Contracts, State of the team, The roster

This is the perfect time to reset the offense

February 9, 2015 cc Leave a comment

The Seahawks have spent the last five years building one of the best defenses in the history of the NFL — a unit that has allowed the fewest points in the league for three years running and has been the main reason Seattle has reached back-to-back Super Bowls.

But, as we saw in the Super Bowl, the offense is a two-dimensional cardboard cutout — forced to rely largely on the determination of Marshawn Lynch (aka Beast Mode) and the freelance ability of Russell Wilson (aka DangeRuss).

When Seattle’s best offensive personnel grouping includes undrafted receivers Doug Baldwin, Jermaine Kearse, Ricardo Lockette and fifth-round tight end Luke Willson — and the coaches think throwing to Lockette on the goal line to win the Super Bowl is the best play — the Hawks have a serious problem.

This offseason, that must change. It’s the perfect time for Pete Carroll, John Schneider, Darrell Bevell and Tom Cable to determine the future of the offense — to improve their receiving corps, find some reliable offensive linemen and otherwise make a concerted effort to fix a unit that has been running on the shoestrings of Lynch and Wilson.

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Coaches, The roster

Lofa’s return trumps other coaching news

February 9, 2015 cc Leave a comment

A big day for Kris Richard and the Carroll family was trumped by news that Lofa Tatupu is coming back.

For those who just became Seahawks fans in the last four years, Tatupu was the Bobby Wagner of Seattle’s first Super Bowl team. Tatupu played for Pete Carroll at USC and again in 2010, when Carroll came to Seattle.

Tatupu, a second-round draft pick in 2005, was part of a defensive overhaul that year that helped the Seahawks reach the Super Bowl (where they lost in controversial fashion).

Tatupu went to the Pro Bowl in his first three seasons as the middle linebacker on Mike Holmgren’s Seahawks, but the undersized player quickly wore down with a multitude of injuries.

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Contracts, Free agency

Hawks could make room for Ndamukong Suh, if they really wanted to

February 7, 2015 cc Leave a comment

Suh and Avril — Ndamukong Suh (left) with Cliff Avril when Avril was still with the Detroit Lions.

Ndamukong Suh, who grew up in Portland, apparently would love to
return to the Northwest and play for the Seahawks. John Schneider and Pete Carroll probably would love to have the dominant defensive tackle, too.

But how realistic is it?

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Super Bowl XLIX

As expected, Irvin & Bennett fined for brawl

February 6, 2015 cc Leave a comment

As expected, Bruce Irvin and Michael Bennett were fined for the brawl at the end of the Super Bowl. So were Patriots tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Michael Hoomanawanui.

Irvin, who was ejected for being the “instigator” — reportedly received the highest fine: $10,000. The rest were docked $8,268.

The real instigator, based on video review of the fight, was Seattle defensive lineman Demarcus Dobbs. And Patriots guard Dan Connolly was lucky not to get fined as well.

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State of the team, Super Bowl XLIX

‘This is a championship organization’

February 6, 2015 cc Leave a comment

After three straight seasons of double-digit wins, with one Super Bowl trophy already on the mantle, Pete Carroll had us believing. He had us talking destiny and dynasty.

And then one ill-fated play call put an end to it all — for a moment.

But, as Carroll tweeted Thursday, “One moment does not define you; the journey does. We will outlast this.”

He’s right, of course. The Seahawks are built to last. They have more Super Bowls in them.

“This is a championship organization,” Carroll told Matt Lauer of “Today.” “It’s an extraordinary time for us. We’re right in the middle of all the good, positive things that we can do. So this is what we have to deal with, and of course it’s going to make us stronger.

“Think how strong we’ll be coming out of this. Think how powerful our togetherness will be, our mindset will be as we know that we’ve shouldered this and we move forward and get back to what we want to do. … It’s a great challenge, but nothing could make us stronger.”

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Contracts, Injury report, Super Bowl XLIX

More on injuries, coaches and contracts

February 5, 2015 cc Leave a comment

You have to wonder how the Super Bowl might have turned out if the Legion of Boom had been healthy.

