Do you believe?

[pittpnthrs]

I hear ya Pitt. Homer yes, but with all those losses, it's reality. And I hope to be wrong in a good way.

I'm with you. I hope to be wrong too, but i'm not expecting it.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

I'm a homer and proud of it. I only enjoy watching Seahawks (and Huskies) games, all the rest of the teams I couldn't care any less about. The draft & all of the lead up to it, I only look for Seahawk players that would improve the roster & over the years my involvement with the draft & Seahawk picks has become a significant hobby that I enjoy.

I find it difficult to try and project out a season record at this point in time. I think we will all have major changes in our projections after the 4 pre-season games when the roster is nearly settled. Currently, considering that I think the Seahawks had an excellent (B+) draft, IF I had to predict their season record, I'd say somewhere between 10 & 12 wins and at a minimum a playoff spot and from there, anything could happen, including a SB appearance if all goes well. As a fan, I'm happy to remain +, rather than - until such time as the team actually has shown otherwise. I don't listen to the natsayers about this draft class because at this point it's all "opinions" and absolutely nothing else.

We're all homers, that's why we're here.

And I agree, too soon to truly evaluate what our roster looks like. We'll get a better idea come August when we start seeing these young players in games.

But on paper when I look at this roster? Not confident, at all.

 

[TwistedHusky]

I found it hilarious that I agreed with Soulfish too. Even though we agree on almost NOTHING else.

I am picking 8-8 or 9-7.

I am OK with it if things shake out that way.

 

[scutterhawk]

If that team had Luck instead of Wilson you honestly think we wouldn't have won?

We won because of a great defense and HOF quality RB. Not because of a rookie QB.

He helped but so Luck would have done fine for us too.

You don't know that for a fact...Wilson was able to scramble for a few hundred yards and bolster the run game, & that's just ONE of the differences that he brings to the game, PLUS, he's shown durability, and Luck?, not so much.
It takes more than just having a good arm.
Wilson has survived shitty Pass protection, + he was the Seahawks top rusher last season.

RW had a Luck like season last year on a Luck like team, albeit still having a better than average defense (11th in yards, 13th in pts).

Doesn't get you anywhere and if they were to keep playing hero ball, RW will end up just like him.

There's literally no point in trying to make a point about how good he is while playing on a losing team with bad, desperate team philosophy. That's Colt fan-esque and that actually IS the point. It's self demise.

Hero Ball, Schmero Ball...With a shit run game, Wilson was still keeping games within reach, now imagine what the W/L would have looked like had the Run game and Blair Walsh had just been a fraction better.
Cable's Crap Coaching of the O-Line (limiting Bevell's Play Calls) produced a nonexistent Run Blocking/Pass Protection.
The way I see it, the Offensive Line with Solari, is going to get better (can't possibly get any worse), and under Schottenheimer, Creativity, a better Run Game & a more opened playbook, WILL give Russell Wilson a huge advantage......
I'm NOT putting Wilson on a pedestal, but one has to marvel at how much Crap that he's had to endure over the last 4+ seasons, and still be considered one of the Top Three Quarterbacks in the League, so, I am going to give him props for playing savvy Football, and "turning chicken shit into chicken salad".

 

[pmedic920]

If that team had Luck instead of Wilson you honestly think we wouldn't have won?

We won because of a great defense and HOF quality RB. Not because of a rookie QB.

He helped but so Luck would have done fine for us too.

Com’on Man.

You don’t really believe that.

We won because it was our time, the stars lined up, and the chemistry was there.

No way we win if anything was different.

W/neck beard, we don’t even make the NFCCG

 

[scutterhawk]

Ah, the .Net bashes, they certainly were fun and you got to meet all the guys especially our famous Pithy Radish (later just Radish) Les and and his very nice wife Darlene, Todd and Hawkstorian John, and better still even be visited by the very gracious and totally gorgeous SeaGal Amber bearing gifts. What a totally awesome lady, hope she is having success in LA.

For sure we were a bunch of internet dweebs, but it was great to just hangout together. We need to have a reunion somewhere. I was always sad I never got to TC in Cheney b/c there there was also close and frequent social interaction with the players.

