Make the Lambs Lie Down

Christine Michael tramples a Brown (TNB)

Seattle efficiently dispatched Cleveland last week. To their credit, the Browns put up a decent fight. Johnny Manziel acquitted himself admirably in a losing effort; his impressive initial drive culminated in the only offensive touchdown scored against the Seahawks in the first three games of December. After that, the Legion of Boom reverted to suffocating form.

Seattle's offense continues to roll. The funk that afflicted offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell earlier in the season now seems a distant memory. For several weeks now, Bevell has been dialing up plays with a Midas touch from the Zen haze of a zone never experienced by most coaches.

Tom Cable's O-Line has settled into a consistent groove of solid run blocking and decent pass protection.

Our makeshift backfield vastly exceeded expectations. Christine Michael made the most of the opportunity, amply justifying this Diehard's far-fetched faith in him. Bryce Brown looked good in relief, and Fred Jackson is spooky-good with his sticky-fingered grabs as our designated third-down back. Marshawn Lynch's return from injury will provide a big boost when it comes, but the quality of our depth gives Beast Mode the luxury of responsible rehab; he need not return until he's ready.

The passing game is clicking across the board, but Russell Wilson and Doug Baldwin are roaring along on some kind of supernatural roll. Tyler Lockett and Jermaine Kearse continue to be clutch, too. Suddenly, Seattle's receiving corps has emerged as a relative strength. They've always been the class of the league as blockers, but now their receiving stats are starting to turn heads, too.

The Rams haven't won in Seattle since 2005. Analysts almost unanimously pick the Seahawks to win in a walk, but I think it's a mistake to take St. Louis lightly. Jeff Fisher is an evil genius with a knack for knocking off division opponents, and after several disappointing seasons, he may be coaching for his job.

St. Louis has only won one road game all year, but that was a quality win in Arizona--one of the NFL's best teams this year.

Even without Robert Quinn, the Rams defensive line represents a tough test for Cable's O-Line.

Some observers argue that Seattle has little to play for, having already clinched a wild card berth. However, maintaining pole position in the playoff chase spells the difference between starting the playoffs against the feeble NFC Least leader or on the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field.

Fortunately, Coach Carroll's "Always compete" philosophy militates against phoning it in on any given Sunday.

We can't afford to let St. Louis hang around. Like an alpha chimp, we need to knock down the Rams fast and jump up and down on top of them for 60 full minutes while howling and pounding our chest to intimidate future rivals.

Barring preposterously good luck in the playoffs, this is likely Seattle's last home game of the year. The 12th Man needs to make it count.

Go, Hawks!

Second-tier Seahawks host bottom-tier Browns

Pettine just served Seattle some choice bulletin board fodder

If I were the head coach of the 3-10 Cleveland Browns, I would not want to talk about tiering.

Earlier this week, Mike Pettine opined that Russell Wilson is not a top-tier quarterback who can "transcend" his "supporting cast," like Tom Shady, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees or Ben Rapistberger. Pettine granted that DangeRuss has "certainly played himself into that next tier."

Pettine Has a Right to be Wrong

I do not regard the Cleveland coach's assessment of Wilson as inherently insulting. If he viewed DangeRuss as the fifth or eight best quarterback in the NFL, then that would still constitute an honor. As Pettine made clear in follow-up comments, the top-tier quarterbacks he mentioned have longer track records, and if Wilson continues to play at his current level, he would eventually join that elite.

Pettine's opinion, while not disrespecful, is factually incorrect. DangeRuss is already a top-tier quarterback by every meaningful measure.

Victories? Wilson's win percentage is .725 (50-19), better than all active players except Shady's .771 (171-49) and better than all retired players, too, except for Roger Staubach's .746 (85-29). Top tier.

Championships? Among active quarterbacks, only Shady (a 16-year serial cheater) and Rapistberger (a 12-year veteran) have more Super Bowl rings (4 and 2, respectively). In just his fourth year, Wilson's single NFL championship ring matches the total earned by Brees in 15 seasons and Rodgers in 12. Top tier.

NFL quarterback rating? DangeRuss currently ranks first. Top tier.

ESPN's alternative QBR system? Wilson ranks fourth, behind Carson Palmer, Rapistberger and Andy Dalton. Top tier.

Completion percentage? Wilson's 68.8% is second, behind Kirk Cousins. Top tier.

Yards? DangeRuss ranks just 13th, but that outpaces both Rodgers (15th) and Rapistberger (20th), each of whom have missed games due to injuries. While Shady (1st) and Brees (4th) have thrown for far more yards. Not elite.

Yards per attempt? Wilson ranks third, behind Palmer and Rapistberger. Top tier.

