The rest of the season

[Hawk Sista]

All caps are home games. Based on how we are playing in all three phases right now, here are my optimistic projections/predictions for the rest of the way (Counting on getting Kam, Bennett, Rawls back & we will get better, IMHO)

BILLS - win
Pats - loss
EAGLES - win
Bux - win
PANTHERS - win
Packers - loss
RAMS - win
CARDS - win
niners - win

All games will be too close for comfort. 11-6; Hawks win NFC west and how far we get really all depends on health, IMHO.

[curmudgeon]

Impossible to predict. As shown today, NFL officiating can and will influence all remaining games league-wide......

[Hawk Sista]

Too true. I guess the Falcons are saying the same as is Arians. While - through my lens anyway - both of those wins were as legit as hell....I confess the shade of my goggles is PNW. The OPI in the Rams game, the weirdness of today (when Mike Pierre agrees, you know it's not just us.)

But again, we should never be in a position to have a few "kicked calls" (as Leavy called his XL gaffs) impact the outcome because there will always be some.

[burrrton]

But again, we should never be in a position to have a few "kicked calls" (as Leavy called his XL gaffs) impact the outcome because there will always be some.

I'm not much for ref-blaming, but in obvious cases, it simply has to be acknowledged.

One bad blown call, despite the aggravation for whoever it goes against, can be, and should be, waved away.

But honestly, if you take away either of the top 2 officiating f-ups (and they *were* f-ups) in that game, we win that game, and that's after all our o-line and running game woes and everything else, and almost no matter which you consider the top 2 f-ups.

An entire game of ignoring everything for one side and calling it pube-hair-tight for the other is not close to being the same as "that's how the ball bounces".

[edit]

No, I'm not still pissed off about it- why do you ask?

[RiverDog]

All caps are home games. Based on how we are playing in all three phases right now, here are my optimistic projections/predictions for the rest of the way (Counting on getting Kam, Bennett, Rawls back & we will get better, IMHO)

BILLS - win
Pats - loss
EAGLES - win
Bux - win
PANTHERS - win
Packers - loss
RAMS - win
CARDS - win
niners - win

All games will be too close for comfort. 11-6; Hawks win NFC west and how far we get really all depends on health, IMHO.

11-6? What are those two digits supposed to represent? If we are to go by your results, our record would be 11-4-1, which I feel is over the top optimistic.

Our defense will continue to keep games close, but unless this offense gets things turned around, we're heading to a .500ish season and a one-and-done in the playoffs. IMO we should beat the Bills and Niners and there's no way we're going to beat either the Pats or the Packers. The other 5 games I consider toss ups, and if we win 50% of those, that gets us to 8-7-1 or 9-6-1 and good enough to win the division in a down year.

There's still a lot of football to be played and a lot can change between now and January (including my opinion), but at this point, I feel that this is going to end up being the worst Pete Carroll Seahawks team since 2011.

[RiverDog]

I'm not much for ref-blaming, but in obvious cases, it simply has to be acknowledged.

One bad blown call, despite the aggravation for whoever it goes against, can be, and should be, waved away.

But honestly, if you take away either of the top 2 officiating f-ups (and they *were* f-ups) in that game, we win that game, and that's after all our o-line and running game woes and everything else, and almost no matter which you consider the top 2 f-ups.

An entire game of ignoring everything for one side and calling it pube-hair-tight for the other is not close to being the same as "that's how the ball bounces".

No, I'm not still pissed off about it- why do you ask?

There were some calls that just plain weren't there, like two critical 3rd down defensive holding calls on Shead and Sherman, while completely ignoring the pick plays the Saints ran. They were way out of balance, with 11 penalties called against us and just 2 on the Saints.

That's not an excuse. We were not the best team on that field today and deserved to lose. Anytime you have to depend on a trick play and a defensive score for your only touchdowns, you're not the best team on the field.

[Hawktawk]

I like Sis's assessment of our fininsh assuming the officiating settles down. That's the worst hose job I remember in a long time, 40 esque not only in terms of crucial terrible calls but non calls as well. When Mike Piererra agrees its bad.....

They hate us. Trying to clear the decks and make sure HFA does not run through Seattle. But thus it has always been during our current dynastic run.

[Hawk Sista]

RD..... you are so right. My bad. 11-4-1 is what I meant. I know it seems optimistic. But the Hawks play better as the tension rises + we will be getting some folks back. Bennett, Kam, Rawls w/ a healthier RW and a better line.