Yep it’s been very close to 20 years for me at the various sites this wonderful fan forum has moved to. Many thanks to Todd for starting this thing of ours and to RockHawk for keeping it going. It is an exceptional fan site.

^ This ^ I have moved twice since joining in on discussions back in '98', I've never had the means to go to the get togethers with some of y'all, I have pretty much been on the sidelines, and enjoyed a lot of the stories & pic's over the last 20 years.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

With #3 anything is possible. An actual running game and this team could be pretty good.

 

[hawknation2018]

[youtube]qOKwpJ1joRM[/youtube]

 

[LudwigsDrummer]

I've said 8-8 for awhile now. I just cant see the team reaching the heights of a division title or even a wild card when the talent we gave up was replaced with lesser, cheaper players. So many question marks. Will the Oline be worth a darn, will we be able to run the ball at an average rate, will the defense be decent, will our kicker be with us for the season and can he still kick, can the new coaches push us forward, etc,,,. All of this and we play in the same division as the loaded Rams. I also still think Pete bails after the 2019 season when his contract is up. This season,,,I do not believe.

You give no value to changes in our kicking game, punting game, running game, OL coach change, OC coach change, draft, or the launching of 2 of our loudest, highly paid detractors.
Some folks can only see the negative angle. It is their agenda.

And you just listed a bunch of question marks that i'm concerned with. How many of those areas are going to work out and how many wont? I promise you not all of them will. Also, as i've said before, sure we got rid of 2 loud, drama queens, but we didnt clear the slate. Theres still players here that will cause plenty of drama and issues. Heck, Earls already doing it. I guarantee Kam is going to run his mouth about something this year too and he's not even going to play. All that being said, we may have replaced those couple of detractors with other bodies, but we didnt replace their talent. See how that works? Regardless of all that, why dont you offer up your own opinion instead of crapping on somebody elses? I'm sure we'll be enlightened.

Again, more focus on the negs than the positives. Kam and Earl? Do you really want me to list all of the positives we have added?
Boring.
Let them play out then disparage them if you wish.

 

[pittpnthrs]

Let them play out then disparage them if you wish.

That's whats going to happen. Of course you still haven't offered your view of how well the team will do this season (you know, the actual subject of this thread), but I realize its easier that way.

 

[sdog1981]

Some of you guys need to take a real look at what the 2017 Seahawks accomplished. They had the LOWEST TOTAL RUSHING YARDS BY RUNNING BACKS IN A 16 GAME SEASON. That's right the Seahawks running back contributed NOTHING. The 2017 Seattle Seahawks played offense with 10 players every play and still won 9 games. Some of you need to realize how incredible it was that this team won 9 games. They will be better offensively next season.

Tom Cable is the worst coach in organized football. The next few seasons we are all going to see that the Seahawks have been playing with one hand behind there back because that doofus sucked the life out of the team. I am willing to bet Tom Cable cost the team 3 or 4 wins every season.

Brian Schottenheimer's offenses help defenses. Go back and look at the "talent" on those 2008-12 Jets teams, they were number one in total defense because Shotty's offense was averaging 170 yards rushing a game. The 2013 Seahawks averaged 136 yards rushing per game.

Last season was disappointing, but the team is not devoid of talent.

The Rams added locker room cancer and the league has a whole season of tape on Goff.

The Cardinals have no QB and a new head coach.

The 49ers are a complete unknown with a new QB.

 

[jammerhawk]

So for you Pitt it’s a preemptive disparagement?

The team sucks so much that 8-8 is their sad reality at best. Why even watch? Why even follow their tribulations? So says you, so we all have our heads up our rears if we think a bit less pessimistically than you? OK, but it seems to me I can still see the light. :rumble:

Your negativity is tedious, what if some of back up younger players playing behind all these lost talents turn out to be as the team hoped, i.e.: actually good? They can’t all be second raters can they? Oh wait, that’s your glass half empty view isn’t it? The real talent has left the building and their replacements are no talent bums. The FO has failed and the team is mediocre, pedestrian, untalented, and could not stand up to the Uber talented Rams, 49ers, or the Cardinals.

I doubt PC ot JS would agree with your viewpoií.

 

[vin.couve12]

If that team had Luck instead of Wilson you honestly think we wouldn't have won?

