I would welcome this move if it happens, and say what you will about Richard as a coordinator, but under his playcalling, Seattle was never as generic and soft in coverage, and he had a clear ability to develop talent in the secondary. With Carroll being an ex defensive back coach that he is, it feels to me like a reunion with Richard could be around the corner, but we shall see soon enough.

Even if they do not bring Richard back into the fold, at the very least, I would suspect seeing this defense return to the more traditional Pete Carroll single high safety cover one and cover three looks that they had when Earl Thomas was here now that they have Quandre Diggs playing the position. This would allow the corners to play more aggressive and it could help on their containment issues on the perimeter.

Seattle will be aggressive in improving their pass rush

Even more frustrating than seeing how vulnerable Seattle’s defense was to perimeter plays was watching Seattle struggle to put pressure on the quarterback. This was by far the most frustrating thing to watch all year for me. Far too often it felt like Jadeveon Clowney was putting on the one man show. They could never get any consistency going, and because so many bodies were in and out of the line up, either through injuries or suspensions, they really never had much of a chance.

It hurt having Jarran Reed suspended for the first six games of the season and then get an injured ankle once he got back, it hurt getting LJ Collier injured through his training camp development stage, and it hurt never really having Ziggy Ansah fully healthy. When Seattle traded Frank Clark to Kansas City, these were three players that they were likely banking on to contribute in a big way before they traded for Jadeveon Clowney.

I shutter to think what this defense would have looked like in 2019 had they not made the Clowney trade with Houston. They likely would have rolled out the start of the season with Quinton Jefferson, Rasheem Green, Poona Ford and Al Woods as the starters, and a bag of potato chips as reserves.

I suspect Seattle will be aggressive in their efforts to retain Jadeveon Clowney, and according to Pete Carroll, Clowney wants to be in Seattle. However, Clowney has also stated that he wants to play for a Super Bowl contender. With Russell Wilson at quarterback, that should almost annually mean Seattle being that kind of contender, but Clowney might well require assures from Seattle that he will not be the one man show that he was in 2019 moving forward. He’s going to want and likely demand help.

Therefor, I anticipate Seattle being aggressive this off season adding pass rush help through either free agency, trades, or draft, and possibly all three. They will have north of $60 million to work with. I think it is entirely possible that they sign both Clowney and defensive tackle Jarran Reed, and add a top level veteran speed rusher to compliment them. They might even add a couple.

I think Seattle also needs to define what LJ Collier is and use him accordingly. Carroll indicated that they want to use him more pass rushing inside and out in 2020, but if they bring Clowney back, that likely means Collier will continue being a bench player factoring into the rotation. If they bring Clowney back, and I am Collier, I’m lobbying heavily to being an interior pass rusher, especially if they do not retain Jarran Reed. That might be his best opportunity to flourish as a player because the little that we saw of him, it looks like he does not have the athleticism to be a great edge rusher.

I think we also need to see Rasheem Green take another advancement forward. He had a decent sophomore season. He led the team in sacks (albeit, onky 4 sacks, but at least it is progress from his rookie year). Part of me is still wondering what is true role is with this team. Physically, he looks like a Bennett type more than an Avril, but he seemed more effective rushing from the outside than from in. If they lose Clowney in free agency, there is a chance that he could inherit the five technique spot, but let’s be real, he is nowhere near the disrupting force Clowney is. If Seattle signs Clowney, I think perhaps Green’s best pathway towards taking the next step as a player is to work even more on his quickness off the edge and being a complimentary speed rusher. He has the athleticism, he just needs even more quickness.

Then there is always the draft. It’s not expected to be a deep draft for pass rushers, but that doesn’t mean that Seattle will not look there as well. In 2015, it was not expected to be a great edge rush draft class, yet Seattle was able to find Frank Clark at the end of round two. The one thing that Seattle generally does well is finding quality edge rushers that others weren’t ranking that highly, and that includes Bruce Irvin in 2012.

There are many ways Seattle could go to fix the pass rush. They just need to have a plan, and then smartly execute it. It will be interesting to see what they do.

They want to keep continuity on the offensive line

For all the Germain Ifedi haters out there, Carroll expressly stated that he does not want to see a lot turnover on the offensive line. He also mentioned that he would like to see rookie Phillip Haynes compete for a starting job, presumably at left guard, and that could possibly mean they would move on from Mike Iupati.

It will be interesting to see how they handle this whole offensive line situation. Reading the tea leaves is a bit difficult. Can they afford to pay Justin Britt over $10 million after his salary escalates to that amount this Spring, if they want to dip heavily into the free agent market to fix the defensive line? Is Joey Hunt an sufficient cheaper replacement for Britt? Or could they trust Ethan Pocic to take over at center and stay healthy? What do they do with their young tackles in Ifedi and George Fant? These are a lot of questions they need to address in their quest towards maintaining continuity.

It is worth noting that Seahawk reporters mentioned that George Fant wants to go somewhere were he can be a starter at left tackle. If Seattle wants to keep him, they could entice him to take over for Ifedi at right tackle and then whenever Duane Brown is ready to call it a career at left tackle, he takes over. He might bite on that if he wants to remain a part of the club, but if he truly wants left tackle money, Seattle might have to pony up. There is pretty good tape of him playing left tackle in place of Duane Brown over the course of some recent games, and there is a dearth of quality left tackles in the league. General managers with left tackle needs are going to see that. It actually might be cheaper for Seattle to keep Ifedi over Fant.

One path to maintaining as much continuity as they can on the offensive line would be to get Justin Britt to agree to a restructured contract that will offer 2020 cap relief and add an extra year into 2021, and then convince Mike Iupati to come back for another year in 2020 on a cheap veteran deal. The more I think about it the more these sort of moves make sense for the club. Britt probably wouldn’t have a great free agent market coming off an injury and a draft around the corner that features some good college centers. I don’t think Iupati will either with his age and injury history. Their best value might be in Seattle.

This scenario all boils down to the issue at right tackle, and what to do with Fant and/or Ifedi. If I were to look hard into my crystal ball, I think there is a decent chance that somewhere within day one and day two of the coming draft we hear a name called that will be Seattle’s right tackle in 2020. That’s just my hunch. We will see.

Seattle will continue look to add playmakers on the offense

Pete Carroll is always looking for explosive playmakers on the offense. Whether it is trading for Marshawn Lynch, Percy Harvin, or Jimmy Graham, or it is drafting Golden Tate, Paul Richardson, Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf, or Rashaad Penny, or signing free agents like Sidney Rice, Carroll is always looking for athletes that can produce explosive plays. He loves special athletes, and he doesn’t rest on his laurels with what he already has. Expect Seattle to continue this trend.

