Game Thread: Eagles @ Seahawks
by John Morgan on Nov 2, 2008 11:00 AM PST
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PrintPhiladelphia Eagles at Seattle Seahawks, Nov 2, 2008 1:15 PM PST
Backers, haters, recent detractors, today Tim Ruskell's creature is unveiled in near complete form. It's young and it's facing an opponent fit to rebristle its toothbrush with Seattle's short hairs, but the foundation, method and most of the defense of the future will be displayed today. Hold your breath.
Piecemeal and talent poor receiving corps
Some would say the laboratory exploded. Certainly the experiment hasn't been a grand success, but the poor play of Matt Hasselbeck didn't help. Whoever's to blame, I don't think Ruskell's philosophy of assembling a receiving corps with projects and castoffs is likely to change. It's taken some attrition, but two receivers have stuck: Koren Robinson and Kerry Colbert. Each is young, Colbert cost a pick and Robinson looks like a find so either could be around next season.
Three-headed power run game
Ruskell got his big back and well-rounded...eh...speedster, his thunder and lightning, now we finally see if a thumping lead blocker turns Seattle's rush game into something the offense can build around. I'm excited. I was as skeptical as anyone when Seattle drafted Owen Schmitt, but the preseason transformed my doubt into enthusiasm. The kid looks good. Schmitt looks like a unit changing force as a lead blocker, and after two weeks of sputtering against talented rush defenses, a running game revival is vital for Seattle standing a chance against the mighty Eagles.
Fast, small and hard-hitting defense
Yes, it's small. No, it's not that small. Ruskell isn't drafting a true Tampa 2. Sincerely, I'm still not sure what he's constructing. Whatever it is, it's expensive and it's young, with nine regulars drafted in the last four years: Two first round picks, three second round picks, two third round picks and two fourth round picks. Today, we see what if any production can be expected from developmental end Baraka Atkins. We see if Lawrence Jackson has refined his spin move, if he's getting it at all as a pass rusher and if he has legitimate hunger to improve. We see if Kelly Jennings can keep his feet and if Josh Wilson builds on his best game as a pro.
The creature might run amok. It might just suck. Whichever, win, lose or blowout, it's Tim Ruskell's team that takes the field today. I'm excited and fearful. Don't do us wrong Tim. This city's sports fans have suffered enough.
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KC wtf?
Just College trickery
You may gain some yards on the ground, but eventually Lofa will end up biting you in the ass.
I'm still hungover from friday..... God Dammit
You may gain some yards on the ground, but eventually Lofa will end up biting you in the ass.
I showed those trick or treaters whats up :)
You may gain some yards on the ground, but eventually Lofa will end up biting you in the ass.
by Scruffy Lefty on Nov 2, 2008 11:14 AM PST up reply actions
That video is hilarious.
That made my week. I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time. If the kid was face up and moving it wouldn’t be so funny, but he’s face down and motionless and you have to assume he’s dead. It’s like the message is don’t get too drunk or you’ll airplane a kid into a bookcase and kill him.
Not a effective ad when its that damn funny
You may gain some yards on the ground, but eventually Lofa will end up biting you in the ass.
by Scruffy Lefty on Nov 2, 2008 11:30 AM PST up reply actions
considering LENDALE WHITE is also putting up yardage...
….I’m inclined to think the OL has just as much to do with it.
well I thought Lendale always got a bad rap
I personally thought he would be better in the NFL then reggie bush.
You may gain some yards on the ground, but eventually Lofa will end up biting you in the ass.
by Scruffy Lefty on Nov 2, 2008 11:15 AM PST up reply actions
I never thought White was that bad, but...
Sure the O-line is good, but Johnson is special. He’s compact and tough plus crazy fast. Johnson is an excellent receiver and can school a DB in space. He’s got a great build and keeps his legs under him. I’d take him straight up over Adrian Peterson.
And bad for my fantasy team
You may gain some yards on the ground, but eventually Lofa will end up biting you in the ass.
by Scruffy Lefty on Nov 2, 2008 11:40 AM PST up reply actions
and good for mine...
…thank you waiver wire.
Finally back home.
Saw the video from last week. Great game.
What were you doing in orlando?
You may gain some yards on the ground, but eventually Lofa will end up biting you in the ass.
by Scruffy Lefty on Nov 2, 2008 11:40 AM PST up reply actions
Business conference.
Well, that’s the excuse anyway. First night my boss managed to get tickets at the Trop for Game 7 of the ALCS.
After that it was five days of conference, five days of vacation.
What conference?
You may gain some yards on the ground, but eventually Lofa will end up biting you in the ass.
by Scruffy Lefty on Nov 2, 2008 11:50 AM PST up reply actions
Gotcha
I was at NACFC. I got to play golf with a Alligator
You may gain some yards on the ground, but eventually Lofa will end up biting you in the ass.
by Scruffy Lefty on Nov 2, 2008 11:51 AM PST up reply actions
I'm really sick of governor ads
You may gain some yards on the ground, but eventually Lofa will end up biting you in the ass.
I love election season
but I hate political ads during sports. Bah.
