This Loss Proves We Aren't Elite (Yet)

[SoulfishHawk]

The Hawks lost to a damn good team, it happens. They were on a 5 game winning streak and finally lost a road game and only their 3rd game of the year. Meh, good teams actually do lose games. Plenty of opportunity right in front of them. Until I see different, I'm going to believe and expect that they win the next 3 games. My choice and assuming the worst is waste of energy.
The 1 win (at the time) Falcons came in to New Orleans and smacked the Saints around. Are they not Elite because they lost a game to a crap team? The Hawks lost to a good team, splitting with the Rams is not unexpected. Like most good teams, the Hawks have flaws. Every team in the league has weaknesses (well, the Ravens are looking next level) Including the Niners, Saints, Hawks, Chiefs, Pats etc.

 

[HawkinNY]

I look at this team as being close. Like the 2012 team. They are young and are just missing a few pieces. I think those pieces are on the roster but just need more time.

We really need to get our def line in order. It’s close but not there yet. They don’t have that killer mentality yet. Hope they figure it out soon.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[bmorepunk]

This is the NFL, "elite" is a fluid thing, and is week to week. It's not as constant, never has been.

Most things in this league are fluid, that's why it's fun. But it's also why it's kind of dumb to get all worked up about things throughout the season in absolutes.

It wasn't that many weeks ago that the consensus was that the Patriots could probably go undefeated and were murdering teams with their defense and their offense was playing well.

Then they got kicked by Baltimore, the injuries/problem releases on offense piled up, and now Brady is too old to make up for it all of the time. Now they have only won two of their last five games and might have to go on the road in the playoffs.

Now everybody is on the Ravens train. Watch what happens if they drop a home game next week.

The 49ers were destroying everybody until they weren't. Now they're back to destroying everybody.

There are some constants. The Browns find ways to suck when they shouldn't. Won four of their last five? Just enough to get fans' hopes up on getting a wild card, but don't worry, they'll probably get down to the wire then blow it.

 

[HawkGA]

Early in the season there were comparisons to 2012. I think those comparisons are going to turn out to be a lot more prescient than people realized . . . including the 9ers going to the Super Bowl and losing to the Ravens.

But the Hawks will go on the road in the wild card, win that game, then lose in the divisional round.

 

[Appyhawk]

Our 10-3 record has a nice gloss to it, and affords us a degree of entitlement. However, the way we achieved that record is due in no small part to some extremely good fortune that happened the way it did due to circumstance OUT OF OUR CONTROL.
Two of our 10 wins were against the Rams and the Niners. In both cases those opponents had the opportunity to beat us by converting a FG attempt that ultimately failed. The Niners, for that game, employed a substitute kicker who had done well earlier in the game but choked with the game in the balance. The Rams kicker inexplicably missed on his attempt on a potential game winner in the last 2 minutes. That is just 2 examples of how fortunate we are to be sitting here gloating about our 10-3 record instead of wondering how we can forge a playoff berth for our 8-5 squad.
Sometimes a devil is in the details.
I'm feeling pretty good about where we're at given where we could easily, and probably should, be.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

So yet again, winning isn't enough. Because it has to look a certain way. Now you should apologize for being 10-3. Got it.
So the Niners only lost to the Hawks because of a missed FG? I guess those TWO dropped picks at the end of regulation didn't happen. Especially the one right to KJ. He makes that catch the game is over. It's the Niners who were lucky to even have a chance to play in overtime. And I guess the refs missing the blatant Facemask on the Niners "touchdown" didn't happen either.
These guys finish better than most teams in the league. 10 wins is not an accident. The fascination with how they win continues. I doubt the players give a rats butt how they win, as long as they win.

This team clearly is good not great, but they certainly are capable of doing some damage in the playoffs. Like Aros said, the key word is YET.

 

[TwistedHusky]

We can beat the 49ers. We are going to have to.

But we have gotten lucky. Some of that luck we refused to take advantage of - but it was there for the taking.

That Rams game could have easily been a loss.

We have faced 4 teams without their starting QB. (One of which, the Saints, we lost to anyway.)

We faced the 49ers without Kittle, who is one of their best players and most important players on offense.

For the most part, we took advantage of the breaks we were given.

But the 49ers have proven themselves on the road, against a team we couldn't beat at home...even though the Saints were not even playing their starting QB against us. More importantly, the 49ers came back from behind on the road with 50 seconds remaining in the game. They earned their spot. We will have to knock them off it - or we are what we expected, a wildcard team in a very tough division.

The bright side is no Rams to worry about. So this isn't even bad news.

But to overlook the role that luck played in some of our success would require willful ignorance. We are still a very good team but trying to say this team is elite would be stretching the definition mightily.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

Niners, until recently had an incredibly easy schedule. They got plenty of luck and breaks on their own. So the Hawks also had an easy schedule, you still have to win the games in front of you. 10-3 is damn good, regardless how it looks. Why are so many people quick to point out the Hawks easy schedule when plenty of other teams with good records also had easy schedules. Pats, Niners, Bills, Hawks all have haven't had tough schedules.
The Hawks beat the Niners on the Road. If that's not a massive win, it's never gonna' be good enough.

 

[Seymour]

We can beat the 49ers. We are going to have to.

But we have gotten lucky. Some of that luck we refused to take advantage of - but it was there for the taking.

That Rams game could have easily been a loss.

We have faced 4 teams without their starting QB. (One of which, the Saints, we lost to anyway.)

We faced the 49ers without Kittle, who is one of their best players and most important players on offense.

For the most part, we took advantage of the breaks we were given.