[Rambo2014]

Face it its over!!!

BILLS - L Rex Ryan is tough
Pats - L Bigtime loss
EAGLES - L They played Dallas tough
Bux - L 6 hour flight
PANTHERS - L Cam has banner day against fading D
Packers - L Arron copies Cam with Banner Day
RAMS - L Of course the Rams win
CARDS - L Revenge for tie and ARZ playing for 1st place
niners - W Salvage the season but lose a draft position

[Seahawks4Ever]

We (my brothers & friends) sat down after the 3rd. pre-season game and came to the conclusion that the Seahawks would finish with a 6-10 record. Obviously with the tie that record won't happen. Therefore I expect we will finish with a record of 5-10-1 or 6-9-1 either way we will not make the play offs this year and with the way they(the coaching staff & F/O) going we don't look to be back in the play offs any time soon.

OK, let the "Pollyanna's" cut me to pieces because they have tunnel vision and don't think that Pete & John can do no wrong!

[obiken]

BILLS - win
Pats - loss
EAGLES - Loss
Bux - win
PANTHERS - win
Packers - loss
RAMS - win
CARDS - win
niners - win

I think we lose the Eagle game, and the Panthers appear to be somewhat back. 10-5-1

[Hawk Sista]

We (my brothers & friends) sat down after the 3rd. pre-season game and came to the conclusion that the Seahawks would finish with a 6-10 record. Obviously with the tie that record won't happen. Therefore I expect we will finish with a record of 5-10-1 or 6-9-1 either way we will not make the play offs this year and with the way they(the coaching staff & F/O) going we don't look to be back in the play offs any time soon.

OK, let the "Pollyanna's" cut me to pieces because they have tunnel vision and don't think that Pete & John can do no wrong!

Anything from 4-11-1 to 13-2-1 is possible at this point. Given that we will be getting folks back, that we have a habit of winning and making the playoffs - I disagree with your assessment - though of course you could be right.

I project, and I am sticking with this, that we finish with 11 wins...no fewer than 10. We may miss out on HFA, but will hit stride at just the right time.

Sincerely,

Pollyanna

[Zorn76]

10 wins could very well win our division this year, and that would be a start. Each of our losses were winnable games, which I do keep in mind. We're not that far off, and at least there's plausible reasons why we're struggling now.

We've also shown that we're a 2nd half team, and I expect that trend to continue. Everyone's got their flaws. Our guys have the character and wherewithal to pull this thing off. Offense is aware that they haven't been pulling their own weight, both in execution and in game planning.

[HumanCockroach]

Having written them off multiple times the last few years myself. I refuse to do so again. This team more than any other in recent memory, never stays down, doesn't quit and find ways to win. I'm more than content knowing that, and sticking with them.

I have learned my lesson. Hopefully some here learn theirs this year.

[ACES 13]

Face it its over!!!

BILLS - L Rex Ryan is tough
Pats - L Bigtime loss
EAGLES - L They played Dallas tough
Bux - L 6 hour flight
PANTHERS - L Cam has banner day against fading D LOL!!!
Packers - L Arron copies Cam with Banner Day
RAMS - L Of course the Rams win
CARDS - L Revenge for tie and ARZ playing for 1st place
niners - W Salvage the season but lose a draft position

The bolded negates your post! Put down the pipe son. Shouldn't you be doing homework?

[obiken]

Face it its over!!!

BILLS - L Rex Ryan is tough
Pats - L Bigtime loss
EAGLES - L They played Dallas tough
Bux - L 6 hour flight
PANTHERS - L Cam has banner day against fading D
Packers - L Arron copies Cam with Banner Day
RAMS - L Of course the Rams win
CARDS - L Revenge for tie and ARZ playing for 1st place
niners - W Salvage the season but lose a draft position

Dumbo, IF I started going to the Lamb site and posting negative crap, I would hope some one would love me enough to slap me up side the head and tell me to go have to have a total life's reanalysis.

[obiken]

I'm not much for ref-blaming, but in obvious cases, it simply has to be acknowledged

Me either, as Chuck Knox used to say they are losers laments.

[burrrton]

Me either, as Chuck Knox used to say they are losers laments.

When you're *playing*, that's true. When you're a mere fan analyzing the circumstances, though, you don't have to give everything but your own performance a pass.

We as fans don't have to sit here and say we're genuflecting on our own contributions to the latest loss- we can look at the big picture and say our offense was anemic, and the officiating was almost comically one-sided.

It's OK. Just say it.

