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Introduction to the Last Weekend of the Regular Season

I will take on a little more breakneck, a little less detail-rich rundown of last Sunday's game. My goal is to be done by tomorrow.

Seattle flies to Arizona Bay this weekend to fight for its last gasping chance at the playoffs. Arizona is 5-3 and owns the tiebreaker against Seattle. If Seattle wins, it is a game behind and will have neutralized the Cardinals tiebreaker. If Seattle loses, it will be all but out of the race.

The 2006 Seahawks scrabbled their way into the playoffs. The 2009 Seahawks are a better team. The 2009 Arizona Cardinals are probably better than both. The 2006 Seahawks lost twice to the Alex Smith-led San Francisco 49ers. The 2009 Seahawks lost to the Shaun Hill-led 49ers, but could beat the Alex Smith-led 2009 49ers at home. The 2009 Arizona Cardinals were not able to. The 2009 Seahawks need only be better for a day to crawl back into this.

And around. Seattle may not be better than Arizona, but short of total mismatches like yesterday's, early breaks can decide a game between close-matched opponents. Seattle has snuck into the playoffs before and could do so this season. Arizona like Seattle is dependent on the health of their aged quarterback. The Cardinals are a Kurt Warner injury from probable collapse. Maybe Matt Leinart steps up, but we'll cross that bridge when he puts down the beer bong.

Seattle did not win convincingly against Detroit. It profited from an exceptionally bad showing from Matthew Stafford. As I mentioned in my post game, Stafford's picks alone account for at least 225 yard and as much 300. Interceptions are, in classic coach speak, mistakes. An interception reflects a mistake by the offense more so than it reflects an achievement by the defense.

That was obvious for anyone who watched yesterday's game. Stafford threw jump balls, and often threw jump balls that descended closer to a defender than a receiver. Seattle caught them. It pressured Stafford and forced poor down and distance, but of the many things Stafford could have done, he often chose the worst possible.

So Seattle roared back against a team it is categorically better than. But it won. And it is categorically better than the Detroit Lions. That, however hollow feeling at the time, is a hopeful reminder. Seattle is on the low end of average. The Arizona Cardinals are on the high end of average. Seattle might have a one in three chance of beating Arizona on the road.

Maybe the breaks fall Seattle's way this time. If Arizona spots Seattle 17 in the first like Seattle spotted Detroit, Seattle's young defense could swarm and attack and maybe even run away with it. It's the unit that will carry Seattle these final eight weeks. It's the unit that is young, growing into its own, that shows flashes that it could sustain once the talent and coaching coalesce.

The 2006 Seahawks were hanging on to the inexorable. The 2009 Seahawks are building off the eventual. The 2006 Seahawks were sad and fading. We didn't realize it then but most realize it now. Maybe we don't yet realize how good the 2009 Seahawks are becoming. Maybe it will be 2012 before we do. This weekend they fight for the relevance of 2009. The Seahawks are old but they are healthy. The Seahawks are young but they are desperate. Let's go kick the Cards in the mouth.

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The team needs to treat this like a loss

forget what happened and concentrate on AZ.

Note: I lived about 5 minutes from where the stadium is when it was first being built. I hated the Cards back then too. Only had to live there for a year though, then it was back to the GREAT NW.

I ROCK out with my HAWK out, therefore I am....

by durteehawk on Nov 9, 2009 12:32 PM PST reply actions  

It's hard to look to the future when we all want to win now.

But it will be worth it, if they rebuild this offense, this team could be great in a couple years. Young too, and that’s how you build perrenial SB teams.

I actually bought a Betancourt t-shirt.

by Hopefulmsfan on Nov 9, 2009 1:32 PM PST reply actions  

"Maybe we don't yet realize how good the 2009 Seahawks are becoming."

Damn I really want to believe this is true.

The defense is healthier and playing with more aggression. A defense like our can ruin anyone’s Sunday if they believe in themselves. Meanwhile, Knapp’s idea of an offense fails to thrill me. That said, I see no reason why our offensive line and running game cannot, and should not, bust out and kick the Cardinals in the teeth next week, and our passing game would greatly benefit from that help. They have no excuses now. They need to go to AZ and leave it ALL on the field.

