Up to this game, Russell Wilson was having quite the remarkable start to his season and was the leading contender to win the league wide MVP award. Then this game happened.

Presently, this team was only go as far as Wilson can take them. Even in their five victories, most of their wins were narrowly decided. That is a sure sign of a team with blemishes riding a hot quarterback. Today, the quarterback was considerably cooler, and largely because of that, in the fourth quarter, they got it handed to them as a team.

Still, in this loss, there are some positive silver linings. I will start with those.

The Good

Jamarco Jones continued to play pretty well at right guard in place of the DJ Fluker and running back Chris Carson had nice gains running to the right.

Tyler Lockett continues to be a productive weapon for Wilson and had another solid game.

Rookie phenom receiver DK Metcalf was having a good game up until that play late in the fourth quarter. I’m going to trust that that play will never ever happen again moving forward in his young bright career.

Chris Carson continued running hard and part of me wonders if Seattle should have stayed with him more when Wilson and the passing game was struggling.

Rookie safety Marquise Blair looked good in the starting defense. He made the defense look a lot faster, and he made his presence known both against the pass and run. In my opinion, this might be the best sign for the defense moving forward, even better than the return of defensive tackle Jarran Reed. Seattle’s secondary needs a player with more presence and he delivered that. I hope he stays a starter.

Cornerbacks Shaquill Griffin and Tre Flowers both had good games.

Jadeveon Clowney didn’t get sacks but he got good pressures.

It was really nice to see Jarran Reed back, and around the ball.

The Bad

Russell was playing decently up until the last few minutes of the first half when he tossed a lazy pass to Jaron Brown near the sideline, and former Ram and Husky Marcus Peters picked it off for an easy pick six. Bad timing for Russ to toss his first INT for the year. Credit him for regrouping and leading the offense to a field goal drive to tie it at the end of the half, but it seemed like the offense started the second half without a lot of luster, and yeah, well.. he just didn’t have an MVP level game there on out. In my opinion, that’s the biggest reason why Seattle lost this game.

Pete Carroll decided to have Jason Meyers kick his longest field goal attempt instead of going for it on 4 and 2, and I actually thought that they should have gone for it. The field goal miss gave the Ravens great field position and they scored.

Seattle needed Bobby Wagner to have a great game and he didn’t. It’s tough to blame him for this loss because the whole defense was on skates trying to tackle a scrambling Lamar Jackson, but Wagner is the highest paid linebacker in the league, and quietly, he hasn’t really been at his best this season. This needs to change.

In the closing minutes of the game, when Seattle still had a wee chance to maybe make it a game, DK Metcalf caught a short pass by the sideline and he weirdly had the ball squirt out all by itself as he tried to tuck in and run. Ravens corner Marlon Humphrey scooped it up and ran it into a touchdown. Thus, Wilson and Metcalf are directly responsible for giving Baltimore 14 points on two defensive scores in this 30 to 16 loss. Take both of those scores away, and each offense scored 16 points. That’s how close the margins for error were in this match. Can not have that happen and expect to win.

The Ugly

My wife put a duraflame log in the fireplace and failed to open up the air vent and smoked out our house. On top of watching this rain soaked sloppy mess, we got enjoy this household fiasco, as well.

Moving Forward

This loss is not the end of the 2019 Seattle Seahawks season by any stretch, but it was frustrating nonetheless. It only illustrated how dependent Seattle is on stellar Russell Wilson play. The season ending loss of Will Dissly was felt in this one. Not having Ziggy Ansah in the game was felt in this one.

With the trade deadline approaching a week from Tuesday, it feels like Seattle needs to make a move or two, if they truly want to compete for a championship. As it stands now, they look like a team that can win ten or eleven games, and make the playoffs, but going against a really balanced team like Baltimore, they have to play near perfectly in at least one phase to win. Today, they didn’t do that in any.

If there is one silver lining in this match, it’s that it looks like Seattle’s decision to draft safety Marquise Blair with a high second round pick was a good idea, and maybe they should just ride with him as a starter moving forward, and Jamarco Jones looks line a good young guard on the offensive line. Seattle needs more of it’s younger players to step forward as the season goes on. These two guys did that. That’s a big plus in my book.

Go Hawks.

Is it time to bring back an old friend? Maybe (Getty Images)

Well, here we are, 5-1 and a week and a half away from the 2019 NFL Trade Deadline. We’ve gleamed a few things from six weeks of regular season ball from these Seattle Seahawks. We know that quarterback Russell Wilson is on pace for an MVP level season, and we know that largely because of his play, the offense has been humming along both through the air, and on the ground with the stellar running of Chris Carson, and others.

We also know that, at best, the defense has been just sorta hanging in there, and while they have been able to create some key turnovers as of late, the pass rush has been a work in progress, to put it nicely. The defensive line has been able to get pressures, but they haven’t be able to generate sacks or hits. That can all change with the return of defensive tackle Jarran Reed into the starting lineup after serving his six game suspension. However, even with his return, the team might consider looking to add here. When Seattle was playing in Super Bowls, the defensive line rotation was deep. I’m not sure we can all it that this year. Not yet, anyways.

So, if I were General Manager John Schneider, and I got the green light that all was cool with Head Coach Pete Carroll, I would be on the phone with the New England Patriots on a trade deal to bring back defensive end Michael Bennett. What he can do as a pass rusher is probably still special enough, and Seattle has used him perfectly rushing all up and down their four man front, depending on match ups.

Presently, he seems to be at odds with the New England coaching staff (is anyone surprised about this?) about how he is being used and or not used, and is sitting out this week on a suspension dished out by the very not Pete Carroll New England head coach Bill Belichick. Bennett, is a bit of an oddball, and can come across as a bit of a malcontent, but one thing he never does is not give it is absolute all on the football field. The current Northeasterly vibe I get is that perhaps with New England shifting back to a 3-4 defense, Bennett just hasn’t been a great fit there, and possibly both sides are coming to that understanding.

While two years ago Bennett may have lost his zest playing for Seattle, maybe, just possibly, a season and a half removed from this team and its player friendly head coach will have made his heart grow fonder about returning to the PNW where he most flourished as a player in Carroll’s 4-3 scheme. Conversely, Seattle’s coaching staff, seeing how slowly their pass rush has come along, might be now pine for the return of the hip gyrating sack master to do his voodoo again at Century Link Field. This could be a really great story line to the 2019 season, and in some respects, a very Seahawk-y move. There is precedence with former players returning to the program.

With Ziggy Ansah’s injury history, and the greenness of Rasheem Green and LJ Collier, I definitely think the return of Bennett to Seattle makes a ton of sense. I also think this team’s culture and this city’s vibe is the right place for the outspokenness of Bennett. He enjoyed his best seasons as a player out here. Seattle always knew how to use him, and hipster fans loved his social awareness and sound bites. He was a definite fan favorite.

More importantly to football, though, he could really give Seattle a big shot of what it most needs. Even if Ansah stays relatively healthy, think of what the pass rush could morph into with Ansah and Clowney working the edges and Bennett and Reed rushing inside. Then you still have the quality play of Quinton Jefferson, and the youth of Green and Collier all factoring in, now Seattle has a rotation. Collier, in particular, will have the benefit of learning from the very player his was compared to when he was drafted out of TCU with Seattle’s first pick last Spring. This all makes me feel warm and mushy inside.

In my humble opinion, Michael Bennett returning to Seattle just makes too much sense for them not to do it, and they could probably have him for a 2020 mid to late round pick. To me, this is a no brainer. Go get him, John.

No Dissly? Well, that sucks. Better give Russell Wilson some OJ. Go Hawks.

The second trade I would make a move on would be for Tampa Bay tight end OJ Howard, and I would be totally okay sending one of the team’s two second round picks to Tampa for him. It was rumored at couple years ago that Seattle was high on him during the 2017 draft, and possibly would have used their first round pick on him had he been available, even though the team still had Jimmy Graham. It is also being run through the NFL rumor mill that Tampa might be shopping him because head coach Bruce Arians doesn’t really utilize tight ends into his passing offense. Seattle just lost talented second year tight end Will Dissly to another season ending injury. Given Howard’s rare physical talent at the position, and Seattle’s need presently at the position, this trade makes a ton of sense. Tons of sense.

