The Seahawks are just like the Steelers, so don't panic

[b8rtm8nn]

From all the games I have seen the coaching staff is having an identity crisis...

Sorry to chime in as a Cards fan who has only see 3 or 4 of your games this season, but I think this is spot on.

Your OLine plan would probably make more sense if you ran an offense that did everything based off a run formation, but from an outside perspective, the OLine coaching and personnel seem at odds with your OC play calling and design, and it looks like RW is playing worse this year, maybe due to lack of trust in the result (sacks).

Early in the season, I watched a game and thought, "I don't like their new DC"

I can't put my finger on it, but it feels like some of the communication issues are a result of the change in the defensive play calling, although it could just be different personnel. But after watching Sunday night, something is different, there feels like a bigger hole in your defense 10 yards past the line of scrimmage and your interior D wasn't bringing it very consistently. Your DC may improve, but I was expecting more by week 10 as we have a new DC and he is progressing well.

You have great LBs and a very strong secondary (not as dominant this year), but it doesn't feel like the DC is using their strengths as much as he could.

It doesn't feel like players are less intense, just out of sync, and that usually falls on coaching if it is persistent over the season. Again, my perspective from the outside.

 

[Popeyejones]

You're still missing the point.

You're focusing too much on the timescale of Pittsburgh's general success. This is about the similarities between this team and the Steelers after they won their first Super Bowl with Big Ben, the similarities between the current NFC West and AFC North and the two starting Qb's.

As another user stated, you've just started a straw man argument that is starting to dominate the thread. This is the Seahawks section of the forum. Nobody's interested pal.

This is clearly going nowhere so I'm happy to drop it (read: this will be my last post in the thread), but again, no, I'm not missing the point.

That you can't or don't have any interest in understanding that is what it is. No biggie.

 

[Hawks46]

Good article.

The coaching staff and FO can only control what they can do. No one can really control how good or bad their division is (other than being really good and hanging losses on their divisional rivals). Well, unless Bellichick really is a Sith Lord. We have the best defensive division in football, and that is going to be hard on a team trying to rebuild an offense.

We can't control what AZ/SF/STL does, we can just control our personnel and schemes, and the atmosphere/winning culture. AZ has been on an upward swing for the last 2 or 3 years. This was coming. We've won a ton of close games the last few years, it was bound to swing the other way.

 

[theENGLISHseahawk]

You're still missing the point.

You're focusing too much on the timescale of Pittsburgh's general success. This is about the similarities between this team and the Steelers after they won their first Super Bowl with Big Ben, the similarities between the current NFC West and AFC North and the two starting Qb's.

As another user stated, you've just started a straw man argument that is starting to dominate the thread. This is the Seahawks section of the forum. Nobody's interested pal.

This is clearly going nowhere so I'm happy to drop it (read: this will be my last post in the thread), but again, no, I'm not missing the point.

That you can't or don't have any interest in understanding that is what it is. No biggie.

Tiresome and boring.

Nobody is interested.

 

[Hasselbeck]

Great post. I heard a similar comment on TV except it went:

"The Seattle Seahawks and the Pittsburgh Steelers are teams that nobody wants to see in the playoffs."

But that's not really what English was speaking to in the piece. He's saying that their team was put together in a lot of the same manner this present day team is. Young QB, dynamic running game, strong defense led by the best safety in football. That sort of thing.

However, the one thing that will define this comparison is how well Wilson develops as a passer. This year he's regressed. Roethlisberger steadily improved as his career went on, so much so that they are a pass-oriented team now and have been for quite some time. It was only recently that they added a great RB in Le'Veon Bell.

Collinsworth's statement spoke more to the fact that both the Steelers and Seahawks are talented enough to where if they got into the playoffs they are more than capable of getting hot at the right time and going on a run. English is speaking on how the team is constructed now and for the future.

 

[Hawkpower]

You're still missing the point.

You're focusing too much on the timescale of Pittsburgh's general success. This is about the similarities between this team and the Steelers after they won their first Super Bowl with Big Ben, the similarities between the current NFC West and AFC North and the two starting Qb's.

As another user stated, you've just started a straw man argument that is starting to dominate the thread. This is the Seahawks section of the forum. Nobody's interested pal.

This is clearly going nowhere so I'm happy to drop it (read: this will be my last post in the thread), but again, no, I'm not missing the point.

That you can't or don't have any interest in understanding that is what it is. No biggie.

Translation: got feathers in a ruffle because some newbie Seahawk fan DARED to put themselves in the same category as a storied franchise (like the niners...5 rings!!), and now that I realize my mistake, that the comparison is indeed valid, I am going to peace-out with my head held high.

