Are the Seahawks “for real” contenders or pretenders? If it is the former they will beat the Packers and Vikings at home and the Rams in LA, and it won’t matter what any other team does.
Any other result will show the ground the Seahawks still need to travel to be contenders and the playoffs this season don’t matter.
Man I knew this was the most (by far) complex 3-team stretch to the tape of any division but didn’t have the energy to do what you just did — thank you!
Plus I got a new adjective I plan to use to describe anyone who refuses to die:
“Cockroachian”.
If there’s any better reason to subscribe to any sportswriter, I’ve yet to see it.
Again...Wow. This Sport shows boys what it takes to be Serious Men. To gain that distinction demands it is done by the rules, the logic of which SSJ has laid out more clearly than I have seen. Should one of them falter, it takes the entire Team to allow that to be a failure. So don't fail. Overcome all odds. Do that and a Super Bowl win is reachable.
What an absolutely pathetic game that was last night. I didn't fully watch, thankfully but what little I did I found myself pulling for the Niners for Seahawks purposes and that was a miserable experience.
What a glimpse into how crappy it must be to be a Niners fan. Brock/Kyle and company? No thank you. Possibly, the best thing that could happen to the Seahawks this offseason would be for the Niners to give Purdy a massive contract. And Stafford is almost done. The future is bright for Seattle. Geno has at least 3-5 years left in the tank IMO. Where he will be by far the best QB in the division.
As Joe said, anyway you slice and dice this up it will probably come down to week 18 at the Rams, at least if you want to win the division.
Good news, Geno is great in a dome. We only lost last year after he got injured and Myers missed the game winning kick. Otherwise, we mostly dominated the Rams, just like we did this year (Although Nucua was out for most of that game).
I looked back a while ago and wish I had the post handy, but I think there has only been 1 team miss the playoffs with 10 wins (obviously recently moved to 17 games but added a third WC team).
Every year, these types of scenarios come up, and typically they shake out with a 10-win team making the playoffs. Likely because a team like the Cardinals will lose one of those 4 games. I would not assume that the Rams are going to waltz in and beat a team like the Jets either.
Anyways, the NFL entertainment engine keeps moving right along! Get the popcorn ready the Seahawks have certainly not made the playoffs yet! Have to win 1 of the next 3, and I sure hope no one is circling the Bears game as a win! That is a tough game!
2023 (injured for part of game): 22/34 233 Yds 1 TD 0 Int
In 2022, the Hawks had the game in control prior to Geno injury with a 16-7 lead and the ball: over 80% win chance according to ESPN. Even coming back with an injured arm he still led a potential game winning drive to get into 55 yard FG range.
Geno Smith in general is a great dome QB which is why we have a great shot at beating the Lions again if we are so lucky to make it that far.
Mike, you do my heart wonders. Thank you for your post. However, for the freaking LA Rams to even matter, we first need to beat GB ... and then Minnesota and or Da Bears.
What’s interesting with the 49ers is they thought they’d landed gold with Turdy but it turns out they had a game manager. Which seemed pretty obvious when all he had to do was stand back there and throw with 5 seconds before the rush. It’s funny what happens to players when they don’t have as much time. The guy never impressed me and I figured this was the other shoe to drop, because you kept seeing cracks in his game…. The other thing you saw that Seattle will have to exploit if they get to week 18 and it matters (*fingers very crossed)….Stafford can be messed with. The 49ers’ dbs aren’t world beaters but they made the Rams look pretty pedestrian and should have had two picks. But then…Purdy probable would have thrown the ball right back to the Cockroaches…
Hell, yea, I am circling the Bears as a win if all we need is two wins to get into the playoffs then I am definitely counting the Bears. First of all, for the Bears game to even factor into that we will have had to lose one of the games against either GB or the Vikings, and if we split with them I am all in on the Bears counting as win #2 because as the fricking best team in the NFL up until LA beat them was Buffalo, for gosh darn sakes! The LA Rams are either the most dangerous team in the NFL or we are if we beat them.
Rank the remaining games from easiest to hardest. And if you could choose 1 game to put all your marbles on to make the playoffs which game would it be?
I find all these games to be very close in difficulty level. But I don't like the Packers coming off the mini-bye and I like the Hawks coming off the mini-bye against the Rams. I also think we were flat out the better team in game 1. Rams have no home field, and Geno is better in a dome.
Also, maybe I am irrationally worried about the Bears, but that is just a weird game to me and I want no part of needing to win that. Hopefully, my fears are way overblown and we roll.
You could hedge the bet by betting against the Hawks, but I never do that because it's bad mojo or something. But I gladly take money from friends willing to take what I consider a suckers bet. Unfortunately, I am not real good at deciding what is a suckers bet or I would win more often than I do.
I think you mean Rams and Vikings above the Bears (lol).
