Anyone following this blog is aware that occasionally I huddle together with my expert panel to discuss a broader topic. It’ almost always related to something Seahawks, as a blog called 12th Life would lead you to expect.

For example, every NFL mid season, we offer our mid season grades to position groups and coaching of the Seattle Seahawks once the team has played through eight games, which they now have, and which we are doing now. It’s a fun reflection, and we hope you enjoy it.

My expert panel includes myself, along with my tabby cat Earl, and my long haired black cat Kam.

Here are our grades.

Quarterback: A-

Curtis: For the most part, Russell Wilson has been cooking pretty well. This offense is a high scoring machine built off of his arm talent. He’s on pace to shatter franchise records for passing yardage and touchdowns, but he is also on pace to throw more interceptions that he ever has, which is a likely blemish that comes with passing more.

Kam: Russ cooking makes me purr and roll around on the floor and play bite your hand. I love Russell Wilson. I just hope that he doesn’t cook so much that the team gets him killed when defenses now decide to send the kitchen sink at him.

Earl: I don’t get the whole Let Russ Cook scene. This team used to be about balance, and now they are out of balance. Yes, he is their best player. Yes, the offensive attack should now go more through him. I get all that, but sometimes you want to grind a little clock, especially help give a struggling defense a bit of a breather. Russell is now on pace to throw sixteen interceptions, which is very Jay Culter-esque, and I worry now that defenses are figuring out how to rattle him more with blitzing. Therefore, I am the lone dissenter. I say little Russ simmer just a bit.

Running Back: B

Earl: Chris Carson is the guy that I’d like to see cook a bit more, and I would also like to see him signed to a long term extension. I know he gets banged up, and misses a few games, but look how much better this offense is when he is cooking with Russ than when he misses time. Pay the man.

Curtis: I would like to see Carson extended, as well. For my money, he’s running style blends perfectly with Russell’s passing attack. I think he’s a tone setter, as well. His presence was missed the last couple weeks. Short sample size, but there are things that I like about rookie DeeJay Dallas.

Kam: Chris Carson plays running back like a Marvel character. My problem is the depth behind him. Carlos Hyde pulling his hammy has hindered this team. Obviously, they don’t trust Dallas enough to carry more, otherwise they would have kept with him more against the Bills, and Travis Homer is not a threat to run the ball. This team needs Rashaad Penny back. Hard to grade this group higher than a B when Carson predictably misses a few games.

Wide Receiver: A+

Curtis: For my money, this is the position group on the team that I feel best about. I feel best about it now, and I feel even better about it moving forward in the future. DK Metcalf should be a super star for years. Compare him to Megatron all you want, or Terrell Owens. I compare him to Seattle Supersonic legend Shawn Kemp.

Earl: DK Metcalf is a motherfudging beast, but for my cheddar, Tyler Lockett is the man. This dude out shakes all defenders constantly, and he fricking catches everything. For a little guy, he even hauls in the contested stuff. He’s the man.

Kam: Watching DK Metcalf abuse corners makes me roll around on the floor, and play bite. If I were play-calling, I’d line him up everywhere. I’d play in inside, outside. I’d play him at tight end on occasion, and I’d even line him up at running back, BUT I”M CRAZY LIKE THAT!

Tight End: B-

Kam: Tight ends haven’t been used as much as I thought they would, but I love me some Will Dissly and Jacob Hollister. Anyone see where Greg Olsen is? I’m cute.

Earl: If they are going to continue down the whole Let Russ Cook road, I want to see the tight ends used more. Defenses are starting to take away the deep moon balls to DK and Tyler. Russ has got to give them something else to think about, and they have too much talent here to under use this group. Jacob Hollister has been really good lately.

Curtis: I agree about getting the tight ends more involved. Going two tight end more also makes the offense less predictable in terms of defending the pass and run. I’ve been underwhelmed with their use of them, but it also might be a situation where they have been going to the hot hands more with the receivers.

Offensive Line: B+

Curtis: This has been the surprise group for me. Damien Lewis has been a stud at right guard, and Brandon Shell has been really good at right tackle. Ethan Pocic at center is the biggest surprise player on the team this year, though. This is the guy that I think that the team might want to lock into a long term contract.

Earl: Duane Brown is a fricking stud. God, I hope that he doesn’t retire anytime soon. Like, I hope that he plays until he’s forty. Please God. Pretty please.

Kam: I can’t wait to see Chris Carson back because, I can’t wait to see guys like Damien Lewis blocking more downhill again. This is the best pass blocking line Pete Carroll has ever put together in Seattle, but let these dogs eat. I’m cute.

Defense Line: C-

Curtis: We are being generous with this grade, and in all honesty, the seven sack performance against the Bills bumped them up to this C- grade. Up until they trade for Carlos Dunlap, they were working on an incomplete.

Kam: Jarran Reed has been decent at defensive tackle, but he’s had no reliable edge rush help. Funny that the addition of Dunlap on a field last Sunday coincided with 2.5 sacks for Jarran in that game. Not to say that he suddenly turns into Aaron Donald, but I like Jarran Reed. People who don’t are dumb.

Earl: Terrible. That’s the only word that I can use to describe this line. No ability to consistently rush with four players has lend to the team blitzing more, and that has left their secondary and linebackers exposed in coverage. Why hasn’t they activated Snacks Harrison yet off of the practice squad yet?! That fricking drives me nutz and I wanna poop on your pillow because of that. Maybe Dunlap helps this squad, but right now, I grade them as suck ass.

Linebacker: C+

Earl: Bobby Wagner seems slower. If they would fricking get Snacks Harrison actually playing in front of him, maybe that will finally free him up more to make more plays. KJ Wright has probably been the better player overall. I haven’t seen rookie Jordyn Brooks enough to make a call on his play, but I know that I don’t need to see much more of Cody Barton. Give me Snacks!

Kam: Give me more Jordyn Brooks. His speed on the field is instantly noticeable. Also, I agree about getting Snacks Harrison in at defensive tackle. Bobby and KJ deserve to be able to play cleaner. They need better space eating defensive tackle play in front of them. Give me Snacks! I’m cute.

Curtis: Bobby Wagner had a stellar game against the 49ers when he was cut him loose to make plays. Against the Bills, they had him covering receivers who are tops in the league. It was hard to watch. This unit is suffering for two reasons, as I see them. One, they are suffering because of the defensive line play in front of them, and two, they are suffering because Pete Carroll and Ken Norton Junior have not fully defined what this defense is. Are they an aggressive attacking defense, or are they a soft zone defense? For me, they are caught in a no man’s land in between, and it’s frustrating to watch.

Secondary: D

Curtis: It pains me to say it, but this has been the most disappointing area of the team, by far. The trade for Jamal Adams was supposed to make this an area of strength. Yes, injuries have been an issue, but injuries happen everywhere. Yes, lack of quality pass rush has hurt a bunch, but for my eyes, I see this group using poor technique and fundamentals all the time. The safeties miss too many tackles. The corners are using crappy technique. These are fixable things, but they have to fix them now.