"Football players are temperamental. That's 90 percent temper and 10 percent mental." - Doug Plank

by Stevo's on Nov 9, 2009 1:41 PM PST reply actions  

Fuck yeah.

The demise of the Broncos in '09 is our future. Pray hard.

by Nick Andron on Nov 9, 2009 1:51 PM PST reply actions  

I'm all fired up now!

It’ll pass by Sunday, but what the hell, feels good right now.

by maimster on Nov 9, 2009 3:12 PM PST reply actions  

The Seahawks feel like they are 3-5 years away from being a very good team again

I want to believe that the Seahawks are on a slow rise right now, but I worry about regression in 2010 and 2011, when the offense will be in rebuild mode. Our QB is already over the hill, and in a few years so too shall the teams current WR and RB. When the OL will ever be healthy or above average is a mystery. Next year? 3 years? 10 years? Its been so long (2005) that waiting another 3 years actually doesn’t seem so bad anymore.

Ruskell might be capable of building a good offense, but whether we give him the benefit of the doubt or not, its an unknown. And even if he can, I realistically see this team going through some Matthew Stafford type growing pains at QB for at least a couple seasons when that new franchise QB is eventually selected.

The teams offense may not be good or consistent right now, but it definitely could be worse, and I think it will be worse the next couple seasons as proven veterans are phased out for needed young, inexperienced playmakers. From where I’m sitting, I just don’t see the Seahawks finishing 2009 at 6-10 to springboard to 9-7 next year. I think the team is in for a bit of a painful rebuilding era not unlike the early 90’s.

by kearly on Nov 9, 2009 3:49 PM PST reply actions  

I definitely see what your saying

And it’s just a natural cycle for every team in the NFL. For 5-10 years a team is gonna look real good and then things are just gonna go downhill and then it will eventually go back up excluding the Browns. The Patriots are eventually going to hit that road too when Brady retires and that whole defense is gone and hell the Lions could even be a good team in 5 years if they keep drafting these young taleted guys. Same fore us and I’m totally prepared for out ream to be in a rebuilding mode but don’t give up on the Hawks yet. If we can win against the Cards the momentum will absolutely shift towards us.

by Seahawksfan23 on Nov 9, 2009 6:54 PM PST up reply actions  

Good stuff.

Once this team does some rebuilding on offense it could be scary good. Hopefully that doesn’t take all too long. Oh, and nice Tool/Bill HIcks reference.

by stupidquestions on Nov 9, 2009 3:51 PM PST reply actions  

This is so optimistic

When I feel so pessimistic. We could have lost that game. To Detroit. At home. We got rocked at home by Arizona this year. We are healthier now, but can we actually win barring Heater or Curry destroying Curt Warner?

by TheSteelersRuinedMyBirthday on Nov 9, 2009 4:05 PM PST reply actions  

"but can we actually win barring Heater or Curry destroying Curt Warner?"

Yeah, you’re right. Let’s win the game WHILE Heater and Curry destroy Curt Warner.

Problem solved.

"Football players are temperamental. That's 90 percent temper and 10 percent mental." - Doug Plank

by Stevo's on Nov 9, 2009 11:29 PM PST up reply actions  

We get it

Baseball season is over. You favor LookoutLanding. Baseball has sabermetrics. You can analyze one stat about one person and can start a discussion. There is more to talk about. This was an introduction post. Introductions are usually before an event.

Lets get Schmitt Faced!

by Pessimistic Optimist on Nov 9, 2009 9:21 PM PST up reply actions  

Okay I'm sorry

Kurt Warner. For my excuse can I say that I was born after CURT Warner retired?

by TheSteelersRuinedMyBirthday on Nov 9, 2009 5:24 PM PST reply actions  

Speaking of the SeaCat

We should give Arizona a heavy dose of the SeaCat. Let them be surprised and make it a Miami/New England Game a year ago to make Arizona off balance. We have seemed to find success with it and we should use it much more. I had the pleasure of meeting both Jim Mora and Greg Knapp and I know that they are determined to win and the Seacat should be in the playbook this sunday.

by Seahawksfan23 on Nov 9, 2009 9:10 PM PST reply actions  

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