Category Archives: State of the team

State of the team, The roster

Hawks are ready for defensive changes

Leave a comment

Draft -- Schneider and CarrollAfter two days of talking by the players and Pete Carroll, we’ve learned a few tidbits about the Seahawks’ personnel and upcoming decisions as they sit out the playoffs for the first time in six years.

A lot of people think the defense is in complete disarray and has to be rebuilt almost from scratch. Don’t tell that to Bobby Wagner, K.J. Wright, Earl Thomas, Richard Sherman, Frank Clark, Jarran Reed, Nazair Jones and Shaq Griffin. Those eight are all under contract for at least 2018 and figure to key a resurgent Seattle defense next season.

Carroll said he views it like 2011-12, when he was developing his Super Bowl core.

“There is a young nucleus and a new nucleus of guys that have come to us,” he said, referencing Bradley McDougald, Dion Jordan and Terence Garvin. “They’re part of that (2017 draft) class (which included Jones and Griffin) as well and the class from last year. These are good groups of guys now, so we’re very optimistic about the roster.”

Continue reading Hawks are ready for defensive changes →

State of the team, Week 17: Arizona, X's & O's

This has been Wilson’s worst December

2 Comments

logo-arizonaA month ago, many were touting Russell Wilson as an MVP candidate. Then he had the worst December of his career.

The MVP chants were all based on the fact that Wilson has been Seattle’s entire offense this season. With a game left, he has represented 81.6 percent of the offense (4,312 of 5,286 yards). That number is just 0.2 percent off the league record (held, oddly, by one-time Seahawk Jon Kitna). Wilson also has accounted for 35 of the team’s 36 touchdowns.

But here’s the real lesson from those stats: Seattle’s coaches have put way too much on Wilson’s shoulders, and he finally collapsed under that pressure. In some ways, this has been his worst NFL season.

Continue reading This has been Wilson’s worst December →

Contracts, State of the team, The roster

Thomas bracing for departure, but Hawks will pay him

3 Comments

Earl in DallasEarl Thomas is creating a lot of negative-energy waves as this season winds down. To some, it might seem like he is trying to build up a trade tsunami.

But it’s just Earl being Earl — the Pro Bowl safety who wears his heart on his sleeve and sometimes puts his foot in his mouth. And you can expect him to be a happy camper, with feet firmly on the ground, again as soon as John Schneider gives him another contract extension in the coming offseason.

Thomas’ contract — which has one year left — clearly is on his mind, and he seems to be bracing for Seattle to trade him in 2018 or lowball him and force him to go play somewhere else in 2019.

Continue reading Thomas bracing for departure, but Hawks will pay him →

State of the team, Week 15: L.A. Rams

End of an era? Not yet

2 Comments

Logo -- Los AngelesTwo weeks ago, Seattle knocked off the high-flying Philadelphia Eagles, and it sure looked like the Seahawks were getting ready to spread their wings for another long postseason flight.

Even a 30-24 loss in Jacksonville last week did nothing to shake the faith — the Seahawks basically beat themselves thanks to Russell Wilson’s overly aggressive interceptions and a few other mistakes.

There was plenty of reason to think they could beat the Rams at home and take control of the NFC West. And even if they had lost by just a touchdown, it wouldn’t have been unexpected or created a huge stir beyond the uphill battle to make the playoffs.

But a 42-7 demolition has raised a ton of questions about the future of these Seahawks.

Continue reading End of an era? Not yet →

State of the team, Week 14: At Jacksonville

Despite flaws, Hawks still can beat anyone — time to prove it

1 Comment

Logo -- At JacksonvilleComing off their watershed win against the Eagles, the Seahawks had a chance to confirm they were ready for a big run into the postseason. All they needed to do was beat the NFL’s best defense a week after beating the best offense.