Yes, Seattle could probably trade a lower round pick for an older player, like Delanie Walker in Tennessee, but an older player comes with a bigger salary and is most likely a short term fix. With Howard, who was a first round pick just two years ago, Seattle would have club cheap control up to three more seasons with him, if they use his fifth year option. Howard is also a rare athletic talent at the position that can still blossom into one of the best players in the game in that span. His ceiling as a player is still out there, and Seattle could be set at the position for years.

Yes, I know Seattle still has Will Dissly for 2020 and 2021, but as much as we all love him, he has yet to play a full healthy season in this league, and let’s be really honest; each one of his seasons have been cut really short. That’s at least a bit of a red flag. As much as they likely love him as a player, Seattle is probably now going to be in the market next year for the position with either a big name player in free agency, or possibly a high pick in the draft. So why not just shop now and start the process now?

If Dissly comes back in 2020 and stays healthy, Seattle will have a stellar two tight end situation to pair with Russell Wilson and Chris Carson, and under Pete Carroll, Seattle has always valued the tight end position. They’ve always signed it, traded for it, and drafted it. Any team that wants to run and work play action off the run, values the tight end highly. Having Howard and Dissly on the field together, two players who can run block and catch, is probably a proposition that would have Carroll salivating.

Seattle is probably going to bring in a tight end soon. Pete Carroll has already alluded to them working on it in a press conference this week. They didn’t sign any significant free agent this week, so something is probably brewing. Like Bennett, Howard just makes too much sense.

Will it be him? I don’t know. Would they be interested in bring back Bennett? I can’t say.

But what I can say is that these Seattle Seahawks are in a great window for Russell Wilson to win the league MVP honors while guiding them back into the playoffs, possibly even further. To think of a quarterback from Seattle doing that is really cool. It’s never been done. It would be a shame to fall short of those sights because the pass rush wasn’t always there like it should have been, and the offense struggled at times because the tight end position was significantly less reliable. It would be a shame to waste a stellar year of Russell Wilson play. That’s what the Green Bay Packers have done over the recent years with Aaron Rodgers. I would rather not see Seattle follow that path.

Another thing to consider, according to Spotrac.com, Seattle has about $15 million is available in cap space presently. Michael Bennett’s salary is about $6.5 million and OJ Howard’s is a little over $3 million. These additions would fit well under Seattle’s cap, and give room to play with should Seattle need to sign free agents later in the season if more injuries mound (as is often the case during any given NFL season).

So, I say, “come on, John, go get another pass rusher and shore up that tight end squad. Doesn’t have to be Michael Bennett or OJ Howard, but doesn’t not have to be them either. Go for it. Go get it.”

Just my two cents, anyways. I think they make sense.

Go Hawks.

Probably the most intense twenty three minutes in motion picture history is the first twenty three of the Steven Spielberg WWII film Saving Private Ryan. In those minutes, Spielberg horrifically re-imagined the US ground forces landing on Omaha Beach against the well positioned German forces. In those initial moments of the film, it felt a near impossible feat for these US infantrymen to advance beyond the onslaught of Germain machine gun fire.

It would be a great disrespect to the memory of those men who fought on that beach to compare a football game to that event. So I will stop well short of that here. However, the way in which the hometown Cleveland Browns jumped to an easy 20-6 first quarter lead on the visiting Seattle Seahawks, it felt like Seattle was going to be in for a very long day. How Seattle battled out of that early point deficit was an impressive team effort, and Seattle fans should feel proud of how they managed it.

The Good

Russell Wilson never panicked about Cleveland’s quick early first score. He just trotted onto the field and led Seattle’s offense to a scoring drive of their own, running for a touchdown. When Baker Mayfield answered that scoring drive with another easy drive and a running score of his own, Russell didn’t panic then either. When the offense stalled and the Browns scored again, Russell still didn’t panic. With poise and patience, Russell Wilson moved his offense when his defense finally got a few stops and turnovers, and eventually he got them the lead, and then another lead at the end. Russell Wilson had yet another MVP performance, and was the ultimate difference in this game.

Chris Carson had another strong outing running the ball, and was equally as impressive as Wilson willing his offense into first downs that led to scores. Carson appears to have corrected his early season fumbling habits, and has become the perfect counter to Wilson’s passing.

Rookie phenom DK Metcalf took some interesting steps forward as a receiver, showing different route running on crossers and out patterns along the side lines hauling in tough grabs. The team is figuring out different ways to get him the ball, even using him on a jet sweep. He is a fascinating talent who feels like he is still just breaking through. This is an interesting thing to monitor moving forward.

Veteran receivers Tyler Lockett and Jaron Brown made great plays when the team needed them to, and they needed them on this day. The chemistry between Lockett and Wilson seems as strong as any in the league.

An offensive line that was minus starting left tackle Duane Brown and right guard DJ Fluker held up pretty well in this one. They opened holes in the run game and gave Wilson time to throw when needed.

The defense gave up painfully easy first quarter scores, but they settled in, and adjusted their game.  They didn’t sack Mayfield, but they pressured him into turnovers. Tre Flowers finally got his first career interception. Tedric Thompson was the hero of the defense against the Rams a week ago Thursday, getting a key fourth quarter interception, and he followed that play by picking off Mayfield in the end zone, stopping a scoring drive that could have put Seattle away for good in this one. Veteran linebacker KJ Wright picked off Mayfield in the closing minutes of the game that pretty much iced it for good. Even defnesive end Ziggy Ansah got into the turnover action by stripping the ball away from star running back Nick Chubb. For as bad as Seattle’s defense looked in the first fifteen minutes of play (and it was awful), they were pretty solid the rest of the way, considering the circumstances.

The Bad

Seattle likely lost starting tight end Will Dissly to a season ending Achilles injury and that sucks big time. Dissly was having a pro bowl worthy season. This is a big blow for the offense, and I thought his presence was missed in the red zone in this one.

The Cleveland Browns came out of the gates in this match on fire. It didn’t feel like Seattle did, especially on defense. Eventually, they caught fire, but I would have liked to have seen them match Cleveland with it sooner.

Seattle wasn’t perfect on offense. CJ Prosise fumbled the ball on third down and short in the second half that gave Cleveland the ball in great field position, and they capitalized on it with a go ahead scoring drive.

The Ugly

I thought the officiating kinda sucked in this one, and Seattle caught a break with a bad illegal block call on Cleveland receiver Jarvis Landry. Whatev’s.

Final Thoughts.

Seattle was down 20-6 and fought their way back into a 32-28 victory. It was a great team effort, but one clearly led by the MVP level play of quarterback Russell Wilson, and they are now 5-1 because of that. Through six games now, it clearly feels like Seattle will go as far as Russell and the offense will take them, and the schedule feels fairly favorable for a  11-5 season, maybe even better.

While the defense is not playing stellar, they are playing well enough when needed, and they are now getting defensive tackle Jarran Reed back. Getting a healthy and focused Jarran Reed back now will likely figure to be a big boost to the front seven. He’s one of the more talented young defensive tackles in the game, and he is coming in with a lot to prove in a contract year. This is good news for Seattle fans.

The bad news, though, is the potential loss of Will Dissly on the offense. This has me thinking something.

As the trade deadline is approaching, up to a week ago, I’ve been thinking about Seattle likely being active, and maybe looking to add to the defense to either help out the secondary, or pass rush, but what if the addition of Jarran Reed is enough?

Through six games into the season, it feels like Seattle appears to be in an arms race with the San Fransisco 49ers for the division. The 49ers have the appearance of a team loaded on defense, with just enough on offense, and they are playing like it. Does Seattle have enough on their defense to match the 49ers? Right now, I have very serious doubts, even with Reed coming back. So, why not make a mid season splash move and add more to an already potent offense?

The way Russell Wilson is playing right now, I think you can easily make the case that Seattle has the best offense in the NFC West. Wilson is a legitimate MVP candidate for the league as of now, so why not just full embrace that effort by rewarding him another big time weapon, especially with Will Dissly now out? Can you imagine AJ Green coming into this offense?

Maybe, just maybe the answer to dealing with the best defense in the NFC West is to add to the best offense in the NFC West. It’s a pretty fair thing to consider.

It’s going to be an interesting couple weeks to see what happens, and they got a big test at home next week against the Baltimore Ravens who just so happen to have a certain free safety by the name of Earl Thomas. Won’t that be interesting.

Go Hawks.

I’m a big fan of the film Jaws. I’ve probably seen it twenty times, if not more. The scene that gets me the most, every single time, is the one with the two dumb fishermen who attach a huge roast to a meat hook, attached a chain, attached to the old wood pier that they stupidly stand on, in the hopes of snagging the massive killer fish.

