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Nov 4, 2022Liked by Seaside Joe

We’ll I was wrong about Geno too. I thought the Hawks might get a bit of an improved Lock in the best case. If he sucked, we’ll we’d get a qb next year.

The only person I know that has been on Team Geno from day 1 is….my wife. A 60+ year old woman stated to me in LAST YEAR’s preseason that she thought Geno was a better qb than Wilson and he should be starting. She reminds me of that at least a couple of times each game.

I think I’ll ask her to pick up a Powerball ticket in the next day or two. ;-)

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Nov 4, 2022Liked by Seaside Joe

Great article. I was also on the side of Lock as I thought the upside was bigger. Happy to take the L. But I would also say that I quickly changed my opinion and saw the potential in Geno prior to the season and especially after week 1. So I'll take a W there.

The thing that cracks me up about Lock is that the same people that told us that Russell couldn't play in the NFL because of his height, are the same people that told us Geno sucks, and are now the same people that know that Lock sucks. How do these people not get it yet is amazing?

Pete knows QBs better than anyone. And he says Lock is right there. I believe him but we will know for sure this offseason.

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Nov 4, 2022Liked by Seaside Joe

I have not written very much about Geno Smith, but for game reaction ie wasn't Geno great! I have always been a little superstitious and I don't want to be the reason that this acme level of play stops. The Seahawks are as much fun to watch, starting in game 3 as the have ever been.

Boy if the next 9 look like this, I don't want to even write the answer. So I will stick with congratulation Geno, Tariq Woolen and, K9. All the biggest stars go by one name, Pele, Geno.

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Nov 4, 2022Liked by Seaside Joe

You tweeted earlier today Ken that it would be interesting if you could re-run the last 7 weeks with Lock as the QB. We will of course never know... but what if getting Covid was like Geno's jaw being broken? Lock was denied the attempt... and *he may actually be good too* in the same way that Geno is good: understanding the Waldron scheme and executing it. If the NFL snowglobe had been shaken a bit differently maybe it is Lock leading the team now toward a 7-3 record at the bye? Who knows?

Living in the moment and accepting what actually IS happening instead of would have/could have, without any preconceived ideas about what could be or should be is almost for humans to do.

This Seahawks Time Line is turning out to be very interesting and I am intrigued to watch this team week to week to see to what heights it can climb.

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(Banned)Nov 4, 2022·edited Nov 4, 2022Liked by Seaside Joe

Tariq Woolen was named the NFC Offensive Rookie of the Month? You sure, dude?

Hey, on Geno, honestly, who wasn't wrong about him? Yes, I know a few of the folks who hang here; major props to them. But I feel no shame over getting it 180 degrees wrong. Geno made me eat my hat earlier this season and I've SLOWLY gotten on board the Geno Express. Now I'm there. Seattle has by far the best QB in the NFL, measured dollar for dollar, and it's not even close. He's also played as well as anyone in the league.

Would I rather have Josh Allen? Well, duh, lock yeah! But that detracts in no way from what Geno has delivered. I'm thrilled to have him and I hope Schneider manages to get him re-signed. I'd be surprised if he didn't because Seattle doesn't look to low-ball its guys and what if he goes somewhere else and doesn't perform? Unless some desperate team -- I'm looking at you Indianapolis -- agrees to something like a five year guaranteed cool quarter billion. Were that to happen, I'd congratulate the guy and root for him except when he faces Seattle.

One very cool thing is these developments (including Russ' drop off) reflect well on Carroll so chances are both Geno and Drew will want to sign up for more. It's also cool to realize some of these old guys who have disappointed to date can potentially learn, grow and surprise. If the Jags give up on Lawrence, let's give him a chance. Jones, Wentz, Mayfield? Sure, why not, at the right price.

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Nov 4, 2022Liked by Seaside Joe

We were all Locksuckers. We failed to recognize that the accuracy Smith has always had was perfect fit for Waldron's offense. We can be forgiven for not knowing that during his backup years he learned how to read a defense like Cliffs Notes on football. Another surprise is Mike Jackson, a 5th round pick who was jettisoned by three teams including the great Belichick's Patriots. Last week he led the team with seven tackles and three passes defended. He's a 25 year old 6'1", 210lb bookend to Woolen. Lock yes!

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Nov 4, 2022Liked by Seaside Joe

This article reinforces my decision to become a Joe. Pundits hardly ever write pieces after-the-fact owning up to their erroneous prognostications. Kudos!

We are all on the Geno train now and loving the ride, it would be silly to let it pass you by just to stay dug into a prediction.

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Nov 5, 2022Liked by Seaside Joe

This whole season has been such a lesson in how good teams fit personnel, coaching staff, scheme and player development together in a way that optimizes the whole. The Seahawks are doing this to perfection right now and I think what they are proving is that while QB talent is extremely important, the NFL has been way too quick to judge QB talent harshly, without letting potentially elite QBs get a real chance to succeed.

