Nice win, but Hawks need to prove it vs. Rams

September 30, 2019 cc 1 Comment

The Seahawks are something between what we saw in their sloppy loss to New Orleans in Week 3 and their fairly easy win against the developing Cardinals at Arizona on Sunday.

One game made them look worse than they are and the other made them look better.

We know they are somewhere in the NFC’s upper tier — with New Orleans, Dallas, L.A., San Francisco and Green Bay. Exactly where they rank should become clear Thursday when they host the Rams (3-1) in the first NFC West battle royale in what appears to be a three-way round robin with the 49ers (3-0).

In between the New Orleans fiasco and the L.A. grudge match, the Hawks (3-1) were lucky to get a game against a struggling team like Arizona (0-3-1) — just to give some of their guys a confidence builder. The players who took most advantage were embattled Chris Carson and new pass rushers Jadeveon Clowney and Ziggy Ansah.

Continue reading Nice win, but Hawks need to prove it vs. Rams →

Week 4: At Arizona, X's & O's

More unfamiliar faces, but Carroll knows this AIR-izona offense

September 28, 2019 cc Leave a comment

The Seahawks have been fighting in a dark alley so far this season — feeling their way against unfamiliar foes.

First it was new Cincinnati coach Zac Taylor, who brought schemes Pete Carroll and his staff were not ready for and nearly beat the Hawks with them. Then it was Mason Rudolph, who replaced injured Ben Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh and almost rallied the Steelers. Last week, it was Teddy Bridgewater replacing injured Drew Brees and Alvin Kamara breaking tackles and leading the Saints to a surprisingly easy win.

Now Seattle faces another unfamiliar coach and QB as the Hawks head to dreaded Glendale to take on Kliff Kingsbury and Kyler Murray’s AIR-izona Raid offense.

Carroll knows plenty about the Air Raid, though — since it is just an offshoot of the old run-n-shoot. The difference is the mobile young quarterback running it, and the Hawks need to join the other defenses that have made it hard on this year’s No. 1 draft pick.

Continue reading More unfamiliar faces, but Carroll knows this AIR-izona offense →

NFL draft, Week 4: At Arizona

Vannett deal highlights some draft struggles

September 26, 2019 cc Leave a comment

The answers: The 2016 draft class. Third-rounders. Fourth-round receivers.

The question: Where have the Seahawks struggled in the draft recently?

The trade of Nick Vannett leaves five of the 10 picks from the star-crossed 2016 draft class and just three of the league-high seven third-rounders from the 2016 and 2017 drafts.

Continue reading Vannett deal highlights some draft struggles →

State of the team, Week 3: New Orleans

Time for Hawks to show they are better than this

September 23, 2019 cc 1 Comment

“You have to learn in this game, if you’re going to be really consistently good, to get out of your own way … and we haven’t gotten there yet.” — Pete Carroll

The Seahawks probably would love to be playing this Thursday, rather than next, so they could quickly expunge the bad taste of that loss to New Orleans.

But it’s probably a good thing they go to Arizona first, before a huge Thursday home game against the Rams as they face division foes twice in the next 10 days.

The Cardinals are really the ideal elixir for a good Seattle team that needs to show it is better at tackling, rushing the passer, holding the ball and coaching than it showed against New Orleans.

“There’s so much for us to do,” Pete Carroll told 710 ESPN. “There’s so much.”

Continue reading Time for Hawks to show they are better than this →

Week 3: New Orleans

‘We didn’t do that right either’: Carroll & Co. beat themselves

September 22, 2019 cc 3 Comments

If you had not known Drew Brees was sidelined by injury and then someone told you the Saints beat the Seahawks 33-27 on Sunday, you probably would have shrugged and said, “Not a surprise. The Saints (who should have been in the Super Bowl last season) are really good.”

In fact, way back when the schedule came out, we expected this to be a loss and for Seattle to be 2-1, just like they are.

The thing that made it disappointing is that Brees was not playing and the Hawks beat themselves in a dozen ways to make that loss a reality. If they’re still going to win our predicted 11 or 12 games, they have to clean up their game, from the top down.

Continue reading ‘We didn’t do that right either’: Carroll & Co. beat themselves →

Week 3: New Orleans, X's & O's

As two-QB Saints march in, how about a double quads formation?

