This is a Big Game! (no really)

[Uncle Si]

This is a big game! No really, it is!

Houston is an AFC want-a-be powerhouse, looking to overtake the Pats and Broncos afeter Manning finally left Indy. They've got the D, the QB and the offensive threats. They have stars.

So why does the game feel like it has less hype around it than last weeks Jags game? I know its not an NFC West battle, lacks the urgency of an NFC game and noone really has any good reason to "hate" the Texans (unless you're mad they didnt come back as the "Oilers")

I havent found a single disparaging or even remotely controversial post from a Texans fan here this week (or, really any post from any Texan fan about anything on this board).

I feel this is a statement game for the Seahawks. Its one of those weekends in which the team has all the excuses to lose already in front of them (East coast, early morning, road game, injuries, its not the 49ers). Houston is: a playoff team. a really good team (albeit struggling so far). an aspiring Super Bowl team. A win here would be a massive statement (atleast to me, and really i'm all that matters at the moment).

so am i missing something or are we just not all that emotional about this one? (or perhaps you are all not as bored at work as I am at the moment)

 

[Laloosh]

Given how banged up we are, I am less confident but not freaked out. I think we're entirely capable of winning despite our injuries. Would rather be playing the Rams being this banged up but hey, we can't all be the 9ers.

As for the hype surrounding the game, seems like Houston's crappy performance against Baltimore may account for some of that. That and we're probably not as worked up because our expectations are more tempered with the injuries.

 

[Sarlacc83]

This game was picked as the #1 battle to watch this weekend on NFLN. I think everyone knows it's important, but it's hard to get a feel for what it's going to be like since it's 4 years from the last matchup, and the Texans can flame out just as easily as they can win.

 

[12thMan1]

As much as I hate saying it, the Seahawks on the road is like a box of chocolates. (you know the rest of the saying) Until our team establishes some dominance and consistency on the road, I don't ever think the level of hype will ever be past a certain point no matter who they're playing towards the begining of the season.

 

[BocciHawk]

Honestly I think the lack of hype and coverage is because Houston, like us, has not had much time in the spotlight as an anointed team.

i.e. Houston is not the Patriots, not the Steelers, not the Cowboys, not the Packers, not the 49ers, you get the idea. There are a bunch of teams that year in and year out seem to get a lot of media coverage, either because they've been winning OR because they just have fairly strong national fan bases (probably mostly bandwagon...) and as a result there's a constant demand for information on them.

Even the Giants and Jets get some special treatment given the huge market they are in, same with the Potomac Basin Dwellers from the District.

Houston is not in a big market, and while they've been in the playoffs recently and had good success recently, they only have one nationally regarded known and popular player (JJ Watt) who is on the defense (not nearly as sexy as an offensive player).

The truth is that the NFL media machine likes simple plot lines, and so they cover the same teams, a lot, and don't spend the time to get really educated on the other teams, for the most part.

Houston hasn't displayed the kind of offensive excitement, and the overall beat downs, that we have displayed... that's why we have been getting coverage lately, that and Richard Sherman... if Houston had put 50+ up on some teams, or had an erudite spokesman for their defense (Watt doesn't talk for the most part) or someone charismatic on the offense (Schaub is super boring) then maybe they'd get more coverage... and then this game would seem bigger on the national stage.

I also think that Chicago vs Detroit, Philadelphia vs Denver and Miami vs New Orleans are all somewhat more compelling games nationally, just because of who is involved, and what is at stake... some of these teams are for real, and some are not.

Finally, I think many people nationally assume we'll handle the Texans, so the game isn't worth all that much attention, after all, we're on the road and we're favored.

 

[Largent80]

Oh yeah, we down here in L.A. really want to see chicago and detroit. :roll:

Who is responsible for the incredibly bad scheduling of broadcasts?

 

[Evil_Shenanigans]

Everyone in the world is looking, watching , waiting for that weakness. If I hear how bad Seattle is on the road again by one of these [stuck in 2012] muppets I swear I might snap. Is there actually a team on earth that doesn't play a little better when they actually have fans there rooting for them? The Texans are a good team and a good test for the Seahawks. I wish we were at full strength but that is just the way of things. Winning in the face of adversity is not just an advertising slogan, it is what makes a team Great. I honestly think we might see something spectacular soon the way the Offense has been progressing. Letting that little Wilson Fella off the leash might be in the cards!

 

[12th_Bob]

This is the type of game championship teams win, a game the Steelers, Pats, Colts, etc. would win when they needed to. I'm worried but excited to see how Seattle does, they have played better than I though in every single one of these type of games. (Pats, Bears, Washington, 49ers)

 

[bestfightstory]

I'm troubled by the issues facing our offense.

I'm thrilled by the challenges facing our defense.

 

[White Knight]

Everyone in the world is looking, watching , waiting for that weakness. If I hear how bad Seattle is on the road again by one of these [stuck in 2012] muppets I swear I might snap. Is there actually a team on earth that doesn't play a little better when they actually have fans there rooting for them?

See this...about halfway down... http://www.sportingcharts.com/articles/ ... -team.aspx

From 2002-2011 ONE team had a better road win percent than home. The Giants. I also get a little miffed about how it's portrayed, but hey, when we run roughshod over the road teams this year that'll change.

Seahawks were 4th on the list in terms of home/away win percentage. Surprisingly, the Ravens, Niners and Cards were ahead of Seattle in terms of "great at home, not so much on the road" over the past decade (2012 not withstanding).

