I'm here, and hope to read all 93 comments, by which time, SSJ will have written another article, and it all starts over again. That's great, but leaves me with nothing to say. I'm here and I am watching and reading.
Super fun win. I was annoyed by the turnovers. It's like for some reason the ball is getting away whenever the defense makes a great stop for a turnover on downs only to have the ball given right back. I hope this isn't one of those intangible knacks that occurs with the offense. I am certain that my annoyance is a huge red alert for the coaching staff to clean that up. I totally trust that they are addressing it big time.
After 24 hours later, I am not annoyed any longer as much as I'm just basking in another dominant victory. So cool to see our team develop this fast under MM in just 1.5 seasons. This feels like great coaching. To have all these injuries to key players and to have the next man up is such a testament to the coaching. In bad teams you'll see an individual (like a Myles Garret) dominate but the rest of the team not winning. With our team it's a complete concerted effort. When someone gets a sack it's a total team achievement and not only because of the individual. That's some fine coaching. That's what's turning heads around the league. Collectively we got something nice brewing here.
Never have been a PFF believer for a bunch of reasons, but thought it would be interesting to share their Mid-Season All-Pro Team.
On offense:
Darnold is League MVP and QB1 (!). Stafford is #2, so next week's game is for all the PFF marbles
And, JSN is Offensive Player Of The Year and WR1
On defense:
....
....
(crickets)
No one.
Yep. The best (or nearly best) defense in the NFL by most advanced stats, has no one on the team, nor an honorable mention on the team. Not even Williams or Murphy II which is unfathomable to me but I guess the Cameron Heywards of the day die hard
Dickson is Punter #2 though so at least some recognition for also the top or near-top special team in the league
Leaguewide, the narrative for this year is "parity parity parity." I see it as a year with a ton of good teams and bad teams, with relatively few ok teams.
Going on winning percentages, last year 9 teams finished with a .600 or better winning percentage, 12 finished between 600 and 400, and 11 finished sub.400.
This year we have 13 .600 or better teams, 7 between 600 and 400, and 12 poop teams.
Drake Thomas looked like Troy Polamalu when he blew up that 3rd and 1 play. Don't matter if you have short arms if blockers can't lay a finger on you and your instincts are that good
Great win for the Seahawks as they continue to improve each week!
Sad day for Seattle though as we lost Lenny Wilkins. He was one of the most important figures in Seattle sports history and a compassionate and thoughtful human being!
I love watching the new, young stars, but get a twinge as each of my childhood heroes drop one by one.
Sorry to be the downer in the room, but Lenny was too special to ignore!
I don't care about the 2nd half. We threw 2 passes in an entire half. Clearly MM and KK were just wanting to get the game done as fast as possible. So the Offense shut down. And the Defence basically shut down as well. Their second half was a lot more basic shows and coverages. Game was over, get out without injury and without showing off more than you need to.
They know the Rams are the big match up. And they got two more quarters to prep for it than expected.
We needed to simplify things for Sam, especially when launching from inside their 5. Next week, he best wear his lucky socks. Olu may be our needed blessing in the run? He's the Unseen factor the Rams must prep for. I like his resume. Let's trust he's found his fuse.
I have to believe the second half was mostly about getting to the end of the game without any major injuries, so for a variety of reasons we had guys doing things they haven't done for real (at least for a while)...which ends up with center exchange issues.
I also wonder what y'all believe to ber the best tactical way is to approach a second half like that. You want the point differential, but I don't THINK you want to put up four more TDs to humiliate an opponent. Beat them soundly, yes. But humiliate? That's a thin line that leads to cheap shots and long-term animosity. Unkind and unprofessional. I may not be typing that right this morning, but it seems like a weird management problem tied into the energy flows of highly competitive athletes.
I recall some of the past Belichick coached teams running up the score in several games. I also recall the negative reactions from some of the opposing players and coaches. To continue throwing up long bombs and the like felt mean spirited with an intent to humiliate the opponent.
I think MM approached the 2nd half perfectly. The approach was classy and did not tromp on the Cardinal's players/coaches dignity.
Thanks for your thoughts here as I was also thinking about the same things leading into the 2nd half.
Within some of unfortunate plays of the second half, it would be easy to lose the perspective of how dominant a game that was.
- The Seahawks crushed their opponent before the second quarter was a minute old.
