1-0
by John Morgan on Sep 13, 2010 11:18 AM PDT
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Seattle made 181 roster moves this off-season. Some were welcome, some were thrilling, many were trifling and some were controversial. The sheer number of roster moves may have created the impression that an entirely different Seahawks team would take the field in 2010 than had in 2009. That's not true.
Among Seattle's 22 starters, only five, Tyler Polumbus, Mike Williams, Chris Baker, Chris Clemons and Earl Thomas, were new. 13 substitutes and backup quarterback Charlie Whitehurst were also new. Seattle changed its depth, maybe improved its depth, but most of the principle talents were holdovers. Seattle didn't win because it cut T.J. Houshmandzadeh or traded Rob Sims. It won because it was the better, better coached team, playing at home.
Seattle won in week one much like it won in week one of 2009: At home, against a division rival, and in lopsided fashion.
Matt Hasselbeck started the 2010 season like he started the 2009 season, with an interception. Matt turned the trick on third and long against the Rams, but wasted no snaps in turning the ball over in 2010. Matt heaved a floater into coverage on his very first attempt. Mike Gibson was beaten back, but Hasselbeck was not under serious pressure. He just misread coverage and made a poor throw.
Bad start, but Seattle survived.
The presumed difference between the start of the 2010 season and the start of the 2009 season, is the quality of the opponent. The Rams lost their next six, including blowout losses to the Packers, 49ers, Vikings and Colts. That's the problem with week one. We only have one data point to judge both the quality of the Seahawks and the quality of their opponent. When Seattle lost by 12 to Jacksonville in week one of 2005, fans were bummed. As it turned out, the Jaguars finished 12-4. When Seattle dominated the Rams in week one of 2009, fans were excited. As it turned out, the Rams finished 1-15.
The 49ers host the Saints in a Monday night matchup Seahawks fans should be interested in. A loss is still preferable, but a respectable loss is even better. We do not want the 49ers to be good insomuch that they are a rival for the NFC West. We want them to be good insomuch that it reflects on the quality of the Seahawks. Whatever Seattle does next week, whatever the 49ers do next week, we will have magnitudes more information to analyze the 2010 Seahawks with.
We will have two weeks of performance from the Seahawks; two weeks of performance from the 49ers; two opponents faced, and two opponents faced by opponents faced. We will have a better grasp of how good San Francisco is, Denver is, Jacksonville is, Minnesota is, and through that, we will better understand how good Seattle is. It'll be a start anyway.
Until then, let's get elbow deep into the nitty-gritty of this game.
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I dunno, man
I’d still like to see the 9ers get drubbed. The ensuing schadenfreude to be had when gazing upon Niners Nation would be well worth it.
by SeahawksFanInNY on Sep 13, 2010 11:33 AM PDT reply actions
Rapacious secondary, indeed.
Denver will be a test. Orton is accurate, not easily shaken and behind a very good offensive line. He can dink-and-dunk his way into the end zone one 7-yard pass at a time.
If we can pick him a few times, I will be VERY excited for the season.
"Pass rushers enter the world of Okung but never leave." - JM
Agreed.
But our OL is not very good, not at the moment. It’s not Oakland-level terrible, but features a bunch of youngsters and an injured Clady.
I’m excited for these two teams to play though. Hopefully Denver will rebound at home and Seattle will continue it’s emotional play.
I'm pumped to disagree.
Looking forward to seeing my 2nd straight regular season Seahawk victory in Denver… flying out for the the game\ to visit friends. Maybe you guys could start Tebow? I know he isn’t ready, but there’d be a certain symmetry to the decision. The last time the Hawks played at Mile High, it was the prior savior Cutler’s first NFL start…
Bird Law in this country isn't governed by reason.
by Tyler Jorgensen on Sep 13, 2010 1:46 PM PDT up reply actions
Things that stood out to me.
1. Earl Thomas looked fast as all get-out.
2. Balmer played a lot.
3. Despite poor results, J. Jones was quick to the hole.
I’m scared to see what happens when a team decides to do the pressure-up-the-middle thing that has been the bugaboo for the Hawks since approx. 2006.
