Will the Loss of Big Al cause Seahawk fans to ask, “where’s the beef?!”

So, here we have it. With two games left in the regular season, veteran defensive tackle Al Woods has been suspended for four games for violating the league’s performance enhancing drug policy. When I saw this filter into my news feed Friday afternoon, I felt my heart sink into My Twelfth Man bowels. There is no way to make this sound pretty. This blows.

I am actually more upset about this than learning about Josh Gordon’s suspension last Monday. For the most part, Seattle has been a highly productive offensive team this season, and they were plenty productive before they took a waver claim on Gordon last month. While he made a few splashy grabs, his impact on the offense never really seemed to live up to the hype. Even with the splashy 58 yard bomb he hauled in against Carolina, he pretty much disappeared for the rest of the game (outside of throwing that interception on a needless trick play, but we won’t go into that).

Woods, on the other hand, had been a vital inside presence against the run on a defense that has struggled more times than not this season.  One area that the defense had actually be fairly decent at was stopping the run, and now they will be without one of their better run defenders going against division rivals the Arizona Cardinals, and the San Fransisco 49ers, two teams that want to run the ball. This is not good.

This defensive line has been a patch work unit all season long, and with no sign of prized defensive end Jadeveon Clowney being ready to play anytime soon, losing Al Woods is a blow. Let’s not sugar coat it.

Seattle will call up all 6-3 360 pounds of Brian Mone from the practice squad to help out, but it is probably a tall order for him to replace the veteran savvy that Woods offered, and if Seattle loses Jarran Reed or Poona Ford to injury, they are probably in big trouble heading into the playoffs. They have Quinton Jefferson, LJ Collier, and Brandon Jackson who can all play inside, but these are smaller players who are more or less hybrid end/tackles. Woods was a 6-4 330 pound grown man built to take away the inside run.

I don’t want to be all gloom and doom about this, but Seattle was already razor thin with their depth on the defensive side of the ball before this suspension. Heading into this pivotal game against the Cardinals, they will be without Clowney, and starting free safety Quandre Diggs. They will possibly also be without starting linebacker Mychal Kendricks, and starting corner Shaquill Griffin. That’s over one third of your starting defense, and now they lose a key reserve.

Seattle should still beat the Cardinals. They are the better team, and they are playing at home. However, they will need Russell Wilson and the offense to play at a high level yet again. Any struggles on that side of the ball, and Arizona has just enough talent that they could come into Seattle and steal one. This Sunday, Russell Wilson needs to remind everyone why he is still very much an MVP candidate. If he does that, Seattle wins this game.

I think this is why it has been so stressful on fans rooting for this team this year, even though they sit on a 11-3 record. For Seattle to win most of it’s games this year, they have mostly been reliant on the brilliant play of their quarterback. If he falters, the team doesn’t appear to have the depth to overcome.

This loss of Al Woods shouldn’t feel like a big deal. On a deep roster such as that 49er one, it likely wouldn’t, but on this Seattle roster, it kinda is. Let’s be honest, Seahawk fans, we don’t have what they do on the defense.

This is a roster that actually has one of the weirdest defenses in the league, and one of the weirdest that I can ever remember in Seattle. They are up towards the top in creating turnovers, but they sit towards the very bottom in generating sacks and quarterback pressures. They have been playing without their best pass rusher lately, and now they have lost one of their better run defenders.

If Seattle beats the Cardinals (which they should), and manages to beat the 49ers on December 29th, and then becomes the top seeded NFC team heading into the playoffs, it will be one of the most remarkable story lines in sports this year. They will have done it with a defense that has somehow created boat loads of turnovers without much pass rush. Call me old fashioned, but that just feels weird.

I hope they do it, but in all honesty, I don’t know if they will. As much as I look through the lens of Seahawk blue and green glasses, I see an overachieving roster that has made it to 11 wins, and I think we should be proud of them for that. While I think they will probably get to 12 wins, and maybe more, I still don’t know if this is an honest Super Bowl contender. The loss of Woods, the ominous vibe about Clowney’s core injury, the banged up nature of Ziggy Ansah, the hamstrings of Kendricks and Griffin, and the high angle sprain of Diggs, this feels like a defense that is literally limping to the finish line.

Perhaps the biggest question isn’t how many of these starting veterans they will get back by the playoffs, but rather how many of the younger plays will step up in their place in the playoffs.

Lots of question marks there heading into these last couple games. It would be a good thing for a number of the younger players to start really stepping up. We shall see soon enough.

Go Hawks.

Not the Flash Gordon story line that I was hoping for. (Getty/Mitchell Leff)

This is disappointing news, and there is no way to get around that. It’s less of a disappointment for the Seattle Seahawks. Their primarily targets all season long have been Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf, and over the last four games, they have actually favored tight end Jacob Hollister and reserve wide out Malik Turner more often than Josh. No, this is a big disappoint for Josh Gordon. I feel bad for him.

I know that this day and age it is easy to take the cynical stance. Yes, he has been an entitled athlete that has been given numerous chances, and he has blown them all. And yes, we really shouldn’t be surprised of the news that he would be suspended for his eighth time. But this is still a guy with a sickness who has immense talent that few humans have on this planet to play a difficult sport at its highest level, and it is probably pretty unlikely that he will get to play it again now. Seattle was very likely his last shot at redemption as an NFL player, and personally, I think it is sad. I’m disappointed that we won’t get to witness this story and even more, that Josh won’t get to live it.

Moving forward, it is my hope for him that he will get his life turned around, and perhaps this is the bottom he finally needs to feel to make that happen, if he has not truly felt his bottom before. I want his story to be better than a drug addict who couldn’t stay clean and blew his final chance at being a true NFL star. I hope his story is that after this, he finally turned his life around and made a big difference to others because that is still very much on the table for him, if he chooses to go for it.

As for the Seattle Seahawks, I don’t think this loss will greatly hurt them in the playoffs. They were playing pretty well before he came to them. I suspect that they might use his roster spot on a running back now because that seems to be the spot where they are presently the thinnest because of the Rashaad Penny season ending injury.

It just really bums me out that Josh couldn’t stay clean. It’s also a reminder that addiction is a really complicated disease. It’s really hard to know if someone who battles addiction is honestly staying clean because so much of the disease deals with secrecy and manipulation. Addicts, by the nature of the disease, are often sharp manipulators. So, while it is okay to be pissed off at Josh for allowing this to happen, I think it is also good to recognize who and what he is. He is an amazing athlete but he is also an addict.

I hope he finally gets control over his disease. I will always hope this for him, and I will not feel badly for his short time spent as a Seattle Seahawk.

Go Hawks.

I gotta admit it. Going into this game, I was a bit nervous. It wasn’t so much about Seattle losing badly to the Rams the previous week. It wasn’t even that they would be playing without defensive ends Jadeveon Clowney and Ziggy Ansah, and without linebacker Mychal Kendricks. No, my big concern was squarely on the fact Seattle would be playing without cornerback Shaquill Griffin, who one could argue had been Seattle’s best defender all season long.

