Offseason to-do list

January 7, 2019 cc 2 Comments

Since training camp last summer, Russell Wilson has said these Seahawks remind him of the 2012 team he led as a rookie, which exceeded some people’s expectations by reaching the second round of the playoffs and then came back to win the Super Bowl in 2013.

While this crew also surprised a lot of people, it didn’t do quite as well as the 2012 squad, failing to win a playoff game. But, even after the 24-22 loss in Dallas, Wilson thought the comparison valid. “If precedence has any truth to it,” he said, “hopefully we can find a way to do something good like that.”

Some think this team is ready to contend in 2019.

“We have everything we need,” Doug Baldwin said. “You have all the pieces. You have all the right mindsets, personalities, everything. It’s just we’re a young team. With the time comes progression, comes growth, comes learning. This team will be better.”

Continue reading Offseason to-do list →

Playoffs: At Dallas

Shoddy finish to Schotty’s first season

January 6, 2019 cc Leave a comment

When Pete Carroll hired Brian Schottenheimer to be his new offensive coordinator a year ago, skepticism was rampant. Many people thought he had made a lateral (or worse) move from Darrell Bevell.

We withheld judgment until after this season. Well, after poor scheming cost the Seahawks four games, ending with a 24-22 wild-card loss to Dallas, the doubters sure look like they could be right.

And how ironic the way it unfolded.

Carroll and Schottenheimer didn’t run the ball enough in the first two games of the season, losses in Denver and Chicago where Russell Wilson was under assault. Seattle committed to the run the rest of the season and ended up the No. 1 rushing team in the league as they won 10 of the final 14 games.

They took that rushing mentality into Dallas against the fourth-ranked run defense, but they could not run. Passing yards were clearly there for the taking, but Schottenheimer refused to take them.

Continue reading Shoddy finish to Schotty’s first season →

CHAWK LINES, Playoffs: At Dallas

January 3, 2019 cc Leave a comment

CHAWK LINES -- Seahawks at Cowboys As usual at playoff time, the injury list gets pretty small. Pete Carroll said J.R. Sweezy “has got a good chance.”

Earl Thomas had two picks against Dallas in Week 3, when the Cowboys did not yet have Amari Cooper. Bobby Wagner said the Hawks have adjusted to losing “a great, great player” and the only new thing about Dallas’ offense is Cooper, who “changes your offense.”

But which version of Cooper are the Seahawks going to see?

The last time Cooper played the Seahawks was in London when he was still with Oakland. He didn’t last long — knocked out by Bradley McDougald.

Carroll said Jerry Jones’ massive AT&T Stadium feels like a nightclub.

Continue reading →

Playoffs: At Dallas, The roster

Roster review as Hawks prep for Dallas

January 2, 2019 cc Leave a comment

Well, that finale against Arizona wasn’t pretty. But this is all that matters: The Seahawks are headed to Dallas for a playoff game Saturday.

The last time they faced the Cowboys, the Hawks were just rediscovering Pete Carroll’s long lost preferred formula for winning.

It worked in that Week 3 game: The Seahawks hit the magic 50 (runs and completions), were plus-three in turnover differential and won the third-down battle in a 24-13 victory in Seattle.

The Seahawks didn’t run the ball very well (2.9 yards per carry), but they kept pounding it anyway (39 times) and Russell Wilson took advantage of some coverage holes for a pair of TD passes.

“We didn’t really kill it that day. We had a hard game against those guys,” Carroll said. “I think Chris (Carson) rushed 32 times in that game for 100 yards. That wasn’t what became a little bit more standard, what we were shooting for during the season, but it was a step in the right direction and the commitment came through. We were just getting started.”

Continue reading Roster review as Hawks prep for Dallas →