But the 49ers have proven themselves on the road, against a team we couldn't beat at home...even though the Saints were not even playing their starting QB against us. More importantly, the 49ers came back from behind on the road with 50 seconds remaining in the game. They earned their spot. We will have to knock them off it - or we are what we expected, a wildcard team in a very tough division.

The bright side is no Rams to worry about. So this isn't even bad news.

But to overlook the role that luck played in some of our success would require willful ignorance. We are still a very good team but trying to say this team is elite would be stretching the definition mightily.

Well I'm not even really saying we are elite with absolute certainty. All I'm saying is "This PROVES it" is BS. :177692:

Any great team can have a bad game!!

 

[SoulfishHawk]

The Seattle Seahawks...…...they win games but...……
Pretty much sums it for the last several years. Oh well, fan how you want. I'm plenty happy with a 10-3 record and so much opportunity right in front of them.
And I'll bring it up yet again, the Saints lost to a 1 win Falcons team AT HOME, and they were dominated.
Even the great teams can have a clunker. Or, we can give credit to the opponent. The Rams were very prepared, motivated and handed it to the Hawks last night. They were the better team last night.

 

[HawkGA]

We can beat the 49ers. We are going to have to.

But we have gotten lucky. Some of that luck we refused to take advantage of - but it was there for the taking.

That Rams game could have easily been a loss.

We have faced 4 teams without their starting QB. (One of which, the Saints, we lost to anyway.)

We faced the 49ers without Kittle, who is one of their best players and most important players on offense.

For the most part, we took advantage of the breaks we were given.

But the 49ers have proven themselves on the road, against a team we couldn't beat at home...even though the Saints were not even playing their starting QB against us. More importantly, the 49ers came back from behind on the road with 50 seconds remaining in the game. They earned their spot. We will have to knock them off it - or we are what we expected, a wildcard team in a very tough division.

The bright side is no Rams to worry about. So this isn't even bad news.

But to overlook the role that luck played in some of our success would require willful ignorance. We are still a very good team but trying to say this team is elite would be stretching the definition mightily.

I certainly get the "Hawks haven't looked dominant so they aren't that good argument" but I have absolutely no patience for the "oh the other team had injuries" argument. What complete crap. It's football. Injuries happen and are part of the game. It's not like the Hawks don't have their share of injuries.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

Exactly, why is it so hard to just enjoy winning? It's confusing as hell how people can't be happy, and refuse to just embrace winning. They played like absolute garbage last night, but getting smoked on prime time is extremely rare for this team. But I can't imagine so many people being unhappy with a 10-3 team. Even after wins, people spend more time complaining about how the WON a game. Or, make excuses for the opponent. Why???
I'll never understand it, and that's fine.
Go Hawks

 

[Scorpion05]

Minus young player mistakes from Metcalf and Carson, we have been playing at an elite level. To suggest otherwise is silly. Literally every "close" game we won were in complete control. Then either Metcalf or Carson fumbled to make it close (Vikings, Steelers, Buccaneers, and Bengals game).

 

[flv]

The Ravens are clearly the best team in the NFL right now. The Ravens are elite and everyone else isn't. The Seahawks are 1 of a group of teams who could argue they were the best team in the NFL if Lamar Jackson blew a knee. 1 of them would eventually end at #1 and others would end up at #6. #7, and #8. Who's to say which of those teams are elite, and does it mean anything?

 

[SoulfishHawk]

Scorp makes a good point. Many of these close games they were in complete control. Up 24 zip on the Falcons, up 14 on the Eagles, up 17 on the Vikings, comfortable lead on the Steelers etc. They gave up some garbage time TD's that made the games closer. They were in control and were not going to lose those games. Final scores often don't dictate how much control a team had in a game. And as long as you finish, it shouldn't matter.

 

[Spin Doctor]

I don't buy it. This team is not elite, too many holes. We're just a good team, not elite. We're going to be out in the divisional playoff round.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

That's your opinion, not fact. And that's fine.

 

[davidonmi]

No we are not. That's why my expectations for this game weren't very high anyway.

But in the grand scheme of things, this loss didn't mean that much. We were on the road in a short week, banged up playing a revitalized team that was playing for their season on Sunday Night. Also playing a team that has had the upper hand against us.

All we now have to do is beat a bad carolina team, a bad arizona team, and then the 49ers game determines our season (just like it would have had we won this game). Win that and we probably play the very beatable Packers at home in the divisional. Win that and we're 2 wins away from the superbowl with Russ at QB.

None of that necessarily requires that we be "elite"

 

[SoulfishHawk]

Just get hot in the playoffs. Turned out pretty well for Philly. Nobody gave them a shot, even late in the season. They got hot when it mattered and won the whole thing. The injuries need to really stay way down for them to get it done. Will they? Not likely, but they certainly can. Regardless what the fans or anyone else outside of that locker room thinks.

 

[Torc]

In other words, look at the 49ers and how they beat the Saints IN New Orleans!

THAT is a team that wants it. THAT is a team that is deserving of the top seed.

Sigh.

So allowing the opposing team 460 yards and 46 points and then winning with a last second field goal is how you want to win games? I can't be bothered to look at a Niner forum at the moment but I bet they're hyperventilating about their (lack of) defense.

The Seahawks just lost their first road game this year against a team that always seems to give them fits. They are still firmly in control of their own destiny - they can enter the last game of the season a game behind San Fran and winning the game wins the division and (at least) the number two seed and a bye in the playoffs.

I certainly didn't enjoy the loss and a lot of players sure did seem a bit 'off' but it's not time for any sort of panic.