Balmer was in for 13 of 66 defensive snaps
Less than Siavii or, I dunno, Roy Lewis. Per Scout.com
by Thomas Beekers on Sep 13, 2010 11:45 AM PDT up reply actions
Ahh, the A-gap blitz. Baltimore is so good at that.
Yes, it’s an achilles heel for us, every time. Yes, I worry too, now, thanks.
by jacobstevens on Sep 13, 2010 11:56 AM PDT up reply actions
I agree with you from our perspective
But the Ninnies just look…like their philosophy doesn’t work. I love smashmouth football, but I don’t think they have the DEF or game-managing QB to do it.
I know, I know, a lot of teams have a “formula” to beat. “Don’t get overrun in scoring and run the ball a lot” beats the Colts, but how many teams can do it. Still, the Ninnies were exposed in how effectively they can be attacked by refusing to run early on offense, and taking away their running option on defense. Don’t know if Saints can do that defensively as well, but they sure as hell can pass.
It’s why I can’t buy in fully after this one win. You never can after one week, but even moreso here. We’ll see when we’re up against the Broncos.
by Thomas Beekers on Sep 13, 2010 11:44 AM PDT reply actions
Completely agree
Last year after drubbing the Rams 28-0 and pasting the Jags 41-0, expectations were a bit…high. As they say, you are probably never as bad as you think after a blowout you lose, or as good as you think after a blowout you win.
I am quite encouraged we crushed the 49’rs at home in front of our loyal 12th man, and can cling to this win throughout the season even if we don’t win another game. But I will be slow to get my hopes up for this team, given the heartbreak over the past few seasons, even though I was expecting a loss yesterday, and we won in dramatic fashion through character and determination.
From where I sat, the game would have played-out quite differently had a few things gone slightly better for the 9rs:
- Bad call on PI re: Branch/Clements
- Smith’s end zone throw a bit lower, in bounds on the touchdown that was called back
- Smith’s end zone throw on 4th after completely fooling the defense
(but I felt we got the shaft on the encroachment calls as well)
The game was much closer than the score, and could have swung the other way quite easily. I feel a lot of the credit goes to the defense and the coaching and our guys believing in themselves and the system when the chips were down early. But I want to stay realistic in my expectations for the team at the same time.
It was a great day to be a Seahawks fan, in any case. Damn! I haven’t had that much fun watching a Seahawks game since we beat the Panthers in the playoffs in 2005.
It is also a pleasure to come to this community and read all of the great analysis and insightful fan posts.
This bothers me a bit
Mostly because 2 of those Smith points are due to a lack of talent* by their QB. By the same token, I could say that things would be different if our D line would have sacked their QB more. The fact is, we don’t really have the DL players to sack QBs a lot. Just like SF doesn’t have a QB good enough to make tough throws in loud, insane, hostile environments.
And that ‘bad call’ on Clements i’m not so sure about. To me it looked like Branch was trying to pull his own hand away as if Clements had a hold of it, but i’d like to see that one again…
we’re probably not 25 pts better than SF, but hey – NFL!
To start with...
Seahawks are currently undefeated. Yes!
Seahawks are currently at the top of the NFC West. YES!
I don’t know if I’ll be able to say these things next week, so this week, I am basking in the glow.
The Saints are going to destroy the Niners.
Dont worry about that.
Based on Week 1 anyway, and based on the difference in coaching. And talent. And ability to execute.
Plus, the Saints can call plays into the QB without blaming technical issues.
The Saints offense will.
I bet we see the 9ers offense come alive against the Saints.
by jacobstevens on Sep 13, 2010 11:58 AM PDT up reply actions
Since announcers are rarely praised, appreciated or even really noticed unless they're bad,
which they almost always are, I’d like to point out that Tim Ryan was as good as I remembered, and Sam Rosen was thankfully unannoying, and unintrusive except to diligently name substitutions. Diligence not only mostly unmatched,but that proved relevant and interesting within the narrative. Milloy and Clemons subbed out on injury for a drive, but we weren’t left hanging, we were notified when each came back in. Gibson was replaced by Hamilton. Thank you Sam. You look kind of awkward when the camera is trained on you and Tim or the in-studio Jimmy Johnson feed is talking.
