Tag Archives: Tom Cable

Why put two top O-line picks at same spot?

May 10, 2017 cc 4 Comments

“(Ethan Pocic and Germain Ifedi) are going to compete and obviously what you hope is that they prove to us day in and day out that they are two of the best five. And then you’ve got to move one of them somewhere, and that’s a good problem to have.’’ — Tom Cable to KJR

This is so like the Seahawks.

With holes across their offensive line, they draft two guys with high picks in consecutive years — yet are so uncertain where to play them that they decide to pit them against each other at the same position.

In an interview with KJR, relayed by Bob Condotta, Tom Cable confirmed what Pete Carroll has been saying: The Seahawks basically have no clue where their linemen will start.

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Franchise history, State of the team, X's & O's

Are Hawks capable of building a talented, consistent O-line?

April 9, 2017 cc 4 Comments

Pete Carroll has said he wants to create continuity on Seattle’s offensive line.

He said he thinks Seattle’s young guys are going to improve and he hopes Luke Joeckel becomes part of the core. As he said after Joeckel signed, “Now that we have a good young bunch of guys, we’re going to try to keep this thing together.”

It’s debatable whether they have enough good guys yet, but the bigger question as pertains to Carroll’s stated goal: Will they ever be able to keep a quintet together in Tom Cable’s zone blocking system using their scattershot approach?

Whether it’s bad drafting, a bad scheme or just bad luck, Carroll’s Seahawks have had terrible fortune on the offensive line — typically fielding one of the weaker units in the NFL and annually needing to overcome its deficiencies just to get to the playoffs.

Why has it been so terrible? John Schneider and the coaches have consistently pointed to the disconnect between college and NFL offenses and the CBA-mandated lack of practice time.

But every team faces those issues. For Seattle, it has been more than that. It has been a complete inability to field a healthy, consistent line — and a total failure to set up a line of succession.

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CHAWK LINES, Playoffs: Detroit

January 5, 2017 cc Leave a comment

CHAWK LINES -- Lions at Seahawks

Five things the Seahawks need to change vs. Detroit and beyond, per Dave Boling.

A detailed look at the matchup, which seems to favor the Seahawks unless Detroit wins big on special teams.

A look at the key figures for the Lions.

Russell Wilson says he is feeling fast and might get rid of the knee brace.

Tony McDaniel won’t play due to a concussion suffered vs. the 49ers.

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Coaches, Playoffs: Detroit

Don’t expect Hawks’ top assistants to be hired away this year

January 4, 2017 cc Leave a comment

Darrell Bevell speaks to reporters Wednesday It’s that time of year again — when disenchanted fans get to hope some team hires away Tom Cable or Darrell Bevell.

Cable already has been mentioned as a candidate in San Francisco, although the Patriots’ Josh McDaniels seems to be the favorite to run that dysfunctional club.

Bevell has been mentioned as a candidate to replace the retiring Gary Kubiak in Denver. Seattle DC Kris Richard also has been mentioned in connection with the Denver and Buffalo jobs.

It would be a surprise if any of them were hired though.

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Franchise history, State of the team, Week 10: At New England

Can Seahawks overcome O-line once again?

November 13, 2016 cc Leave a comment

At the midway point of the season, as the Seahawks prepare for a mammoth matchup in New England on “Sunday Night Football,” we know a number of things about Pete Carroll’s 2016 club:

Russell Wilson is an iron man. Jimmy Graham is a miracle man. The defense can’t be dominant without Michael Bennett. NFL refs love creating controversy during Seattle games. And …

The offensive line is every bit the problem we all thought it would be — and seems to be getting worse. Is there any hope it will improve? And if it doesn’t, will it prevent the Hawks from winning the Super Bowl?

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CHAWK LINES, Week 8: At New Orleans

October 28, 2016 cc Leave a comment

CHAWK LINES -- Hawks at Saints.png

Russell Wilson talks fatherhood and playing through yet another injury.

Wilson, limited in practice for the first time ever, said he plans to play in New Orleans.

Looks like Kam Chancellor and Kevin Pierre-Louis will be out again this week. Chancellor has missed the past two games.

Sherman Smith basically called out Christine Michael for running out of bounds and not bringing the physical attitude the Seahawks prefer.

Tom Cable said Germain Ifedi made a “big jump” last week and Garry Gilliam needs to be more physical.

K.J. Wright says playing Madden made him a smarter player and he played his best game of the season at Arizona.

Bobby Wagner says hot yoga is part of his recovery routine and he is taking better care of his body than he ever has.

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CHAWK LINES, Week 7: At Arizona

October 20, 2016 cc Leave a comment

CHAWK LINES -- Seahawks at Cardinals

Michael Bennett says he will play at Arizona on Sunday night. Frank Clark is expected back as well, but Kam Chancellor’s status is unknown.

Luke Willson had arthroscopic surgery Tuesday and expects to be back “in no time.” Expect him to miss 2-4 weeks.

The Seahawks also put Garrison Smith on IR and brought back Sealver Siliga.

Pete Carroll said Richard Sherman’s outburst sidetracked the defense for a bit but they recovered and “are stronger for that.”

The Arizona Cardinals look to be hitting their stride as they prepare to host the Hawks on Sunday night.

Russell Wilson was mic’d up for the Atlanta game and was every bit the positive force he always is.

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CHAWK LINES, Week 6: Atlanta

October 15, 2016 cc Leave a comment

chawk-lines-falcons-at-hawks

Kam Chancellor and Frank Clark are game-time decisions for ATL-SEA.

The weather is expected to be a big player in the game.

The Seahawks had great things to say about Dan Quinn, their former DC who brings the Falcons to town this weekend.

Julio Jones vs. Richard Sherman is the matchup everyone wants to see.

But K.J. Wright said this “is a linebacker’s game,” and Bobby Wagner said he thinks he and Wright are up to the big challenge of stopping Atlanta RBs Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman.

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State of the team, Week 4: At N.Y. Jets

Cable hopes butt kickings will make his revamped line better

October 1, 2016 cc 1 Comment

The Seahawks are finally going to have their so-called first-team line together, but that doesn’t figure to help them much as they face another stellar defensive line in New York.

Germain Ifedi hasn’t played an NFL game yet and will be slow to get back into the groove, so we can expect Leonard Williams, Muhammad Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson to dominate the line of scrimmage the same way Miami and Los Angeles did.

In case you forgot, the Seahawks were horrendous on offense in those two games. They scored just 15 points, ran for just 180 yards (3.2 per carry) and gave up five sacks and 18 hits on Russell Wilson, who sprained an ankle trying to get away from Ndamukong Suh.

Usually one of the league’s best rushing teams, the Hawks have been a middling unit so far with their revamped line going against strong defensive fronts. Even in the blowout of San Francisco, they were barely above average — 127 yards on 31 carries (4.1 average).

Led by Williams, the sixth pick in the 2015 draft, the Jets are the third-ranked run defense in the NFL — much better even than the Dolphins and Rams. So the Hawks are going to go nowhere on the ground in this one either.

Tom Cable just hopes these butt kickings will make his unit better down the road.

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