 

[kearly]

Great OP and article. Exactly how I feel. Trust the organization.

 

[theENGLISHseahawk]

However, the one thing that will define this comparison is how well Wilson develops as a passer. This year he's regressed. Roethlisberger steadily improved as his career went on, so much so that they are a pass-oriented team now and have been for quite some time.

It's certainly true that Roethlisberger has improved -- however, it's also important to remember (as noted in the piece) he significantly regressed after a good start before bouncing back.

When the Steelers went 10-6 in 2007 he threw 32 touchdowns vs 11 interceptions. The following year the Steelers went 12-4 but his numbers declined to 17 touchdowns vs 15 picks. And then in 2009 the Steelers went 8-8 and he threw a whopping 23 interceptions vs 17 touchdowns. That's a clear regression.

I think this dramatic loss of form is much more significant than anything Russell Wilson is currently experiencing. The key thing is, even before Todd Haley became OC and Pittsburgh went pass-heavy, he found a way to reignite his career. Wilson doesn't face quite the challenge Ben faced, but he still needs to rediscover the magic he had earlier in his career.

It's also worth noting that Pittsburgh 'got by' on the offensive line for a few years before deciding enough is enough and pumping significant resource into the OL. They drafted a Pouncey in round one and David De Castro. Added a tackle in round two. They made a serious investment to improve up front. That helped Big Ben.

Yes Wilson needs to improve -- but a similar dedication to the O-line will probably help Russell in the way it helped Ben. And then he can have no excuses. Wilson doesn't strike me as the type of individual to let a career just disappear and become irrelevant. He craves greatness. And I suspect he'll do what it takes to get back to his best. It just might not come in 2015.

 

[Hasselbeck]

It's also worth noting that Pittsburgh 'got by' on the offensive line for a few years before deciding enough is enough and pumping significant resource into the OL. They drafted a Pouncey in round one and David De Castro. Added a tackle in round two. They made a serious investment to improve up front. That helped Big Ben.

Yes Wilson needs to improve -- but a similar dedication to the O-line will probably help Russell in the way it helped Ben. And then he can have no excuses. Wilson doesn't strike me as the type of individual to let a career just disappear and become irrelevant. He craves greatness. And I suspect he'll do what it takes to get back to his best. It just might not come in 2015.

Both points have a lot of merit to them.

Regarding Wilson I always come back to Drew Brees' and his career. The height isn't the only common thing there. Like Wilson, Brees was on a team that was very reliant on the shoulders of one of the best RB's in football at the time (Tomlinson) and a steady D with a coach very adverse to turning it over (Schottenheimer). Brees' numbers were very comparable to Wilson's in the passing department, and it wasn't until Sean Payton got a hold of him and developed him into a more consistent passer that we saw Brees really take off.

What Ben went through is very similar to Brees. Early in his career it was defense, running the ball and no turnovers. Then Whisenhunt and Haley would come in and the philosophy of the offense changed completely.

I hope the same happens here.

 

[NINEster]

Great post. I heard a similar comment on TV except it went:

"The Seattle Seahawks and the Pittsburgh Steelers are teams that nobody wants to see in the playoffs."

The problem with this statement is that these two teams will be wildcards as playoff teams, so the scary factor is noticeably reduced.

 

[theENGLISHseahawk]

Great post. I heard a similar comment on TV except it went:

"The Seattle Seahawks and the Pittsburgh Steelers are teams that nobody wants to see in the playoffs."

The problem with this statement is that these two teams will be wildcards as playoff teams, so the scary factor is noticeably reduced.

Guarantee any team facing Seattle if they make it to the WC, even if they're on the road, nobody is looking forward to that.

 

[MontanaHawk05]

I don't think anyone is that scared of the Seahawks anymore. The league is wise to Wilson, the interior pass rush is getting nothing, and our secondary is showing a lot of holes.

 

[Alexander]

That said, I think it's basically impossible to talk about sustained success and the Steelers and just talk about the Rape years.

This is absurd. Which law of the universe says you can't focus on a particular era of that franchise's history? Given the importance of the QB position, it's perfectly natural to talk about the historical arc of a franchise during a QB's tenure. People do it with Tom Brady and the Patriots, Drew Brees and the Saints, Peyton Manning and the Colts/Broncos, John Elway and the Broncos, etc. I don't understand what's so objectionable about this kind of analysis.

