Postgame: Atlanta Falcons 34 - Seahawks 18

I have to think this is finally the nail in the coffin for the diehard Matt supporters. How can sohmeone possibly play so bad and get to start next week. I would have loved to see Charlie start the game fresh instead of in mop up duty.

It’s a joke that he doesn’t get more touches.

and force the opposition into “passing downs” and situations…

which the opposing team converts easily because of the Seahawks shit coverage.

I don’t care if Charlie is the answer or not, Matt is not the answer, but maybe Charlie won’t give away the game.

He will at least be a bit more exciting. Matt has just been slow death.

and Carroll replied “I don’t know”.

I’m paraphrasing a little, but the fact he didn’t stand firmly behind Matt as he’s done after every poor game (there has been a lot, haven’t there?), says a lot.

I think it’s FINALLY sinking in that not only is Matt playing poorly, HE’S the reason the Seahawks are losing games.

…in that starting CW the next two games means the Seahawks will likely make the post season.

The defense and ST play well enough to win. Competent play at the QB position would have already given them that additional win they need to make the post-season. With CW, there is a fair chance they beat Tampa and/or the Rams and make it.

With that, there is some chance the Seahawks show well in the play-offs. Having a QB that can make the big play can make all the difference.

I fervently hope (the part of me that isn’t worried about draft position) that CW starts the next two games and puts Seattle into the play-offs.

In particular because of how it has divided the fanbase and turned the last 8-9 game threads into who should be our QB pissing matches.

So I guess I’m mostly anxious for next season, when neither of the two will be under center.

That Whitehurst looked better than Hasselbeck because he was playing in 4th Quater mop up time when Atlanta was way ahead and not play as agressive on defense? That situation can make any back up look like Joe Montana. Let’s just be honest the Seahawks right now are just not a very good\consistent team. There is a lot of potential for the future. The only reason we are even in the playoff hunt is because we play in the worst division in football. But with St. Louis on the rise and the 49ers a QB away from being very competitive the Seahawks definitely have a lot of work to do, but I am confident that we will fill the holes that need to be filled. First and foremost for next season is QB, however for this season I stand firmly behind Hasselbeck.

For a couple of reasons.

1) We were in the game right up to the point where Hasselbeck gakked it away. Aside from the Panthers game, that was the latest into a contest this year where we were behind but I still felt we had a chance.

2) Whitehurst may not be a significant improvement over Hasselbeck in terms of talent, but judging by the reactions of everyone in the game thread – to say nothing of the crowd (wouldn’t know firsthand, didn’t get the game in my area) – having Whitehurst on the field is energizing the fans. He may not be the ultimate solution at QB, but novelty alone may help us get into the playoffs if it keeps the team fired up (and indeed, playoffs this year in lieu of draft picks is still what we’re shooting for).

3) At this point last year, the ‘Hawks were so demoralized by Li’l Mora that they were spotting opponents two first quarter TDs every week. They may indeed be less talented than they were the last two years, but at least this team plays like it gives a damn, and that’s probably why this year’s record is better than last year’s.

But this wasn’t it. I have too much love for him to be excited that he is done, even if I think it is the right move.

This was….not one of Okung’s better games.

Today, Whitehurst looked better than Hasselbeck. I can’t quantify it. I will attempt to qualify it in the coming week, but it’s not elusive. Whitehurst moves better than Hasselbeck. He has much more life in his throws and can fit passes into tighter windows

The ‘shame’ is why it’s taken so long to move to potentially better from …from….declined beyond reclamation.

unless I hear Charlie gets to practice with the 1st team.

This team is maddening.

Not to enter the QB debate, but that was pretty cool, to see a guy as a backup for so long get a TD. You just feel happy for a guy who finally gets to come off the bench and show what he’s got. And to enter the QB debate, I hope he can show more in Tampa.

Strangely, I feel that the solution is simple. Starting Whitehurst is win-win; starting Hasselbeck only serves the past, much like many greats stay too long.

I don’t know that I can envision a future with Hasselbeck a Seahawk next year. Perhaps backup/mentor to a rookie QB while he gets OJT, but I think a more likely/attractive scenario is Whitehurst as the backup to whoever the Hawks acquire as the ‘answer’, unless Charlie does something to show that he is that answer. The only fear I had was that ‘hurst was going to embarrass himself (to the tune of Ryan Leaf rookie season 2-15-25-0-4) but I think it’s clear now that Charlie’s not appreciably worse (or better, so far) than Hasselbeck. Let’s see what happens when he gets all the snaps with the first team.

What is the worst that could happen at this point? Finish 7-9, win the West, and get humiliated on national TV. If Whitehurst stinks we most likely lose out. So? Maybe he helps the Hawks win out and play a respectable playoff game and it’s the start of something (at least rasies his value). Even if Hasselbeck helped Seattle do these same things it serves no purpose; he has no value going forward, only in the past, in the hearts in minds of Seahawks fans.

The “Charlie” chants broke my heart. I’ve been ready for the switch since September. Was hoping it would have come with more graciousness than that. Not faulting anyone, just how it came to be, and it was a pretty emotional thing for me to witness.

One pass play—the touch fade route on the 2 pt. conversion should get him the job. Matt hasn’t been able to make that throw for two seasons, and is a big reason our red zone offense has been terra-bad.

And it wasn’t garbage time, that’s just another excuse for Matt. Charlie got the game back to within two scores, the falcons were bringing pressure, blanketing the receivers, and left all their starters in.

What we saw from Matt was a QB who can’t escape pressure and will fumble or self sack instead of throwing it away , will force balls and throw picks instead of throwing it away, and is capable of complete meltdown at any given moment. For QB’s to be good in late stages in their careers they need to manage games and not force things. Matt hasn’t shown that ability.

Charlie has shown the ability to make the throws, and has shown mobility. He has the physical tools that Matt no longer has. Where Matt was supposed to be better was in the decision making and experience, but what Matt has shown is that he’s lost that too. The only logical decision now is to play the QB with the physical ability to get away with making bad decisions, because the veteran “best chance to win” QB is making horrible decisions and can no longer out run 350 pound linemen when he does something stupid.

That’s when you know the call is Universal when you can get that douche to go against his Holmgren/Hass agenda.

It’s hard to watch Matt out there.

get criticized? I don’t see another group of starting (or entire group) of receivers in the NFL. Mike WIliams has the chance to be one of the top 20 WRs in the league, but the rest is simply garbage.

not when the Hawks were well out of it…