Most passing touchdowns? DangeRuss ranks eighth, behind Shady, Rodgers and others. 2nd tier.

Highest percentage of passes that go for touchdowns? Wilson ranks third, behind Newton and Palmer. Top tier.

Fewest interceptions? Among quarterbacks who've started most of the season (i.e., attempted at least 250 passes), only four have thrown fewer than Wilson's 7 interceptions: Shady, Rodgers, Alex Smith, Josh McCown and Tyrod Taylor. 2nd tier.

Lowest percentage of passes intercepted? At 1.8%, Wilson is tied for sixth, behind Smith (1%), Shady and Rodgers (both at 1.1%), Josh McCown and Taylor. 2nd tier.

Most statistics suggest that Wilson belongs in the top tier.

When it comes to passing yards--the one area where Wilson does not clearly rank in the top two tiers--it makes sense to question the metric. Few football gurus would argue that total passing yards is a sovereign indicator of quarterbacking quality. Sometimes teams amass much mileage through the air out of desperation, because they can't run the ball, and/or because they're often playing catchup. Evidence: Nine of the 12 teams with quarterbacks who've thrown for more yards than Wilson have lost more games than they've won. San Diego, Oakland, Miami, Jacksonville, Atlanta, New Orleans, Tampa Bay, Detroit and the New York Giants would all gladly trade several hundred passing yards for a few more wins.

Most coaches would prefer a more balanced offensive attack, but they want to know that their quarterback can carry a team when necessary, can--as Pettine says--transcend their supporting cast."

Wilson has shown that repeatedly, especially in the last few weeks, despite dramatic turnover at the tailback position and the loss of Jimmy Graham, one of his top receiving targets.

In explaining himself, Pettine acknowledged that DangeRuss is "the perfect quarterback for what they do." Like many analysts, the Cleveland coach seems to imagine that being a good fit for Seattle's run-oriented offense somehow makes Wilson less of a quarterback. Pettine observed, "They've... built it around him."

It would be equally fair to say that the Patriots have built their offense around Shady, that the Steelers designed theirs for Rapistberger, that the Packers customized theirs for Rodgers, and that the Saints developed theirs to suit Brees.

Every team strives to surround its quarterback with a complementary supporting cast, but no other quarterback in the NFL could have achieved what DangeRuss did with Seattle's offense this year. For the first half of the season, the offensive line was dangerously incompetent, and opposing defenses declared open season on Wilson. Shady would have been pulverized and probably on injured reserve by Week Four. Slightly more elusive, Brees might have seen Week Six. Rapistberger's size could have helped him endure as long as Week Eight. Maybe. With a lot of luck, the nimble Rodgers might have lasted long enough to benefit--as DangeRuss has--from the O-Line's improvement, but his stats would look nothing like they do with Green Bay, and I question whether Seattle would have won as many games with the Packer QB under center.

Of course, as a running threat, Wilson adds a dimension to our offense that few quarterbacks can bring. With 456 yards, DangeRuss ranks second in rushing at his position, just behind Cam Newton (480). Smith and Rodgers are the only other quarterbacks to have run for more than 300 yards to date. Top tier.

Pettine and the Bigger Picture

People who coach for failing franchises should not throw stones or talk about tiers.

We can debate whether DangeRuss is an elite quarterback, but there is no question that Pettine is a bottom-tier coach for a hangdog franchise.

Cleveland has never won a Super Bowl. Their last championship came in 1964, a dozen years before the inception of the Seahawks.

Currently stuck in the longest playoff drought in franchise history, the Browns haven't made the playoffs since 2002, and at 3-10, they won't make it this year, unless some sort of apocalyptic disaster wipes out 10 of the other 15 AFC teams. So, 2015 will mark the 22nd consecutive year Cleveland has missed the postseason. At the quarter-century mark, the Browns will earn a share of the historical record shared by Washington and the Cardinals. (Seattle's longest playoff drought was the decade from 1989-98.)

Cleveland's last playoff appearance in 2002 was also the first year of the division realignment that assigned Seattle the NFC West. Since then, the Seahawks have compiled a 125-96 regular season win-loss record (.566) and gone 11-8 in the playoffs (.579). The aptly-named Browns, on the other hand, went 75-146 in the regular season (.339) and 0-1 in the postseason (.000).

The only place Cleveland finishes first are in the NFL's fan pain rankings, and it's not even close.

ESPN analysts give Cleveland an 8.9% chance of winning. I think 11:1 odds are too generous.

Thanks, Mike!

While DangeRuss is definitely a top tier quarterback, the 8-5 Seahawks are at best a second-tier team in the playoff tourney. We need to beat Cleveland to maintain pole position in the wild card hunt.

