Week 13: San Francisco

Seahawks blow out Sherman’s 49ers, move into playoff position

2 Comments

san-francisco-logoA week after the Seahawks put together their defining win of the season, at Carolina, they added an exclamation point with a 43-16 win vs. former Seahawk Richard Sherman and the undermanned 49ers.

Russell Wilson threw a season-best four TD passes, each one marked by the receivers’ celebration skits (including an homage to Sherman’s famous Tip); Bobby Wagner played easily his best game of the season, setting a team record with his 98-yard pick-six; and the Seahawks moved two games over .500 for the first time this season — happy to show Sherman they are not a “middle of the road” team as they beat the 49ers for the ninth straight time.

The Seahawks officially moved into playoff position, where they can remain if they beat Minnesota next week and win the final three. (Even dropping one game probably wouldn’t hurt them that much.) If the season ended today, the Hawks would be the No. 6 seed.

Continue reading Seahawks blow out Sherman’s 49ers, move into playoff position →

Advertisements
Week 13: San Francisco
Leave a comment

CHAWK LINES -- Sherman returnsRichard Sherman’s return to Seattle is one of the bigger reunion games the Seahawks — or any of the city’s teams — has ever had. Here’s a look at everything being said about it:

Doug Baldwin still hates the way Sherman’s Seattle career ended. Might have to recycle this quote next year if/when Baldwin leaves.

Bobby Wagner had some great good-natured digs at Sherman. Pete Carroll called him a “challenge” to coach but also expressed great respect for Sherman. Shaquill Griffin admires Sherman for mentoring him last year: “That wasn’t in his job description. He didn’t have to do that.”

Sherman basically stuck to the same criticisms of Seattle he made when he was cut. And he also made clear what he thinks of Russell Wilson as a QB (ICYMI: They’re not buds).

Continue reading →

Playoffs, Week 13: San Francisco

10 wins should be enough for playoffs

2 Comments

Logo -- San Francisco(Updated Nov. 30)

Two-thirds of the way through the season, the Seahawks are right where they need to be: in control of their postseason destiny (which apparently is a surprise to almost everyone but us). If they win out to finish 11-5, they will make it in.

But what happens if they drop a game and land at 10-6? That’s where they would need a couple of things to fall their way — but the odds still would stack highly in their favor.

Continue reading 10 wins should be enough for playoffs →

Franchise history, State of the team, Week 12: At Carolina

Hawks’ run defense is historically bad

1 Comment

Logo -- At CarolinaWhile everyone else marvels over the fact that the Seahawks are over .500 this deep into the season, we’re more concerned about how Seattle’s historically bad run defense might prevent the team from advancing in the playoffs.

We have always projected the Hawks to be above .500 at this point (they actually have underachieved by a game in our eyes), and it speaks well of their developing offense that they have been able to stay in games against high-powered offenses such as the L.A. teams, Green Bay and Carolina — rallying to beat the latter two.

But Seattle’s defensive line has proven to be more of a liability than we thought it would be. No one expected the pass rush to be very good outside Frank Clark — and that largely has proven true (Clark has 10 sacks, Jarran Reed a mildly surprising 5.5 and the rest of the team 12.5). But the run defense has been a major disappointment.

Continue reading Hawks’ run defense is historically bad →

Week 12: At Carolina

On last play in Carolina, Hawks keep control of destiny

2 Comments

Logo -- At CarolinaFor the second straight week, the Seahawks rallied in the fourth quarter for a big NFC win, beating Carolina 30-27 on the final play to retain control of their playoff destiny.

“We’re alive. We have a long ways to go,” Pete Carroll said. “We’re already in the playoffs as far as we’re concerned (i.e., every game matters).”

Continue reading On last play in Carolina, Hawks keep control of destiny →

Contracts, The roster

Could be final season for Baldwin & Wagner, too

8 Comments

It’s looking more and more like K.J. Wright and Doug Baldwin are in their final seasons with the Seahawks — and, if the Hawks don’t want to pay Bobby Wagner again, he will have to join them.

The Seahawks created a lot of shockwaves when they separated from a handful of their Super Bowl stars earlier this year — a sudden about-face for John Schneider and Pete Carroll that showed they were ready to remake the team.

A lot of fans are going to hate this, but the smart ones will recognize the reality of it: Wagner, Baldwin and Wright all might join Earl Thomas, Richard Sherman, Michael Bennett, Kam Chancellor and Cliff Avril as former Seahawks next year.

Continue reading Could be final season for Baldwin & Wagner, too →
Schedule

‘We don’t have to lose anymore’

Leave a comment

“We don’t have to lose anymore.” — Pete Carroll

Fresh off a comeback win against Green Bay that got his team back to .500, Pete Carroll thinks there’s no reason for his team to lose another game.

With the running game now on full blast — seven straight games over 150 yards — and the defense tightening up in the second half against good quarterbacks, the Seahawks certainly have a chance to win out.

Carroll told 710 ESPN that his team’s 5-5 record “sucks. Why are we here? We’re better than this. … We don’t have to lose anymore. We’re done with that stuff. Let’s go win some games.”

Continue reading ‘We don’t have to lose anymore’ →

Advertisements