Budweiser ads too, for that matter.
The big tactic this season seems to be finding unflattering pictures of your opponent.
It’s like tabloid politics.
the sad thing is that they work
how stupid are we?
Without naming candidates
I have to wonder at what point do attack ads begin backfiring? Sort of the Mac vs. PC effect at play.
There seem to be a handful of candidates (again, not naming names)
who seem to be running an 80/20 ratio of attack ads to positive ads. I’m somewhat interested in seeing how this all plays out in two days, but mostly I just can’t wait for the commercials to vanish.
I have no idea why (the candidate) is running that strategy
You want to run positive ads so you can get your approval rating to at least 50% (the idea being that if at least 50% of the people like you, you have a good shot at being elected). If you run negative ads, you’re going to drag your opponent’s approval ratings down, but your own rating is going to slip some as well. That’s why a good campaign will run positive ads, while the 527’s attack.
Anyway, it’s going to be great when I can go back to watching sports without being reminded that this quarter has been brought to me by Rossi/Gregoire/etc.
Not looking forward to that.
Speaking of the American public, I read that the majority of Simpsons fans reported that what they liked best about the show was the colors and when Homer got hurt.
That explains why the show is still on the air
Or for that matter, how it survived past, like, season 10.
And here I'll insert my obligatory "Fuck you, FOX"
for killing Futurama and The Critic.
It also explains all the imitators.
The colorful and slapstick formula is surprisingly easy to copy.
well no
simply put… the show’s been on for two decades… YOU try coming up with new ideas for that long.
Not an excuse
There are plenty of other similar shows that have had no trouble coming up with ideas. And those shows have done it without bastardizing half their characters.
See the episode where the writers completely change the show's canon
and turn Homer into a grunge musician and Marge into a college liberal arts major instead of both of them being high school sweethearts.
argh
I’ve heard of that episode. And thankfully, I’ve never actually seen it.
please, name one that's been on for 20 seasons.
Or even 10.
What the Simpsons have done is completely unprecedented in popular culture.
Longevity doesn't necessarily mean it's good.
The Simpsons has been stale for years and it’s because the writers chose to deviate away from the formula that made the first seven or eight seasons successful.
Most of the core writers left.
I don’t blame the show for sucking, I just don’t watch it. To me, The Simpsons are like a great band that broke up. The lead singer added some retreads in their place and now they tour under the same name. Technically, it’s The Simpsons still, but the real show ended halfway into season 5.
holy pass interference in Tenn
even Goose called it. Not even close to looking for the ball.
The NFL Network would be more successful
if I felt like it could improve my life more than 16 days a year.
Ouch
I’m starting Morris, Wallace, Duckett and Carlson for my FG fantasy team. I think I’m going up against John this week, I’ll give you an early congratulations on the W.
I need it.
I manage to pick the wrong guys to start every week. It’s like, as my life has improved, my fantasy skills have cratered.
Inactives
K Brandon Coutu
QB Matt Hasselbeck
LB Lofa Tatupu
G Mansfield Wrotto
WR Deion Branch
TE Will Heller
DT Howard Green
DE Patrick Kerney
He's actually not hurt
A team can only have 45 active players on gameday, since Coutu has no chance of playing he’s put on the inactive list.
Dammit
Orton’s hurt, Chicago’s losing.
There goes my season in suicide football.
weirdly, not as bad of news as it could be
since it should stick a fork in the Rams and kill any momentum they have… we still need a win in St. Louis.
Of course, we need a win today MORE.
I love Walrus
but there’s a large part of me yearning for someone a little more…progressive to call the shots.
Uh, we're not the only team that does that.
And that’s because it works.
very few plays are successful on 3rd and long
and by the same token, how many INT’s and sacks happen on 3rd and long when you pass?
how many QB’s get injured?
He's a great coach.
I would give a limb for someone else calling the plays. If Seattle could retain Holmgren but get a new, creative offensive coordinator, I would be very happy.
With Lofa out as well as Matt, playing the eagles
with both westbrook and mcnabb, winning this game will be a miracle.
I love Lofa, but I don't think him being out kills us
D.D. Lewis is decent enough. I’m more worried about Kerney being out.
I'm just annoyed that we'll be hearing
“Lofa the Eagle Killer is out today, Seahawks doomed” from the announcers all game.
I think the missing personnel forces John Marshall into a more creative gameplan.
Which could be good…
I dunno if anybody saw it on FoxSports.com
but they were ranking the most injury-riddled teams in the league. I can’t find a link, but it was only a few days ago if anyone wants to search for it.
Anyway, somehow we came in third behind the Cowboys and the Pats. Apparently, losing Hass, Lofa, Kerney, 7 wide receivers and a bunch of others isn’t as bad as losing Tom Brady or Romo for three weeks? Can you say East Coast Bias?
by SeaTownBlueDevil on Nov 2, 2008 1:00 PM PST reply actions
In all fairness
that play probably should have ended in disaster for us.
I was so happy, but it also felt kind of cheap.
Like, if I were a Cowboys fan, God forbid, I would have been violent pissed.