I was nervous that those kind of losses on the defensive side would mean that Seattle would have to likely win a high scoring battle. Heading into the fourth quarter, I started to feel the unfamiliar comfort that Seattle would handily win this game, especially after Chris Carson willed a fourth and short run into about a ten yard rumble into the end zone for a touchdown that put Seattle up 30-10. This is when I started to breathe easily.

Then it happened. With about 7 minutes left to go, Seattle had their star middle linebacker, Bobby Wagner, leave the game with a twisted ankle, and the Panthers marched to a WAY too easy touchdown scoring drive. I won’t recite everything that happened afterwards, but Seattle would go onto clinch another road victory, winning 30-24.

The final score made this game feel much closer than it actually was, but that probably isn’t going to make many nervous Twelves feel any better.

These 2019 Seattle Seahawks are what they are. Just like how the Star Wars Mandalorian can never take off his helmet to show his face, the 2019 Seattle Seahawks cannot cleanly win a game. Seemingly every week, they must find ways to make it an adventure. This is their way.

Yet here they are, 11-3, and because the San Francisco 49ers just lost to the Atlanta Falcons, and the Los Angelese Rams got their butts kicked by the Dallas Cowboys, they are now on top of the NFC division. In short, the playoff bound Seattle Seahawks are now even more in control of their own destiny to win their division, and earn a first round bye. Imagine that.

But let’s get into this game.

The Good

The Seahawks needed a good game from their best players on the offense, and they got just that. Russell Wilson returned to his efficient MVP worthy self, passing for 286 yards and 2 TDs. Chris Carson ran hard for 133 yards and two scores, and was the player of the game for me. But perhaps the best news was that Tyler Lockett was finally fully back from injury and the flu, catching 8 passes for 120 yards and a score. Seattle needs the three headed monster of Wilson, Carson and Lockett to be at their best heading into the playoffs and that is exactly what they were in this game. Bravo.

Other offensive players also had solid outings. DK Metcalf had a couple nice catches and a pretty touchdown grab, Tight end Jacob Hollister continued to play effectively, and the prettiest play of the game was Josh Gordon’s beautiful 58 yard catch against tight coverage.

Defensively, things were spotty but credit Seattle for adjusting to Carolina’s misdirection plays, and screens.

Linebackers Bobby Wagner and KJ Wright had key interceptions. One could argue that KJ was the player of the game with two interceptions.

I thought defensive tackles Poona Ford and Jarran Reed each had good games.

Second year defensive end Rasheem Green got a critical sack and now quietly leads the team in sacks with 4. Seattle’s pass rush has not been good this year, but at least one of their recently drafted players is showing some positive production.

Michael Dickson had a solid game punting the ball inside Carolina’s ten yard line multiple times.

The Los Angeles Rams got their butts handed to them by the Dallas Cowboys and their playoffs chances are now slim.

The San Fransisco 49ers lost to the Atlanta Falcons 29-22 in a wild finish, and Seattle now takes the lead in the NFC West.

The Bad

Seattle’s inability to get out of it’s own way at times. I will just list a few examples.

On a silly trick play that had Josh Gordon passing deep on a hand off, he tossed up a dumb interception in double coverage. Seattle was handily winning this game and probably didn’t need gadget plays to beat this bad Panther defense, yet this play happened.

Also on offense, Seattle had multiple holding penalties, delay of game, illegal motions, and yet they were able work themselves out of it. Against a quality defense, this could have been disastrous on the road.

The worst of it for me was CJ Prosise’s fumble that happened inside the last couple minutes of the first half deep in Seattle’s own territory. Fortunately because former Seahawk Bruce Irvin touched his foot, it was called back. Had it not, Seattle could have been in more trouble in this match than they needed to be.

The Ugly

Seattle lost free safety Quandre Diggs in the middle of the game to an ankle sprain that might have him out for a while. This could be a huge blow to the team as they head down the final stretch because Diggs had been playing great ball, and that has helped settle down their struggling defense. Fingers are crossed that they will have him for the playoffs.

Seattle also lost Bobby Wagner late in the game to an ankle sprain, but right now it is not sounding like it is as bad as the one to Diggs. Fingers are crossed that this won’t keep him out much, if at all. Seattle can ill afford to loss their defensive leader if they want to make a deep playoff run.

Moving forward

Seattle is now 11-3 and are even more in control of their own destiny wining the NFC West division, and securing a first round bye. If it wasn’t for the fact that the San Francisco 49ers are also having dynamic year, I think many more Seattle fans would probably feel much better about this team. Seattle isn’t winning most of their games by wide margins like the 49ers are, and they got beaten handily by both the Ravens and the Rams, and I think these are the dark clouds that loom for a lot of Twelves, which is a shame because Seattle is a really good team this year, and they deserve this 11-3 record.

While I believe that Seattle is possibly another year away from being a more proper title contender, I will say that there is still a lot in front of them to have a special season this year. If they get Jadeveon Clowney, Mychal Kendricks, and Ziggy Ansah back healthy on the defense, that could a huge boost for them heading into the playoffs.

It probably doesn’t feel like it because Seattle didn’t blow out the Panthers on the road, but this can still be a very special season for this team this year. Seattle needed this win, they got this win, and in the end, style points don’t much matter. Ask Cleveland Browns fan how they are feeling this year, or even Rams fans as it now feels like their team is now on the outside looking in for the playoffs.

Personally, I think there is a lot to be grateful for being a Seattle Seahawk fan. I know I am, and I think you should be, as well.

Go Hawks.

The San Fransisco 49ers gave the Seattle Seahawks a bit of a gift earlier on Sunday. They had beaten the New Orleans Saints on the road, and all Seattle had to do was defeat the Los Angeles Rams on the road, and they would be in the driver’s seat for the top overall playoff seed in the NFC conference. Seattle just needed to take care of business.

Unfortunately, they did the opposite. In this Sunday night rematch of the Rams, the Seattle Seahawks not only failed to put their best foot forward, they exposed all their warts on national television, and were beaten down by a Rams club built to beat them.

The only silver lining in this stinging defeat is that Seattle can still win the NFC West division if they win out their next three games. They will need to find their footing again. They have a great opportunity to do that against two struggling opponents in the Panthers and Cardinals before they match up with the dominant looking 49ers again. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that this game against these Rams was just an outlier to their season, and all will be good by the time that they kickoff against the 49ers in Seattle on December 29th. Otherwise, Seattle is probably looking like a wildcard seed, at best.

Let’s get into it.

The Good

There wasn’t a lot of big positives in this game, especially on the defensive side, but Jarran Reed was a solid force inside against the run, and got a few decent pressures on Jared Goff.

Free safety Quandre Diggs had a great game picking off Goff twice and his pick six was the play that kept Seattle in this one until the fourth quarter. He was Seattle’s player of the game without question.

Defensive end Rasheem Green made a great special teams play blocking a field goal that again, gave Seattle an opportunity to stay in the match for a while in the second half.

DK Metcalf had a few really nice grabs against Jalen Ramsey and beat him on a beautiful deep pass down the sideline.

Rookie linebacker Cody Barton had his first start and flashed his speed on the field at times.

Bobby Wagner adjusted his game in the second half and made some nice run stops.

