Andrew Luck Watch, Episode Two

The Seahawks are one of seven winless teams in the league after two games. One could argue that Carolina and St. Louis are not in the running for a QB, so for argument's sake that leaves us with 5 teams: Seattle, Miami, KC, Indy and Minnesota.

Against Arizona this week, Mr. Luck went 20/31 for 325 yards. 2 TDs 0 INTs, and a rating of 173.9.

Sounders 3 Seahawks 0

Would you rather watch the Seahawks offense or watch the Mariners at the plate?

Would you rather watch the Seahawks offense or discuss Alaskan Way Viaduct options?

Would you rather watch the Seahawks offense or pick at a scab until it bleeds?

Would you rather watch the Seahawks offense or get a chest wax?

Offense Crosses the Fifty! OMG!

A nice catch by Golden Tate got the mighty Seahawk offense to the Steelers 47, but a False Start penalty on the next play returned the team to their own half. It was too good to be true.

No Respect

Teams are going to go for it on 4th down against the Hawks this year a lot as they don't respect the Seattle offense.

The offense? Yes, opponents know that the Seahawks are little threat to score, so that there are little to no implications for going for it and not getting the first. 3 and out for the Hawks and they get the ball right back. The same goes for trick plays. Sad but true.

Scheduling Complaints

Starting the season with 2 road games means playing 2 separate home openers at the Niners and the Steelers. The league should balance the schedule so each team hosts and goes on the road for home openers within the first two weeks. It's simple math.

Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself

Apparently the national media is none too impressed with the Seahawks so far. After week 1, they have dropped to 31 in the ESPN power rankings. Ouch. I am afraid that after the Pittsburgh game the Hawks will be looking up at 31 other teams.

Andrew Luck Watch, Episode One

I thought it might be fun to see where the Seahawks will pick in the 2012 Draft on a weekly basis. While I don't think the Hawks are going to earn the number one pick, the need for a quarterback next year is vital to the team's rebuilding process. Landry Jones or Matt Barkley are more likely, but who knows?

Luck's week: He led Stanford to a 44-14 win over Duke, completing 20 of 29 for 290 yards. 4 passing TDs, 1 INT.

Seattle and 15 other teams are the leaders in the clubhouse for Mr. Luck. Four of these winless teams have young and expensive quarterbacks already: Carolina, St. Louis, Atlanta and Tampa Bay. That leaves the competition for futility to the Hawks and 11 others. May the worst team win.

Mazeltov! Rabbi Luck. 

Monday Night Football

Tom Brady is so accurate he is putting on a clinic. It looks like he is running a summer QB camp. Wes Welker just scampered 99 yeards which takes Brady over 500 for the game. Wow. That is like 3 games of passing yards for the Hawks! Tom Brady is so good he makes Deion Branch look like a pro bowl receiver--he looked washed up in Seattle. So much for the defense being ahead of the offense. Not in the AFC East.

"They Are Who We Thought They Were"

To quote one of my favorite rants of all time, the Seahawks offense and defense played as expected. The special teams, on the other hand, not so much.

As written about in prior posts, the offense is only is good as the offensive line, and at this point in the season one could argue that it is the worst line in the league. That said, it can only get better right? Pittsburgh is going to be a huge test next week. Yikes.

The defense was stout against the run and looked good in coverage against the pass. SF isn't exactly an offensive juggernaut given the limited playbook they used, so the jury is still out here. The pass rush was horrible, it needs to improve especially when playing teams that do not run the ball every time on 3rd and 8.

What can be said about special teams? I know Ben Obomanu was starting at receiver due to Sidney Rice's injury, but he is probably the Hawks best special-teamer on the active roster (Roy Lewis is on the PUP). The punt and kick coverage was suspect from the start, so lets hope this issue can get fixed in a hurry. Last year kick coverage was a bright spot, this year they looked like the San Diego Chargers special teams unit. Ugh.

I was planning on re-watching the game for some in-depth analysis, but I don't think I can take watching it a second time. Once was enough.

How Good is the Defense?

Over the last few years I have said that if Jordan Babineaux, Craig Terrill and Kelly Jennings are on the team, then the defense is not going to be good. This year all three are not with the Hawks: two are not with any team and Jennings is a Bengal.

I hope that overall talent and depth has improved and that is why these three are not Seahawks. It looks like the defense could be in the middle third in the league this year which would be a vast improvement.

A key for defensive success this year will be how much time they are on the field. The offense needs to be competitive in time of possession to give the defense a fighting chance. It all begins today.

Hawk and Roll!

All I Want For Christmas is an Offensive Line

Like the Ghost of Christmas Past, the loss of Steve Hutchinson reminds us why things took a major turn for the worse. The Seahawks have used 16 different starting combinations over the last two seasons. That is 16 different lines in 32 games! Not exactly the stability you need to win in this league.