I think the confusion around Geno Smith’s performance last year stemmed from the fact that any back up QB has to jump into a situation that hasn’t been tailor made for their success. If you consider how Geno probably wasn’t getting quality reps with the ones, that the coaches thought they needed a conservative game plan to compensate for the lack of preparation, that the defense and the injury plagued RB room were not capable of carrying out that conservative game plan, you can see how the losses were not as reflective of Geno’s performance as many assumed. Geno is right when he says this wasn’t some miraculous personal transformation from last year to now.

Geno played better against the Rams in his brief reliever role than Russel Wilson had for any stretch in the previous half dozen games against LA. I think the conservative game plan against New Orleans and Pittsburgh held Geno back, but you still saw flashes of what he could do and he lost both games by 3 points.

The Jacksonville game gets brushed off way too easily. That was my favorite game in a long time (mostly because I could actually afford to go and sit up close). But also because Geno Smith got into the zone that he seems to be in every game now. How much of this was because Jacksonville wasn’t good and how much of it was because Geno had gotten a few weeks to get aligned with Shane Waldron and the offense? Geno was 20 of 24. He embarrassed Shaq Griffin, made our former best corner back look like an amateur. He ran for a touchdown. It may have been against Jacksonville but it was flawless and obviously the coaching staff noticed.

You know who else noticed? Russel Wilson. I can’t help but wonder if it helped fuel his hasty return to Green Bay. After the high of watching Geno get into the zone against the Jags, that game made me sick. Geno would have beaten Covid sick Aaron Rogers that day at Lambeau. Instead we watched the worst offensive performance the Seahawks have ever put on. I think the contrast between those two games are what tipped the team toward trading Wilson. The weight of appeasing the franchise qb put the brakes on what we are now seeing develop with Geno this season.

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Nov 4, 2022Liked by Seaside Joe

Not to be a downer, but I hope the Hawks don't Tannehill themselves into mediocrity with a bad contract situation. Geno has been great, but good QBs look great for stretches of time. Just don't Keenum up this good thing we've got going. If our championship window is opening in the next year or three, lets not shovel a bunch of Garoppolo through the window. Keep that CousinsCarr the Goff out of here. Ok, I'm being a downer. But I really am loving this season! Go Geno!!!

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Nov 4, 2022Liked by Seaside Joe

The question this raises for me is how the league is evaluating quarterbacks. Maybe experience and reps do matter even if it is working as a second stringer or with the scout team. Guys that play four years in college maybe should have an edge over those with three.

I wonder too if we overlooked the really sharp games Geno had with the Jets as evidence of what he could do. A good game from a player should conceivably trump measurables, if it contradicts what the measurements say. If memory serves Lock’s best games in Denver were meh compared to the best games Geno had with the Jets.

I don’t know ultimately. The league will probably make adjustments and the next big thing will be what everyone missed. The beauty of football is the black swan players and events generally overwhelm the safe bet far more often than in other sports.

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Nov 4, 2022Liked by Seaside Joe

I wonder if we could do the swear thing with everyone’s name. And versions of that name.

“Ken”: oh darn

“Kenny!”: dammit!

“Kenneth!”: god damn to hell!

Great article though. Your willingness to admit when you’re wrong makes this zen stop number one for me, and puts you head of others writing on the Hawks.

On a side note: how is the miles-for-td challenge going?

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Nov 4, 2022Liked by Seaside Joe

On the same bus better seat. My point at the time was we 'knew' what Geno was and that Locks upside wasn't a known quantity yet so we had nothing to lose giving him a go.

Glad to be wrong. VERY glad.

This years team has surprised and surpassed anything I would have expected to this point and like all of you I hope it continues to do just that.

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Nov 4, 2022Liked by Seaside Joe

Geno didn't perform well last year, but the real miss for several analysts was dismissing his reasonably sharp pre-season, minus having Melton and Young drop everything thrown at them. It was clear that with starting caliber receivers he was going to look better than last year, as many of those drives in the chart above ended with easy drops.

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Nov 4, 2022Liked by Seaside Joe

"The franchise tag is there specifically for these types of situations ..."

Can they afford to tag him? I think the non-exclusive tag would be ~$30 million, which would eat up essentially all of the effective cap space estimated by OTC. The exclusive tag would be ~$45 million.

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Nov 4, 2022Liked by Seaside Joe

Don't beat yourself up, Kenny. Has a situation like this ever occurred before? A guy spends 7 years on the bench as a backup, it's pretty defensible to think he's a backup QB. I thought the same and I am super happy to have been proven wrong. It's not we're there in practice each day seeing what goes on.

I think it was Pete who said he thinks the Hawks currently have 1A and 1B QB's. In light of how Geno's been playing that's a quote that gives me goosebumps. The Hawks may not even need to draft a QB next year. Top picks could go for a wideout, DL, edge rusher or a road-grading guard. Woo Boy!

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Nov 4, 2022Liked by Seaside Joe

What a great read! I shared it with my wife and we both had a good laugh and appreciate the fact that you have owned up to it. I am right there with ya.

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