.051

[Exittium]

Thats what Separated Seattle and the Rams today from playoff birth to NFC West champs.. Very crazy. I know you stat nerds and what not will come in with everything else to argue there's more i.e. games we lost we should've won, blah blah blah...

but lets step back and just appreciate that Mike already has made a positive impact the future for this team is BRIGHT.

Coach Mike still got to end the season with Seahawks record as well. The first of hopefully many positive ones to follow in the upcoming years.

 

[Pickly]

I predicted 8-9 and they ended up a c-hair away from making the playoffs and a 10 win season to boot. That’s a win in my books.

That being said, I really hope at the end of next season we aren’t sitting here bitching about the same stuff that has plagued this team for years, ie poor offensive line play, spotty defence, inconsistent playcalling on O, etc. This offseason I want to see considerable change and commitment to what the identity of this team wants to be in the MacDonald tenure. I’m sick and tired of being just mediocre with no real shot at seriously competing in January.

 

[JPatera76]

I see the theme the OP is trying to go for, in maintaining a positive theme or "vibe" with the thread. Lets not derail, or attempt to argue about shoulda's, coulda's, and would'ves. A little positivity is a warm welcome on a site that currently seems to like to take a dreary and drab path at times even when our boy's get a W.

On that note, I'm happy for our coach. I'm looking forward to what the future holds for the team and him. This off season will be fun. Coach Mike will also get to spend some much deserved and well earned time with his family.

IF anything, Lets hear 3 good and 3 bad (or could be improved on. Keep them short and simple)

Good
1) Coach Mike
2) Jones need to extend him
3) 10 WINS, 1ST New Coach with a winning season/10 win in seahawks history.

Bad/Room for improvement
1)Oline - Inside
2) Geno - Tunnel Vision and some regression (yes ive been harsh on him lol).
3) Playcalling - Some plays look and feel forced and unprepared.

 

[SonicHawk]

Ten wins is nothing to scoff at. We are the only double digit winning team to NOT make the playoffs.

 

[Mistashoesta]

We swept the Card's and split with the 9ers and Rams. I'll take it.

 

[sutz]

I like finishing on a high note. Always close with those Lambs. Our overall division record was pretty good, something we couldn't say the last few seasons. Pretty sound base to build on IMO.

 

[EverydayImRusselin]

I'm hoping Mike just needs a few more of his kind of guys on defense and then that side of the ball will be playoff ready.

If they invest in the OL and show some improvement there and in the run game/play calling, this could be a dangerous team.

 

[HawkinNY]

Thats what Separated Seattle and the Rams today from playoff birth to NFC West champs.. Very crazy. I know you stat nerds and what not will come in with everything else to argue there's more i.e. games we lost we should've won, blah blah blah...

but lets step back and just appreciate that Mike already has made a positive impact the future for this team is BRIGHT.

Coach Mike still got to end the season with Seahawks record as well. The first of hopefully many positive ones to follow in the upcoming years.

I have a feeling next year will be a train wreck. Lol

 

[hawker84]

Good
1. HC and his vision
2. Linebackers, JSN
3. Love, spoon, williams, on the D.

Bad
1. Both lines, interior on O, exterior on D
2. Dbs besides love and spoon
3. Offensive play calling. But to his defense hard to call a fluid offense when your OLine is a turnstile.

I will also note, it's great to see Lucas finish out the season without any setbacks. Hopefully that means he'll be out there to start the season.

 

[GeekHawk]

I will also note, it's great to see Lucas finish out the season without any setbacks. Hopefully that means he'll be out there to start the season.

Now watch him require offseason double-leg-complete-replacement or something... (Joking! I'm joking!)

 

[Torc]

Good news: We tied with the division winners, and the NFL had to go down to the 5th tiebreaker to determine the division winner.

The bad news: The tiebreaker was strength of victory, and that epitomizes the season. The Lambs simply beat better teams.

Good news: The defense improved from the last few years of Pete's D. Still some frustrations as today's game showed (screen pass!), but it is improving and I think will continue to improve.

Bad news: The offense never gelled. Somehow with all the great skill players we have (who wouldn't want our RB and WR rooms?) we struggled for any consistent production. If anything, it seemed to regress during the year despite better line play after the bye. Coordinator? O-line? QB? Probably some combination of all three.