Tim’s delivery is unleavened bread, all sustenance and no aggrandizing, rhetorical yeast. He just gives you observation, observation you wouldn’t have made yourself, and with restrained analysis. His voice is as unintrusive as Rosen’s, making his insight almost feel like a thought of your own as you watch. Big plays often aren’t because the most visible player is an unstoppable beast, an all-time great, but because his matchup made a mistake. Tim points it out. When a play is made, and not because of a mistake, hyperbole remains in check. Colin Cole does not win at the point but he keeps his arms extended to shed the block on demand and make the arm tackle as Gore takes his gap. Line play comes alive with Tim. Thank you Tim.
I like Jimmy Johnson. I should have known the networks would find a way to pump more yeast into the broadcast. It’s like a in-booth celebrity interview, barely-more respectful of the play-by-play. Well, at least it wasn’t Christian Slater.
The broadcast was good until the "Virtual 3-man booth" with Jimmy Johnson, which was really, really bad
I think Johnson is OK but that gimmick is dead on arrival.
by lemonverbena on Sep 13, 2010 1:11 PM PDT up reply actions
Rosen and Ryan did fine up until they mailed in the 4th quarter
And stopped using facts.
4 years, 4 coaches, 7 league road wins, 0 playoff games, 1 GM. Fire Mo Johnston.
AB-SO-FREAKING-LUTELY
I don’t want to see Jimmy Johnson’s grill taking up 50% of my screen real estate during a football game ever again. If my friend sat on a stool in front of the TV and offered his conjecture I would knock his teeth out with a beer bottle. JJ is not above that, just too far away and my tv costs too much to be throwing things around.
/dick joke
Could you be more specific about "He just misread coverage"
How do you define that? According to Matt, Clements “jumped” the route. To me this means that Clements came out of the coverage he was in and cheated up, letting the deep man go through his zone uncovered. It looked like that to me on the replay also, that Clements simply guessed correctly on that route and came out of coverage aggressively to make that play. Had Matt thrown long over him on that play it could easily have been a TD.
Matt made them pay later for this tactic. In my interpretation of that play, Clements guessed right that time, but Matt won the later matches big time.
Matt can still be a good QB and sometimes lose out to a good CB making a good play.
So did Matt “misread” coverage, or did Clements cheat up out of his coverage and make the play?
You have to account for other defenders breaking on the ball, though. Have to account for their range.
Also I think arm strength was an issue.
by jacobstevens on Sep 13, 2010 12:00 PM PDT up reply actions
The double-moves were a gameplan thing.
So props to Jeremy Bates and HOLY CRAP did the Seahawks actually make a halftime adjustment??>
Though they sink through the Sea, they shall rise again...Death shall have no dominion...
Williams' and Butler's catches off of 2x moves both came in the second quarter.
OOOOOH!!!!! That was NASTY!!!!!!!!
Like this
According to Matt, Clements "jumped" the route. To me this means that Clements came out of the coverage he was in and cheated up, letting the deep man go through his zone uncovered. It looked like that to me on the replay also, that Clements simply guessed correctly on that route and came out of coverage aggressively to make that play. Had Matt thrown long over him on that play it could easily have been a TD.
That would qualify as “misreading coverage” — he misread what the covering defender did.
by The Ancient Mariner on Sep 13, 2010 12:31 PM PDT up reply actions
I agree, he did not misread the coverage, just the player.
Clements did a good job of reading Matt and the play. I scratched my head on the throw, but after re watching the play a few times I noticed Clements with his eyes watching matt and carlson. I think matt just needed to be a second longer to ensure Clements was cleared out.
The ball was not underthrown
Why would arm strength be involved? He lofted the ball so that Carlson could run under it. Carlson was behind his man and Matt needed to lead him in a way that cleared the defender. A lofted ball doesn’t necessarily indicate an arm strength issue.
Now maybe Clements was up because he didn’t believe Matt could make the deep throw, and that would be an arm-strength issue, but I don’t think the deep receiver was out of Matt’s range.
Wasn't underthrown, the problem was how long it took to get there.
