Can Wilson avoid first three-game losing streak?
Russell Wilson has never lost three straight games, but he faces the biggest test of that streak ever on Thursday against Arizona.
The Cardinals have won four of the last five in Seattle, all coming in Week 10 or later. And they’re on a hot streak, having won four out of five – including a Hail Murray win over Buffalo on Sunday. That is the same Bills team that put up a Pete Carroll era-worst 44 points against Seattle two Sundays ago.
If the Seahawks lose this game, they will drop to 6-4 and basically be two games behind Arizona, thanks to a sweep. Seattle has an easy slate the rest of the way, with three NFC Least teams, the Jets and the battered 49ers. But the Hawks need to show they can beat good teams.
Continue reading Can Wilson avoid first three-game losing streak?Hawks need to stop running scared
The Seahawks have been running scared without Chris Carson and Carlos Hyde.
They ran the ball 30 times for 200 yards in the overtime loss at Arizona in Week 7, with running backs getting it 23 times for 112 yards. But Carson and Hyde were both injured (again) in that game and have not played in the three games since, during which Seattle has run the ball just 48 times (16 per game) for 153 yards (51 per game).
Continue reading Hawks need to stop running scaredWilson’s funk continues
The Seahawks have proven over the past month that their 5-0 start was indeed a mirage and they are not Super Bowl contenders in 2020.
That has become clear after three losses in four games – all of them caused by Russell Wilson’s turnovers. And it seems very unlikely to change, even if Wilson stops playing like a rookie.
In L.A., he seemed to be afraid from the start and basically gave up in the second half. He threw two picks, ignored DK Metcalf all game, ran himself into phantom sacks, gave up on plays and let the play clock run out. The Rams were in his head.
Continue reading Wilson’s funk continuesMidseason roster report: Can the defense improve?
Midway through the season, the Seahawks are a game better than we expected — despite a horrendous pass defense that might be the thing that keeps them out of the Super Bowl.
The Seahawks are off to one of their best starts under Pete Carroll, 6-2 (or better) for the third time. With the easiest finishing slate in the NFL, they look destined for at least 11 wins. The question, as it has been all season, is whether their defense will improve enough to help them get to the Super Bowl.
They have been 6-2 or better just two other times under Carroll. In 2013, they started 7-1 and finished 13-3 on the way to a Super Bowl title. Last season, they started 6-2 and finished 11-5 (knocked out of the playoffs by Green Bay).
They look good for 11-5 this season, too. The second-half schedule is the easiest in the league. The tough part will be the division games: They play the Rams twice, starting this week, and Arizona in Week 11. But they also face three NFC Least clubs, plus the Jets and the decimated 49ers. The very worst they should do in the final eight is 5-3, which would net 11 wins.
Continue reading Midseason roster report: Can the defense improve?
These Hawks can’t afford Wilson’s turnovers
The Seahawks are making Russell Wilson do too much cooking, and it is starting to burn them.
We know the defense is in shambles, which is why this team is not a Super Bowl contender at this point. And that’s also why it is imperative for the quarterback not to turn the ball over. When he does it three times, like he did at Arizona, or four times, like he did in Buffalo, these Hawks have almost no chance.
Continue reading These Hawks can’t afford Wilson’s turnoversDunlap: ‘I’ve got plenty of years left’
John Schneider tried to fix his pass-rush mess by the trade deadline Tuesday, but he couldn’t add another guy, so Carlos Dunlap will shoulder the load as he tries to elevate that part of Seattle’s game.
It starts this week in Buffalo, and Pete Carroll said he expects Dunlap to jump immediately into the fray.
Schneider also reportedly tried to add Aldon Smith from Dallas, and you can bet he called on Atlanta’s Takk McKinley and maybe the Jets’ Jordan Jenkins as he looked for cheap help along the D-line. Dunlap was the only guy he could snag for the price he was willing to pay.
Continue reading Dunlap: ‘I’ve got plenty of years left’Carroll on blitzing: ‘It’s going to happen some more’
The Seahawks are going to continue to put the heat on quarterbacks via the blitz, Pete Carroll says.
Led by Bobby Wagner’s two sacks and four QB hits, the Seahawks blitzed on 23 of the 49ers’ 45 dropbacks (51%) — their highest rate since 2010, per ESPN Stats & Info. The Hawks had been blitzing about 24% of the time before that this season.
“I thought that the pressure we threw at them helped everybody,” Carroll said. “We just decided to take a little turn. Obviously, we’re trying to figure some things out to get better, and we just put it on the fellas. … With Jamal (Adams) coming back next, it’s going to happen some more.”
That’s good news.
Continue reading Carroll on blitzing: ‘It’s going to happen some more’Big win over 49ers keeps Hawks atop NFC
The Seahawks still control the NFC West – and, for now, they lead the race for the NFC bye, too.
Russell Wilson threw four TD passes, DK Metcalf followed up Tyler Lockett’s career day with his own and Blitzing Bobby Wagner led Seattle’s defense to its best performance of the season (it was a low bar) as the Hawks beat the 49ers 37-27 to improve to 6-1 for the second time ever (the last time was in the Super Bowl title year of 2013).
With Green Bay losing to Minnesota, the Seahawks now control the NFC again. It was a nice bounce-back after the very avoidable overtime loss in Arizona last week.
Continue reading Big win over 49ers keeps Hawks atop NFC
CHAWK TALK: Everything being said about the Seahawks 