I don't ... I like the matchups against the Vikings and Rams. But you made a good point below that the Rams could be gelling. But I also see their defense getting worse.
Bears may be an irrational level of concern. My buddy made a good point that we should dominate their O-line.
Cool, I’ll take a shot too, easy to hard like Mike McD:
Bears
Packers
Vikings
Rams (McVay respect, and mostly how HEAVY the environment is going to be for that game where we are prob playing for both the division and a WC (don’t think Moons are going to be there at the end)
I think beating Buffalo woke a lot of people up. It got my attention. I mean, what if Buffalo ends up in the SB like I still think is as good a bet as any? That means the NFC has been way underrated all season long.
Soooo… to beat McVay you have to have a defense designed for it. Buffalo’s D is better against an offense like KC’s, which is creative, but doesn’t have guys who produce a ton of YAC. What will be interesting is whether Buffalo recovers against Detroit, which also has a battered D now and is only winning by outscoring teams.
Swinging this back to Seattle: The two tests that matter if the Rams game is going to matter *(oh, sorry, Cockroaches), will be GB and the Vikings. Both have very good offenses. If Seattle’s D is “real,” and not a mirage that’s now standing up to only average teams then we find out against those two teams… and we find out that defense does “matter.” Dunno if it leads to wins though. GB’s front seven is supposed to be very stout, and that’s been Seattle’s kryptonite. MAYBE Seattle can run the ball even without K9. That’ll be crucial. What you saw with Detroit beating GB was ball control mixed with explosive plays… And it wasn’t critical until the end, when not giving the ball back to Love won the game. Now, right now anyway it seems like Seattle has a superior D to Detroit — but not a better offense. If Tyler and DK wake up in this game, and if Geno is just a touch more accurate throwing to TEs (he missed on two CRUCIAL balls that turn the game against the Cards into a laugher), you transform what I think will be a grinder against GB into a coming out party for the Seahawks, like last year’s win against Philly… which actually only proved to show that Philly was a mirage and not that Seattle was more than average.
Win against GB and Minny and win on a short week against Chicago… and don’t have any of those games turn into the Jets game in NJ and then you’ve proven especially that your D is real and that your offense is proficient. PROBABLY the reality is you split Minn and GB and beat Chicago, perhaps taking revenge on the Bears after a loss to Minnesota. And as to the prior thread, no, not betting on any of it. Not only is it bad luck, but we’re literally one game clear of beating a terrible Jets team that we nearly bungled. And there’s the awful loss to the Giants…. Seattle is still like most of the NFL - only as good as the last paycheck.
If you were to tell me that our run defense will remain stout (I think it will), then I really like our chances moving into the end of the year.
I am just not worried about our offense. I think the turnovers have already started regressing and that they will remain low. I don't think we will have an explosive offesese, but that is partly by design as I think Mike Mac wants a more controlled offense.
Excited to see how this all plays out... Enjoyed reading your comment!
It's SB or BUST! for me. So I hope we get into the playoffs and have a chance to win a SB, and I'd be gosh darn proud to even get to a SB, soooo ... I lied about "it's SB or BUST! for me" so nevermind.
That game last night was sickening and ugly- I actually thought the Whiners might win, But the whole thing sucked! I believe (one of those in my head and my gut) it will probably come down to the last game with the rams - thinking the Hawks split with the Pack/Vikes and beat the Bears. Go Hawks!
Waiting for an article like this. We all loved the past couple of weeks (well except most of that first half in New Jersey, not NY). But we still need to prove things. I realized the lead gets lost with 2 straight losses. Totally surprised by the Rams. Totally love the dying of Whiners though. Come on Hawks. Action Green. Get us a home win we fans can be proud of.
The Seahawks are having fun right now. I don’t think they will be tight at all against GB. Just another opportunity. First year HC, they aren’t even supposed to be here. These last four games are all gravy, so enjoy them.
Are the Seahawks “for real” contenders or pretenders? If it is the former they will beat the Packers and Vikings at home and the Rams in LA, and it won’t matter what any other team does.
Any other result will show the ground the Seahawks still need to travel to be contenders and the playoffs this season don’t matter.
Go Hawks!
Right. Okay teams worry about playoff scenarios; good ones win out.
Man I knew this was the most (by far) complex 3-team stretch to the tape of any division but didn’t have the energy to do what you just did — thank you!
Plus I got a new adjective I plan to use to describe anyone who refuses to die:
“Cockroachian”.
If there’s any better reason to subscribe to any sportswriter, I’ve yet to see it.
I felt myself nodding when I read that, haha. It was both funny and I think perfectly described the situation.
The LA Cockroaches also has a certain ring to it!
True this: La Cockroaches is a song.
https://youtu.be/SHYUkAthMN0
There you go!
Ariba!
