The Heads Must Roll: A Rant on the Seattle Seahawks
by SSreporters on Dec 16, 2009 5:03 PM PST
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In lieu of What the Losers Are Saying I decided to put up a rant (Ed Note: First written on my blog. Enjoy.
I’ve been very reserved for such a maddening Seahawks season. We’re 5-8, the playoffs have long been out of the question, and the GM resigned in the middle of this. After yesterday’s debacle in Houston I’m done. Heads have to start rolling in this organization. Even though I predicted a 9-7 division winning season back in September I wouldn’t have been surprised if we had missed the playoffs again.
Well there will be no playoffs and initially I was fine with that. What is pissing me off is how the Seahawks have completely fallen apart. When you can, at a minimum, ruin another team’s playoff hopes once and for all then show you can do it.
On the first play from scrimmage Marcus Trufant gets beat one-on-one against Andre Johnson, Jordan Babineaux takes an awful angle in safety support and we’re 7-0 down in a few seconds. I think you know how the rest of the game went.
With Tim Ruskell out and new management coming, no one has a guaranteed spot on next year’s roster and no one has guaranteed job security on the coaching staff. Not Aaron Curry, not TJ Houshmandzadeh, not Brandon Mebane, not Jim Mora, not Greg Knapp, not Gus Bradley, and FIRE BRUCE DEHAVEN PLEASE!!!!
That’s why it’s befuddling that the Seahawks putforth a crappy effort and got annihilated by a team with a 4 game losing streak and Chris Brown as an integral part of their offense.
If the Seahawks had lost 24-17 in a hard-fought, close game in which the better team (admittedly it’s Houston) prevailed at home, I wouldn’t be writing this. Instead they went out and sucked for 3 hours.
I don’t even know where to begin so I guess I’ll divide my time ripping into this "football team".
Offensive Line
If there is anything Tim Ruskell failed in during his tenure as GM, it was rebuilding the offensive line. Forget losing Steve Hutchinson because when you look at the big picture keeping him was impossible (unless you like having no money for free agency), because that was the least of their problems. The offensive line that gave Matt Hasselbeck a Pro Bowl season and Shaun Alexander running lanes during the Super Bowl run was aging. Chris Gray, Robbie Tobeck, and Walter Jones were all in their 30s. Tobeck retired a year later, Chris Gray followed suit the year after Tobeck, and now Walter Jones is essentially "done" after going on IR this season.
Ruskell banked on Walt, Floyd Womack, Chris Spencer, Chris Gray, and late-round draft talent to protect Hasselbeck and give Alexander running room. That failed miserably and in a way it helped speed up the process of Shaun Alexander’s road to unbelievable suck.
This current rotation of Sean Locklear (LT), Rob Sims (LG), Chris Spencer (C), Max Unger (RG, rookie), and Ray Willis (RT) is not 2002 Houston Texans bad, but they aren’t good either. Not even close. They are inconsistent and cannot handle a blitz to save their lives. They carry plenty, but not all of the blame for Seattle’s inept offense (we’ll get to that later). It would not surprise me if only Locklear and Unger remain as starters from this season heading into next season. For Locklear he may be moved back to RT if he doesn’t show that he’s the answer to adequately replacing Walter Jones at left tackle.
There needs to be a revamp here and it’s been long overdue.
Matt Hasselbeck
Best Seahawks QB in franchise history….but you’re done now. It’s become painful to watch you turn into a QB slightly better than Jake Delhomme. Statistically you’re on pace potentially for a 3,000 yard season despite missing 2 games with injury.
Peel the onion back and it’s disgusting. There is no zip in your throws. Instead of trusting your receiving corp to make a play without being open you choose to pick 
Justin Griffith to stumble his way for 4 yards on a checkdown. The passes you make, all of them, take weeks to get to their final destination. By the way, that final destination tends to be either an interception or an incomplete pass.
The decision making is terrible. On a 4th and 7 you fire a 4 yard crossing route to Housh when he has no shot of making the first. It’s something I’d expect Seneca Wallace to do.