The Seahawks rarely lack for inspiration on any given Sunday. Coach Carroll's 1-0 mentality runs deep, and the 12th Man would get hyped for a home game against a Pop Warner Tiny-Mite team.

But just in case anyone needed some extra motivation, Pettine gave us some bulletin board gold by making remarks that many will construe as dissing our franchise quarterback.

Wilson was already playing the best football of his life. His receivers are dominating, our O-Line is blocking with conviction and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell has gotten back a groove Stella herself would envy.

The Legion of Boom has reclaimed its fearful reputation with a fierce and ravening vengeance.

Sunday will be a bad day to be Johnny Football or any other Cleveland player. I expect to see Browns smeared on the turf of the unforgiving gridiron, shedding tears on the bottom tier of the NFL.

Christine Michael hits rock bottom

Earlier today, Washington cut Christine Michael from their taxi squad. When your attitude or performance is so poor that a middling franchise won't underpay you to be a practice body, you've reached the nadir and probably the end of your NFL career.

When Dallas parted ways with the A&M product earlier this year, I attributed it to a desire to avoid compensating Seattle with a draft pick while achieving an upgrade by signing Robert Turbin.

In retrospect, Seattle seemed pretty done with Michael when they cut him back in August. When an influential coach like Tom Cable goes on the record criticizing your effort and work ethic, you're probably not coming back.

I'd still take a chance on Michael if he expressed contrition and eagerness to contribute. We don't have a lot of options. He has the physical tools, and he looked good in preseason.

The Seahawks aren't messing around at the running back position. They cut DuJuan Harris, re-signed Bryce Brown and held a roster spot open, perhaps for another running back?

Seattle also picked up tight end Chase Coffman again. Since we already have Cooper Helfet and Anthony McCoy, this suggests that Luke Willson's injury  might have to sit out for awhile.

Poor B.J. Daniels got cut again. Now that our O-Line is pass protecting better and we've a developed a quick-release rhythm passing attack, Tarvaris Jackson is probably the better backup now, but I still liked having Daniels around for his versatility and extra insurance.

Brock Coyle's return should bolster our special teams.

The team should let Kam Chancellor heal. If we can't handle Johnny Manziel without Bam Bam, we don't belong in the playoffs.

Sign Christine Michael

Christine Michael is our best option at running back

Tragically, Thomas Rawls is lost for the season. Baby Beast Mode busted his ankle yesterday. The rookie running back actually outperformed Marshawn Lynch as long as his health held out.

DuJuan Harris is not the answer.

Christine Michael washed out of Dallas and landed on Washington's practice squad. As I mentioned yesterday and 20 days ago, Seattle needs to grab him. The A&M product knows our offense. He runs well and has improved in pass protection.

We spent a second-round pick on the kid in the 2013 draft, and never really had a chance to cash in on that investment. Here's a rare opportunity to recover some of that value.

Grab him.

Grab him now.

Baltimore: Man It's Hard

The Vikings can't stop DangeRuss

Nowhere to run for Adrian Peterson

To the tune of Randy Newman's "Baltimore":

Beat-up little Raven
On the stadium stair
Tryin' to end the season
'Cause this one ain't fair

Hard times in the city
In a hard town by the sea
Ain't no depth to turn to
No one to help you compete

Flacco's done for the year
Leg ligaments torn

Bruce Irvin: No longer a liability in run defense

Lost Forsett in the same game
Forearm bent, bones shorn

The fans hide their faces
And they hide their eyes
'Cause their team is losin'
And they don't know why

Oh, Baltimore
Man it's hard, just to win

Oh, Baltimore
Man it's hard, just to win, just to win

Matt Schaub or Jimmy Clausen?

Running backs? We don't know who

Got a no-name defense

And a no-name offense, too

No names on special teams

Nobody in the stands

Just got a coach in khakis

But what happened to our fans?

Oh, Baltimore
Man it's hard, just to win

Oh, Baltimore
Man it's hard, just to win, just to win

Despite Baltimore's bad luck, I'm not advocating clemency. I particularly mourn the injury to ex-Seahawk Justin Forsett, whose heroic comeback story provided a welcome counterpoint to the perfidy of Ray Rice. The Diehard wishes Forsett a swift recovery.

However, the Ravens already have two more Super Bowls than they deserve. I felt bad for Baltimore when the Irsays smuggled the Colts out of town, but my sympathy diminished when Mobtown robbed Cleveland of its pro team, leaving behind only the hideous uniforms, the lame name and the legacy of losing.

No, Seattle is on its customary December roll, and we need to keep it going. The offense is firing on all cylinders. Darrell Bevel has found his playcalling groove again. Tom Cable's O-Line is run blocking effectively and providing decent pass protection.

