Category Archives: Playoffs: Detroit

Playoffs: At Atlanta, Playoffs: Detroit, State of the team

Seahawks need to keep running it in Atlanta

January 8, 2017 cc Leave a comment

Everyone’s going gaga over the resurgent rushing performance of Thomas Rawls and the offensive line in Seattle’s 26-6 win over Detroit. But the proof will be in Atlanta.

As expected, the Seahawks are headed there for a rematch with Dan Quinn’s Falcons and a chance to redeem their 2012 playoff loss. To do it, they will have to run the ball as well as they did against the Lions — when the linemen seemingly channeled former All-Pro Steve Hutchinson after he raised the 12 flag.

Yeah, the Hawks beat Atlanta 26-24 in Week 6 without a running game (Christine Michael led an attack that garnered just 76 yards). But they wouldn’t have won without Earl Thomas, who had a stellar game despite the defense’s breakdowns in the third quarter.

Thomas won’t be around to help combat Matt Ryan’s prolific offense this time, which is where the running game comes in: Seattle needs to play keepaway.

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Playoffs: Detroit, Trades

Lions face the Legion they helped build

January 7, 2017 cc 1 Comment

A year ago at this time, the Seahawks were getting ready for a wild-card playoff game against an NFC North team they had helped build. They ended up escaping frigid Minnesota with a lucky win over the Vikings and Teddy Bridgewater, the quarterback Seattle enabled Minnesota to draft in 2014.

Now, here the Hawks are in the wild-card round again, about to face another NFC North team, and personnel ties loom large yet again.

As the Hawks prepare to host the Detroit Lions in the first playoff game between the teams, two of the big storylines involve Golden Tate and Cliff Avril going against their former teams. But the personnel links are deeper than that.

Since coming to Seattle in 2010, John Schneider has done more business with Detroit than with any other team. Of his 42 trades, seven have been with the Lions. And two of them helped create the Legion of Boom.

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Playoffs: Detroit, State of the team

Injured Thomas on Seahawks: ‘We don’t have all our parts’

January 5, 2017 cc Leave a comment

Earl Thomas might not be with the Seahawks on the field, but there is no doubt he is with them in spirit.

He has been actively cheerleading via Twitter since he got hurt, sometimes with hilarious comments.

He also held a chat via The Seattle Times on Thursday, during which he said he is feeling pretty good after surgery on his broken leg, misses the game and feels like the team is not as good without him.

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CHAWK LINES, Playoffs: Detroit

January 5, 2017 cc Leave a comment

CHAWK LINES -- Lions at Seahawks

Five things the Seahawks need to change vs. Detroit and beyond, per Dave Boling.

A detailed look at the matchup, which seems to favor the Seahawks unless Detroit wins big on special teams.

A look at the key figures for the Lions.

Russell Wilson says he is feeling fast and might get rid of the knee brace.

Tony McDaniel won’t play due to a concussion suffered vs. the 49ers.

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Coaches, Playoffs: Detroit

Don’t expect Hawks’ top assistants to be hired away this year

January 4, 2017 cc Leave a comment

Darrell Bevell speaks to reporters Wednesday It’s that time of year again — when disenchanted fans get to hope some team hires away Tom Cable or Darrell Bevell.

Cable already has been mentioned as a candidate in San Francisco, although the Patriots’ Josh McDaniels seems to be the favorite to run that dysfunctional club.

Bevell has been mentioned as a candidate to replace the retiring Gary Kubiak in Denver. Seattle DC Kris Richard also has been mentioned in connection with the Denver and Buffalo jobs.

It would be a surprise if any of them were hired though.

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Playoffs: Detroit, State of the team

Will Ott & Hester make special teams better?

January 4, 2017 cc Leave a comment

Even before injuries robbed them of their main return man and long snapper, Seattle’s special teams had turned into a major mess this year.

Tyler Ott can’t be much worse than Nolan Frese (on IR with an ankle injury), but did the Seahawks create a potentially bigger mess by adding Devin Hester?

Clearly uninterested in making Richard Sherman return punts in the postseason, they took a gamble on the 34-year-old former All-Pro returner, who apparently fumbled five times in 12 games before Baltimore cut him Dec. 13.

It’s a bit of a desperation move, and Seattle has to hope Hester is not nearly as mistake-prone as he was in Baltimore.

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Playoffs: Detroit, State of the team

Hawks aren’t toxic or tenacious enough

January 2, 2017 cc Leave a comment

When the Detroit Lions come to Seattle on Saturday for the first playoff game between the franchises, they will have the fortune of going against Pete Carroll’s worst team during the Russell Wilson era.

While Carroll’s club is one of three to make the playoffs in each of the past five years, along with Green Bay and New England, this is clearly the weakest Seattle playoff team since the 2010 crew that stunned New Orleans at home in the wild-card round and then lost in Chicago.

The Hawks can’t run the ball, can’t score in the red zone, can’t kick the ball consistently and really can’t sustain the level of play needed to go far in the playoffs. And Russell Wilson is just not as dialed in as he needs to be to go the distance.

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