State of the team, Week 7: Bye

Bye week status report

1 Comment

“We’ve put together four weeks of pretty good football. … I’m really pleased with where we are right now taking off for this break.” — Pete Carroll

As sad as the death of Paul Allen is — and will continue to be this year and beyond — the Seahawks still have a season to play. And it looks like they at least have a chance to make it a special one in honor of Allen.

The Seahawks took care of business in London, climbing back to .500 in style — a blowout win in front of a record, partisan crowd — as they head into their bye. Their three wins are one fewer than we thought they would have by this time, but they’re also just 12 points short of a possible perfect start.

Continue reading Bye week status report →

CHAWK LINES, It's bigger than football
1 Comment

CHAWK LINES -- Paul AllenPaul Allen, Seahawks owner and prolific humanitarian, died Oct. 15 at age 65. Here, we collect all of the most significant reports about one of the greatest philanthropists in the history of America.

We put together a list of tributes from coaches and players who thanked Allen for his inspiration, passion, commitment, vision, generosity, genius, humanity, sacrifices and selflessness.

The 12 flags at VMAC and the stadium both flew at half-staff the week after his death.

In the first game Seattle played without Allen, Carroll dedicated the win to the late owner and said the Hawks will continue to play in his honor. The Lions showed great respect by holding a moment of silence in Detroit. The Seahawks are honoring him with a patch (see below) and the city lit up for him the weekend of the first home game after his death as the team honored him in yet other ways.

Saving the Seahawks from moving was one of Allen’s lesser accomplishments in the big picture, as he devoted much of his life and fortune to — among other things — protecting the planet and wildlife, solving Seattle’s homeless problem, researching the brain and artificial intelligence, funding education and promoting the arts.

Continue reading →

It's bigger than football

Tributes to the late Paul Allen, Seahawks owner and civic superhero

Leave a comment

Seahawks owner Paul Allen died Monday at age 65, losing his second struggle against non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Allen, a civic superhero in so many ways, saved the Seahawks from moving in 1997 and led the team to 20 great years that included three Super Bowl appearances.

Here’s what his Super Bowl coaches and current and former players are saying:

Continue reading Tributes to the late Paul Allen, Seahawks owner and civic superhero →

The roster, Week 6: Oakland at London

This O-line group looks worth keeping

1 Comment

Hawks in London 2Tom Cable won’t recognize the offensive line on the other side of the field in London — because it is playing better than any unit he coached in Seattle since 2012.

Mike Solari replaced Cable (who ended up back in Oakland) this year and has tailored his hybrid scheme to fit the talents and aggressive nature of a line that now includes former first-round picks Duane Brown, D.J. Fluker and Germain Ifedi; second-rounder Justin Britt, and Cable’s one-time conversion project, J.R. Sweezy.

Since Fluker and Sweezy took over at the guard spots in Week 3, the Seahawks have led the NFL in rushing (474 yards on 105 runs) and are now in the top 10 overall — like they used to be when Marshawn Lynch was Beast Moding to bail out Cable’s poorly schemed and oft-injured lines.

If they keep going like this, the Hawks should try to keep this group together for a couple more years.

Continue reading This O-line group looks worth keeping →

NFL draft, The roster, Trades, Week 6: Oakland at London

As Hawks face Lynch, rushing game is back — without Penny

Leave a comment

Hawks in London 2The running back drama is operatic this week.

The Seahawks finally have rediscovered their long-lost running game just as they prepare to face the embodiment of their old one and, just as coincidentally, the coach they ditched so they could find it again. Meanwhile, Seattle’s first-round pick has had nothing to do with it, frustrating him and fans who are calling him a bust and wanting to trade him for a kicker.

Continue reading As Hawks face Lynch, rushing game is back — without Penny →

Week 5: L.A. Rams

Youthful secondary can learn a lot from failure vs. Rams

Leave a comment

Logo -- Los AngelesThe Seahawks’ secondary got schooled by the Rams on Sunday, and we have to hope they learned a few lessons — because they still face a handful of the league’s top offenses down the road.

Granted, only Kansas City looks as powerful as the Rams, but the Hawks need to learn from the lax coverage techniques, loose zones and missed tackles that enabled the Rams to roll up 468 yards and gain 30 first downs in a 33-31 shootout win.

Continue reading Youthful secondary can learn a lot from failure vs. Rams →

Week 5: L.A. Rams

Hawks fell way behind in division but still took a step toward playoffs

2 Comments

Logo -- Los AngelesAs feared, Seattle’s defense couldn’t stop the Rams. And now, barring some catastrophic injuries to the Rams (5-0), the Seahawks (2-3) are chasing a wild-card spot the rest of the season.

There are reasons to be confident they will catch one: (1) They finally put together a pretty complete game on offense, (2) their young secondary will get better and (3) they will get back a couple of key injured players soon.

“I hope you can tell how our team has grown. The last three weeks has been really an extraordinary step forward for us,” Pete Carroll said. “There’s a long season ahead of us — and how we come out of this game and go on to the next one, it will be crucial, just as it will the next week. But there’s no doubting who we are as a team and how we’re trying to build this thing.”

Continue reading Hawks fell way behind in division but still took a step toward playoffs →

Week 5: L.A. Rams, X's & O's

Hawks need a complete game from offense

Leave a comment

Logo -- Los AngelesAs good as the Seahawks’ defense has been over the first month, it is about to face its biggest test of the season — and that means Seattle’s offense is going to have to be a lot better than it has been if it is going to win a shootout.

Seattle ranks seventh in overall defense, fifth against the pass and sixth in takeaways — rankings built against some of the league’s poorer offenses. Now, without Earl Thomas, they go up against a Rams unit that ranks first overall and second in passing and scoring.

It’s the ideal time for Russell Wilson and company to find themselves.

Under Brian Schottenheimer, the offense still is having trouble figuring out what it wants to be when it grows up.

Continue reading Hawks need a complete game from offense →

CHAWK LINES, Week 5: L.A. Rams
Leave a comment

CHAWK LINES -- Rams at SeahawksHere are Bob Condotta’s things to watch in the Rams-Seahawks game.

Matchups and key stats for Rams-Seahawks, via FieldGulls’ Alistair Corp.

Frank Clark is going to play despite fighting food poisoning all week. Dion Jordan and Chris Carson also will return.

The Hawks are confident in Tedric Thompson replacing Earl Thomas, although the Hawks have struggled without Thomas.

Continue reading →