Russell Wilson is playing the best football of his life. Tired of getting sacked, he has become the fastest gunslinger in the West, throwing with deadly accuracy from the pocket. This new skill has reduced his reliance on the rest of his vast suite of skills, but when needed, DangeRuss can still pull off Houdini escapes, throw on the run, roll out, extend plays, improvise, execute the read-option and use his legs to punish lapses in defensive discipline.

Doug Baldwin and Tyler Lockett have emerged as potent receiving threats, which is good since Paul Richardson will not be able to play this year. Kevin Smith, the newest addition to the wideout corps, has demonstrated impressive skill as a run blocker, perhaps the most important skill for a Seattle receiver.

Luke Willson and Cooper Helfet have filled in ably for Jimmy Graham. The team took the Diehard's advice and picked up Anthony McCoy.

Thomas Rawls continues to shoulder the load admirably at running back, but DuJuan Harris did not look good in limited action last week. Christine Michael continues to languish on Washington's practice squad, ripe for the plucking. He knows the offense. He has always run the ball well, and in preseason he showed improvement in pass protection. Was he such a locker room cancer that Seattle could not now use him?

Speaking of locker room cancers, the disappearance of Cary Williams was disappointing. I love that DeShawn Shead stepped up to seize the starting cornerback role--Williams had been our Achilles' Heel at corner all season--but you'd think he would have wanted to continue contributing as a reserve.

Presumably, a bad attitude got him deactivated and then cut. Pitiful.

Shead is a great story, though. Dude played strong safety and was a decathlete at Portland State, went undrafted, filled in at strong safety during Kam's holdout and then learned to play cornerback--the most challenging position in the secondary--well enough to supplant Williams. Dude is a badass.

Still, the loss of Williams stings, because Seattle needs a deep secondary to compete against elite teams. Our defense gets torched by effective passers like Tom Brady, Carson Palmer and Ben Rapistberger. If we don't remedy that weakness, we won't go far in the playoffs.

At 4-8, Baltimore is a bad team. The Ravens defense remains respectable, so if our offense can keep up its momentum, then that will mean something.

The Legion of Boom could probably phone it in against the anemic Baltimore offense, but the Diehard hopes the Seattle defense seizes the opportunity for another shutout. (The Vikings' sole score came on special teams last week.)

After shutting down Adrian Peterson and what had been the league's best running offense in Minnesota, the Seahawks should be able to blank the feeble Ravens.

Doug Baldwin torches the Viking secondary

How banged up is Baltimore's offense? The Ravens have lost...

an All-Pro quarterback (Joe Flacco),

his Pro Bowl backup (Matt Schaub),

a Pro Bowl running back (Justin Forsett),

an All-Pro wideout (Steve Smith),

their top draft pick (receiver Breshad Perriman),

another rookie wideout (Darren Waller)

a key slot receiver (Michael Campanaro),

a starting center (Jeremy Zuttah)

a starting left tackle (Eugene Monroe),

a starting tight end (Dennis Pitta),

his backup tight end (Crockett Gillmore),

etc.

Third-string quarterback Jimmy Clausen is 0-2 against Seattle. He choked as a Panthers in 2010 and failed again as a Bear in Week Three of this season.

His backup? Bryn Renner, whose only pro passing experience came in Arizona--not for the Cardinals, but for the Rattlers of the Arena League.

Go, Hawks!

King MortStar predicts the Vikings-Seahawks smackdown

King MortStar called late last night.

The Diehard lives on a Ben Franklin schedule: early to bed, early to rise. It hasn't made me healthy, wealthy or wise, yet, but it's my routine and I'm sticking to it.

Between his possible inebriation and my grogginess, I'm sure I missed a lot of brilliant football analysis. I remember only a few phrases: "eight in the box... expose Teddy Bridgewater... don't take any wooden nickels."

However, his prediction came through clearly:

Seahawks win, 17-13. Take the under.

Call your bookie. You know, if you live in a jurisdiction with legal sports betting. Which neither MortStar nor I do, but someone should profit from the wisdom of His Highness.

Seahawks take the AP Test

Every week is a must-win, ever since we painted ourselves into a corner at 4-5.

This week is probably the toughest test yet: A 10:00 AM road game against a 8-3 Vikings team motivated to maintain their lead in the NFC North.

Last week's punishment of Pittsburgh represented Seattle's first victory this year against of the season over a winning team, and it came at home.

We haven't done it on the road, yet.

Offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell and Russell Wilson have strung together two good games in a row. Last week, DangeRuss was a cold-blooded killer throwing out of the pocket. It would be good to see more of that this time, plus some read-option, designed rollouts and screens to keep Minnesota off-balance.

