Random Thoughts™ on the Rams game

[Starrman44]

Thanks, Kearly!

I think the Rams caught all the breaks today (except when we fumbled forward for a first down). I also think this was a subpar outing for us. I think we really could of hung another couple of TD's on the board today.

I look forward to playing the Redskins. It's my best friend's favorite team. It'll be interesting to see our team's adjustments playing in the playoffs.

I hope we don't stop until we win the Super Bowl.

BTW - this feels like personal validation for me. I felt coming into the year the only question was QB. When I saw Wilson in preseason I told some friends that we could be a Super Bowl contender (they all kind of sat up and took notice because I am not a trash talker due to many years of following mostly average franchises). Early in the season that was looking a little grim. This season has been my favorite of all time.

 

[scutterhawk]

The way I feel after this game is a lot like the way after I felt after losing to Arizona in week 1. Yes, Arizona brought the pass rush, but otherwise they were not a good team, and the only reason Seattle did not destroy them was because they couldn't get out of their own way. Seattle obliterated Arizona on the second go around. The Rams are due for an ass kicking. We didn't get it today, but it is inevitable.

This AND, Russell Willson will be digesting Fishers Defensive mindset.
With his first year under Center as a rookie out of the way, Next Season we SHOULD see Wilson emerging as one of the best prepared Quarterbacks (next to Moon) the Seahawks have EVER had.

 

[morgulon1]

Bradford had waaaaaay too much time in that pocket. Yes, we kept them to only 13 points which should not be understated but I can't stand it when I see Wilson get sacked 6 times and we get nothing on Bradford AT HOME.

Inexcusable.

Rams also have 2 top 5 picks invested in their DL. Hawks have 1 first rounder.

And, what you said can be said every week about the Hawks; NOT ENOUGH PRESSURE but they held them to blank. Makes me think it's a little by design. Maybe.

I think PE might be onto something. We have what many consider to be a poor pass rush yet we have arguably the best overall defense in the league. I remember Carroll's rule number 1 of the defense is.....

Not give up the big play.

It could be by design, look how the defense was built. From the back to front or outside in. We have an all pro free safety in Thomas, the thumper/enforcer linebacker sized strong safety in Kam, and the two best corners in the league Browner and Mr Sherman. We want to keep the ball in front of us.

 

[pehawk]

Reminds me a little of Pete's affair with the Bandit. It was due to necessity and not liking his LB's more than anything else.

IMO, he wants pressure, but knows there's no horse good enough to let loose right now. So, might as well just insure you cant get beat; i.e. give up the big play.

 

[HawkHack]

Kudos to the officiating today- you will rarely see a tougher game to call. [...] I'm guessing fans weren't exactly rushing to give the refs hugs after this one, but they had a very tough job today and I've rarely seen a crew handle a game with so many tough decisions better.

I disagree. I will grant you that the crew got most of the calls right.

But I think they were really flag-happy, and I think that ruins the fan experience -- on both sides.

I think good officials, just like good players and good coaches, go with the flow. I don't think anyone would argue that junior high school officials should call every single rules infraction they see; if they did, there would really be no game at all. By the same token, some NFL games just end up being a bit rough around the edges, and guys like Mike Carey see it as their duty to call all possible infractions. They're the lawyers of the game. (Is it a coincidence that so many of these guys are in fact lawyers?)

But look, I've coached youth sports, and what most of the coaches want is just a good game. They want a chance for their players to play, and to learn. Of course they want to win -- but most of them want to win based on great plays. That's what the fans want as well. The role of the officals is to try to keep the playing field level (so to speak) -- but otherwise, to stay the hell out of the way.

Despite the vastly superior skills of NFL players, I don't think the equation changes. Players want to make great plays, coaches want to win because of great plays, and fans want to watch great plays. Officious officiating really just gets in the way.

