Regarding Bradford, I think we just have to trust that the coaches are giving us the best with what they have. I'm sure when Haynes is healthy, he'll be given an opportunity to show what he's got in practice, but he's never seized those opportunities before. Nothing has really changed since training camp except for the addition of Lemieux to the practice squad. Maybe Schneider finds another option to shake things up, but it seems unlikely to me that that person is already on the roster given how the offseason played out. We may need to just accept that Bradford is the best Seahawks RG this season.
What has anyone got against Witherspoon? Yea, he allowed a TD and some catches, but they were near perfect throws, and every CB gives up perfect passes thrown to a perfect catch. I prefer he stay at nickel corner most of the time, but he isn't a liability the way Woolen can be.
What is amazing is everyone (nat'l media, not Joes) are talking about Darnold being a game manager or a good serviceable QB, not noticing his efficiency and the number of explosive plays he is making. Sure he went 18-26, but he had 3 20+ pass plays and averaged over 9 YPA. He is 28th in sack yards lost, and I know that's not always a QBs fault, but he is getting rid of the ball safely instead of taking a sack. My biggest knock on Geno was his not getting rid of the ball safely, either trying to force it or hanging on to it too long. Not coincidently he is currently 3rd in sack yards lost AND interceptions.
I am really happy with Darnolds play, its been better than I would think is necessary for the Hawks to win.
And did anyone catch the post game interview with Spoon? My takeaway from that sound bite was how the team works together lifting each other up, and it wasn't just platitudes, it felt like an actual commitment to each other, and when a team seems to all buy in, those intangibles seem to break the right way in close games. If you want to see a team on the opposite side of all in, watch the Dolphins players on both sides of the ball. No one celebrates a teammate after a good play, they just stand around and head back to the huddle. We have the offense celebrating the defense and vice versa. MM has this team bought in, and that can only help.
I'm very optimistic for this season as of right now.
I looked through espn stats...SEA well represented. Every category except sacks we had at least one in the top five in the league. And we have three in the top forty there. This feels like a good start.
What to do at right guard? I'd argue Lucas isn't showering himself with glory either. But I would say this: Bradford was facing Calais Campbell and that's a handful for anyone.
And, Bradford/Lucas/Walker issues aside, we did run for 155 which I'd have KILLED for last year. And while Darnold was sacked twice, he had time (many times) to make his throw. Not trying to say we don't have flaws, but man oh man are we better than last year, almost hate to complain
I was watching a post game podcast and one of the hosts stated Bradford had the second highest run block score for the game. I would not have guessed that.
Paradoxically there did seem to be more holes opening to the right than the left, although in zone blocking schemes it's not always due to the guy lined up where the hole ended up being.
Perception is such a funny thing in sports, especially when it comes to the QB position.
Not sure why there is endless comparisons between the former QB and the current one. But it’s all fun. I am thrilled at the QB play so far this year. This is the talent that SD has. But what the last 5 years should show very clearly to football fans is: The people around a QB matter, they matter a lot. We saw this with Geno Smith. We saw this with Sam Darnold. And now we are seeing it with Daniel Jones.
The QB is not a special elixir. They need good coaching and players around them.
Comparing what Geno Smith had to deal with in 2024 to what the current offense is around the QB is not ... not very similar at all? In week 4 last year the Hawks went on the road to Detroit and asked Geno to throw the ball 56 times! If you put Darnold in that situation what does he look like?
A more similar comparison would be the Hawks game plan in 2024 in Arizona and this years game. Lets take a look:
Geno: 2024 at Arizona: 24/30 (80% comp rate) for 233, 1 TD/0 Int and a passer rating of 110 (1 fumble not lost)
Hawks win 30-18
Darnold: 2025 at Arizona: 18/26 (70%) for 242 yards, 1 TD/ 0 Int and a passer rating of 111 (1 fumble not lost)
Hawks win 23-20
The 2 QBs played almost the exact same game! Perception is a hilarious thing in sports fandom.
Also, the reason Sam Darnold is what I would consider to be a tier 3 QB prior to the season is not because of his best games. When things are good around him he is very good. For example, if you put the best QBs in for the Seahawks last night (Allen, Lamar, Mahomes) I don't think they change the game that much. I think that the difference between the best QBs and a guy like SD becomes smaller and maybe not even discernible when the play around the QB is really good. This difference, however, magnifies when the play around the QB is worse.
