2015 will be Epic

[randomation]

I appreciate the optimism rising over the board like the sun today, but I just don't see it. It takes so much, sooo many things to go right, to get to that game--health, favorable calls, opponent's records and seeding, weather even--that the same or better roster in ten scenarios does not make that game ten times.

Take the 49ers for instance (all biases aside): they came back this year with their key players, strong coach, high expectations, and by the end of the year they were fighting for a winning record. I'll bet Brees and the Saints thought they could keep the momentum rolling too. Rogers still hasn't been back since his victory. Peyton never won a second. Injuries, free agency, money, chemistry, the window closes fast. The dread that a lot of us are still feeling after the initial shock is the fear that we may be on the other side of our golden age.

I'm sorry, man, but the Hawks are on a different level from those teams. I see us as more like the Patriots--all time great team that's gonna be around for a long time and losing the big game just gets them pissed off. Oh God, did I just compare us to the Pats...? Sorry, maybe were more like the Montana/Young Niners... Oh damn. Well, anyway.

GO HAWKS!

You know the team left just say it

 

[TDOTSEAHAWK]

I just love how 4 NFC teams will be fired up for next year based on how they were ousted from the playoffs.

 

[Reaneypark]

We have the best roster situation of any team in the NFL in 2015. With a young and experienced defense and a QB coming into his own and a game-breaking RB with tread still on the tires. We're going to be a force next year! Plus think of all the dudes on our two-deep that now have a ton of experience. Seriously, we are gonna kick some serious butt!

 

[LTH]

I really cant say enough that I totally believe that people just dont really understand how much adversity this team has gone through this year with injuries, being defending SB champions, getting a poor start to the season, Percy Harvin, the list is long... but even just with injuries...there were 17 put on IR... 17! not to mention all the guys that missed 2-5 games here and there... Im pretty sure that there was only 1-2 games that the starting o-line played together... When you put it in to perspective IT WAS AN AMAZING YEAR! I dont really think people are understanding that this might have been the greatest season ever for the Hawks even though they lost the SB... Im not worried about 2015 at all... Im waiting on pins and needles for the draft...

LTH

 

[gulliver]

I appreciate the optimism rising over the board like the sun today, but I just don't see it. It takes so much, sooo many things to go right, to get to that game--health, favorable calls, opponent's records and seeding, weather even--that the same or better roster in ten scenarios does not make that game ten times.

Take the 49ers for instance (all biases aside): they came back this year with their key players, strong coach, high expectations, and by the end of the year they were fighting for a winning record. I'll bet Brees and the Saints thought they could keep the momentum rolling too. Rogers still hasn't been back since his victory. Peyton never won a second. Injuries, free agency, money, chemistry, the window closes fast. The dread that a lot of us are still feeling after the initial shock is the fear that we may be on the other side of our golden age.

Totally agree.

And I guess it comes down to whether you're an optimist or a pessimist.

But for me, that was as ugly a way to lose as could possibly happen. It would have been less upsetting and easier to let go if we had lost by 8+, or otherwise never been in the game. But for us to have a 90% chance of winning (per Pro Football Reference), and to make what even the Pats' radio guys called "the dumbest play call in Super Bowl history" and lose the game on the boniest of bonehead decisions--that will haunt me forever.

I screamed at the top of my lungs about XL, but that one felt better to me because we at least had someone to blame. Plus we got an apology from the officials.

As a pessimist I've been proved wrong the last couple of years. But as a pessimist I'm also aware of many new headwinds... the Super Bowl loser is almost the worst of all losers. In 10 years no one will remember who lost in the big game, and yet you will have gotten the #31 pick in the draft with each round. And now that you've got to pay Russell, and Marshawn, and Wagner, and you're already paying ETIII and Kam and Sherm, and you're saying you're going to keep Maxi... and you've got exactly *nothing* going on at receiver... and like you've said, you've got to deal with injuries, and scheduling, and seeding, and aging, and turnover, etc. This team was already 2/3 the team it was last year, and 2015 will bring the biggest set of challenges yet in terms of the above.

But despite all that, I'm gradually moving into the Kool-Aid world and trying to believe. God knows it's a lot better to wake up the next day with a spring in your step than to lose all but an hour of sleep and go put in a full work week, moping around and treating it like a death in the family...

 

[crosfam]

predictions:

1. We have at least one more SB in this team, 50, 51, and/or 52. Just like Aikman with Dallas. 3 SB in four years. Russell will be MVP.

2. We will win 11+ games in 2015. And be good enough to win as wild cards if necessary.

3. We will catch SB newcomers (Colts maybe? Texans? Dolphins?) and destroy them by 20 points or so.

4. Somebody we draft in 2015 will be a superstar.

5. Bevell will have redemption, and be a head coach in 2016 or 17. So will Kris Richard.

6. Older UFA will flock to Seattle to chase rings with discounted salary.

7. In 20 years, four of five (or more) guys from this team will be in the hall of fame.

 

[muxpux]

Like the saying goes, 2 out of 3 ain't bad.

I can't wait for next year.

We bucked te trend for Super Bowl
Winners, lets do the same for the losers

 

[original poster]

predictions:

4. Somebody we draft in 2015 will be a superstar.


6. Older UFA will flock to Seattle to chase rings with discounted salary.

These two excite me the most, god I hope so!