Thoughts and observations on the game thread

[kearly]

Totally agree with everything you said. The one area I might differ is that when Seattle dodges a bullet on a play like the Jeffery PD I'm willing to acknowledge you won't get that play every time. If you've watched Jeffery even a little you know that he's got big strong reliable hands and usually resists slap-aways. Good play by Maxwell, but we've already seen him burned for TDs on plays like that before and will again in the future.

That's not to say Maxwell isn't really good. He's better than Browner ever was, IMO.

 

[kearly]

Turbin seems to have learned more patience waiting for blocking to develop. He's running lower behind the LOS too, and it's helping his balance.

If it continues, he's really got big-play potential to go with his well-rounded skill set. He gets a lot of grief around here, but he's got a lot of utility. He's good at blitz pickup and chipping and a solid receiver. I'm glad the coaches value his skills (even if the fans around here don't).

Other than slipping on a screen pass, Turbin had a good game from what I saw. I like that his balance and vision have been non-horrible the last couple games, it looks the Denver game was just an outlier for RBs.

But if I had to sum him up, I'd say he gives you utility at the expense of futility. Michael and Lynch can turn non-existent blocking into huge plays every once in a while. Turbin just plows in and gets maybe 1 yard, you'll never see a Beastquake type play from Turbin. Turbin feels more dependent on the quality of his run blocking than any other RB on the roster. He almost never fumbles though, so there is that. I looked it up and hey wouldn't you know, Julius Jones had an exceptionally low fumble rate too.

Turbin looks more physically talented than a lot of fantasy football darlings around the league (Zac Stacy, LeVeon Bell, Montee Ball, etc), so when he has a bad game, I have a hard time understanding why he can look so bad.

It's a valid concern. Our run defense was, at times, a weak spot last season. And Lacy is definitely a concern for week #1.

Personally, I am much more concerned with defending Jordy Nelson and Aaron Rodgers and their unparallelled ability to thread the needle on timing routes that Seattle's DB's won't be allowed to disrupt. Big fat slow backs like Lacy usually die terrible deaths to Seattle's run D. That said, Seattle will probably be in nickle defense most of the game and Green Bay's OL is actually pretty good these days.

It's going to be a high scoring season opener.

Regarding run defense, I am with Tech. The run D looked a lot better last year with Bryant at DE and McDaniel/McDonald/Mebane at DT. Williams looks like a useful player but not a great run defender so far, and McDaniel seems only passable as a 5-tech.

 

[kearly]

Regarding Sherman, there seemed to be a few occasions where he lost track of the receiver because of an inability to use sense of touch to track the player. These new rules are really going to hurt Sherman this year until he adjusts, which might take a while.

Second, even with the nice play that Maxwell made, Jeffrey still brings that in 9/10.

That's how I saw it too. My reaction in real time was that I was stunned that Jefferey didn't hold onto that ball. Dude has strong 10 1/4 inch hands and is known for making tough catches. It WAS a great play by Maxwell but more often that not that play is a TD and our view of Maxwell in this game is quite different. Hence it is possible to make a good play and still get a little lucky too.

 

[Hawkscanner]

J.R. Sweezy, at right guard, had another solid game. He is noticeably stronger and better at sustaining blocks. His mobility and range are exceptional. He has become Justin Britt's best on field friend. They are conferring constantly and chemistry is building.

Absolutely. You know, when he was first drafted and they announced that they were going to convert this 7th round Defensive Tackle in to a Guard, many of the traditionalists (sometimes I fall in to that category) raised a very skeptical eyebrow. Now in year 3, you can really see that like Russell Wilson the game is slowing down for him in a sense. No one outside of Cable is really talking about it, but Sweezy could be poised for a monster year.

James Carpenter, at left guard, is an all new man. Although we may occasionally see pass block leakage, he is much quicker getting out of his stance. He is no longer a liability in that regard. His considerable strength as a run blocker is still there along with improved quickness. He also demonstrated improved endurance which suggests he is validating his expected role as a full time starter this year.

Alright, I'm admitting it -- I'll raise my hand and fully admit that I gave up on this guy way too soon. All last season, I complained that Carpenter looked very slow footed and was basically outmatched at every turn. I was ready to send him to the scrap heap. Going in to mini camp when people like Bob Condota started hyping Carpenter and saying that he was looking good I just rolled my eyes. After that performance yesterday however (coupled with the Charger game), I'm beginning to see what Cable is talking about when he says that Sweezy and Carpenter just might end up being the best guard tandem in the league this year and that both of those guys could make the Pro Bowl. He most certainly DOES look like a new man -- much faster -- much quicker ... and that nastiness that Cable always talked about was clearly evident.