- The Seattle defense attacked for 2 quarters, and played for 2 additional quarters. I'm not saying they didn't play hard....they did. But Mike MacDonald showed the Rams nothing in the second half.
- Seattle's backups made so many great plays I lost track. Thomas was fantastic. Knight was as well. Emmanwori was all over the place....sometimes in a good way, sometimes less so, but makes several impactful plays every week, and some that few other players could make. Prichard looked more than capable, and made one exceptional play in the end zone, preventing a TD. Okada looked fierce!
- I've said on more than one occasion that I didn't think Woolen was a Mike MacDonald guy. He's desperately trying to prove me wrong. And I'd be ok with that.
- I think the Seahawks only threw the ball twice in the second half. Once to the opposition, and once to JSN. I might be off by one. Is anyone else impressed by that?
- We destroyed an opponent and only threw the ball 12 times, while running it 46. Forty-six runs! I think that's astounding for a Seahawk team. If you'd have told me that pre-game, I would have assumed both Darnold and Lock had been injured.
- I see in the comments everyone is pretty impressed by how well the defensive 'backups' are playing, and rightfully so. Credit to those young men. But I think the coaching staff deserves a ton of credit as well. They had to get them ready to play at that level. To know their assignments, and to play fast and physical. To be confident. Very impressive.
- I forget when I started to notice it in the second half, but the Seahawks defense was beating the living crap out of the Cardinals offense. I mean, guys were out of breath, slow getting up, and just generally looking like they had had about enough. McBride looked like he wanted to throw up several times, on and off the field. I mentioned it in the chat, I would be surprised if they don't get beaten badly again next week.
The Rams are playing well, so they'll be a handful next week. I think we'll be a bigger handful, and for all 4 quarters. Stafford better get his sleep.
Solid highlights, Chris. Let's recognize Stafford is less mobile than Bessent, making him a sure target for Knight's Law. Once is amazing. Twice is design. Sleep on that...
2nd half screwups aside, Hawks play like a well coached team. At his best, Darnold really threads the needle and runs the O well - I didn't know he was this capable. BUT
Next week's the Rams. McVay owns the Hawks until proven different. McVay owned Darnold in last year's playoff. Blitz city left Sam dazed and confused. I think Hawks finally have a staff that can match McVay's game planning. If Hawks execute all four quarters, it'll be heckuva game.
I don’t want to be a downer, but I wasn’t that impressed with the 2nd half other than the D in the red zone.
If we don’t get a great start, I hope it doesn’t become an issue because we appear to have a habit of taking the pedal off the gas and looking a lot more sloppy. Bad habits become hard to change. We need to finish games like we start. We’ll need to be better next week. A better team will make us pay.
So, for the second half, don't run up the score when we don't need to, as mentioned by some others. Run the offense to rest the defense for the important game next week. Let the backups play, good for team moral. If you look at the snap counts not many people played over 75%.
There was some stuff written about what a great game Staffor had. He had to throw a lot and have a great game because that game was close. They let the 49ers get to within 8 points. They were up by 22 and the 49ers scored one more time. LA had to keep the pedal to the metal, the 49ers kept coming. We didn't need to.
I wonder how much weight we can put on a 2nd half where the score is 38-7. Or frankly anything beyond the first quarter where (basically) the score is 35-0. Pretty much everything goes to vanilla plays, player rotations and run and run and run and run out the clock. 12 passing plays total? 2 passes in the entire 2nd half (and still with EVERYONE knowing a run was coming, we ran for 127 in the 2nd half?). I felt bad for JSN having his streak of 100 yd games getting broken. And I felt bad for the starting OL which was out there the whole game pretty much. Other than that, can we really even worry about the 2nd half? For me it was just get this over with and nobody get hurt
That’s my point. We get too blasé about our lead and we go vanilla. There’s the real possibility that it becomes habit. Then, when we need to play at our best, we’ll won’t know how because we’ve practiced so much at being vanilla. Also, some of our best players are not running the game out. This could be disastrous come playoff time if their bodies aren’t used to playing full, competitive games. I just don’t think it’s wise to drop off at any time.
Yeah the downside of those scoop-and-score gifts is we give the ball right back to them, have to go right back out and stop them again, without a breather.
