LOVE the "in your face" gif for Alanis' video of the song "Ironic"!
If y'all don't know, the song is often picked at for being called "Ironic" and desrcibing many situations in life which actually do not fit the definition of irony. So, the "in your face" is particularly hilarious because SSJ is using the word "irony" correctly, and takes a victory lap at Alanis' expense here. 100% on point!
I’ll admit I was one who thought Geno deserved more time, and I was skeptical about Sam. SSJ did a masterful job of daylighting the financial side of the QB puzzle. I’m not as deep into all the intricacies of the business side of NFL world, …. But I’m learning.
Said it before, but I’ll say it again. We should fear nothing and nobody. Line them up and if they don’t bring their A game, their chances are slim. We just have to avoid beating ourselves with turnovers and penalties. If we do that, we’ll play everyone tough and should win more than our share of games. This feels entirely sustainable.
As a topic for another day, I wonder if there is a reason why JSN is breaking out this season rather than last. Is it because JSN needed those first few seasons to develop? Because the offensive scheme didn't suit him (like sending DK deep rather than him)? Bad chemistry with Geno?
I'm sure there is no definitive answer, but I still wonder.
It's totally fair to wonder what might have been last year if he was in different circumstances. He did have some of his best games when DK didn't play, so there's that.
Yeah I think you hit the nail on a couple of heads. Better OC, more opportunities, more time in the league, and if we don't say "better QB" we can probably at least say that the relationship with Darnold got started without a single hitch.
It was a topic all through last season that JSN looked really good, but was just being totally misused by Grubb and his pretty awful offense. Hopefully most of us SSJ followers all knew this season was going to be JSN becoming National news and not just 'Hawks Fans news.
Not inclined specifically to say much about his chemistry with Geno, because i think it was there, it's just hard to gain yards off screens without blockers. Geno in this scheme would probably have improved as well.
Basically, damn Grubb was not good. Feels like a while since we had a good OC! Keeping Klubiak more than two years is going to be *tough*!
I agree about KK, but he's not perfect either. I would like to see him stay for perhaps three or four more years to fully perfect his craft and then move on, allowing our next offensive genius to take over the OC position. Meanwhile, JS, the Mad Scientist that he is, continues to draft better than anybody else in the NFL. This would result in five or six SB's in a row, and by then, I'll be in my late 80's, dementia will have set in, and I won't care too much about the NFL at that point. Life will just kind of suck, but I'll die happy. Go Hawks!
Need to give Kubiak cash and security to give him a reason to stay. Hell, I’d even see if he would care for the title of Assistant Head Coach - Offense. You can’t stop a guy from taking a promotion, but any OC knows if you take a job with a lousy team (say Titans) and don’t have success within 2 years, you will be shown the door. Giving him an extension, guaranteed money and security might make it less likely he will go to the Jets or Titans. But if the Cowboys offer him a job, it will be tough to keep him.
Yeah, I know. I was trying to say that most HC jobs are with lousy teams and maybe it’s better to pass on those. Wait for a team that have a decent core to work with.
I’m hoping he can see a path to a Lombardi in a few more seasons in Seattle. Sure, he might land a HC gig somewhere in the next year or so, who would that be with, and what would be the timeline for that to develop into a ticket to the big dance. Stick with the hawks and ride the express elevator for the next couple seasons.
Hopefully he wants five seasons. His offense is still improving and with MM’s defense, it could be a very good fit for how they want the offense and defense to play together.
Ken, we have talked about this a few times over the years but it warrants mentioning again. Seattle needs a small group of elite players to make any movement in the post season.
As you have done such an excellent job explaining…we might have some in development currently on the roster.
I am confident in saying that JSN and Leonard Williams are all-pro players. The next group of players are who will drive us deep into the playoffs. Guys like Witherspoon, Murphy, Love, Darnold, Cross, Lucas and Barner. This group has shown they can play but we need a couple to take over their spot like JSN has this year. If we can get another transformation from someone in that group of players, we could be there.
I really appreciate the comment about hoping this is the year someone gets better. In years past it didn’t take a long time for a truly great player to be found. If we are hoping a player figures it out in say year 4….it most likely isn’t happening to the level we all would like. The type of player that I’m describing makes their presence known. We need another one or two to show up by the end of the year. Thanks for a great article.
Great post! I have to admit I’ve had this concern in the back of my mind that the hawks would soon run out of gas, and the record would go south. Getting the band back together could not happen at a better time given the looming schedule. Hoping they have their way with the rams.