Kam: I’m embarrassed by this group. It’s embarrassing to watch them right now. What is Jamal Adams, anyway? Seems to me like he is more of a rush linebacker than a safety. That’s terrible. This defense needs Kam Chancellor to step in an teach these guys how to play together on the back end. Gimme Kam!

Earl: I’m so angry about the state of this squad, I’m going to poop on your pillow. W.T.F

Special Teams: B+

Kam: Michael Dickson has been a freaking stud of a punter. The kicker guy has been steady. If it weren’t for allowing that big return at the start of the game in Buffalo, I’d give this squad on A, but then that play happened.

Curtis: Special teams has been pretty good all year. Dickson has been an all-pro.

Earl: If you think that I am going to talk about special teams and the kickers, I am going to poop on your pillow.

Coaching. B-

Earl: Pete Carroll is a master at building a positive culture, and he is showing an ability to now adapt to a pass happy league with the Russell Cooking thingy. However, this is his defense, not Ken Norton’s. This defense is lousy. He needs to fix it, or they ain’t going anywhere in the playoffs.

Curtis: Brian Schottenheimer has been doing his best coaching, and bravo to Pete for letting him open up the offense for Russell Wilson. Their defense is broke, and for Pete Carroll being a defensive minded head coach, it’s hard to reconcile that. They have time to fix it, but they have got to do it now.

Kam: Kam Chancellor would help fix that defense. I know that he’s my namesake, but I’m being real here. The player would listen to him. Hire him Coach Carroll. Hire him today. He doesn’t have to take over the play calling for Ken, but he can cleanup the fundamentals in the secondary. I’m happy as pie about the offensive coaching, but a big part of the problem on the defense is lack of fundamentals and it’s tough to argue that isn’t on the coaches. Gimme Kam! I’m cute.

Closing Thoughts.

Curtis: The second half of the schedule is going to soften up for this team. They are sitting at 6-2, and are on pace to go 12-4. It’s doable. If they can at least split these two tough games coming up against the Rams and Cardinals, they will be in good shape for that. If they can’t, well..

Kam: Well, the they should’ve hired Kam Chancellor to fix that secondary because that will have been the likely reason why they didn’t split those two games.

Earl: Let’s be real. With this defense, they are a 10-6 wildcard team. Russ will pass for more yards and touchdowns than he ever has before, but he will likely also throw more interceptions than he ever has. That’s the whole reality about letting him cook. Yeah, with the soft looking second half schedule they might well win more than ten games, and they might even win the division, but if this defense doesn’t improve, don’t expect any deep playoff run. At least, I am not. I’m just keeping it real.

Curtis: But if they do manage to fix the defense?

Earl: Then maybe, just maybe, you can get excited about some championship talk. But if that happens, and they still fall short, expect a stinker on your pillow.. because that’s the way I roll. Go Hawks.

Let me share with you this text exchange that I had with my older brother following Seattle’s horrific defensive effort against the Buffalo Bills last Sunday.

“How is it you sack the quarterback like 8 or 9 or 10 times and still get burnt for a bunch of points?..”

“Horrible. I’ve lost faith in Ken Norton Junior as a play caller but we’re stuck with him the rest of the year.”

That was my response to my brother’s question, and it’s true. I have lost faith in Ken Norton Junior as Seattle’s defensive coordinator. Since he was hired to take the place of Kris Richard in 2018, I have witnessed this defense get worse each season, and this season, they are on pace to shatter records in terms of passing yards allowed. They are a million miles away from what a Pete Carroll defense is supposed to be.

A Pete Carroll defense is supposed to be able to pass rush with four defensive linemen, and they can’t. They have to send an extra defender and that leaves their coverage exposed.

A Pete Carrolll defense is supposed to only give up short passing yards, and they give up intermediate to deep yardage all the time with the soft coverage that they feel forced to play.

A Pete Carroll defense is supposed to feature sure tacklers at all three levels of the defense, and they miss tackles at all three levels.

Finally, a Pete Carroll defense is supposed to be fundamentally sound in technique, and their technique appears out of wack often.

The only thing that you can say this defense does that a Pete Carroll defense is supposed to do is slow down the run, but let’s be real about that. Because they offer so much yardage through the air, most teams that they are facing aren’t running the ball as much. Buffalo barely ran against this defense. They didn’t need to.

So, yeah. I’ve lost faith in Ken Norton Junior, and I say that knowing that this defense has not consistently been playing with all of it’s parts. I know that it’s rebuilt secondary has barely played with each other due to injuries to Jamal Adams and Shaquill Griffin. I know that their pass rush took a hit by not having Bruce Irvin or second round edge rusher Darrell Taylor mixing in with Benson Mayowa. I know first round pick Jordyn Brooks has missed a few games due to a knee injury. All this doesn’t matter to me. There are too many other veterans and starters who have been playing out of wack.

Bobby Wagner has had only one great game this season, and it was against an injury ravished 49er offense. Jarran Reed signed a big two year contract extension to provide pass rush inside, and there have been many times that he has not won one on on battles (granted maybe that changes now that Seattle has finally added a legit edge rusher in Carlos Dunlap as he had a great game against the Bills). KJ Wright has had some great moments this season, but he has also missed tackles that, frankly, he should not miss. Quandre Diggs has not lived up to the promise that he showed last year at free safety. When Jamal Adams has played, he’s done well rushing the passer, but has been quite spotty in coverage.

Don’t get me wrong, there are major talent issues that explain partly why this defense has been bad. Seattle did a lousy job building its pass rush over the off-season. They went cheap to add where they most needed to add to make this defense better, and it bit them in the butt big time. Maybe Dunlap fixes things, but it never should have gotten to having to make a mid season trade. They should have fixed it months ago.

But saying all that, even with talent deficiencies, there is no excuse for established veterans to be playing with poor fundamentals. This, to me, is on the coaching. Fundamentals have likely not been emphasized nearly enough.

Now, it is quite possible that Covid interrupted their ability to properly hammer fundamentals over the off-season. Defenses have struggled league wide. This is very true. But Seattle’s defense is historically struggling and that is the big distinction. Huge, actually.

To make matters worth, I have lost faith that Norton has even the ability or willingness to put his best players in the best positions to have success. Bobby Wagner should not be covering Stefon Diggs down field. He is not a nickel corner, he’s a middle linebacker, and Diggs is one of the very best receivers in the league. Jarran Reed is Seattle’s best interior pass rusher, and it fricking drives me nuts seeing him drop back into coverage on third downs. His job is to pass rush and run stop, that’s his job.

So, yeah. I’ve lost faith in Norton. Doesn’t mean that it can’t be earned back, but I am not holding my breath on that.

So should Pete Carroll fire Norton now at the mid season point?

It would be a bold move that might light a needed spark in his defense. It could also be a bold move that could backfire. We have no idea if it would work, but many are now contending that at least it would be something, and that’s fair.