Good news: With Macdonald we have a head coach who seems to be willing and able to hold people accountable. He won't be throwing anyone under the bus in a press conference (he's often used the phrase "we're going to keep that in the family") but he's got the balls to trade a starting linebacker and flat out release his leading tackler midseason.....and get improved results. Accountability was sadly lacking in the Pete era - maybe (or especially) with Pete himself. Mike's message is clear - play the way the coaches want you to play, or you won't be playing long. Whatever frustrations we as fans may have had, you can bet that Macdonald had the same ones. This is his first offseason after seeing how his existing set of players and coaches performed. I'd expect meaningful changes this offseason.

Bad news. None. Not even going to call out Grubb on the offensive coaching....because I don't have the expertise to say for sure that he was the problem. But I'm confident that Macdonald will act to address the offense, whatever form that takes.

 

[olyfan63]

So pointing out objective facts about why the Rams prevailed on the strength of victory tiebreaker was offensive to some thin skinned person here?

The good news:
- MacDonald's defense largely stopped the trend of the Rams and 49ers offenses making the Hawks D their B.
- MacDonald's Defense showed they could stop the run acceptably against most NFL teams. No more getting bullied by smashmouth teams.
- JSN emerged as a legit star receiver.
- MacDonald showed he was willing to take bold action to fix problems on D and swap out two starting linebackers.
- Leonard Williams!! How is this guy not a first-team All-Pro??!!
- Charbonnet and KennyMac showed the Hawks could still have a viable run game without Kenneth Walker

The bad news:
- The Rams beat Buffalo and the Vikings. The Hawks lost to both of them, and badly to the Bills, thus. And that horrible clusterfrack loss to the Giants too. And the Hawks looked simply outclassed against the Packers. Pretenders not yet contenders.
- The offense underperformed and Grubb looked overmatched much of the time. Grubb couldn't adjust routes and protections and timing enough to keep Geno from getting killed in the pocket. It was this Grubb shortcoming that handed the Rams their win, on the 999-yard pick-6 that swung the game by 14 points, Geno hit as he threw. Yeah it seemed like 999.

Will be fascinating to see what MacDonald does re: Grubb. An offseason to integrate the learnings and a second chance? Or a "Hit the road Jack" exit? Or a talent infusion in the O-Line and/or a better O-line coach?

 

[SoulfishHawk]

Ten wins is nothing to scoff at. We are the only double digit winning team to NOT make the playoffs.

Good point. And the Vikings are a 14-win wild card team. Strange indeed.

 

[olyfan63]

Welp, MikeMac was quick and decisive in giving Grubb a "Hit the Road, Jack" exit. Here's hoping MikeMac and JS find the talent upgrades needed and an OC who is a better fit for what MikeMac wants as an offensive identity.

I liked Grubb's creativity, and he for sure has potential, but I can see why the team felt it was better for Grubb to get his NFL-level experience elsewhere. I have a hunch Grubb will be back and making noise somewhere in a couple years, in the NFL game. Or maybe he'd rather slink back to the college level where he's a proven commodity.

 

[DarkVictory23]

I'm hoping Mike just needs a few more of his kind of guys on defense and then that side of the ball will be playoff ready.

If they invest in the OL and show some improvement there and in the run game/play calling, this could be a dangerous team.

We were the 6th best defense in the league this year... the defense is already playoff ready. (12 of our 17 games were against offenses in the top half of the league, too, so it wasn't about feasting on bad teams, either.)

Best overall team to not make the playoffs, better than a couple that did make it.... we've got plenty to be positive about here.

The biggest change we needed to see this offseason already happened, so let's get to it.

 

[Ostatehawk]

IF anything, Lets hear 3 good and 3 bad (or could be improved on. Keep them short and simple)

Your Avatar picture is a definite good for the year!

Ill give it ago though:

Good

Coach Mike - overall a huge step forward across the organization
The awakening of Smith-Njigba
Witherspoon

Bad

Inability to run/pass block - yes - injuries - but DAMN the Oline was abysmal.
Offensive play calling too predictable - if I can see what is next the D certainly can as well
Woolen - suspect at best.