You know this one. The shark bites and takes off with it, pulling half the pier into the water, and dragging one of the knuckleheads with it. The knucklehead then desperately tries to swim back to the remains of the other half of the pier while his friend desperately encourages him to swim faster, not look back as the big bad shark has turned around and is swimming towards him. The dimwit finally gets to the pier and his friend is able to pull him out of the water in time as the sharks just nearly misses him. Exhausted, the dumb fortunate fisherman asks if they can go home now. Good Lord in Heaven.

On Thursday night, in the final moments of a tightly competitive ballgame, the Seattle Seahawks were that fortunate fisherman, and the Rams were that terrifying apex predator.

Wow. What a game. Where do we begin.

The Good

Russell Wilson was phenomenal yet again. He likely needed to win a shootout with Jared Goff for Seattle to win this one, and he did. LA might be the better team now, but Seattle had the best player on the field, and it was enough get the win. After the game, Pete Carroll said that he thought it was one of the best games Russell had ever played. He might be right. Russ connected on 17 of 23 passes for 268 yards and 4 touchdowns without an INT. He also ran for critical yards that kept multiple scoring drives alive. Wilson is having an MVP level season, so far. There is no question or debate about it.

Running back Chris Carson was a beast. Early on, LA was owning Seattle with their intensity, but as the game went on, Seattle was able to match them, and Carson’s tough running was a big part of that.

Second year tight end Will Dissly has continued his 2019 campaign of having anohter strong game. Dissly was a boss against the Rams, and it feels like he is becoming Wilson’s favorite passing target outside of Tyler Lockett. I love everything about Will Dissly.

Tyler Lockett had another superb game. His connection with Russell Wilson is on another planet in another solar system in football. His touchdown catch in the first quarter is the best catch that I think I’ve ever seen out of a player in a Seahawk uniform, and that’s not taking anything away from Steve Largent or Doug Baldwin.

Rookie receiver DK Metcalf had a beautiful deep touchdown grab taking the top of the Rams’ defense. This is the threat this guy poses every time he is on the field, and he is just getting going.

Much also credit needs to be given to reserve offensive lineman JaMarco Jones for stepping in for injured DJ Fluker and more than handling himself matched against ALL WORLD defensive tackle Aaron Donald. If there wasn’t so many other insane aspects about this game, this story would be talked about more.

Seattle’s defense was typically bend don’t break against a Rams offense built to get their yards. They didn’t rack up any sacks, but they got good pressures that effected Goff’s passing, and Poona Ford had an awesome tackle for loss early on Todd Gurley. The stat line isn’t gong to show that they played a great game, but I actually thought they did enough to slow the Rams down, and made critical plays when they had to.

Truth. Defensive tackle Al Woods goal line stop of Jared Goff on a two point conversion attempt proved to be as important of a play as any in this game. In reflection, that key stop cannot be overlooked.

All of this leads me to free safety Tedric Thompson. He was the undeniable hero of this game, coming up with a crazy inches off the ground interception in the final minutes. I’ve been pretty critical of Tedric this year, but I have to give this dude his credit. That was as special of a play on the ball as anything Earl Thomas has ever done. Just tremendous. My hope is that this play is the moment that gets him going. He was a great play-maker in college. It just hasn’t translated in the pros until this point. This is the Tedric that we need more of moving forward.

Rams kicker Greg Zuerlein missed that field goal at the end, which was AWESOME.

The Bad

I didn’t like some of the yards that Seattle’s defense gave away to Todd Gurley. On one first half play that was a twelve yard gain, it looked like linebacker Mychal Kendricks gave up containment on a zone read, and in the second half, the Rams made Seattle’s aggressive front pay with a draw play that lead to a long Gurley TD in the red zone. Gurley annoys me, and I hate seeing him have a big game against my team. Thankfully, the defense held him in enough check on other plays.

I didn’t like how Pete Carroll went for it on fourth down towards the end of the first half, and then RW called a time out after he couldn’t draw the Rams off-sides, and then they set up for a missed field goal. I kinda think had they just gone for the kick, Myers would have made it, but that’s just me.

In a tight game, DK Metcalf needed to haul in a fourth quarter two point conversion pass from Wilson and it bounced out of his hands. The rookie has been a phenom for the most part so far in this season, but not on that play.

I really didn’t love that weird read option QB keeper thingy that Seattle ran on third and short in the closing minutes of the game that the Rams sniffed out and Wilson awkwardly pitched it to Tyler Lockett for a big loss. Generally, I dug the play calls from Brian Schottenhiemer in this match, but let’s toss that play out of the playbook. Had Zuerlein made that field goal, that play would have been talked about endlessly for the week and a half. That was the Shark that started to turn around and swim towards the Seahawks.

The Ugly

Clay Matthews’ hair. Seriously, though. This dude annoyed me almost immeasurably when he was in Green Bay. Now I have to watch him play against my Hawks twice a year in a Rams uniform? Icky gross.

Final Thoughts

At the beginning of the season, I predicted that the Seattle Seahawks would go 11-5 this year. After beating these Los Angeles Rams at home, they are now 4-1, and are on a solid pace for that. There is still work to do with this team, though.

Primarily, it still feels like they are figuring out the pass rush. I don’t think it is as terrible as some seem to believe. While they didn’t generate any sacks against these Rams, the pass rush effected Goff enough to get him off target, and that was enough for this win. I just think that with all the new faces that they are now relying on, it’s going to take some time. I think they get better as the season goes and soon enough they will add pass rushing defensive tackle Jarran Reed. He has got to come in ready to go. Its important for him and this team.

Offensively is where I think Seattle is finding its grove, and it’s looking quite groovy. They can run, and they can pass, and they have young talent stepping up and proving themselves now. There is a lot of reason for optimism in that.

This is also Russell Wilson’s best start to any season he has ever had, and that is the early season story-line for me. He has been an elite quarterback for a while now, but this year, it feels like he is taking it to a whole new level. It also just feels like for the first time in his career, the Seattle Seahawks are truly his team, and he is running with that. He’s never seemed so comfortable and sure, even in the occasional choas. As much as I love the LOB, Marshawn, Michael Bennett and Doug Baldwin, I have to admit that it is more than refreshing that this team is finally Russell’s. He’s earned that.

Are they a Super Bowl contender this year? I don’t know, but I do think that 11-5 is reasonable, and if they beat the Rams once more who knows. Still a lot of football left to play, but I like what I’m seeing thus far. I really do.

I like it a lot.

Go Hawks.

Last week at this time, I was reeling to find the stomach to write about about Seattle’s disappointing home loss against the Drew Brees-less New Orleans Saints. I watched the game in Portland, and had to process it for a three and a half hour drive up the I-5 Corridor back to Seattle. That game sucked, the drive home sucked, and I was about to throw Chris Carson and Mychal Kendricks to the curb indefinitely. I thought they both played like freeze dried doggie doodoo to put it mildly.  Today against the Cardinals, I thought they were clearly the players of the game on offense and defense.

Here are my notes.

The Good

Russell Wilson was continually on point at quarterback today, just as he has been through the previous three games. This has been his best start of any season ever. He is on pace for throwing about 3,600 yards, 28 touchdowns and 0 interceptions on a team that loves to run the ball. I’ll take those numbers. Against these Cards, he had yet another terrific game, and he was particularly sharp leading a long scoring drive in the fourth quarter after Arizona scored a touchdown to stay competitive. Russell Wilson is the MVP of this 3-1 team so far in my book.

Last week, and the week before, a bumbling stumbling changeling was running the ball for Seattle wearing number 32. Today, 32 was worn by Chris Carson, and it was great to see him back. He ran for tough yards when Seattle needed him to, and he caught the ball and ran for tough yards with it when they needed him to do that, as well. He was perfect today. Perfection.

Will Dissly is an absolute stud muffin at tight end, and today, he did more stud muffin things. I continue to love everything about Will Dissly. I think he can be one of the very best tight ends in the league. This is not hyperbole.

Mychal Kendricks was everywhere on the field on defense, rushing the passer, dropping into coverage, and was a tackling machine. He played like he owed back rent. Is this a guy Seattle should consider locking in long term? I’m beginning to think so.

Jadeveon Clowney had the play of the game picking off rookie quarterback Kyler Murphy and running it in for an easy score. In one play, you saw his undeniable athleticism. He looked like Richard Sherman if Sherm was two inches taller and fifty pounds heavier. I kinda hope Seattle locks him up long term, as well.

