The Day After

[Scottemojo]

I thought last week that a key to the game was how would Carolina adjust to us coming out in a spread offense?
They didn't have to, the coaching staff played into the strength of the Carolina defense by opening the game with the tight end off tackle, fullbacks, extra blockers...Seattle was just plain outcoached. The game plan was rubbish, the opening script should not have had a single pass that required the QB to hold the ball for more than 2 seconds.

However, today, that end to the season feels appropriate.

In a season that began with trading away the center, with no real plan to add proven talent back to the center position, it ended with a team getting it's ass kicked by the other team's DTs. Getting owned up the middle was the season long theme, an ever present defect that could only be masked by a rapid fire spread O.

I love Lynch. It pains me to say, but in retrospect, that marriage ended a year too late. Considering some of the warning signs in 2014, offering him a bunch of loot for one more year is going to be considered a mistake.

I will remember this season for many things, some good, some not.

The good: Lockett is the real deal. He is a legit WR. All world KR.
Rawls is awesome. I think he needs another legit big back to take some load, he may not be durable as a 25 touch guy, but he is legit. he has a suddenness to him that is matched with elite tackle breaking ability.
Wilson doesn't have to hold the ball to make plays. As bad as the Center and LG position was in pass pro, we may never have learned that if not forced to do so, it was not in the nature of our offense to play like that.
A healthy Jeremy Lane is a very good CB.
Doug Baldwin is so very good as well. And is becoming a leader.
rubin was a welcome surprise.

The bad. A 10-6 team should not have a bad list this long, but we do.
Nowak? Really?
Love you Bennett. But the season began with you jumping offsides, and that was a problem all year
Is our DC up to the task? Has a very Gus Bradley feel to the softness of the zones.
Against the play clock way, way too often. A very, very big problem that goes back to 2011. My thinking on it is that in large part it is tied to how we shift personnel groups so very much.
Can we please cover a TE?
In a problem we also saw with Percy, getting touches for stars is an issue that seems to disrupt the flow of the offense. Graham and Lynch both, it just had the feel that when we tried to get them their plays, we were not doing so in the rhythm and flow of what the defense was offering. It was so weird that almost the entire fanbase, analysts, and even players seemed to realize the offense was going to get better when Graham got hurt. Losing someone that good should not liberate the offense, but it felt like it did. That is an issue going forward for our coaches.

All in all, I will think of the 2015 season as a year when players and coaches alike made the game way harder than it has to be. Holdouts, hubris with the 2015 plan at center, grasping at a run first identity when a spread O was the way to mask O-line deficiencies, those are the things that will linger when I think about this season.

 

[Joyodongo]

I thought last week that a key to the game was how would Carolina adjust to us coming out in a spread offense?
They didn't have to, the coaching staff played into the strength of the Carolina defense by opening the game with the tight end off tackle, fullbacks, extra blockers...Seattle was just plain outcoached. The game plan was rubbish, the opening script should not have had a single pass that required the QB to hold the ball for more than 2 seconds.

However, today, that end to the season feels appropriate.

In a season that began with trading away the center, with no real plan to add proven talent back to the center position, it ended with a team getting it's ass kicked by the other team's DTs. Getting owned up the middle was the season long theme, an ever present defect that could only be masked by a rapid fire spread O.

I love Lynch. It pains me to say, but in retrospect, that marriage ended a year too late. Considering some of the warning signs in 2014, offering him a bunch of loot for one more year is going to be considered a mistake.

I will remember this season for many things, some good, some not.

The good: Lockett is the real deal. He is a legit WR. All world KR.
Rawls is awesome. I think he needs another legit big back to take some load, he may not be durable as a 25 touch guy, but he is legit. he has a suddenness to him that is matched with elite tackle breaking ability.
Wilson doesn't have to hold the ball to make plays. As bad as the Center and LG position was in pass pro, we may never have learned that if not forced to do so, it was not in the nature of our offense to play like that.
A healthy Jeremy Lane is a very good CB.
Doug Baldwin is so very good as well. And is becoming a leader.
rubin was a welcome surprise.