Tom Cable's offensive line continues to come together, and we'll need it to get Baby Beast Mode going and maximize time of possession.

All-Pro Adrian Peterson poses the ultimate test of our run defense.

Go, Hawks!

Seahawks Win, Rapistberger Concussed, Angels Sing

Here's one for the scum: Bennett rings Big Ben's bell

Russell Wilson celebrated his 27th birthday by throwing five touchdowns to his "pedestrian" starting wideouts: three for Doug Baldwin, plus two for Jermaine Kearse.

Seattle's offense appears to be rounding into 2012-like form. The O-Line looked good early blocking for rookie Thomas Rawls, but Ben Rapistberger kept putting points on the board, forcing DangeRuss into a shootout.

The last touchdown pass to the Philippine Dream was particularly outstanding--not just because it went for 80 yards, and not just because it sealed the win for Seattle. What I really loved about it was the stiffarm that Angry Doug deployed after the catch to get a little separation, and the hustle from Tyler Lockett to throw a block to allow Baldwin to outdistance a fleeter defensive back.

The Seattle defense proved far too generous to Rapistberger, who threw for five hundred zillion yards. Fortunately, the Legion of Boom made him pay by grabbing three interceptions--two by Richard Sherman and one by Ahtyba Rubin. (Statisticians might not count the pick thrown on the 2-point try, but the Diehard does.)

Landry Jones fared even worse: throwing just four passes, he completed on to his teammates and two to Seahawks--one for Jeremy Lane on the fake field goal, and another to Kam Chancellor near the end of the game.

It was sad how seldom our defenders hit Rapistberger, but Michael Bennett made it count. I don't think it was a dirty hit--I don't think it would have been helmet-to-helmet if another Seahawk didn't hit the quarterback and lifted him a little just before Bennett made contact.

I generally don't celebrate injuries to players, but I do when a rapist gets his bell rung.

The injury to Jimmy Graham is a real bummer. We should pick up Anthony McCoy....

Beat Big Ben

Big Ben will be looking over his shoulder for Cliff Avril

Ben Rapistberger is 3-0 against Seattle.

We haven't beaten Pittsburgh since 2003.

After poor officiating helped the Stealers take Super Bowl XL, they shut us out and blew us out in both subsequent regular season meetings in Pittsburgh in 2007 and 2011.

Given that we only see the Stealers once every four years (barring the extreme improbability of another Super Bowl meeting), this may be our last chance to exact a modicum of vengeance upon Big Ben, who has never played in Seahawks Stadium. I trust the team and the 12th Man will give him an appropriately warm welcome.

...or two. (Why can't meme-makers punctuate properly?)

No players or coaches remain from that Super Bowl loss a decade ago, but presumably the Seahawks care enough about Paul Allen and the fans to do the right thing today.

Coach Carroll and many core players were with the team for the humiliating 24-0 loss in Pittsburgh four years ago, so they should have their own reasons for wanting to settle the score today--including the need to fight our way into playoff contention.

Of course, anyone with a mother, sister, daughter or a human heart should want to see someone hold Rapistberger accountable for his crimes as a serial rapist. (He escaped accountability for the two incidents we know about, but the Iron Law of Criminality dictates that the few times a scoundrel gets caught represent merely a fraction of his total offenses. I suppose this is especially true of rape committed by a wealthy and powerful celebrity, when the prospects of the victim getting justice are so demonstrably remote.)

I trust Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril to mete out justice more reliably than the courts. Sadly, Bruce Irvin--our best pass rushing linebacker--is still ailing, listed as doubtful. This would be a good time for rookie defensive end Frank Clark to make some noise.

Dude, you ain't metal. You're a rapist scumbag.

Beating Pittsburgh would be meaningful on other levels. The Stealers are 6-4, and Seattle (5-5) still hasn't beaten a winning team all year. If we hope to make a playoff run, then we'd better find a way to slay giants, because losing to the remaining winners on our schedule (Pittsburgh, Minnesota, Arizona) would guarantee that we miss the playoffs.

If Seattle's offense can maintain last week's groove, we should be OK. Bogarting the ball, sustaining drives, scoring points and keeping Big Ben off the field is the recipe for success. Pittsburgh's defense surrenders few rushing yards, in part because their offense often establishes a lead, forcing opponents to throw a lot to catch up. The Stealer D yields about as few points as Seattle's.