From my point of view, Pete Carroll shouldn’t be concerned whether or not he will lose the locker room. He just signed a contract extension that makes him head coach through 2025. Players know who’s team this is.

It’s very possible that star middle linebacker Bobby Wagner would be hugely upset by firing Norton, and probably his best friend KJ Wright would be right there with him. Norton is like a big brother to them, and they rejoiced a couple years ago when Norton was brought in to replace Richard.

Seeing how they have never really had much of a chance to acclimate Jamal Adams to the defense due to injury, nor did they give much of a chance for Norton to work with new edge rusher Dunlap, they would indeed have some high grounds to make a big stink about that if Carroll dumps their big brother now. There is a very real chance that a Norton firing would alienate two of Carroll’s best veteran defenders to dangerous levels.

The thing that I see with both players, though, is that both of them are highly stand up and professional types. While they might protest heavily at Norton being fired, they might ultimately put it aside for the sake of the defense.

We just don’t know what direction it would go with them, and we also don’t know who Carroll would even replace Norton with. That’s the bigger issue in my mind.

Who on this coaching staff would step in? Clint Hurtt is a good defensive line coach, but I don’t think he has ever play called before.

Would Carroll do it all by himself? That’s a big burden to put on himself when he also likes to be involved with the offense on occasion.

Fans will bring up bringing in Dan Quinn now that he’s been fired from Atlanta as their head coach, but does he want to step in mid season to deal with the hard task of fixing Seattle’s defense? Or does he just want to take the year off and have a breather? I kinda think he’d lean towards the latter.

Kris Richard would be the other obvious outside option with ties to the team. But does he want to return to where he was essentially fired a few years ago?

I just don’t think Carroll is going to fire Norton now, even if he should

Pete Carroll is very loyal to his coaches, and I think he is looking at the fact that they have never really had the defense playing together as it was intended to be, and he is no where near firing Norton at this point. He’s going to want to play this out.

He also knows that he has too many key defenders that will want him to do that in Wagner and Wright, and he won’t want to shake their moral.

So, I just don’t see a firing happening now. They will let this play out. They will have more patience than fans.

I think there is an outside shot that they could bring someone in from the outside to advise, but I don’t know who that person is.

It’s possible that they fix this defense enough to make Seattle a true Super Bowl contender in a Let Russ Cook kinda year. It’s also very possible that they won’t be able to do enough, and Seattle falls short of those expectations.

If that happens, I think changes are likely to be made next off-season.

At least, that is what I would hope.

Go Hawks.

Sometimes.. sometimes, in life.. sometimes something so suck ass comes along that you are left no other recourse than to laugh at it. Call it survival instincts, as it is probably just that. At least it’s that for me.

Yeah. So, after watching Russell Wilson get semi shell shocked into giving up multiple turnovers against a Buffalo Bills defense that supposedly wasn’t very good, while watching a Seattle Seahawk defense surrender an ungodly amount of yardage and points, while somehow managing SEVEN SACKS, I stopped getting angry about what I was witnessing. I know a good bed wetting whenever I see it, and that was much much worse than any bed wetting.

Folks, the Seattle Seahawks pooped themselves. They pooped themselves hard.

They didn’t have the better quarterback, they didn’t have the better defense, they didn’t have the better coaching staff, and therefore, they were not the better team. They sucked. They sucked all over the field. They sucked on offense, defense, and special teams. They sucked as a coaching staff. They sucked butt.

They pooped themselves. Sorry I am being so anal focused about it, but it was all butt.

It’s okay. We all have our moments of unbridled suck ass. It does not mean that we are suck ass. It’s just means that on occasion, we suck ass. It happens.

The Seattle Seahawks are not a bad team. They are certainly not a team that is going to now slip away from playoff contention. They still lead their division. In fact, at the mid point of this season for them, they stand on a healthy 6-2 record. They are on pace to win about twelve games, if all goes well during a second half of their season where the schedule gets much softer.

And further more, guess who also sucked butt on Sunday? The almighty Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who got smoked by the Saints much worse that Seattle did by the Bills, and frankly, the Bills are likely a much better team than the Saints. They pooped themselves much, much worse, and Tom Brady played much, much worse than Russell Wilson did. It happens.

This is football, and this is life. It’s not a matter of whether or not you poop yourself, it’s a matter of what you do afterwards as a result. Fortunately for Seahawk fans, Russell Wilson usually responds to a bad outing with a much better outing the following week. His record after a loss is astoundingly good.

Trust that the Seahawks’ season is not lost after this outing. While their defense will likely not be a great one this season, trust that it can get better, because, frankly, I don’t think it can get much worse than it was in this game.

Will this defense be good enough for Seattle to properly win a championship? I dunno, but I will say that this is 2020, and this has been a weird ass year. So, maybe it will.

Here are my notes about the game.

The Good

For as bad as the defense was, and they were horrid, they still managed to generate seven sacks. Jarran Reed had a strong game pass rushing at defensive tackle (tallied 2.5 sacks for himself) and kinda showed what he is capable of when he has a legit edge rusher to work with now that Carlos Dunlap is here. Dunlap also had a really strong game rushing as the new starting leo end. KJ Wright, Jamal Adams, and Bobby Wagner also provided heat.

DK Metcalf continued his hot streak as an emerging dominant wide out in this league. He was the best player on offense in this one.

Russell Wilson did a good job getting the tight ends involved, and Jacob Hollister especially had a good game. I’m kinda glad Seattle didn’t trade him off now.

Rookie DeeJay Dallas provided a nice impact running the ball, and frankly, he wasn’t used nearly enough, in my opinion. This was bittersweet for me.

Pete Carroll signed a contract extension that will keep him as the Seahawk coach through 2025, and I think that was the best thing of the day, by far.

The Arizona Cardinals lost to the red hot Dolphins and therefore, Seattle hangs onto the division lead, which makes this loss more palatable.

The Bad

There was so much bad in this game that I don’t even want to list it all. Russ wasn’t sharp as he needed to be, and the defense was horrid will be the talk all week on Seattle sports radio, but for my money, the coaching staff pooped themselves the most in this one, especially on the defensive side.

Carroll oddly admitted, post game, that his staff under prepared the defense to handle the Bills’ passing attack. He volunteered that they had a “wonderful game plan” to defend the Bills’ run game, but didn’t have answers for their passing attack, and didn’t do a good enough job adjusting.

Wow. Look, I’m happy as pie that the Seattle Seahawks extended Pete Carroll through 2025. He’s a hall of fame head coach who is the best culture builder in the league, and I firmly believe that the Seahawks’ success over the last decade is as much due to him as it is to its quarterback, but.. wow. That’s quite the admission.

The entire strength of the Bills’ offensive attack is its quarterback and receivers. Their running attack is compliment to their passing attack, just as Seattle’s run game is now a compliment to their passing game.