While the team has special talents at receiver in DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, the 2020 draft class is expected to be a particularly deep one at receiver. The safe bet is that Seattle is going to tap into that class at some point.

Additionally, with Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny coming back from serious injuries, I think this team probably will also want to add more talent at running back. I know this irks some fans when this happens, but I wouldn’t be shocked if Seattle spends another relatively high pick on a running back in this coming draft. There is some pretty talented ones coming out of college, and currently, they have four picks out of the first one hundred. With a little maneuvering, they could end up with five. If they do that, I full suspect that they will target a running back.

Marshawn Lynch doesn’t come back to the team to play another season

This is just a gut feeling I have led by things Pete said in his presser, but it feels to me that once he goes back home and rests on it, Marshawn is going to be content with the way he came back to Seattle, fired up the Twelves, inspired younger players on this roster, and maybe made some amends to the club in which his achieved his greatest success. He will have gone out in style, and with the potential of his number being hung up in the stadium where Beastquake happened. In my opinion, this is as it should be.

But maybe I am wrong, and he will surprise me, and decide to come back to the club, and be a part of a rotation with Carson and Penny and Homer. I can see him loving Carson’s style and wanting to compliment it, but I can also see him simply wanting to move onto the rest of his life being an iconic cult hero of a generation that he is, and looking back fondly at his time in Seattle.

I fricking love the #### out of Marshawn Lynch, though, and would gladly welcome him back with open arms any time he chooses. Go Hawks.

A big name on this roster will likely get cut

This is the cold nature of the NFL in the salary cap era, and with teams looking to improve their weaknesses, it’s just the reality. The Seattle Seahawks are no exception.

The safest bet candidate in getting cut is veteran tight end Ed Dickson (although he really isn’t much of a big name, and hardly factored with the club). His release would save a couple million off the salary cap. We already discussed the potential of center Justin Britt becoming a cap casualty.  A couple other bigger names I think can be thrown out are linebacker KJ Wright, and safety Bradley McDougald.

With KJ Wright, this is a hard notion to digest. I love KJ Wright. I think this team needs more KJ Wrights on this roster. He is a solid player, and he is a highly intelligent player. He just does things right, and he also possesses a great team first mentality. He also just had a great statistical year. He is also incredibly tight with Bobby Wagner, and they have a tremendous chemistry. There is a whole long list of reasons why this team should not move on from KJ Wright.

However, the cold hard facts are that this team has major holes on the defensive line and two key players in that position group that are up for free agency. With Cody Barton on this roster, they have a player that can probably take over for KJ Wright, and play well. They don’t have a player to take over for Clowney, and they probably don’t have a player to take over for Jarran Reed, and they still have to add more to the pass rush than those two players. Quality veteran defensive linemen are expensive. The simply math suggests that KJ Wright could easily become a cap casualty if the Seahawks are to be aggressive in fixing their pass rush through free agency and trades.

The last person to suggest is Bradley McDougald, who like KJ, had a great year. Ideally, he is a guy that you want to keep around. He plays the game the way you want a strong safety to play it, and he plays it well. He’s both good in coverage and against the run, and he is a smart player. Ideally, I think Coach Carroll would want to hang onto him, but they also drafted Marquise Blair with a high round pick, and frankly, Blair has a lot more physical upside than McDougald, and with his rookie contract, he’s also a lot cheaper. Should Seattle elect to bring back former defensive coordinator Kris Richard, Blair would be the perfect project for Richard to take on as a young upcoming talent.

Personally, I hope most of these moves don’t happen. However, it was also really hard to watch this Seattle defense not getting nearly enough quality pressure on quarterbacks as they have in years past. So, I am also almost to the point of suggesting that whatever Seattle can do to fix their pass rush, they should do it.

We shall see.

Lastly, the Seahawks will be a proper championship contender in 2020

I repeat. The Seahawks will be a proper championship contender in 2020. It won’t be easy because they will be playing in arguably the toughest division in football, but I think Seattle will have the clearest path to winning the NFC West. For one, they have the best quarterback in the division, and for another, they still have the best head coach (Sorry Pete Carroll haters on the social media webs, but it is true).

Pete Carroll is going to fix this defense. Book it. Whether it’s changes on the staff, acquiring better talent, adjusting scheme, getting younger players to further step up, or any combination of the above, or all of the above, Pete Carroll will fix this defense in 2020. It will be his mission.

I also think they will continue to surround Russell Wilson with more talent, offensively. If they see playmaking talent in front of them, they will grab it. They always do, and with Russell going into this third year in this system, expect him to master it even more.

It is totally fine to doubt any of this optimism that I have, but here is something else to consider when looking at Seattle’s chances of winning back the West; for the first time in in a long time, Seattle will have significantly more cap space than San Francisco and Los Angeles to work with, and they will have roughly ten draft picks to play with. They will be a player in free agency and trades in a way their divisional rivals likely won’t.

Expect a huge off season to take place over the next few months, and enjoy the news as it unfolds on your sports tickers. I know I will.

Go Hawks.

Russell’s heroic effort that fell short (Getty Images)

Before the 2019 season, I predicted that the Seattle Seahawks would return to the playoffs. Looking at the schedule, I saw the potential for about eleven wins, if things landed right, and a chance to go further in the playoffs than they did in 2018. Well, this isn’t the ending that we all wanted as Twelves, but it really did play out the way it felt it would (at least the way I felt it would).

Seattle limped into Green Bay without two starters on their offensive line, their top three running backs, their starting tight end, their number three receiver, a starting linebacker, and a couple key defensive linemen. Simply put, they were an undermanned team playing on the road against a more rested and healthier team. Yet, it’s impressive that they rallied being down 21-3 in the first half to make it a 28-23 finish.With Russell Wilson as their quarterback, you also knew that they would do this. This has been what they do all season long.

I know the impulse to blame coaches and players during a tough loss, I will share some thoughts on that, but I would much rather recognize the impressive fight Seattle showed in an incredibly tough place to win on the road, especially in January during the playoffs. With five minutes left to go in the game, the 2019 Seattle Seahawks made a stadium full of Packer fans clench their seats. This was not the embarrassing loss that the number one seeded Raven team in the AFC was dealt the day before. Nah, this was a loss I could much more easily take as a fan, and like most of Seattle’s games this year, this one came down to the wire, and I am proud of them for that. They put it all out there on the field in this one.

Let’s break it down.