I’ve wondered why they have stuck to Bradford, who to me, is too slow for the wide zone scheme, and too slow for quick DTs pass rush. On the roster you have Mason Richman and Bryce Cabeldue. The fact that neither has played for Bradford up to this point has me thinking they’re not ready. Olu has also been available to step in and move Sundell to RG, this also hasn’t happened, so maybe Olu is not as highly thought of. Josh Jones is the backup tackle but has played guard. I’ll get back to him.
On IR but probably able to return if they want to is Christian Haynes. But he lost badly to Bradford and did not look at all like he was ready to play at a starting NFL level.
On the practice squad they have Shane Lemieux who I think is a possibility, but he is listed as injured.
Josh Jones has been on the roster as backup tackle, but has been injured until now. He does have experience at guard, but I have no clue how well he can play it.
My guess is, if they don’t pick up a guard by the trade deadline, Shane Lemieux is the most likely to get a shot when he’s healthy, followed by Josh Jones.
Last year, I thought Geno didn't process information quite as quickly as an elite QB should. This year it looks like Anthony Bradford is the guy with all the athletic ability in the world, but just doesn't make the right (or any) decisions on time. Try watching the GZ video again and watching the right guard rather than Zable. AB looks lost in space more often than not.
I’m not sure if AB still has upside to his game. I hope so, and I hope it happens soon. I think it’s an agility problem for him. He’s got power, but can still be bull rushed because he is slow to set and gets beat. The defender has him on his heels and he doesn’t have the agility to get his base reset to anchor. Zabel is always getting the jump, moving his feet before the defender. Not so with AB. He also doesn’t seem to get off the double team block in the run zone blocking, and doesn’t seem to win much at all when he climbs to the second level block in the run game. He is still young and has time to get better. I don’t see him losing his job to Haynes, but you never know.
Skeptical me, I wonder if the scouting department of most teams, maybe even our own beloved Seahawks, isn't made up of a bunch of Good 'ol Boys that really haven't been challenged in years? Maybe, being a scout just kind of sucks? This is a new thought that I haven't fully developed yet.
But what if...
What if being on the road 5-6 months a year, watching college games, and college video of at least 44 guys a week just gets old? What if they just start "borrowing" from their peers, and every team starts getting the same intel from all of their scouts? Perhaps this is an area where any given team could "Up" their game and gain an advantage?
I’d say the Seahawks have been better than most teams these past 4 years. That could be luck, but that’s a very good streak. We’ll see if that continues, but I think they really put a great deal of money and manpower into college scouting. The Seahawks are one of the youngest teams in the league and one of the most competitive. That wouldn’t be the case without a string of sold drafts.
So every week our guys are not just learning but setting the dance moves they will work on field every game? And doing so without relief. I suspect a short practice will reveal who is studying those moves among any replacement players. However slowly, my hope is Anthony is finding reserves and new talents he was not aware of or considered beyond him. I place a ton of faith in John Benton's veteran coaching eye.
I hear the concerns about AB, but we have one of the best O line coaches in the league. I’m going to trust that if Benton think AB is the best option at RG, were rolling with AB for the season.
There is no doubt the team is playing the players on the OL who they feel position them for the best chance for success. The scary thought is how steep is the drop off after Bradford.
I do think Benton has Bradford playing his best, but they did only recently pick up Shane Lemieux, who was with KK and Benton last year in New Orleans. He hasn’t had the chance to play yet because of injury. He knows the blocking schemes from his year with KK and Benton. I think you could be right and Bradford plays the whole year at RG, but I think there is a decent possibility Lemieux gets a shot when he’s healthy or maybe they trade for someone. I wish I knew what JS and the scouts think about Raider’s Powers-Johnson. He is out of favor with the Raiders.
Plus, he played in KK’s system with Benton last year in New Orleans. Another duck, Powers Johnson is out of favor in Las Vegas. Maybe JS has a positive scouting report on him and he could be had at a reasonable cost.
The other thing that occurs to me, is that in addition to having Spoon and Love back, plus Emmanwori who wasn't playing earlier, is how deep we suddenly are. That means MacDonald's defense can come in waves, he can keep the returning guys fresh without a major drop-off, alot like that 2013 team which had guys coming off the bench that could have been starters. Just a very different situation than 2023, we're so deep now (proven, not hypothetical).
LOVE the "in your face" gif for Alanis' video of the song "Ironic"!
If y'all don't know, the song is often picked at for being called "Ironic" and desrcibing many situations in life which actually do not fit the definition of irony. So, the "in your face" is particularly hilarious because SSJ is using the word "irony" correctly, and takes a victory lap at Alanis' expense here. 100% on point!
Well played, sir. Well played.
That offensive line film was a great find. Thanks, Kenneth.
Thank you!
Amazing what an innovative coaching staff and a top five QB can do. To all our former pro Geno fans...neener, neener neener!