This is not meant to be a knock on Darnold. It is just to say, these 2025 comparisons to 2024 are just wild. The QBs are not in remotely the same situations. Sam Darnold, by design, is not asked to do what Geno Smith was asked to do in 2024 and not even most QBs around the league are asked to do on a week in and week out basis.
I have been a Sam Darnold believer since prior to 2024. And he is off to the start that I would expect. Very sharp because this is his talent level. He is this good. This is not a fluke.
But the biggest thing to me is not Darnold's play. It is the two main problems after the 2024 season:
1) Offensive Coordinator
2) Offensive Line
So far, to me, these two questions are being answered in a very positive way (and health helps). These two questions breaking the Seahawks way have led for a QB to shine. But there are a lot of QBs that would shine for the Seahawks including my number 2 option this offseason Daniel Jones.
If you think people were hard on SD prior to this season, you should check out what they were saying about Jones, including a ton of this fan base.
Lastly, this should prove the Seahawks plan. Do not overpay at the QB position (unless it is Mahomes/Allen/Lamar). Stick to this plan. Remain cheap relative to the league at QB and focus on the O-line first. Fortunately or unfortunately, JSN is so freakin' good that we will run into a price issue shortly.
But, the QB position it appears has always and will always get too much blame in bad times and too much credit in good times.
Stay yourself SD, keep ballin, Kubiak keep calling the game plans this way and...
I think anyone including Darrell Green or Jalen Ramsay can be beaten by a great route and a great pass. And Spoon was beaten by exactly that -- bc he was right there and fighting for the ball, and had either of them been just slightly off he'd have the PBU's.
Also, I give him a slight break for being a bit rusty, just having come off injury and being deep into the 4th quarter, had to be a little gassed.
And Marvin Harrison Jr has had a rough start to his career but he oozes talent and you saw it on those two plays where he (and Murray) bested Spoon. Great plays, have to take your hat off to them.
Woolen on the other hand wasn't even getting his head turned, so was grabby. And he doesn't seem to be competing, if that's the best description? There's no question to me which of the two I'd prefer and honestly Woolen is in the same Metcalf conversation at this point, flashes talent but stupid-ass mistakes that cost the team more than he brings, vs a much steadier Jobe for example
Woolen is to cornerbacks as Marvin Harrison is to receivers: Athletic freaks who aren't mentally ready. Sadly, Riq needs to not be a starter on the Seahawks.
For Bradford: didn't we just sign a backup guard Lemieux from the Saints? Let's see what we got with him, and maybe insert Bradford in short-yardage situations where his power is needed. (Although I really don't see many plays where he's dominating on the right side)
Do CBs learn from the bench the way QBs do? Have him sit and watch Jobe and Spoon for a few games with the DB coach explaining it all to him? It would be a shame to give up on such an athletic machine, but at this point I'd take capable and average over confused and athletic.
I don't think Woolen needs to sit and learn to get better. He's doing all the right stuff right up until the moment he needs to play the ball. He reads the routes, sticks in coverage, positions himself well, and then consistently finishes the play lazily. He does everything right until the ball is in the air! Super frustrating!!!
At RG, they've reached the stage of trying anything and everything and see what sticks, because Bradford is not working out. I will give him a little credit, there were a handful of plays where he was solid, and those plays ended up being some of the bigger plays in the game, but he's way too inconsistent and misses more than he makes.
A good running game helps. Darnold does a good job of not getting stressed in the pocket and takes what the defense will give him
Hate to say it but Kupp seems to have little left in the tank. Maybe Horton should get more time.
The two players that are frustrating are Walker that is doing his stop , run backwards and try to go wide to often. woolen what is he thinking ?
The good the defense pass rush is terrific. The oline held up pretty well. Cross missed sweat once but held up well and Lucas’s and his blocks flattened a few.
Regarding Bradford, I think we just have to trust that the coaches are giving us the best with what they have. I'm sure when Haynes is healthy, he'll be given an opportunity to show what he's got in practice, but he's never seized those opportunities before. Nothing has really changed since training camp except for the addition of Lemieux to the practice squad. Maybe Schneider finds another option to shake things up, but it seems unlikely to me that that person is already on the roster given how the offseason played out. We may need to just accept that Bradford is the best Seahawks RG this season.