This year, like the last five, I hoped for continuity on the o-line--so the bigguns could gel as a unit. I knew they were young, so reps would be more important than ever.

Instead Big Russ makes it through a whopping three plays before his preseason is over. Robert Gallery didn't show much in the first couple games, and then gets hurt in the last one--putting his regular season debut in jeopardy. Unger, Carpenter and Moffitt remain healthy but their blocking needs a lot of work, based on what we have seen so far. Carpenter is now backing up Left Guard and may start there on Sunday. Let's hope he is better there then at Right Tackle and that his nickname, "the turnstile" doesn't stick. It can't get worse, can it?

If these guys can't play together, then let's watch these five play together.

Beware False Prophets

I generally respect the thoughts of Mike Florio and staff over at ProFootballTalk, but while I agree with him positioning the Hawks in the mid-20s, his comment is ridiculous. He writes, "If/when Charlie Whitehurst becomes the starting quarterback, the Seahawks will climb the ladder."

I don't know why so many fans inside the Clink last Friday night, as well as Florio feel that Charlie Whitehurst is this year's savior. At least let's give Tarvaris a chance in the regular season before we chant "Charlie, Charlie!" ad nauseam.

Hawk and Roll News Flash: Just because CW looks like Jesus Christ, doesn't make him Jesus Christ.

Jesus, career passer rating: 158.3
Clipboard Jesus, career passer rating: 65.5
(pictured left to right)

Welcome to the Regular Season

Hello fellow Hawk And Rollers, we have finally made it to WEEK ONE. Finally. Let's see what we have accomplished as fans:
Lockout...check. 

Free Agency...check.

Training Camp...check.

Exhibition Games...check.
Roster Cuts...check.
BRING ON THEM NINERS!

I am glad to see that Pep Levingston was added to the Practice Squad today in favor of Maurice Fountain. He is over 5 years younger and showed some real promise in the pre-season.

A special thanks to The Seattle Times' Danny O'Neil who mentioned our little blog during his live chat today. We can't afford live chats here, nor would we have any participants, but I really appreciate the shout out. Thanks Danny. I am a big fan.

A Few Thoughts After the Cuts

I thought Colin Cole would be on the PUP list for the first 6 weeks but given his large salary, that wasn't the case. The loss of Jimmy Wilkerson for the season also hurts the defensive line. Cole could come back to the team for less money once he is healthy.

Three rookie free agents make the 53 as well as Brandon Browner who is from the CFL. This speaks to the team's willingness to embrace youth and keep the best talent possible. Jeron Johnson beating out Mark Legree is a prime example.

Last year the Hawks kept five LBs, this year seven. As the roster shuffles, I would expect a line backer or two to be vulnerable.

It will be interesting to see how active the front office is over the next couple days. Last year they picked up Raheem Brock off the scrap heap. Maybe they will find another diamond in the rough?

This Diamond likes it rough.

The Seahawks lead 3-0

DYNASTY

Pre Game Thoughts

The starting offense needs to move the ball. If not, I am worried that the opener at SF may end in a nil-nil draw. Let's hope the Sounders don't outscore the Seahawks next weekend.

The Raiders ran at will against the Hawks last year. Let's hope the defense proves more stout upfront.

Tampa cut a MLB and a DE today. I wonder if either (or both) get a look from JS. One thing we know, this team will always try to improve overall talent.

Position Watch for the Raider Game

Beware of the Turk.

There are three positions that I will be watching closely Friday night:

1) Safety. Last year the team carried 4. Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor are locks as the starters. That leaves 5th round draft pick Mark Legree battling for a spot with Atari Bigby, Jeron Johnson and Josh Pickard. I haven't seen Legree on the field much, so I would guess he is offerred a spot on the practice squad. Bigby offers game experience which the others do not. It is a very young group overall which helps Bigby's chances.

2) Wide Receiver. They kept 6 last year. Rice, Williams, and Obomano are the first three on the field. 4th rounder Kris Durham has a spot too. That leaves 2 spots and a host of guys. My guess is Golden Tate and Doug Baldwin. Burner Ricardo Lockette to the practice squad. Deon Butler on the PUP. I don't see how Husky Isaiah Stanback makes the 53.

3) Defensive Line. There is a logjam here with 15 players and only 9 roster spots likely. Chris Clemons, Red Bryant, Alan Branch, Brandon Mebane, Raheem Brock are on the team. That leaves 4 spots up for grabs. These 5 have the inside track: Junior Siavii, Jimmy Wilkerson, Ryan Sims, Pep Levingston and Clinton McDonald. I don't think Dexter Davis of Jameson Konz are going to make it. Pierre Allen to the practice squad. Colin Cole on the PUP.