The Good

Russell Wilson was nearly the hero of the game. Under constant duress in the first half, he found his rhythm in the second half both as a runner and a passer. Considering the duress he was under and the lack of a run game that the offense was able to establish with their backs, he might have played his best game of the year getting this team to rally. This was a performance that was deserving of a victory, but alas, he fell short.

Tyler Lockett had a huge game catching the ball, and DK Metcalf and Jacob Hollister also made their share of plays.

Rookie running back Travis Homer had a terrific side line catch and run on an improvised play with Russell Wilson. I’m excited about his potential as a third down back next year.

Marshawn Lynch scored twice on inspired rushing plays near the goal line. I hope this wasn’t the last game we see of Marshawn in a Seattle uniform.

Safety Bradley McDougald had a sensational game against the run and pass, and was an inspired leader on the defense.

Jadeveon Clowney was a game wrecker at times against the run and pass, getting tackle for losses, presssures, and a sack.

Shaquem Griffin got a key third down sack against Aaron Rodgers that gave Seattle a chance to win it in the end.

On a general note, there was great fight with this team, especially defensively. They were determined to not make it easy on the Packers, and while they gave up big plays, they also hit and tackled hard as the game wore on. They didn’t wilt, and the Green Bay players will be feeling it heading into their match against the 49ers.

The Bad

I’m not going to spend a lot of time ripping on this team. They were undermanned on both sides of the ball heading into this match. They needed to play a perfect game against Aaron Rodgers and a rested Packer team, and they struggled often at times.

There were multiple passes dropped that needed to be caught to extend drives. There were coverages that needed to be tighter. There were pressures that needed to happen faster. There were tackles that needed to be made. There was also a number of really young players on the field that were thrust into challenging situations. It’s tough to win against the Packers in Green Bay when things like this happen.

I also think that there were times that the players weren’t put in great positions to do what they do best, and that falls into the hands of the coaches. Why was Jadeveon Clowney playing pass coverage when he got that weird face mask call instead of rushing the pass when he is clearly the team’s best pass rusher? Why was KJ Wright hugging the A Gap of the offensive line on third and long only to drop into coverage, instead of being off ball on third down ready of Jimmy Graham’s crossing pattern? Why was Ugo Amadi on Devante Adams on third and long instead of Shaquill Griffin? Why was Russell Wilson taking deep shots so early against this defense before they even established the run to make play action more effective? I wasn’t super thrilled about seeing any of these things, honestly, but I’m not a coach, and they know significantly more about football that I do.

The Ugly

I hate blaming a loss on the officials. It’s just such a loser thing to do. However, allow me to list the things that appeared at least slightly questionable in all things officiating.

On the very first play of the game, Poona Ford was blatantly held in front of Aaron Rodgers for all to see, and there was no call. WTF?

Aaron Jones appeared potentially short on the one yard line as it was called a touchdown, but it was ruled there wasn’t enough to overturn.

Kevin King hit Tyler Lockett in the head with his helmet and wasn’t called for a personal foul.

Jimmy Graham appeared to be short on the third down conversation that iced the game for the Packers, and yet again, they decided there wasn’t enough to overturn.

I’m not going to say that the refs threw this game for Seattle, but they certainly weren’t doing much to help. The no call hold on Poona Ford was really egregious.

I will also say that if I hear another Green Bay Packer fan complain about the Fail Mary play in Seattle from back in 2012, I will find where they live, and I will leave a poop on their doorstep. I don’t know who’s poop I will leave, the size, or the texture, but when they step out in the morning, there will be a poop waiting for them with a sign that reads “this is for you, Green Bay Pooper fan. Go Hawks.”

Moving Forward

I’m excited about this Seahawk team in 2020, and I am damn proud of the way they battled through 2019. They built off of their 2018 campaign and improved in many ways, and they were largely a fun team to watch. There is a decent young nucleus of talent forming on this roster with Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner leading the way.

With the new additions this year, I think DK Metcalf feels like an absolute superstar in the making. I think Jacob Hollister is an interesting pass catching talent at tight end, and defensively, I am intrigued about Marquise Blair and Cody Barton, and how they all might grow throughout the off season program, and factor as potential starters.

Yes, these Seattle Seahawks fell short of where I wanted them to go this year, but they were also one inch away from winning the division away from the San Francisco 49ers, and they Aaron Rodgers a legitimate scare in Green Bay. They did this with a roster that was largely overachieving their talent. If they can hang onto Jadeveon Clowney on the defense and add another dynamic pass rusher to compliment him, if they can shore up some lesser issues on the offensive line, and get Russell Wilson one more legitimate pass catching threat, there is every reason to believe that they can properly be contending for a title in 2020.

I have said this before many times, and I am happy to say it again. With Russell Wilson at quarterback, and Pete Carroll as the head coach, Seattle should be a contending team every year.

As the days follow, I will write more about what I think the off season plans will likely be for Seattle. I think pass rush is going to be the big theme to the off-season. With the potential of nearly $70 million in cap space, Seattle is in a unique position to spend more in free agency than in recent years, if it so chooses, and it just so happens to look like this year there is going to be a number of quality pass rushers potentially hitting the market.

Seattle would be wise to look long and hard at this Packer team that just beat them, and note how they spent to bring in free agent pass rushers Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith who each collected two sacks apiece on Russell Wilson in this game. They were huge factors against Seattle in this game and they are a big reason why Green Bay is now playing in the NFC Championship Game. I would expect Seattle to follow a similar model, and they have shown in years past that when they target a major need, they almost always act aggressively.

That’s probably why I am most excited about this team moving forward in 2020. They were close in 2019, Now they just need to make the few moves needed in 2020 to help put them over the top again. I think they can do it, and I sense the special around the corner.

At least this is the way I see it.

Go Hawks.

Well, Twelves, here we are. Our beloved Seattle Seahawks have made it to the divisional round of the NFL playoffs. This is great news on a few levels.

Firstly, it shows that with a 11-5 record and a wildcard win, this young team has made progress from it’s 10-6 campaign in 2018. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, it has done it with even more younger players stepping up. On the road against the Eagles last weekend, rookies DK Metcalf (WR), Cody Barton (LB), and Ugo Amadi (DB) are all credited by head coach Pete Carroll as being positive factors for the team (Metcalf was sensational). Lastly, this team is continually showing it can win on the road, and is now 8-1 in it’s campaign.

Because of all this, there is legitimate reason for optimism the Seattle can actually travel into Green Bay and pull off an upset against these 13-3 Packers. Skeptics will point to the fact that Seattle rarely pulled off a convincing win all season, and allowed a forty year old backup QB move the ball on them in Philadelphia. These same skeptics should equally note that Green Bay hasn’t exactly racked up convincing wins in 2019, either, and were even blown out a few times.

