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Quick Cap: New Orleans 28, Seattle 17

What hurts the most is that New Orleans still sucks. What a tease, we almost came back against a team that was ground into dust by the Tampa Bay Bucs. Wheeeee.

I have no ancillary interests so I'm going to tell you what everyone else is scared to say:

The Hawks are going to make the playoffs...

And then some team is going to use their eye socket in an obscene way.

Any hope of true contention is over. The 2007 Hawks can aspire to the heights of the 1992 Buffalo Bills. No they can't. A reasonable argument exists that whatever NFC team makes it to the Super Bowl will have their tongue stapled to an ant hill by the Patriots, Colts, Steelers...take heart in that if you enjoy sour grapes.

Meanwhile, the rest of the NFC West is falling in on itself. Arizona is contending with Tim Rattay and Kurt Warner manning the helm. The 49ers are looking forward to Alex Smith returning after the bye. Saint Louis has a shot!! The division is in hand, ha. Ha. Haaaa...

Shaun Alexander is being booed. It's not the play calling (ed. Okay some it is the play calling), that's heroic by Holmgren (who will retire) to take the blame, but the fans are sick of Alexander playing poorly. They're not booing just because he's playing poorly, but because they believe he can play better. I read it every day on Seahawks Insider: "he's soft", "he's not running hard", "he never was good". Alexander is 30, his foot is broken--give the guy a break. He's just not very good anymore. I wish I could join in on the ad hominem attacks; it certainly turns the game into some kind of grotesque parable. The Saints wanted it more. Seattle quit on the field. The Hawks deserved to lose. Seattle was beat by a mediocre team, because they are a mediocre team. They suffered a little bit of bad luck. They're a little bit banged up. They were outplayed, too.

Like Saint Louis, a few stray injuries to a few key players keep Seattle from poor and inconsistent to awful and ugly. The team is old and thin at essential positions; it's also young and talented at others. If Hasselbeck isn't killed in the next 10 weeks, he's a championship caliber quarterback for a couple more seasons. Rocky Bernard (28) Deon Grant (28) Julian Peterson (29) Patrick Kerney (30) and Walter Jones (33) will not play better next year. Sean Locklear and Marcus Trufant will depart this offseason. The net result will leave Seattle squarely in rebuilding mode. We'll start looking into what 2007 can mean for 2008 and what 2008 can mean for 2009, tomorrow. The season is not over. The Hawks will play some good games to come, they will play some bad, but anything resembling true contention is over.

Goodnight everyone.

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you wanna know something sad
the rams could get it together the next 2 games, win them, go into the bye, and then get steven jackson back after it and still win the NFC west. seriously. at 0-6, the rams are only 3 games out. with some luck, the beat the 'hawks next weekend, and are only two out. there is hope.
I'll admit it, the Rams suck.

by stlcardinalsfang on Oct 14, 2007 8:36 PM PDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

tpb
Once again, you can root for the Seahawks and have them lose to a winless sad-sack team, but you can always bat 1.000 watching Ricky from Trailer Park Boys get caught stealing cable [viewer discretion advised].  
Sports and Bremertonians. Because we can.

by wackomann on Oct 14, 2007 8:48 PM PDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

it's entirely possible
...that this team doesn't make the playoffs.  I know it seems very unlikely, given exactly how ridiculously cupcake our schedule is, but more efforts like the one tonight and we'll go 7-9 or worse.  Think about it -- we just lost, AT HOME, to an 0-4 team that, despite the fact that people think they are "better than 0-4", simply isn't that good regardless.

There's nothing written that we can't come out with more stinkers against the Rams, Niners, Cards, and everyone else we play.  Unlikely, sure, but after tonight, everything is within the realm of possibility.

by dinosco on Oct 14, 2007 8:53 PM PDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

funny thing is
I had a worse feeling about this game then I did the Steelers game

I don't know what to say other than we might finally see less Alexander

V. 1.0, mutherf***er, know what I'm sayin'?

by Scruffy Lefty on Oct 14, 2007 8:54 PM PDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

This game
was broken and depressing in so many ways. Awful special teams play, lackluster secondary work, receivers not receiving, poor blitz protection, that inexplicable jump ball by Beck, Shaun being Shaun, and truly bizarre 4th quarter play-calling by the walrus. Even more frustrating because we had a chance to win this.

by sammy on Oct 14, 2007 8:55 PM PDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

n/s
I've attended 19 games at Qwest Field over the past few years. None was more deflating than this one.

The most obvious aspect of this nausea-oleum was that the Seahawks very clearly underprepared for the Saints. I don't think potentially good teams necessarily take 0-5 teams for granted, but whatever happened in practice didn't show up on the field.