We won because of a great defense and HOF quality RB. Not because of a rookie QB.

He helped but so Luck would have done fine for us too.

You don't know that for a fact...Wilson was able to scramble for a few hundred yards and bolster the run game, & that's just ONE of the differences that he brings to the game, PLUS, he's shown durability, and Luck?, not so much.
It takes more than just having a good arm.
Wilson has survived shitty Pass protection, + he was the Seahawks top rusher last season.

RW had a Luck like season last year on a Luck like team, albeit still having a better than average defense (11th in yards, 13th in pts).

Doesn't get you anywhere and if they were to keep playing hero ball, RW will end up just like him.

There's literally no point in trying to make a point about how good he is while playing on a losing team with bad, desperate team philosophy. That's Colt fan-esque and that actually IS the point. It's self demise.

Hero Ball, Schmero Ball...With a shit run game, Wilson was still keeping games within reach, now imagine what the W/L would have looked like had the Run game and Blair Walsh had just been a fraction better.
Cable's Crap Coaching of the O-Line (limiting Bevell's Play Calls) produced a nonexistent Run Blocking/Pass Protection.
The way I see it, the Offensive Line with Solari, is going to get better (can't possibly get any worse), and under Schottenheimer, Creativity, a better Run Game & a more opened playbook, WILL give Russell Wilson a huge advantage......
I'm NOT putting Wilson on a pedestal, but one has to marvel at how much Crap that he's had to endure over the last 4+ seasons, and still be considered one of the Top Three Quarterbacks in the League, so, I am going to give him props for playing savvy Football, and "turning chicken shit into chicken salad".

You and I aren't even talking about the same thing at this point. I'm talking about team football and you're talking about players because somehow RW fanatics take offense at ideology that makes RW more successful. Then again, I did reply to a "who's coming with me?" beleiver thread.

 

[jammerhawk]

Some of you guys need to take a real look at what the 2017 Seahawks accomplished. They had the LOWEST TOTAL RUSHING YARDS BY RUNNING BACKS IN A 16 GAME SEASON. That's right the Seahawks running back contributed NOTHING. The 2017 Seattle Seahawks played offense with 10 players every play and still won 9 games. Some of you need to realize how incredible it was that this team won 9 games. They will be better offensively next season.

Tom Cable is the worst coach in organized football. The next few seasons we are all going to see that the Seahawks have been playing with one hand behind there back because that doofus sucked the life out of the team. I am willing to bet Tom Cable cost the team 3 or 4 wins every season.

Brian Schottenheimer's offenses help defenses. Go back and look at the "talent" on those 2008-12 Jets teams, they were number one in total defense because Shotty's offense was averaging 170 yards rushing a game. The 2013 Seahawks averaged 136 yards rushing per game.

Awesome post SDog!

Every time (well almost everytime) Fat Eddy Lacy was on the field or a running play was called it either cost yards, resulted in a penalty, or went for zip. The other RBs weren’t very special either. D’s started to ignore Play Action too putting more pressure on RW who was forced to carry the O, with a non-existent running game and while under constant immediate pressure. Wilson with a porous OLine was discussed as the MVP for a time. The only bright spark in the running game all year was Carson early and he got hurt, Cable’s schemes here didn’t help the RBs much or protect them. He will get Lynch hurt again in Oakland this year too, just watch. Gruden will tolerate him for a season and then Cable will get canned there again. The changes on O with Schotty will shock a few who expect little.

Disagree with some of your comments about SF and AZ, yet doubt the hype about the Digits, and the Cardinals new coach and ex-1st round bust QB will struggle as normal for that QB. Without much encouraging the Rams may turn into the Chip Kelly Eagles Super Team, too many egos all at work against each other, that is a team not built to last. Many parts of it won’t be able to fit under the cap when Goff gets paid. Meanwhile a few experts will wake up from sleeping on Seattle and what they thought was a pedestrian team.

 

[Jac]

Tom Cable is the worst coach in organized football. The next few seasons we are all going to see that the Seahawks have been playing with one hand behind there back because that doofus sucked the life out of the team. I am willing to bet Tom Cable cost the team 3 or 4 wins every season.