Presumably, Richard Sherman will limit Antonio Brown. The competition for the other cornerback slot is heating up. Cary Williams got benched for DeShawn Shead last week, and Jeremy Lane was just reactivated. Someone will need to step up to restore the luster to the Legion of Boom and shut down the Stealer wideouts. Carroll and defensive coordinator Kris Richard need to find some combination of safeties, nickel corners and linebackers to remedy our longstanding vulnerability to opposing tight ends, or Rapistberger will carve us up.

I prescribe a departure from our usual script, with insane amounts of blitzing to pulverize Big Ben.

And lots of noise from the 12th Man.

The only way to make Super Bowl XL right is to ensure that Rapistberger suffers lifelong PTSD from what is likely to be his only experience in Seahawks Stadium.

Go, Hawks!

If he's trying to acknowledge the author of his success, then he's pointing in the wrong direction

Running back depth solutions

Seattle slept on Robert Turbin, so he's in Dallas now

In general, GM John Schneider and Coach Pete Carroll make solid personnel decisions.

However, given the uncertainty surrounding the running back position, their failure to re-sign Robert Turbin looks like an epic fail.

Marshawn Lynch is ailing and may need surgery that could knock him out for the rest of the regular season. Baby Beast Mode Thomas Rawls has vastly exceeded expectations and appears perfectly capable of carrying the load as our primary runner. Fred Jackson looks like a good third-down back, but I doubt the aging back would last long if an injury to the rookie forced him into a starting role.

Given that defensive lineman Will Tukuafu has supplanted Derrick Coleman as our starting fullback, I question whether Coleman constitutes a credible solution as our third-string tailback.

Robert Turbin, on the other hand, contributed successfully as our backup running back from 2012-2014. He's also close friends with Russell Wilson.

The Cowboys cut Christine Michael... let's grab him! 

When Turbo got injured in preseason, we cut him, hoping he'd clear waivers so he'd be available once he recovered. Unfortunately, Cleveland claimed him, played him in weeks 6-8, and then cut him on November 10th.

Seattle had plenty of time to sign him. Instead, Dallas picked him up on November 18th and he played well in last week's game. The Cowboys cut Christine Michael to make room for him; the former Aggie wound up on Washington's practice squad.


It's a shame that we missed out on Turbin, but we should consider picking up Michael. He actually runs better than Turbo. He falls short as a receiver and as a blocker in pass protection, but we have Rawls and Jackson for that.

Baby Beast Mode goes off

Stiffarm of doom? Check. (Photo Credit: PI)

Respect to offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell for calling a nigh-perfect game. Seattle moved the ball efficiently, dominated time of possession, exploited our opponents' weaknesses and broke the spirit of the Santa Clara defense early and often.

Congratulations to Tom Cable and his patchwork O-Line, which finally came together, dominated the line of scrimmage, blew open running lanes and even performed respectably in pass protection. Even when injuries forced substitutions, the line didn't miss a beat. Let's hope the injuries aren't serious.

Accolades for Baby Beast Mode--backup rookie running back Thomas Rawls--who exceeded all expectations by amassing 255 total yards and two touchdowns. His 209 yards on the ground constituted the second-best rushing performance in franchise history.

Acclaim for our little rookie wideout Tyler Lockett, who torched the 49ers with speed for one touchdown and ran over three defenders for another. I also saw him blocking tenaciously on several downs, and saving Russell Wilson from a sack by making himself available for a long-distance lateral on a read-option keeper gone bad.

Gratitude for Angry Doug Baldwin, who continues to bail out DangeRuss by coming open at clutch intervals. That sideline run was an epic display of heart. I hope Baldwin's injury isn't serious, either.

Praise for Wilson, who made great decisions and recovered his pinpoint accuracy, completing 83% of his passes for 260 yards.

Props to Pete Carroll and Kris Richard's defense for smothering Santa Clara's run game and holding them to just 59 yards on the ground. Unfortunately, it appears that the 49ers have found their quarterback in Blaine Gabbert.

And condolences to Steven Hauschka for two botched extra points. Ouch. It looked like a bad snap or hold on the first one, and a partial block on the second. Fortunately, we didn't need the points today.

Get well, Beast Mode.

Go, Hawks!

It's still the offense

Seattle offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell

Last week's demoralizing loss to Arizona means the 4-5 Seahawks probably need to win out to earn entry into the playoffs.

Seattle hasn't dropped two home games in a single season since going 7-9 season in 2011.

This is serious.

The Legion of Boom got torched by Carson Palmer and his receiving corps last week, but the run defense held, and our linebackers and linemen kept us in the game with two strip sacks deep in Cardinals territory--a scoop and score, plus another turnover inside the five to set up a touchdown run by Marshawn Lynch.

For the most part, the defense did its job. The problem was the offense's failure to sustain drives, which gave Arizona a 2:1 advantage in time of possession. No defense can be expected to contain the dynamic Cardinals offense for forty minutes.