Seattle’s young wave of defensive lineman all played pretty darn well getting key sacks and stops. Poona Ford, Rasheem Green, and LJ Collier suddenly feel like potential front four building blocks moving forward, and are only just getting going. Don’t believe me? Green is tied for the lead on sacks on this team with two through four games. That puts him on pace for an eight sack season. Not too shabby, young sir.

Cornerback Shaquill Griffin had his fourth really solid game in a row. I predicted he would have a bounce back year this year before the season started. He is making me appear smarter than I look.

It was really nice to see Luke Willson back in a Seattle uniform, and it was even better to see him haul in a key fourth quarter catch that led to a first down. I never want to see Luke Willson leave Seattle again.

The Bad

Not much to note about here.

Rookie receiver phenom DK Metcalf was held to only one catch for six yards.

As the game went on in the second half, the offense that had played a clean game up to that point started racking up some annoying penalities that killed a few drives.

Tedric Thompson generated an unnecessary roughness call hitting a defenseless receiver that kept Arizona alive in the fourth, and it led to a touchdown scoring drive for them. Tedric is not much of a fan favorite and is starting to feel a little bit like the Germaine Ifedi of the defense. It doesn’t help him that he is filling the shoes of Earl Thomas. Kinda feel sorry for this guy, but plays like that aren’t going help fan perception.

The Ugly

I can’t really pick an ugly here.

Maybe that play call on the late scoring drive when offensive coordinator Brian Schottenhiemer chose to have Russell Wilson pass in an empty backfield formation in the red zone when the threat that Arizona was facing was Chris Carson and the run game with the clock running down. Why call that play there? That felt brain farty.

Closing Thoughts

When Seattle traded for Jadeveon Clowney at the beginning of the season, I felt that this likely put this team on a path of a 11-5 season. They sit 3-1 right now with a chance to take down the 3-1 Rams at home this Thursday Night. This is a huge early season game, and the Twelves need to bring it at Century Link Field big time. If they don’t, Seattle can not brag about its distinct home field advantage. This should be an exciting time for any Seahawks fan.

What is most exciting to me is that it feels this team is still trying to figure out itself. It still feels like an offense that wants to run, but now it feels more like an offense fully capable of setting up the run by passing, just like it did today, and kind of has had to do the last few weeks. Just me opinion, but it feels like there is more trust in Russell than maybe there ever has been before with this staff. This finally feels like Russell’s team.

It’s also kind of exciting how this defense is figuring itself out. Through four games, they have rather arrogantly stayed in a base 4-3 defense against offenses that primarily use extra receivers. Today, they took apart an air raid offense by keeping all three of their linebackers on the field, and not blinking. This is interesting stuff moving forward, especially when you consider that all the new faces on the defensive line are still trying to figure each other out.

Then when you add in the fact that Seattle will get their prized defensive tackle Jarran Reed back after two more games, there is some legitimate reason to allow for optimism. The defensive line has exceeded expectations, thus far, in my opinion, and they aren’t even whole, yet. That’s exciting.

Yup. Today is a great day to be a Seattle Seahawks fan. Funny what winning does.

Go Hawks!

It sucks losing in the NFL. It really sucks when you lose at home, and it really, really sucks whenever you lose at home to a team that you should have, and are supposed to beat. This Sunday really, really sucked to be a Seattle Seahawks fan.

Yet, here we are. On a day where Russell Wilson threw for 406 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and ran for 51 yards and a pair of touchdowns, the Seattle Seahawks could not get out of their own way with critical mistakes against the Teddy Bridgewater led New Orleans Saints and that was enough to lose 33-27 (a final score wasn’t even remotely an indicator of how bad Seattle was actually losing this match).

For those stat geeks that think passing it the way to win in the modern NFL, allow this game to be a lesson. The best player on the field on this day was NOLA’s running back Alvin Kamara, and it wasn’t even close. In this league, you still need to be able to run the ball, you need to not turn the ball over, you need to play well enough in all three phases of the game, or most likely, you are going to have a very difficult time winning any match against any team in the NFL.

Let’s unravel this mess.

The Good

There was plenty of bad with this Seattle offense today, but pass blocking was not one of them. After giving up eight sacks and tons of pressures over the last two games, Russell Wilson had pretty much solid pass protection against a Saints defense that had been generating lots of sacks and pressures in this early season. This one shining aspect of the Seattle offensive might escape a number of Twelves in this bitter loss, but not this Twelve. I noticed it all game long. It helped that Russell got the ball out early, but he also had enough protection to extend. Good job by the big fellas up front.

Tyler Lockett had a monster receiving day catching almost everything thrown his way for 11 receptions, 154 yards, and a touchdown. He would have had a second touchdown had Russell not slightly over thrown him a bit. For those worried if he would adequately be able to replace Doug Baldwin, Lockett now has 21 catches in the last two games.

Rookie receiving phenom DK Metcalf had yet another splashy day hauling down yet another big time deep pass against tight coverage. If Seattle gets its act together and gets to the playoffs, like I think they can, Metcalf has got to be considered a prime candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year at the rate he is performing.

Second year tight end Will Dissly also had another solid game making some challenging catches in traffic, keeping drives alive. I love everything about Will Dissly.

Russell Wilson was, again, the show. Not for only throwing for monster yards, but also being Seattle’s most reliable runner. Yeah, he could have thrown Lockett a better ball in the end zone in the second half of the day that would have more quickly shortened the scoring deficit, and yeah, he did chuck a few low balls here and there as the game went on. But there is only so much a quarterback, any quarterback can do when special teams gives up an easy touchdown, your star running back can’t properly plant his feet and then coughs up the ball for an easy defensive score, and then your star linebackers and defensive ends kind of forget how to properly tackle. This loss was not really on Russell Wilson. Let’s be honest about that.

The Bad

Chris Carson had what I thought was his worst game as a pro last week against Pittsburgh, fumbling twice and nearly costing Seattle a much needed, hard to come by road victory. He followed that bad performance with an even worse game against a Saints defense that supposedly wasn’t very good against the run. Early in this match, he had trouble with his footing. It was odd to watch. This guy has played in Seattle for over two seasons now at a high level. He should understand the turf, and the wet, and know what cleats to wear. That was one thing, the fumble he coughed up after a big run that was returned for an easy Saints touchdown was inexcusable. He has now fumbled the ball four times in three games. I fear his running style has been scouted out, and based on the way he handles the ball, defenses know how to punch it out. When he finally entered back into the game, he was stopped for short gains, and worse, he looked tentative. I don’t want to ring all the alarm bells with this guy, but there feels like there could be possibly some sort of downward Thomas Rawls-like spiral with his game. At his best, he runs with explosion, toughness, and decisiveness. Will changing how he holds the ball diminish those traits? Will he be less likely to fight through contact in order to better protect the ball? This is a situation worth monitoring.

Seattle’s special teams was special suck ass in this game. They start out be missing an easy couple tackles on their opening series punt coverage that gave up a touchdown. Then later in second half, when Seattle desperately needed a stop, veteran defensive tackle Al Woods decided to illegally line up on a long missed field goal attempt, thus giving New Orleans another first down which ultimately led to another touchdown drive that practically iced away the game for them.

Seattle’s stalwart front seven that includes Jadeveon Clowney, Ziggy Ansah, KJ Wright, Bobby Wagner, and Mychal Kendricks apparently forgot how to tackle against Saints running back Alvin Kamara way too many times. Now, granted, Kamara was clearly the best football player in the game yesterday, and might arguably even be the best all around offensive weapon in the league this year, but this is supposed to be the strength of Seattle’s defense, if not the entire team. This was a game where not having defensive tackle Jarran Reed hurt. Clowney couldn’t even wrap him up at times, and he is supposed to be one of the very best run stopping defensive ends in the game. Outside of maybe Wagner, I thought Seattle’s front seven pretty much got punked today by Kamara. They need to regroup and get that all figured out. It was really hard stuff to watch.

Future Hall of Famer Pete Carroll pooped himself with numerous decisions and non-decisions, whether it was failing to call time out at the end of the first half that could have led to a scoring drive, to going for it on multiple fourth downs that could have led to field goals or punts that would have backed up the Saints. Pete pooped himself.

The Ugly

Pete Carroll’s nose because during pregame warms ups, rookie linebacker Cody Barton broke it inadvertently throwing the ball at an assistant, and having Carroll walk right into it as the team was trotting off the field.