I’ll admit I was one who thought Geno deserved more time, and I was skeptical about Sam. SSJ did a masterful job of daylighting the financial side of the QB puzzle. I’m not as deep into all the intricacies of the business side of NFL world, …. But I’m learning.
Said it before, but I’ll say it again. We should fear nothing and nobody. Line them up and if they don’t bring their A game, their chances are slim. We just have to avoid beating ourselves with turnovers and penalties. If we do that, we’ll play everyone tough and should win more than our share of games. This feels entirely sustainable.
Agreed. Seahawks can compete with anyone.
As a topic for another day, I wonder if there is a reason why JSN is breaking out this season rather than last. Is it because JSN needed those first few seasons to develop? Because the offensive scheme didn't suit him (like sending DK deep rather than him)? Bad chemistry with Geno?
I'm sure there is no definitive answer, but I still wonder.
It's totally fair to wonder what might have been last year if he was in different circumstances. He did have some of his best games when DK didn't play, so there's that.
Yeah I think you hit the nail on a couple of heads. Better OC, more opportunities, more time in the league, and if we don't say "better QB" we can probably at least say that the relationship with Darnold got started without a single hitch.
It was a topic all through last season that JSN looked really good, but was just being totally misused by Grubb and his pretty awful offense. Hopefully most of us SSJ followers all knew this season was going to be JSN becoming National news and not just 'Hawks Fans news.
Not inclined specifically to say much about his chemistry with Geno, because i think it was there, it's just hard to gain yards off screens without blockers. Geno in this scheme would probably have improved as well.
Basically, damn Grubb was not good. Feels like a while since we had a good OC! Keeping Klubiak more than two years is going to be *tough*!
I agree about KK, but he's not perfect either. I would like to see him stay for perhaps three or four more years to fully perfect his craft and then move on, allowing our next offensive genius to take over the OC position. Meanwhile, JS, the Mad Scientist that he is, continues to draft better than anybody else in the NFL. This would result in five or six SB's in a row, and by then, I'll be in my late 80's, dementia will have set in, and I won't care too much about the NFL at that point. Life will just kind of suck, but I'll die happy. Go Hawks!
Need to give Kubiak cash and security to give him a reason to stay. Hell, I’d even see if he would care for the title of Assistant Head Coach - Offense. You can’t stop a guy from taking a promotion, but any OC knows if you take a job with a lousy team (say Titans) and don’t have success within 2 years, you will be shown the door. Giving him an extension, guaranteed money and security might make it less likely he will go to the Jets or Titans. But if the Cowboys offer him a job, it will be tough to keep him.
I would agree in part but the Boys seem to really like the HC Jerry hired. I must say, He is doing a better job at HC than he did as an OC.
Yeah, I know. I was trying to say that most HC jobs are with lousy teams and maybe it’s better to pass on those. Wait for a team that have a decent core to work with.
I’m hoping he can see a path to a Lombardi in a few more seasons in Seattle. Sure, he might land a HC gig somewhere in the next year or so, who would that be with, and what would be the timeline for that to develop into a ticket to the big dance. Stick with the hawks and ride the express elevator for the next couple seasons.
Yes, I think he’s here for at least one more season, even if we win it this year.
I think he’d like to live in the same place for more than a year and have a second season to develop and expand his offense.
Hopefully he wants five seasons. His offense is still improving and with MM’s defense, it could be a very good fit for how they want the offense and defense to play together.
Ken, we have talked about this a few times over the years but it warrants mentioning again. Seattle needs a small group of elite players to make any movement in the post season.
As you have done such an excellent job explaining…we might have some in development currently on the roster.
I am confident in saying that JSN and Leonard Williams are all-pro players. The next group of players are who will drive us deep into the playoffs. Guys like Witherspoon, Murphy, Love, Darnold, Cross, Lucas and Barner. This group has shown they can play but we need a couple to take over their spot like JSN has this year. If we can get another transformation from someone in that group of players, we could be there.
I really appreciate the comment about hoping this is the year someone gets better. In years past it didn’t take a long time for a truly great player to be found. If we are hoping a player figures it out in say year 4….it most likely isn’t happening to the level we all would like. The type of player that I’m describing makes their presence known. We need another one or two to show up by the end of the year. Thanks for a great article.
100%. Thanks! I see the top-tier guys finally starting to announce themselves on the roster and quite a few others who I could see getting there.
Great post! I have to admit I’ve had this concern in the back of my mind that the hawks would soon run out of gas, and the record would go south. Getting the band back together could not happen at a better time given the looming schedule. Hoping they have their way with the rams.
Much appreciated!
We will now confidently cycle guys in and out, minimizing injury. Is there any promising news for healed guys relieving Bradford?
Not sure how much hope we can pin on Christian Haynes but he should be back soon.