Think of it this way. If you are going to defend Seattle’s offensive, you are going to look to limit Russell Wilson, not Chris Carson or DeeJay Dallas. You would have thought Seattle would have used that approach to the Bill offense and Josh Allen.

It’s entirely possible that Carroll might have embellished a bit on this one, protecting his struggling defenders by essentially saying that the coaches didn’t do enough to put them in position to play well. It was obvious that cornerback Quinton Dunbar was physically struggling to play on his gimpy knee, and Stefon Diggs was taking full advantage of that. It was also obvious that star safety Jamal Adams was playing rusty in coverage coming back from his groin injury that kept him out for over a month. I think it is safe to say that Seattle could have used Shaquill Griffin back at left corner in this game, and the Bills took advantage of that.

But still, if there is an inkling of truth to Carroll’s words about being under-prepared to face Josh Allen as a passer, that’s inexcusable. It’s going to a very interesting Tell The Truth Monday between the coaching staff and players.

Seattle’s coaching staff needs to figure out this defense and fix. There is too much talent on that side of the ball for it to be playing this badly. Jamal Adams, Bobby Wagner, Quandre Diggs, Shaquill Griffin, and Dunbar have all been under performing throughout most of the season. Those guys are supposed to be the strength of this defense. Steadier play by KJ Wright, and possibly Jarran Reed now, isn’t enough.

It’s time to fix the defense, and that means in-season coaching adjustments, they need to do it. It’s time.

The Ugly

There was so much ugly in this game, I don’t even know where to begin.

It was all ugly! Poopy ugly.

There, I said it.

Seattle’s defenders looked lethargic and slow to react in coverage from the start of the game, and they didn’t get much better as the game wore on, even when the pass rush started dialing up sacks.

Russell Wilson threw two stupid interceptions, showing a lack of patience as a passer, trying to force plays that weren’t there. Seattle needed it’s best player to play well, and he didn’t do that enough. No cooking for Russ!

Seattle’s kick off coverage gave up a huge return to start the game.

Seattle’s defensive coaching staff pooped themselves.

Ya da da, ya da da.

It was one of those games.

Moving Forward

Despite how badly the Seahawks played, it’s not time to panic. Panicking is for losers and we are not them.

Seattle needs to sort out the defense better now that Jamal Adams is back, and it that, I think that using him in ways that are less predictable is going to help. Right now, it appears his biggest impact is as a blitzer. They need to vary him up there and get him factoring into coverage better.

I think it is also time to finally call up Snacks Harrison from the practice squad and allow him to be a factor at defensive tackle, keeping Jarran Reed fresher to pass rush, and more importantly, helping to keep Bobby Wagner cleaner to make plays at linebacker.

Finally, after a game like this, it’s easy to look at the next two games coming up against the Rams and Cardinals, and wince. I’m not going to do that, however. Nope. Not me.

The Bills are a really good team, and they played like a really good team against a Seattle team that was thin at corner, and was thin at running back. Still, Seattle had opportunities in this game to make it much more competitive. Had Russell not thrown two interceptions, the complexion of this game could have been different. Seattle still might have lost, but maybe they would have done enough to sneak out a win against a very good team on the road.

As much as the Rams have given the Seahawks a hard time over recent years, I’m not convinced that they are a better team than Seattle is in 2020. They have had their share of issues on offense and they have been a bit up and down defensively. I think it is entirely possible that Seattle can go down to Los Angeles next Sunday, and pull out a win. If they do that, this game against the Bills will be largely forgotten.

The thing I still really like about Seattle is the ability that their quarterback has to respond to a bad outing, and that is a huge advantage in this league. That should not be lost on Seahawk fans right now.

So, yeah. I like Seattle’s chances next week. I think they can get that win. In fact, I think they will.

Sometimes, you need to poop yourself to make these sort of things happen.

Go Hawks.

I have to admit it. I like these Buffalo Bills. They remind me a bit of my favorite team. They are coached by a defensive minded head coach who likes to take the ball away and likes to play balanced on offense mixing the run with the pass. They also have a mobile play-making quarterback who is matched with a talented group of receivers.

I think perhaps the thing that makes them even more likeable is that they are a small market team that plays in the same division as the New England Patriots, and have therefore sucked for years, and are now finally winning. That’s the thing for me. For probably most every day people, they are relatable. As this presidential election is now proving to show, most people don’t like bullies, and the Buffalo Bills look like a team that is finally built to beat the bully in their division. So, it’s easy to root for them.

Theoretically, if Seattle were to lose a game in the remaining schedule, this would be a game to drop. Preferably, Seattle goes into Buffalo and wins this one to further separate themselves in a competitive NFC West division, but losing on the road to an AFC team is better for them than losing to any NFC team in terms of conference standings and playoff seeding. As Seahawk fans, we just really want them to win as much of the games against NFC opponents as possible. We know that, and they know that, as well.

For Seattle to come into Buffalo and play with the edge needed to beat this likeable upstart AFC East opponent, they will likely need to dig deep to find the motivation and will. Fortunately, for Seattle Seahawk fans, it looks like motivation will be there.

Russell Wilson has already stated that November 9th is his father’s birthday. Russell was extremely close to his father before he passed away, and he will want to win this one for Pop. Another thing about Russ is, despite the nice guy persona, like other premiere highly competitive athletes throughout time such as Michael Jordan, he often digs deep to find reasons to beat an opponent.

It will not be lost to Russell Wilson that a few years ago when he was entering the final year of his contract, Seahawk general manager John Schneider made a point to be at Josh Allen’s pro day workout days before the NFL draft. Obviously, Seattle was in no real position to draft him, and Buffalo was, but it was reported that Schneider’s visit there prompted Russell’s agent to call and say “hey, what’s are we cool here?”

While it’s likely that Schneider’s motivation to visit the Allen workout was likely more of a ploy to use as leverage in what was going to be a difficult contract negotiation with this agent than anything else, it is probably not lost on Russell who is quarterbacking the team that he is playing against this Sunday. Russell is going to want to beat Josh Allen in this one. He’s going to want to make a point. It will be a big motivational factor for him.

Another star player on Seattle’s roster who will likely find motivation in this one is Jamal Adams. It will be his first game back since injuring his groin against the Cowboys in week three, and it will be a game against a former AFC East foe. He will be charged up to prove Seattle made the right choice trading high draft capital for his services at strong safety, and he will be charged up to beat the Buffalo Bills.

Seattle wins this game because..

Russell Wilson cooks like a lethal culinary football assassin against a Buffalo defense that has struggled to defend the red zone and has given up a lot of yardage on the ground and through the air. Buffalo has some weapons on defense that Russ needs to be aware of, but they may not have enough to cover all of Russell’s weapons. It’s already proven that if you look to take away DK Metcalf, things open up for Tyler Lockett and vice versa. Plus there is David Moore to contend with, and Seattle is deep at tight end. Buffalo is a good team to run against and this would be a game in which you would want Chris Carson to play in, but he won’t and that still might not enough to slow down Seattle’s attack. Seattle might pass to set up opportunities to run.