This is Seattle’s first loss since October 20th. After a bad loss like this, it’s a nice thing to remember that just how much they have been winning, despite all the close score victories, and one can easily say that they were due this kinda game.

The Bad

The team lost running back Rashaad Penny early in the game to a knee injury and I suspect that effected greatly what the offense hoped to do at running back in this game. It will be a tough loss for this club if his injury is serious, and it sounds like it is.

The defense that had been playing much better ball the last few weeks reverted to how they were earlier in the season. Simply put, they were caught flat footed and it wasn’t pretty. There was little pass rush on Jared Goff. Coverage was weak, and Shaquill Griffin seemed to have a particularly rough night. Linebacker KJ Wright looked slow in coverage and against the run. Did I mention how much the pass rush sucked?

The offensive line had a rough night once they fell behind. Germaine Ifedi was getting abused by passer rushers, but he wasn’t alone. Even pro bowl left tackle Duane Brown was giving up pressures.

Russell Wilson wasn’t awful, but he also wasn’t great. It’s tough to criticize him much when he was dealing with that kind of pass rush all night. This game will no doubt muck up his chances for the MVP title, which blows. People will now be pointing to the statistical fact that over the last four games, Russell has thrown 4 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. Fortunately he now faces the Panthers and Cardinals to get right.

Jason Myers missed a point extra, not that it really matters much, but it sucked too.

The Ugly

Penalties were awful for Seattle in this match and at times, it felt like they were beating themselves as much as the Rams were. They started the game with a false start. Rasheem Green was called for an early offsides. DK Metcalf got a stupid personal foul when he was being baited into it by Jalen Ramsey.

Speaking of which, Jalen Ramsey will make the Rams extremely easy to detest. What a jerkface punk that guy is.

Moving forward

Like I said in the opening, even though Seattle lost this game, they can still control their own destiny winning the division by winning out on the remaining three games. How likely that is remains to be seen. It feels like the Rams have suddenly knocked them back down to Earth considerably.

One thing the really stands out to me in all this is just how much the Los Angeles Rams are still built to beat the Seattle Seahawks. They have multiple weapons on offense that  can easily find creases in Seattle’s zone defense. Defensively, if you fall behind on them and are forced to pass, they have a generational inside pass rusher mixed with talented edge rushers. Seattle’s offensive line is not equipped to handle that rush which is why they had to stay with the run when they fell so far behind.

Conversely, Seattle is probably not really built to beat the Rams quite yet. In a game in which they had no Ziggy Ansah, Seattle’s so so pass rush was almost non existent. They severely lack depth there. Also, in a night that they had no Mychal Kendricks at linebacker, Seattle felt considerably slower on the field. I hate to say this because this is just one game, but this felt like a loss where Seattle got exposed.

In order for Seattle to beat quality teams they have got to stay on schedule on offense and not draw penalties, and they need to catch the catchable balls on third downs, and on the defense, at the very least, they need to play assignment sound ball, and not blow coverages, or miss tackles. If they can play relatively clean in these regards, they stand a chance to beat any contender. If they can’t, a result like this can easily happen.

A lot of this is fixable over the next few weeks (especially if they get Kendricks and Ansah back on defense), and they can still have an interesting playoff run, but I also feel, deep down, that Seattle is likely looking at another off-season before they are built up as a team that is a true contender. They’ve got some really nice pieces, but they are also not fully complete. Not like the San Francisco 49ers appear to be, or even the Rams are, if they keep playing like this.

That all said, if the Seahawks head across the country and mop up on the Panthers next week, and then mop up on the Cardinals before Christmas, and then somehow pull off the win at home against the red hot 49ers, I’m probably be the first one to punch my Super Bowl ticket on this team. That’s just the way I roll.

Think that is unlikely? Let me throw out this tidbit. On November 20th, 2017, the Philadelphia Eagles game into Seattle to play a Sunday Night game, and they lost to the Seattle Seahawks 26-15. I was at that game, and this game felt a lot like that match. The Eagles would go on to win the Super Bowl and the Seahawks failed to reach the playoffs for the first time in the Russell Wilson era.

Just some food for thought. There is still a lot left on the table for this team, if they can correct themselves. I’m excited to see if they do.

Go Hawks.

Hey Jack Wagons, stop doubting my team. Go Hawks.

Dear Seattle Seahawk Doubters Near and Far,

Stop doubting my team. It makes you look stupid.

Seemingly every year, you inflate reasons why they won’t be very good, and guess what? Every year they make you look stupid.

Skip Bayless, I know you get paid a TON of cheddar to be a cable network blowhard. I get it. If someone threw that kind of coin at me and said “jump monkey jump” I’d do it too, but just be a little smart about it.

My human owner was ranting the other day about how you stupidly said that you still weren’t impressed with our Seahawks after their big Monday Night Football victory over what was the red hot Minnesota Vikings, and you would actually take your Dallas Cowboys over them in the playoffs.

Really, Skip? These same Dallas Cowboys that couldn’t beat the lowly New York Jets over the Seattle Seahawks that have beaten such playoff contenders in the Rams, 49ers, and Vikings?

Skip, just a little advise moving forward. Try to come across as being just a little intelligent. Otherwise, people are going to question what kind of photos Jerry Jones has of you. As for this date, Stephen A Smith you are not.

As for the rest of you Seattle Seahawk doubters, my message is crystal clear. Don’t be like Skip. It’s not a good look.

Since the Seattle Seahawks drafted Russell Wilson in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft and made him a starter as a rookie, they have not had a losing season at all. Pete Carroll matched with Russell Wilson is gold that you can take to the bank every single football season. It’s okay to finally buy stock in them now.

Think I’m over inflating the facts? Okay, let’s play that game for a minute.

After the 2017 season in which they went 9-7 (their worst record under the Carroll/Wilson Machine) they cut Richard Sherman, traded Michael Bennett, essentially injury reserved/retired Kam Chancellor and Cliff Avril, and moved on from Jimmy Graham. In that following 2018 season, with Earl Thomas sitting on IR for most of the season, these Seahawks, minus six pro bowl quality starters that were previously staples of the team, went 10-6, and found themselves right back in the playoffs where they almost always are.

I could easily rest my case there, but you jack wagons have still insisted in doubting this team heading into 2019.

“They can’t beat the Rams.”

“Look out for those improving San Fransisco 49ers now that they have Nick Bosa and Jimmy G is healthy.”

“Outside of Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner, who does Seattle have on their roster, can you name any other player?”

These are the type of buffoon quotes that came out of your yappers at the start of the season, and I hope you enjoy eggs because you’re now wearing them all over your face.

Thus far, Seattle has beaten both division rivals, they now sit at the top of their division, and it seems to me in addition to Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner, the team also has Chris Carson, Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf, Duane Brown, Jadeveon Clowney, Jarran Reed, KJ Wright, Shaquill Griffin, and a few others I could gladly list, but you get the gist.

So, here we are, Seattle now sitting at 10-2 with four games left to go, three against division rivals, and two of which are at home for them. What do you think the chances are that Seattle doesn’t make the playoffs?

