#SEAvsJAX

The formula for winning: Darnold, JSN and D-line

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The Seahawks’ most reliable factors so far this season have been their QB1-WR1 connection, their defensive front and their special teams. They lost to the Bucs last week largely due to a rare bad game by the defensive line.

They won 20-12 in Jacksonville today because that unit returned to dominance and helped out Sam Darnold and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who continued to play as well as any QB-WR duo in the NFL.

Last week, Mike Macdonald said Baker Mayfield had too many “Mississippis” (a reference to the old backyard football pass rush rule). Well, the Seahawks got to Trevor Lawrence after one “Miss” on half of his dropbacks today.

Continue reading The formula for winning: Darnold, JSN and D-line →
Trades

Hawks should call about Keion White

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As the Nov. 4 trade deadline approaches, NFL teams are expected to make a lot of moves – just as they have for the past few years.

Some Seahawks fans have been clamoring for the team to try to acquire Cincinnati pass rusher Trey Hendrickson, but there might be a better option out there.

The Patriots, under Mike Vrabel’s new staff, have completely ruined Keion White, a 2023 second-round pick who turned into a stellar player in 2024. They have moved the 6-5, 285-pound lineman to outside linebacker, and he has not taken well to it – benched from the starting lineup.  

That has him on ESPN’s list of names to watch in the weeks leading up to the deadline. The Hawks definitely should be calling the Patriots about him.

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#SEAvsJAX, Injury report

Hawks still at 80%, but Macdonald should have winning plan vs. Jags

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One of these days, the Seahawks might field a full team – and we’ll see just how powerful they really are. For now, like so many teams around the league, they have to be content playing with about 80% of their top players – their battered secondary and pass rush still not full strength.

That was not quite enough against Tampa Bay last Sunday, but trust Mike Macdonald to have learned from that defensive meltdown (370 passing yards, 38 points allowed). Even if the Hawks are again without Devon Witherspoon and Julian Love, Macdonald likely will put his defense in position against Trevor Lawrence and the Jags in Jacksonville.

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#TBvsSEA

Darnold still working on ‘clutch gene’ even as he proves to be the new franchise QB

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Shortly after the Seahawks signed Sam Darnold, former Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck said the one thing Darnold needed to develop to lock himself in as a franchise QB is a “clutch gene.”

“I think the thing that he’s going to have to prove is kind of that clutch gene, making those plays that need to be made in playoff games or big games,” Hasselbeck told Seattle Sports 710 AM in March. “That’s gonna be the next step for him to be in that rare air of consistency as a franchise quarterback.”

Well, Darnold still needs to work on finishing in the clutch, but through five games he has more than shown he is Seattle’s new franchise QB.

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#TBvsSEA, NFL history

For 50-year celebration game, Bucs & Hawks have revitalized franchise QBs

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As the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seahawks celebrate 50 years in the league together by facing off Sunday, both have a more immediate reason to celebrate: They have found their next franchise quarterbacks and those guys have them on track to make the playoffs.

This contest, while big in the early NFC playoff picture, is also a lesson in the NFL’s general inability to coach talented quarterbacks into productive ones.

Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold were the No. 1 and 3 overall picks in the 2018 draft, and both were completely unsupported by their first, failing franchises. They were teammates on another bad club for a few games after being traded from their original teams and then finally found places where they could grow into the franchise passers they are today – both secure as the offensive leaders in Tampa and Seattle.

They were victims of the NFL’s ongoing struggle to develop quarterbacks – especially in a system that sends top college passers to the worst teams.

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#TBvsSEA, Franchise history

It’s a full-circle weekend for Egbuka, the Bucs, Hawks and Mariners

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This weekend is all about the past meeting the present as the Seahawks face the Bucs in their 50th anniversary seasons and the Mariners host their first playoff games since 2001.

Emeka Egbuka apparently ties it all together.

Before he was Tampa Bay’s first-round receiver this year, Egbuka was a youth baseball star who threw out the first pitch at Safeco Field (now T-Mobile Park) in 2011. Then he was on the same Ohio State team as Jaxon Smith Njigba.

Egbuka will return to Seattle to face JSN as the Bucs and Seahawks square off in a big battle of 3-1 teams on Sunday, before the Mariners play Game 2 of their division series.

Continue reading It’s a full-circle weekend for Egbuka, the Bucs, Hawks and Mariners →
The roster, Trades

Woolen trade has always seemed likely

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It’s not a big surprise the Seahawks are possibly entertaining trade offers for Riq Woolen.

We have talked about this since last December and pushed for it to happen before the draft. They might have traded him then if they had more cornerback options, which they do now thanks to Josh Jobe, Derion Kendrick and Shaq Griffin.

Jobe and Kendrick have both been stellar in their chances over the first part of the season, while Woolen was a big factor in their Week 1 loss to the 49ers and committed three fouls against Arizona. He is just really inconsistent, and Mike Macdonald does not tolerate guys who make lots of mistakes.

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#SEAvsARI

Because the good outweighed the bad & ugly, the Hawks are 3-1

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The Seahawks should have beaten Arizona by two touchdowns on Thursday. Instead, they needed Sam Darnold, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and more special teams magic to win 23-20 on the final play and get to 3-1 this season.

That gave the Hawks a pair of crazy 8s: Eight straight wins over Arizona and eight straight road wins.

The Hawks would have won long before the last play — if Tyrice Knight had not knocked the ball loose on Coby Bryant’s interception return, if Kenneth Walker III had not thrown a football at a Cardinal for a 15-yard taunting penalty, if Riq Woolen had not committed three penalties, if the offensive line could have asserted itself for a game-sealing four-minute drill.

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#SEAvsARI, State of the team

Hawks ‘knocking on the door’ of becoming a contender

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As the Seahawks prepare for a big division game against Arizona on Thursday night, they are “knocking on the door” of becoming a complete team.

They have scored 75 points over the past two weeks, second only to Detroit’s 90 – but more than Baltimore (71), Buffalo (61) and surprising Indianapolis (70). The Hawks are still middling in most of the subjective power rankings, but they have the No. 1 team in the league, based on DVOA.

Special teams have been huge in bolstering that point total. The Hawks have the best special teams in the league (by DVOA), having scored in consecutive games and also blocked a kick vs. the Saints to set up another quick TD.

The defense ranks fifth – thanks to stellar play by the top three defensive linemen and by corners Josh Jobe and Derion Kendrick.  

The offense ranks sixth, thanks to Sam Darnold and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Darnold said the offense is “knocking on the door of becoming what we want to be.” Once that happens, the Hawks will be a complete team and true contender.

The NFC West is the best division in the league, with nine wins among the four teams. So the pressure is on the Hawks to beat Arizona on Thursday and keep up with the undefeated 49ers, who have been winning with Mac Jones at QB (but also just lost Nick Bosa for the season).

Let’s look at the contributions of each of the three squads that have made the Hawks one of the league’s best teams over the past couple of weeks.

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#NOvsSEA

Can Kubiak and Co. keep it going now?

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A year ago at this time, Klint Kubiak had turned the Saints into the surprise of the NFL – leading an offense that had scored 91 points in the first two games.

He did not have nearly the same fortuitous start with his Seattle crew, but the Seahawks finally seemed to find their stride in the second half at Pittsburgh. Now, as Kubiak’s old team comes to town, we will see whether they can put together a full game.

Continue reading Can Kubiak and Co. keep it going now? →