It shouldn’t have been lofted. Carlson was breaking on his out route and got separation from that. He’s a TE. If it’s lofted so he can run under it, so too can 9er defenders, which is what happened.
by jacobstevens on Sep 13, 2010 12:10 PM PDT up reply actions
I disagree, and so does Matt
Clements was there because he was sitting on that route, not because he had an extra few 10ths of a second to get there.
Plus, I’ll go with Matt’s interpretation here. In the past when he’s made a bad throw, he has owned up to it. In this case, he says several times that Clements “made a good play”. I think Matt threw the ball right how and where he wanted to.
Well, I think he's only throwing it as he can. I don't think he can say (much less think) he can only make certain throws because
his arm strength is teetering on the brink of inviability. But that’s the only thing that makes it a bad throw, to me, thathe could’t get it there faster. Other than that I don’t think it’s a bad throw.
by jacobstevens on Sep 13, 2010 12:21 PM PDT up reply actions
Clements was sitting on the route.
He had passed Branch onto the safety. Hasselbeck didn’t see that and threw a lofting pass that made for an easy pick.
by John Morgan on Sep 13, 2010 12:25 PM PDT up reply actions
In the post game press conference
Matthew said he saw Deion breaking away from coverage on a post that Nate “disregarded” to make a “risky play”.
by DrunkAmerican on Sep 14, 2010 9:52 AM PDT up reply actions
No his throws aren't always not fast enough.
It’s a window thing. Longer passes need bigger windows and stronger arms provide bigger windows. He canstill make a lot of throws but his windows are tighter.
by jacobstevens on Sep 13, 2010 12:48 PM PDT up reply actions
Clements did make a good play
but that doesn’t exclude Matt from misinterpreting coverage.
by John Morgan on Sep 13, 2010 12:26 PM PDT up reply actions
Disagree, he did not misinterpret the coverage, but misjudged Clements proclivity to jump the route.
Clements had passed his assignment onto the safety and was on top of the route
It’s not a proclivity. Clements did what he was supposed to do.
Agreed. If Matt throws to the deep receiver instead of Carlson, it would have been a huge play
…instead, Clements broke on the shorter route and Matt looked bad. Also agree that Manning, McNabb, etc. don’t necessarily throw that interception in that case due to:
- DBs having to respect the deeper receivers more
- A smaller “window” to even attempt the pick (i.e. the ball arriving quicker)
my two cents…
Quick thoughts.
Most surprising above all was the pressure we were getting. Bear is driving, how can this be? I don’t know. But it was not from 3-4 style blitzing. We saw that, but it was mostly the linemen. I don’t know if it was a mirage. The 9ers line should be good but is in flux right now. Iupati is definitely a rookie. I like Dexter Davis.
Everything else was very believable. The outcome, the sum, unexpected, but as it unfolded, mostly all believable. Curry is much improved. This is most exciting.
I feel like Justin Forsett’s reached his ceiling. I feel bad about that. I don’t think it will keep him from being productive. Running game is still problematic, though, and it’s probably a compound of blocking and the rushers.
Did anyone see that great, great interception Deon Grant made for the Giants? Matt Moore is generous. But, it was just the athleticism, it was very cool. Very happy for Deon.
I'd give Forsett a break
Our offensive line is “in flux”, and we were playing the 49ers, who have a very stout run defense. There wasn’t much in the way of holes to run through that I could see, and the 49ers didn’t miss many tackles.
We didn’t miss many tackles either. How about Jennings? He was a stud with the open field tackle yesterday.
Yes, Kelly deserves some praise for execution.
You might be right about Forsett. I’m not just judging by this game, though, but how he runs and what he provides. Saw it in the punt return, too.
Against weaker defenses, yeah, I think he’ll look better. Like I said, he can still be productive. But I do think this is about what we’ll see from him. His elusiveness is his best quality, and it’s really a cut above most rushers in the league. But the lack of standout qualities in the rest of his rushing acumen keeps it from being as effective as it could be.
by jacobstevens on Sep 13, 2010 12:19 PM PDT up reply actions
Hehe, I usually agree with you, and you still may be correct on this
…but I didn’t see any daylight today for our RBs. Gore got bupkis on his carries as well, and he is a ProBowler. I’d like to wait on passing judgement on JForce and Washington until they get some semblance of holes to run into. Both of them excel when they get some spacing and daylight. Sunday, there wasn’t room or holes for any running back on either team.