Stop doubting them.

In 2020 they might be every stronger. They will have $66 million in cap space, and they will have a bunch of  picks (including two second rounders) heading into the draft. They may or may not extend Jadeveon Clowney, but at this point, who even cares?

Under Pete Carroll with Russell Wilson at QB, they will surely find a way to field a legitimate contending roster moving forward. They have a talented young nucleus emerging that has bought into the team philosophy and doesn’t harbor petty feelings towards their franchise quarterback. They have learned that lesson from their 86’d older siblings.

Buy stock in these Seahawks. It’s smart money. Don’t be like Skip.

Or do, because, ya know, someone has to be the clown.

Go Hawks.

Sincerely,

Earl Thomas Eastwood – Twelfth Cat For Life.

Seattle’s rambling men dominate the tough Vikings defense. (Getty)

The 2019 Seattle Seahawks are must see television. You don’t have to be much of a Seahawks fan, or even a fan of football to watch them. Almost every game that they have played this season has been an adventure worth watching. If you like high drama, continual plot twists, maybe even a dash of comedy, the 2019 Seahawks are for you, and almost miraculously, they now sit at 10-2, and have gained the lead in their division.

There have been very little clean games in these victories. The cleanest came down in Arizona early in the season where the team handily took care of an inferior division opponent 27-10.

At first, it was Russell Wilson carrying the team on his back when the defense couldn’t stop anybody. Then when the defensive finally started to round into shape, the schedule got tougher, and Russell’s other world QB play came back down to Earth some.

These last three wins have been most impressive. All have come against teams playing for either their playoff lives, or division dominance late in the NFL season. This is as close to playoff football as it gets in the regular season, and Seattle is, so far, 3-0 against the 49ers, Eagles, and now the Vikings. Seattle did not play clean games against these teams, but these are teams that are hard to play clean against. In order to win, you have got to dig deep at key times. Credit the entire team for doing that. There is legitimate grit on this roster.

Let’s break it down a bit.

The Good

After starting the game with a horrible series that gave up an easy scoring drive, Seattle’s defense tightened down the hatches, and played pretty good ball against an explosive Vikings offense. They didn’t let star running back Dalvin Cook make much impact, and they eventually knocked him out of the game. The defensive line didn’t sack Kirk Cousins, but they pressured him into bad passes that killed drives.

Defensive ends Jadeveon Clowney and Rasheem Green both had great games. Green is quietly coming along in his second season and has been making an impact play almost every game lately. Last week, it was a critical strip sack against Carson Wentz. Against the Vikings in this match, it was a key forced fumble on Dalvin Cook. I know a lot of people talk about Seattle needing more pass rush, but Green seems like a good young player who is coming along nicely. It’s really good to see this. Seattle needs youth to step forward on the defense, and he is doing this.

Tre Flowers had a strong game at cornerback, getting another interception, and suddenly, it feels like Seattle’s corner situation is looking pretty solid as we move towards the playoffs.

Outside of throwing one of the weirdest pick 6’s that I have ever seen, Russell Wilson had another efficient day leading the offense, and his gorgeous deep touchdown pass to David Moore was a thing of beauty.

Jacob Hollister had another solid productive game at tight end. He’s been showing that he is a perfectly reliable receiver, but against this tough Viking defense, he also made some key blocks that freed running backs. Jacob Hollister is a player. I dig this guy.

Outside of a fumble, DK Metcalf had a solid game catching the rock. His 19 yard catch and run in the first half was very Marshawn-esque. I love this guy’s potential.

The fake punt Travis Homer run play was awesome in the fourth quarter, which brings me to the following.

The real heroes of this game were running backs Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny, and the entire offensive line. That Viking’s defense is not easy to run on, but with great run blocking, these two dynamic backs stole the show (Carson, 103 yard on 23 carries and a TD. Penny, 74 yards on 15 carries and a TD plus 4 catches for 33 yards and a pass catching TD). This production, right here, is the exact formula that Pete Carroll probably most wants to win with. This team ran for 218 yards against one of the top defenses on the planet, and that is as big of a reason as any as to why Seattle was ultimately able to fend off those scary Vikings.

Go Hawks.

The Bad

The opening series of the defense was one of the worst series that they had had all year. It was disheartening. Veteran linebacker KJ Wright horribly missed a routine tackle on a silly dump off to the fullback that went for a stupidly big gain. Then in the red zone, half of the defense decided to miss Stefon Diggs on a jet sweep for a big gain. When these two plays happened, I abandoned all hope that Seattle would play a clean game. I was like, “welp, looks like it’s gonna be another adventure.”

As stated above, Wilson’s weird pass batted back to him and him battling it back into an eventual pick 6 was just.. weird. It was weird. Then I knew for certain what kind of game I was getting. It was hard to lay off the coffee after that one. He also didn’t make it easier on me when he took that stupid sack for a big loss midway through the fourth quarter, either.

Bradley McDougald, who had been playing pretty well up until this game, badly blew his coverage for a late Viking score that put Minnesota back into this match instead of putting them away. This play instantly gave momentum back to a desperate Vikings club.

Tyler Lockett didn’t catch a pass and wasn’t targeted much. It’s worth noting he was had been sick with the flu, but this is also the third game in a row where his production has been significantly down.

The Ugly

Viking corner Xavier Rhodes makes my skin crawl, and Kirk Cousins has some of the worst body language in football when things aren’t going his way. The Vikings did not look like a team having much fun, at least these two guys didn’t. If I’m a Vikings fan, I’m not digging that.

Moving forward

The Seattle Seahawks are 10-2. It’s practically a given that they will be a playoff team, and now they can control their own destiny in winning the NFC West. They win out these next four games, they win the division, and have a first round bye in the playoffs. That’s what this victory meant.

Will they? I don’t know.

The Rams look like they could be a pretty tough match on the road this Sunday night after what they just did to the Cardinals. Like the Eagles were last week, they will be playing for their playoff football lives, and, if we’re being honest, they are a much more talented club than the Eagles. Also, the 49ers in Seattle will surely prove to be a tough match up again.

Here’s the thing, though. The Vikings were a really tough match, and I don’t know if there’s a tougher match than going down into Santa Clara and playing the 49ers a few weeks ago. Seattle has won both of these games.

Also, I would venture that the fundamental difference between the Vikings and the Seahawks can easily come down to quarterback play. Russell Wilson, in big games and big moments, has been there and done that time and time again in his eight NFL seasons. Kirk Cousins, on the other hand, after eight seasons has not. If it comes down to the wire between the Rams and 49ers again, I will gladly take Russell Wilson over Jared Goff, or Jimmy Garoppolo.

Simply put, with Russell Wilson, Seattle has played and won tough games that have come down to the wire almost all stinking year. They know how to win these kind of games. With their thrill junky head coach, they practically live for them.

I’m liking their chances more and more down the stretch because of all this, and either way, one thing for certain, it is going to be must see TV. Bank on it.

Go Hawks.

Could Adams become a part of the Seattle Seahawk family? Perhaps.

