Vision Board: Seahawks-Broncos, Week 1

How Kenneth Walker, Tyler Lockett, and Mike Macdonald help the Seahawks start 1-0 this week, 9/7/2024

Vision Boards are back for the 2024 season: Every week before the Seattle Seahawks next game, I’ll choose three things to “put into the universe” that would benefit the Seahawks in some way. They aren’t predictions..they’re visions!

Last season, I used movies (I think?) as a catalyst or jumping off point that I think helps increase the likelihood of visions coming true. I’m not sure if this will be a theme beyond this weekend, but today I’m using iconic moments in Survivor history (my favorite TV show, but it doesn’t have to be yours!) as catalysts for these three visions.

Also, there will be a new segment debuted in the Vision Board posts today: Jay’s Says!

As you know, I got married last month and that means that by the letter of the law, Seaside Jay now owns half of everything I own, including Seaside Joe. That’s how that works, right?

Jay is a long-time reader of Seaside Joe because of the author, but she doesn’t follow the NFL that closely outside of what’s in the newsletter and whatever moments she happens to catch me watching during the games. That’s fine, I think her visions are just as good as mine! And that’s the point of visions.

So I asked her if she wouldn’t mind picking a “Hero” (from the Seahawks) and a “Zero” (from the Broncos) based solely on VIBES. She did some research and came up with two answers that I’ll post at the end of today’s Vision Board. Let’s see who’s visions got answered by the Universe by tomorrow!

If you think that Seaside Joe has finally earned your paid subscription, consider upgrading to premium Regular Joes or Super Joes today. It’s only $5 per month or $55 for an entire year of bonus content, comments, live chats, and supporting a FAMILY business about your favorite NFL team. There have been 5 bonus articles just in the past two days!

Erik gives up immunity::Bo Nix sees ghosts

Premise: Trick someone into screwing themselves over

Matchup: Mike Macdonald vs. Bo Nix

Possibly the most iconic tribal moment in Survivor history, Erik got duped by one of the strongest alliances the game has ever seen, a group of four women committed to going to the end together.

Well, Mike Macdonald hopes that his secondary—Devon Witherspoon, Riq Woolen, Tre Brown, Rayshawn Jenkins, Julian Love—is the strongest alliance of corners and safeties that the Seahawks have had since you know what. But they still might not be as influential on forcing Nix into a few mistakes on Sunday as the front-seven, as Macdonald’s “glitch blitz” (detailed several times by our friend All_22, a Ravens film study expert) and disguising which d-linemen will attack the QB vs. who drops into coverage, that could be what confuses the rookie into unforced errors in his NFL debut.

(Survivor fans know how fitting that would be too, as Erik giving his necklace to Natalie wasn’t because she was the best player in the game, it was because the other three women in her alliance were.)

Universal Request: Bo Nix throws 2 INTs, sacked 4 times

I have nothing against Nix personally, but if it’s between him or the defensive coordinator who helped the Ravens lead the league in sacks and takeaways last season, I choose Macdonald. You’ll be shocked what a person will give up if you manipulate them in the right way.

Let’s get a sack from Leonard Williams, a sack from Jerome Baker, 1.5 for Jarran Reed, and 0.5 for Byron Murphy. One pick to Witherspoon, one to Love.

Yau-Man hits the corner::Tyler Lockett up to his tricks

Premise: Brains beats Brawn

Matchup: Tyler Lockett vs. DEN secondary

Season 14’s Yau-Man is by far one of the most popular players in Survivor history, largely thanks to how he used his ingenuity and brains (he has a masters in Physics) to gain an athletic advantage over people who were decades younger and also much stronger than him. Yau-Man didn’t just innovate the game (creating the first fake idol in Survivor history), he proved invaluable around camp too: On the first day, nobody could figure out how to break open a wooden box, not even the strapping 25-year-old lads. But Yau-Man knew how, by slamming the corner onto a rock because that’s the weakest point of a box.

Who else could this apply to other than Tyler Lockett?

Universal Request: Tyler Lockett “hits the corner” and scores game-winner

No matter what score he got in my review of Seattle’s receivers and even if he’s possibly third in the pecking order (if not fourth behind Noah Fant), Lockett stands the test of time as one of the Seahawks most innovative and brilliant receivers in franchise history. Without dominating last season at 31, he still had almost 900 yards and five touchdowns, including two in Week 2’s overtime win over the Lions…Seattle’s best win of the season.

His touchdowns also proved consequential in wins over the Browns, Moons, and Cardinals. Without Lockett, the Seahawks might have finished 5-12 instead of 9-8.

He might not get 100 yards, or even 60, but I’m putting a go-ahead touchdown in a box and I guarantee Lockett’s the guy to get it out of there.

Bob’s perfect fake idol::Kenneth Walker fakes out Broncos

Premise: Creative ingenuity screws over enemy

Matchup: Kenneth Walker III vs. Broncos LB/S

Speaking of fake idols, another man of science—Bob “I’m not Bill Nye but I kind of remind you of him”—managed to make probably the best-looking fake idol in Survivor history three seasons after Yau-Man. I can’t say that the idol served much of a purpose honestly, but Bob did use to gain a little bit of favor with the tribe by giving it to the most-hated person on the tribe and making him look like a fool on the way out.

Nobody is more creative or more capable of looking enemies look like fools than Kenneth Walker III.

Universal Request: Kenneth Walker breaks ankles on way to 35-yard TD run, goes over 100 for the game

The Broncos finished 30th in rushing yards allowed last season, including 350 of them in their 70-20 loss to the Dolphins in Week 3, as well as 32nd in yards per carry allowed. They have the same defensive coordinator—and mostly the same defense—so why not 100 yards for Kenneth Walker? He only had one of those last season, 105 against the Cardinals in Week 7, so I feel he’s due.

And isn’t Sean Payton arguably the most-hated coach in the NFL tribe?

As promised, here are Seaside Jay’s “hero” and “zero” player picks of the week!

Jay’s Says

I literally don't know anything about football so I feel silly commenting on anything related to the o'l pigskin. Additionally, my writing skills aren't up to par with Seaside Joe's. He's well aware of this after spending an excruciating amount of time writing thank you cards together. Nevertheless, she's going to give it a try! 

Before I dive into heroes and zeroes, a quick shout-out to Noah Fant who, upon one Google search, appears to be limited to a toe issue. I have a bunion in each foot so I can empathize with the poor guy! Here's to a speedy recovery. 

The hero for this week is... Jerome Baker. Now, I don't know how football fans feel about talking about their players when they were on other teams. Is it like bringing up an ex-boyfriend/girlfriend? Anyway, I chose Jerome Baker because there's a clip of him looking for his mom in the stands at several different points during a Dolphins game. I love a man who loves his mama! 

The zero for this week is... Courtland Sutton. His birthday is 10/10/1995 which is my best friend's birthday and there can only be one!! 

So there you go: Jay’s says that Jerome Baker will have a stellar debut and Courtland Sutton will meet his match against either Riq Woolen or Devon Witherspoon. Let’s see if her picks are better than mine!