Aggravating Perspective on the ATL loss

Not including ATL, the 3 remaining teams (NEP, BAL, SFO) are all teams we beat recently. And if not for a slow start and a tragic end to the game, we would have beaten ATL as well. I call it an aggravating perspective because this 2012 Seahawks roster could literally play with anyone, as evidenced by it's largest loss of the year to SFO by a margin of only 7 points.

I have a lot of confidence that we will be back even stronger next year - but it is painful to sit and watch these last four teams - Super Bowl Caliber - and knowing we at least as good, if not better than they are.

That's part of what fuels my ongoing depression. It could have been our year.

What also fuels it is knowing that you don't just need strong team to win the whole thing, you need good fortune.

Seasons like this past one don't come around very often and it is always sad to see them end.

Another perspective is that up to a 3rd of the team will change due to expiring contracts and 10 draft picks fighting for roster spots. Could have more talent but less cohesion. Nothing is set in stone so you have to "live in the now" (smile).

Just no way to know how things will break in the future. Outlook is bright but it is all unrealized potential until it actually happens.

Yep, that's the worst part about the rest of this post-season... we can beat all of those teams, and in a neutral stadium (ie. New Orleans), we can THROTTLE them all!

...next year, I guess.

BTW, next year the SB will be played outdoors, in the cold, at the NY Giants new stadium. It wouldn't surprise me if we got there. I mean, our first SB was in the worst place in the NFL for a SB, freakin' Detriot! Are you kidding me? Ugh.

Yup. I really think this was our year and we blew it. That's what makes me still feel sick about the ATL loss. We arguably had the best team left in the playoffs.

nsport":1jpdo5yd said:

Not including ATL, the 3 remaining teams (NEP, BAL, SFO) are all teams we beat recently.

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We haven't beaten BAL recently... But we would beat them anyways.

This game is going to haunt me until we win our next SB (next year ).

Im just glad that we have a Team good enough to make that loss hurt this bad.You cant get this worked upl with a mediocre team.The double edge sword of having a great team.Love it!!.Bring on next year and the high expectations that go along with it.

drdiags":3bk13xjg said:

Another perspective is that up to a 3rd of the team will change due to expiring contracts and 10 draft picks fighting for roster spots. Could have more talent but less cohesion. Nothing is set in stone so you have to "live in the now" (smile).

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Where did you get this 3rd of the team will change?

hawker232":1cjfvxce said:

We haven't beaten BAL recently... But we would beat them anyways.

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(S)he must have meant last year. We beat them with a worse, but different team.

Nice to see my own thoughts iterated in this thread by posters I know and respect.

I had the same observation going into our game with Atlanta. Given that (at the time) Houston was still alive I thought it would be righteous to beat Atlanta only to see Houston wake up and make it to the Super Bowl where we beat them back down. We then would have been able to claim evidence-based dominance over nearly every decent team in the league over the past 2 years.

As said above, there are no guarantees in the NFL. We had such an incredible blend of magic and brute force this year that it had this feeling of special which is not a commodity easily replicated. Along with our comparatively good fortune on the injury front it just seemed like fate had told us it was finally our time. And maybe it was? I'm still very down about it all. Saw some great games and had some great experiences with family and old friends and new friends but its hard to accept that it is over.

Before any of the 2012 games were played, I thought with our defense and running game alone we were a Super Bowl contender. So that was my 'too high for some' expectation. But i truly believed it so it was my reality. Throw in the uncommonly exceptional exception-to-the-rule rookie quarterback and by week 6 or so this thing was just taking on a destined to be quality that was reinforced by the collective consciousness of those around me waking up to the Seahawks and what we have. It was an incredible ride that feels like it is not supposed to be over.

ParisPC07":36c9lx33 said:

hawker232":36c9lx33 said:

We haven't beaten BAL recently... But we would beat them anyways.

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HE must have meant last year. We beat them with a worse, but different team.

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Yes indeed - we beat them in November 2011. And a great point that we beat them with a much more inferior team than we fielded this year.

go for it, Lynch up the middle, why not? it hasn't been working all day.... lol

bigdaddydave":25cigm5r said:

Where did you get this 3rd of the team will change?

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Just normal attrition rate. It could be higher or lower on a team-by-team basis, but usually approx 20+ players move on out of the pool of 60-70 players currently on IR and Futures contracts. I would imagine 10-15+ at the least:

Speculative cuts or not resigned:

Jones, Trufant, Hill, Omiyale, Morrah, Obo, Butler, Longwell, Hauschka (?), Chukwurah, Dexter Davis, Charley Martin, Ron Parker, Washingon (?), Bradford, Branch (FA), Flynn (Trade?), Person

Cut at one time prior to resigning to PS/Active Roster:

McGrath, Kearse, Rishaw Johnson

Now will all these guys be off the team prior to training camp? Maybe not but the cut to 53 is going to see at least the top of the 10 players drafted making the squad.

bestfightstory":262h2z63 said:

Saw some great games and had some great experiences with family and old friends and new friends but its hard to accept that it is over.

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With time, that's how I'll remember this season. More than any other season, except maybe the old days of meeting
up at Baxters in Mill Creek, I've connected with a lot of fine folk, new and old. Hell, I actually got to watch two games
with the elusive DrDiags! That right there makes this season one for the record books.

The topper was getting a spiffy, new flag from a spiffy friend and posing for a picture with it after our first road playoff
victory in three decades.



I'll admit that I had dreams of walking around New Orleans draped in the thing this February, but now I'll put
it on my wall for "some day".