Again...Wow. This Sport shows boys what it takes to be Serious Men. To gain that distinction demands it is done by the rules, the logic of which SSJ has laid out more clearly than I have seen. Should one of them falter, it takes the entire Team to allow that to be a failure. So don't fail. Overcome all odds. Do that and a Super Bowl win is reachable.
What an absolutely pathetic game that was last night. I didn't fully watch, thankfully but what little I did I found myself pulling for the Niners for Seahawks purposes and that was a miserable experience.
What a glimpse into how crappy it must be to be a Niners fan. Brock/Kyle and company? No thank you. Possibly, the best thing that could happen to the Seahawks this offseason would be for the Niners to give Purdy a massive contract. And Stafford is almost done. The future is bright for Seattle. Geno has at least 3-5 years left in the tank IMO. Where he will be by far the best QB in the division.
As Joe said, anyway you slice and dice this up it will probably come down to week 18 at the Rams, at least if you want to win the division.
Good news, Geno is great in a dome. We only lost last year after he got injured and Myers missed the game winning kick. Otherwise, we mostly dominated the Rams, just like we did this year (Although Nucua was out for most of that game).
I looked back a while ago and wish I had the post handy, but I think there has only been 1 team miss the playoffs with 10 wins (obviously recently moved to 17 games but added a third WC team).
Every year, these types of scenarios come up, and typically they shake out with a 10-win team making the playoffs. Likely because a team like the Cardinals will lose one of those 4 games. I would not assume that the Rams are going to waltz in and beat a team like the Jets either.
Anyways, the NFL entertainment engine keeps moving right along! Get the popcorn ready the Seahawks have certainly not made the playoffs yet! Have to win 1 of the next 3, and I sure hope no one is circling the Bears game as a win! That is a tough game!
Geno Smith at LA:
2022: 28/39 367 Yds 3 TDs 1 Int
2023 (injured for part of game): 22/34 233 Yds 1 TD 0 Int
In 2022, the Hawks had the game in control prior to Geno injury with a 16-7 lead and the ball: over 80% win chance according to ESPN. Even coming back with an injured arm he still led a potential game winning drive to get into 55 yard FG range.
Geno Smith in general is a great dome QB which is why we have a great shot at beating the Lions again if we are so lucky to make it that far.
All that is to say, bring on the Rams.
Go Hawks.
Mike, you do my heart wonders. Thank you for your post. However, for the freaking LA Rams to even matter, we first need to beat GB ... and then Minnesota and or Da Bears.
What’s interesting with the 49ers is they thought they’d landed gold with Turdy but it turns out they had a game manager. Which seemed pretty obvious when all he had to do was stand back there and throw with 5 seconds before the rush. It’s funny what happens to players when they don’t have as much time. The guy never impressed me and I figured this was the other shoe to drop, because you kept seeing cracks in his game…. The other thing you saw that Seattle will have to exploit if they get to week 18 and it matters (*fingers very crossed)….Stafford can be messed with. The 49ers’ dbs aren’t world beaters but they made the Rams look pretty pedestrian and should have had two picks. But then…Purdy probable would have thrown the ball right back to the Cockroaches…
Haha ... This is a great comment.
Also, how many times did Stafford try to throw an easy interception. I think just when I was watching it was at least 2 or 3?
Silver ain't bad, then, because while I am thrilled that Purdy is turning into Turdy, he is still an excellent value for the last guy drafted.
Pretty sure the patriots were 11-5 the year Matt Cassel was their qb and did not make playoffs.
Whoops … should’ve mentioned I looked back to I think 2010.
Hell, yea, I am circling the Bears as a win if all we need is two wins to get into the playoffs then I am definitely counting the Bears. First of all, for the Bears game to even factor into that we will have had to lose one of the games against either GB or the Vikings, and if we split with them I am all in on the Bears counting as win #2 because as the fricking best team in the NFL up until LA beat them was Buffalo, for gosh darn sakes! The LA Rams are either the most dangerous team in the NFL or we are if we beat them.
My head is spinning.
Playing Spoiler Teams is not to be trifled with. Green Bay still tries to generate a Grudge after what we did to them some 10 years ago.
Well let’s just sweep so we don’t weep.
May the 12s be with you and Go Seahawks!
I was just thinking about this.
Rank the remaining games from easiest to hardest. And if you could choose 1 game to put all your marbles on to make the playoffs which game would it be?
My list (Easy to Hard):
Rams
Vikings
Bears
GB
I find all these games to be very close in difficulty level. But I don't like the Packers coming off the mini-bye and I like the Hawks coming off the mini-bye against the Rams. I also think we were flat out the better team in game 1. Rams have no home field, and Geno is better in a dome.
Also, maybe I am irrationally worried about the Bears, but that is just a weird game to me and I want no part of needing to win that. Hopefully, my fears are way overblown and we roll.