Rookie runner DeeJay Dallas has a break through game in this one. He met a tough defensive front to run against in San Francisco, and it showed, yet he still found a way to make key runs at critical times. It’s likely that Buffalo isn’t going to feel threatened by Seattle’s backfield without Carson, and they won’t honor the run as much. It’s likely that they will try to blitz Russell. It’s probably likely that Seattle is anticipating this, and will look for opportunities to use Buffalo’s aggression against them. One thing that Dallas is coming out of college is a really good pass catching running back. Expect Seattle to set up some screen passes to him that if they are successful with, are likely going to force the Buffalo defenders to back off some. That should open up opportunities to run as the game wears on, and I think Dallas is an underrated runner. This could be a big game for him.

Seattle’s defense gets enough of a boost from the return of Jamal Adams and the addition of pass rusher Carlos Dunlap. There are some unknowns that Buffalo’s offense has to deal in this one. Seattle is likely going to be more aggressive with their blitzes like they were last week against San Francisco, but with Adams mixing in with Bobby Wagner and others, it might be less predictable where the blitzes come from. With Dunlap added to the edge rush, Seattle might now have more ability to win one on one match ups with their defensive line rotation now, and if that proves to be true, they can be even more varied with how they pressure and how they cover. Josh Allen is a very talented passer, but he’s young, and if he has to play chess to win, Seattle’s defense might have an advantage.

Seattle loses this one because..

They can’t find enough answers for Buffalo’s defensive pressure, and it makes the offense more one dimensional, and that leads to Russell cooking less. Seattle needs to establish the run, and they will be needing to do that with what is still unproven talent in Dallas and Travis Homer. Establishing the run, is going to all but certify that Russell cooks up a dish in this one. What happens if they can’t get the run going? Buffalo could take a page out of the Arizona Cardinals’ playbook a couple weeks ago and send a lot of constant pressure at Russell. If that leads to Russell turning the ball over, that’s a good recipe for Buffalo winning.

Seattle’s defense gives up too many big plays to Allen and they can’t get to him with pressure. Allen has next level arm strength, and he has one of the best receivers in the league in Stefon Diggs. If he connects with Diggs over the top on a few plays, that would likely cause Pete Carroll to hold off sending the dogs to play soft coverage again. That could easily lead to Allen getting the ball off quicker, and Seattle being less likely to get pressure on him, even with Carlos Dunlap. Then Seattle is going to be solely reliant on a bend don’t break defense against a Buffalo offense that has been pretty productive in the red zone. It’s important for Seattle to not get beaten over the top as they find ways to pressure Allen. This is going to be the big chess match.

My Prediction

I’m compelled to predict for the first time this season a Seattle Seahawk loss in this one, but I’m going to hold off. Seahawks win a narrow shootout in this one, 37 to 33.

Josh Allen is the type of quarterback that can give Seattle’s defense fits. He’s very mobile and he has a live arm. This means he’s much harder to sack and rattle that say, Jimmy Garoppolo. He’s very similar to Cam Newton, and historically, Newton has been a hard player for Seattle’s style to defense to sack. They key for Seattle is to get enough pressure on him at times to get him to make a mistake. With Adams and Dunlap added to this defense, and the defense perhaps now playing with more aggression, there is reason for optimism.

Conversely, Buffalo’s defense will be tasked to defend a veteran quarterback who is playing like the best quarterback in the league right now. This quarterback will find ample determination to beat the Josh Allen led Bills. He will want to extend his team’s lead in the hyper competitive NFC West which he will be facing back to back divisional foes in the next few weeks. He will also want to prove a point in his personal quest for the league’s MVP crown.

My money would easily be on the quarterback who is more veteran and perhaps the quarterback who will dig deeper in motivation. That’s quarterback is Russ, and I think he’s gonna cook in this one.

Go Hawks.

The Seattle Seahawks entered into this game without it’s top two running backs, it’s starting left guard, it’s top corner, it’s top nickel corner, it’s main edge rusher, and it’s starting strong safety. They entered the game with the worst defense in the league (at least, in terms of yards allowed), and they were facing a division opponent who was coming off of two impressive wins in a row, while they were coming off of a disappointing overtime loss last Sunday night in Arizona.

Tons of momentum was on San Francisco’s side in this one, even though they were dealt their own share of injuries. In the opening series, it appeared like San Francisco might be the better team. Their defense appeared electrically charged, and seemed to be in the playbook of the Seattle offense, forcing a quick three and out. Their offense seemed in control as they moved down the field until former 49er defensive pack DJ Reed picked off Jimmy Garoppolo, and that was enough to ignite a spark that Seattle needed. Russell Wilson started his cooking, and Bobby Wagner woke up and the Seattle defenders followed his impressive charge.

Seattle’s leader on offense, and their leader on defense took this game over (along with some other cat named DK). The final score will show that this game was more competitive than it was. It took backup 49er quarterback Nik Mullen’s coming in with fresh legs in place of injured Jimmy Garoppolo to spark the 49er offense, but the point deficit was too great, and even when he started to generate points, the 49er defense couldn’t stop Russell Wilson when they needed to do so.

Make no mistake, Seattle handled the 49ers in this one. Here are my notes.

The Good

This was a significantly better outing by a Seattle defense that has been carried through the last six games by its offense. What was most impressive to me about this defensive effort was that this defense played without four main defenders and they took Jimmy Garoppolo to the woodshed. Young players stepped up and that is a really good thing.

DJ Reed looks like Seattle now has deep competition at nickel corner between him and Ugo Amadi. It’s going to be interesting how Seattle uses both players moving forward. Pete Carroll hinted after the game that the competition is on there.

For my money, the biggest defensive plus is that rookie edge rusher Alton Robinson looks like he belongs in this league. He played stout in setting edges against the tricky 49er run game, and he got good pressure on their quarterback. I’ve been high on Robinson all through this early part of the season, and I am higher on him now. He absolutely needs to be a part of the pass rush rotation moving forward, even with the addition of newly acquired Carlos Dunlap and whomever else Seattle might trade for before the deadline on Tuesday. Robinson looks like a legit NFL pass rusher. Play him. Rotate him. Use him. He looks good.

Also showing well on the defense was another strong outing from rookie linebacker Jordyn Brooks. He looks so much like Bobby Wagner, it’s easy to get both players confused for each other. In the last two games since coming back from injury, Brooks is showing the speed and instincts necessary to stop the run, and it feels like he is just getting going. It’s exciting to me what this defense can grow into as the season moves along if he and Wagner can stay healthy and build a rapport inside with KJ Wright staying at SAM backer. His presence on the field makes Seattle’s defense faster. It will be considerably faster when they finally get star safety Jamal Adams back on the field. This is significant if Seattle’s defense is going to turn the corner this season.