Brees was never under an iota of pressure, but threw like he was in a hurry. Thing is, every Saint was on the same page. The differences between Reggie Bush and Shaun Alexander are arena-sized in their obviousness. Bush has about a million adjustment steps that you can see in slo-mo; Shaun is... (sigh) You know, I'm just not gonna heap on 'em. As long as he's the focus of our running game, we're not going to have a running game.

Everyone in Qwest was depressed. I couldn't get money out of the ATM because the system was unavailable, meaning I couldn't even drink my way to peace in the second half.

The one bright spot was Leonard Weaver. And I don't have anything particularly revelatory to say about him. Nice job.

I agree with Morgan. This is not a contending team. They look panicked. They're slow. They're taking too much time. They're leaving too much of themselves exposed. The decision-making has to be called into question. The fans are tired of the foregone predictability.

The Saints are better than their record, but still -- this was one of those games where you feel like shaking someone.

--Shrug

by Shrug on Oct 14, 2007 9:33 PM PDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

N/S Morgan
By week 9,our offense should be back in full force. We get Hackett back (probably) next week and Branch back in week 9. As long as we stop playing Shaun, we should get better.
"I think we know who the 'Hawks true rival is"-John Morgan

by Coach Owens on Oct 14, 2007 9:49 PM PDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Why'd I hit reply to this?
"I think we know who the 'Hawks true rival is"-John Morgan

by Coach Owens on Oct 14, 2007 9:52 PM PDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Ugh.
In retrospect, it looks like this nucleus has fundamentally been a 9-7 team. Just above average, and on a good/lucky day will go 10-6 or 11-5. But overall, bounces down to 9-7 in a weak division in a weak conference.

I don't know what else to say at this point, except that watching these games is absolutely awful because it's not like the Hawks are completely terrible top to bottom. It's how Seneca Wallace steps up with a huge catch, how Leonard Weaver goes 20+ yards, how Roethlisberger gets sacked for 3rd and 15, then Hasselbeck tosses a soft air ball for an interception, Alexander falls over behind the line of scrimmage, and Big Ben completes a 20 yard pass for the first down.

by Captain Morgan on Oct 14, 2007 9:48 PM PDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

n/s
There weren't a lot of moments this game when I felt incited to cry out "What the hell?" I was more glum than anything else. But the one galling moment was when Shaun just fell over on one run to the left side. No terribly impending defender coming his way. Maybe a door or so of daylight. No maladjustment on the handoff. No nothing. He just slipped and fell over for what I believe was a two-yard loss.

That's when I screamed "what the hell." The people around me said worse.

--Shrug

by Shrug on Oct 14, 2007 10:58 PM PDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

this teams just looks 9-7
Everything about them screams 9-7 (or 8-8, but hey I'm an optimist!).

Weaver- 3 carries 40 yards
Shaun - 14 carries 34 yards

Weaver also did a nice job catching some passes (expect for that one he easily dropped)

I know that this probably isn't the best way to look at the running game, since all of Weaver's yards came on one play, but I think everyone gets the picture.

Kudos to the Saints, this looked a lot more like their team from 2006, I think they've already dug themselves to big of a hole, but hey...you never know.

Honestly, it doesn't hurt anymore.  The first two L's hurt because I thought this was a team that could make a real run at a superbowl, now I know they are a 9-7 team, so going 10-6 would be a plus for me.

Reluctant game balls:
Weaver and Mebane.  Mebane seemed to be in the backfield a lot, Bush was probably too elusive for him to make the tackles however.

Josh Brown is better than you.

by MFAN on Oct 14, 2007 10:22 PM PDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Too sad to comment. with anything profound
John,

Please make sure you touch on the following in your recap.  I'm just an fan who drinks too much at the game.

Hill- is he hurt.... or are Bush and Eric Johnson that good?
Jennings- Is that two weeks in a row that he was AWOL all game?
D-line- Tough for the secondary to look good when Brees is counting 5 alligator in the pocket.
Burl and Obu- Really?  do they ever run a full route?  Is it acceptable to run up the the CB and tickle him instead of getting any separation?
Russell-only guy who puts the ball carrier on the ground everytime he touches them.

I don't know..... I'm sad.  MH called an awful game.  SA is done.  Momo will never (and shouldn't) get a chance.  Weaver looks good because everything else looks so bad.  Kerney is Wistrom.... contrary to my week 1-2 excitement/expectations.

Are we average?  Are we below?  Don't answer that one please.

Skating fast and dancing well doesn't make you a 12th Man!

by The Manchild on Oct 14, 2007 10:57 PM PDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Honestly...
I'm considering just holding out hope for the Mora Years. Really. It's sort of a pre-emptive move on my part.
--Shrug

by Shrug on Oct 14, 2007 11:00 PM PDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

which team are we?
It's frustrating.