Not to pick nits with you, but if the Eagles lose to the Packers Monday Hawks will be 7-2, Eagles will be 6-3, so Hawks will be No 1 seed.
It is just amazing to see how all the players (starters and “ready squad”) are getting to play and have an impact - great day for Woolen, Pritchett saved a touchdown, Okada was lights out on several plays, and Tyrice Knight almost single-handedly ended the game in the first half with 2 strip sacks resulting in 14 points, Holani making yards and scoring his first TD! We are developing quality depth at many positions which is always necessary in the oft injured enterprise that is the NFL.
It also is the best thing for building team chemistry, confidence and cohesion, which it appears the Hawks have in abundance.
Would anyone wish for the return of PeteCarroll, Geno Smith and DK?
Great moves by John Schneider, and unbelievable coaching by Coach Mc!
So much fun to be a Hawks fan and gather with my Buds each week to watch them dismantle their opponents.
Serious test next week at the Rams…the defining contest of this season so far, for sure!
Of note was Buddha Baker donning war paint and urging his guys to dig deeper in the 3rd quarter. We gave them a 3 and out. The Men are ready. The Coaches need be readier.
Yeah I suffered through Oakland/Denver game to watch Pete and Geno (nothing to add that the press hasn't already said about Pete and Geno, sad almost to watch) and then the Pittsburgh game last night for one reason only -- wanted to see what DK could do as a #1 WR. The answer is next to nothing. There at the end on a 4th down play, they isolated him 1:1 and he did some nonsensical jitterstep that did nothing other than bend some blades of grass, and then predictably headed for the pylon completely blanketed by the corner who easily tied him up, and Rodgers' pass fell harmlessly to the ground (he's toast too, btw). The difference between DK and JSN at getting open and at converting 3rd downs is astounding. Literally in a different league. Maybe that can be said about anyone compared to JSN, but DK getting 5/$150?? Holy shit would that have been insanity.
Pete's out of gas and ineffective, Geno's a shell of his Seattle self (or he's back to his original self), and DK to quote ESPN this morning "has the look of a fringe WR2".
And now (sadly) I read that if Dart can't go next week due to concussion protocol, that Jameis Winston will get the start over Russ, decision taken by Mike Kafka the new Giants interim HC.
Getting to a point where he can't even pretend to be involved in anything anymore, and that's at the 2-8 Giants.
Mr. Unlimited and his bubble water or whatever that was
Bad teams trade players for future assets (note I define the Geno and DK trades as trades for current assets not future), and I'm glad they hung onto Riq and Mafe. As today showed, even if Riq and Mafe aren't stars, they make valuable contributions... and at this point in the year, depth is what keeps the train going. And really, Riq was outstanding today... PBU's, tackles, etc.
MM may retire a man, but won't be tossing anyone away. JS won't ruin the Budget to keep someone, so we can expect Wild Money will draw off talent. As we are seeing, our next men up are bringing an elite game when rude changes occur, so the fall off is minimal. Sometimes better. Now the question becomes: How much will it take to draw a player away from us? JS and MM are building future Champions beyond just this year. Who would want to leave Winning and Innovation? They are writing the PHD Book.
Yes!! One of the best things about this game was watching Riq suddenly looking like his rookie year again, fantastic coverage and restoring my faith in humanity. And Mafe (and Hall) wreaking havoc. Was SO good to see that, hopefully carries over to Rams bc we'll need all three of them playing lights out
These kinds of games are always weird. Big early lead and then you're sort of just hanging on as the momentum shifts. But these Hawks didn't really do that. They kept bringing it. The defense rose to the occasion time and again. The offense kept adding points. JSN is otherworldly. Happy to see him for a play in the second half. Did we have 3 running backs who made over 60 yards?
I'm here, and hope to read all 93 comments, by which time, SSJ will have written another article, and it all starts over again. That's great, but leaves me with nothing to say. I'm here and I am watching and reading.
Super fun win. I was annoyed by the turnovers. It's like for some reason the ball is getting away whenever the defense makes a great stop for a turnover on downs only to have the ball given right back. I hope this isn't one of those intangible knacks that occurs with the offense. I am certain that my annoyance is a huge red alert for the coaching staff to clean that up. I totally trust that they are addressing it big time.