[obiken]

Right, OK I see what your saying.

[Hawk Sista]

Ok..... EFFIN' REFS!!!!!

[burrrton]

[burrrton]

This seems as good a place to post this as any:

http://sportspressnw.com/2225709/2016/t ... wks-let-on

The o-line should be expected to only get better, and RW should be healing- this gives me optimism the offense is going to get better (not that bold a statement of course, but still).

[RiverDog]

This seems as good a place to post this as any:

http://sportspressnw.com/2225709/2016/t ... wks-let-on

The o-line should be expected to only get better, and RW should be healing- this gives me optimism the offense is going to get better (not that bold a statement of course, but still).

The problem is that our competition, at least on the defensive side of the ball, is going to get stronger as we have games left with 4 teams in the top 7 ranked defenses (actually top 6 as we're the #3 ranked D). Only a true Pollyanna would believe that we'll have better luck against those 4 teams than we did against the Saints. And that's not counting our game with the Pats, in which we'll be the underdog. That's 5 huge challenges.

I was expecting us not only to beat the Saints, but to beat them in the same fashion that we beat the Niners and Jets, and instead, it looked more like our games against the Dolphins, Cards, and Rams, except that this time it was against a porous defense giving up 30 ppg . Our offense regressed.

[Seahawks4Ever]

Man! Do I miss Art Thiel and the rest of the former P-I staff. he only one on the Sea. Times staff worth a hoot is a new reporter from San Diego named Matt Calkins. He is no "homer" and he pulls no punches. Then there is Jason Jenks whom I believe is really Jar Jar Binks. Bob Condotta isn't too bad, but he is a homer.

Anyway, all this article says is what many of us have been saying, that RW's injuries have been worse than either he or Pete have let on and despite what they have previously told us it HAS hampered his play. In fact, Wilson by continuing to play has only prolonged the time it will take for him to be really healed. In FACT, it may take the whole off season for him to get back to 100%.

Thank you Pete Carroll and John Schneider for penny-pinching on the O-Line an endangering Russell's career. You know he is only getting older and he can't keep up that "run for his life" type of play too many more seasons.

What I did learn from that article was that Pete indeed believes that the offense will cure itself as soon as Rawls is back. What is Rawls going to do when the O-Line can't block, run block or pass block???

The biggest "Pollyanna" is Pete Carroll himself and I am tired of him blowing smoke up my arse.

P.S. I watched the Broncos the other night, Okung played really well so whomever said he has stunk don't know what they are talking about. I have watched James Carpenter every chance I had and he has played great for the Jets. It was said when he was here that while he was a bull dozer as a run blocker that he couldn't pass block worth a hoot. Well, from the very start of his play for the Jets JC has been a very good pass blocker, at least in all of the games I've seen him play. So, maybe it was only in Seattle that he had a problem pass blocking.

Unger has been great for the Saints. Oh, and except Unger neither Okung or J.C. made to their 2nd. contract before they were let go. We used to have a decent back-up center, but again, he was let go and we were not even paying him very much. RIDICULOUS!!!!

[MackStrongIsMyHero]

It was never about Okung's ability; the man couldn't stay healthy. You are complaining about losing Unger, yet Britt is doing well at that spot. Ifedi and Glowinski are young but promising. The tackles could definitely be better, but you can only do so much every offseason, and even quality tackles are expensive.

The hand-wringing over the o-line is tiresome. Yes, I would like to see improvement, but you don't think the front office wants that too? You admonish them as if they are not aware of what they are doing. Gripe all you want but fans acting like they know better than professionals who make a living building NFL teams is ridiculous, especially when it is professional that turned a dumpster fire of team into a Super Bowl winner in the fourth year of their administration, not to mention a perennial playoff team.

A part of me wants them to start dropping money on the o-line, and then lose the defensive prowess they've enjoyed over the last 5 years. Then I will get to hear the arm-chair GM's talk about how you can't win games if you can't stop the opposing offense, so the front office is being negligent in addressing the defense. I am looking forward to that.

[NorthHawk]

Two things are at play here:
1) The OL has been an issue for a few years, an hasn't been fixed. We're now saying the same thing we said last year and started to say the year prior.
2) The window is starting to close on our Defense. Sure they are good, but they are getting older and have played a lot of high level football. The inevitable injuries are going to start to be a factor as we now see with Mike B and Kam. One would hope that when the Defense gets banged up, the Offense can make up for it, but we aren't able to at the moment.