With the 2019 Seattle Seahawks being as hot as they have been in the win column, and back to back road victories that have shown a defense starting to round out nicely, I have been less compelled to think to heavily on the future state of this team. Outside of feeling the need for Seattle to reach new long term deals with Jadeveon Clowney and Jarran Reed, I haven’t delved to heavily in prognosticating the 2020 off-season. There will be plenty of time to do that once they have played their final game (hopefully, that is a Super Bowl victory). Right now, they are knee deep in a battle with the red hot San Francisco 49ers for the NFC West Division title.

That all said, 2020 projects to be an interesting off-season. Seattle is projected to have about $66 million in cap space, and could have a lot more after a few veteran cuts (the harsh business reality of the game).  Key veteran free agents include Clowney, Reed, Quinton Jefferson, Mycal Kendricks, Germaine Ifedi, Mike Iupati, Al Woods, Josh Gordon, Joey Hunt, and George Fant. There are going to be a lot of tough decisions for GM John Schneider to make. He won’t be able to keep them all, and maybe not even half.

In my mind, you’d really like to keep Clowney and Reed, and after them, probably at least two other key players on this list. However, should Clowney prove to be north of $20 million expensive, and should Seattle commit to that, it might be difficult to even achieve that. Should Seattle elect to tie a bunch of money into four veteran starters, or more, that will probably leave little cheddar to make a big splash in free agency, and thus the draft will become even more critical to the future of the team.

Fortunately, Seattle is projected to have a lot of picks. So, with that all said, what do you say? Let’s mock!

WITH THE 28TH PICK IN THE FIRST AROUND OF THE 2020 NFL DRAFT, THE SEATTLE SEAHAWKS SELECT – TREY ADAMS, TACKLE, WASHINGTON

The thought here is that Seattle made a tough decision on Germaine Ifedi who has actually been fairly good this year. Clowney and Reed soaked up a lot of cap space and when young starting tackles hit the open market, they tend to get paid a lot, and thus Ifedi moves on. This is looking like a deep class for at offensive tackle, which is kind of rare. With Adams, Seattle gets a big physical player who can play the right side and might be able to side to the left once Duane Brown retires. Adams is a good ball player who’s injury history maybe makes him available here.

WITH THE 28TH PICK IN THE SECOND ROUND OF THE 2020 NFL DRAFT, THE SEATTLE SEAHAWKS SELECT – TYLER JOHNSON, WIDE RECEIVER, MINNESOTA

This pick is a continuation of the “Build It Around Russ” philosophy. Pete Carroll loves to add play-makers on the offense, and they love to draft receivers early. Personally, I think Josh Gordon is likely a rental for this year. Johnson has the talent to go much earlier in this class, but this is looking like a deep class at receiver, and last year at this point, DK Metcalf was projected to be a first round pick.

WITH THE 31ST PICK IN THE SECOND ROUND OF THE 2020 NFL DRAFT, THE SEATTLE SEAHAWKS SELECT- JAKE HANSON, CENTER, OREGON

I have been watching the Oregon Ducks all season long, and with each game, I’ve been thinking Seattle would be attracted to their offensive line. This pick reflects a tough choice that Seattle might make with veteran center Justin Britt. He’s scheduled to make $10 million in 2020, and he is coming off of a knee injury. If Seattle is determined to hang onto Clowney, Reed and a few other key veterans, this could easily spell the end of Britt’s Seahawk career. Hanson reminds me of former Seahawk/Duck center Max Unger, and seems like a natural fit.

WITH THE 36TH PICK IN THE THIRD ROUND OF THE 2020 NFL DRAFT, THE SEATTLE SEAHAWKS SELECT – NAJEE HARRIS, RUNNING BACK, ALABAMA

This is an easy pick for the Seahawks. Seattle loves to run the ball. Chris Carson is heading into a contract year, and so is cornerback Shaquill Griffin. All things being equal, I can’t see Seattle choosing Carson over Griffin, especially with Rashaad Penny in the wings. Harris fits the perfect running back profile that attracts Seattle. He is a big physical runner with decent speed who can also catch out of the back field.

WITH THE 28TH PICK IN THE FOURTH ROUND OF THE 2020 NFL DRAFT, THE SEATTLE SEAHAWKS SELECT – NEVILLE GALLIMORE, DEFENSIVE TACKLE, OKLAHOMA

This pick is based on the assumption that the team extends Jarran Reed, but allows Al Woods to exit in free agency, which I think is the likely scenario. There is an a bit of an odd debate floating out in Twelve circles as to whether Seattle should sign Clowney or Reed. I’ve been pretty firm in the stance that Seattle should keep both players and continue building the defense around them. I think Gallimore kind of fits what Seattle tends to look for at DT and that is a guy big enough to play nose tackle but athletic enough to also play 3 technique. He would be a pretty good value selection here.

WITH THE 35TH PICK IN THE FOURTH ROUND OF THE 2020 NFL DRAFT, THE SEATTLE SEAHAWKS SELECT – JEFF GADLEY, DEFENSIVE BACK, TCU

Seattle almost always targets corners in the mid rounds. The highest Seattle has ever drafted one was at the bottom half of the third round and that was Shaquill Griffin. They have a profile that the target later, and they draft there, and then develop. With Griffin entering a contract year, I see the team selecting a corner at some point, and with this class projected to be deep at corner, I think it is probably either going to be late day two or early day three. Like a lion, they lay in the weeds waiting to bounce at this position.

WITH THE 11TH PICK IN THE FIFTH ROUND OF THE 2020 NFL DRAFT, THE SEATTLE SEAHAWKS SELECT – MATT BUSHMAN, TIGHT END, BYU

Like, running back, receiver, and corner, Seattle tends to spend a fair amount of draft capital at tight end. It’s a valued position on this team. I’m less concerned about the position than I was a month ago, thanks to a emergence of Jacob Hollister, but I do think it is a position that they will likely target either in free agency, or the draft. Bushman seems to be the type of player Seattle is drawn to, and I can even see them potentially taking one higher if they are nervous about Will Dissly’s ability to stay healthy.

WITH THE 36TH PICK IN THE SIXTH ROUND OF THE 2020 NFL DRAFT, THE SEATTLE SEAHAWKS SELECT – BRADLEE ANEE, EDGE RUSHER, UTAH

Like tight end, I’m  less nervous about edge rush than I was a month ago. It’s not just the dominant play of Clowney from a few weeks ago against the 49ers, it’s also about the subtle emergence of second year player Rasheem Green, and the fact former first round pick LJ Collier is also likely to emerge at some point, as well. This isn’t looking like a deep class at edge rusher, so I think it is unlikely Seattle is going to find a top end one by the time they draft late in round one. That doesn’t exclude them from drafting at the position, but affords them to be patient. Anee is a good college player that might not be a great combine tester but might offer good value here.

WITH THE 37TH PICK IN THE SEVENTH ROUND OF THE 2020 NFL DRAFT, THE SEATTLE SEAHAWKS SELECT – EVAN WEAVER, LINEBACKER, CALIFORNIA

Seattle spent good draft capital last Spring at linebacker in Cody Barton, and Ben Burr-Kirven. Should they move on from Mychal Kendricks or KJ Wright, I’m fairly confident one of those guys takes over (probably Barton). If this happens, I think it’s almost a given Seattle will draft at the position again in 2020. However, if they do see bright futures in Barton and BBK and maybe even Shaquem Griffin, I think it is unlikely that they take one early unless a genuine blue chip talent is there.