After 24 hours later, I am not annoyed any longer as much as I'm just basking in another dominant victory. So cool to see our team develop this fast under MM in just 1.5 seasons. This feels like great coaching. To have all these injuries to key players and to have the next man up is such a testament to the coaching. In bad teams you'll see an individual (like a Myles Garret) dominate but the rest of the team not winning. With our team it's a complete concerted effort. When someone gets a sack it's a total team achievement and not only because of the individual. That's some fine coaching. That's what's turning heads around the league. Collectively we got something nice brewing here.
Never have been a PFF believer for a bunch of reasons, but thought it would be interesting to share their Mid-Season All-Pro Team.
On offense:
Darnold is League MVP and QB1 (!). Stafford is #2, so next week's game is for all the PFF marbles
And, JSN is Offensive Player Of The Year and WR1
On defense:
....
....
(crickets)
No one.
Yep. The best (or nearly best) defense in the NFL by most advanced stats, has no one on the team, nor an honorable mention on the team. Not even Williams or Murphy II which is unfathomable to me but I guess the Cameron Heywards of the day die hard
Dickson is Punter #2 though so at least some recognition for also the top or near-top special team in the league
Old saying…. A Win, is a Win….
It was a blowout!
A blowout is a blowout?
Leaguewide, the narrative for this year is "parity parity parity." I see it as a year with a ton of good teams and bad teams, with relatively few ok teams.
Going on winning percentages, last year 9 teams finished with a .600 or better winning percentage, 12 finished between 600 and 400, and 11 finished sub.400.
This year we have 13 .600 or better teams, 7 between 600 and 400, and 12 poop teams.
Drake Thomas looked like Troy Polamalu when he blew up that 3rd and 1 play. Don't matter if you have short arms if blockers can't lay a finger on you and your instincts are that good
Good catch on the general level of teams across the NFL.
Smells Like Bean Spirit, are you sayin' Drake Thomas is similar to a T-Rex ?
Great win for the Seahawks as they continue to improve each week!
Sad day for Seattle though as we lost Lenny Wilkins. He was one of the most important figures in Seattle sports history and a compassionate and thoughtful human being!
I love watching the new, young stars, but get a twinge as each of my childhood heroes drop one by one.
Sorry to be the downer in the room, but Lenny was too special to ignore!
Best to gear up for the next adventure, when it all gets Very Real.
I don't care about the 2nd half. We threw 2 passes in an entire half. Clearly MM and KK were just wanting to get the game done as fast as possible. So the Offense shut down. And the Defence basically shut down as well. Their second half was a lot more basic shows and coverages. Game was over, get out without injury and without showing off more than you need to.
They know the Rams are the big match up. And they got two more quarters to prep for it than expected.
We needed to simplify things for Sam, especially when launching from inside their 5. Next week, he best wear his lucky socks. Olu may be our needed blessing in the run? He's the Unseen factor the Rams must prep for. I like his resume. Let's trust he's found his fuse.
I have to believe the second half was mostly about getting to the end of the game without any major injuries, so for a variety of reasons we had guys doing things they haven't done for real (at least for a while)...which ends up with center exchange issues.
I also wonder what y'all believe to ber the best tactical way is to approach a second half like that. You want the point differential, but I don't THINK you want to put up four more TDs to humiliate an opponent. Beat them soundly, yes. But humiliate? That's a thin line that leads to cheap shots and long-term animosity. Unkind and unprofessional. I may not be typing that right this morning, but it seems like a weird management problem tied into the energy flows of highly competitive athletes.
I recall some of the past Belichick coached teams running up the score in several games. I also recall the negative reactions from some of the opposing players and coaches. To continue throwing up long bombs and the like felt mean spirited with an intent to humiliate the opponent.
I think MM approached the 2nd half perfectly. The approach was classy and did not tromp on the Cardinal's players/coaches dignity.
Thanks for your thoughts here as I was also thinking about the same things leading into the 2nd half.
Well said, Fella's.
Within some of unfortunate plays of the second half, it would be easy to lose the perspective of how dominant a game that was.
- The Seahawks crushed their opponent before the second quarter was a minute old.
- The Seattle defense attacked for 2 quarters, and played for 2 additional quarters. I'm not saying they didn't play hard....they did. But Mike MacDonald showed the Rams nothing in the second half.
