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The Green Bay Way ... vs. The Seattle Way
I don't know how many of you guys caught Brock and Salk's opening segment yesterday, but they had some very thought provoking comments in the wake of the Green Bay - Falcons game on Monday Night.
They pointed out (and I believe rightfully so), that there is such a vast difference between Green Bay's philosophy and way of doing things ... and Seattle's philosophy and way of doing things. The NFL (and so much of America) seems so enamored with the kind of high powered, Madden Football like offense that the Packers really embody and represent. That's what the NFL and so many people seem to want -- scoring so many points like the old Asteroids game that you would score and score ... and see how many times you could make the numbers max out, roll over, and beep at you.
But the question arises for us in terms of this year (and perhaps beyond) -- can NFL teams really win and win consistently over the long term -- scoring tons of points ... and giving up tons of points on defense? As demonstrated clearly on Monday, Green Bay can score seemingly at will ... but the essence and ultimate success of that team seems to be predicated on one thing -- the success of Aaron Rodgers. If Rodgers is clicking with Jordy Nelson, then that offense and the Packers are going to hum along. If a team is able to take away that one thing though ... then does the Jenga Puzzle then collapse?
While most of America and the NFL Talking Heads seem to be anointing the Packers as this year's Super Bowl representative ... the Seahawks are the one team out there who has the ability to take away that one thing. I'm firmly convinced (barring injury) that this Seahawks team has what it takes to take out that high powered Packers Offense, even if they ultimately meet at Lambeau Field for all the marbles.
Brock went on to bring up a point that I've brought up before as well and marveled over a few times in the past ...
Pete Carroll -- Master Schemer ...
Huard: "Pete Carroll and Bill Belichick are the two best X's and O minds in the NFL -- period. End of story. In my travels around the college football world over the last 8 years, and especially over the last few years, if I was to ask any of the defensive coordinators I could sit down with, "Who do you want to spend time with?" -- it'd be a very, very short list. Many in the college ranks would say Nick Saban. I want to sit under and learn from Nick Saban and in the Spring at his practices, his sidelines [are] littered with hopeful college and high school coaches. Undoubtedly, if you were to ask all of the college coaches around America, "Where are two places you would love to sit in and learn the game of football from a defensive mind?" -- it would be on both coasts. It would be in New England and here in Seattle. And you're right, Pete does not get that kind of credit."
Later ...
Huard: "... people look at him [Pete Carroll] and say, 'Ah, look at what he did as SC. He just always had better players. Ahh, you know he just had all these 5 star guys, these 4 star guys. If I had them, I could play that kind of defense. I could be that kind of basic and play that fast too.' And then he gets to the NFL and I think he's become somewhat of a prisoner of that as well. 'Ah, John Schneider -- look at him. Look-it, you've got the best corner in the game. You've got the best safety in the game. You've got the best this in the game. You've got the best middle linebacker in the game. You've got all this talent now, right?' It's the chicken and the egg. They're really good players because Pete from an X's and O's standpoint really puts them in place to do it. And I think people will look at a Dick Lebeau or a Dom Capers and say, 'Wow -- innovative. Hooo -- Star Wars Defense! Creative! Look at all these wonderful blitzes! And Pete and Bill are very very similar. Both of those guys at their very core -- they're not blitzers. At their very core they want to be hard. At their very core they don't want to give you an inch and give you anything. And to do that you've got to be an incredible teacher. And I think both of those guys are.
... You're talking about a track record that goes back for decades for both of these guys. And I told you the other thing that they [Carroll and Belichick] do remarkably well, like any great pitcher does, like anybody who plays great defense in any sport -- they take away your strength. That's where they are very, very similar. They look at it and say, 'OK, what do you like to do? What are your route recognition? What are your route concepts? And how I can really teach my guys to take away your Number One? And that's why Pete's been unbelievable against Green Bay, and New Orleans, and Philly, and Denver. Every single time they've had this litmus test against great offenses, I would contend that they take away what that group does best. "
http://mynorthwest.com/category/pod_player_sports/?a=9980752&p=1007&n=Brock and Salk
In all my years of watching NFL football (and certainly of watching Seahawks football), I have never seen a coaching staff who has the ability to find talent (under rocks where no one else can find it) ... to coach up/teach players ... and to break down an opposing team, to identify its weaknesses, and to be able to put players in a position to exploit those weak spots better than this coaching staff right here. It's the reason I contend that coupled with the way this team is playing right now, that at the end of the day, come February 1 -- this Seahawks team is going to be the last one standing at U. of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. And I cannot wait for that moment.