The news that Kam Chancellor played with a torn MCL is stunning — and just another nod to the toughness and dedication of the Pro Bowl strong safety.

And don’t forget: All-Pros Earl Thomas and Richard Sherman came into the game with injuries, too — Thomas with a shoulder issue and Sherman with a bad elbow. On top of that, Jeremy Lane suffered a badly broken wrist on his interception in the first quarter.

It is safe to say those injuries played a huge role in the outcome — particularly with Tharold Simon giving up two touchdown passes, including the go-ahead score late in the game.

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State of the team, Super Bowl XLIX

Baldwin, other immature Hawks need to grow up

February 5, 2015 cc Leave a comment

Doug Baldwin turddown — Doug “Dookie” Baldwin pretends to poop out a football after scoring.

If the Seahawks have any hope of rebounding from that devastating Super Bowl loss, Pete Carroll is going to have to adjust the attitudes of some of his immature players.

He should start with Dookie Baldwin. Is anyone else fed up with his act yet? First he lashed out in Richard Sherman fashion after the NFC title game, and then he performed a classless “turddown” celebration after scoring in the Super Bowl.

He was fined $11,025 for the latter move — pretending to poop out the football in the end zone after his 3-yard touchdown gave Seattle a 24-14 lead in the third quarter. It was his only catch of the game as he found himself stranded on Revis Island, and yet he still felt like it was worth giving the Patriots a free 15 yards to start their next drive.

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Super Bowl XLIX, X's & O's

Last look at the final play & the reactions to it

February 4, 2015 cc Leave a comment

Super Bowl Carroll dumbfounded as Lynch walks past — Pete Carroll stands dumbfounded as Marshawn Lynch walks by after the interception.

Lynch with the wry smile — What was Lynch thinking as he walked to the sideline? Perhaps: “My price to stay just went up, boss.”

It has been three days, and the
Seahawks’ final
offensive play of the Super Bowl continues to reverberate throughout the football world —
certainly nowhere more than in
Seattle.

In that time, Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson have defended the play and the man who called it, Darrell Bevell. Patriots coach Bill Belichick has spoken out against the critics, lavishing praise on Carroll and his Seahawks.

EA Sports even created an alternate ending in which the Seahawks run the play nearly all of us think they should have run — with Marshawn Lynch scoring the winning touchdown.

And “NFL Insiders” showed the last play from the sidelines, listening in on the coaches and players and catching a shot of Lynch walking off the field after the interception with a wry smile on his face.

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History, Super Bowl XL, Super Bowl XLIX

XL and XLIX losses share much in common

February 3, 2015 cc Leave a comment

Lockette tripped — The non-call on Malcolm Butler’s trip of Ricardo Lockette in the fourth quarter cost the Seahawks at least 20 yards. (Click to enlarge)

The Seahawks are 1-2 in Super Bowls now, and both losses were steeped in controversy afterward — XL because of a handful of questionable officials’ calls, XLIX because of one questionable coaches’ call.

But they shared a lot more than that in common.

According to ESPN stats, those two teams were the only ones in the 49-year history of the Super Bowl to come out ahead in turnovers and yards and come out behind on the scoreboard — a stunning stat that tells you the Seahawks certainly were not worse than the teams they lost to in those Super Bowls.

Mike Holmgren’s Seahawks outgained Bill Cowher’s Pittsburgh Steelers 396 yards to 339 and won the turnover battle 2-1. Pete Carroll’s Seahawks outgained Bill Belichick’s New England Patriots 396 to 377 and won the turnover battle 2-1.

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State of the team, Super Bowl XLIX

Injuries and penalty trend contribute to Seahawks’ loss

February 2, 2015 cc Leave a comment

The Seahawks’ Super Bowl loss to the Patriots was — in so many ways — a microcosm of Seattle’s season.

The Hawks once again forgot who they were on offense, injuries again were key factors, and penalties — both called and not called — played a big role in their 28-24 loss to the Patriots.

We went into detail about the Seahawks’ failures on offense in another post, but injuries and the season-long penalty disparity loomed large in the Super Bowl.

Continue reading Injuries and penalty trend contribute to Seahawks’ loss →