Thoughts about this mock draft.

This is just a fun initial exercise to think about what might lay ahead for Seattle in a busy 2020 off-season. I could see the team go a lot of different directions. Maybe Clowney will prove too expensive for their tastes, and Reed, as will. Maybe they will feel the need to keep Ifedi despite fan opinion about the player. If all that happens, then we are probably looking at a very different draft.

But this mock reflects the idea that they commit top dollars to Jadeveon Clowney and Jarran Reed, and on the offensive side, they maybe elect to spend cheaper on guard Mike Iupati over offensive tackle Germaine Ifedi. With this looking like a decent draft class at offensive tackle, might be a way easier position to replace than at other positions such as edge rusher and defensive tackle.

I also think, even with the extensions of Clowney and Reed, Seattle might use extra dollars to dive into the veteran edge rusher department, and that will not be cheap. If this happens, I think Justin Britt very likely becomes a cap casualty.

This draft class also fully reflects a continuation of the club’s philosophy shift towards building around their star quarterback, and in that, the first four picks go to the offense. Moving forward, Seattle has got to be careful not to get too old on the offensive line like the Los Angeles Rams have suddenly found themselves. Drafting two good young offensive linemen early might be the smartest move in the long term. It also might be quite likely that they will want to continue giving Russell Wilson more offensive weapons. Just make what is your strength stronger, and this draft class looks like it can lend for that.

Yay!

Go Hawks

With a couple days removed from Seattle’s relatively dominant win in Philadelphia, I think we’ve learned a few things about this club. We have learned that the defense plays a lot better with Quandre Diggs at free safety. We’ve learned that the defensive line isn’t perhaps as bad as we thought it was a few weeks ago. Perhaps most importantly, though, we have learned this team can win ball games when their best player, Russell Wilson, isn’t at his best.

Here are a couple thoughts about this team that have been running through my mind lately.

Is the defense improving enough to make Seattle a major contender this year?

Over the last couple games, Seahawk fans have enjoyed a defense that came alive against the upstart 49ers and the struggling Eagles. Skeptics can point to this Eagles match and say that Philly didn’t have their top offensive linemen and receivers in the game, and Seattle feasted on that. That’s fair, but you can also say that Seattle didn’t have it’s best pass rusher in the game, and then lost their second best pass rusher in the second quarter.

Further more, when looking at the game against the 49ers, skeptics are going to have a much harder drawing up reasons why Seattle handled that then unbeaten team in their own house. Yes, the 49ers didn’t have their all world tight end, but Seattle still snuffed out what had been their dominant run game, and they made Jimmy Garoppolo look awful at times.

On the surface, it is easy to see why Seattle has had a sudden uptick on their defense. Here are a few of them.

Quandre Diggs is a much better free safety than Tedric Thompson and rookie Marquise Blair. He actually might be a lot closer to Earl Thomas than maybe many imagined, and has been a difference maker in back to back games as a starter. This has likely settled down strong safety Bradly McDougald and all three starting linebackers. They can step onto the field knowing that the back end will play assignment sound football, and that allows each cagey veteran to simply focus on their own task. This is a big deal.

Ken Norton has done a better job mixing up the defense. I think this is also a credit to Quandre Diggs and his veteran leadership. Now Norton and Pete Carroll can ask more out of their players because they have enough veterans on the defense that will understand the adjustments. This is making the defense a lot less predictable for quarterbacks.

The defensive line is starting to show positive signs of depth emerging. We know Jadeveon Clowney and Jarran Reed are two really good football players. We also know that Quinton Jefferson, Al Woods, and Poona Ford are really nice depth pieces all capable of quality starter play. Up until the game in Philly, we still had major question marks on Ziggy Ansah, and youngsters Rasheem Green and LJ Collier. Against Philly, Ansah looked more powerful and explosive against both Eagle tackles, and Rasheem Green had a great game. The latter of that is really great news. Quietly, Green is starting to become productive as a pass rusher, and against the run. Collier is still a pretty raw rookie, but even he flashed a bit against the run in Philly stretching out an outside run play for no gain.  These are all positives.

For a bonus X factor in all this, Ken Norton is finally figuring out ways of using speedy undersized linebacker Shaquem Griffin on the field. Mainly, he’s now being deployed as a speed rusher, and so far, he has been making an impact.

It is certainly possible with the insertion of Diggs at free safety, and the different looks that can now be utilized coupled with the improved pass rush, this defense can make a much bigger leap forward during these final five games. What will be a big positive carryover effect into next season is if youngsters such as Rasheem Green, Marquise Blair, LJ Collier, Ugo Amadi and others look like quality starters and contributors in the making. That can shape the direction of the off-season in a major way.

Is the offense slowing down a bit a legit concern?

Heading into the MNF game in San Francisco, Seattle had be red hot offensively, and nobody had been hotter than Russell Wilson. Since then, Russell has looked a little more normal, but it is worth noting that he had to face top defenses on the road in back to back games.

Right now, I’m not overly concerned about this. I actually think he played a fairly decent game against the 49ers despite the overtime red zone interception he threw. I think it was the game in Philly that was much more of a clunker because of the missed easy touchdown toss to Jacob Hollister, but Tom Brady also didn’t look great against this Eagles defense, either. I fully expect Russ to bounce back, but even in that, I do have a few lingering concerns.

For one, I’m more than a bit concerned about the level of play Seattle can reasonably expect for center Joey Hunt. Personally, I think Hunt is a technically sound player who is very smart, but he is also a player with some glaring physical limitations. In back to back games, Philly and SF were both able to line up a much stronger defensive tackle directly over him and bull rush him on third downs for easy sacks on Russell. This is on tape, and if a team has a big powerful defensive tackle, they will surely look to emulate this. Of the games left on the schedule, all but the Cardinals have this type of player on their roster. Seattle will have to figure out a way to deal with this.

Secondly, for as good as the offensive line has been at times, veteran left guard Mike Iupati has had rough outings in the last couple games. Against the 49ers, he allowed the middle linebacker a free run at the QB twice, and against the Eagles, he had a couple false starts. With a limited athlete at center, Seattle needs its other veteran starters to play cleaner than this. Perhaps finally being at home this Monday night will help.

Thirdly, I think depth at receiver and tight end is legitimately being tested a bit. Seattle was down to one healthy starting caliber tight end against the Eagles in Jacob Hollister. When he limped off the field early in that match, my heart sank into my bowels. Hollister had been coming on strong, and Seattle can not afford losing him to injury. Fortunately, he came back in. Also, DK Metcalf had a rough outing against the Eagles, dropping three deep passes. At least two should have been relatively easy catches. This all didn’t help when Tyler Lockett didn’t look fully healthy. Seattle needs better play from Metcalf and they need to not lose more players at these positions if they want to keep this offense humming.

