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Schedule, Week 11: Atlanta

The playoffs begin Monday vs. Atlanta

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atlanta-logoAs banged up as the Seahawks suddenly are after that Arizona bloodbath last week, they have to find a way to beat Dan Quinn’s Atlanta Falcons on Monday if they want to have a shot at a first-round bye — and possibly if they want to win the division.

With 10 teams over .500 in the NFC, every game is basically a playoff game from here on out. Each loss will cost something — home field, a bye, a division, a home game, a playoff spot. (And the Hawks have to hope that horrendous home defeat to Washington does not come back to bite them.)

The Seahawks (6-3) have about an 11 percent chance of snagging a first-round bye, according to an aggregation of projections by Five Thirty Eight, the New York Times and Football Outsiders. They have a 61 percent chance of making the playoffs and a 38 percent chance of winning the NFC West.

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Injury report, Week 11: Atlanta

Is Chancellor out for the year, too?

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Seahawks bandagesThe Legion of Boom took a double whammy last Thursday, losing both Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor.

Sherman is out for the season, recovering from surgery on his Achilles and looking toward a return next spring. Chancellor apparently could be following him.

It sounds like the strong safety is out this week with the stinger (i.e., nerve issue) suffered against Arizona, and rumors are flying that he could be out for the season as well.

Pete Carroll said he was still undergoing tests this week and his prognosis was unclear. It sounds like his injury might not be as serious as the one that sidelined Cliff Avril earlier this season and has Avril considering his football future. But the loss of Chancellor would be another tough blow — making him the third starter gone from Seattle’s star-studded defense.

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Franchise history, Video, Week 11: Atlanta

7 sacks! So what?

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Adrian Clayborn’s six-sack performance for Atlanta in a 27-7 win over Dallas last week has a lot of Seahawks fans crossing their fingers that Duane Brown can play Monday.

Clayborn’s six were one off the record set by Derrick Thomas in 1990 — against Seattle. But do you remember how that game turned out? Maybe Russell Wilson can channel a little Dave Krieg, if needed:
 

Free agency, The roster, Week 11: Atlanta

Hawks counting on Dolphins’ castoffs

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Salary cap logoThe Seahawks are picking up the scraps of the Miami Dolphins and figure to get some good work out of them the rest of the year.

Just a few days after Dion Jordan made his long-delayed season debut, the Seahawks brought back former Legion of Boom original Byron Maxwell (2011 sixth-rounder).

Jordan is another case of the Seahawks’ patience seemingly paying off. Nurtured back by the Seahawks after missing two and a half years due to a suspension and a knee injury, Jordan got off to a great start in Arizona last Thursday — notching a sack and three quarterback hits. He could come in very handy as the Hawks play without Cliff Avril and Malik McDowell and with a bunch of banged-up linemen — Michael Bennett, Sheldon Richardson, Frank Clark, Marcus Smith, Jarran Reed — down the stretch.

“He’s got a big upside now,” Pete Carroll told 710 ESPN on Monday. “He is a big, physical tough guy with a lot to prove.”

Assuming Jordan stays healthy and plays well enough, the Hawks could easily retain him in 2018. Jordan will be a restricted free agent, meaning the Seahawks will have the right to keep him via tender.

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Contracts, The roster

Shead signed through 2018, according to CBA

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“Counting down the days ’til I’m back with my brothers” — DeShawn Shead

With Richard Sherman out for the season, DeShawn Shead’s potential return comes at just the right time. And it raises an interesting scenario, too.

Even though Shead suffered a torn ACL in his contract year last season, the Seahawks re-signed him — giving him $1.2 million (with $850,000 guaranteed) to basically rehab this season, with the hope he might return in time to help them during their playoff run.

While Shead’s comment seems to indicate he expects to play this season, Pete Carroll told 710 ESPN on Monday that Shead has “hit a bit of a plateau” in his recovery and is not quite ready to practice. He has to begin practice by Nov. 21 and be activated by Week 15 or else go on injured reserve.