What has anyone got against Witherspoon? Yea, he allowed a TD and some catches, but they were near perfect throws, and every CB gives up perfect passes thrown to a perfect catch. I prefer he stay at nickel corner most of the time, but he isn't a liability the way Woolen can be.
What is amazing is everyone (nat'l media, not Joes) are talking about Darnold being a game manager or a good serviceable QB, not noticing his efficiency and the number of explosive plays he is making. Sure he went 18-26, but he had 3 20+ pass plays and averaged over 9 YPA. He is 28th in sack yards lost, and I know that's not always a QBs fault, but he is getting rid of the ball safely instead of taking a sack. My biggest knock on Geno was his not getting rid of the ball safely, either trying to force it or hanging on to it too long. Not coincidently he is currently 3rd in sack yards lost AND interceptions.
I am really happy with Darnolds play, its been better than I would think is necessary for the Hawks to win.
And did anyone catch the post game interview with Spoon? My takeaway from that sound bite was how the team works together lifting each other up, and it wasn't just platitudes, it felt like an actual commitment to each other, and when a team seems to all buy in, those intangibles seem to break the right way in close games. If you want to see a team on the opposite side of all in, watch the Dolphins players on both sides of the ball. No one celebrates a teammate after a good play, they just stand around and head back to the huddle. We have the offense celebrating the defense and vice versa. MM has this team bought in, and that can only help.
I'm very optimistic for this season as of right now.
I looked through espn stats...SEA well represented. Every category except sacks we had at least one in the top five in the league. And we have three in the top forty there. This feels like a good start.
There might be another reason Spoon was off. He hasn’t played in two weeks and is overcoming an injury.
That's a piece of it for sure I think.
What to do at right guard? I'd argue Lucas isn't showering himself with glory either. But I would say this: Bradford was facing Calais Campbell and that's a handful for anyone.
And, Bradford/Lucas/Walker issues aside, we did run for 155 which I'd have KILLED for last year. And while Darnold was sacked twice, he had time (many times) to make his throw. Not trying to say we don't have flaws, but man oh man are we better than last year, almost hate to complain
I was watching a post game podcast and one of the hosts stated Bradford had the second highest run block score for the game. I would not have guessed that.
Paradoxically there did seem to be more holes opening to the right than the left, although in zone blocking schemes it's not always due to the guy lined up where the hole ended up being.
I thought Abe would dominate this year. He hasn't. He's been solid enough, but not the animal I thought he'd be. Maybe it will yet come.
Perception is such a funny thing in sports, especially when it comes to the QB position.
Not sure why there is endless comparisons between the former QB and the current one. But it’s all fun. I am thrilled at the QB play so far this year. This is the talent that SD has. But what the last 5 years should show very clearly to football fans is: The people around a QB matter, they matter a lot. We saw this with Geno Smith. We saw this with Sam Darnold. And now we are seeing it with Daniel Jones.
The QB is not a special elixir. They need good coaching and players around them.
Comparing what Geno Smith had to deal with in 2024 to what the current offense is around the QB is not ... not very similar at all? In week 4 last year the Hawks went on the road to Detroit and asked Geno to throw the ball 56 times! If you put Darnold in that situation what does he look like?
A more similar comparison would be the Hawks game plan in 2024 in Arizona and this years game. Lets take a look:
Geno: 2024 at Arizona: 24/30 (80% comp rate) for 233, 1 TD/0 Int and a passer rating of 110 (1 fumble not lost)
Hawks win 30-18
Darnold: 2025 at Arizona: 18/26 (70%) for 242 yards, 1 TD/ 0 Int and a passer rating of 111 (1 fumble not lost)
Hawks win 23-20
The 2 QBs played almost the exact same game! Perception is a hilarious thing in sports fandom.
Also, the reason Sam Darnold is what I would consider to be a tier 3 QB prior to the season is not because of his best games. When things are good around him he is very good. For example, if you put the best QBs in for the Seahawks last night (Allen, Lamar, Mahomes) I don't think they change the game that much. I think that the difference between the best QBs and a guy like SD becomes smaller and maybe not even discernible when the play around the QB is really good. This difference, however, magnifies when the play around the QB is worse.
