Leave No Doubt.

[AROS]

That is the team's mantra this year.

I spent some time last night chatting with various people and the general consensus was that the Hawks were going to destroy the Panthers. I come from a more, uh, how do I say..."grounded perspective" In My Humble Opinion. I was literally chastised for being more down-to-earth in my take as if the media expectations is a guarantee of our on field success. Apparently, all we need to do is show up and the game is handed to us. At least, according to everybody I talked to last night.

This is what I hate about being in the national spotlight. Like moths to a flame, many are enticed by the light simply because that's what everyone else is doing.

I don't include the vast majority of us in this lame metaphor, but it is an indictment on the casual observer, especially regionally centered.

I walked away from the establishment feeling shamed. How DARE I suggest it won't be a cakewalk? The nerve to suggest there's another professional football team we will be facing, in their house, with plenty of motive! For shame!!

All I know is what I know. And what I know is that I sure hope our team lives their mantra this year. Not only for my sake, but for all the sakes of the casual observers who want a piece of this thrill ride.

Leave No Doubt.

 

[kearly]

At halftime during the NFL kickoff game, Baltimore led Denver 17-14. If not for a horrific drop by Dallas Clark, they would have been up 21-14. I'm guessing there were more than a few Broncos fans feeling real doubts during that halftime.

Then Wes Welker picked a 3rd and long reception off the ground and the refs didn't it see it. And John Harbaugh apparently couldn't get the challenge flag out of his pocket. What seemed like moments later, Denver jumped ahead 28-17. They'd go on to make it a laugher: 49-27. And It should have been 56-27. Utter dominance.

Maybe if the refs call that play correctly against Welker, who knows how that game unfolds? Maybe a vastly inferior team like Baltimore pulls off an insane upset win for the 2nd time in two tries. Hey, the Cardinals beat our Seahawks before getting demolished by them 58-0 later on during the very same season. Football is such a momentum based sport. It's ridiculous.

Maybe we lose to Carolina this weekend. Stranger things have happened. But just like how Baltimore beat the Broncos last January, or how Arizona beat Seattle in week 1, that doesn't mean they are actually better teams, or even close to being as good.

If the Seahawks play their best football 16 times this regular season they will be 16-0. Football is played by humans though, not robots. Even our QB is not actually a robot. Sometimes you will have 3 fluke INTs and a timeout that isn't seen and we lose a heartbreaker to a bad team. I expect we'll have at least one or two of those again this year. But most teams have random games they lose that they shouldn't. That's just life.

I think our team is so talented, so well coached, so cohesive, it's almost unfair to the rest of the NFL. If anyone still actually doubts the Seahawks, they should be slapped, and then maybe shaken by the shoulders a little too. That doesn't mean we'll win every game we're supposed to. It just means we're the last team anybody wants to see on their schedule.

 

[AROS]

Even our QB is not actually a robot.

Now dem are fightin' werds...

I agree though, crazy stuff happens any given game day. The Ravens shouldn't have looked THAT bad but they DID look THAT bad. All it takes is ONE play to be the catalyst and we all know how vital momentum is to a team. The ebb and flow of a game based off of momentum alone is one of the most intriguing elements of any NFL football game.

This team of ours is built for long term success. Be it in the microcosm of one game or the macrocosm of an entire season, I do feel at the end of the day, our guys can beat up your guys straight up. And how many years could we have NEVER said that?!?

Leave no doubt. It's a great mantra. Now let's own it. Each and every week all the way to New York in February.

 

[CHawk]

I arrived in Charlotte at 4pm est yesterday and as I made my way around the city I have yet to see any Panthers gear. But I have said GO HAWKS to other 12's here, we will do our part to represent! Leave no doubt
:th2thumbs:

 

[Largent80]

If anyone still actually doubts the Seahawks, they should be slapped,

I am going to slap a bunch of people today.

 

[Mick063]

The favorite doesn't always win the horse race despite an impressive resume.

My upset of the week isn't Carolina though. I think the Jags give Kansas City all they can handle and pull the biggest upset of the week. I watched some of the Jags starting defense in preseason and they looked good to me. Gus knows how to game plan Alex Smith. MJD is back at full strength with a chip on his shoulder. Gabbert has a season under his belt. Jags receiving corps is under rated.

 

[Siihawk]

Every game makes me nervous because anything can happen on any given Sunday. We were good last year and I know we will be good this year, but a trap game like this cannot be overlooked. That being said, we will fight, and we will win!