The objective football observer should probably look at both of these clubs and expect a close game. Green Bay has the clear advantage by having a first round bye to rest up, and playing at home. Yet, Seattle has shown all season long that it is a strong road team, having even beaten the powerful San Francisco 49ers on their home turf (a team that Green Bay badly lost to). Also, there are things that both of these clubs like to do that play into the supposed weaknesses of the other. Both teams will likely have to play their best ball to beat the other. For this perspective, this should be another fun game to watch.

So, let’s break it down some.

What to expect when Seattle has the ball

The Green Bay Packers are a really good pass rushing team, and they will look to pressure Russell Wilson a lot. They have a great edge rushing duo in Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith (the Smith Brothers?). Their defense is set up to play against Wilson really well in some regards, but they are not a good run stopping team, and they can get beaten over the top on deep passes.

It does not take rocket science to predict what Seattle probably wants to do in this match. Pete Carroll even stated earlier this week that they want to get Marshawn Lynch more involved. This translates to Seattle wanting to run the ball more and to take play action shots down field as the game progresses.

We know that Seattle will run when Marshawn is on the field, what is perhaps more critical for Seattle is to get Travis Homer positively involved in the run game. Many Seahawk fan cringe reading that as the Eagles stuffed Homer early and often in the wildcard game last week, but it is important to note that the Eagles have one of the top run defenses in the league and they sold out against it in the rematch. I doubt Green Bay is going to do the same, and therefor, Seattle will probably have more opportunities. If they can get Homer going, that will could have the Green Bay defenders on their heals a bit more, as Homer is also a pass catching weapon out of the backfield.

If Seattle can establish the run with Lynch and Homer, this will open up Russell Wilson’s signature play action game. I would expect DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and tight end Jacob Hollister to be big factors if Seattle is successfully starts to dial up this signature portion of their offensive attack.

What Seattle might not want to go is to attack this defense with the short passing game early. Green Bay has good edge defenders, they can spy on Wilson, and they have good enough corners that can sit in the short zones waiting for Wilson to throw their way. This is what the Cardinals did well against Wilson in December and the Packers should look towards doing the same.

If Seattle wins this game, it will likely be because of their ability to run against the Packer defense, and to beat them with play action passes. Russell Wilson on the move looking down field is not what the Packer defenders want to see a lot of.

What to expect when Green Bay has the ball

This is not the old Aaron Rodgers’ Green Bay Packers when they were overly QB centric. They now have balance running the ball with Aaron Jones, and they are committed to that balance. Furthermore, Jones is an hugely underrated back that has Christian McCaffery like abilities to run and catch. He is a legitimate threat against the Seattle defense.

What the Packers are likely to do is to get Jones going against this Seattle defense the way the Rams got Todd Gurley going back in December. They will look to get Seattle biting on misdirection plays and to get the ball to Jones out in space against soft coverage if Seattle plays with the “bend don’t break” approach that they have done throughout the season.

What Green Bay doesn’t have that the Rams did, however, is a lot of talent at wide receiver. It is possible that Seattle could play a little more aggressively in coverage knowing that outside of Davante Adams, the Packer receivers aren’t very threatening, and that could work in their favor of slowing down Jones a bit, as they play a little bit more down hill against the run.

Also expect Aaron Rodgers to play a lot of his same pre-snap trickery trying to get Seattle’s aggressive pass rushers to jump off-sides, and to use quick snaps to take advantage of Seattle’s substitutions. Rodgers will do whatever he can to draw penalties from Seattle, so it is critical that the Seattle defense stays hyper aware and is discipline throughout. They can’t be so aggressive as to jump off-sides, and they need to be smart with their substitutions.

If Seattle wins this game it will probably be because their defense was ready for Rodgers, they played discipline, and they tackled really well against Jones. If they don’t handle Jones well in space, and if they commit numerous penalties, the Seattle offense will need a perfect game in Green Bay for Seattle to pull off the upset, and that is not an easy thing to do in January in that stadium, with that crowd behind the Packers.

Prediction 

The reasonable mind would likely place a safe bet on the Packers winning this match. They have had more rest and preparation than Seattle, and they are playing at home with one of the very best fan bases in the league supporting them. They also have Aaron Rodgers, who is still one of best quarterbacks in the league. In all these regards, Green Bay feels like the safe bet.

Yet there are things about Green Bay as a team that match favorably with what Seattle likes to do. They aren’t statistically a great team at stopping the run and defending deep passes. They lost badly to the Chargers and 49ers that are built somewhat like Seattle, and Seattle has a better quarterback in Russell Wilson than those two teams have. From this perspective, Green Bay feels beatable.

So, I am going to go with the upset in this match. This is a total homer Twelve thing for me to do, I am well aware of it, but I picked Seattle a lot this season, I might as well stay true to the Blue.

I say Seahawks 27-24 in this one. Wilson leads a fourth quarter come from behinder that will stun the Green Bay fans, leaving them hating everything Seattle even more than they already do.. which is A LOT.

.. And if the Vikings can somehow pull off the upset against the 49ers, Seattle will actually host the NFC championship game next weekend. Imagine that.

So skol Vikings and go Hawks!

This is why Seattle paid Russell Wilson all that cheddar. Cha’ ching. (Getty Images)

Down to the wire.

This could easily be the theme of the 2019 Seattle Seahawks. They are incredibly resilient, and, at times, incredibly fortunate. They are marvelously talented at certain spots, and wildly undermanned at others. They are three parts wondrous, frustrating, and oddly inspiring.

And because they have Russell Wilson as their quarterback, and Pete Carroll as their head coach, they will be almost always in their matches even if it doesn’t look pretty, and don’t ever expect it to look pretty. Just erase that expectation out of your mind, and enjoy them for what they are.

Much will be made about the 17-9 final score mimicking the same final score against these Philadelphia Eagles roughly over a month ago. It’s wildly rare for this to ever happen. I don’t think it has ever happened, in fact.

But this is the 2019 Seattle Seahawks, and they own a 26th ranked defense has had problems rushing the passer and stopping the run all year, and yet, somehow, has been near tops in the league in creating turnovers. How does a defense even do that? The only way that I can even answer that is that a wildly weird one does.

Yeah, this is the 2019 Seattle Seahawks, and on a day in which they were down to only two healthy starters on their offensive line, and couldn’t run against the Eagles monstrous defensive line led by Fletcher Cox, Seattle found a way to win by putting the ball into the hands of their best player, quarterback Russell Wilson, and he delivered.