I don't know how many of you guys caught Brock and Salk's opening segment yesterday, but they had some very thought provoking comments in the wake of the Green Bay - Falcons game on Monday Night.
They pointed out (and I believe rightfully so), that there is such a vast difference between Green Bay's philosophy and way of doing things ... and Seattle's philosophy and way of doing things. The NFL (and so much of America) seems so enamored with the kind of high powered, Madden Football like offense that the Packers really embody and represent. That's what the NFL and so many people seem to want -- scoring so many points like the old Asteroids game that you would score and score ... and see how many times you could make the numbers max out, roll over, and beep at you.
But the question arises for us in terms of this year (and perhaps beyond) -- can NFL teams really win and win consistently over the long term -- scoring tons of points ... and giving up tons of points on defense? As demonstrated clearly on Monday, Green Bay can score seemingly at will ... but the essence and ultimate success of that team seems to be predicated on one thing -- the success of Aaron Rodgers. If Rodgers is clicking with Jordy Nelson, then that offense and the Packers are going to hum along. If a team is able to take away that one thing though ... then does the Jenga Puzzle then collapse?
While most of America and the NFL Talking Heads seem to be anointing the Packers as this year's Super Bowl representative ... the Seahawks are the one team out there who has the ability to take away that one thing. I'm firmly convinced (barring injury) that this Seahawks team has what it takes to take out that high powered Packers Offense, even if they ultimately meet at Lambeau Field for all the marbles.
Brock went on to bring up a point that I've brought up before as well and marveled over a few times in the past ...
Pete Carroll -- Master Schemer ...
Huard: "Pete Carroll and Bill Belichick are the two best X's and O minds in the NFL -- period. End of story. In my travels around the college football world over the last 8 years, and especially over the last few years, if I was to ask any of the defensive coordinators I could sit down with, "Who do you want to spend time with?" -- it'd be a very, very short list. Many in the college ranks would say Nick Saban. I want to sit under and learn from Nick Saban and in the Spring at his practices, his sidelines [are] littered with hopeful college and high school coaches. Undoubtedly, if you were to ask all of the college coaches around America, "Where are two places you would love to sit in and learn the game of football from a defensive mind?" -- it would be on both coasts. It would be in New England and here in Seattle. And you're right, Pete does not get that kind of credit."
Later ...
Huard: "... people look at him [Pete Carroll] and say, 'Ah, look at what he did as SC. He just always had better players. Ahh, you know he just had all these 5 star guys, these 4 star guys. If I had them, I could play that kind of defense. I could be that kind of basic and play that fast too.' And then he gets to the NFL and I think he's become somewhat of a prisoner of that as well. 'Ah, John Schneider -- look at him. Look-it, you've got the best corner in the game. You've got the best safety in the game. You've got the best this in the game. You've got the best middle linebacker in the game. You've got all this talent now, right?' It's the chicken and the egg. They're really good players because Pete from an X's and O's standpoint really puts them in place to do it. And I think people will look at a Dick Lebeau or a Dom Capers and say, 'Wow -- innovative. Hooo -- Star Wars Defense! Creative! Look at all these wonderful blitzes! And Pete and Bill are very very similar. Both of those guys at their very core -- they're not blitzers. At their very core they want to be hard. At their very core they don't want to give you an inch and give you anything. And to do that you've got to be an incredible teacher. And I think both of those guys are.
... You're talking about a track record that goes back for decades for both of these guys. And I told you the other thing that they [Carroll and Belichick] do remarkably well, like any great pitcher does, like anybody who plays great defense in any sport -- they take away your strength. That's where they are very, very similar. They look at it and say, 'OK, what do you like to do? What are your route recognition? What are your route concepts? And how I can really teach my guys to take away your Number One? And that's why Pete's been unbelievable against Green Bay, and New Orleans, and Philly, and Denver. Every single time they've had this litmus test against great offenses, I would contend that they take away what that group does best. "
http://mynorthwest.com/category/pod_player_sports/?a=9980752&p=1007&n=Brock and Salk
In all my years of watching NFL football (and certainly of watching Seahawks football), I have never seen a coaching staff who has the ability to find talent (under rocks where no one else can find it) ... to coach up/teach players ... and to break down an opposing team, to identify its weaknesses, and to be able to put players in a position to exploit those weak spots better than this coaching staff right here. It's the reason I contend that coupled with the way this team is playing right now, that at the end of the day, come February 1 -- this Seahawks team is going to be the last one standing at U. of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. And I cannot wait for that moment.