Assuming he returns, he seems likely to figure into the mix by the time the playoffs start — possibly even starting at Sherman’s left corner spot, opposite standout rookie Shaquill Griffin.

Seattle’s patience with Shead’s recovery could pay off in 2018 as well.

Continue reading Shead signed through 2018, according to CBA →

The roster

Sherman not going anywhere in 2018

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Seahawks bandagesContrary to some thoughts, Richard Sherman is not going anywhere.

The Seahawks are not going to cut him, because they never do that to injured stars. And they’re now not going to consider trading him, because his Achilles injury has stunted his value.

The Seahawks are going to do what they always do with valued players who get hurt: Help him rehab and come back stronger than ever in 2018.

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Injury report, Week 10: At Arizona

Win in Arizona was costly; how much do Hawks have left?

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at-arizona-logo“It’s hard to be fired up about this because a lot of guys got banged up today and I feel terrible about it.” — Pete Carroll

Richard Sherman’s season is over, but that doesn’t mean Seattle’s is — unless some of the seven other injuries they suffered Thursday are serious as well.

If the Seahawks didn’t already have enough problems — no running game, no first-half offense, too many penalties — they now can add another: Injuries.

They already were a band of walking wounded as they headed into the dreaded short-week clash with Arizona. Missing seven starters and coming in with at least 11 more players banged up, they took a bloodbath in the 22-16 win.

Continue reading Win in Arizona was costly; how much do Hawks have left? →

Contracts, Free agency, The roster

“Riches” will determine 2018 moves

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Salary cap logoAs the Seahawks quickly get ready to embark on the second half of their season, their roster — like many around the NFL — looks quite a bit different than it did when the season started.

Seattle will head to Arizona without starters Cliff Avril, Chris Carson and Luke Joeckel. But John Schneider also has added Duane Brown and Dwight Freeney, who already have made their presences felt and will be big parts of the second-half playoff push.

As he tries to help the Hawks become a contender this season, Schneider also is evaluating and plotting his 2018 moves.

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Schedule, State of the team, Week 10: At Arizona

Hawks still look like a 10-win team; more will be hard to get though

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at-arizona-logoIt’s midseason and the Hawks are in their usual discovery mode, trying to figure out how to improve their offense enough to make a Super Bowl run.

They have failed the last two years, coming up way short in the divisional round on the road each time, and they look like they are headed down the same path this year.

In their pursuit of home field for the playoffs, the Hawks really needed to beat Washington — one of the easiest games they had left. They would have then been 6-2, just a game and a half behind NFC-leading Philadelphia (8-1), which has a bye this week. A win Thursday then would have put the Hawks at 7-2, one game behind, with the Eagles coming to Seattle in Week 13.

Now, the best Seattle can do is trail by two after Thursday and hope the Eagles stumble. Even then, it looks really hard for the Hawks to make up ground. They will be lucky to win the NFC West.

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Week 9: Washington

That was the worst home loss in Wilson era; now it gets tougher

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Logo -- WashingtonSeattle’s 17-14 debacle against Washington was easily the worst home loss of the Russell Wilson era — a ridiculous defeat to an undermanned team that the Seahawks couldn’t afford to take, not with the toughest part of their schedule about to begin.

This was just the seventh home loss in the Wilson era. But it came against a broken-down Washington offense and a defense giving up 25.7 points per game. In other words, it was completely unacceptable. Seattle could have — should have — won at least 22-17.

But, thanks to a record penalty day, three missed field goals and two interceptions, the Seahawks are just 5-3 midway through another disjointed season. They have struggled to stay above .500, with five wins against teams that are a combined 13-29. And it is about to get really hard. The winless 49ers are the only losing team in the final eight games, with the seven others a combined 32-17.

That’s not a good sign for a Seattle team that halfway through the season still has no running game and is now beating itself with record penalty counts and many other errors.

Continue reading That was the worst home loss in Wilson era; now it gets tougher →