Closing Thoughts

It’s nowhere near the time to push the panic button on this team just yet. Seattle is 2-1, and that is what I expected them to be after three games. It’s just that I expected them to win at home against the Saints and lose on the road against the Steelers. This is how the NFL can be, though, and it’s especially how the Seattle Seahawks can be over the years under Pete Carroll. They often win some matches that we don’t expect them to, and they drop matches that we expect them to win.

They have not played anywhere near their best ball yet. There are a lot of new pieces starting on the defense, and it’s going to take some time to gel. They are also playing with a number of new pieces on the offense.

Chris Carson has got to play better, and he can. He’s too talented of a runner to not play better. I suspect Seattle’s defense will get better chemistry up front as the season goes on, and will play better. Historically, when they played a game with poor tackling, they usually follow it by playing a game where they tackle much better. This is also a bit of a Pete Carroll Seattle thing.

This is still a team with a lot of talent. Maybe they look to add more. Maybe they stay put with what they have. Either way, I’m still picking them to win 11 games this year, and a win next week in the desert against the Cardinals would put them at 3-1, and still very much in the thick of things. Just beat those win-less Cardinals.

Go Hawks.

Well, that was a fun one, wasn’t it?

Some game, this season, Seattle will handily beat an opponent. I am sure of it.

The Good

Seattle likely needed Russell Wilson to put on a passing clinic to pull off a road win today, and he delivered one. After a shaky first half where he was sacked four times, offensive Brian Schottenhiemer adjusted Seattle’s attack, calling short passes to attack Pittsburgh zone defense. What Wilson did with those calls was surgical, and he again reminded us that, when called upon, he is a top quarterback in this league. Brilliant play by Russ, and great adjustment by Schotty.

Second year tight end Will Dissly was a boss today. Five tough grabs over the middle, two touchdown passes, and grat effort trucking over defenders. I love everything about Will Dissly.

Tyler Lockett had a great day hauling in ten grabs, but rookie receiver DK Metcalf again showed us just how special his upside is snagging three passes for sixty one yards and a TD. Do not underestimate just how valuable his early season contribution is to Seattle’s passing game. This is really good news for Seattle with no Doug Baldwin this year.

Bradley McDougald looked good at free safety replacing Tedric Thompson, and had a key interception. This might be his job for the rest of the year.

Seattle’s linebackers had a great day keeping all plays in front of them, and putting on a tackling clinic. They were the stars of the defense.

Quietly, Shaquill Griffin had another really solid game at left corner.

Rashaad Penny reminded doubters why he is special at running back. For as tough as Chris Carson is, Penny is the home run hitter on this offense. I think he is going to have a great year.

The Bad

Chris Carson had his worst game as a professional football player and it nearly cost Seattle an important road victory. For two weeks in a row, he felt the defense keying on him, and today it got the better of him, as he fumbled the ball twice, and the second time set up an easy Steelers score that made the match 28-26. The game shouldn’t have been that close. Fortunately, he iced the game gaining a key fourth and one first down in the closing minutes.

Germaine Ifedi has had a rough start to the season at right tackle. He gave up tons of pressure against the Bengals last week, and had was responsible for three penalties this week. Seattle needs him to play cleaner. He’s capable, and as a fourth year pro, he needs to if he wants a big second contract.

Seattle’s defensive line started the game on fire, but I thought wore down a bit in the second half. Already playing without Jarran Reed and Ziggy Ansah, today they needed the presence of Poona Ford inside stacking up the run, and being generally disruptive. Let’s hope Poona gets back next week. Poona, Poona, Poona.

The Ugly

Seattle’s offensive line gave up a ton of first half pressure, and stuggled some to open up run lanes. It was ugly, but they played better as the game went on.

Russell Wilson took a vicious shot to the head from linebacker Bud Dupree that somehow wasn’t called for roughness by the refs when the refs were calling all kinds of plays against Seattle. I’m going to take it here. It brought back horrible memories of that one Super Bowl match up between these two clubs years ago. Screw those Pittsburgh loving refs. Screw them a lot.

Closing Thoughts

Seattle is 2-0 for the first time since their Super Bowl winning season of 2013. Enjoy that, Seattle fans. What is most exciting to me about that is this team still doesn’t feel complete, yet. Their defensive line, for example, while exceeding early expectations, is still playing without stars Jarran Reed and Ziggy Ansah. This defense is only going to get better, and ultimately, I think the offense will, as well.

Also, interestingly enough, Seattle is still sitting pretty with 2019 cap space and 2020 picks to make another trade. They can still add to this team. Last week, I was thinking that they could add a receiver. This week, I’m thinking that they could make a move for a defensive back. Dolphins safety Minkah Fitzpatrick is reportedly on the market and wants to play nickel corner. Seattle conceivably has a need at nickel corner. Is this the next step Seattle takes towards reclaiming the NFC West?

Could be an interesting next few days.

For now, let’s bask and enjoy this important win.

Go Hawks.

For the love of Marshawn Lynch, can they just get a stinking first down?!

Before the Seattle Seahawks kicked off at 1:05 PM at Century Link Field last Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals, were your expectations for their season high? If so, after Seattle just inched out a 21-20 victory in the final seconds of the game, had those expectations suddenly escaped you?

Allow me to share a some texts I received during the game from my friend Matt who is as impassioned of a Seahawks fan as anyone I know, and also someone who generally optimistic about their chances.

Unbelievable. But did WE GET a new offensive coordinator??

Bruh. I’m going for a walk whenever the offense is on the field.

I just can’t right now. The Bengals. The f***ing Bengals.

I just can’t. I’ll time in for the 2 minute drill.

I’ve adjusted my expectations to 8-8.. I know it’s early but.. Yeesh. 

Most of my responses to Matt were intent on calming him, but I understood where he was coming from. That wasn’t the match that I was expecting either. I felt Seattle would, and should handle a Bengal team, one that I figured was vastly inferior, much more easily. But maybe the Bengals aren’t that inferior.

Andy Dalton, while not the dynamic passer that Russell Wilson is, has always been a quality starter in this league, good enough to lead the Bengals into the playoffs five times in the eight seasons he has been their passer. That’s not exactly bottom feeder material. Also, any Seattle fan should have been aware of how dynamic John Ross can be at wide receiver, having played some prolific college ball at the University of Washington.

Defensively, the Bengals have Geno Atkins and Carlos Dunlap on their line. Atkins is one of the very best defensive tackles in the game, outside of Aaron Donald, he might be the best, and Dunlap is a player comparable to Calais Campbell. If the Rams had Campbell on their line with Donald this year, I think that would be a terrifying proposition for any reasonable Seattle Seahawks fan. Both players have given Russell Wilson fits over the years.

Now factor in the the Bengals were coached by brand new head coach Zach Taylor, the former Rams’ quarterback coach who knew the Seattle defense pretty darn well, while, on the other hand, the Seahawks had very little game tape to scout on this new look Bengal offense. Suddenly, you begin to formulate the advantage that the Bengals actually had in this match. It was fairly significant.

The Bengals had a full season of game tape to study on Seattle offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer’s offense and Ken Norton’s defense. Conversely, Seattle didn’t really know what to expect from Cincinnati on either side of the ball.

The Bengals did everything they could to take away Seattle’s run game and they double teamed Russell Wilson’s favorite target Tyler Lockett. They were determined not to be beat by Seattle’s run game and they forced Wilson to look for other targets with an offense that was filled with unproven targets. It was a smart approach, and it nearly worked. Fortunately for Seattle fans, Wilson found rookie receiver extraordinaire DK Metcalf early and often enough to keep Seattle’s offense alive enough to somehow manage three touchdowns.

Offensively, Cincinnati picked on second year cornerback Tre Flowers and free safety Tedric Thompson. This was another smart approach. There has been a lot of hype about Flowers going into this season, but the reality is that he is still a converted college safety who is learning to play corner, and Thompson is a free safety who is a limited athlete. John Ross is the fastest player in the league. I would have matched him up against them in zone coverage, as well.

Looking at all of this, is it really a surprise that Seattle struggled in this match?

Yes, Seattle’s offensive line could have, and should have played better, but this time of the year, most offensive lines tend to struggle because of the limits of playing together during the preseason. Defensive linemen always have an advantage in these early games, and Seattle reserve defensive tackle Quinton Jefferson was arguably the player of the game with two sacks, six tackles and two pass defenses.