In my less optimistic moments, I think this will be another lost year where a little stronger Offense would have made a difference in key games and they just can't deliver.
Maybe Pete's right and they will turn a corner soon but we can't afford to lose more winnable games if we want to get into and be a factor in the playoffs.

[burrrton]

The offense did regress this week, but if you read the article, that can be put on two things:

1. RW's pec strain, not his MCL or ankle, was worse than they let on. He couldn't throw downfield *at all*, so when you combine that with...

2. An o-line that stunk eliminating the running game and neutering offense.

However, both those things are reasonable to expect to improve fast. Muscle strains heal quickly and the o-line just needs time to gel.

Yeah, I can see the 'lost season' scenario happening because it's the NFL and things like that happen all the time, but I can also see this season shaping into one like we've seen the last 4 seasons.

Remember that we were 2-4 and 4-5 last year, and complaining broadly about most of the same things.

4-2-1 IS A DISASTER.

[RiverDog]

The offense did regress this week, but if you read the article, that can be put on two things:

1. RW's pec strain, not his MCL or ankle, was worse than they let on. He couldn't throw downfield *at all*, so when you combine that with...

2. An o-line that stunk eliminating the running game and neutering offense.

However, both those things are reasonable to expect to improve fast. Muscle strains heal quickly and the o-line just needs time to gel.

Yeah, I can see the 'lost season' scenario happening because it's the NFL and things like that happen all the time, but I can also see this season shaping into one like we've seen the last 4 seasons.

Remember that we were 2-4 and 4-5 last year, and complaining broadly about most of the same things.

4-2-1 IS A DISASTER.

I don't know about you, but I don't want a repeat of last year's mediocre season. The expectation is Super Bowl, not losing in the second round of the playoffs. Everybody from Pete Carroll to members on this board have been telling me that this year was going to be an improvement and now you're comparing this squad to last year's unsatisfactory effort.

Besides, the difference between the first half of the season this year vs. last season is the schedule. In our 2nd half schedule, we'll be going up against 4 teams with defenses that rank in the top 7 in the league. Two of those teams have already held us without a touchdown for 9 quarters. And that's not even considering our game against the Pats.

I'm not saying that the sky is falling, but things aren't all that hunky dory, either. The only real good news is that the rest of the division is in a worse predicament than we are.

[Hawk Sista]

Ease up, Henny Penny. All of you who wear the Henny Penn hat - I'm talking to YOU!

We are not the only team with woes, nor are we the only team with O-line woes - the latter is pert-near league wide if you pay attention. And your memories of the past are somewhat limited.

1. What O-line stud have we let go? If you recall, there was lots of grousing about Breno, Carp was a big fat joke, Sweezy was awful... and "it was a dumb idea to convert a D-lineman to a guard." Okung could not escape a game in good health let alone the plethora of horribly timed false-start penalties and now we want all those dudes back?? WTF? If I had a dollar for every gripe I heard about the mighty Russell Okung, I could literally retire...as in right now. Let's please not pretend that Okung is what seperates this team from greatness. Clayton and MANY others have talked about Denver not liking what they have in R.O. Max was about the only revered o-line guy since WJ left and even he was oft injured; he played only about 1/2 the snaps in the couple years before we let him go (and we didn't just let him go, we got Jimmy!!) - rumor has it, Unger was going to be a cap casualty and we got Jimmy. So we traded someone we were going to release and a 1st rounder for a first round talent and a 4th....sounds smart to me.

2. Where are these studs and how do we get one? Who should we sacrifice to acquire this stud tackle (who doesn't really exist on the open market)? Because, as you all know, one simply cannot have everything. Yeah, the tackles are a problem. No effin' kidding. What keen observation skills you all have. Name another team that has two solid starting tackles and all of the other weapons we have (hint: their names are Russell, Jimmy, Doug, Michael, Cliff, KJ, Bobby, Earl, Kam, Richard, etc.) You simply cannot have it all under the rules of the salary cap, so something has to give. PC and JS have chosen to use their sniffers to find middling line talent, coach em up and make em into serviceable linemen with upside - and it has been effing working. The Hawks have one loss of more than a TD in the last 5 years. They have been to the playoffs four years in a row, to the SB twice and you are whining about how we are DONE after just 7 games?? Oh yeah, we are winning the division by 1.5 games and have not played our best ball. All of this blind negligence to the o-line has only netted us the best stretch of Seahawks football in the history of the effin franchise. As in EVER.