After a rough opening series, Russell Wilson found his groove once Seattle starting moving him out of the pocket, and the 49er defenders had to be concerned about his legs. This opened up the offense and he started hitting his receivers (most notably DK Metcalf). Russ didn’t pass for ridiculous yardage but this was one of his sharper games in a few weeks.

We got efficient Russ in this one, and it was a much needed sight to behold. He went 27/37 in completions, 261 yards through the air, and most importantly of all, he threw 4 touchdowns and 0 interceptions against a 49er defense that hasn’t given up a lot of touchdown passes. I will always maintain that efficient Russ is the best Russ, and he was that Russ in this game. Bravo.

The player of the game for me in this one is DK Metcalf and that is taking nothing away from the strong defensive effort of Bobby Wagner, and the strong efficiency of Russell Wilson. Metcalf owned the 49er secondary. They tried as hard as they could to knock him out of the game with violence from their safeties, but it looked like each time that they collided with him over the middle, they endured the residuals of that violence more than he did. He stood his ground and took it. He also dished it out grabbing 12 passes for 161 yards and two scores. Metcalf is just scratching the surface of what he can be in this league and that appears to be a 49er nightmare for years.

It was nice to see rookie running back DJ Dallas score two touchdowns (one through the air, another on the ground). He had a tough task stepping in as a starter for Chris Carson against a hungry 49er defense, and he hung in there when there wasn’t a lot of great running lanes and the 49er linebackers closed in on him quickly whenever he caught passes. This was a gritty performance for the rookie that won’t show up in the stats.

Circling back to the defense, I think it is definitely worth noting that they were able to hold superstar 49er tight end Goerge Kittle to only 2 catches for 39 yards, and as a bonus, they knocked him out of the game. It’s significant that he was the 49ers’ best offensive weapon, and it is significant in that the Seattle defense has had problems in the past dealing with tight ends. Defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr has been taking a lot of heat lately from fans. He deserves praise in this one for scheming San Francisco’s best weapon out of this game. Good game, Coach.

Finally, the underrated play of the game was Cody Barton knocking that ball out of kickoff returner Dante Pettis and giving Seattle great field position after the scored a touchdown. Seattle was able to put another score on the board afterwards, but Barton’s timely play on special teams gifted the offense. This is how you play complete team football. This is how you complete the circle of Pete Carroll football. Barton’s special teams play this season has been really good.

The Bad

It’s hard to pick on the defense in this game, but after they knocked Jimmy Garropolo out, they allowed backup Nik Mullens to move the ball with relative ease in the fourth quarter for twenty points. I wanted a blowout against the 49ers in the worst way in the closing quarter. I felt it was my reward for enduring close victories all season long last year that were spilling into this season. Seahawk fans deserved a good old fashioned 49er beat down. Well, it didn’t quite work out that way. Mullens was able to make it a more competitive game at the end, and that has to leave a somewhat sour taste for Seattle fans pining for the old Legion of Boom days.

One offensive series that I didn’t like in this game happened in the second half when Russell started chasing his signature deep pass with a healthy lead. It wasn’t necessary. Seattle needed to keep the ball moving and they needed to chew up clock. Instead, he tried hitting Tyler Lockett with one of his signature “moon balls” in the end zone from mid field, and they didn’t connect. The series stalled and they were forced to punt. This equated to a cat playing with a mouse, and as banged up as the 49ers are, they are not a team to toy with this way. They are extremely well coached, and prideful. Just kill clock and put them away.

The Ugly

The 49er defenders were trying everything that they could to knock Seattle players out of the game, and the zebras were kind of letting them. Personally, I’m all for letting players play on defense, but what annoys me about this is that when 49er safety Mac Harris collided with DK Metcalf in a bang bang play over the middle that broke up a pass, no flag was thrown when Bobby Wagner had a similar play against the Arizona Cardinals last week and a flag was tossed.

Truth be known, I am bitching about the inconsistencies in which refs call games. I know that it is part of the game. I’ve known it for a long time, but it still chops my hide that Wagner got that penalty last week. It extended a drive for the Cardinals what was critical for them ultimately winning the game in overtime.

Why wasn’t a flag then tossed with Harris laid the lumber on Metcalf after the ball came into his hands? It was the same fricking scenario.

Either let defenders defend when it comes to bang bang situations, or don’t let them. Just give us some consistency.

I know it’s a tall ask. I know it’s like asking for a conversion to renewable energy to save the environment over jobs in the fossil fuel industry, but it’s a tall task that can happen. It’s doable. So I am asking for it.

I’m just not holding my breath that it will ever happen in my lifetime.

Moving forward

The Seattle Seahawks are now sitting pretty at 6-1, heading towards the second half of the season. By beating the 49ers, they avoided going 0-2 in the NFC West division, and that is significant. This is why this win was important.

Seattle now has extended an opportunity to stay ahead in the West, and further more, stay ahead in the NFC Conference. That’s a big deal.

They should be getting Jamal Adams this week against the Buffalo Bills, and they should be getting Carlos Dunlap to add to the pass rush. It’s also very possible that they will finally have Snacks Harrison active at defensive tackle. It will be very timely to add these three veterans to this defense in what looks to be a heavy wait match against the AFC East leading Bills.

As I write all this, I also think that there is a strong chance that this team might look to make one more significant add before the trade deadline on Tuesday. I think it is very likely that they will look to add one more player to the defensive line. Dunlap should be a boost to the pass rush, but the trade deadline provides on opportunity to add one more player that will make the defensive line a deeper rotation again, finally.

If that player is sitting out there, I think that they should pull that trigger. I know that their draft capital as dwindled, but I don’t care. If they right player is there, they should just go get him. It might not even require picks.

It is really interesting to me that they made rookie fourth round pick Cody Parkinson active at tight end late last week, thus giving them five tight ends active on the roster. Parkinson has a lot of pass catching potential. Guess who also is another pretty good young pass catching tight end already on Seattle’s roster? Jacob Hollister, who was Seattle’s third leading receiver last year.

I think it’s entirely possible Seattle could trade a player like Hollister by Tuesday for what will ultimately amount to adding another pass rusher. There could be a team out there in the playoff hunt looking to boost its passing offense that has depth on the defensive line willing to make a player for player move. Last week, I outlined a possibility with Baltimore.

While I think there is an outside chance Seattle could add an impact player at another position, like wide receiver if they want to further go all in on Russell cooking, or corner if there is lingering concerns about the health of Shaquill Griffin (along with the health history of Quinton Dunbar), I think they need to add another piece to this defensive line, specifically the pass rush.

I don’t care if it is another edge rusher to go along with Dunlap, or if it is a defensive tackle. They can use pass rush help anyway that they can get it. They are not deep enough at either spot.

As my dear old dad used to say, you can never have enough defensive linemen. So, go get another one, John Schneider. Go get one more. Be aggressive, and go all in on 2020 and the opportunity for Seattle to properly contend for a championship.