As much crap as the offensive line is given, you’ve been adding the fuel to the fire by holding onto the ball for too long, panicking under pressure, and not throwing it away. This has been a recurring problem with you and at this point I’d rather start Mike Teel then continue to see this garbage.
Seahawks fans should come to grips that stats for the most part don’t account for stupidity and mental mistakes. Sure Hasselbeck is on his way to a 3,000 yard season but how often have we seen him get garbage yards in the middle of a blowout? The offensive line is supposedly the culprit for Hasselbeck’s struggles. It’s not the reason that his 5 yard passes float through the air when there is plenty of speed needed on the throw. He has shown physical and mental decline much like Shaun Alexander did. You can’t just blame the line the entire time for the QB and RB struggles. When you’re physically and mentally beat up then chances are you’re done. Brett Favre and Kurt Warner are anomalies. Statistically they would be an outlier in a set of data for QBs of their age performing at an exceptional level after periods of mediocrity. I hope Seattle looks into trading Hasselbeck or possibly cutting him in the offseason. It’s not worth 11 million dollars in cap space to retain him.
Seneca Wallace
Incompetent. Please don’t be on the roster next season. Sacking yourself, refusing to throw the ball away, and fumbling the snaps tell me you aren’t fit to play QB and never will be. He’s the type of player that would know that it’s 4th down and spike the ball during the 2 minute drill. Yeah I know he hasn’t done that but I wouldn’t put it past him to have a massive mental brain cramp.
Defense
Colin Cole and Craig Terrill are lousy defensive tackles who are equally useless stuffing the run as they are rushing the passer. Patrick Kerney is slow and over-the-hill.
I don’t have much criticism for this unit outside of their sometimes ghastly starts to road games. A defense can only hold out for so long when their offensive counterparts can’t score in a brothel filled with dead hookers.
Coaching Staff
It’s your job to have this team prepared every week. They fell behind 17-0 to the Lions. The Lions. THE Lions. LIONS! AT HOME! The early deficits that aren’t against the Lions turn into wipeout losses and leave the fans scratching their heads in bewilderment.
Jim Mora blamed Olindo Mare for the loss to the Bears. Mare missed 2 FGs and the Seahawks lost by 6. That’s idiotic leadership considering he made 4 and the Seahawks weren’t bothered to score TDs in the red zone. Something like that I expect from…me when I’m angry and not thinking clearly.
Yesterday he decided to call out the offensive line for their awful performance but then said Chris Spencer, who has been wearing a cast on his right hand due to a thumb injury, should’ve had the cast off by now and was wondering why he was still wearing it.
Those sheets of paper he's holding could be pink-colored if he keeps this up. (Photo from AP.)
It’s obnoxious, immature, and idiotic. I’m not sure he’s said once in any of his press conferences that the coaching staff is part of the problem come gameday. If he is throwing everyone under the bus on the players side instead of admitting "Hey I didn’t have us ready." then he should be fired.
I didn’t mind Mora much of this season but he is unraveling and it’s ugly to see it. He has 3 weeks to prove to me he’s worth keeping during this rebuilding process.
For as much flak as he gets I don’t mind Greg Knapp but at times he makes stupid playcalls (3rd and 1 = Endaround with Branch). However if Mora goes then so does Knapp. Sadly. Knapp cannot possibly make this offense work. Actually no one can unless there’s a total rebuild of the offensive roster.
I like Gus Bradley, our defensive coordinator. However he has to understand that you can’t run a 3 man pass-rush with Patrick Kerney as one of your men, and ZONE DEFENSE DOES NOT WORK!!!! I HATE ZONE DEFENSE SO MUCH!!!!!! He has to identify the strengths and weaknesses of this defense and his insistence on using quarters coverage with THAT secondary is preposterous.
Please fire Bruce DeHaven.
That’s just about it. Three games guys. Have the heart and gumption not to embarrass yourselves and avoid the potential chopping block when new management comes.
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Chris Brown was not (nor has ever been) an integral part of the Texan's offense
Unless you consider three carries seven yards integral.
I never said that
When they had a 4 game losing streak they had Chris Brown continuously getting carries over Moats/Slaton. The week before they had him attempting a halfback pass which failed miserably.