Here is my breakdown.

The Good

Seattle needed an MVP level performance by Russell Wilson to win against this defense. They weren’t going to be able to run on it. Under pressure much of the time, Wilson delivered one of his signature magical efforts. He threw darts that are hard to make under pressure. He was especially a monster on play action. Someone asked me why Seattle was continuing to run Travis Homer inside for near negative yards, well I think we can now see why. Russell Wilson killed the Eagles with play action. On top of that, he was Seattle’s leading rusher. This is why Seattle paid him the big dollars. I repeat. This is why Seattle paid him the big dollars.

Rookie receiver DK Metcalf had an equally amazing game. In fact, he broke a franchise record for receiving yardage during a playoff game.  If this dude stays healthy throughout his career, he is going to be an absolute  beast to defend. His size and speed is incredibly rare, and the Eagle corners simply could not compete with it. I had a feeling that Seattle could exploit them. DK Metcalf broke into their homes, ate all their food, and made them do the dishes.

Defensively, rookie linebacker Cody Barton had his best game in his young career, and he picked a heck of a time to step up his game. He was a force against the run, and pass, and he even got in on a early sack on Carson Wentz. This is a big positive for the Seahawks moving forward, in my opinion.

Jadeveon Clowney took the game over on the defensive line. A lot of others earned sacks, but Clowney was the constant disrupting force, and he reminded us once again why Seattle might be wise to spend the top dollars to hang onto him. His talent is also incredibly rare.

Defensive tackle Quinton Jefferson also had a great game disrupting the passing game and gathering two sacks. For all the talk of Seattle needing to extend Clowney and Jarran Reed, I kinda think Q Jeff has more than made a case for himself as to why Seattle should look to lock him up. Honestly, I think I might take him over Reed if I had to choose between the two, and I like Reed a lot as a player. Great game from Number 99 in this one.

Safety Bradly McDougald had a beast of a game leading the team in tackles, and getting a sack.

DK Metcalf wasn’t the only receiver to step up. David Moore also made a couple critical catch and runs, and Tyler Lockett was his usual effective self.

Marshawn Lynch’s vintage Beastmode touchdown run nearly brought tears to my eyes. Just beautiful thing watching him will himself to a score, and inspiring.

Finally, for being an incredibly undermanned unit, I thought the offensive line did a pretty serviceable job pass protecting Russell Wilson, and holding a considerably more talented Eagle defensive line to only one sack. They couldn’t open holes in the run game, but they gave Wilson time to make the deep throws. Bravo.

The Bad

For all the good in this game, there were still too many times when Seattle simply could still not get out of the way of itself, especially on offense. With an undermanned  offensive line, it did not help when Germaine Ifedi and tight end Jacob Hollister created false starts. Ifedi has been a false start nightmare all season long. I would love for him to play a clean game against the Packers. Seattle needs this from him.

For as good as the defense was in this match, they allowed a forty year old backup quarterback to drive on them after they knocked Carson Wentz out of the game. Detractors are probably going to point to this fact this week.

Tre Flowers was beat twice in coverage and drew pass interference plays both times. He has been enjoying a solid year, but this may not have been his best game.

The Ugly

I don’t like to root for injury. I felt bad about Carson Wentz being knocked out of the game with the helmet hit Clowney put on him as he was chasing him down. I don’t believe it was anything intentional by Clowney, and you want him to make the quarterback feel his hit, but you don’t ever want to see another head injury in this game. I feel for Philly fans on this one.

Moving forward

Does Seattle have enough to beat the Packers in Green Bay next week?

If they can get Duane Brown and Mike Iupati back on the left side on the offensive line, I think so. They will need put continue putting the ball into the hands of their best player, Russell Wilson, and allow him the chance to win it. Additionally, Seattle’s defense must play similarly to the effort they played with against the Eagles, and maybe even better.

Regardless of what might lay ahead next weekend and beyond, this was great playoff win against these Eagles. A great, gritty, tough win.

This is what I really think this team is. They are not the most talented team. Their warts are big, especially on their defense, but their heart is big, as is their will. Russell Wilson, Marshawn Lynch, Bobby Wagner, and KJ Wright are all holdovers from those Super Bowl teams, and they are players that can will this team to do things beyond what their talent suggests. So can Jadeveon Clowney.

I’m proud of this team. Damn proud.

Can they beat the Packers next Sunday?

I say heck yeah they can. It just might not be pretty, and if they do, bet on it coming down to the wire.

Go Hawks!

Tyler Lockett could have a huge game in this one. Go Hawks.

Well, here we are, Twelves.

Our beloved 2019 Seattle Seahawks went 11-5 and are back in the playoffs, playing on the road against the Philadelphia Eagles, who they beat on the road back in November, 17-9. Some things have changed between these two clubs, and some has stayed the same.

The Eagles were a struggling club when they first met, and yet they finished December strong, going 4-1. The Seahawks, on the other hand, were flying high through the first three months of the season only to uncharacteristically struggle through the final month, finishing 2-3. A fair amount is being made about this, but it should be noted that the Eagles played an easy December schedule, while Seattle played one of the league’s hardest December calendars.

Something that is similar to their last match up is that Philadelphia is still severely banged up at receiver and offensive line. This will help Seattle in it’s pursuit to win this game on the road. They will need this, as their defense has lost a couple key players, and has struggled throughout the season.

A few things different in this rematch is that Seattle will play without left tackle Duane Brown, running backs Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny, and linebacker Mychal Kendricks. Seattle will also be possibly playing without guard Mike Iupati. This will all definitely help the Eagles.

What to expect when Seattle has the ball

Seattle will try to establish the run with Marshawn Lynch and Travis Homer, and they will be doing it against one of the better run defenses in the league. The foundation of Seattle’s offense is still the run game. They won’t abandon it. When this happens, though, is another matter.

Where the Eagles seem to be hampered defensively is at corner. Thus, I expect Seattle to challenge them more than in the last meeting. Tyler Lockett is healthier now than when he was in the previous match, and DK Metcalf is coming off a strong game against the San Francisco 49ers (who have significantly better corners than Philly). I suspect that the quick passing game that was effective during the second half of the 49ers game last Sunday will be used against these Eagles.

The strength of the Eagle D is their defensive line. They will be keyed to take away Seattle’s run game and pressure Russell Wilson. By attacking the perimeters with quick passes is a way for Seattle to soften their front up to keep the run game effective. If Seattle has success at this, and they are able to get their run game going, and they are able to go into halftime with a lead, I would expect them to take their signature deep shots in the second half.

