Kam Chancellor's Fund for the Needy

After a $40,000 fine this week and a $20,000 fine last week, Mr. Chancellor has given back 15% of his annual salary to the NFL (which they give to charity).

This ride may have to wait until next Crhistmas.

Kam only (only?) makes $405,000 this year, so my guess is that he is feeling the pain in his wallet this week. So much for using your head. Ouch.

Top 10 Defense?

The Seahawks defense has been slowly climbing up the rankings this year, After a stellar performance in St. Louis it is now ranked 11 in total yards (8 in rushing yards against and 15 in passing yards).

Not bad for a bunch for a team playing with a secondary that consists of 3 guys who had never really played before, and one with only a year of starting under his belt. It looks like the secondary could be a point of strength for years to come. They are young, tall and aggressive. This is a far cry from Trufant who kept everything in front of him but always gave up yardage. Kelly Jennings would be around the ball but utterly oblivious that it had just been caught by someone else. Jordan Babineaux and Lawyer Milloy are easy to forget when you have a force in the middle like Kam (Bam Bam) Chancellor.

The linebackers have a nice balance of youth and experience. Leroy Hill is playing with renewed energy. I hope the team re-signs him as he is a stabilizing force. The Heater makes a ton of plays while KJ is really learning the position from game to game. He is instinctual and does not make boneheaded mistakes like his predecessor.

The front four are dominant in run coverage. If they are not making the tackle themselves, they are blowing up the play enough to allow the linebackers to clean up. This is a drastic improvement over the last few years. A consistent pass rush is needed from someone other than Clemons. I am not sure what happened to Raheem Brock this year, but he has been a non-factor. Maybe his age (33) caught up to him.

Of the remaining six games only one team (Philadelphia) has a top 15 offense which leads me to believe that the Hawks can end the season in the top 10 in defense. That would make huge progress for Pete and JS in a very short time. Here is where they finished in the last 5 years:

• 2006 -- #19     (9-7)
• 2007 -- #15     (10-6)
• 2008 -- #30     (4-12)
• 2009 -- #24     (5-11)
• 2010 -- #27     (7-9)
• 2011 -- #??

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.

Pre-Season Game 1--San Diego

After 15.5 hours of travel Thursday, I arrived home tired to watch the game on the DVR.

General assessment: While I was hoping for some flashes of offensive brilliance from the starters, this wasn't the case. Maybe it was because the top three WRs were not dressed, maybe it was because Okung only made it through 4 plays, maybe it was because they are installing a new offense for the third year in a row...whatever the reason. The Hawks looked a lot like they did last year. Poor pass protection, no separation for their receivers and a genuine lack of playmakers. Maybe this will change when the o-line gels and Rice and BMW are in at WR. I sure hope so. The run blocking looked improved. Hopefully this will only get better. It would be nice to have a true fullback who can block. I am not sold on Michael Robinson in this role.

Defensively, Kelly Jennings reminded me of...Kelly Jennings. Ack! He is too small and too out of position to play regularly. Hopefully Walter Thurmond will be healthy enough to win the spot. Browner and Sherman looked good (and tall) in the second half. Let's hope they continue to impress. Kam Chancellor made an impact with a couple of stops against the run. Wilkerson did the same getting in the backfield a few times.

Quick thoughts:
1) has anyone seen Red Bryant? His injuries are always an issue and I have a bad feeling about him again.

2) has anyone seen Russell Okung? His injuries are always an issue and I have a bad feeling about him again. Ugh.

3) it would have been nice to see more of Tarvaris. He knows the system, why not play him more? Whitehurst is new to the system, yet he played the most.

4) Josh Portis (once he settled down) is pretty dynamic. I would like to see more from him. His upside seems large..

5) I would like to see the big, young corners Browner and Sherman get some time with the first team. If they can play then we can get rid of Jennings.

6) Coutu can't kick it deep enough even with the extra five yards. Let's hope Jeff Reed can.

7) Not sure what is up with John Carlson, but his blocking is horrendous. Maybe he wants to get traded, who knows.