All you have to do is look at what the offensive linemen have been saying in interviews so far, because it's by nature a comparison with last year. They've been saying that the new scheme is going to play to their physicality (and a lot of these guys are big strong maulers). But that means nothing without consistency and technique. The second thing that they've been saying is that they have to repeat technique over and over and over until they get it right. By comparison, they're implying that Cable's scheme did not play to their physical strengths, nor where they even well-coached in it.

The Seahawk offensive line is practically a league "meme" at this point. So when they inevitably improve this year (and I believe it'll be substantially), it will be the ultimate indictment of Cable. Particularly when a highly thought of Raiders line (even if it didn't perform as well last year) absolutely tanks. I still don't think Cable has received his share of league wide criticism yet with most of the blame being levied at talent. I mean he did almost instantly find a new job, and analysts on NFL Radio call him a good coach.

Another thing is that our line was so bad last year, it's easy to lose sight of how mediocre most lines actually are around the league. Watch replays and you'll see usually see at least one guy getting blown up, or a rapidly collapsing pocket. Listen to NFL Radio, and almost every team has callers worried about their offensive line.

Since we already have a "top-3" franchise QB, this team is a complete sleeper right now.

 

[Cyrus12]

I am actually excited for all the change no matter what the result because there are going to be some growing pains.

1. We have all new philosophy on oc ol and DC coaching staff. Imo we got rid of 2 major issues in Cable and still unemployed Bevell.

2. We are rid of a major distraction and idiot in Bennett. Also players that undermined the head coach...Sherman Kam Avril and a few others are also gone which means a major influx of some young guys on defense. We held onto the old core too long and it cost us. I personally think Earl has to go. It's time to rebuild and not cling to the past on a guy that doesn't want to be here. I would like to see the defense have a complete fresh start with Wagner as the obvious leader. I do think most of the issues we will see this year will be in the secondary but again it's part of growing. Let the young guys play. Frank Clark needs to step up this year.

3. The o line imo looks slightly improved and I am hoping a new coach finally gets us out of hearing how bad it is. Wilson has miraculously escaped major injury over the years but that won't last with a bad o line.

4. The running game I am very excited about with the tandem of Carson and Penny. If these guys get going opposing team defenses are going to have to respect it again which opens up more play action and options downfield for Wilson. Last year it sucked bad.

5. Our wr crew imo will be okay as well even without prich. Lockett is going to be better and I think Brown could be this years Bobby engram.
On TE wr mo longer have to worry about forcing Jimmy G to get in the game. I'm hoping Dickson is more of a Zach Miller as opposed to a Jimmy. This also Vannetts year to shit or get off the pot. ABD will still be angry. I'm not convinced Marshall makes the team but if so a big body presence will help.

6. We dont have Blair Walsh...nuff said. I just hope Seabass has one good non injury plagued year left. There will be other kickers out there.

As for a prediction it's tough to say this time of year. I usually like to see the first 3 games of the pre season. This year at this time I really can't pick any one team that's a sure deal. The Rams imo will win the division no doubt imo. I think we compete with the niners for 2nd. I would have to say 9 and 7 at this point if the team stays healthy. Major changes all around this year will have some good and bad. On the low end I say 7 and 9 if the o line sucks and the young d struggle.

One thing I really want to see this year is this teams ability to play 4 quarters. I am tired of this showing up in the 2nd half bullshit. Sorry but the defense isn't going to be able to hold teams to 7pts anymore. The offence has to step up bigtime. I am cautiously optimistic but overall I just wanna see the team compete harder than they did last year without all the bs distractions that divided the locker room.

 

[AROS]

The Seahawk offensive line is practically a league "meme" at this point. So when they inevitably improve this year (and I believe it'll be substantially), it will be the ultimate indictment of Cable. Particularly when a highly thought of Raiders line (even if it didn't perform as well last year) absolutely tanks. I still don't think Cable has received his share of league wide criticism yet with most of the blame being levied at talent. I mean he did almost instantly find a new job, and analysts on NFL Radio call him a good coach.

That's the kicker for me. For some unknown reason Tom Cable is still HIGHLY respected as some sort of OL guru by national media and football minds. Despite the overwhelming evidence of the contrary in his time spent with us. His apologists will no doubt say "Well look at what he had to work with...Converting lineman from completely different positions." But even if he wasn't given the best base players to work with, a GURU would whip them into shape and make them at least middle-of-the-pack, which he could never do.