Yes, Seattle’s offensive coordinator could have adjusted better against the Bengal defense that was selling out to take away the run. He could have spread the defense out more to soften up the front. They could have ran outside more than inside. He could have called for a quicker passing attack. The good news is the next day, head coach Pete Carroll admitted that they should have adjusted better, and I think next time faced with similar conditions, they likely will. The Bengals defense likely gave them a blue print for how teams defend Seattle this year.

And yes, it was also a bit odd that Seattle chose to keep three linebackers on the field when Cincinnati was in three receiver sets, but here is the thing; had Tedric Thompson simply made a fairy simple play on a deep pass that Andy Dalton hung out there at the end of the second quarter, Seattle probably would have won this game more comfortably by a score of something like 21-13 instead of the nail biting 21-20 final.

Football is a game of inches, and Thompson was inches away from making a simple routine play. I take solace in knowing that if Thompson does not play better, Seattle has other safeties on the roster that they can go to, and Carroll will not hesitate to make a move.

It’s also important to note that Seattle is perfectly willing to allow quarterbacks to have big passing days so long as they do not give up large chunk plays. Carroll’s philosophy is to keep plays in front of you, don’t allow plays to get behind you, and the more the quarterback passes, the more chances exist for the quarterback to make a mistake, or something to go wrong, and the defense gets a turnover.

Under Carroll, Seattle is now 6-0 whenever quarterbacks have passed for 400 yards or more. That is an important record to remember when looking at Dalton’s career passing day against these Seahawks. It’s important to remind ourselves just how this defense is designed to function.

Pete Carroll’s defense, even in the height of the LOB fame, is the definition of Bend Don’t Break. They are perfectly willing to give up yards and trade field goals for touchdowns, and this final score of 21-20 against the Bengals shows that. The Bengals scored five times opposed to Seattle scoring three times. They owned the time of possession and almost all the yardage stats, but they settled for field goals while Seattle made three touchdowns, and they lost the turnover differential battle. In a sense, this game is classic Pete Carroll Seattle Seahawks football.

It’s also not a lot different than a lot of other Seattle starts to their season under Carroll, even during the Super Bowl years. This is why I am still sticking with my 11-5 prediction, even though this game did not go as expected. The main reason why I am comfortable to stay with this projection is that Seattle has a lot of history on their side. Think back on things. We’ve seen this movie several times before.

In 2013, the season in which Seattle won the Super Bowl, they started the season by winning a grueling 12-7 victory in Carolina. Later in the season, they barely pulled out a 14-9 win in St Louis against another awful Rams team. In that game against the Rams, they didn’t look, or play like the team that would go on to steamroll the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl. They looked kinda like the team that just played against the Bengals.

In 2015, the Seattle lost a painfully close opener in St Louis against a horrible Rams team by 31-34 in overtime. They went on and finished the year at 10-6, and making it as far as the divisional round of the playoffs.

In 2016, Seattle opened the season at home against a perceived inferior opponent in the Miami Dolphins. In that game, Miami’s defense had Seattle’s number and Ndamukong Suh practically broke Russell Wilson on an awkward sack play where he landed viciously on his ankle. Seattle painfully managed to sneak out a 12-10 win, and the season felt painfully uncertain, yet they finished the season winning the division, hosting, and winning a playoff game.

Last year, in 2018, Seattle went on the road and lost a close opener to the Denver Broncos 24-27. They then lost the following game in Chicago, and they started the season 0-2. Those were perceived to be easier games on their schedule, and it felt almost certain that they were not going to be a competitive team for the first time in a long while. Seattle went on to finish the season 10-6, and earned yet another playoff birth, while Denver finished their season with a miserable 6-10 record.

You can clearly see where I’m going with all this. Seattle has a pattern of starting their seasons off in lackluster ways, and occasionally laying a few eggs throughout the course of their seasons. You could call it Pete Ball.

In Pete Carroll’s tenure as the head coach of the Seahawks, this team has previously made the playoffs seven out of nine times, they have only lost in the opening round of the playoffs only once, and they have been to two Super Bowls, winning one of them. Those are instant Hall of Fame numbers for Carroll. However, out of those season opener games, Seattle was 4-5, and are now they are 5-5 with this close win against the Bengals. That is as so-so of a season opener record as one could have it.

Winning a close game at home to a Bengals team that might actually be better than some are expecting isn’t a death sentence to their season at all. In fact, barely winning against a Bengals team that might end up being pretty bad also isn’t a signal of dark days ahead for this franchise, either.

The truth of the matter is that Seattle has a consistent winning formula behind its Hall of Fame destined head coach. It is to protect the ball whenever they are on offense, and take the ball away when they are on defense. Against the Bengals, Seattle lost the yardage battle by seemingly embarrassing numbers, but they won the turnover differential, and Carroll would likely point to that as the primary reason why they won.

The reason why Seattle is stubborn about running the ball is that it is an easier way for them to protect the ball, and eventually they know their star quarterback is going to make plays that will make the defenses pay for selling out against that stubborn rushing attack. He did that multiple times against the Bengals, and that is another huge reason why Seattle ultimately won this match.

This is Seattle’s formula. It might not always be pretty. It might, in fact, severely annoy the contingent of fans that want to see Seattle join the pass happiness of the rest of the  league, but that is not the formula of the head coach, and he has history, years of post season success, and all kinds of stats to back up his preferred style.

Personally, I am still very much trusting Pete on this one. I am looking at this game last Sunday, and I am chalking it up to another season opener in which the team had a lot of sloppy play, but still fought hard, and found ways to win. To me, it was a sign of a team that needs to get more settled on offense, and work out the kinks of a defense that allowed explosive plays that kept Cincinnati very much alive last Sunday. Under Pete Carroll, in the Russell Wilson era, it’s practically automatic that they do that.

When we look over the years, we’ve seen enough times how this whole thing plays out. Last year, they started last season 0-2 and still made the playoffs. They are 1-0 starting this season. That’s not bad.

And let me be clear, there is absolutely nothing wrong with dropping your expectations. It might even be therapeutic. My buddy Matt later said that he was dropping his down to 8-8 simply so that he could better enjoy the season. There is decent logic in that, and truth be told, there are definite ways in which Seattle could end up 8-8, even with a healthy Russell Wilson. Seattle is presently fairly thin at receiver and cornerback these days. If they lost Tyler Lockett and Shaquill Griffin to serious injury, there could be some troubling waters ahead if others don’t step up. If the offensive line looses Duane Brown and DJ Fluker, that could spell certain trouble, as well.

The thing of it is, though, Russell Wilson has perhaps the single most uncanny way, of any starting NFL quarterback, to lead his team to wins. In 2016, the dude played through a high ankle sprain, a strained knee, and a torn pec muscle to guide Seattle to a division winning season without much of a run game to depend on. What other QB in this league does that? So long as this guy is on the field, they are going to be in most games more time than not, and that is probably the single biggest reason outside of the head coach, why I still feel comfortable that Seattle can win eleven games this year.

Before the Jadeveon Clowney trade, I was thinking Seattle was likely destined for another 9-7 or perhaps a 10-6 season, with a decent chance at the playoffs. Personally, I think Clowney’s presence on the defense is good for two more wins to that, and 11-5 just sounds about right. It was a good start for him on the defense last Sunday. It will only get better as he gets more accustomed.

What do I know, though? I’m just a fan. Sixteen games is a lot of football for a lot of things to happen. I just think Russell Wilson and Pete Carroll are magical beings sent to us here in the PNW so that we can enjoy winning football.

Why they sometimes play down to some opponents in some games, I don’t ultimately know. Maybe they get too conservative at times when they shouldn’t, but I do know that they also tend to play up to big opponents in other games in the same duration of their seasons, as well. This is a team that can loose to a struggling Redskins team at home one week, and then go into Foxborough and beat the World Championship Patriots the next.

This is why I think that it wouldn’t be a stunner if they went into Pittsburgh this Sunday, and actually pulled out a win that very few experts will likely predict. When Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson play with house money in the Expectations Casino, they tend to come out ahead more times than not over the years.

I take solace in that.

Go Hawks.

Well, that was interesting.

Honestly though, Seattle fans. Were you really expecting a Pete Carroll Seattle Seahawk season opener to be any different?

And while we on the subject of asking questions, I got another one for you.

What is a good win?

My answer is that any win is a good win, especially in the NFL. If that doesn’t make you feel any better, that’s okay. It makes me feel better, and frankly, I care more about how I feel than how you do, if we are being perfectly honest.

So, good win today, Seattle.