- Seattle's backups made so many great plays I lost track. Thomas was fantastic. Knight was as well. Emmanwori was all over the place....sometimes in a good way, sometimes less so, but makes several impactful plays every week, and some that few other players could make. Prichard looked more than capable, and made one exceptional play in the end zone, preventing a TD. Okada looked fierce!
- I've said on more than one occasion that I didn't think Woolen was a Mike MacDonald guy. He's desperately trying to prove me wrong. And I'd be ok with that.
- I think the Seahawks only threw the ball twice in the second half. Once to the opposition, and once to JSN. I might be off by one. Is anyone else impressed by that?
- We destroyed an opponent and only threw the ball 12 times, while running it 46. Forty-six runs! I think that's astounding for a Seahawk team. If you'd have told me that pre-game, I would have assumed both Darnold and Lock had been injured.
- I see in the comments everyone is pretty impressed by how well the defensive 'backups' are playing, and rightfully so. Credit to those young men. But I think the coaching staff deserves a ton of credit as well. They had to get them ready to play at that level. To know their assignments, and to play fast and physical. To be confident. Very impressive.
- I forget when I started to notice it in the second half, but the Seahawks defense was beating the living crap out of the Cardinals offense. I mean, guys were out of breath, slow getting up, and just generally looking like they had had about enough. McBride looked like he wanted to throw up several times, on and off the field. I mentioned it in the chat, I would be surprised if they don't get beaten badly again next week.
The Rams are playing well, so they'll be a handful next week. I think we'll be a bigger handful, and for all 4 quarters. Stafford better get his sleep.
12 to 46 is pretty amazing.
Solid highlights, Chris. Let's recognize Stafford is less mobile than Bessent, making him a sure target for Knight's Law. Once is amazing. Twice is design. Sleep on that...
"Stafford better get his sleep."
Stafford, tossing 'n turning ~
"Can't remember my dreams, but am soaked with cold sweat !"
2nd half screwups aside, Hawks play like a well coached team. At his best, Darnold really threads the needle and runs the O well - I didn't know he was this capable. BUT
Next week's the Rams. McVay owns the Hawks until proven different. McVay owned Darnold in last year's playoff. Blitz city left Sam dazed and confused. I think Hawks finally have a staff that can match McVay's game planning. If Hawks execute all four quarters, it'll be heckuva game.
Enter Olu. The Run starts there.
I don’t want to be a downer, but I wasn’t that impressed with the 2nd half other than the D in the red zone.
If we don’t get a great start, I hope it doesn’t become an issue because we appear to have a habit of taking the pedal off the gas and looking a lot more sloppy. Bad habits become hard to change. We need to finish games like we start. We’ll need to be better next week. A better team will make us pay.
Basically, the game was over by halftime.
So, for the second half, don't run up the score when we don't need to, as mentioned by some others. Run the offense to rest the defense for the important game next week. Let the backups play, good for team moral. If you look at the snap counts not many people played over 75%.
There was some stuff written about what a great game Staffor had. He had to throw a lot and have a great game because that game was close. They let the 49ers get to within 8 points. They were up by 22 and the 49ers scored one more time. LA had to keep the pedal to the metal, the 49ers kept coming. We didn't need to.
See my reply to Zenzinhom400 above.
I wonder how much weight we can put on a 2nd half where the score is 38-7. Or frankly anything beyond the first quarter where (basically) the score is 35-0. Pretty much everything goes to vanilla plays, player rotations and run and run and run and run out the clock. 12 passing plays total? 2 passes in the entire 2nd half (and still with EVERYONE knowing a run was coming, we ran for 127 in the 2nd half?). I felt bad for JSN having his streak of 100 yd games getting broken. And I felt bad for the starting OL which was out there the whole game pretty much. Other than that, can we really even worry about the 2nd half? For me it was just get this over with and nobody get hurt
That’s my point. We get too blasé about our lead and we go vanilla. There’s the real possibility that it becomes habit. Then, when we need to play at our best, we’ll won’t know how because we’ve practiced so much at being vanilla. Also, some of our best players are not running the game out. This could be disastrous come playoff time if their bodies aren’t used to playing full, competitive games. I just don’t think it’s wise to drop off at any time.
Yup. After 1st half, I hoped for mostly 2nd, 3rd string in Q4. Without 2 scoop and score gifts, it was 30 - 22.
