- I didn't explain the "win meaningful games" part very well, although I have hammered this nail a lot in the last few years, so those of you who have read every Joe already know it: The Seahawks have just been a really bad playoff team since 2015. Of those teams that consistently make the playoffs, I'm not sure any of them except maybe the Steelers(?) have been as bad in January. I've always said that the key to winning more playoff games is to win more regular season games though. The Seahawks are a really bad ROAD playoff team, which is going to be true of almost any franchise. The problem is that the Seahawks have stopped competing for the number one seed. One reason they've not been competing for that is that they aren't as consistently good as the 49ers and Rams. And one reason for that is that the Seahawks don't beat good teams in November and December.
It's time for the Seahawks to start beating good teams in the second half of the year, so they can win the division, so they can get a higher seed, so they can avoid the road in the playoffs, so they can win playoff games!
I hope Coach Mack has an answer to all the flags that will fly after every jarring hit gets us backed up 15 yards against a new 1st down. For every one of these, I feel my love of the game diminishes just a tad more. I pray officials have dealt with this, as last year it was getting stupid. How do you play aggressive domineering football with out hard hitting? Maybe the lead official can get a nod from the replay folks and lift the flag? And that adds another to the long list of Start/Stops. Unless it is fixed, guys like Blair and Spoon must learn ballet. I wonder what the stats say on total Forced Fumbles? My bet is they are down, especially compared to the LOB years.
Nice to see Marquise Blair back on the field with the Seahawks… I have no idea what he can contribute but to come back after the injuries he has had takes some ++ perseverance.
And for sure the Seahawks need to get to *at least* the top half of the league on D in order to be a “good” team this year. I think the odds are pretty good they will get there by the end of the season. Improvement on the OL beyond “middle of the pack” will take some injury luck.
The Hawks D will be better this year because it could hardly get any worse!
Part of the problem the last few years was the players but part was the scheme. It was like, " God forbid the defense should try to confuse the opponents offense".
I like the new staffs schemes on both sides of the ball. It may take a while for this all to jell but 500 ball is a good bet for 24.
And I will say again, like I do to my sons when they ask me who's going to the SB..tell me who gets injured and for how long and I'll give you my best guess.
Alright. That's it. I am heading out to the Casino to slam down $100 on Seattle winning more than 7 games. Okay, more than 8 games (over 500). I need to feel invested to properly focus my concerns. Consider me a huge Schneider fan. The man identified our weak points and made corrections. I suspect more corrections are about to come. That's his Super Power.
RT may be more important than in the past, but that tackle doesn’t have to protect the QB’s blind side against edge rushers. Until QBs are routinely ambidextrous, LT will be the most important position on the OL and arguably the second-most important offensive position.
Right?!? It feels like a foregone conclusion that Damien Lewis is on his way to multiple pro bowls. Although I'd also be critical if they'd have kept him at that price, so good luck making me happy.
If the team has a poor year, I believe that JS has to go. MM should get a few (2, maybe 3 if improving) years to work with his team and get the players he wants before thinking of replacing him. These players on the team now are JS’ guys and the hatchet should be dangling over his head. I hope that this is a good season and all this is moot. I’ll also say that I wanted JS gone after last season, and still do, not a fan whatsoever of his; I believe he will hamper the Seahawks.
In 2023 the Seahawks had a makeshift O-line that actually improved a wee bit over the season when a 40-something semi-retired player was coaxed off the couch.
The defense couldn’t stop anyone at all. And they couldn’t get off the field.
And yet they ended the season 9-8. Let’s just ponder that. As crappy as parts of the team were, they still had a winning record.
This year’s D will be better, if for no other reason than they really couldn’t get any worse.
But I expect a middle of the pack D this season. Inconsistent early,,and coming on strong late in the season.
And there you have it - an article that perfectly sums up the state of the Seahawks. Pete wasn’t fired because of Geno or personnel decisions, or the fact that he lost touch with the game. Pete was fired because the defense sucked and despite all of the moves wasn’t getting better.