The Good.

The Seattle defensive line had an awesome game today. Defensive tackle Quinton Jefferson has kind of become the forgotten man on a line that now features Jadeveon Clowney, Ziggy Ansah, Poona Ford, Jarran Reed, and Al Woods. Quinton Jefferson was arguably the Player of the Game being a constant disruptive force getting, two sacks, and a constant barrage of quarterback  pressures. Rasheem Green had the game saving play getting a strip sack in the closing seconds. Poona Ford and Al Woods made plays at defensive tackle, and Clowney got a key sack. This unit played great ball without Ansah and Reed available. That’s a big positive.

Rookie wide receiver DK Metcalf had a sensational rookie debut. His big play abilities in the passing game kept Seattle’s struggling offense alive in this one. The impromptu scramble pass play the gained a key first down, I thought was the offensive play of the game, and it’s exciting to think about his chemistry growing with Russell Wilson.

Chris Carson made some timely plays running the ball and pass catching against a defensive front seven that was doing everything to take him out of the game. He and Metcalf are the two superhuman talents on offense to go along with Russell. Seattle needs one more person to step up and make defensive coordinators think.

The play action deep touchdown pass from Russell Wilson to Tyler Lockett was as pretty and timely as they come in football.

I thought Russell Wilson played well under limited opportunities and a lot of duress.

The Bad

For as good has Seattle’s defensive front was pressuring Dalton and taking away the Bengal run game, Seattle’s pass defense was really poor throughout most of the game. Apparently, Seattle felt the need to stay in their base defense, keeping three linebackers in the game against the Bengals three receiver sets. Was Seattle not comfortable about their nickel corner situation? Did they think Cincy was going to run more out of those formations? There are things to monitor here.

I’ve been a staunch Brian Schottenhiemer defender, but I wasn’t in love with a lot of the play calling today. It felt like the Bengal defenders were in the playbook of a lot of the run plays, and there were too many times where I thought Schotty was calling a “play it safe” style against Bengal team that they needed to generate points to beat. Russell Wilson never seemed to be turned loose in this one, and kind of had to make the most of his limited passing opportunities. Fortunately, Wilson delivered.

The Ugly

I hate calling out players, but Tedric Thompson could not make a play on the ball in coverage to save his life. It feels like his time as a starter might be nearing an end. Seattle did not draft Marquise Blair high in the second round to be a backup. Tedric might be a smart player, but he is a limited athlete. Today he felt exposed.

And for as dynamic of the player receiver Tyler Lockett is, he dropped an easy completion in the fourth quarter of the game that could have easily helped Seattle ice it against Cincy sooner. He’s got to make that catch when the offense is struggling. He has to haul in that ball.

Closing Thoughts

This probably wasn’t the win Seattle fans would have liked to have seen, but they were playing a Bengals team that had a new head coach that has never been a head coach before. Thus, there wasn’t a lot to scout about this group, and Seattle had to feel it out. They did make enough adjustments to pull out the win. So credit Seattle for that.

However, Seattle clearly had issues with their pass defense, and they are going to be facing some quality passers over the next few weeks. They have got to fix the leaks. Does Pete Carroll consider replacing Tedric Thompson at free safety? Are they going to settle on a nickle corner? Do they look outside to add here?

Offensively, I think they will get better as the season goes on. Under Carroll, Seattle has historically struggled on offense early in the season only to settle in and fix as they go. With DK Metcalf, Chris Carson, Tyler Lockett, and Will Dissly, they got some nice pieces to work with. Part of me wonders if they don’t look to add another veteran receiver in the coming weeks. We shall see.

Good win today, though. I will give them that, even if you won’t.

Go Hawks.

Earl wants receivers, and Kam enjoys saying “Poona, Poona, Poona.”

Well, here we are. It’s that time of the year. Training camp and the preseason are over, the 2019 Seattle Seahawks have trimmed the fat off of their roster, and made a very Seahawky splash trade. I have sat down with my expert panel to break down the roster, and offer our predictions for the season. My expert panel includes myself, my orange tabby cat Earl, and my medium black haired cat Kam.

Here we go.

Quarterback. Russell Wilson and Geno Smith 

Curtis: In two preseason games, Russell Wilson has never looked more poised and decisively in control of the offense. He also quicker running the ball. I think he is poised to have a monster year in 2019. It’s his second year in the new system, and his chemistry with Tyler Lockett is off the hook good. He’s going to be an MVP candidate. Book it.

Earl: Let me ask you this. Where are Russell’s weapons? No Angry Doug, they cut Jaron Brown, and DK Metcalf is working his way back from injury, as is David Moore. By the way, y’all ready to trust Moore and Metcalf when they do come back? Russ is fine. He’s a solid QB, but he needs weapons. I don’t see a monster year out of him. If they make the playoffs, it will be on the run game. I actually kinda like Geno Smith.

Kam: Dude, why didn’t you save all that for the Wide Receiver section. This is about quarterback. Personally, I’m not overly worried. I don’t roll like that. Look, this team is going to run. They are going to run at least fifty percent of the time, and they have the best play action quarterback in the game to work off of that. Russ is going to be just fine. Go Hawks.

Running Back. Chris Carson, Rashaad Penny, CJ Prosise, and Travis Homer

Kam: Chris Carson is a beast. Might be the best overall athlete on the team. Has the talent to be all-pro. Problem is that he has never played a season of football without missing games due to injury. He got that injury bug, and they got CJ Prosise still on this roster. That is why I think Rashaad Penny and maybe even Travis Homer become more factors.

Earl: CJ Prosise is the ultimate tease. The three percent that he is actually healthy, he looks like one of the best backs in the league. There’s this calico cat three houses down from us that meows and rolls around in the crushed gravel in the back alley, all goofy like, makes you want to bite and lick him, but he runs off every time I head towards him. Prosise is the football equivalent of that. At some point, you just don’t want to even look his way anymore. Love Chris Carson. Penny I don’t know about yet.

Curtis: I think Penny is going to have a breakout year. I get that there’s a contingency of folks down on him. I think a large portion of those folks also firmly believe that you don’t draft running back in the first round in this modern age of football, and that’s a factor. There’s the thing, though; as much as I love Carson, you can’t rely on him to play healthy for sixteen games, and you definitely can’t rely on Prosise. Penny going to see a lot of opportunities, and he might be the type of back who needs to get touches to get going. Shaun Alexander was like that, and he did pretty well. I like Travis Homer.

Wide Reciever. Tyler Locket, David Moore, Jaron Brown, DK Metcalf, Malik Turner, Gary Jennings, John Ursua.

Earl: Good lord in Heaven. Do you see the names on that list up there? Lick your paw if you ever heard of Malik Turner. Anyone? No licking? Nobody? Jaron Brown was initially cut over the weekend, and then just brought back when tight end Ed Dickson was placed on injured reserve, and now might be the starter heading into the opener. Yikes. Metcalf is an athletic freak show, that’s fine, but he is also as raw as the bird I just killed and left on your back porch. I hope they trade for a quality proven veteran.

Kam: What can you say? They are going young here. Tyler Lockett is definitely the man, though. I’m just not that worried. I think they will be fine. Brown, Moore and Metcalf mixed in with Lockett on a team that loves to run, they will be fine.

Curtis: I’m a bit more with Earl on this one. Even my sunnier outlook is seeing a lot of inexperience here, and we are constantly fed this narrative about how long it takes young receivers to pick up the NFL game coming out of college. Three rooks on a roster is a lot of inexperience. I’m going to trust that the team knows more than we do. Love DK’s upside potential, though. I’m willing to wait this one area out.

Tight End. Will Dissly, Nick Vannett.

Curtis: I love Will Dissly. I really hope he plays a full sixteen game season. I love him.

Earl: I love Will Dissly, but I ain’t super hot on Vannett. I hope they call Jacob Hollister up from the practice squad.

Kam: Love Dissly but let’s not anoint him the second coming of Jason Witten just yet. Let’s first see if he can play a full season. He’s a good blocking tight end who can catch. I like that. Let’s see what happens.

Offensive Line. Duane Brown, Mike Iupati, Justin Britt, DJ Fluker, Germaine Ifedi, George Fant, Ethan Pocic, Joey Hunt, and JaMarco Jones

Kam: It’s weird to call this group the strength of the offense, but in four preseason games, this starting unit has looked pretty dang good. Even Ethan Pocic has looked strong, and he was considered a bubble player heading into camp. He might be the most improved player on the whole roster. I love the way they’ve been playing together. So much so, I’m going to rub myself on your shin and roll over and show you my belly.