Besides it was a small joke.
ME! BANE!
Good stuff.
I also have noticed that Mora has never pointed to himself with the blame. Sometimes it’s good for a coach to say, we prepared hard, but not in the right way, and that’s why we lost.
I do disagree that Curry and Mebane will be back next year no matter what. I can’t see a new guy trading either away.
Expect the unexpected. I am sure those two will be kept
But anything can happen even if it’s not reasonable.
ME! BANE!
If Mebane isn't on the team next year it better be part of a mindblowingly awesome trade
otherwise, I think I’d take a vacation from Seahawks fandom.
Agree.
I will raze a small village if Mebane goes in anything short of a brilliant trade (that goes in our favor).
The demise of the Broncos in '09 is our future. Pray hard.
Good read
Echoes many of my own feelings, especially the coaches, withe the exception of Knapp
Fearless Frog is my hero
FIRE KNAPP!
I've been happy about Knapp.
Most of our 3 and outs I have attributed more to Hasselbeck’s indecisiveness more than Knapp’s play calling. JM said that Peyton Manning could excel with our line, but I think even Matt Schaub would make Hasselbeck look like a rookie at this point.
I'm fairly pleased with Knapp in some regards, too.
Although I’m not convinced he’s doing a good job, I have seen evidence of creative play-calling which I haven’t seen from the Seahawks in many years.
This.
Knapp and his system
have worsened the Seahawks O in every aspect.
Cant run, cant pass, cant block, cant stay healthy, cant be fun out there.
He’s also failed to do the most important think any coach can… he has failed to inspire hope for the future. We’re not looking at our players and saying ‘well when so-and-so learns to do X, we’ll be much better.’ We’re seeing players who dont care.
I think some of our skill players are old and could be effective
some are old and bad, some are new and bad and some are just unable to make a system thats proven mediocre at best, work.
An o-coordinator should not take the blame
for aging players that consistently are unable to execute even a dumbed down playbook.
The demise of the Broncos in '09 is our future. Pray hard.
A few more heads for the trophy wall
In Branch, Jennings, and Burly. Branch can’t outrun Mike Homgren, can’t catch a cold and has been a complete flop as a Hawk. Jennings does a remarkable job covering the area 5 yards behind a receiver (maybe the QB will throw it short!!) and is a horrid tackler in the open field. Burly has never achieved his potential, and his potential gets smaller and smaller with every passing day and with every injury. He is approaching 30 and is losing his greatest asset in his speed and agility. He is not a good enough route runner nor does he have the sure hands to be a Bobby Engram style possession receiver. He also refuses to block well and finish his routes. His time as a hawk is (or should be) over.
Here’s to to the gutting and reformation of the Hawks!
by Fightfightfight on Dec 16, 2009 6:49 PM PST reply actions
Won't surprise me if Housh goes, too
while he’s still got quite a bit of value.
Not because he’s ineffective, but because he’s too expensive for what he contributes on a team that will be rebuilding its offense for one to three years.
The demise of the Broncos in '09 is our future. Pray hard.
I wouldn't mind a third rounder for him if possible.
New goal, pass to Housh as much as possible to raise his trade value.
We're going to have Housh play fullback?
by BrianL on Dec 17, 2009 2:11 PM PST up reply actions 2 recs
That took me a second
but now I see it. One question I have, in light of all the receptions by our fullbacks, is how badly do we miss Leonard Weaver in that situation? All of a sudden those passes are worth a lot more.
by Fightfightfight on Dec 17, 2009 4:26 PM PST up reply actions
Seneca may not have spiked the ball on 4th down.
But he did spike it on 3rd down against the Eagles last year duing the two minute drill, so you’re not far off.
Also a die-hard Hawks fan.
He spiked it yes...
but did he then carry the ball off the field with him 3 yards behind the LOS, you know, out of habit?
I see Hass' ineffectiveness as being some arm
but also him having no faith at all in his recievers or the play called.
Housh wants the ball, claims he’s always open? Hass clearly believes he’s constantly NOT open.
