Allow yourselves a moment of pride

[Sgt. Largent]

Our window is definitely not closing. Anytime you have a good GM, coach and top 10 QB the window is open.

The question is if we lose in the playoffs, can Pete and John fix the issues going on right now with this team, cause there are some big ones.

- O-line
- RB
- aging defense
- cracks in team confidence and chemistry

Definitely fixable, and definitely a premature conversation to be having because we're still playing.

 

[FlyingGreg]

I do disagree a bit that our "window is closing".

Me too.

Well said, for the reasons you give, but I will add that it was very encouraging to me how fast PC was to dismiss any idea he would be leaving to take the Rams opening - despite him being the clear #1 choice.

More immediately it is entirely possible that Terrell will step up well enough to cover for ET, that our WRs will step up to cover well enough for Tyler, and that the OL will play as well as they have shown capable of at times - including over the past 6 straight quarters. If we get a good measure of those step-ups then seriously:

Why not us?

The long-term and the short-term both hold good potential.

We are not about to become the Browns, for sure. I just think our dominating period may be waning.

Without big changes and a revamped line, I don't know.

 

[LeftHandSmoke]

Our window is definitely not closing. Anytime you have a good GM, coach and top 10 QB the window is open.

The question is if we lose in the playoffs, can Pete and John fix the issues going on right now with this team, cause there are some big ones.

- O-line
- RB
- aging defense
- cracks in team confidence and chemistry

Definitely fixable, and definitely a premature conversation to be having because we're still playing.

Agreed.

But unlike many of the soap-opera-theory subscribers here, I tend to take 'team confidence and chemistry' as a big positive for the Seahawks. And a lot of that rests in the (yes, starting to age but still well in their primes) leaders on Defense.

Carroll made this very point yesterday, among many others that he could instead have made first. So did RW and other players when asked about the playoffs, 'We all we need.'

 

[Sgt. Largent]

Our window is definitely not closing. Anytime you have a good GM, coach and top 10 QB the window is open.

The question is if we lose in the playoffs, can Pete and John fix the issues going on right now with this team, cause there are some big ones.

- O-line
- RB
- aging defense
- cracks in team confidence and chemistry

Definitely fixable, and definitely a premature conversation to be having because we're still playing.

Unlike many of the soap-opera-theory subscribers here, I tend to take 'team confidence and chemistry' as a big positive for the Seahawks. And a lot of that rests in the (yes, starting to age but still well in their primes) leaders on Defense.

Carroll made this very point yesterday, among many others that he could instead have made. So did RW when asked about the playoffs, 'We all we need.'

They keep saying this, but their play on the field is saying otherwise. The tape doesn't lie, I don't see the same tight knit nasty hard hitting "we all we need" players on defense. I still see a LOT of miscommunication and glaring scheme mistakes. Niner players were running free in our secondary almost all day, it wasn't until the D-line started getting pressure in the 2nd half that fixed this issue. That's with Kaeperstink and terrible WR's, what do you think guys like Rodgers, Stafford, Manning and Ryan are going to do to this secondary if they play like that?

Can they get it going now that they should be hyper focused on the playoffs? I hope so, but that's hard to just flip a switch in the NFL.

 

[LeftHandSmoke]

They keep saying this, but their play on the field is saying otherwise. The tape doesn't lie, I don't see the same tight knit nasty hard hitting "we all we need" players on defense. I still see a LOT of miscommunication and glaring scheme mistakes. Niner players were running free in our secondary almost all day, it wasn't until the D-line started getting pressure in the 2nd half that fixed this issue. That's with Kaeperstink and terrible WR's, what do you think guys like Rodgers, Stafford, Manning and Ryan are going to do to this secondary if they play like that?

Can they get it going now that they should be hyper focused on the playoffs? I hope so, but that's hard to just flip a switch in the NFL.

Sure, the 9ers did get a lot in the left flat early in the game, looked to me like Morgan got frozen a few times and so they moved more and more to Lane in the nickel in response. And then? The 9ers gained just 99 yards over the last 3 quarters. 99 yards!

As for nasty/hard hitting, did you see that goal line hit by Kam on (sp?) Draugn? Dang! That RB did run it in on 4th down but was barely seen after that hit. The Bennet hit on the Card RB? Vicious! RS on sideline missileing Goff? Whoa!

Rodgers and Ryan do scare me some, the key there will in large part about getting pressure on the QB and nailing his short-pass crossing guys. The Hawks D should be at least as good as anyone at doing exactly that. The Seahawks pass rushers, LB's, and Kam? These guys are still monsters.

 

[DangerousDoug]

Great post.

I read a stat somewhere that the Hawks now have 5 straight years of 10+ wins while they had 5 such seasons between 1976 and 2011. I try to explain to my kids how good it has been after so many down years. With great performances come great expectations, and I think that is the reason I have not enjoyed watching the games as much the past two years. I remember getting excited when we were even mentioned as a playoff possibility and now it is an expected "ho-hum" annual occurrence. Need a change of perspective, maybe that will come with a nice playoff run this year!