You know, Pete Carroll said that Christine Michael in his opinion is the most improved player from last year to this year. From what I saw out of Michael last night, there's a part of me that agrees. However, also I think that you can make a very strong case for Carpenter being the most improved player on this team. If I had to vote on the improved player between last year and this year ... I'm thinking I'd vote for Carpenter.

 

[DavidSeven]

Thus far, only able to watch 1 minute of the 1st half and the entire 2nd half on the NFL Network feed.

--Farwell flashed all over the place. Still looks like a monster in goal line situations and still an ace on ST. Can he hang on another year? Coyle seemingly has to make the team, Morgan has looked good. Tough choices at LB ahead -- arguably the deepest group on the squad.

--Unbelievable how easy it is for Russell to bail out his o-line. This man is the ideal fit for Cable's line which puts a secondary emphasis on pass-pro.

--I've finally come around on Sweezy. Second level beast. Interior line play may shockingly be a strength for SEA this year. This is crucial for a smaller QB who relies on throwing lanes. New Orleans has invested a ton of money on their interior linemen for Brees.

-- TJack: playing like the Tom Brady of backups. Meaning: plays with utter confidence and poise within the system. Makes ballsy throws, but consistently in safe placement. Most impressive aspect of this game was his ability to throw under pressure. Huge.

--Ugly series for Pryor. Only got a short look at him, but poor accuracy and questionable decision-making on display again. Might still have a shot at QB3 depending on what he shows in Oakland. Hope to see more of Daniels, who I feel better about right now.

 

[springscohawk]

Here are some of my off the cuff observations about the game Friday night. Russell Wilson is really playing well and really masks weaknesses in pass protection with his pocket presence and elusiveness. I spent most of my time on second viewing of the rewinding rewinding DVR to watch offensive line. It appears that Justin Britt is improving and does a good job in run blocking, but is struggling with pass protection. His biggest problem appears to be that he is too easily pushed backwards to far in the pocket, sometimes almost pushed into Russell Wilson.

I am pretty happy with the guard play with Carpenter and Sweezy really improved, with Carpenter much more active, making blocks in the second level. He actually pulled from left to right on one occasion but appeared to not hold his block long enough.

 

[uk seahawk]

friend of mine here in London is a Chicago fan..Anyone at the game or watched on tv can tell me how bad they are and if they are in for a tough season..or was this treated as a pre season game..ie can not read too much into the score

 

[kearly]

No one outside of Cable is really talking about it, but Sweezy could be poised for a monster year.

I liked Sweezy a lot even in year one. There were a few others too (Scottemojo, Derek Stephens... maybe Hawkblogger?). But yeah, it's getting to the point now where Sweezy's ability is becoming pretty obvious.

I liked that Wilson and Cable singled out Sweezy for praise before he played a snap in 2014, meaning that they were praising him mostly for his progress in 2012 and 2013.

 

[Hawkscanner]

No one outside of Cable is really talking about it, but Sweezy could be poised for a monster year.

I liked Sweezy a lot even in year one. There were a few others too (Scottemojo, Derek Stephens... maybe Hawkblogger?). But yeah, it's getting to the point now where Sweezy's ability is becoming pretty obvious.

I liked that Wilson and Cable singled out Sweezy for praise before he played a snap in 2014, meaning that they were praising him mostly for his progress in 2012 and 2013.

When they first announced their plans of converting this 7th Round Defensive Lineman in to a Guard, I was naturally fairly intrigued, as I knew that Carroll, Cable, and Schneider had obviously seen something in him. Then when he started actually playing, it was evident why they made that move -- his athleticism and quickness were clearly there. I'll admit that I was just a bit skeptical that this would ultimately work, as to my knowledge he had had no experience playing offensive line. I remained a bit skeptical, as I knew that the learning curve would be really steep for him -- especially at this level -- and I prayed that Russell Wilson could survive as Sweezy got his own bumps, bruises, and welcome to the NFL moments from seasoned veteran Defensive Lineman. Now in year 3, it's clear that Sweezy is finally starting to come in to his own and that's a very exciting prospect.

My overall point in mentioning Sweezy was that outside of Tom Cable (and a few fairly sharp posters in Seahawk forums such as this one), I haven't heard a whole lot of talk so far regarding Sweezy being poised for a breakout season. I'm thinking come Monday though ... there will be a few local media talking a lot more about him, Carpenter, and the rest of that Offensive Line. Even given the rustiness of Okung, the rest of the Offensive Line (as a whole) IMO looked really good. They were a far cry from the group that just about got Wilson massacred against Carolina. The real test (of course) will be to see how they perform against teams like the Rams. That Front 4 gave the Seahawks fits when they were completely healthy. Though it's premature, the early returns though are very encouraging.