I’m not a Knapp believer, I dont believe his scheme is suited to a dwindling-arm QB and over time, his offenses have shown they suck the same with Seahawks talent as they did with Raiders and Niners talent.
I am never ever a believer in forcing existing players to fit a new system.
Matt was willing to throw downfield last year with a bad back and a WR group that was an injury away from open tryouts at the VMAC.
There’s no system designed to work with a QB that can’t throw.
Billy McMuffin > Housh CLEARLY.
ME! BANE!
by SSreporters on Dec 17, 2009 11:29 AM PST up reply actions
Its telling though that Hass WONT throw, rather than Hass cant throw
Its both really, but that lack of wanting to throw looks like no confidence.
I have got to agree somewhat.
Even if his shoulder hurts and his line isn’t giving him enough, I find it hard to believe that no one is ever open downfield. I think it’s some kind of mental thing mostly, whether it’s lack of trust in his WR or lack of trust in his own ability to get throw an accurate ball, I don’t know.
I dont know either,
but I have been led to believe that Matt Hasselbeck ’s a guy who does want the ball and he does seem enthusiastic to score when he gets it.
Does anyone have the actual numbers?
Of the passes Hasselbeck has thrown this season, how many went to which parts of the field?
Do the numbers support the assertion that Hasselbeck has stopped throwing deep in recent games?
My gut impression is that he has, but I’d like to see the hard data.
It looks like Matt
is in the midst of the perfect storm as far as Qb’s go. His arm is weakening, so he can’t squeeze the ball in a small window down the field. This means he has to wait for his receivers to clearly be open, and that means he has to hold the ball. The problem with that is that he cannot hold the ball/perceives that he cannot hold the ball. This is both true and untrue. It is true that matt can’t take the licks that come with holding the ball like he used to, and there will be a few more licks with our poor OL. However, he doesn’t have to check down to Griffith every other pass, he’s just scared of another injury. The third aspect of the storm would his receivers. He and Branch have never got it going, Burly doesn’t finish/drops and Housh is new. He has no rapport with any oh his guys.
by Fightfightfight on Dec 17, 2009 2:33 PM PST up reply actions
Pre-season arm looked a lot different than now
I was looking at the few plays Matt had during pre-season and the ball seemed to have zip and he did throw down field, unlike now. Now that may because he was amped to be playing after last year and has not been worn out by the season, but only he would know. However, I think there is definitely a health component to his performance, getting banged up behind that early o-line takes a toll. I don’t think it is age right now, because that is a pretty steep drop off for age related performance decline.
It's possible he hurt his shoulder and that's affecting it.
Remember the first few drives of the first game against STL? He threw some ugly picks. Perhaps that shot his confidence to squeeze the ball through tight windows and now he’s afraid of the INT.
You’re right about the drop off being too steep to just be age though. I can imagine Matt looking like this in 3 years, but not best year of his career in 2007 to lost, confused, scared to throw it in 2009, just two years away.
I agree Matt is lost
I think he currently at the mercy of his injuries and the implementation of a new system that not everyone is taking to heart. There are compounding factors from the entire season and last that have probably eroded his confidence, but he still talks like he is the competitor of old.
The problem I have with the notion the "Matt would be fine if he was healthy" line of reasoning
is that Matt is very rarely healthy, and this extends way beyond the protection he gets from the offensive line. Quarterbacks are going to get hit, and Matt doesn’t seem like someone who’s very resilient anymore.
What’s worse is that it seems we’ve all forgotten the reason he was gone most of last season. A bulging disc. That is a very, very scary back injury that could come back and should cast a ton of doubt on his future.
Not saying if he was healthy,
just noting that he has been able to perform in this most recent season to a higher level than what we are seeing now. Now the reason for the decline can be debated as a number of things, but I will throw out there that the o-line is the main reason for his injuries (even the bulging disk, because the line play last year was sub-par as well). His circumstances seem to be akin to another recent Seahawk who had a sharp decline due to injuries. A common thread between the two seems to be a declining o-line.
The problem I have with the notion the "Matt would be fine if he was healthy" line of reasoning
is that we’ve been saying this for what, three years now?
It's Great to be a Florida Gator!