September 20, 2019 cc Leave a comment

As the Saints come to town with Drew Brees sidelined, they still have Teddy Bridgewater and multi-tool quarterback Taysom Hill, and coach Sean Payton smartly is not letting on about how he is going to use them.

As Pete Carroll said, “I don’t know what Sean is going to do. Rarely does anybody know what he’s going to do when it comes to game time.”

In his two-plus seasons with the Saints, Hill has played all over the place: QB, tight end, receiver, running back, special teams. He’s a wild card the Seahawks will have to watch out for. But how much QB will he play?

“We have not seen enough of Hill to know how they would play him in this kind of situation,” Carroll said. “He’s been spotted in and out and they’ve done a lot of cool things.”

The visit by Hill and the Saints brings up a concept we have long wondered about: What could a two-QB offense do in the NFL? Not two rotating QBs, but two on the field together for most of the game.

Continue reading As two-QB Saints march in, how about a double quads formation? →

Trades

Ramsey deal seems unlikely, despite ‘substantive’ inquiry

September 19, 2019 cc Leave a comment

Draft -- Schneider and Carroll John Schneider and Pete Carroll always say they check out every major opportunity that arises, and the star defensive backs on the trade market early this season obviously have piqued their interest.

They reportedly were one of the handful of teams in the Minkah Fitzpatrick sweepstakes, but they obviously were not interested in giving up the first-round pick that Pittsburgh ended up sending Miami.

Now word is they are among the clubs that have made “substantive inquiries” about Jalen Ramsey. Still, it would be surprising if the Seahawks actually traded for Jacksonville’s star corner, who is expected to be dealt by next week.

There are a bunch of reasons a Seattle deal for Ramsey seems unlikely.

Continue reading Ramsey deal seems unlikely, despite ‘substantive’ inquiry →

State of the team, Week 3: New Orleans

And Ansah makes three: Hawks will have all pass rushers finally

September 17, 2019 cc Leave a comment

Jadeveon Clowney and L.J. Collier have each made their debuts over the last two weeks. Now it’s Ziggy Ansah’s turn.

If it goes well, the Hawks might have the trio that, for this year anyway, is supposed to approximate the 2013 pass rush of Michael Bennett, Cliff Avril and Chris Clemons.

“We wanted to make sure everything was right,” Pete Carroll said of the long wait for Ansah. “He’s had three good weeks of work and he’s in really good shape. … He’ll play a considerable amount. He’s practiced hard enough to do that.

“That’s really going to be fun to see him out there, to see how we’re going to use him in the game plan. I’m really excited about that.”

Continue reading And Ansah makes three: Hawks will have all pass rushers finally →

The roster, Trades

Report: Seahawks tried to acquire Fitzpatrick

September 16, 2019 cc Leave a comment

UPDATE: The Steelers reportedly are sending a first-round pick to Miami for Minkah Fitzpatrick. So read the below for background on the Seahawks’ interest.

The Seahawks reportedly are one of half a dozen teams involved in talks with Miami for former No. 11 overall draft pick Minkah Fitzpatrick, and a deal involving “first-round value” apparently could be finished Tuesday.

Among the other teams reportedly in the mix for the premier young defensive back are Washington, Dallas, Kansas City, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.

Some think Pete Carroll might see Fitzpatrick as his next Earl Thomas. If so, would John Schneider want to give up his 2020 first-round pick? Or more?

Continue reading Report: Seahawks tried to acquire Fitzpatrick →

Week 2: At Pittsburgh

Hawks finally figure out offense, get big win in Pittsburgh

September 15, 2019 cc Leave a comment

It took about seven quarters into the season, but Brian Schottenheimer and the Seahawks might finally have figured out exactly how this offense should run.

In Pittsburgh, they picked up right where they left off in that ugly opener against Cincinnati: The line gave up three sacks in the first quarter and was called for three early penalties (plus Jaron Brown’s), Chris Carson fumbled for the second straight game and the Hawks burned all of their timeouts (two on offense) by early in the second quarter, ruining their chances on a two-minute drive at the end of the half.

But Schottenheimer put the offense in Russell Wilson’s hands in the third quarter, and the QB rallied the Hawks to a 28-26 win over the Steelers and their first 2-0 start since the 2013 championship season. It also gave Pete Carroll his 100th win on his 68th birthday — which got him the game ball and a water bath in the locker room afterward.

Continue reading Hawks finally figure out offense, get big win in Pittsburgh →