Frank Gore SF's best performer???
If you look at this game’s summary box on the yahoo sports page it lists Fank Gore as SF best performer with 38 yrds on 17 attempts. HA HA HA HA
I say one small step for the Seattle Seahawks one giant leap for my hope of a successful season.
2010 Changes
Three things I saw that make a big difference from 2009.
1. Red Bryant at DE greatly improves the run defense. Last year we got shreaded. The LEO can rush from the other side. L Jackson was a liability against both the run and the pass.
2. A true #1 WR in 6-5 Mike Williams gives Hass a genuine target that teams must defend against. The othe WR’s are no longer getting all of the attention.
3. Two TE’s allows either TE to leak out into the pattern and enables Hass to have the time to actuallly throw the ball down field. The short dump off pass into the flat no longer seems to be the staple diet of the offense.
not sure what you mean
in “2.” Having a strong #1 receiver who commands double coverage actually opens things up for the other receivers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZDUh9yboqI
Your culture is primitive; yet so funky!
by jubelthebear on Sep 13, 2010 12:52 PM PDT up reply actions
go seahawks
woooohooo yea. shutup the haters! yeahhhh woooo
Oh one more thing. About the nitty gritty.
Carroll calls this “Tell the Truth Monday.” This is going to be Tell tha TROOF week on Field Gulls, and every other week, too. Can’t wait.
After this showing and some people saying that PC out-coached Singletary the scene
from Jerry Maguire comes to mind where Bob Sugar tries to hug his player (was it Bledsoe?) after Tidwell’s big game… I get tickled thinking about how awesomely awkward it would be if Singletary went into the Niners locker room this week and tried to do some rah-rah “I’m Pumped. I’m so Jacked” type of stuff.
Did you know the human head weighs 8 pounds?
Rod Tidwell: I am a valuable commodity! I go across the middle! I see a dude coming at me, trying to kill me, I tell myself "Get killed. Catch the ball!’ BOO YA! Touchdown! I make miracles happen!
For all those who doubt Matt arm, see the TD pass to Branch.
That ball had some zip on it. See Branch’s post game reaction.
OOOOOH!!!!! That was NASTY!!!!!!!!
Where can one 'see' Branch's post game reaction?
Link? Sure wish I could get a hold of a recording somewhere… living in Texas sucks for a ’Hawks fan without Sunday Ticket…
Yup. The haters need to give some props to Branch on that one.
Turn. BALL! He showed some pretty sick hands and reactions on that. Not many big-time NFL receivers make that catch on a ball coming that hot, that quick.
The ball travelled 15 yards.
Were this pass to be completed in the field rather than the endzone, it would have been a 9 yard pass. This in no way resolves his status as having a weak arm.
by DrunkAmerican on Sep 14, 2010 10:06 AM PDT up reply actions
It's only one game...
That being said, here’s what stood out to me
1. Our run D looks legit: we held up well against 1 of the top 5 runners in the NFL who usually kills us
2. Secondary looks up to the test: Milloy did not look old, Thomas did not look like a typical rookie, Jennings played football for once, and Tufant looks back in tip-top shape…even Babs made a play…go figure!
3. I never once wished for TJ back: every guy made plays, BWM led the team in yards and catches, Branch and Butler each scored
4. Hasslebeck is still the best QB in the division: yeah he gave up that pick early but he used that to torch them later on pump fakes and double moves feeding on them being aggressive in jumping routes
5. The O line held up just fine: we protected Hasselbeck and only gave up 1 sack…the run game wasn’t good at all but it served us well in the 4th quarter and the Niners are pretty good at stopping the run
6. My friend sitting in the seat next to me is a Niners fan: he was already calling for Jimmy Raye’s head…it was great
I feel good heading into the Bronco’s game on the road. I agree with John. We’ll know a lot more after week 2 but overall i couldn’d be more pleased with our effort yesterday
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