 

[Jville]

I remember a time when just a winning record instilled a sense of pride.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

I remember a time when just a winning record instilled a sense of pride.

Expectations are a changin'.

 

[grizbob]

As long as uncle Paul owns the team we're contenders. :0190l:

 

[IndyHawk]

Well (word I would use in the Shack,) Great post Greg, we also know what your New Years resolution was I guess as well.

There is a lot to reflect on and be happy about to be sure, I think a portion of the Forums anxiety is we don't want the window to close and we all see some of that well worn Levi Blue Jeans look now, faded, strngs showing thru on wear spots etc. They are still comfy but not really durable, one snag and you could be standing there with the Boys hanging out.

Many just want to pull another pair out and keep marching, many screaming that you don't want to climb a barbed wired fence with those puppies on to John.

Pete redefined a era of defense with Kam, Earl and Sherman being big and long and speedy, I think we as in the Seahawks evolved to another level as did the NFL, now that field is equal so to speak again, people have copied or compensated for what we do, it's time to make a shift of some sort again, offense, defense, youth, smaller and quicker to offset the size of a secondary now, whatever it is. We have disciples across the league of Pete's philosophy and coaching tree, the Master much once again show why he is the Master.

I think that's it, exactly, Chris. The anxiety of this window closing.

I disagree also on the window closing.We are in a reload mode of sorts with the youth and players who haven't played much.The anxiety is due to all the injuries in key areas,any other team would have folded.The anxiety in here is people beating on obvious problems with the team like a dead horse.However far we go this year you can be sure some changes will be made so we will be stronger and likely will be better next season.This season is not over yet despite what some in here will insinuate.

 

[jammerhawk]

Master Chief, great opening post!

Sure we kvetch and moan about the OLine, the lack of a consistent O, the non-existent running game, soft zone D, Bevell, Cable, Russell, fragile RBs, long snappers, time management, injuries, etc., amongst a million other things. However, this has been a pretty amazing time to be a Seahawks fan, this regime has been without any doubt the best ever in terms of a delivered on the field product.

The many playoff appearances, divisional championships, NFC- Championships, XLVIII have all led us to an expectation of superiority in a league where parity is the operational standard. The reality of the team's continuing excellence albeit with flaws is a testament to the excellent job the whole staff is doing.

I piss and moan a great deal about the OLine and what I regard as substandard offensive performance as likely result thereof. To me therein lies an answer to the offensive woes. However, stepping back from the picture if you are not at least impressed by the record since 2010 you darn well should be. The Seahawks are certainly an elite team leaguewise, and we here all expect them to be that way. The thing is they play other teams with professional players and coaches who also want to win the games. Sometimes the results are not exactly the way we'd hoped for them to be.

Without a doubt I'm proud to be a Seahawks fan, but then again I'm a lifer and have endured years of impossibile futility and atrocious roster management, until the present regime arrived. Now while I piss and moan sometimes it never affects my belief that the team will eventually figure out what they are doing wrong and get it right. Their record proves me right.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

5 straight 10 win seasons. 8 division titles and 3 Super Bowl trips since 2004.
Nothing but pride here. So many of the new "12s" have no idea how bad it was here for many seasons.

 

[soje]

I feel like your post signals at the end of this era and it sure feels like that, at least to me.

I think the team lost some of the edge, which is inevitable due to the salary cap. We have so much money commited to few players that our OL looks like a bunch of high school players. We all (PC and JS included) had hope that the OL would get better as the season developed but, if anything, it got worse. No run block, no pass block, nothing. To make things worse, Russell Wilson is having the worst season of his career.

There wasn't a game this season when I felt comfortable, no game when I thought "yeah, we really played well this time". Instead, I've heard fans booing the offense, and I also saw defense players publicly showing their disappointment with the offense.

I do feel happy to have witnessed these 4-5 years of extreme success. But I think this is the end. We lose to Detroit this coming Saturday and we're not even in the playoffs next season.

Of course, I hope I'm wrong.

...
This franchise has become one of the NFL's elite. We are hated by other fan bases, and that only happens when you are successful. We have a savvy GM who is not afraid to make moves.

I don't know what is going to happen this post-season, but I l know it has been an awesome ride.

 

[Seahawk Sailor]

5 straight 10 win seasons. 8 division titles and 3 Super Bowl trips since 2004.
Nothing but pride here. So many of the new "12s" have no idea how bad it was here for many seasons.

For the new "12s": Imagine you're a fan of the Detroit Lions. A few bright years in a couple of decades of anguish. And our mantra was the same in those good years as the Lions--"Maybe we can finally win our first playoff game in more years than I care to remember! We just have to go on the road and beat a team that hasn't lost at home in the playoffs for over a decade!"

 

[SoulfishHawk]

No playoff wins since 91 playoffs, ouch.

 

[Palmegranite]

And before that 1957! Dear Lord....