At this point, Darrell Bevell should be coaching for his job. I feel like a broken record, but the biggest problem is predictable and unimaginative playcalling. 

Our offense works best when Russell Wilson establishes a run threat. The read option works particularly well, but we use it less and less. Why?

We were running the ball successfully against Arizona, but we abandoned the run prematurely and exacerbated the time of possession problem.

Stop wasting so many downs on low-percentage designed long bombs. We rarely complete them. Most of our long completions come on scramble drills.

Install some rhythm passing schemes and comeback routes for high-percentage completions.

Call designed rollouts compensate for our weak pass protection and give our receivers time to get open.

Dial up some screen passes to punish overeager pass rushers.

Use spread formations to give our receivers space to get open while opening more real estate for our runners to exploit.

Wilson should reconsider his commitment to abstinence if that's what's hurting his execution.

Is 2015 a reverse 1985?

Tonight we're gonna party like it's 1985?

Even if you're old enough to remember the 1985, you've probably blocked it out of your mind.

Seattle entered the season riding high, coming fresh from the franchise's first two playoff appearances.

In 1983, new Coach Chuck Knox and rookie running back Curt Warner had led Seattle to a winning regular season record (9-7) and improbable playoff success (2-1), the loss coming in the AFC Championship to the Raiders, who went on to win Super Bowl XVIII.

When Warner tore his ACL in the 1984 season opener, many lost hope. But Seattle surprised everyone by scrapping its Ground Chuck run-oriented offense and replacing it with Air Knox, a bombs-away aerial attack featuring Dave Krieg throwing to Steve Largent and deep threat Daryl "the Burner" Turner. Seattle went 12-4 in the regular season and 1-1 in the playoffs, losing to Miami in the divisional round. (The Dolphins lost Super Bowl XIX to the 49ers.)

The city received a lump of coal for the team's 10th Anniversary

As 1985 dawned, Seattle seemed poised for a third playoff run, and ready to go all the way this time. All the pieces appeared in place, with Warner returning to add a potent running threat to our established aerial attack, plus Rusty Tillman's solid special teams and the bedrock excellence of a smothering, larcenous defense with a knack for turnovers.

The Seahawks were so supremely confident that they filmed "Locker Room Rock," a Super Bowl music video featuring Michael Jackson with several Seahawks. Yes, the real Michael Jackson singing and dancing with half-naked players in the Seattle locker room. Well, not the King of Pop. We had a linebacker by that name then, who happened to sing passably well, and he cut the lead vocal and lip-synchs it in the video.

Alas, "Locker Room Rock" proved less prophetic than Chicago's "Super Bowl Shuffle" from the same year. Powered by Walter Payton and a historically great defense, the Bears went 15-1 and dominated New England in Super Bowl XX.

A bad man on a middling team, Kenny Easley made the Pro Bowl

Seattle, on the other hand, went 8-8 and missed the playoffs altogether. The most bizarre part, though, was how they did it: the Seahawks alternated two wins, followed by two losses, for the entire season.

It was mystifying. Two steps forward, two steps back. All year. The crew that took us to playoff glory the two previous years underperforming with consistent inconsistency.

And now we're doing it again. After the two greatest years in franchise history, the same cast of characters is pulling a reverse 1985: lose two, win two, lose two, win two... it is hard to believe that this can continue all season, but it was equally hard to believe 30 years ago.

We need to get it together and dismantle Santa Clara to dispel this terrible sense of déjà vu.

Go, Hawks!

Staying Alive

So far this season, Seattle has trounced the weak and struggled against the strong. Looking at the present records of our opponents thus far this year, the Seahawks are 4-1 against losing teams (Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, St. Louis, San Francisco) and 0-3 versus winners.

Seattle needs to reverse this trend to stay alive for the division title. Arizona has built a 2-game lead in the division, but the Seahawks can erase that lead in head-to-head competition by sweeping the Cardinals, earning the tiebreaker advantage and--crucially--keeping at least even with the redbirds versus the rest of the NFL between tonight and the season finale in Glendale.

Arizona is really good this year. Carson Palmer has never played better, nor has he ever enjoyed such a strong supporting cast on offense. After a disastrous start to the season, Seattle's defense finally started rounding into form before the bye, holding the anemic offenses of Dallas and San Francisco to five field goals and zero touchdowns. Limiting Arizona's aerial attack will require much loftier heroics.

Fortunately, nickel cornerback Jeremy Lane returns from injury to bolster the secondary.