 

[White Knight]

This is the type of game championship teams win, a game the Steelers, Pats, Colts, etc. would win when they needed to. I'm worried but excited to see how Seattle does, they have played better than I though in every single one of these type of games. (Pats, Bears, Washington, 49ers)

Summarizes my feelings as well about the situation. The Seahawks are who we think they are. They'll take this one.

 

[NorCal]

Houston is not in a big market, and while they've been in the playoffs recently and had good success recently, they only have one nationally regarded known and popular player (JJ Watt) who is on the defense (not nearly as sexy as an offensive player).

Houston is the 4th largest city in the U.S. It can't be the market size, but rather what you said in the latter part of your sentence quoted above. They don't have the history nor the success to generate any kind of national following. But I think they are at least on the radar.

 

[AgentDib]

Is there actually a team on earth that doesn't play a little better when they actually have fans there rooting for them?

Obviously you are right; it is called home field advantage for a reason and every team is more likely to lose on the road.

In my view, what has bitten the Hawks on the road in the past has actually been our performance against the spread. If you consider that the Vegas line is really just an indicator of expectations, then the team's performance against the line is a reflection of whether they disappointed or pleasantly surprised the fans holding those expectations.

Historically, our team has been very good against the spread at home and very poor against the spread on the road. Moreover, any sustained trend against the spread should be surprising because every new line is informed by everything that has come before it. The good news is that over time, Vegas has begun to give the Seahawks a very large advantage at home and we still keep exceeding those continually raised expectations. The bad news is that the reverse has applied to our road games, where we have disappointed already lowered expectations.

What matters here is the reason for this discrepancy. Of the 32 teams, we travel the furthest and this combined with our crowd noise will always lead to larger than normal home/away splits. Some critics could argue that our team is merely average at best and our good performances at home have been largely a result of our home field advantage. In my view, games like this one are very important in regards to dispelling this notion. The Texans are a legit contender in the AFC and a good outing here would do a lot to show that our team is good on their own merit and not just a product of a remote location and a loud crowd.

 

[BocciHawk]

Houston is not in a big market, and while they've been in the playoffs recently and had good success recently, they only have one nationally regarded known and popular player (JJ Watt) who is on the defense (not nearly as sexy as an offensive player).

Houston is the 4th largest city in the U.S. It can't be the market size, but rather what you said in the latter part of your sentence quoted above. They don't have the history nor the success to generate any kind of national following. But I think they are at least on the radar.

Well, yeah, it's a big city, but not as large of a media market as you might think. It's 10th for TV, with NY, LA, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, Bay Area, Dallas, Washington DC, Atlanta all ahead of them. (11th is Detroit, Tampa, Seattle, Phoenix...)

I think this list actually explains a lot. You see the NY teams, Chicago, Philadelphia, NE, SF and Oakland, Dallas, DC all getting a certain amount of coverage even if they aren't doing well, even if they don't have any exciting telegenic players.

That said I guess I kind of agree with you, for whatever reason, you'd think they'd be more prominent in the national conversation, and yet we have everyone salivating over the Broncos and Bengals, who are both good teams but the Texans should probably be in that discussion too... but the Texans don't have the kind of dynamic offense that makes the pundits swoon.

 

[RolandDeschain]

Revising my expectations with Unger out. We'll win, but it's going to be ugly, and we won't put up a lot of points. Think about it, more than half of the starting O-line is out, and we're facing J.J. Watt.

He has to be salivating.

 

[NorCal]

Houston is not in a big market, and while they've been in the playoffs recently and had good success recently, they only have one nationally regarded known and popular player (JJ Watt) who is on the defense (not nearly as sexy as an offensive player).

Houston is the 4th largest city in the U.S. It can't be the market size, but rather what you said in the latter part of your sentence quoted above. They don't have the history nor the success to generate any kind of national following. But I think they are at least on the radar.

Well, yeah, it's a big city, but not as large of a media market as you might think. It's 10th for TV, with NY, LA, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, Bay Area, Dallas, Washington DC, Atlanta all ahead of them. (11th is Detroit, Tampa, Seattle, Phoenix...)

I think this list actually explains a lot. You see the NY teams, Chicago, Philadelphia, NE, SF and Oakland, Dallas, DC all getting a certain amount of coverage even if they aren't doing well, even if they don't have any exciting telegenic players.

That said I guess I kind of agree with you, for whatever reason, you'd think they'd be more prominent in the national conversation, and yet we have everyone salivating over the Broncos and Bengals, who are both good teams but the Texans should probably be in that discussion too... but the Texans don't have the kind of dynamic offense that makes the pundits swoon.

Fair enough. TV markets are what is important to the league.

 

[hawk45]

Yeah, even teams in small markets get plenty of press when they've established a history of compelling, winning football. Where are GB, STL on that TV list? GB still gets a ton of pub because they win. STL when they were winning got all sorts of media love.

You get the media love you earn for the most part. Not saying there isn't some skew towards larger TV market teams, or east coast teams, but it's not as big a factor as is being suggested.

Quite simply, Houston has been disappointing the last few years in the post-season, Schaub isn't a sexy QB and folks have learned not to trust him to really take the Texans places, and they've looked mediocre thus far this year. That is the reason this game isn't being hyped.

 

[Evil_Shenanigans]

Were still -2.5 at most of the books. Even with the injuries. People just need to chill!