This could be a rare game where Seattle passes to set up the run, like they did in Pittsburgh earlier in the season. Travis Homer could have a big game catching passes out of the backfield and running.

What to expect when the Eagles have the ball

Philly head coach Doug Pederson has already said that they will go up tempo to help Carson Wentz establish the pass game. Honestly, this is a smart way to attack Seattle’s defense. Both the Rams and the Cardinals had a lot of success against Seattle going up tempo in December, and they were able to take advantage of Seattle’s inexperience at certain spots and age at others. The difference though between these Eagles and those Rams and Cardinals is that they simply do not have the pass catching threats at receiver that those other teams have, and this will give the Seattle defense a decent puncher’s chance.

Also in Seattle’s favor is having free safety Quandre Diggs back on the defense. When Diggs has started, Seattle’s defense has played significantly better, and his play has given other Seattle defenders considerably more confidence. Another thing in Seattle’s favor is having defensive lineman Jadeveon Clowney in this game, who didn’t play in the previous match.

Still, I wouldn’t be surprised if they Eagles have early success against this Seattle defense. Wentz has been playing really well in December, and Seattle will be without linebacker Mychal Kendricks. I would look for Philly to take advantage of rookie linebacker Cody Barton, who has struggled to take proper angles as a starter in place of Kendricks.

Also, Seattle has yet to show that they can consistently defend jet sweeps and miss direction plays. The Rams, Panthers, Cardinals, and 49ers all had success against Seattle running these plays in December.

However, if the second half of the 49er game last Sunday is any indication, I would expect Seattle to adjust as the game wears on, and if Seattle has a halftime lead, the Eagles may have to abandon that plan. With their lack of talent at receiver, Seattle’s pass rush might get more active with the addition of Clowney. Philadelphia probably does not want to go into halftime with a point deficit.

Key players for Seattle

Russell Wilson, receivers Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf, and running back Travis Homer  in the quick passing game.

Jadeveon Clowney, and Seattle’s entire secondary on the defense putting pressure on Wentz, and taking advantage of the lack of Philly’s receiver talent.

Key Players for the Eagles

Carson Wentz, running back Miles Sanders, receiver Greg Ward, and tight end Dallas Goedart all playing in an up tempo offense taking advantage of Seattle’s perimeters and linebackers with sweeps and miss direction play actions.

Defensive linemen Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham, Derek Barnett, and Timmy Jernigan taking advantage that Seattle will be playing without Duane Brown, and possibly without Mike Iupati on the offensive line, and Seattle will be thin at running back.

Prediction

I think Seattle finds a way to come out of Philadelphia with a win. The Eagles will not make it easy for them, and I think we could see a higher scoring game than the last match. Like many of Seattle’s games this year, it will probably come down to a single score final.

I’m predicting Seattle will win 24-19. It’s an odd score, but I see Philly needing to go for a two point conversion that fails late in the game, then failing to capture the onside kick, and Seattle runs out the clock with some crucial Marshawn Lynch carries against a tired Philly front seven.

At least, that’s how I see it.

Go Hawks.

The 2019 Seattle Seahawks lost a nail biter at home against the dreaded division rival San Francisco 49ers. It cost them the NFC West division title, and I am damn proud of this team.

Call me a homer. Call me a Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson apologist. I do not care. My skin is thick, and my heart is true.  I am proud of these 2019 Seahawks.

Prior to the beginning of the regular season, I predicted that they would be a playoff team. I profiled twenty players that I thought would be main reasons why the Seahawks would return to the playoffs. Some of them were big contributors, some of them weren’t, and some players that I hadn’t considered rose up and delivered.

I even predicted that they would likely finish 11-5, and possibly win back the NFC West. Guess what? They finished 11-5 and were an exact inch away from breaking the plain of the end zone to rob the division away from the talented upstart 49ers. Not only do I look smart, I smell smart, too.

Now, if you are reading this expecting me to blame Pete Carroll for not managing times outs well enough in this match, and taking a delay of game at the one yard line, thus robbing Marshawn Lynch of another goal line opportunity to dive in for a game winning score, you’re probably going to hate the following.

That delay of game did not lose this game for the Seahawks. That delay of game didn’t stop the jet sweeps and motions that the 49er offense used early and often to continue putting points on the boards for their team. That delay of game was not in pass coverage against George Kittle and Deebo Samuel. And that delay of game didn’t pick up any of the many blitzes that went against Russell Wilson.

Heading into this game, Seattle was a severely undermanned team. They played this game without their starting left tackle, starting center, starting running back, their number two and three running backs, their starting tight end, their third best receiver, their starting free safety, and perhaps their best run stopping defensive tackle.

Seattle’s depth was thin heading into this season. It was considerably thinner when they finished it out against. Yet they took this talented rival down to the wire, and they almost won.

Looking through this season, it’s pretty remarkable that they won 11 games with this roster. Yes, having an elite franchise quarterback helps, but that didn’t help the Atlanta Falcons this year, and I think Atlanta is a more talented team than Seattle (I picked them as one of Seattle’s likely losses when I made my season prediction).

Pete Carroll is the reason why this team even got to eleven wins, and if you can not recognize this, I don’t think I can help you. You’re on your own island of envy and despair, but good luck with that and all the other things in life that you need to toss blame at because the stone cold truth hurts too much.

You see, that San Francisco 49er team is WAY more talented than your beloved Seattle Seahawk team, and it’s not even close. They got a better offensive line, they got more play-makers on offense, and their defense is light years ahead of Seattle’s in terms or speed and strength. The one equalizer that Seattle has in it’s favor is Russell Wilson, and that is it, period.

Yet, Pete Carroll did what he has done all season long, and that is getting his team to believe that they can win, and then making enough adjustments at halftime to almost pull it off.

There are more talented teams than Seattle that aren’t in the playoffs this year. The Rams, Cowboys, Steelers, Browns, Falcons, Buccaneers, Colts and probably a few other teams I could list have more talented rosters. I would actually argue that the Seahawk team from last year was more talented than this Seattle one.

Think about it. In 2018, Seattle had Doug Baldwin on the offense, and Frank Clark on the defense. Outside of Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner, those were probably the two most talented players on that team. Seattle replaced the elite route running and catching ability of Baldwin with rookie DK Metcalf, who had a solid year for a rookie, but who has no where near the savvy and chemistry that Baldwin had over the years with Wilson. Seattle replaced the 14 sacks of Frank Clark with Jadeveon Clowney and Ziggy Ansah who’s combined effort netted Seattle 5.5 sacks total. The sack leader for Seattle in 2019 is Rasheem Green with 4.  That’s not great. In fact, that’s bad. Yet, somehow, Pete Carroll guided this young developing roster that couldn’t put together a dependable pass rush to eleven wins.