OK. There’s some hard truth spoken on solid hills. You ain’t wrong. The standard of excellence needs to be upheld no matter what. If mediocre is what you expect from your professional football team then I guess Phoenix is your kind of town. Nah not here.
The defense should be better this year. They'll be less predictable, and they have what should be a very good secondary. If the front 7 can reasonably deal with the running game, and apply occasional pressure, that should be enough. More turnovers and better on 3rd downs makes the offense better as they get more snaps against the opposition's defense.
They'll likely have some bad sequences while learning the new scheme, but that should improve over the course of the season. I'm hoping for fewer penalties as well, as Mike Mac doesn't seem like the kind of guy who just shrugs those things off like Pete did.
The o-line is definitely still a work in progress, but there are pieces there. We just have to see which of them proves to be a capable starter. Hopefully there's a gem or two in the mix that will surface.
Having now watched a bit more of the Ravens D, I understand that NT most of the time is a misnomer. If they want to play a true 3-4 base then they need to get/have a True NT- since they don't and more than likely won't, what I see is more of a 4-2-5 most of the time. Something I have been calling for since the late/mid nineties. I do not see anyway that the Hawks D is not allot better than last years version. They could move up as far as the low teens in ranking I believe, IF the line does its job/ what MM envisions for them and the LB's stay healthy. I do not see any issues with the back end of this D at all! SO NOW we are back to the O-line- Mostly /probably Center and RG , if they solidify that even just 75% for this year, the offense should also be better/more consistent. Hand in hand as a team means a better win record and a foray into the playoffs!
SEA MORE COMMENTS:
- I didn't explain the "win meaningful games" part very well, although I have hammered this nail a lot in the last few years, so those of you who have read every Joe already know it: The Seahawks have just been a really bad playoff team since 2015. Of those teams that consistently make the playoffs, I'm not sure any of them except maybe the Steelers(?) have been as bad in January. I've always said that the key to winning more playoff games is to win more regular season games though. The Seahawks are a really bad ROAD playoff team, which is going to be true of almost any franchise. The problem is that the Seahawks have stopped competing for the number one seed. One reason they've not been competing for that is that they aren't as consistently good as the 49ers and Rams. And one reason for that is that the Seahawks don't beat good teams in November and December.
It's time for the Seahawks to start beating good teams in the second half of the year, so they can win the division, so they can get a higher seed, so they can avoid the road in the playoffs, so they can win playoff games!
I hope Coach Mack has an answer to all the flags that will fly after every jarring hit gets us backed up 15 yards against a new 1st down. For every one of these, I feel my love of the game diminishes just a tad more. I pray officials have dealt with this, as last year it was getting stupid. How do you play aggressive domineering football with out hard hitting? Maybe the lead official can get a nod from the replay folks and lift the flag? And that adds another to the long list of Start/Stops. Unless it is fixed, guys like Blair and Spoon must learn ballet. I wonder what the stats say on total Forced Fumbles? My bet is they are down, especially compared to the LOB years.
Nice to see Marquise Blair back on the field with the Seahawks… I have no idea what he can contribute but to come back after the injuries he has had takes some ++ perseverance.
And for sure the Seahawks need to get to *at least* the top half of the league on D in order to be a “good” team this year. I think the odds are pretty good they will get there by the end of the season. Improvement on the OL beyond “middle of the pack” will take some injury luck.
The Hawks D will be better this year because it could hardly get any worse!
Part of the problem the last few years was the players but part was the scheme. It was like, " God forbid the defense should try to confuse the opponents offense".
I like the new staffs schemes on both sides of the ball. It may take a while for this all to jell but 500 ball is a good bet for 24.
And I will say again, like I do to my sons when they ask me who's going to the SB..tell me who gets injured and for how long and I'll give you my best guess.
Alright. That's it. I am heading out to the Casino to slam down $100 on Seattle winning more than 7 games. Okay, more than 8 games (over 500). I need to feel invested to properly focus my concerns. Consider me a huge Schneider fan. The man identified our weak points and made corrections. I suspect more corrections are about to come. That's his Super Power.
