A look at Wilson’s best playoff performance yet

January 12, 2015 cc Leave a comment

Russell Wilson has almost always played well in the playoffs — six games and counting — and his performance Saturday against Carolina was his best yet.

The third-year quarterback buried the ghosts of his poor home games earlier in the season with a nearly perfect outing that also was probably his best game of the 2014 season.

He threw a postseason-career-high three touchdown passes and tallied a 149.2 rating, completing 68.2 percent, while tying Matt Hasselbeck for most playoff wins in Seattle history (five).

Wilson now has nine TD passes and just one interception in six postseason games, and his passer rating has been over 100 in four of them. In fact, his postseason passer rating of 109.6 is the best in NFL history (hat tip to Hawk Blogger for first reporting that stat).

So why was Wilson so good vs. the Panthers? (1) His offensive line kept him clean, (2) he was perfect on third downs, (3) he got the ball out quickly when he could and (4) he trusted his receivers to come down with long passes.

Continue reading A look at Wilson’s best playoff performance yet →

Injury report, Playoffs: Green Bay, State of the team

With Richardson out, it’s Norwood’s turn

January 11, 2015 cc Leave a comment

Wide receiver Paul Richardson’s torn ACL is bad news, especially because the rookie had emerged as a key contributor, but the Seahawks have the depth to withstand it.

Richardson’s loss is Kevin Norwood’s gain as the other rookie, who was inactive Saturday against Carolina, figures to play vs. Green Bay next Sunday and in the Super Bowl.

Continue reading With Richardson out, it’s Norwood’s turn →

Playoffs: Carolina

Like Easley, Chancellor is heart of defense

January 11, 2015 cc Leave a comment

It was only appropriate that Kam Chancellor had perhaps the best game of his career on the day Kenny Easley raised the 12th Man flag.

Just as Easley was once Seattle’s best player, Chancellor — who, like Easley, is from Virginia and once dated Easley’s daughter — has been this team’s MVP the past two years.

Yeah, that’s a loaded statement on a team that includes so many star players — fellow Legion of Boomers Earl Thomas and Richard Sherman, linebackers Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright, defensive linemen Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril, quarterback Russell Wilson, running back Marshawn Lynch.

Everyone likes to say Lynch is the heartbeat of the team — embodying the tough, relentless style Pete Carroll wants his guys to play with.

But the defense is the backbone — the reason Wilson has won more games than any quarterback in his first three seasons — and Chancellor has been the heart and soul of that unit for the past two dominant years.

Continue reading Like Easley, Chancellor is heart of defense →

CHAWK LINES, Playoffs: Carolina

January 10, 2015 cc Leave a comment

Dan Quinn reportedly is the favorite to be hired as the Jets’ coach. And Tom Cable is in the top three.

Tough guy Russell Wilson is poised to tie Matt Hasselbeck for most postseason wins in Seahawks history.

Field Gulls points out how much better Wilson and the passing game are when they are in rhythm.

Clare Farnsworth of Seahawks.com looks at how the Seahawks and Panthers have changed since the first meeting in Week 8.

Week 8 was a turning point for the Seattle defense, Brady Henderson of MyNorthwest observes.

Michael Bennett compares the Panthers to an attractive cousin, “so you can’t go on a date with her even though you’d like to.”

Colin Cole, who played for Seattle in 2009 and 2010, will step in for injured Carolina defensive tackle Star Lotulelei.

Bob Condotta chronicles Bruce Irvin’s development.

Farnsworth features this game’s great linebacker corps.

The Seattle defense by the numbers, per John Boyle of the Everett Herald.

This trumps the “Lynch found Lynch’s wallet” story: An agent from Earl Thomas’ agency found Derrick Coleman’s Super Bowl ring in a rental car.

Playoffs: Carolina, State of the team

A look at Wilson’s tough season at home

January 9, 2015 cc Leave a comment

There’s about a 60 percent chance Russell Wilson will throw an interception Saturday against the Carolina Panthers.

Why? It’s just how his clunky season has gone at the Clink.

When it comes to passing, Wilson has been as bad at home this season as he was on the road as a rookie — believe it or not.

Some of it has been him, some of it has been the game plan and plenty of it has been offensive line problems.