</soapbox>

 

[Blitzer88]

Great stuff again Kearly. We need to do something about our pass rush for the playoffs, can't give these QBs all day to throw no matter how good our secondary is.

 

[kearly]

Pierre Garcon is the big playmaker on that team. He's who we have to shut down if we're going to win this one.

I drafted Pierre Garcon in my fantasy football draft this year. He was hurt for a big chunk of the season and was never all that great even when healthy. If he's the best they got, the Redskins better hope Morris has a 200 yard game in him. And I really doubt he would against us.

 

[kearly]

But I think they were really flag-happy, and I think that ruins the fan experience -- on both sides.

I like it better when refs swallow their whistles too, but today I only disagreed with two of their calls, one for each team. They had a lot of tough calls and they got every one of them right, including one that Pereira got wrong when the broadcast asked his opinion.

what were your thoughts on jeremy lane and trufant.

Trufant didn't get targeted that much and did well when he was. I think if Trufant is a 3rd or 4th corner it really helps minimize how much of a liability he is. I'd like to see him replaced next season, after we get him his ring in a few weeks.

I like Lane's attitude and attempts at physicality. He's a good tackler too. I'm not yet sure that he's good in man coverage though. He also looks a lot smaller than his listed size. I would not want to go into next season with Lane as the #3. I'd love to see Seattle bring more competition at corner in the draft. There are a few options I have my eye on. It's a good draft for big corners in the mid rounds.

 

[Happypuppy]

Can't wait for the battle of the backs and the battle of the rookie QBs. It will be great
To see Sherman and company taking on the probable IMO Rookie of the year

 

[largenutz]

Kearly you r a beast! Love the quote bout Tru getting his ring! keep doin yo thang!

 

[largenutz]

damn jus seen yo avatar -do a russ doin gangham style- my kids will love it!

 

[pinksheets]

To me the Redskins receivers all seem like guys who would get manhandled by our corners. Small, finesse type guys who are not going to know what hit them when Sherm and Browner come to town. The only hope those guys have is Griffin's threat as a runner getting them open.

 

[HawKnPeppa]

Out CBs are good at taking on the big guys. They both have trouble with the smaller, shiftier guys (Sherman abit less so than Browner). Browner said as much in an interview; he was speaking for both himself and Sherman.

Santana has been finding ways to get open all season, so we'll just have to see if our guys can slow him down some.

 

[endzorn]

And Good God can we PLEASE generate a pass rush?!?!!?

Our pass rush didn't disappear because it has really been scarce all season...and we finished as the #1 scoring defense in the NFL.

We might be the only team I have ever seen who can go an entire game without sniffing a QB and hold a team under 15-20 points. It's who we are and it's how we play. It's incredibly impressive to see an offense sputter because a secondary is holding an entire pass defense on it's shoulders. There aren't many teams in NFL history who can afford to not even try manufacturing a pass rush and still shut down offenses.

 

[Will I]

what were your thoughts on jeremy lane and trufant.

Trufant didn't get targeted that much and did well when he was. I think if Trufant is a 3rd or 4th corner it really helps minimize how much of a liability he is. I'd like to see him replaced next season, after we get him his ring in a few weeks.

I like Lane's attitude and attempts at physicality. He's a good tackler too. I'm not yet sure that he's good in man coverage though. He also looks a lot smaller than his listed size. I would not want to go into next season with Lane as the #3. I'd love to see Seattle bring more competition at corner in the draft. There are a few options I have my eye on. It's a good draft for big corners in the mid rounds.

Also, I think if Browner was in there, he intercepts that tipped ball that was caught for their TD based on his extra reach/wingspan.

 

[falcongoggles]

I'm not used to rooting for individual awards. Only a few times before has Seattle had a player in this kind of situation- Alexander in 2005 and Tez in 1992. I know it's illogical, but I've come to realize that seeing Wilson win the award means a great deal to me. In the end, sports are all about recognition. A win is recognition for being the better team that week. A playoff berth is recognition for a good season. A Superbowl win is the ultimate recognition- a statement that says your team was the best in the land.