If I were a Cowboys fan
I would have had it coming.
No kidding
I’d been standing there cussing at the TV because they didn’t switch at 1 o’clock, and then they switch (and to a commercial no less) right as he’s lining up to kick
HA HA HA, your Grandpa's an ASS!- Tourette's Guy (R.I.P)
Probably not the last
I usually hit about 10 on days I’m required to watch them for sports
HA HA HA, your Grandpa's an ASS!- Tourette's Guy (R.I.P)
The rain just hit here
Let it somehow affect Donovan.
We've won the toss and we're kicking.
Have we ever done that?
By the way did everyone else see that seahawks defender
who dived at Westbrook and missed by a mile?
Hey thanks for the replay at Tennessee, FOX.
Even though you could have waited ten seconds to cut to commercial.
O HHHH MYYYYG ODDDDDDD
CREAMMMING MSYELFFF FUCKKKSDM;ZDJKL;SDMKLSDFKLSDFJKL;SDFJKL;SDFJKLSDJKLFJKL;SDFJKLSDFJKL;SDFSDFSDF
Actually, last year's NFC Divisional game against the Packers was the best start to a game ever.
As for the rest of the 55 minutes of that game, that’s another story.
Eh.
I just don’t buy into the hype of that game. It’s okay.
Keep that up and this will be the first game of the season
I will have purchased in iTunes.
McNabb isn't comfortable.
I fucking hate you Mariners
Chunky Campbell's Soup?
I fucking hate you Mariners
by kentroyals5 on Nov 2, 2008 1:26 PM PST up reply actions 2 recs
Ahh..good defense how I've missed you.
I fucking hate you Mariners
don't get ahead of yourself...
its still seattle with a backup QB
Right here, 51 yd outlet pass to Schmitt
by SeaTownBlueDevil on Nov 2, 2008 1:27 PM PST reply actions
I want him to run over 10 players though over those 51 yards please
I fucking hate you Mariners
Oh definitely
He’ll take down 12 people – the 11 defensive players, then after he scores he’ll headbutt Andy Reid
by SeaTownBlueDevil on Nov 2, 2008 1:29 PM PST up reply actions
or 9 players and an official.
I fucking hate you Mariners
lol, Seneca doubled his season stats
with one play!
If we extrapolate that first play over the rest of the game
statistically, I think we would come out with a win.
by SeaTownBlueDevil on Nov 2, 2008 1:30 PM PST up reply actions
meh..that was a great catch..the ball was just too far away from his body to get it in before the DB got his hand in there.
I fucking hate you Mariners
Yeah... Don't know if you can call it a great catch...
if he didn’t catch it. Plus if his hands were stronger or gripping it tighter, it wouldn’t be knock out.
Totally forget Philly picked up Samuel
That team has a hell of a lot of superstars.
But but
with Ryan we get to see him licking himself before every kick.
( I miss Plack more than any player in the last few years except for maybe Hutch )
now, do we have the time to wait?
a lot of decisions to make at WR this offeseason… care to hazard a guess anyone?
He'd look so much better out there if you put hurdles in his way.
I fucking hate you Mariners
Thats not exactly hard
Considering he was one step above poop earlier in the season, any step he makes should take him in the direction of the pro bowl
by SeaTownBlueDevil on Nov 2, 2008 1:35 PM PST up reply actions
So Cutler is fucking terrible today...sorry for the OT
I fucking hate you Mariners
link to game
Anyone have a link to watch the game online? I can’t find one on my usual sites…
2 links
http://www.justin.tv/widgets/jtv_live.r9389.swf?channel=wvudak06
and a sopcast 1
sop://broker.sopcast.com:3912/48856
by Jordan Kent, right? I knew it.
I fucking hate you Mariners
I was thinking about it
Could Holmgren be trying to force the pass because he expects them to be playing the run?
Jesus I hate the stretch play
(when it doesn’t work)
Oh we'll see what
Brian Russell has to say about that.
OK: question
Koren catches the ball… with his feet past the first-down marker, but the ball itself not. That’s not a first down?
So why is it when a player runs into the end zone but the ball might be outside the pylon, it’s a touchdown?
I don't like this commercial
“haha, Lowe’s is so cool! They can beat the prices of mom and pop stores!”
litmus test for the first quarter
This is Brian Westbrook territory (3rd and medium)
Good COVERAGE
looks like he has some time, just nowhere to go.
Brian Westbrook - say hello to
My Ass – Brian Russell
He has pictures of Tim Ruskell
in a compromising position. He shared them with Brandon Coutu.
WTF is with this team and just (#*&$#(*$& tackling a QB?
They run in there too fast…
FUCK YOU MARINERS!!
sorry..left over anger
I fucking hate you Mariners
NICE
In the words of Al Michaels, that was YUUUUUUUGE.
that's why trick plays suck
momentum… pbbbbblllphh….
loss of yardage.
Damn you Seneca..IDIOT
I fucking hate you Mariners
Seneca you have to stop playing Madden.
Seriously. You can corner exploit in the real world.
Big punt time Ryan..I feel it!
I fucking hate you Mariners