I'm just going to flow:
First thing on my mind: Matt Hasselbeck. Woah.
Second thing on my mind: Pete Carroll. I remember thinking Ken Whisenhunt was a fool for starting Kurt Warner instead of Matt Leinart. Youth has to be served, right? In retrospect--sweet, sweet retrospect--the Seahawks quarterback situation could not have been handled much better. I'm not sure the Seahawks beat the Rams behind Hasselbeck, especially if he was at all gimpy, and I know the Seahawks do not beat the Saints behind Charlie Whitehurst. This is magical stuff. The world of professional football coaching is an arcane institute. Sometimes what seems indefensible is so, so very right.
Third thing: The Saints defense looked awful. Let's not kid ourselves, but who gives a damn. Defenses tend to look awful whilst allowing 41 points. No matter how awful, no matter if the Saints defense was 1976 Seahawks awful, there is no cheap path to 41 points and 415 yards of offense.
Fourth thing: Jeremy BATES! How much credit does this guy deserve? Seriously. Yeah, he still doesn't have a great feel for play calling. Yeah, he takes some gutsy risks. Yeah, sometimes his risks are borderline loony. But from an X's and O's perspective, the Seahawks have run something like a half dozen playbooks this year. We started with the Hasselbeck that wasn't. We worked into the package Bates created in week 10 in which the Seahawks broke out against the Cardinals. That carried over into week 11. Then we get the swing attack debuted against the Bucs. Then the rolls and misdirection attack when Whitehurst was pressed into duty. And today, everything, everything good and wonderful and functional and brilliant poured into one game plan.
Be patient with this guy. I think he's a genius in training.
More things: Marshawn's drunken boxing running style looks absolutely gorgeous with some push. It wasn't small. Small small small, but Russell Okung got a little bit of push on that REDONKULOUS run by Lynch that allowed him to cut through that tiny seem and GO INSANE ON THE SECOND LEVEL.
Will Herring is everywhere. I love Will Herring.
Raheem Brock is just, just wow. Brock was acquired right before the regular season. What a find. What a steal. One more free talent found through Always Compete.
Brandon Mebane and Colin Cole are the kind of defensive tackles fans love and other team's fans don't know about. Yes, it was Julius Jones. Yes, Seattle didn't exactly dominate. But Seattle did contain the run game, and against an explosive attack.
I don't know. I'm petering out. This is all settling on me. This is amazing, exhausting, amazing.
Full tape run down this week, in double time to preview next week's matchup.
NEXT WEEK"S MATCHUP!