Cable has got to be the most overrated coach in the NFL (by the national mediots, not us fans).

 

[pittpnthrs]

So for you Pitt it’s a preemptive disparagement?

The team sucks so much that 8-8 is their sad reality at best. Why even watch? Why even follow their tribulations? So says you, so we all have our heads up our rears if we think a bit less pessimistically than you? OK, but it seems to me I can still see the light. :rumble:

Your negativity is tedious, what if some of back up younger players playing behind all these lost talents turn out to be as the team hoped, i.e.: actually good? They can’t all be second raters can they? Oh wait, that’s your glass half empty view isn’t it? The real talent has left the building and their replacements are no talent bums. The FO has failed and the team is mediocre, pedestrian, untalented, and could not stand up to the Uber talented Rams, 49ers, or the Cardinals.

I doubt PC ot JS would agree with your viewpoií.

Lol, whats so wrong with expecting a .500 record for a team thats rebuilding? What should somebodys expectations be? Why would a fan not watch his team when so many areas are going to unfold? I'm super interested to see what happens and how it happens this year even though i'm not super pumped about our final outcome. This season is a building year. Next season is when we should be expecting real results. Also, its silly thinking that the players we signed this season are equal to the talent of the guys let go. For the life of me, I dont know why some are so determined in convincing themselves otherwise. The team had no money and signed who they could. They had an alright draft to go along with that, so yeah, theres going to be some mediocre, pedestrian players out there this season. Should be expected, but some cant accept it for one reason or another. When the team does finish around the .500 mark like I predicted, all the people who are clamoring that the team is awesome right now and will compete will just say that it was a rebuilding year and thats ok, while thats all i'm saying right now.

 

[LudwigsDrummer]

I've said 8-8 for awhile now. I just cant see the team reaching the heights of a division title or even a wild card when the talent we gave up was replaced with lesser, cheaper players. So many question marks. Will the Oline be worth a darn, will we be able to run the ball at an average rate, will the defense be decent, will our kicker be with us for the season and can he still kick, can the new coaches push us forward, etc,,,. All of this and we play in the same division as the loaded Rams. I also still think Pete bails after the 2019 season when his contract is up. This season,,,I do not believe.

You give no value to changes in our kicking game, punting game, running game, OL coach change, OC coach change, draft, or the launching of 2 of our loudest, highly paid detractors.
Some folks can only see the negative angle. It is their agenda.

And you just listed a bunch of question marks that i'm concerned with. How many of those areas are going to work out and how many wont? I promise you not all of them will. Also, as i've said before, sure we got rid of 2 loud, drama queens, but we didnt clear the slate. Theres still players here that will cause plenty of drama and issues. Heck, Earls already doing it. I guarantee Kam is going to run his mouth about something this year too and he's not even going to play. All that being said, we may have replaced those couple of detractors with other bodies, but we didnt replace their talent. See how that works? Regardless of all that, why dont you offer up your own opinion instead of crapping on somebody elses? I'm sure we'll be enlightened.

I thought I gave an opinion. You say out of our new K game, P game, run game, OL coach change, OC change, or draft some of these won't work out. Which department won't benefit from the newbies?
My opinion is each of those mentioned will add to this team.

 

[Rat]

I don't have much hope that we'll pressure the Rams for the division, unless they absolutely get their asses kicked by injury, but I think there's enough here to seriously contend for a wildcard.

Even if we're "rebuilding", it is difficult for me to see a Russell Wilson-led team finishing with just 4-6 wins. Defense could take a small step back into the league's Tier 2, I wish we had more weapons in the passing game, and the OL is an ultimate wildcard. Running game should be much improved though, and there is still a fair amount of talent on D. Special teams should be considerably better. Players are saying the right things right now, but they do that every offseason. I rarely allow myself to get carried away with that stuff.

I don't know if that's "believing". This looks like a 9-7 team to me, but I would hardly be shocked if we do one or two wins better than that. I'm excited to watch, even if I don't think the season ends with a Lombardi Trophy.