One final note before I excuse myself this blustery Friday evening. I will post notes for the third and fourth quarter tomorrow.
I wonder sometimes when a player is cut - what was the play that put them over the edge? What did Edgerrin James do that ended his Seahawks career? He had struggled since joining Seattle and his performance at Dallas didn't seem out line with his season average. We had waited for James to get up to speed and he hadn't, but what back could excel behind Seattle's piecemeal line?
So it was with some amusement that I watched Justin Griffith raise his hands into the air and then clearly point "inside" where James had cut, and then "outside" where James was supposed to cut.
It was the first play of Seattle's second drive of the quarter. The defense had slowed Dallas enough to keep Seattle in it and the Seahawks were on their own 44. Great field position. Seattle's consistent strong middle push was beginning to translate into yards. Julius Jones had run for 19 in four rushes to start the half. An additional five and a first resulted from an obvious Jay Ratliff hold. Seattle broke in a two wide receiver, I formation with a tight end on the right. Snap.
Keith Brooking rushes into the backfield and Griffith engages him and extends so Brooking is at arm's length to the right. This isn't smashmouth football. Griffith does not Mack Strong Brooking, he shields and turns. James cuts in and into Brooking and is tackled after one. Griffith's gesticulations follow.
Now maybe that wasn't the play that did James in, but I would guess it was. He picked up a blitz ably later in the drive and rushed for five and three in his final two attempts. James messed up the read and made Griffith look bad and nobody messes with Greg Knapp's fullback.