Curtis: I love that you love this offensive line, and are rubbing on my shin. I’m going to rub your belly until you bite my hand. I love this line, too.

Earl: Yeah, I like this line a lot. But, we haven’t seen Iupati play yet, and DJ Fluker tends to get banged up, and is known to miss a game here and there. Pocic and Hunt are good depth guys. Fant gets more involved as a blocking tight end, and do we really know anything about JaMarco Jones? I don’t want to be a jerk about this, but I would like my starters a bit more durable, and I would like my depth a bit more deeper. But that’s just me. I don’t need my belly rubbed. In fact, I rather hate that.

Defensive Line. Jadeveon Clowney, Poona Ford, Al Woods, Ezekiel Ansah, LJ Collier, Rasheem Green, Quinton Jefferson, Bryan Mone, and Brandon Jackson (Jarran Reed after six game suspension)

Earl: Holy crap-oli. We got Jadeveon Clowney for a third round pick, and a bag of peanuts. If John Schneider is not general manager of the year for how he dealt Frank Clark for a first and second round pick, signed Ezekiel Ansah, and landed this cat for diddly squat, I will poop on the commissioner’s pillow. Clowney changes everything about this defense. He is a monster against the run, and does bring plenty of quarterback pressure. I can not wait to see him and Poona Ford lined up together.

Curtis: Poona, Poona, Poona. Love the Clowney acquisition, but this line’s success is going to hinge on Poona Ford’s ascension as an impact interior player. I think he is more than up for the task. He is the guy who, inside the team circles, everyone is raving about. He was practically unblockable in the preseason. It’s really hard finding talent that can play defensive tackle like that. For as much of a steal Clowney was from Houston, last year, Seattle brought in Poona Ford last year as an undrafted free agent, and that was a massive find. That is like getting a first round pick for free.

Kam: Poona, Poona, Poona. Okay, fine. I’m working it for another belly rub. I admit that. Seriously though. At some point, Seattle is going to have a defensive front four of Clowney, Ford, Jarran Reed, and Ansah. That is sick. Then they are going to have this year’s first round pick LJ Collier rotating in with the others. Nah, I love this line with Clowney. Stop the run. Pressure the quarterback. Poona, Poona, Poona.

Linebacker. Bobby Wagner, KJ Wright, Mychal Kendricks, Cody Barton, Ben Burr-Kirven, and Shaquem Griffin.

Curtis: Love Russell, the running backs, the offensive line, the defensive line with Clowney, but this linebacker group is the most talented unit on the team. They might be the most talented linebacker unit in the league. Bobby Wagner is the best linebacker on the planet. KJ and Kendricks are pro bowlers. Barton and BBK add ridiculous depth. I don’t know if Seattle has ever had more talent at linebacker.

Earl: I got no worries with this group. If Bobby Wagner misses a game or two, they got Cody Barton to sub in. If KJ misses time, Kendricks can slide over. Shoot, if BBK is having to start week eight, I’m cool with it. I’m just cool with it. Okay, I’m going to go purr and rub on all over your lower leg. No belly rubbing, though, or I’m done with this.

Kam: I got a hot take. I know this defense is built around Bobby. I know they got Clowney up front. I think Mychal Kendricks is going to be a major x-factor on this defense. I think Coach Carroll is going to scheme ways of taking advantage of his rare athleticism and he is going to be a nightmare for running backs, receivers, and quarterbacks. Just you wait. We are going to see things out of this defense we haven’t seen Carroll do, and Kendricks is going to be a big part of it. I want another belly rub. Poona, Poona, Poona.

Cornerback. Shaquill Griffin, Tre Flowers, Neiko Thorpe, Akeem King, and Parry Nickerson.

Kam: Yeah, I’m not excited about this group. I like Flowers, Griffin is okay, but I’m just not seeing the depth here that gets me excited. In fact, it’s unnerving. I might need to make a trip to the litter box.

Earl: Unnerving. Unsettling. Not satisfying. Griffin isn’t terrible. He’s just not great. He might end up being pretty good this year, we will see, but if that dude get injured, suddenly your starting corners are Flowers and King or Thorpe.. yeah, I don’t want to think about it. I need the litter box now.

Curtis: See, here is where I am going to go full on optimistic. I think Shaquill Griffin is going to have a big bounce back year. He is a ridiculously talented athlete. I suspect he got caught up thinking too much last year. He just needs to use his technique and do his job. He doesn’t need to grab six interceptions. He just needs to make it so quarterbacks are less likely to complete a bunch of passes on him. He can do that. Also, I think Seattle is going to adjust their scheme to make things easier on their corners.

Safety. Bradley McDougald, Tedric Thompson, Leno Hill, Marquise Blair, Ugo Amadi.

Curtis: I’m okay here. McDougald is a solid player. It’s disappointing that injuries hampered Blair’s preseason. He played pretty fiercely in the first preseason game and then got injured and dropped off. He’s probably behind the eight ball for quality playing time anytime soon. So, it’s Tedric and McDougald for now. If I’m to throw a hot take into this, I kind of get the vibe Ugo Amadi might be the one rookie to have the most impact on the defense this year. He just has a genuine playmaker vibe to him, and he’s not lacking in confidence. I really like his potential.

Kam: I like Ugo Amadi, a lot, and I am hopeful that Blair can eventually get caught up. I gotta be honest though, there is very little about Tedric Thompson that gets me excited.  At best, we can say he is assignment sound. If he was a backup, that would be cool. “Oh, Blair is injured. Let’s put Tedric out there. He is assignment sound.” Problem is that Blair isn’t anywhere near ready, and Tedric doesn’t make plays. Maybe Leno Hill can step up.

Earl: I’m bummed as #$%^ that Blair isn’t ready to start, and I hope his injuries aren’t going to be a continual issue. Ugo is interesting. I’m not sold on Thompson or Hill. I’ve seen what I needed to see, and I’ve surrendered to the factor Seattle no longer has great safeties. It sucks, though. I want to poop on your pillow just thinking about all this.

Special Teams. Kicker Jason Myers, Punter Michael Dickson, and Long Snapper Tyler Ott.

Earl: Jason Myers can kick the #$%^ out of the football. Did you see that 58 yarder the other night? Holy #$%^.

Curtis: Watch language or I am cutting your Greenie supply down. Myers is the man. Dickson is the Holy Roman Emperor, though. Holy #$%^!

Kam: Yeah, Seattle is good here. I would rather not talk about kickers, though. Poona, Poona, Poona. Belly rub me.

Predictions

Curtis: I think Seattle finishes at 11-5, and they win the division. I think Russell Wilson will be in MVP consideration, Poona Ford becomes the new star on the defense, and if Will Dissly stays healthy, he’s the big break out player on the offense.

Kam: I can see Seattle winning the division. I don’t think the Rams will be as good this year, and I just don’t think the 49ers or the Cardinals will be any good at all. DK Metcalf is going to be the new young star everyone is going to get excited about. Seattle’s front seven will mitigate that lack of quality in the secondary. Poona, Poona, Poona.

Earl: I think Seattle goes 10-6, and they probably land another wildcard spot. I’m not expecting them to make a deep playoff run, if they get in. I know you two love sunshine blown up your butts, but sixteen games is a lot of football for injuries to mound. They got some interesting depth, in places, but are also razor thin at others. As long as Russell is quarterbacking, they will be in contention, but if in week sixteen Travis Homer is the starting running back, JaMarco Jones is the starting left tackle, the starting wide outs are Malik Turner and Gary Jennings, there is only so much you can likely do.

Final Thoughts.

Earl: Trade for a quality veteran wide receiver. You got plenty of cap room and draft capital. Do that, and maybe we can start talking about winning this division.

Curtis: Seattle needs to start fast out of the gate. They need to win their home games, and includes taking care of those pesky Rams. With the addition of Clowney, Seattle has a chance to be the more physical team in an offensive minded division that loves to spread things out. They need to beat up on these other teams with an SEC style of ball. They kinda did that last year. They need to do it more this year.

Kam: Protect Russell Wilson. How do you do that? Run the ball. That is the recipe. Take advantage of play action. Defensively, stop the run, and take away the explosive plays down field. Don’t always need sacks. Just get quarterback pressures and get the offenses settling for field goals. If they kick field goals and you score touchdowns, you should win. It’s really that simple, folks. Poona, Poona, Poona.