If this defense can generate just an average pass rush, if they can win occasionally with rushing just four players, that could be enough for Seattle to get back to the Super Bowl. That’s what the Kansas City Chiefs had for them last year. They were superb on offense, and they were just okay enough on defense. You can win with that.

So just do it.

Go Hawks.

Like two beat up gun fighters from the Wild West facing each other on the blood stained streets of Laredo, the Seattle Seahawks are set to match up against the San Francisco 49ers this Sunday. One has been winning exhausting shootouts with the reliance of the quickest most accurate gun in the West but is feeling the residual bumps and bruises received from not being able to handily put any opponent away. The other has been thrown through bar windows, punched in the face, and dragged by horse through dusty streets, only to survive this abuse with a gritty determination that would make any sharp shooter leery.

These two hate each other. They know each other, and they want to put each other away. While they see weakness in the other, they also understand the strength each other possesses. While they can each boast confidence in beating the other, in the back of their minds, they both fully know how capable the other is, and there is a degree of concern over who and what they face. Both need to bring their A game in this match.

Here is my break downs and prediction.

Seahawks beat the 49ers by..

Russell Wilson cooking up a winning recipe. The 49er defense has statistically played the pass pretty well, but Russ has lit up a defense that has statistically played it better in the New England Patriots defense. He stayed patient against that defense taking what it was giving in zone, and he found ways to beat its man coverage. The 49ers are heading into this game a bit thin at corner and safety, and I think Seattle will look to take advantage of that with their star receiving duo of DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. Also don’t be surprised if Russ starts getting rolling with his legs more as the game wears on. Here is a fascinating stat tied to Russell Wilson’s career; he’s an astounding 31-8 following a loss. Having lost a close one to the Cardinals Sunday night, history favors Russell in this one. Let Russ cook.

DK Metcalf has a big bounce back game. Tyler Lockett had an ridiculously productive game against the Cardinals, hauling in 15 catches for 200 yards and 3 touchdowns. It is likely that the 49ers are going to be paying attention to him knowing how hot he is and that Seattle is particularly banged up at running back and Russell needs to throw a lot in this match. If they put extra attention on Lockett, San Francisco doesn’t really have a physical corner to match up to Metcalf. If Russell is cooking in this game, expect a heavier dose of DK.

DJ Dallas has a good bounce back game at running back. The rookie runner has taken some heat this week about how he performed at the end of the Cardinal game, not securing a key blitz at the end when he was suddenly tossed into the mix. I have more faith in Dallas. He was noted as a good pass protector in college, and he will have had a week of preparation to potentially be the guy in this game. I also think he is a much better runner than Travis Homer in Seattle’s style of offense, and he is a really good pass catcher. The 49ers have been middle of the round defending the run this year. With a lot of anticipation that Seattle might throw a lot in this one with its injured running back situation, the 49ers may not honor the run as much in this game, and don’t be surprised if Dallas has some explosive plays on draws and screens.

Seahawks get a big boost on their defense just in time. With the 49ers as reliant as they are running the ball, this is a good game to finally get defensive tackle Snacks Harrison active, isn’t it? There’s been a lot of chatter this week about star linebacker Bobby Wagner looking like he has lost a step. I want to see how Bobby plays when he has Snacks in front of him being disruptive and soaking up double teams. I don’t think Bobby has had the luxury of staying clean as a linebacker in quite some time. Jarran Reed and Poona Ford are not space eaters at defensive tackle. Snacks Harrison is exactly that. If he plays, I would expect Bobby to play better, and I would expect KJ Wright and rookie linebacker Jordyn Brooks to continue having good efforts against the run.

Seahawk defenders force Jimmy Garoppolo into key mistakes. Seahawks won’t be getting recently traded for pass rusher Carlos Dunlap for this game due to Covid precautions, but I would expect that trade to perhaps light a fire with other pass rushers. Benson Mayowa has been playing his ass off through six games, and knowing that Seattle traded for a guy likely to eventually spell him as a starter, he might come into this game with a little extra juice off the edge. Expect Seattle to play rookie edge rusher Alton Robinson more in this one knowing Jimmy G isn’t Kyler Murray and they don’t have to use rush linebacker Shaquem Griffin as a spy. I’m not going to suggest that these guys light up the stat board with sacks, but the two things that Seattle’s defense has done through six games is playing against the run and creating turnovers. San Francisco runs the ball and their quarterback tends to turn the ball over. This could be a good match for Seattle’s defense here. I think there is a decent chance Seattle will get to Garoppolo just enough to create turnovers. The key will be taking advantage of them when they come.

Seattle loses this game to San Francisco because..

They can’t stay healthy enough at running back, lose too much balance on offense, and the 49er defenders are successful keying on Russell Wilson in the pass game. Make no mistake, Seattle is entering into this game scary thin at running back. Carlos Hyde will not play. Chris Carson will be a game time decision with a sore foot, and Travis Homer will be as well with a bruised knee. My hunch is that at least Homer will give it a go simply because he finally got a limited amount of practice in on Friday. Ideally, Carson would sit out this one, but he might push to play, and Seattle might decide to use him a bit because they are really only down to one healthy back in DJ Dallas. If injury happens to Dallas in this one, and Homer and Carson can’t go, Seattle might be forced to play a receiver like David Moore at running back. Also, a tight end might be forced to be a third down back with no threat to run. This could easily invite the 49er defense to send the house at Russell Wilson each time he passes. It could get scary in this scenario.

Seattle’s defense can not stop the running game trickery of the 49er offense. The 49ers rely on miss direction and deception in their run game to take advantage of defenders over committing. The Seattle linebackers and secondary players must stay disciple in their reads and assignments. They must trust each other. Everything San Francisco does with their pass game is built off of the run. If they have success on the ground, chances are that they will have success in the air with George Kittle at tight end, even though they are thin at receiver. This is a hug key to the game.

My prediction is..

Seahawks win this game in a battle of gritty determination, 34-30.

Russell Wilson will be extremely focused and determined in this match. He will get just enough of support in the run game from rookie runner DJ Dallas to force the 49er defenders to play honest. I also think their could be some trickery at play with jet sweeps from receivers like David Moore, and I think Russell will find ways to make the 49ers pay with his legs. I think DK Metcalf will have a bigger game.

Defensively, I think it will be another mixed bag, at best, for Seattle. They might be hyper focused to take away the run, and that could leave them exposed just enough in coverage for George Kittle to take advantage. If Seattle should surprisingly have star safety Jamal Adams active, this would be a big bonus, but I’m not expecting that. Therefore, I think San Francisco will probably move the ball and they will find their points, but in doing that Jimmy Garoppolo will make his share of mistakes against an opportunistic Seattle defense, and the game comes down to which quarterback is sharper.

I expect it to be Seattle’s.

Go Hawks.

Carlos Dunlap, Snacks Harrison, Jarran Reed and Benson Mayowa. That is a four man defensive line that, on paper, sounds a whole heck of lot better than LJ Collier, Poona Ford, Jarran Reed, and Benson Mayowa.