Lastly, Chris Carson has officially become a fumbling machine. This is honestly the thing that has me most nervous moving forward, and I suspect we are going to start seeing a lot more Rashaad Penny during this final stretch of games. I think the smart move is to mix in both players more. Carson has seen a lot of carries and catches, and I think it’s possible he’s a bit worn down. Personally, I think he might be more valuable on third downs because of his pass blocking and pass catching abilities. What I would like to see is more of a mixture of Penny on run downs because, frankly, he’s fresher, and even with both backs being equally healthy, Penny is probably more of the electric home run hitter.

In the end, I don’t want to make an overly big deal about all of this. As long as this team has a healthy Russell Wilson, I think this offense will still likely be one of the better ones in the league, but I do think they need to get better play out of the offensive line, they need to not lose the attrition battle at receiver/tight end, and they need to stop the fumbling. If these three things happen and the defense continues to improve, Seattle is a legitimate Super Bowl contending team this year. Book it.

Go Hawks.

Rashaad Penny to the rescue!

Good lord in Heaven. I love football. I do. I’m addicted to the dynamics, the explosive plays on offense, and the bone crushing plays on defense. I love the drama, and in that, the straight up weirdness that can come out of that drama. Against these Eagles, Seattle had one of the weirdest games I’ve seen in a while. When their usual stars struggled, and other stars not playing at all, unlikely heroes stepped up and emerged. For me, this is what makes football fun.. as long as my team wins.

Let’s get into it.

The Good

For back to back games, the defense stepped up, and has outplayed the offense. Prior to the game against the 49ers, it had been a season’s long worth of the opposite. Yes, I know it was against the struggling Eagles offense, but lesser teams have given this defense fits earlier in the season. Also, this Seattle defense was without it’s best pass rusher in Jadeveon Clowney. I was heading into this game thinking I could be in for a bit of an offensive shootout between Carson Wentz and Russell Wilson, but the reality couldn’t have been more opposite. The Seahawk defense harassed Wentz all day, forced fumbles, and interceptions, and came up with sacks without Clowney, and after the first quarter, without their other top defensive lineman, Jarran Reed.

Ziggy Ansah finally had a strong game, generating 1.5 sacks.

Rasheem Green had a fantastic game getting a strip sack, dependable additional pressure on Wentz and a really nice tackle for a loss holding containment on a outside stretch play. It’s really important for this team to see contributions like this from Green moving forward. They need young defenders to emerge, and on this day, Green did that.

Other defensive linemen played big. Reed brought pressure and collected half a sack before he got injured. Al Woods was a monster inside, and Poona Ford was active. Quinton Jefferson had a strong game, and Shaquem Griffin forced a fumble rushing off the edge. This unit played really well together.

Seattle’s starting trio at linebacker all played strong, and Mychal Kendricks might have had his best game yet.

Seattle’s secondary had an awesome game, creating three turnovers. The starting safety  tandem of Quandre Diggs and Bradley McDougald played fierce.

Russell Wilson did not have his best game, but had a beautiful flea flicker deep touchdown pass to Malik Turner, and Turner is starting to look like one of his more dependable receivers.

Michael Dickson had a superb game punting the ball, and Ugo Amadi pairing with him downing it twice at the Eagle’s one yard line. Big underlined story in this tough road win.

All things being equal, though, the real star of the game was second year running back Rashaad Penny. He’s been a bit of a target for fan scorn lately, and I’ve always thought that was a bit unfair. Today, he was the spark that pretty much saved the game for Seattle. His electricity as an open field runner is undeniable. I have a sneaking suspicion that we are about to see more of him down this final stretch for five games. We will get into the reasons a bit more.

The Bad

Seattle did not get an MVP level performance from Russell Wilson today. He wasn’t helped by bad drops from DK Metcalf, and bad pass protection from Joey Hunt and others, but when he missed a WIDE OPEN Jacob Hollister in the end zone, I started to get a sinking feeling. That’s a pass he has got to make. No excuses. I will however, kind of almost excuse the interception he threw because it was punched out of the hands of David Moore, and floated up in the air for an easy grab, but even with that, one could easily argue that perhaps he forced that ball into coverage that he shouldn’t have.

DK Metcalf, as mentioned, had a rough day dropping a couple deep passes he should have grabbed. He’s young and will get better, but those are grabs he should make if his ceiling as a player is a high one.

At various times, the offensive line could not get out of the way of itself. Multiple false starts was the main culprit. At one point, veteran Left Tackle Duane Brown went ballistic on the sidelines after a horrendous series that featured two false starts, a delay of game and a Russell Wilson INT. As bad as that all was, it was fun to see Brown take leadership, and chew tail. Go Hawks.

Chris Carson had an awful day running the ball.. again. It’s hard to criticize this guy because he offers so much as a tough guy fighting for yards and making circus catches, but folks, I think it is safe to say that he has a fumbling issue. After today, I think we can say this. In all my years of following football, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a player fumble like that on back to back plays. It could have cost us this game. If I am Pete Carroll, I’m not taking the ball away from him, but I am going to the well with Penny more in these final five games. Is it possible that Carson is just too taxed out in all the ways he has been used?

The Ugly

Jarran Reed was having a great game, but got his ankle rolled on by Ziggy Ansah. My fingers are massively crossed that he is not seriously injured. His strong play at defensive tackle is a huge benefit to the defenders around him, and the defense noticeably started to struggle against the run when he was no longer on the field.

Moving Forward

Seattle is 9-2 with this win, and are still firmly in a dog fight for the division title with San Francisco. In the end, that is really what we can take away from this game, and honestly, it is fantastic news. Yes, this was an ugly and weird game that Seattle won 17-9, but it should also be noted that New England also had a rather ugly weird match against these Eagles last week which they barely won.

I actually think Seattle played the Eagles a bit better than the Pats. Had Russell connected with Hollister for that easy touchdown, and had DK Metcalf managed to haul in that long bomb from Russell, Seattle probably would have more easily handled this desperate Eagle team.

So, from this perspective, I actually see more signs of encouragement about Seattle as a playoff team moving forward. Today they needed to find ways to win when their best player was not at his best, and they did. Three games ago, against Tampa, this would probably not have been the case. Good teams find ways to win when their best players aren’t at their best.

Seattle is feeling more and more like a pretty darn good team. Are there still issues? Yes, but every team has it warts, and Seattle is no different.

I also think it is really cool that Seattle is now 6-0 on the road this year. This is a pretty important stat to keep in mind.

A win is a win is a win is a win.

A win is a win.

Go Hawks.

We are now a few days before Seattle travels on the road to Philadelphia, and I thought it would be a great time to reflect on this team and ponder what might lay ahead for them down the final stretch run. Here are a lot of the things I have been thinking about lately.

Are the Seahawks a Legitimate 2019 Super Bowl Contender?

Before the season began, I predicted that the Seahawks would be a playoff team with a likely 11-5 record. While the team is sitting fairly comfortably at 8-2, a big part of me wants to stick to that. During this final six game run, Seattle will be playing four teams that will be desperate in their play hopes with the Eagles, Vikings, Panthers, and Rams. They will only play one of those teams at home. They will also be playing a home rematch against the 49ers for potentially the division title, and they will play the Cardinals team that will likely want to play spoiler. From this perspective, that appears to be a potentially tough stretch, and should Seattle split, that would put them directly at a 11-5, and a likely wildcard playoff team. If all this happens, I will look much smarter than I actually am.

