A metaphor for Bruce DeHaven's coaching:
Think about it. It's a grower.
I'll tell you what, I ain't no loser and don't like this one bit, but I'm not pissed-pissed. By all rights, the Eagles should have skullfucked Seattle. And I don't whip that verb out every day. And Seattle really did its best to give away this game. Nothing like a zero blitz on third and 6. Clearly, when I think Deon Grant and Brian Russell, I think blitz those mothers.
The distaste of this season just doesn't wash away. It's like a black bandage over our hands. Rust red dirt jammed deep under our fingernails. A burned out, divided and probably never very good coaching staff mismanaging a good group of young talent.
Let's take stock.
Both starting corners are good. Obviously, it's early on Wilson, but kid's shown a ton for a corner without a full year starting. Love the talent.
Brian Russell should be receiving a letter bomb right about
Deon Grant is a fine free safety and I hope he plays there again someday. He's so-so at strong safety.
Darryl Tapp is very good though condemned to be forever misunderstood by his fanbase. I have faith Jackson will develop. We'll revisit LoJack, but obviously he didn't do much this game.
Brandon Mebane and Red Bryant are two of the best young defensive tackles in football.
I'll hold off talking about anyone else, but Seattle's not the Detroit Lions. There's talent here. Right now, it doesn't matter. For Seattle, there're just too many injuries, too many bad calls, bad personnel decisions, bad blitzes, perverted special teams play and now the fetid air of defeat. It's not that 90% of the team isn't playing its ass off snap to whistle, first to fourth, it's that 10% of this team isn't. And that ten is holding clipboards, wearing headsets and milling, putzing and futzing out the end of their careers. I wish you all a good happy, healthy retirement. God help me if I don't see a shotgun next year. A shotgun, creative blitzes, competent special teams; the sense of modernity, life and fire I've never felt this season.
Game Ball: Tapp deserves some recognition after a sack and forced fumble. The line survived ten step drops and blitz after blitz. Koren Robinson is clearly Seattle's best remaining receiver. And the interior defensive line played well all day, but even Pat and Kevin Williams can't make a D. But I give the game ball to Seneca Wallace. Yeah, he's not great. He's flawed. He creates pass rush and is often football stupid. But he's a backup. He made some great passes, showed a pocket awareness he's never before had, didn't panic too bad or at least wasn't punished when he did and all in all played like a damn good backup quarterback. Seattle didn't stand a chance, but they never really did. The drop off from starting to backup quarterback is notoriously high. In the modern NFL, where passing rules and defenses are as intricate and confusing as any offense, the gap between starter and backup probably has never been greater. So, against the 4th ranked pass defense, sure he sucked, but he held up and gave his team a shot. Sometimes, that's all you can ask.
There still some life in this team. The playoffs are so, so far off you'd need Detect-o-vision to see them. If somehow this team gets back to full strength before the season's over, it will be that fun, scrappy, more talented than its record team no one wants to play. Pride, bitches.