Seriously, you put GB below the Bears? Why?
You could hedge the bet by betting against the Hawks, but I never do that because it's bad mojo or something. But I gladly take money from friends willing to take what I consider a suckers bet. Unfortunately, I am not real good at deciding what is a suckers bet or I would win more often than I do.
I think you mean Rams and Vikings above the Bears (lol).
I don't ... I like the matchups against the Vikings and Rams. But you made a good point below that the Rams could be gelling. But I also see their defense getting worse.
Bears may be an irrational level of concern. My buddy made a good point that we should dominate their O-line.
Cool, I’ll take a shot too, easy to hard like Mike McD:
Bears
Packers
Vikings
Rams (McVay respect, and mostly how HEAVY the environment is going to be for that game where we are prob playing for both the division and a WC (don’t think Moons are going to be there at the end)
A good buddy of mine I talk football with all the time had a similar list. Which is good to see. I’m liking the confidence level going into Chicago.
Mcvay and the rams have peoples attention! Which is also good. That should be a great game
I think beating Buffalo woke a lot of people up. It got my attention. I mean, what if Buffalo ends up in the SB like I still think is as good a bet as any? That means the NFC has been way underrated all season long.
Very good point!
This is why I like to ask the question: get some good perspective!
Soooo… to beat McVay you have to have a defense designed for it. Buffalo’s D is better against an offense like KC’s, which is creative, but doesn’t have guys who produce a ton of YAC. What will be interesting is whether Buffalo recovers against Detroit, which also has a battered D now and is only winning by outscoring teams.
Swinging this back to Seattle: The two tests that matter if the Rams game is going to matter *(oh, sorry, Cockroaches), will be GB and the Vikings. Both have very good offenses. If Seattle’s D is “real,” and not a mirage that’s now standing up to only average teams then we find out against those two teams… and we find out that defense does “matter.” Dunno if it leads to wins though. GB’s front seven is supposed to be very stout, and that’s been Seattle’s kryptonite. MAYBE Seattle can run the ball even without K9. That’ll be crucial. What you saw with Detroit beating GB was ball control mixed with explosive plays… And it wasn’t critical until the end, when not giving the ball back to Love won the game. Now, right now anyway it seems like Seattle has a superior D to Detroit — but not a better offense. If Tyler and DK wake up in this game, and if Geno is just a touch more accurate throwing to TEs (he missed on two CRUCIAL balls that turn the game against the Cards into a laugher), you transform what I think will be a grinder against GB into a coming out party for the Seahawks, like last year’s win against Philly… which actually only proved to show that Philly was a mirage and not that Seattle was more than average.
Win against GB and Minny and win on a short week against Chicago… and don’t have any of those games turn into the Jets game in NJ and then you’ve proven especially that your D is real and that your offense is proficient. PROBABLY the reality is you split Minn and GB and beat Chicago, perhaps taking revenge on the Bears after a loss to Minnesota. And as to the prior thread, no, not betting on any of it. Not only is it bad luck, but we’re literally one game clear of beating a terrible Jets team that we nearly bungled. And there’s the awful loss to the Giants…. Seattle is still like most of the NFL - only as good as the last paycheck.
Excellent comment. Lots of good stuff in there.
If you were to tell me that our run defense will remain stout (I think it will), then I really like our chances moving into the end of the year.
I am just not worried about our offense. I think the turnovers have already started regressing and that they will remain low. I don't think we will have an explosive offesese, but that is partly by design as I think Mike Mac wants a more controlled offense.
Excited to see how this all plays out... Enjoyed reading your comment!
I blame the Bills defense for this entire mess
It's SB or BUST! for me. So I hope we get into the playoffs and have a chance to win a SB, and I'd be gosh darn proud to even get to a SB, soooo ... I lied about "it's SB or BUST! for me" so nevermind.
Easy solution - win out
Easy solution…and the BEST solution. 🙌
That game last night was sickening and ugly- I actually thought the Whiners might win, But the whole thing sucked! I believe (one of those in my head and my gut) it will probably come down to the last game with the rams - thinking the Hawks split with the Pack/Vikes and beat the Bears. Go Hawks!
Waiting for an article like this. We all loved the past couple of weeks (well except most of that first half in New Jersey, not NY). But we still need to prove things. I realized the lead gets lost with 2 straight losses. Totally surprised by the Rams. Totally love the dying of Whiners though. Come on Hawks. Action Green. Get us a home win we fans can be proud of.
oh dang, "cockroachian" ... this is enough to come to this site, nuff said.
The Seahawks are having fun right now. I don’t think they will be tight at all against GB. Just another opportunity. First year HC, they aren’t even supposed to be here. These last four games are all gravy, so enjoy them.
Man this sorta made my head hurt. NGL. Odd numbered games makes tiebreakers so much more complicated.