With all do respect to LJ and Poona, that is a veteran filled defensive line where offensive coaches now have to think a bit about the size, strength, and savvy of Harrison and Dunlap against the run. More over, with Dunlap added, they have to be at least a bit considered with a player that can beat you with a one on one pass rush. My hunch is that through their first six games of the season, offensive coordinators looked at Seattle’s defensive line, and breathed a sigh of relief more than anything else.

This trade for Carlos Dunlap is a nice start for Seattle to make a mid season revamp of what has been a dreadful defensive line as they head towards the second half of there season. Having Sacks Harrison now active will be a big boost as well, but Snacks is not a pass rusher, and Dunlap is. He is a legitimate pass rushing threat.

How significant is this addition? The only other player on Seattle’s roster that you can say is a pass rush threat is Benson Mayowa, and frankly, he’s probably more of a rotational piece to a pass rush on most other teams. Yet, in Seattle, he has been the guy. So far, through six games, he is tied for the team lead in sacks with two. He is tied with their starting safety Jamal Adams, who has not played for three games now. Yikes.

That’s how bad Seattle’s pass rush has been. Jarran Reed, so far, has not lived up to his expensive contract extension he signed last off-season (as a pass rusher). He had one nice game against the Vikings a couple weeks ago when he was going against one of the worst pass blocking guards in the league, but outside of that, he hasn’t done nearly enough. Poona Ford hasn’t taken a step forward to show he’s an interior pass rusher, either. LJ Collier also hasn’t proven that he’s much of a threat.

The only other defensive lineman that has flashed any real potential is rookie fifth rounder Alton Robinson, and he barely played against the Arizona Cardinals in a critical inter-divisional match last Sunday. That’s not good enough, and frankly, it’s inexcusable.

So, yes. I was leaping for joy in my living room when I heard yesterday morning that Seattle just traded for Dunlap. They desperately needed to make this deal if they are to have any shot of winning a tough NFC West division and advancing further through the playoffs.

Dunlap gives them a player that can be disruptive from either end position. At 6-6 and 285 pounds, he has length and size to play strong at the five technique position, but he also has enough quicks and athleticism to play the leo rush end spot where Pete Carroll hinted that they will use him at. With his size and length, I also wouldn’t be surprised if they ultimately end up moving him around the line on obvious passing downs like they did with Michael Bennett in years past. He is now likely the one player that they can put up against an offensive line’s weakest link to take advantage of in pass protection, thus giving others opportunities.

It cannot be overstated how significant his addition likely is to this defense line because, frankly, I think this line probably has been the worst one in professional football this year, and it was wasting the talents of those behind it. Therefore, there is little reason why I think Seattle can rest comfortably now with this addition.

They need more, and they should add at least one more piece before the trade deadline. In a year in which Russell Wilson is legitimately in MVP contention, and Seattle still has the best overall record in the NFC, Seattle should go all in for this season. There is no excuse for them not to do this.

People will point to the fact that they now have only four picks left in the 2021 draft, and are now tight against the salary cap. I loudly say to that stuff, “so what?!”

There are ways in which they can move money around to create more cap space for 2020. They can and perhaps should extend salaries to Tyler Lockett and KJ Wright, who are both playing out of their minds right now. This would free up space for this year and it would keep them around for a few more years to come. They could also do the same with Dunlap, who’s bigger salary runs through 2021. They could have him locked in through 2022 which would give him a three year window to win a Super Bowl or two after years of toiling in Cincinnati.

Also, instead of trading further picks, they could look to move players that might have value for other teams that are in a rebuild. They are overloaded at tight end, and linebacker right now. Could the possibly work out a player of player trade? I think it’s possible. Here’s one that I would explore.

Atlanta is supposedly looking to shop Tak McKinley right now, who fits Seattle’s profile at the leo end. He’s in the final year of his rookie deal that he signed as a first round pick, and hasn’t lived quite up to the billing after a promising first couple seasons in the league. He’s also been nursing a sore groin, and that likely isn’t going to help his trade value. He’s still probably a better rotational piece at leo end than anything Seattle presently has behind Mayowa right now.

Conversely, Seattle has Cody Barton at linebacker who has started for them but is probably going to be lost in the depth charts with rookie first round pick Jordyn Brooks healthy again, and Seattle also potentially activating Mychal Kendricks off their practice squad. Barton looks like a player that can be a decent coverage backer, and in a division where the Falcons play against Drew Brees, and Tom Brady twice a season, they might see value in Barton as they look to rebuild their roster, especially considering that they can have him on a cheap rookie contract for a couple more seasons.

If they aren’t finding much of a trade market for McKinley, offering Barton might get the deal done, and at least they get something for their former first rounder that can be a piece moving forward. In return, Seattle gets a player that had enough potential a few years ago to be taken in the first round that they can work into their pass rush rotation for this year, and if they like what they see, they can look to extend for future years.

In my opinion, this is a calculated roll of the dice that is worth taking for the Seahawks as they look to compete for a championship now, but also are looking further down the round. This is how a team that consistently drafts later in rounds because they routinely make the post season stays competitive in a tough NFC West conference that hosts three other teams built for both now and for the future.

This is just one example. There are probably many others out there.

I love this trade for Dunlap, but I want more. I hope that the Seattle Seahawks want more, as well, and I hope that they just go out and get more. Just be aggressive. Do it for Russell, Bobby Wagner, and KJ Wright. Do it for the fans.

Go for it. Nobody should blame the team for trying if they did, and it wasn’t enough for 2020. They will have exhausted all means to make a push. They will have gone all in.

But if they fall short of doing that, and didn’t exhaust all means to fortify their struggling defense, then fingers could be pointed a bit more. Then the bellowing sounds of self professed Russell Wilson lover Colin Cowherd (who will surely continue to hammer the point that Seattle isn’t doing enough to support their star quarterback) can and should be heard by Seahawk fans more.

Simply, there is little excuse for John Schneider to not continue being aggressive before the trade deadline next week. Frankly, I don’t even care of they further gut their 2021 draft to do it, if the right player is available. The opportunity to win the whole damn thing is here, right now. They should just go for it, and figure out draft picks later.

This is how I see it, anyways.

Go Hawks.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Trade for edge rusher Everson Griffen

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

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

Make this deal now, John Schneider.

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

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

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

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

Trade for NY Jet defensive tackle Quinnen Williams

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Final thoughts.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

So do whatever is needed to get that done.

Go Hawks.

He who lives by the sword dies by the sword.

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

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

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

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

Here are my notes about this game.

The Good

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

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

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

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

The Bad

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Good freaking grief. Enough is enough. Do something!

The Ugly

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

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

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

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

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

Moving Foward

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

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

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

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

Go Hawks.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Seahawks loose this one against the Cardinals if

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

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

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

My Prediction

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

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

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

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

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

I hope I am right.

Go Hawks.