 

[MizzouHawkGal]

friend of mine here in London is a Chicago fan..Anyone at the game or watched on tv can tell me how bad they are and if they are in for a tough season..or was this treated as a pre season game..ie can not read too much into the score

My opinion? Chicago will be around what they were last year. But better even if it doesn't show record wise. Offensively they will hang with anybody but defense is below average at being and yes the Seahawks are just that good. So tell him to not panic.

 

[MizzouHawkGal]

friend of mine here in London is a Chicago fan..Anyone at the game or watched on tv can tell me how bad they are and if they are in for a tough season..or was this treated as a pre season game..ie can not read too much into the score

My opinion? Chicago will be around what they were last year. But better even if it doesn't show record wise. Offensively they will hang with anybody but defense is below average at being and yes the Seahawks are just that good. So tell him to not panic.

 

[HawKnPeppa]

Okung was extremely rusty. Unger was probably also. But this is why you play these meaningless games.

Britt is still hot/cold but its really not much different than Giacomini. He'll learn.

Carp/Sweezy are both have the talent to be dominant but their inexperience continues to challenge them.

Wilson is just so brilliant. I can't believe this guy is our QB.

Seahawks have a 3 headed Beast at RB. While I think the brunt of the carries will go to Lynch/Turbin... Michael is going find a niche as a backfield WR... guy is almost as sexy as Harvin in space.

Speaking of Harvin. Golden Tate who? As long as he stays healthy, he's worth everything we gave up for him and to him.

I agree with you on Kearse. Guy is unstoppable at grabbing the contested ball.

Seahawks are sitting pretty at WR and their chemistry with Wilson is amazing.

However, once Luke Willson can learn to take a hit, he's going to be dangerous.

I liked what I saw out of the starting defense so far in the pre-season, they are still working out kinks as expected trying to work new bodies on the D-Line while adhering to the rule emphasis in the 2ndary.

The bend don't break results don't bother me, the league is pushing for more offensive scoring but the Seahawks D is virtually unbeatable inside the RZ. Not only that their stupid rule emphasis, only allows our own WRs to play in space, which mean separation, which means Wilson is going to exploit that defender. And if our Offense can get out to early leads, our D can dictate the flow of the game once teams get a little pass-happy.

Seahawks are also still missing Wagner who has elite range and is like a heat seeking missile to the ball-carrier. His presence allows the Seahawks to do things differently but its good to know that they are survivable without him as well.

Some good observations, although most are generalizations. You generalization bout Sweezy; however, is flat wrong, so it's abundantly clear that you didn't watch his play at all. He had an awesome game; best player on the line in that game by far.

 

[uk seahawk]

friend of mine here in London is a Chicago fan..Anyone at the game or watched on tv can tell me how bad they are and if they are in for a tough season..or was this treated as a pre season game..ie can not read too much into the score

My opinion? Chicago will be around what they were last year. But better even if it doesn't show record wise. Offensively they will hang with anybody but defense is below average at being and yes the Seahawks are just that good. So tell him to not panic.

My mate said pretty much the same as you. That the offence is not so much the problem its the defence.
he thinks they might be in the same situation as the dolphins and over rely on the offence as they cant trust the defense to keep the scores down.
He also thinks they may be one or two injuries away from a disaster of a season.
btw thanks for the welcome. im loving the nfl this side of the pond

 

[DavidSeven]

Finally watched the first half.

This offense will be unstoppable if Wilson, Lynch and Harvin get to play together. It's like having three Michael Jordans on one team. How do you account for Wilson's mobility, Harvin's utility and Marshawn's brutality at the same time? Impossible.

Jermaine Kearse made a huge statement in the first half. He's transformed himself from "just" a jump-ball guy to a big, tough SOB receiver. Top 3 WR spots are locked. Rooks will have to wait.

Turbo and C-Mike both looked great. I think the competition is bringing out the best in both of them. Run blocking with both Carp and Sweezy in the lineup is on another level.

 

[kearly]

Finally watched the first half.

This offense will be unstoppable if Wilson, Lynch and Harvin get to play together. It's like having three Michael Jordans on one team. How do you account for Wilson's mobility, Harvin's utility and Marshawn's brutality at the same time? Impossible.

Jermaine Kearse made a huge statement in the first half. He's transformed himself from "just" a jump-ball guy to a big, tough SOB receiver. Top 3 WR spots are locked. Rooks will have to wait.

Turbo and C-Mike both looked great. I think the competition is bringing out the best in both of them. Run blocking with both Carp and Sweezy in the lineup is on another level.

I think Wilson is starting to trust Kearse in tight windows in much the way Aaron Rodgers trusts Jordy Nelson. It's a beautiful thing to watch.