The bad. A 10-6 team should not have a bad list this long, but we do.
Nowak? Really?
Love you Bennett. But the season began with you jumping offsides, and that was a problem all year
Is our DC up to the task? Has a very Gus Bradley feel to the softness of the zones.
Against the play clock way, way too often. A very, very big problem that goes back to 2011. My thinking on it is that in large part it is tied to how we shift personnel groups so very much.
Can we please cover a TE?
In a problem we also saw with Percy, getting touches for stars is an issue that seems to disrupt the flow of the offense. Graham and Lynch both, it just had the feel that when we tried to get them their plays, we were not doing so in the rhythm and flow of what the defense was offering. It was so weird that almost the entire fanbase, analysts, and even players seemed to realize the offense was going to get better when Graham got hurt. Losing someone that good should not liberate the offense, but it felt like it did. That is an issue going forward for our coaches.

All in all, I will think of the 2015 season as a year when players and coaches alike made the game way harder than it has to be. Holdouts, hubris with the 2015 plan at center, grasping at a run first identity when a spread O was the way to mask O-line deficiencies, those are the things that will linger when I think about this season.

Totally agree. Good points and well exposed... :th2thumbs: :th2thumbs: :th2thumbs:

 

[Optimus25]

I disagree with your take on Graham.

For one, he single handedly kept the offense going vs pitt. At times as he was coming alive with russ, he was our only option on third and long that could get it done.

But secondly, go back to a post i created called nfc playoff picture, where right in the middle of the funk i made the point that the beginning of our schedule was treacherous and that the opponent quality was dropping off by over thirty percent.

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=118257

That is when the offense caught fire.

Nothing to do with Jimmy. Jimmy just would have made it worse for the other teams we killed.

But your point about playoff game planning is right. The writing has been on the wall about Bevell for some time.

Can't get it going against elite defenses till late game.

That makes him a savior to some around here. It's a detriment if you ask me.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

I'm not a rah rah fan when it comes to my pro sports teams.

If any fanbase knows this, it's us. This is a VERY finite window of opportunity to win championships, so I see this year as nothing more than a wasted opportunity.

Too many off season distractions, too many selfish players complaining about money and holding out. Too many blown leads, and most importantly too long to finally play up to our capabilities as a VERY talented and deep team that SHOULD have won 13 or 14 games and challenged Arizona for the NFC West title and Carolina for the #1 seed.

So sorry, 2015 will go down as the year we underperformed and underachieved. This group of players and coaches is too talented to be 10-6 and lose in the Divisional round. Period.

 

[JSeahawks]

Good post as usual.

Personally I would move Bennett from the bad list, to the good list. Yea, his jumping offsides is definitely annoying and a hindrance, but imo he was our best and most consistent defensive player by a wide margin this year.

 

[CodeWarrior]

I'm glad someone else is questioning the DC. I personally think Richard is in way over his head. He doesn't set up other teams nor bait them in to bad throws. We used to have an attacking defense in a multitude of ways. Now, if we don't get immediate pressure, our chances of a pick are virtually nil. Our LBs did not have a single pick, because we don't squeeze the intermediate routes in the manner required by our scheme. As you pointed out, our zones are just too damn soft. I'm in favor of a change at DC, but don't see it happening.

 

[onanygivensunday]

Too much soft zone yesterday against a QB like Newton that can fire the ball.

Frustrating watching that all game.

 

[StoneCold]

You are a much better football person than I and the only place I disagree is with the star touches. Not so much because I know differently, rather I can't separate the coincidental information. Did we go to the spread because of the injuries and the deficient Oline, did we go away from it because Lynch was back? Seems we didn't use it as much in the Rams game either.

In either case I will call this season the "Get Smart" season. Missed by that much. So many plays and games turned on being out of position by a very small margin. Some of that has to be chalked up to excellent play by the other team and some to our own bad choices. In the end, so many games were so close that we now see many threads complaining about single moments that were magnified due to winning being within reach. (I'm not including your post in that list) I'll take that over what we used to have and am looking forward to another year of being competitive.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

Too much soft zone yesterday against a QB like Newton that can fire the ball.