This is not meant to be a knock on Darnold. It is just to say, these 2025 comparisons to 2024 are just wild. The QBs are not in remotely the same situations. Sam Darnold, by design, is not asked to do what Geno Smith was asked to do in 2024 and not even most QBs around the league are asked to do on a week in and week out basis.
I have been a Sam Darnold believer since prior to 2024. And he is off to the start that I would expect. Very sharp because this is his talent level. He is this good. This is not a fluke.
But the biggest thing to me is not Darnold's play. It is the two main problems after the 2024 season:
1) Offensive Coordinator
2) Offensive Line
So far, to me, these two questions are being answered in a very positive way (and health helps). These two questions breaking the Seahawks way have led for a QB to shine. But there are a lot of QBs that would shine for the Seahawks including my number 2 option this offseason Daniel Jones.
If you think people were hard on SD prior to this season, you should check out what they were saying about Jones, including a ton of this fan base.
Lastly, this should prove the Seahawks plan. Do not overpay at the QB position (unless it is Mahomes/Allen/Lamar). Stick to this plan. Remain cheap relative to the league at QB and focus on the O-line first. Fortunately or unfortunately, JSN is so freakin' good that we will run into a price issue shortly.
But, the QB position it appears has always and will always get too much blame in bad times and too much credit in good times.
Stay yourself SD, keep ballin, Kubiak keep calling the game plans this way and...
Go Hawks, Great Win, Keep Stacking!
I think anyone including Darrell Green or Jalen Ramsay can be beaten by a great route and a great pass. And Spoon was beaten by exactly that -- bc he was right there and fighting for the ball, and had either of them been just slightly off he'd have the PBU's.
Also, I give him a slight break for being a bit rusty, just having come off injury and being deep into the 4th quarter, had to be a little gassed.
And Marvin Harrison Jr has had a rough start to his career but he oozes talent and you saw it on those two plays where he (and Murray) bested Spoon. Great plays, have to take your hat off to them.
Woolen on the other hand wasn't even getting his head turned, so was grabby. And he doesn't seem to be competing, if that's the best description? There's no question to me which of the two I'd prefer and honestly Woolen is in the same Metcalf conversation at this point, flashes talent but stupid-ass mistakes that cost the team more than he brings, vs a much steadier Jobe for example
Riq Metcalf is what I will be calling him from now on, thanks!
If given 100 choices, I’d take Spoon over Woolen 10,000 times. (That’s Rusty math).
I’ll take our already-proven-to-be-effective practice squad corners over Woolen.
Any one beside Bradford. Maybe try Kendrick instead of Woolen. Kendrick at least likes to hit.
If Kendrick catches all the balls thrown to him he'd have three more ints.
Woolen is to cornerbacks as Marvin Harrison is to receivers: Athletic freaks who aren't mentally ready. Sadly, Riq needs to not be a starter on the Seahawks.
For Bradford: didn't we just sign a backup guard Lemieux from the Saints? Let's see what we got with him, and maybe insert Bradford in short-yardage situations where his power is needed. (Although I really don't see many plays where he's dominating on the right side)
Do CBs learn from the bench the way QBs do? Have him sit and watch Jobe and Spoon for a few games with the DB coach explaining it all to him? It would be a shame to give up on such an athletic machine, but at this point I'd take capable and average over confused and athletic.
I don't think Woolen needs to sit and learn to get better. He's doing all the right stuff right up until the moment he needs to play the ball. He reads the routes, sticks in coverage, positions himself well, and then consistently finishes the play lazily. He does everything right until the ball is in the air! Super frustrating!!!
At RG, they've reached the stage of trying anything and everything and see what sticks, because Bradford is not working out. I will give him a little credit, there were a handful of plays where he was solid, and those plays ended up being some of the bigger plays in the game, but he's way too inconsistent and misses more than he makes.
The Campbell sack Bradford basically moved out of his way so he could sack Sam. Dudes a dud
A good running game helps. Darnold does a good job of not getting stressed in the pocket and takes what the defense will give him
Hate to say it but Kupp seems to have little left in the tank. Maybe Horton should get more time.
The two players that are frustrating are Walker that is doing his stop , run backwards and try to go wide to often. woolen what is he thinking ?
The good the defense pass rush is terrific. The oline held up pretty well. Cross missed sweat once but held up well and Lucas’s and his blocks flattened a few.
Too close of a game but a win is a win.
Darnold reminds me of Big Ben sometimes....could be worse lol!