WE KNOW the tackles are a problem and so do John and Pete. Don't kid yourselves. And don't kid yourselves that they are that easy to acquire. Pete has every intention of leading the Hawks back to a Lombardi trophy. The trouble is, 31 other coaches have the same goal and only one of them will achieve it.

[RiverDog]

Sorry, Sis, but 'm not going to do is sit here and pretend that everything is OK, that all we have to is to give the OL time to gel, to just be patient and everything will be fine. Like the caption in one of my favorite posters from the 70's, which featured this ugly looking buzzard looking down from a vantage point into the valley below and said "Patience, my ass! I'm going to kill something!"

I am not necessarily second guessing any specific personnel decision that PC/JS have made. What I perceive is that there has been for at least the past few years where there's been a wholesale discounting of the importance of the OL group, a belief that we can sacrifice that area of the team in order to improve what they feel are other, more important areas of the team. I can't argue with the success of this philosophy, after all, it has resulted in our one and only Lombardi and has given us a great chance of winning future trophies. But like so many things in life, we have to change the paradigm if we expect to keep up in this highly competitive league. What we are doing today isn't working, and I want it corrected NOW, not two years from now when we've slipped back into mediocrity. Go out and do whatever it takes to sign Joe Thomas!

I'm sorry, but I'm very passionate about my football team, and Pete started all this chit by raising my expectations. I expect to win, and when we don't, especially when we lose to teams that are obviously inferior like the Saints are, I'm mad enough to throw a brick through my TV and in no mood to hear excuses or have people tell me to be patient.

So when we don't win, expect to get an ear full from me. It comes as natural as a rooster crowing at the sun.

[burrrton]

Sorry, Sis, but 'm not going to do is sit here and pretend that everything is OK, that all we have to is to give the OL time to gel, to just be patient and everything will be fine.

Why not? It will.

[HumanCockroach]

Always find it funny when people that rail stringently for change GET IT, and then rail stringently ABOUT THE CHANGE...

[RiverDog]

Always find it funny when people that rail stringently for change GET IT, and then rail stringently ABOUT THE CHANGE...

Hey, that's what fans do.

[HumanCockroach]

Nah, that may be what you do, obviously. Unless you're claiming half this board aren't fans. Sis, Burton, North and myself aren't fans? Really? Interesting take but wrong, dead wrong.

[burrrton]

Give RD a break- I'm all about railing. In this case, however, I see a pattern emerging, a pattern that's worked for us in the past. We'll see, I guess.

[RiverDog]

Nah, that may be what you do, obviously. Unless you're claiming half this board aren't fans. Sis, Burton, North and myself aren't fans? Really? Interesting take but wrong, dead wrong.

Different types of fans, HC. I happen to be a very passionate Seahawk fan. Others may be a little more reserved, but no more or no less of a fan than me. But I will say that no fan on this board wants to win worse than I do.

[HumanCockroach]

There's no more passionate fan than myself RD, nor any that want to win more. The difference being that I tend to take the long term, continual winning approach, vs. the fast food I want it now approach. I applaud the idea to win, and win and win and win ( aka the Patriot process) vs win a championship once and then flounder for 4 or 5 years ( aka the Panther process).

[burrrton]

But I will say that no fan on this board wants to win worse than I do.

What's your total monetary loss on equipment and furniture as a direct result of Seahawk losses (including XL)?

[RiverDog]

What's your total monetary loss on equipment and furniture as a direct result of Seahawk losses (including XL)?

Dave Krieg was responsible for an ottoman that I kicked the leg off of once.

Not to divert the thread, but the brick through the tv reminded me of something. There was a bar in Denver, back in the early 70's when MNF was the neatest thing since sliced bread, that had a promotion for MNF where they would go find some old used TV and get it set up, then would sell raffle tickets for a couple bucks apiece. The winner got presented with a brick and instructions to wait until Howard Cosell said something stupid then he could throw the brick through the TV.

[burrrton]

Dave Krieg was responsible for an ottoman that I kicked the leg off of once.

I had to replace a coffee table for my friend's apartment complex (we watched a playoff game in their common room or whatever you call it). Also down a couple $150 remotes. Probably more, but those are what hurt most.

There was a bar in Denver, back in the early 70's when MNF was the neatest thing since sliced bread, that had a promotion for MNF where they would go find some old used TV and get it set up, then would sell raffle tickets for a couple bucks apiece. The winner got presented with a brick and instructions to wait until Howard Cosell said something stupid then he could throw the brick through the TV.

That's pretty good.