Frustrating watching that all game.

It wasn't soft zone, it was just bad zone with poor play from the front 4 all the way back to the LOB.

No pressure on Cam, bad tackling, poor coverage...........just overall a stinker from the defense. Cam was comfortable all freaking day.

 

[SeahawksFanForever]

Zone defense doesn't work if you can't pressure the QB. Newton had all day in the pocket to find someone that can help them move the chains. Olsen got open a couple of times to get the first down.

 

[Sports Hernia]

I'm glad someone else is questioning the DC. I personally think Richard is in way over his head. He doesn't set up other teams nor bait them in to bad throws. We used to have an attacking defense in a multitude of ways. Now, if we don't get immediate pressure, our chances of a pick are virtually nil. Our LBs did not have a single pick, because we don't squeeze the intermediate routes in the manner required by our scheme. As you pointed out, our zones are just too damn soft. I'm in favor of a change at DC, but don't see it happening.

Both Coordinators are in over their heads.

 

[CodeWarrior]

I'm glad someone else is questioning the DC. I personally think Richard is in way over his head. He doesn't set up other teams nor bait them in to bad throws. We used to have an attacking defense in a multitude of ways. Now, if we don't get immediate pressure, our chances of a pick are virtually nil. Our LBs did not have a single pick, because we don't squeeze the intermediate routes in the manner required by our scheme. As you pointed out, our zones are just too damn soft. I'm in favor of a change at DC, but don't see it happening.

Both Coordinators are in over their heads.

I'm usually not overly quick to jump on Bevell, but the offensive coaching staff should be embarrassed by that first half game plan. Played right into Carolina's strengths, as another poster pointed out (forget who).

 

[themunn]

Rawls is awesome. I think he needs another legit big back to take some load, he may not be durable as a 25 touch guy,

This is the one thing that stands out that I disagree with, I've seen nothing to suggest he's not durable enough for 25+ touches a game, his injury was just freak bad luck in getting caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, and my instant thought was "that is not gonna be good".

Really I'd rather see us pick up a scatback to aid in our spread offense, someone with a bit more speed and shiftiness that can also break a big run - I think a Leon Washington type would have massively thrived in the new Russell Wilson-look offense.

 

[gonzhawk]

What about the lack of turnovers this year? Just think if we had gotten even one yesterday for 3 points!!!

This really did not help our offense, slow starting or not!

 

[Tech Worlds]

Rawls is awesome. I think he needs another legit big back to take some load, he may not be durable as a 25 touch guy,

This is the one thing that stands out that I disagree with, I've seen nothing to suggest he's not durable enough for 25+ touches a game, his injury was just freak bad luck in getting caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, and my instant thought was "that is not gonna be good".

Really I'd rather see us pick up a scatback to aid in our spread offense, someone with a bit more speed and shiftiness that can also break a big run - I think a Leon Washington type would have massively thrived in the new Russell Wilson-look offense.

He is not. 25+ touch guy is over 400 touches in a season.

That's too much wear and tare for sustained success.

 

[SomersetHawk]

Rawls is awesome. I think he needs another legit big back to take some load, he may not be durable as a 25 touch guy,

This is the one thing that stands out that I disagree with, I've seen nothing to suggest he's not durable enough for 25+ touches a game, his injury was just freak bad luck in getting caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, and my instant thought was "that is not gonna be good".

Really I'd rather see us pick up a scatback to aid in our spread offense, someone with a bit more speed and shiftiness that can also break a big run - I think a Leon Washington type would have massively thrived in the new Russell Wilson-look offense.

He is not. 25+ touch guy is over 400 touches in a season.

That's too much wear and tare for sustained success.

Indeed. No need for that much of a work load, quickest way to ruin our best back. No doubt he's a workhorse, in his last year of college he ran the ball 112 times in a three game stretch, though he missed the best part of the following three.