And don’t get me wrong, I full agree that Russell Wilson was a big part of this team’s success this year, as he was in the MVP discussions throughout. I think it is more than safe to say that he was the biggest part of it, but let’s not kid ourselves, if Freddie Kitchens were coaching this Russell Wilson led Seattle squad, we would probably be talking about Seattle finishing 5-11 and wasting the prime years of Wilson rather than nitpicking Carroll for a delay of game that involved a running back who had only practiced with the team for four days, that cost them five yards, and a chance to run it in at the end.

The reason why I’m bringing this up is that I have been hearing and reading some steady enough chatter here and there from those who think perhaps Carroll is washed up, that he has plagued the team all season long with poor decisions, and the team needs to move on from him.

Here is how I see it. For those who think it is time for Carroll to go, I wouldn’t hold your breath on it. I think he is going to be around for a long while still.

The truth of the matter is that this team is in year two of a dramatic rebuild from the LOB days, and it is still very much a work in progress. With $60 Million in cap space heading into 2020 and roughly ten draft picks, I would look for Seattle to be pretty aggressive in free agency, trades, and the draft to take the next step closer to becoming a true contender again. No way is Jody Allen moving on from Pete Carroll with that important of an off-season resting ahead, and with Pete Carroll being Pete Carroll, and Russell Wilson being Russell Wilson, expect Seattle to be competing for the division title next year, as well.

This is what Pete Carroll matched with Russell Wilson does. They compete in tough games, and they win more games than they lose. In eight years together, they have never had a losing season. That is a remarkable run, and these overachieving 2019 Seattle Seahawks completely represent that.

So let’s enjoy them for what they are.

They are a winning team with a winning culture, and it even brought Beastmode back when most thought that his Seattle days would be long behind him. Let’s not diminish the fact that he wanted to come back to this team after a bit of a messy exit a few years ago. In my opinion, that’s remarkable and that is another thing Pete Carroll brings.

Players, really good players, want to play in Seattle for Pete Carroll. Pro bowlers Duane Brown, and Jadeveon Clowney wanted to leave Houston for Seattle. Marshawn Lynch wanted to return to Seattle. I wouldn’t be shocked if in a year or two, Richard Sherman wants to return to Seattle.

So, enjoy the fact Seattle gets to travel next weekend to Philadelphia to play a wildcard game against the Eagles, and if they win, enjoy that they get to travel to Santa Clara for yet another rematch against these 49ers.

Most of all, enjoy knowing that you are not the fans of the Rams, Cowboys, or Browns (three overly hyped clubs that grossly underachieved this year). While other fans get to dream about the post season, Seattle fans routinely get to enjoy the playoffs.

Now is not the time to take that for granted. Now is the time to root for your team as it somehow continues to win while rebuilding at the same time, which is a really rare thing in sports.

So enjoy it, if you can, and be proud of them for what they accomplished this year, if you can. I know I am.

I’m really proud, and frankly, I think you should be, as well.

Go Hawks.

This has to be great news for every Seahawks fan. When he left Seattle for Oakland, I had always hoped that one day he would return to the 206, and retire a Seattle Seahawk. Now it looks like that will be the case.

For me, this is a perfect Christmas present, and for the Seahawks to do this the day after that horrible home loss to the Cardinals, this is a genius stroke of a PR move heading into the division title showdown against the 49ers. Seahawk fans will be extra ramped come Sunday Night. It’s guaranteed.

While Marshawn might be Oakland born and raised, he is as much about Seattle sports as Steve Largent, Ken Griffey Junior, and Shawn Kemp. He will forever be loved in this market. Seattle will always be his second home.

And he has come back to us.

He won’t be in pass coverage against George Kittle, and he won’t pass rush Jimmy G, but he might truck over Richard Sherman, and he might pick up a needed pass block against Nick Bosa, and he might rumble in for a crotch grabbing score or two.

I think, for a few games anyway, he can set a tone on the offense that it needs and a tone Twelves know and love all too well. He can be the spark that he always was and always meant for this team, and he will be well rested for it.

This is fantastic news. I’m really excited about these Seahawks heading into the playoffs. I didn’t feel that way yesterday against the Cardinals, but I definitely feel it tonight as I type this.

Merry Christmas everyone, welcome home Marshawn, and go Hawks!

Kyler out “Russelling” Russell, and it could have been uglier had he not gotten injured.

I gotta admit it. I underestimated these Arizona Cardinals. I shouldn’t have. Last week they dropped 38 points on the Cleveland Browns in a decisive home win. Outside of an earlier game against these Cardinals, Seattle hasn’t really won a decisive match all year, as most of their 11 wins have come down to a single score. That is why many have been pumping the brakes on Seattle being a serious Super Bowl contending team this year.

The truth is that Seattle was limping into this match, and on top of that, they just lost two key veterans this week to drug suspensions. I should have been more alerted to the possibility of an outcome such as this.

On Saturday I had written about the Al Woods suspension and how that might impact this already thin defense. I noted that for Seattle to win this game against these Cardinals, they would probably need Russell Wilson to pull off another MVP level performance, or this Cardinal team could come into Century Link field and steal one from Seattle. What I didn’t anticipate was the notion that Seattle could loose this badly, and when I think about the fact that Kyler Murray left the game midway through the third quarter with a leg injury, and was replaced by Brett Hundley, I shutter that Seattle could have easily gotten even more smoked by Arizona by a score much greater than the 27-13 final.

For Seattle to pull off a win against the healthier and more rested San Francisco 49ers,  they are going to have to play a fantastic game against their talented division rival. They will now have to do it without their starting left tackle, their top two running backs, their third best receiver, their starting free safety, and quite possibly still no Jadeveon Clowney and Shaquill Griffin, who are arguably their two best defenders. If there is ever a time for Russell to have one of his most stellar performances, next Sunday Night will be it. That’s what they will need to beat the 49ers. The Russell Wilson that showed up against the Cardinals will not get it done.

But let’s get into this game.

The Good

I was debating whether or not I would even include a “good” section in this piece, but the truth is there were positives to take out of this game. The starting defensive series forced Kyler Murray to go three and out, and they brought instant pressure. Then after Arizona punted, Russell Wilson led the offense of one of the prettiest, most fluid scoring drives they have had all season, and he capped it with a short play action touchdown toss to fullback Nick Bellore. When these things happened at the top of the game, it seemed like Seattle was going to perhaps roll away with another easy victory against a lesser division opponent. It was only after this that all the ugly Game of Thrones stuff started to happen.