Prepare to be letdown. All the points you made about RW starting every game, having to win out the position and thus not getting preseason reps, being a third round pick and overcoming height with superior study habits and intelligence are all well known by people on this board and a handful of analysts. Unfortunately, the average viewer and NFL analyst who has to stay up with 32 teams doesn't get that much in-depth with our team. Unfortunately, RW has not done enough to BOTH beat out RG3 and overcome his preseason hype. Case in point, think of Terry Bradshaw's (who represents your average fan and pundit) response when presented with overwhelming RW counter points while RG3 was inactive. All he could do was stutter and not give up his staunch preconceived opinions.

Individual awards are recognition too- and Russell Wilson just completed arguably the best rookie season in NFL history, with only Big Ben and RG3 making compelling counter-arguments. I'd hate to pick between RG3 and Wilson this year, really it's a shame they can't split the award. But last I checked, RG3 is not a Seahawk. He was not a 3rd round pick. He was not a guy labelled too short to play in the NFL. He was not a backup in August. So with all due respect to RG3, I would really like to see Wilson get that stupid award. Obviously, winning a championship is priority one, but seeing Wilson take home hardware is a surprisingly close second, at least for me.

So in that sense today was bittersweet. Wilson just had one of the best games of his career and somehow only walked out with one passing TD, when two would have given him sole possession of the record. That sucked- but we won, and he at least got a share, even if he deserved an even better result than what he got.

Even here you are admitting that the voting will be tight here and with the combined hype, RW is facing a massive uphill battle (come on people, make me eat crow).

You also hit on the fact that he had a massive opportunity squandered. After being sacked six times he still put up great numbers. Now imagine if there wasn't the inexplicable implosion on the offensive line and the crazy choice of putting Sweezy in there (resulting in two, if not three sacks). Frustrating to think about what could have been with RWs performance.

 

[Anonymous]

I always get a kick out of how much of a Seahawks fan Kip is. (Just short of face-painting though, I suspect). Enjoyable read.

The Rams have one of the best young defensive lines in the league. I'm going to give them props. Seemed to me that without some good help from the TE's and the RB's, things could have been much worse.

It will be interesting to hear all of the Wilson talk this week. I'm going to predict a relative love-fest based on this weeks matchup with RGIII. I'm not sure when the award is announced, but I'm sure Russ will be stoked to perform well regardless. If he wins the award it would something very special indeed.

 

[morgulon1]

Agreed Houston. People (on here at least) seem to understand that the defensive line of the Rams is LOADED with top 5 talent and will be a force to be dealt with in the upcoming seasons. Jeff Fisher is an excellent coach and seems to be a classy individual. I've always liked him.

Going to some of the Ram boards I don't understand the hate towards Carroll and our Seahawks. I don't have the same feelings towards St Louis. They really hate us. Oh well.

Oh yeah, Thanks Kearly. I enjoy your work and it's appreciated.

 

[Trenchbroom]

Going to some of the Ram boards I don't understand the hate towards Carroll and our Seahawks. I don't have the same feelings towards St Louis. They really hate us. Oh well.

Yep, I don't get it either. I guess having a team do a complete rebuild while going 7-9, 7-9 is pretty painful to a team that's been in rebuild for a decade. We'd probably feel the same way about them if the tables were turned (thankfully it's not).

Oh yeah, Thanks Kearly. I enjoy your work and it's appreciated.

I agree with this as well. Thanks Kearly!

 

[hawksfansinceday1]

.....When Seattle does blitz, or even show blitz, the difference in pressure is night and day. I've given Pete the benefit of the doubt the last several weeks, but the playoffs are here and it's time to stop being cute..........

I could not agree with this more. This team must blitz more often and trust their defensive backfield if they're going to make a SB run. Perhaps getting Browner back will facillitate this.