However, all that said, I can also easily see Seattle getting really hot down that stretch, especially if their defense continues to trend upwards, and in that, I can even see the potential for Seattle winning out. Outside of the 49ers and maybe the Vikings, none of the remaining teams left on the schedule feel like true contenders, and should Russell Wilson continue is MVP campaign, and if the defense starts to really come together, Seattle could morph into a very dangerous club.

If that happens, that December 29th home game against the 49ers will be gigantic. It could not only decide the division, it could decide home field advantage throughout the playoffs, and should Seattle come out on top, a Super Bowl appearance then becomes very possible.

Imagine that.

Will Russell Wilson win MVP?

Be prepared for this to become the topic being constantly talked about over these final six games, especially if Seattle stays hot. Right now it feels like a two way battle between Wilson and Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson.

I think it is fair to say that Jackson has the edge simply because his team has beaten Wilson’s and they have won more decisively in most of their matches. However, should Seattle catch fire coming out of their bye week, and start compiling more impressive wins, this could be the year Wilson finally wins it.

For me, I don’t greatly care whether Wilson wins MVP, or not. It would be exciting for the team if he did because that would means that they finished with a strong record, but I already know Wilson’s value. He is one of the very best quarterbacks in the league, and I am incredibly grateful he is quarterbacking my team. Every game is practically must see television largely because of his play, and it’s been an exiting year watching him elevate his level of play.

In my mind, he already is MVP. Whether the league votes him as that or not, won’t change that opinion.

Which players have the most to gain down this final stretch run?

This is a question that I’ve been asking myself a lot lately because I feel it has a carryover effect into 2020. So, I thought now would be a great time to start looking at this

We know what we have in such players as Russell Wilson, Tyler Lockett, Duane Brown, Chris Carson, Jadeveon Clowney, Jarran Reed, Bobby Wagner, and Shaquill Griffin. These are impact players on both sides of the ball, and probably players that the team will continue building around (yes, I fully expect Seattle to re-sign both Clowney and Reed). What we really would like to see down this stretch is younger players and other veterans stepping up and making the kind of impact that might lay foundational pieces going into next season.

Right now, the player that jumps out the most is obviously wide receiver DK Metcalf. I feel like sometimes his play as a rookie gets down played just a bit. Personally, I think every fan should be looking at his potential and they should be getting pretty darn excited. Through ten games, he has shown the makings of a generational talent, in my opinion, but really, we need other youngsters to also step up.

I think the other two youngsters that are also standing out are tight end Jacob Hollister, and rookie free safety Marquise Blair. Barring injury, I suspect we are going to see both of these players trend upwards during these pivotal games, and that could be really exciting moving forward.

Blair seems like a classic Pete Carroll defensive back, instinctive and aggressive. I don’t expect him to necessarily start, but I do think he plays a lot in nickle packages, and I think with Quandre Diggs and Bradley McDougald playing with him, fans are going to feel a lot better about the secondary by the end of the season than they have at any point up to now.

With Hollister, I see a sneaky diamond in the rough type. I think he could end up being one of the most interesting story lines the 2019 Seattle Seahawk season. He’s a really athletic player with naturally soft hands, but what I find most interesting about him is his former quarterback background. I think it helps him feel the game the way Russell Wilson wants him to, and I think the combination of him on the field with Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf and Josh Gordon is really interesting stuff.  If his game continues to trend upwards, he could be a legit X factor in this offense heading into the post season. The more I peal things back, the more excited I am about this guy, and his future in Seattle.

I would also give honorable mentions to center Joey Hunt, and defensive tackles Poona Ford and Quinton Jefferson.

Poona is a youngster finally starting to emerge as after a low start to the season. He was heavily hyped heading into the season, but I think we are finally starting to see why. He has a really interesting knack for making plays in the backfield.

Hunt and Jefferson are different stories, however. Both players are in contract years, and both are being heavily relied on in ways that they haven’t experienced to this point. This team needs both of these guys to play great ball, if they want a title, and they are in great positions to make cases for themselves as to why Seattle should look to re-sign them.

Jefferson, especially, considering how well he looked at the beginning of the season before he got injured, and how he came back and played against the 49ers. If he continues his solid play, I can see the potential of a 2020 Seattle defensive line featuring Clowney, Reed, Poona, and Jefferson and I’d actually feel pretty good about that. I think Jefferson is a really underrated player.

Can the defense realistically catch up to the offense?

As of right now, the Seattle defense is 26th in total defense. They are 24th in points allowed (meh), 29th in sacks (which is pretty bad), but they are 5th in the league for creating turnovers (which is actually pretty darn good).

The realist in me says that this defense won’t suddenly become dominant, but the optimist in me says that they can get A LOT better during these final six game, and if that happens, this team probably is a legitimate Super Bowl contender this year.

The reason why I am optimistic is that, I suspect the coaches have finally figured out how to use Clowney while mixing in with Jefferson and Reed in the pass rush department. Chemistry takes time to build on a defensive line and Seattle was dealt with having to insert a lot of new pieces to it last minute this year. As that chemistry grows, it is also going to help the linebackers a lot.

I also think that they finally got the safety situation figured out adding Quandre Diggs in with Bradley McDougald, and frankly, that is huge. With Clowney, Reed, Jefferson, Bobby Wagner, KJ Wright, Mychal Kendricks and Diggs and McDougald all on the field together, Pete Carroll finally has quality veteran experience at all three levels of the defense to help down the stretch. I know they probably want to mix in the youngsters like Blair, and maybe a couple other rookies, but I think these are a players Carroll wants to lean into. These are the guys who can properly adjust as the game goes on, these are the guys who are going to really understand the opponent’s tendencies, and these are the guys who can help translate that all to the younger players.

I get the philosophy that it is good to get younger on defense, but you have to be smart about it. If Seattle’s defense trends upwards, it will because of the veterans finally gelling together more so than rookies taking charge.

Do I honestly think that the Seahawks could win the Super Bowl this year?

Honestly, I think they could, but I also think, for that to happen, A LOT of things have got to go right. They can’t lose too many key players because depth is an issue across the board. Young players are going to have to continue to step forward. Russell Wilson is going to have to continue playing at an MVP level. Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny are going to have to stop fumbling. The coaches are going to have to continue making the right adjustments.

Simply put, this team is capable of winning a title, but they are no way near as talented and deep as the team that won it playing the 2013 season. That roster was ridiculously deep and that team could afford making mistakes because they had the talent to overcome them. This team can’t really do that.

I will say this, though; if this team does win the whole damn thing this year, it will be more impressive than in 2013. The prime reason for that is because, in my eyes, they will have done it with less talent, and they will have done it by really coming together down the stretch. They might not be the more talented Seattle Super Bowl winning team, but they might be the better Seattle Super Bowl winning one, if that makes sense.

I think it does.

Go Hawks.