For as bad as the offense and defense played at times in this game, special teams actually had a really decent game. Jason Myers connected on his field goals (including a 51 yarder), Michael Dickson had two nice punts the ball goal close to the Arizona goal line, and perhaps the play of the game was Rasheem Green’s blocked field goal that reserve safety Marquise Blair almost returned for a score. For a fleeting moment, it felt like that block and return was going to be the catalyst for Seattle climbing out of the hole and sneaking out another come from behind win, but sadly, nope- didn’t happen.

Travis Homer did a decent job running and catching the ball when Seattle lost Chris Carson and CJ Prosise to injuries.

Tight end Jacob Hollister had himself another nice game catching critical passes to keep drives alive, and was clearly Russell Wilson’s preferred target in this game.

Defensively, I thought Bobby Wagner, Rasheem Green, Poona Ford, Jarran Reed, and Bradley McDougald were making some positive plays, but because this defense surrendered 27 points and 420 yards, it was kind of hard to pick out the positives. Best I can say is that some guys made some plays here and there.

The Bad

The Kenyon Drake 80 yard touchdown run that instantly tied the game 7-7 on the first play of Arizona’s second possession was just awful to watch. A Pete Carroll coached defense should never have that happen. Drake is a good player, but that should never happen ever. Against the 49ers, Seattle will have no chance of winning if they give up chunk plays like that. Zero chance.

Additionally to poor play on both sides of the ball, Seattle got shockingly Game of Thrones style hit by the injury bug in this one. In the first half of the game, they lost their pro bowl level running back Chris Carson with a hip injury that will sadly end his season, and then a few plays later, they lost his backup CJ Prosise to a broken arm, and his season is now also over. For a team that loves to run the ball, this is devastating. They may have to radically change their whole offensive approach heading into the last game of the season, and the playoffs. Travis Homer looks like a nice young back, but at 5-10 and 200 pounds, he is probably not the featured runner that they would prefer.

Seattle needed Russell Wilson to take this game over, and he didn’t. I don’t think he was helped by the play calling. When the score was 20-10 in the fourth quarter, and it was third and three in the red zone, Brian Schottenheimer called a ridiculously conservative run play to bang tiny little Travis Homer inside. I don’t think the hulkish Chris Carson would have converted that with the way Arizona snuffed it out. This is a perfect example of not letting your best player in Russell Wilson make the play and taking the ball out of his hands. This is type of play calling dumps gasoline onto the fire of Schottenheimer critics. When that play happened, I think I officially joined that party. Just put the fricking ball in the hands of your MVP level player and have him make the play. Don’t leave doubts on the field.  Instead, he called a play that had little chance at success and they settled for a field goal. Boo!

After a great opening series, Seattle’s offense stalled when they went a bit pass happy and the Cardinals anticipated the short passes, and then got instant pressure on Wilson. Once the sacks started happening, it kind of opened the flood gates against the offense.

Jamarco Jones subbing in for Duane Brown seemed constantly over matched by Arizona sack master Chandler Jones. It was Jones on Jones crime throughout most of the game, and I couldn’t help but second guessing the coaching decision to not have George Fant (a much better athlete than Jones) playing left tackle instead. Fant has proven capable there in the past.

In the third quarter, Russell Wilson looked like he was on his way to making magic happen again for Seattle when he hit David Moore on a third and eleven pass that Moore took up field to run with only to have the ball knocked out of his hands by the villainous Chandler Jones. Had Moore hung onto the ball, it would have been a 21 yard gain and would have put Seattle well on their way towards a scoring drive. Moore needed to not fumble there. On top of the injury and suspension bugs, Seattle has been snake bit all season long by offensive players fumbling the ball. They can not win against San Francisco, or in the playoffs, if this continues.

It was 11:55 left to go in the fourth quarter when Tyler Lockett caught his first ball, and it was the only pass that he caught. DK Metcalf didn’t catch a pass on only had one target. Those are your two best receiving options on the team. Arizona completely took them out of the game. Schottenhiemer needs to go back to the play books and figure out a way to not have that happen again. Seattle needs both of these guys active to win moving forward, and probably now more than ever with no Chris Carson.

The missed tackles of a slow running backup quarterback Brett Hundley in the fourth quarter that kept Arizona’s alive on offense and got them another score to ice the game was the sign of a tired and beaten down defense. It reminded me of that playoff loss in Dallas last year. Suddenly, Seattle’s defense looked and felt old. This can not happen in the playoffs if Seattle wants to advance.

Moving forward

This game was a hard pill to swallow. I had a sense in his Friday press conference that Pete Carroll might’ve been nervous about this one. He wasn’t getting Jadeveon Clowney, Shaquill Griffin, and likely wasn’t going to have Duane Brown. He probably looked at the tape of Arizona’s big win against the Browns and saw the ways that they could attack his injured team.

It felt to me that when the game was clearly to be placed in Russell Wilson’s hands in the second half to try to win it, the play calling got conservative. Carroll may not have wanted to risk further injury or screw ups. The problem with that is that you are not really coaching to win, you’re just coaching to not make a mistake. I think that is likely why Schottenheimer called that awful run play on third and three inside the red zone in the fourth quarter.

With no Chris Carson, Seattle most likely needs to get more creative on the offense to have any chance of winning against the 49ers next Sunday Night, and into the playoffs. Playing it safe, when you have the uniqueness of Russell Wilson at the quarterback position, is likely not a winning receipt. He got you to 11 wins. I say let him do his magic, and if that magic falls short, so be it.

The truth of the matter is that this roster was never a really deep one heading into the 2019 season. It had some nice pieces with a lot of uncertainties behind and around them. Once those pieces started ending up on the injured reserve, or spending multiple games on the sidelines, it felt like this was going to be a really tall order for this team to be a true contender.

That all said, while things still feel dire after this ugly loss, if Seattle can find a way to beat the 49ers, they can still win the division, and gain a potential first round bye. That scenario could mean getting key veterans healthy and ready for the divisional round. In short, there is still a lot on the table for this team to take, if they can just get right against their division rival next Sunday Night.

Can they do it?

If they put the ball in Russell’s hands, I think they can, but it is going to take a huge collective effort. They can’t continually give up big chunk plays, they can’t turn the ball over, they need to scheme better, and the players need to make plays while playing within themselves. If they can do these things, they can win the NFC West, and it will most suredly be a glorious thing to watch.

This is my Christmas wish, anyhow.

Really hope it comes true so that this stinker can be long forgotten.

Go Hawks.