"I never met a llama I didn't like." - TJ Duckett
All I want for Christmas is Joe Haden, Eric Berry, and Nandamukong Suh in Seahawks blue.
by Wayward Llama on Dec 18, 2009 4:15 AM PST up reply actions
Agreed.
A lot of guys take a lot of licks. Every time Matt gets hit, you think it may be the last time…
Bird Law in this country isn't governed by reason.
by Tyler Jorgensen on Dec 19, 2009 11:44 AM PST up reply actions
Do you really think that Matt was more comfortable throwing to Billy McMullin, Courtney Taylor, and Keary Colbert
than to Nate Burleson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, and Deion Branch?
Yes.
I think he had confidence that they wanted to catch the ball. And had confidence in the plays/scheme.
Yes, Nate Burleson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, and Deion Branch just don't want to catch the ball
If anything, he has no confidence in his arm.
by B.B.Finnegan on Dec 17, 2009 11:52 AM PST up reply actions
His arm may well be paper mache and duct tape
but are you seriously trying to tell me those three guys are burning with an unquenchable fire to get more catches? I do not see any evidence to support this.
The only proof you have that they aren't working to get catches is the fact they aren't catching many balls.
You also just conceded that Matt is not playing well and is not throwing the ball well. Connect the dots.
Forgot the link.
http://blog.seattlepi.com/football/archives/187995.asp
This was, what, the thirty billionth time this season that Housh was being vocal about wanting the ball?
Point conceded
Its hard to see what sucks through the haze of suck. I still dont see open receivers. Who’s fault is this?
Why does everyone put the Raiders into the Knapp argument?
Bill Walsh couldn’t turn that shipwreck around with JaMarcus at QB and a host of clowns for receivers.
ME! BANE!
by SSreporters on Dec 17, 2009 11:30 AM PST up reply actions
Because he was the OC there. And they sucked.
There’s no asterix beside the Raiders in any official books. Their suction is official, NFL quality suction. It counts in any argument.
My point is, Knapp comes to teams that suck and makes them no better.
Last year, we sucked, he came here, he made us no better.
I dont hate the guy, I just want coaches that make us better. Payton made the Saints better. McDaniels made the Broncos better (assholes) and THATS what I want.
please note, I do not mean I want to hire McDaniels or anyone like him other than the make us better part
Well I wont dispute the clear truth of that!
I guess I’m saying I dont believe this coaching staff is going to do anything great with any added talent.
Apparently Knapp's scheme can't make up for the lesser crap talent we have in Seattle
Although he knows how to put good use to Seneca under center. What that play has worked 1 out of 8 times.
One problem I have with Mora's O-line outburst is this:
He’s going to look like a passionate enthusiastic genius (at least by the media) if we win big this week, which is wholly possible considering we’re playing Tampa. Steve Kelley can say, look at Mora, it’s not his fault, he hasn’t lost the passion. He’s mixing things up, going out on a limb, breaking up the status quo by not automatically giving proven starters playing time, calling out players, and then he won big against Tampa. I hope this doesn’t happen.
Kelley is too busy clamoring for Holmgren to come back
ME! BANE!
by SSreporters on Dec 17, 2009 12:02 PM PST up reply actions
Even a convincing win with Tampa Bay
won’t cover up the stink of the Houston debacle.
Big wins with Green Bay and Tennessee, however, might.
The demise of the Broncos in '09 is our future. Pray hard.
Nope, especially because Tampa is what,
1-50? We’ll beat them handily, then get demolished by the other two.
It's Great to be a Florida Gator!
"I never met a llama I didn't like." - TJ Duckett
All I want for Christmas is Joe Haden, Eric Berry, and Nandamukong Suh in Seahawks blue.
by Wayward Llama on Dec 18, 2009 4:17 AM PST up reply actions
Well, who knows, this might bring the o-line more together as a unit
united against the way they’re being treated by the head coach.
It’s been good to see the way they’re sticking up for each other.
And that is why I'm hesitant to want CJ Spiller
Spiller has had injury bug similar to Bush. Explosive, yet often injured.
It is what it is...
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