No harm in getting a guy to share some of the load with. I'd keep Michael around too, he showed enough to stick around a little longer.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

What about the lack of turnovers this year? Just think if we had gotten even one yesterday for 3 points!!!

This really did not help our offense, slow starting or not!

I think we had as many turnovers this year as last year, but still I agree............the defense while good didn't make the big plays we're used to seeing out of them. Especially on the interception front.

 

[hawksfansinceday1]

Great post though like others here I think Graham was getting integrated at least decently into the offense before getting hurt.

Have a question for you Scott and anyone else that wants to respond. Agree with your take on the offensive approach at the beginning of yesterday's game i.e., no spread in favor of power sets. My feeling is that Pete ordered that approach and Bevell had to devise a game plan with that approach. Pete loves power football and I think he fell into the the Beast is back and we can shove it down their throat approach he prefers despite as you pointed out the interior of our o-line being shit all year long with that type of offensive game plan. Do you (guys) think that's possible/likely?

I'm not one for defending Bev, but this whole thing really smacks of Pete. And if like me you think that was the case, do you think he'll adjust next season? I do because Rawls is much more the type of RB that will succeed in a spread offense. I believe Pete made a mistake and will know he did. What say you?

 

[kearly]

Dave Cameron was an irritable jerk, but he was so rarely wrong when it came to his Mariners. And the few times the Mariners did listen to his advice, it paid off handsomely for them. In a lot of ways, I see Scotte as being like the Dave Cameron of Seahawks fans, minus the pulpit and the snarky attitude. Am I the only one who remembers Scotte talking at length about how spread principles would be a boon for Wilson back in September? I know that sports radio guys in Seattle read .net and fieldgulls, and Mike Salk was talking up spread principles for a few weeks after Scotte brought up the subject. And then, a short time later, the Seahawks made the switch, to fantastic results.

It could just be a coincidence, but the whole thing reminded me of Dave Cameron's open letter to Felix Hernandez many years ago. That letter actually made it to Felix himself, and Felix took the advice to heart, changing his approach from a hard thrower with decent results to an elite junkballer with Cy Young results.

These days with the internet and media being so omnipresent, smart discussion by fans and media members actually has a prayer of permeating the teams we cheer for.

I'm not trying to give Scotte credit or a pat on the back, because I can't prove that his observations were the impetus or just a coincidence. That said, would the former surprise me? Not at all. I wish this topic could be published in the paper for all to read, and talked about at length on sports radio. There are a lot of very good insights here that could help the Seahawks.

...

To me, the most interesting point Scotte makes here is about Richard. I had been going under the assumption that teams had solved our cover 3, but that didn't really explain why Seattle was having more issues with cover 3 that other teams were, relative to their talent level. Now that I think about it, the problem is not with the scheme as much as it is with the soft coverage. Newton completed 15 passes in this game, but only a handful of them were on cover 3 beaters. The rest were to wide open players sitting in huge zones. I remember one play on 3rd down late in the game where Newton had a guy open for like 4 seconds before he threw to him for the 1st near the sideline, that entire time DeShawn Shead could have closed the space, but he didn't. The comparison to Bradley's soft zones feels like it might have some merit.

As far as Seattle feeding the ball to their stars, I don't think that will be as big of an issue assuming that Lynch has played his last down here. And did the offense really get better after Graham went down? There were 9 good quarters of offense prior to that injury, dating back to halftime in the Arizona game.

 

[Scottemojo]

I don't think integrating graham will be a big problem going forward. But I also think tight end is one area where Seattle may have to evaluate the way they define the role.

Get a blocking tight end, don't ask helfet and graham and Willson to play that role.

An area of focus has to be center and guard. Donald, Short, among many others, constituted a long list of Dts that wrecked offensive rhythm. Lewis is a stopgap plan, and there is no real reason to assume Sokoli can play there. A lot will be determined by free agency, Okung and Sweezy mean that next year, like this one, we could start the season with a lack on line continuity