Additions at LB. and right OL if Lucas can't go. Would like to see TEs integrated into the O more. Good depth elsewhere.
RT may be more important than in the past, but that tackle doesn’t have to protect the QB’s blind side against edge rushers. Until QBs are routinely ambidextrous, LT will be the most important position on the OL and arguably the second-most important offensive position.
As long as Holton Ahlers isn't the QB!
Or Ken Stabler!
https://youtu.be/Gh2bNMK58UA?si=LWoTdEz7WojNLXtE
Charles Cross being good would be great! If he is good, maybe we extend him before he becomes great.
Just once I would love to see the hawks spend years to develop an offensive lineman and then actually retain him as a starter with a second contract
Right?!? It feels like a foregone conclusion that Damien Lewis is on his way to multiple pro bowls. Although I'd also be critical if they'd have kept him at that price, so good luck making me happy.
I'm now kind of looking forward to the pessimistic survey after the Seahawks first loss of the season
If the team has a poor year, I believe that JS has to go. MM should get a few (2, maybe 3 if improving) years to work with his team and get the players he wants before thinking of replacing him. These players on the team now are JS’ guys and the hatchet should be dangling over his head. I hope that this is a good season and all this is moot. I’ll also say that I wanted JS gone after last season, and still do, not a fan whatsoever of his; I believe he will hamper the Seahawks.
Even if this year doesn't turn out like we all hope JS needs and deserves at least one more year, IMHO- before we even think of getting rid of him.
Go Big D! L.O.K.! (Legion Of Kaboom)
I keep coming back to:
In 2023 the Seahawks had a makeshift O-line that actually improved a wee bit over the season when a 40-something semi-retired player was coaxed off the couch.
The defense couldn’t stop anyone at all. And they couldn’t get off the field.
And yet they ended the season 9-8. Let’s just ponder that. As crappy as parts of the team were, they still had a winning record.
This year’s D will be better, if for no other reason than they really couldn’t get any worse.
But I expect a middle of the pack D this season. Inconsistent early,,and coming on strong late in the season.
To me, that equates to a better record.
Your mileage may vary.
It also was due to some excellent special teams. Which reminds me, why let Larry Izzo go? He's arguably the best ST coach in the league.
And there you have it - an article that perfectly sums up the state of the Seahawks. Pete wasn’t fired because of Geno or personnel decisions, or the fact that he lost touch with the game. Pete was fired because the defense sucked and despite all of the moves wasn’t getting better.
OK. There’s some hard truth spoken on solid hills. You ain’t wrong. The standard of excellence needs to be upheld no matter what. If mediocre is what you expect from your professional football team then I guess Phoenix is your kind of town. Nah not here.
The defense should be better this year. They'll be less predictable, and they have what should be a very good secondary. If the front 7 can reasonably deal with the running game, and apply occasional pressure, that should be enough. More turnovers and better on 3rd downs makes the offense better as they get more snaps against the opposition's defense.
They'll likely have some bad sequences while learning the new scheme, but that should improve over the course of the season. I'm hoping for fewer penalties as well, as Mike Mac doesn't seem like the kind of guy who just shrugs those things off like Pete did.
The o-line is definitely still a work in progress, but there are pieces there. We just have to see which of them proves to be a capable starter. Hopefully there's a gem or two in the mix that will surface.
Having now watched a bit more of the Ravens D, I understand that NT most of the time is a misnomer. If they want to play a true 3-4 base then they need to get/have a True NT- since they don't and more than likely won't, what I see is more of a 4-2-5 most of the time. Something I have been calling for since the late/mid nineties. I do not see anyway that the Hawks D is not allot better than last years version. They could move up as far as the low teens in ranking I believe, IF the line does its job/ what MM envisions for them and the LB's stay healthy. I do not see any issues with the back end of this D at all! SO NOW we are back to the O-line- Mostly /probably Center and RG , if they solidify that even just 75% for this year, the offense should also be better/more consistent. Hand in hand as a team means a better win record and a foray into the playoffs!
Finally my birthday 1976!