And next week Rams are favored over Hawks!
Yeah the downside of those scoop-and-score gifts is we give the ball right back to them, have to go right back out and stop them again, without a breather.
SSJ,
Not to pick nits with you, but if the Eagles lose to the Packers Monday Hawks will be 7-2, Eagles will be 6-3, so Hawks will be No 1 seed.
It is just amazing to see how all the players (starters and “ready squad”) are getting to play and have an impact - great day for Woolen, Pritchett saved a touchdown, Okada was lights out on several plays, and Tyrice Knight almost single-handedly ended the game in the first half with 2 strip sacks resulting in 14 points, Holani making yards and scoring his first TD! We are developing quality depth at many positions which is always necessary in the oft injured enterprise that is the NFL.
It also is the best thing for building team chemistry, confidence and cohesion, which it appears the Hawks have in abundance.
Would anyone wish for the return of PeteCarroll, Geno Smith and DK?
Great moves by John Schneider, and unbelievable coaching by Coach Mc!
So much fun to be a Hawks fan and gather with my Buds each week to watch them dismantle their opponents.
Serious test next week at the Rams…the defining contest of this season so far, for sure!
Go Hawks!
Of note was Buddha Baker donning war paint and urging his guys to dig deeper in the 3rd quarter. We gave them a 3 and out. The Men are ready. The Coaches need be readier.
Yeah I suffered through Oakland/Denver game to watch Pete and Geno (nothing to add that the press hasn't already said about Pete and Geno, sad almost to watch) and then the Pittsburgh game last night for one reason only -- wanted to see what DK could do as a #1 WR. The answer is next to nothing. There at the end on a 4th down play, they isolated him 1:1 and he did some nonsensical jitterstep that did nothing other than bend some blades of grass, and then predictably headed for the pylon completely blanketed by the corner who easily tied him up, and Rodgers' pass fell harmlessly to the ground (he's toast too, btw). The difference between DK and JSN at getting open and at converting 3rd downs is astounding. Literally in a different league. Maybe that can be said about anyone compared to JSN, but DK getting 5/$150?? Holy shit would that have been insanity.
Pete's out of gas and ineffective, Geno's a shell of his Seattle self (or he's back to his original self), and DK to quote ESPN this morning "has the look of a fringe WR2".
Nice job Mr. Schneider!!
And now (sadly) I read that if Dart can't go next week due to concussion protocol, that Jameis Winston will get the start over Russ, decision taken by Mike Kafka the new Giants interim HC.
Getting to a point where he can't even pretend to be involved in anything anymore, and that's at the 2-8 Giants.
Mr. Unlimited and his bubble water or whatever that was
Danno pointed out Mr. Almost is an athlete playing at football.
Need to protect the ball better for sure.
Bad teams trade players for future assets (note I define the Geno and DK trades as trades for current assets not future), and I'm glad they hung onto Riq and Mafe. As today showed, even if Riq and Mafe aren't stars, they make valuable contributions... and at this point in the year, depth is what keeps the train going. And really, Riq was outstanding today... PBU's, tackles, etc.
MM may retire a man, but won't be tossing anyone away. JS won't ruin the Budget to keep someone, so we can expect Wild Money will draw off talent. As we are seeing, our next men up are bringing an elite game when rude changes occur, so the fall off is minimal. Sometimes better. Now the question becomes: How much will it take to draw a player away from us? JS and MM are building future Champions beyond just this year. Who would want to leave Winning and Innovation? They are writing the PHD Book.
Yes!! One of the best things about this game was watching Riq suddenly looking like his rookie year again, fantastic coverage and restoring my faith in humanity. And Mafe (and Hall) wreaking havoc. Was SO good to see that, hopefully carries over to Rams bc we'll need all three of them playing lights out
It was good Riq was being mentioned for the right reasons for a change.
These kinds of games are always weird. Big early lead and then you're sort of just hanging on as the momentum shifts. But these Hawks didn't really do that. They kept bringing it. The defense rose to the occasion time and again. The offense kept adding points. JSN is otherworldly. Happy to see him for a play in the second half. Did we have 3 running backs who made over 60 yards?
Buckle up. This ride is going to be fun.
So I've changed my tune on Woolen. I thought they'd get rid of him for lack of physicality and bonehead plays. Now it looks like he's developing.