I’ve wondered why they have stuck to Bradford, who to me, is too slow for the wide zone scheme, and too slow for quick DTs pass rush. On the roster you have Mason Richman and Bryce Cabeldue. The fact that neither has played for Bradford up to this point has me thinking they’re not ready. Olu has also been available to step in and move Sundell to RG, this also hasn’t happened, so maybe Olu is not as highly thought of. Josh Jones is the backup tackle but has played guard. I’ll get back to him.
On IR but probably able to return if they want to is Christian Haynes. But he lost badly to Bradford and did not look at all like he was ready to play at a starting NFL level.
On the practice squad they have Shane Lemieux who I think is a possibility, but he is listed as injured.
Josh Jones has been on the roster as backup tackle, but has been injured until now. He does have experience at guard, but I have no clue how well he can play it.
My guess is, if they don’t pick up a guard by the trade deadline, Shane Lemieux is the most likely to get a shot when he’s healthy, followed by Josh Jones.
Last year, I thought Geno didn't process information quite as quickly as an elite QB should. This year it looks like Anthony Bradford is the guy with all the athletic ability in the world, but just doesn't make the right (or any) decisions on time. Try watching the GZ video again and watching the right guard rather than Zable. AB looks lost in space more often than not.
I’m not sure if AB still has upside to his game. I hope so, and I hope it happens soon. I think it’s an agility problem for him. He’s got power, but can still be bull rushed because he is slow to set and gets beat. The defender has him on his heels and he doesn’t have the agility to get his base reset to anchor. Zabel is always getting the jump, moving his feet before the defender. Not so with AB. He also doesn’t seem to get off the double team block in the run zone blocking, and doesn’t seem to win much at all when he climbs to the second level block in the run game. He is still young and has time to get better. I don’t see him losing his job to Haynes, but you never know.
I keep thinking AB might be a good player in a different scheme. His feet just don’t seem mobile like Zabel.
Skeptical me, I wonder if the scouting department of most teams, maybe even our own beloved Seahawks, isn't made up of a bunch of Good 'ol Boys that really haven't been challenged in years? Maybe, being a scout just kind of sucks? This is a new thought that I haven't fully developed yet.
But what if...
What if being on the road 5-6 months a year, watching college games, and college video of at least 44 guys a week just gets old? What if they just start "borrowing" from their peers, and every team starts getting the same intel from all of their scouts? Perhaps this is an area where any given team could "Up" their game and gain an advantage?
I’d say the Seahawks have been better than most teams these past 4 years. That could be luck, but that’s a very good streak. We’ll see if that continues, but I think they really put a great deal of money and manpower into college scouting. The Seahawks are one of the youngest teams in the league and one of the most competitive. That wouldn’t be the case without a string of sold drafts.
So every week our guys are not just learning but setting the dance moves they will work on field every game? And doing so without relief. I suspect a short practice will reveal who is studying those moves among any replacement players. However slowly, my hope is Anthony is finding reserves and new talents he was not aware of or considered beyond him. I place a ton of faith in John Benton's veteran coaching eye.
I hear the concerns about AB, but we have one of the best O line coaches in the league. I’m going to trust that if Benton think AB is the best option at RG, were rolling with AB for the season.
Please God. no!!!
There is no doubt the team is playing the players on the OL who they feel position them for the best chance for success. The scary thought is how steep is the drop off after Bradford.
I do think Benton has Bradford playing his best, but they did only recently pick up Shane Lemieux, who was with KK and Benton last year in New Orleans. He hasn’t had the chance to play yet because of injury. He knows the blocking schemes from his year with KK and Benton. I think you could be right and Bradford plays the whole year at RG, but I think there is a decent possibility Lemieux gets a shot when he’s healthy or maybe they trade for someone. I wish I knew what JS and the scouts think about Raider’s Powers-Johnson. He is out of favor with the Raiders.
Yeah, I think they might see Lemieux as a possible answer to a weakness. I’m a Ducks fan and he was pretty good with them. He definitely has promise.
Plus, he played in KK’s system with Benton last year in New Orleans. Another duck, Powers Johnson is out of favor in Las Vegas. Maybe JS has a positive scouting report on him and he could be had at a reasonable cost.
The other thing that occurs to me, is that in addition to having Spoon and Love back, plus Emmanwori who wasn't playing earlier, is how deep we suddenly are. That means MacDonald's defense can come in waves, he can keep the returning guys fresh without a major drop-off, alot like that 2013 team which had guys coming off the bench that could have been starters. Just a very different situation than 2023, we're so deep now (proven, not hypothetical).
Very true. Depth is an underrated "12th man"
And possibly get back Rylie Mills for the end of the season? Curious to see what he can do in spurts.