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Injury report, Playoffs: Carolina

TE roulette continues

January 8, 2015 cc Leave a comment

The Seahawks have had a tumultuous season at tight end, so why stop now?

Zach Miller has been on IR since midseason, and Tony Moeaki and Cooper Helfet have been taking turns sitting out games for the past month — leaving Luke Willson to alternate great weeks with horrendous ones.

Expect more of the same.

Continue reading TE roulette continues →

Playoffs: Carolina, State of the team

On the DL: Hawks rely on veteran additions

January 8, 2015 cc Leave a comment

If you ever wondered why the Seahawks prefer veteran defensive linemen to ones they draft themselves, just take a look at the current roster.

Entering the season, the Seahawks had four home-drafted linemen and five outside acquisitions on the active roster. With Jordan Hill heading to IR this week, the only ones still standing are the guys they got from other teams: Michael Bennett, Cliff Avril, Kevin Williams, Tony McDaniel and O’Brien Schofield. (Bruce Irvin is now a starting linebacker who rushes in the nickel, so we’re not counting him as a lineman.)

Contrast the D-line with the defense’s back seven, which is entirely comprised of Seattle draft picks (including Irvin).

Pete Carroll and John Schneider seemingly have always preferred veteran defensive linemen — holdovers Brandon Mebane and Red Bryant, trade acquisition Chris Clemons and free agents Alan Branch, Jason Jones and the current quintet.

It might be because they prefer to play veterans who know all of the tricks, and it might be because they haven’t hit on many linemen in the draft.

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Playoffs: Carolina

History is on the Hawks’ side vs. Panthers

January 7, 2015 cc Leave a comment

Pete Carroll can identify with Ron Rivera’s Carolina Panthers.

Four years ago, the Seahawks were in the same spot: a sub.-500 division winner that won its home playoff game and advanced to the divisional playoff round.

Now the Panthers are trying to do what the Seahawks and five other teams without winning records failed to do over the past decade: Win in the second round.

Since the NFL realigned in 2002, seven teams have made the playoffs at 8-8 or worse, and six have advanced to the divisional round. But none have won.

Like this Carolina-Seattle matchup, each of the five previous games has been a rematch of a game played earlier that season. And, in all but one of those cases, the team that won earlier in the season won the playoff meeting comfortably at home. (Seattle beat Chicago earlier in the 2010 season but lost 35-24 in Chicago in the divisional round.)

As if Carolina didn’t already have enough going against it Saturday.

Continue reading History is on the Hawks’ side vs. Panthers →

CHAWK LINES

January 4, 2015 cc Leave a comment

Dan Quinn reportedly had interviews with five teams lined up.

Darrell Bevell and Quinn both reportedly interviewed with the Bills this weekend. Bevell previously talked with the Raiders, too.

Quinn seems to know who he wants to work with if he gets a top job.

Three Seahawks were named to the No. 1 All-Pro team, and two are on the second team.

Bobby Wagner was named NFC defensive player of the month.

Hugh Millen explains why the Seattle offense had trouble in the first half against the Rams but fared better in the second.

Pete Carroll was miked up for Sound FX, which let us hear a conversation he had with owner Paul Allen.

The offense set records this season despite changing drastically after the Percy Harvin trade, Bob Condotta writes.

Harvin will make a little extra money if the Seahawks win the Super Bowl again.

Former Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren says he has “gotten a couple of inquiries” from teams in search of new coaches.

Playoffs

A look at Seattle’s possible opponents

January 3, 2015 cc Leave a comment

When a team is in the position the Seahawks are in, waiting for their playoff opponent to be determined, plenty of people get caught up in the “whom to root for” game.

We have always said: If you can’t beat them all, you obviously don’t deserve to win it all. Pete Carroll goes by the same philosophy: “It’s all about us.” The opponent does not matter.

So, don’t worry whether the Hawks end up playing Carolina, Arizona or Detroit next weekend — or Green Bay or Dallas in the NFC title game.

If the Hawks are good enough (and they are) they will beat whichever team advances to meet them.

Here’s a quick look at the three teams the Hawks might face next week:

Continue reading A look at Seattle’s possible opponents →