They couldn’t do it, though, and now they have to beat the Rams next week — and the final two on top of that — to assure themselves of a sixth straight postseason. If they lose another game, they will need big help to get into the playoffs in a loaded NFC.

As ugly as that 30-24 loss in Jacksonville was, the Seahawks showed enough for us to think they still could make a run to the Super Bowl — assuming Russell Wilson quits throwing interceptions and Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright don’t miss any time.

Continue reading Despite flaws, Hawks still can beat anyone — time to prove it →

Playoffs, Schedule, State of the team

Playoff scenarios as final quarter begins

2 Comments

No. 2 seed scenarioAmazing what one big win can do for a flagging franchise trying to find its footing.

After the Seahawks had lost two straight home games for only the second time with Russell Wilson, they were on the outside looking in at the postseason picture. But they quickly dug out of the slump with an upset victory over the NFC’s top team, Philadelphia.

Now the Hawks (8-4) suddenly own their destiny again, and Atlanta helped their pursuit of a top-two seed by knocking off the Saints on Thursday night.

Continue reading Playoff scenarios as final quarter begins →

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

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

1 Comment

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.

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

Franchise history, State of the team, Week 9: Washington

Seahawks are always scrambling on offense

2 Comments

Logo -- WashingtonThe Seahawks say they aim to be the best scrambling offense in the NFL — so it figures that’s what they’re doing this week: Scrambling once again to fix their offense.

The trade for Duane Brown, an excellent if belated move to shore up left tackle, and the decision to ride one running back are steps that should have been taken long ago. These moves at this late date are emblematic of Pete Carroll’s offense: They never seem to have a good plan.

Continue reading Seahawks are always scrambling on offense →

State of the team, Week 7: At NY Giants

Slow-starting offense frustrates everyone

Leave a comment

Logo -- NY GiantsWhen Doug Baldwin pushed aside Tom Cable in the second quarter in New York, it was a perfectly timed expression of frustration that reflected what every Seattle fan was feeling.

Although some fans would love for Cable to be shoved out the door, Baldwin apologized for the physical move — but he also made it clear he, like all of us, was sick of how the offense was playing.

“At that moment, I was really frustrated with the offense as a whole,” Baldwin said. “Not the coaching staff — the players. Again, it goes back to our X’s and O’s. We had the play calls. We just didn’t execute. Whether it was passing the ball, blocking, catching, jumping offsides, false-starting, whatever it may be, we weren’t executing as players.”

Although Baldwin and the Seahawks came up with three touchdowns in the second half to win 24-7, the very poor first-half starts remain. And the red zone continues to be a black hole for Russell Wilson and company.

Continue reading Slow-starting offense frustrates everyone →

State of the team, The roster

With Avril in doubt, what is future of D-line?

Leave a comment

Avril on NFLNThe sudden concern over Cliff Avril’s health — and thus career — has put the spotlight on the future of Seattle’s defensive line.

Almost exactly 10 years ago, Mack Strong faced a similar neck injury and decided to immediately call it a career (after 15 years). Avril, injured against the Colts on Sunday, might face the same choice in his 10th season. He is out indefinitely as he and the team investigate the cause of the stingers that numbed his arms and hands after he was kicked in the chin tackling Jacoby Brissett.

“Whenever it’s the spinal stuff and you get stingers, that means that there’s some nerve action going on there and you’ve got to be really careful and really safe with all that stuff,” Pete Carroll told KIRO Radio on Friday. “In this case in particular, we’ve just got to make sure, so we’re going to take our time with this and let it quiet down. He’s really not uncomfortable, but just some of the tests he took showed some stuff and we’ve just got to make sure we’re really honoring it and make good choices here. We’re on the same page and (will) take it one step at a time, and we’ll get to it when we can.”

It’s entirely possible Avril will return soon — maybe even after the Week 6 bye. But the 31-year-old also might decide after this injury that the ongoing risk is not worth it anymore.

Continue reading With Avril in doubt, what is future of D-line? →