 

[drdiags]

Hopefully your friends don't quickly turn into doubting Thomas if the team hits a rough patch. I say let them enjoy the frenzy but tell them to pound rocks if they try dousing your buzz when a few rough waves hit. They know by now this isn't a sprint. It's on them if they are losing focus on that point.

I hope your friends are right and this is just one season long party. I could take a cakewalk to the championship. I have no doubt that will not be the case.

 

[Hamhawk]

I want to believe that we are a far superior team than the Panthers
and should beat than by a couple TDs, but dang, that 10:00 start scares
me a lot,...I just hope we won't be playing catchup in the 2nd half,... even though
RW is a master at it,...

 

[Mtjhoyas]

I will never understand the chicken little mentality in Seattle sports. If you think we are an elite team, then we should win. Doesn't mean it's automatic and all we have to do is show up, but the better teams "usually" win. That's how it works.

Week 1 is pretty much meaningless in the grand scheme too. Of course I want to win and think we will, but if we don't, the season is not over. Remember when Arizona started off the season on fire? Remember when the Hawks started out sluggish? How'd that turn out in the grand scheme?

Bottom line, if you think that players on the team think they just show up and win, then you haven't been paying attention to what then players actually say/do. They won't lose because of effort or attitude.

 

[AROS]

All I know is I better not see this next week...

Seahawks (0-1) Vs 49ers (1-0)...

 

[largenutz]

As far as that bronco-ravens game, harbaugh didnt have time to pull the challenge flag. Peyton hurried to the line and ran another play in a few seconds. Definitely changed the momentum and dynamic of the game.

 

[onanygivensunday]

As far as that bronco-ravens game, harbaugh didnt have time to pull the challenge flag. Peyton hurried to the line and ran another play in a few seconds.

Not the way that I remember it.

The network showed us the replay... plenty of time for Harbaugh's guy in the booth to tell Harbaugh to challenge the call on the field.

 

[VaporHawk]

Our uber conditioning doesn't really show until the 2nd half.

Football Outsiders DVOA has Carolina doing pretty well this year.

 

[Atradees]

Peyton had a great game.

You guys are having "Doubt".

So here is my contribution: we haven't seen one regular season game yet from our team.

I do think this was a livelier preseason than in the past years because of the changes.

Teams have had an off season to game-plan for the new running QB's....

 

[AROS]

As far as that bronco-ravens game, harbaugh didnt have time to pull the challenge flag. Peyton hurried to the line and ran another play in a few seconds.

Not the way that I remember it.

The network showed us the replay... plenty of time for Harbaugh's guy in the booth to tell Harbaugh to challenge the call on the field.

Yep, Harbaugh actually blamed NBC for not showing the replay to him. HUH?!?! Uh, isn't that what your guys up in the booth are paid to do? No excuse for that. Even Al and Chris were blown away that the challenge flag wasn't thrown. There was PLENTY of time to do so. To me, that changed the trajectory of the entire game.

 

[Evil_Shenanigans]

Thinking back to game 1 last season everyone was really high because we had just come off a 4 game preseason win streak, and a quarterback selection that no one expected. Then we came out and tried to throttle our newfound rookie qb and the early results were promising but ultimately not spectacular. This season Wilson goes into this game with a full head of steam, with a receiving corps he knows well and an OC who knows his capability completely. Coupled with an enhanced running game depth and perhaps the leagues best defense there is plenty of reason for optimism! BUT... we will be struggling with a lack of pressure on the opposing qb just as we were last winter and that is my primary concern with the first part of the season in general. I am, hoping that Clemons mind melded with Mayowa prior to this game and he and the rest of the new additions to the DL can get Newton out of his comfort zone. They do that, and the rest will take care of itself.

 

[PlinytheCenter]

Week 1 is pretty much meaningless in the grand scheme too. Of course I want to win and think we will, but if we don't, the season is not over. Remember when Arizona started off the season on fire? Remember when the Hawks started out sluggish? How'd that turn out in the grand scheme?

Bottom line, if you think that players on the team think they just show up and win, then you haven't been paying attention to what then players actually say/do. They won't lose because of effort or attitude.

I beg to differ on this: 11-4-1 vs. 11-5. It means a LOT, especially given our division opponents this year.

I'm confident we'll win, but anything can and often does happen. GO HAWKS!

 

[v1rotv2]

Don't you just love those Harbaughs!

 

[Trrrroy]

I'm always nervous with 10am starts against good teams. Carolina is a good team. They have a good D-line and quarterback. A combo like that can cover up a lot of flaws.