I think one thing is clear though, regardless of the  running game, and Shaun Alexanders talent at this moment, i think it's fair to say we several other important things to worry about.

I'm not defending Shaun, nor am i giving him praise, however it should be noted that in comparison to some of the holes Reggie Bush was getting to run through tonight, Shaun was like a magnet to defenders. It seemed like we weren't able to create much running space beyond the first level. I know Shaun is in decline, that's fine, but our passing game was not in good sync, and i wasn't full impressed by our blocking either.

I was most upset by our defense, it was frustrating, and almost felt like the last few years were over. I don't know what exactly was happening, but a defense with our team speed should be able to get in the right spots without being completely taken out of the play.

As far as our team, it's so difficult to tell right now. Is the absense Branch and Burleson really throwing Hasselbeck off this much? Is our d-line finally catching up to us? Undersized, injured, and aging. The speed is great, so is the hustle, but i couldn't believe the lack of penetration.

I hope Tru and Locklear stay in response to your post.

Let's go.

by J Hens on Oct 14, 2007 11:53 PM PDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

To me
It just seems Hasselbeck is taking way to much weight on his shoulders. He sees Alexander not get any yards. Hes playing without his 1 and 2 recivers. So he starts trying to make a play (ex Jump Ball which was thrown so fucking high Nate couldn't even see the ball)

He can't succeed like this because he isn't the type of QB that can carry a team.  

V. 1.0, mutherf***er, know what I'm sayin'?

by Scruffy Lefty on Oct 15, 2007 7:00 AM PDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

n/s
Don't think that Bears/Seahawks game is going to be on Sunday Night...just a gut feeling.
Josh Brown is better than you. The Rest of the team is worse.

by MFAN on Oct 15, 2007 12:13 AM PDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

now that I think about it
This year feels a lot like 2004. The Buffalo game, certainly. Shaun was a lot better back then. But you take a lot of players with high expectations, toss in a few gut punches, a sort of drifting sense that even if we win we're a flawed team, and it all sort of works.

Ugh, I like Mike Holmgren, too. The prospect of him retiring is not one I want to consider.

by Captain Morgan on Oct 15, 2007 12:58 AM PDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

That game was horrible
I blame 80% of it on the coaches.  I think Holmgren wanted to establish the run, but when we got into a 21-0 hole early, he couldn't.  I think our defense should've keyed onto Reggie Bush because they went to him 4 or 5 times in a row, in just spurts.  Very dumb.  In the first 3 drives by them, I don't think we blitzed once, and for some reason our front four could create no pressure.  Hasselbeck and Holmgren acted like they've never seen a blitz before, I mean, c'mon, just because the game tape says they can't pass rush doesn't mean that we can just keep 5 guys back and H-Beck can avoid the pass rush with his spidey sense and his happy feet.  That being said, Morgan is right, after our loss to the Steelers I thought our season was over (if you think winning the SB is the ultimate goal) because there's now way we're beating NE or Indy.

by LantermanC on Oct 15, 2007 5:07 AM PDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

How fast is Leonard Weaver?
What's his 40 time?  Did his injury affect his speed?

by David on Oct 15, 2007 11:18 AM PDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Haha
AWESOME.

Too bad your car will get egged.

I reject your reality and substitute my own!

by Phildopip on Oct 15, 2007 12:36 PM PDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Hawks are just not that good
They've been this same team since Holmgren took over.  Medoicre, middling, easy to outcoach, often outplayed, receivers who cannot catch, quarterback who makes poor decisions in crucial situations, lackluster defense.  The only thing the Hawks have had going for them is the 12th man. They got beat by the better team yesterday.

by The Ghost of Kenny Easley on Oct 15, 2007 12:29 PM PDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

At what point does the orginazation fire Marshall
implicitly conceding the fact that his defensive philosophy is garbage? Any decent QB in this league can pick our defense appart because he need not worry about being sacked. When we get no pass rush, the secondary has no chance.

Ironically, when Hass is given time in the pocket he frequently is UN-able to find an open man. Is this Hass or are the receivers (excepting Ingram) not doing enough to get open? Probably both.
Hello late eighties Seahawks...good to see you again.

by Harrison on Oct 15, 2007 1:23 PM PDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

He misses Branch
I saw this tid bit today in a article about Tom Brady

Asked point blank whether he dreamed of having an A-list receiver in his life, Brady indicated that Branch was in fact that guy, saying, "Deion is the most important player on our offense. When I look at the elite receivers in the game, he is second to nobody. He doesn't get a lot of the credit, because we do spread the ball around here, and he doesn't feel a need to promote himself like so many guys at that position. But he is that good."

Branch has really become he is goto guy that can always get open and make big plays after the catch.

V. 1.0, mutherf***er, know what I'm sayin'?

by Scruffy Lefty on Oct 15, 2007 1:37 PM PDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

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