The OP sees parallels between the Wilson-era Seahawks and the Roethlisberger-era Steelers. He's not claiming anything beyond that. You say that understand this point, yet you go on to argue that the comparison is absurd due to the Steelers' pre-Roethlisberger success. That doesn't make sense, given that he's explicitly limiting the comparison to only the last ten years or so.

 

[Seafan]

I don't like Big Ben but he's a top tier QB. Russ is not. The comparison ends there.

 

[EverydayImRusselin]

I don't like Big Ben but he's a top tier QB. Russ is not. The comparison ends there.

Obviously you didn't read what English wrote then. Early on in his career he had a 3 year span where he threw over 50 INTs. That was not a top tier QB.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

He's 3 and a half years into his career, still a LONG way from knowing how great he is going to be.
Of course, most seem to have their minds made up about him already, regardless of what he's working with.

 

[Hustle_Wilson]

Great parallel.

There are (relatively) lean years for these successful franchises with longevity - Steelers and the Pats after their first SB.

Not always a bad thing - better draft pick, more rest, retooling of the roster, easier schedule and renewed morovation from watching your rivals in the playoffs are a great recipe for a bounceback.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

Ravens too, won a title and had an off year soon after.

 

[aawolf]

To expect greatness and easy roads to the Super Bowl every year is delusional. There will be years when we don't make the playoffs, but as fans, we should not abandon our team. The test of a true fan is suffering with your team through down times. Its hard coming to this site and seeing how so many purported "fans" threaten to denounce their fanhood if we lose a game or might not make the playoffs one year. I hate the threads after every loss calling RW a bum or abandoning hope. I am disappointed too after losses and I will be disappointed if we miss the playoffs, but in this NFL, there will be ups and downs. There is far more reason to be optimistic about our future than other teams in the NFL. Sack up and shut up, haters.

 

[Willyeye]

I think everyone needs to put this season into perspective. No fan should expect their team to make it to the SB for 3 consecutive years. The chances are slim to none. Even at 4-5, there are plenty of things to be upbeat about, except maybe the O-Line. Actually, having your O-Line universally acknowledged as the worst O-Line in the NFL is almost depressing, yet somehow comforting, given the circumstances we find ourselves in.

Wilson is having a "different" season. He's not as efficient. He doesn't have a top-5 passer rating. However, Wilson is passing more and passing for more yards. His completion % has actually been pretty good up until the Cards game. I think his worst trait this year is the lack of TD's, but that could have a lot to do with the O-line. We shouldn't expect him to make the transition from game manager to top tier passing QB overnight. It's a huge transition, and we need to be patient. I think everyone agrees that Wilson will not be able to sustain his level of evasiveness and elusiveness forever. That's a young guy's game. Russell will be 27 next month. We can't be certain that he will even be able to make that transition, but it's as good a time as any to start now. And it's a transition that must come at some point. I'm not sure exactly how to characterize the issues that the D is having, but maybe the D will take a season to get over losing Dan Quinn. 2013 and 2014 were magical.

I also wanted to point out that the NFC seems in kind of a transition this year. Only 5 out of 16 NFC teams have a winning record. 10 teams have a losing record. The Packers and Falcons are both 6-3 and they would be the Wild Card teams if the season ended today. All of the other 6 contenders for the WC have a losing record at 4-5. Those 6 teams are all vying for what will likely be only one WC spot, the spot currently held by the Falcons. I'm ready to cencede the othe WC spot to either the Packers or the Vikings. Talk about parity...look at Week 10 in the NFC: the Bears just beat the Rams, the Cards beat the Seahawks, and the Lions beat the Packers. This week was Underdog Week. Even the Bengals and Broncos lost. The Pats almost lost. The NFL almost reminds of our economy...there is practically no middle class. It's like the 1% and the 99%

This has been a strange season, especially for the Seahawks. Truth be told, the Seahawks record could very easily be 8-1 or 7-2. You have to get pretty lucky to make it to the SB, and for the most part this year, it seems our opponents have had all the luck. So many things come into play. The timing of when a team comes up on the schedule can be so important. Why couldn't we have faced the Aaron Rodgers of the last 3 weeks, or the Andy Dalton of this past Monday? Why did we get the Bears with Claussen? Why couldn't we have gotten the Roethlisberger-less Steelers in 11 days from now like the Cards did? Look how many backup QB's we faced in 2014...even a gimpy Rodgers in the NFCCG. And then, once again, just like in 2014, the refs seem to be almost purposely not calling penalties against our opponents. And when given the opportunity, they will always take turnovers away from us, except that lucky call in the Lions game. I guess that's the way the ball bounces.