In the season opener, the Seahawks showed just how much Percy Harvin changes their offense — creating a dynamic triple threat alongside Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch.
Pete Carroll promised more of Harvin, but all we had seen in the two games since were a lot of short passes and decoy plays.
But they used him a lot Monday night — even if all three of his touchdowns unbelievably were called back — and it is clear they want to keep him involved.
Earlier this year, there was a chance Zach Miller would not be with the Seahawks. But he took a pay cut to stay, and Seattle did not have to find out how the absence of the multi-faceted tight end would affect the offense.
Well, now they will have to find out.
The Seahawks — while banged up in the secondary — had not experienced any front-line losses so far this season. But they joined the rest of the battered NFL when they lost Miller for several weeks due to ankle surgery.
While Kam Chancellor found a way to play through his bone spurs, Miller apparently could not.
After the Seahawks unveiled their new, improved (read: healthy) Percy Harvin in the season opener, everyone went gaga over the way the mercurial playmaker was used.
And Pete Carroll stoked the excitement by teasing, “There’s a bunch of other stuff we’ll do. … We’re just getting started.”
It sounded so promising.
In two games since then, though, the Seattle offense has used Harvin more as a decoy than anything, prompting the question: Are Carroll and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell using Harvin to best effect?
Seattle’s next opponent, Washington, was embarrassed at home by the New York Giants. The Washington Post highlights all of the things that went wrong for the home team.
Quarterback Kirk Cousins, filling in for the injured Robert Griffin III, failed to assert his case to hold onto the job, Jason Reid of the Post says.
Danny Kelly of Field Gulls takes a look back at Jon Ryan’s spectacular day against Denver and the overall emphasis Pete Carroll places on special teams.
Hawk Blogger Brian Nemhauser breaks out the stats that show how the Seahawks’ passing game has changed so far this season.
Percy Harvin affects the offense even when he doesn’t touch the ball, Jayson Jenks of The Seattle Times says. (We’ll have a corollary to that later.)
Bob Condotta of the Times has a few thoughts on how bye weeks may or may not affect teams.
Josh Kerns of KIRO and MyNorthwest.com writes about the growing trend of players such as Richard Sherman marketing themselves online with their own personalized merchandise.
Michael Bennett is in Houston this week to have his high school jersey retired, and he ends the interview talking about the power of a Super Bowl ring.
Russell Wilson said he was “almost hoping” Peyton Manning would rally the Denver Broncos to tie the game Sunday. That way Wilson could get the ball again.
It’s hard to blame Wilson for wanting another chance after the way the second half went. As bad as the defensive meltdown was on Denver’s final possession, the Seattle offense really carried more responsibility for letting a two-touchdown lead slip away.
And that really was just part of a trend over the first three games in which the offense has gone from scoring machine in the first half to almost pointless in the second.
Continue reading Offense has been almost pointless in second half
The Seahawks dodged a couple of injury bullets against Denver and have to hope they are not issues that linger and become big problems later in the season.
Left tackle Russell Okung returned despite suffering a shoulder injury and strong safety Kam Chancellor played with bone spurs in an ankle — playing so well that he garnered NFC defensive player of the week honors.
For both Okung and Chancellor, the bye comes at the perfect time. And Seahawks fans have to hope they can tough it through the season.
Injuries have messed with both players during their short careers.
Continue reading Bye comes at perfect time for Okung & Chancellor
Marshawn Lynch tells Marcus Trufant and the Barbershop fellas that he had to “RIP” one of his dreadlocks and why he was “never meant to be famous.”
See what Pete Carroll said about the win over Denver on his way out the door for the bye week.
Sean Tomlinson of Bleacher Report dissects Seattle’s dominance of Peyton Manning.
Of course, there was one drive that Manning dominated, and Doug Farrar of SI.com breaks that down in more detail.
Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times rates Seattle’s old AFC West rivalries.
After Chris Harris said Russell Wilson — a third-round pick in 2012 — is better than Andrew Luck, the No. 1 pick overall that year, plenty of folks have chimed in. Here’s what Ben Peterson of Field Gulls says.
Jerry Brewer of The Seattle Times addresses the idea that Wilson is the NFL’s best quarterback.
Wilson is the highest-rated QB in a league that is setting records for passer rating, per Clare Farnsworth.
And Mike Tanier of Bleacher Report goes further with a historical look at major QB draft classes.
The Seahawks have been raving about Ricardo Lockette all year, and now everyone is seeing why.
Back in minicamps, offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell often tossed Lockette’s name out as someone the coaches were excited about — particularly because of his sub-4.3 speed. That’s why it was easy to see the fourth-year player making the team again despite a huge logjam at wide receiver.
As the fourth or even fifth receiver, he doesn’t get many offensive opportunities — yet he has caught touchdown passes in both victories this season. Add to that his standout play on special teams and you have the kind of player the Seahawks love — fast and versatile.
He showed it all in the win over Denver on Sunday.
One of the big mysteries surrounding Seattle’s overtime victory against Denver on Sunday was just how that game ended up in overtime anyway.
Yeah, we know Peyton Manning and the Broncos pulled off a nearly impossible task, marching 80 yards in 41 seconds with no timeouts and converting the two-point conversion to force overtime.
But how did it happen?
Pete Carroll provided the answers Monday.
Kam Chancellor reportedly considered having ankle surgery to remove bone spurs this week after suffering through a tough game in San Diego, but he felt much better last week, played very well against Denver and apparently has decided — at least for now — not to have surgery.
A source told FOX Sports that the strong safety was contemplating having surgery this week as the Hawks begin their bye period. That might have put him out for 6-8 weeks.
But the ankle felt much better during the week and he had no problems in the game, which was his best of the season (nine tackles, two passes defensed, an interception and an assist on a forced fumble).
CHAWK TALK: Everything being said about the Seahawks 