Seahawks-Redskins Preview...5 Keys to a Hawks Victory (FULL)

[Greenhell]

Hawkscanner,

Great stuff my friend. You've come on .net like a damn Phoenix! Amazing work. It must take hours to get that post up. I pray your prediction is right as confident as I've been all season this game has me nervous. I'd buy you your favorite beer if I were in the same bar as you'll be tomorrow. :th2thumbs:

 

[Hawks46]

I understand Haslett brings a lot of pressure; we're familiar with him. A couple of points:

1. You guys blitz a lot, but evidenced by your number of sacks, you don't get home a lot.

2. Blitzing doesn't necessarily have to create gaping holes in a zone, as you've stated. What it does do is stress the LBers to cover more field. Miller and McCoy (our Tes) create mismatches against most LBers, in space, it's even worse. Also, Lynch is a very underrated receiver out of the backfield, and Turbin could even be better as he has better in line speed...definately a mismatch in the open field against WA LBers.

3. Getting an extra man upfield isn't always smart against a good running QB. If you can get home, great. Wilson is elusive as hell and looks to throw first, further stressing out open areas of the zone and covering LBers. Looking to throw first makes Wilson impossible to cover in the open field. Blitzing Wilson might be the best way to slow him down (as evidenced by the Rams game), but it's still going to hurt. I would suggest the same thing for Griffin; stay in your leans and try not to get too far upfield.

I'm worried about Irvin getting too far upfield, but then again, didn't he also run something in the 4.4's at the combine ? I can see him catching Morris on the backside cuts from behind; he's that fast.

 

[RolandDeschain]

Excellent; all in one place. Great write-up, dude.

 

[Hawkscanner]

Thanks for the props guys. Like a lot of you, I've been pretty anxious for this game. Here's what's rolling around my mind here at 5:30am -- December 31, 1983. The Seahawks went on the road and beat a Miami Dolphins team led by Dan Marino who had posted what were incredibly impressive offensive numbers for a rookie QB at that time ... 3,045 Yards ... 57% pass completion rate ...
28 touchdowns ... and only 11 interceptions.

The Seahawks meanwhile, had a good offensive team that year, as like this 2012 club they could run the ball (Curt Warner won Rookie of the Year rushing for 1,449 yards and 13 TD). And like this 2012 club what they were really became known for (like this 2012 team) was their defense. Seattle's Defense finished 2nd in the NFL in the Give Away/Take Away Turnover battle with a +16 margin that year (they led the NFL with a +24 in 1984). Their secondary (like this one) had some phenomenal players back there who really made that team special -- CB Dave Brown (who went to the Pro Bowl in 1984) ... FS John Harris ... and the best SS in Seahawks History bar none -- Kenny Easley.

If you never saw Easley play, he was a real man among boys. He was one of the most physically talented secondary players I've ever seen honestly. Though he may never get mentioned in the same breath as guys like Ronnie Lott or Jack Tatum, he should honestly -- he was that good. He was very fast, an incredibly hard hitter, and had a big time nose for the football (he had 7 interceptions in 1983). If I could snap my fingers and magically have him at his peak ... and I had a choice between Easley and Kam Chancellor at SS for this game today, there would be no hesitation -- See ya Chancellor. His career was cut short due to kidney issues caused by too much ibuprofen before games. Otherwise, he'd have been a sure Hall of Famer. I found this uploaded video awhile back -- an old NFL films highlight of Kenny Easley. I'd encourage you just as a pure football fan to watch this guy and what he could do. There is no question he could step on a football field today and dominate just the same way he did back then.

Kenny Easley Youtube Highlight Video

Anyway, December 31, 1983 ... the Seattle Seahawks went in to Joe Robbie Stadium as heavy underdogs in that game ... and knocked off the high powered Dolphins team 27-20, shocking the nation.

Courtesy of some unknown 12th Man out there, here are the highlights of that game ...
1983 Seahawks-Dolphins NFL Films Highlights

And that is exactly what I believe this Seahawks team is going to do today. That game was the last time that the Hawks won a road playoff game ... 29 years ago. You know what -- it's history. Though I know this is the playoffs and that anything can and does happen on Any Given Sunday ... today I feel confident that the Seahawks will make history as a new era of Seahawks Football dawns -- an era marked by annual trips to the post-season and hopes of multiple Super Bowl Titles.

Back to the Present here and focusing on this game ... what thoughts/keys/whatever have you guys got on this match-up today?

 

[Hawkscanner]

If you're one of those who needs something to fire yourself up for this game, I highly, highly recommend clicking on and watching the Youtube I've got linked in the previous post above of the Seahawks-Dolphins game from 1983. Seriously good stuff that will get you in a great frame of mind.

 

[RiggoReincarnated]

Great analysis, I really enjoyed reading this and its obviously you did your homework!

I'm just gonna add that this should be the best wild-card matchup by far. Both fanbases can argue stats as much as they want (like the Redskins haven't played good D's down the stretch and their offense is overrated and Seattle hasn't faced really any good offenses down the streak), but its all about who plays the best 60 minutes today at Fed Ex. Maybe Seattle does have a slight edge on paper, but we've won 7 in a row, and have our own charismatic leader with a "refuse to lose" attitude in RGIII. If you beat us, you're going to have to take it from us...we aren't gonna fold, especiallly at home.

People I think who can make a big difference and worry me because they reallly have the potential to swing the game:

Red Bryant (blocked a FG and extra point against us last year), Leon Washington, Kam Chancellor, Sydney Rice (in red zone particularly...he's not the fastest, but he has height to grab lobs over the top)

People I think who can make a big difference for the Skins:

Darrell Young (short dump off passes), Logan Paulsen (blocking, especially because Polumbus will likely need some help with Irvin from time to time), Santana Moss, Aldrick Robinson

 

[KDawg_ES]

1. You guys blitz a lot, but evidenced by your number of sacks, you don't get home a lot.

You seem like you know your stuff, thanks for the response.

As you most likely know, actually getting a sack isn't necessarily the goal when bringing pressure. Forcing a quick decision and throw is just as valuable as a sack. I believe the sack is an overrated statistic, but it's currently the easiest way to gauge pressure that is readily available for the public.

2. Blitzing doesn't necessarily have to create gaping holes in a zone, as you've stated. What it does do is stress the LBers to cover more field. Miller and McCoy (our Tes) create mismatches against most LBers, in space, it's even worse. Also, Lynch is a very underrated receiver out of the backfield, and Turbin could even be better as he has better in line speed...definately a mismatch in the open field against WA LBers.

Agreed on all points.

3. Getting an extra man upfield isn't always smart against a good running QB.

All they have to do is force him off his spot and then resist the urge to over commit. If they over commit to Wilson's scrable, RW will start one way, see the player out of position, drop his back shoulder and do a half spin into the open area behind the defender. The goal with our pressures should be to force him off his spot and then stay home if he's not in range to grab him. Don't let him run around freely. Make him think. It's the best chance our D has against him. He's such a good quarterback that you can't over commit to him. He'll break free and run for a ton or find a receiver who worked themselves open down field.

I'm worried about Irvin getting too far upfield, but then again, didn't he also run something in the 4.4's at the combine ? I can see him catching Morris on the backside cuts from behind; he's that fast.

Problem there is that if the 'Skins mix it up well enough, he can't over commit to either man, so he'll be slower off the jump while the 'Skins guys are at speed. And the same situation is true with Seattle's offense. As a 'Skins fan I'm nervous yet excited. As a fan of football? This game should be awesome!!