The Cardinals defense remains strong, and Seattle's offense has trouble getting out of its own way. The O-Line is gradually improving, but despite the excellence of our quarterback, running backs and receivers, the offense remains significantly less than the sum of its parts. Darrell Bevell's playcalling remains suspect. Russell Wilson's decisionmaking and accuracy have been a little off. Receivers have dropped a few balls. We move the ball but we can't seal the deal.

Here, too, reinforcements should help. Special teams standout Ricardo Lockette is lost for the season, but speedster Paul Richardson--who came on strong late in his rookies season--has returned from injury and is reportedly faster than ever.

I feel like Seattle is close to getting it together on offense. Bevell and DangeRuss will find their grooves, and it will be like that run late in 2013 when we were dropping fortyburgers and fiftyburgers on folks.

With Marshawn Lynch hurt--he's active, but may be limited--Wilson will need to carry more of the load. Thomas Rawls and Fred Jackson are capable runners, but I think the coaches' decision to leave Cooper Helfet--our best blocking tight end--signals their intent to use multiple-wideout sets and spread the field.

It should be fun. Roar, 12th Man, roar! Go, Hawks!

Founding Fullback

Fullback Don Testerman looks for room to run in 1976

Happy Birthday to my man Don Testerman (born 1954), Seattle's first fullback.

A Danville native, his college odyssey included stops at Division III Ferrum, Virginia Tech and Division II Lenoir-Rhyne. Testerman spent his junior and senior seasons clearing the way for Ken Callicutt at Clemson.

In 1976, the Miami Dolphins drafted him in the 10th round, but he did not make Don Shula's squad. Testerman signed with the slumping Philadelphia Eagles, but Dick Vermeil cut him.

Facing a desperate dearth of talent in the backfield, the expansion Seahawks claimed Testerman on waivers and made him the starting fullback. Jack Patera found his counterpart at tailback in college quarterback Sherman Smith, whom Seattle had originally envisioned as a wide receiver.

Testerman made his debut in the expansion franchise's second regular season game, scoring the team's sole touchdown in a lopsided loss to Washington in RFK Stadium.

Seattle struggled to run the ball that first year. Unfavorable expansion rules guaranteed a weak roster across the board, but the O-Line proved particularly poor.

The highlight of his rookie campaign came today in 1976. Testerman celebrated his birthday in the Kingdome with a series of lead blocks that helped spring Smith for 124 yards in a blowout victory over Atlanta.

Testerman gets the ball from Zorn and runs behind Smith's lead block

Seattle's rushing attack began to hit its stride the next year. Testerman split time at fullback with rookie David Sims. Smith, Sims and Testerman amassed a combined average of 161 rushing yards per game in the team's five wins.

Six days after his birthday in 1977, Testerman ran for 65 yards and caught two passes for 27 yards and a touchdown in a 17-0 drubbing of the Jets in Shea Stadium.

The Seahawks started 2-9 that year, but finished strong.

At Arrowhead Stadium, Testerman ran for 70 yards and a touchdown and leveled linebackers to let Smith gain 86 more. Seattle beat the Chiefs, 34-31.

In the Kingdome against Cleveland for the season finale, Testerman piled up 79 yards on the ground while blasting open holes to allow Smith to grind out another 54 yards and a touchdown. The Seahawks edged the Browns, 20-19.

Don Testerman's 1978 Topps trading card

In 1978, Sims seized the starting job and had a record year. Testerman continued to contribute in a reserve capacity as a blocker, runner and especially as a third-down receiver.

Seattle traded Testerman to Washington during the 1979
offseason, but injuries and personal problems prevented him from taking the field.

Testerman retired to the bait shop he owned in Danville, but later returned to the team that drafted him. He played the first five games of the 1980 season as a reserve fullback for the Dolphins.

While working as a mailman near DC, Testerman tried out for the Washington Federals of the USFL in 1982, but did not make the final cut.

He later coached some high school football and works occasionally as a substitute teacher at Albemarle High School.

On the virtues of being dependable & expendable

Bryan Walters runs for his life (Photo credit: TNB)

Bryan Walters earns a living in the NFL through hard work, and by being both dependable and expendable.

A distinguished three-sport athlete at Juanita High School, Walters had hoped to attend WSU—his parents’ alma mater—but the Cougars considered him too small and declined to give him a scholarship. Instead, he caught on at Cornell, where he set a school record for all-purpose yards and for kickoff and punt return yardage.

Unfortunately, his college resume failed to impress the NFL. Only San Diego scouted his pro day. Walters made the Chargers as an undrafted rookie free agent and saw limited action in three games before getting stuck on the practice squad for the rest of 2010 and all of 2011, after which the team released him. Walters tried out in Minnesota, but the Vikings cut him at the end of camp, so he sat out the entire 2012 season.

A lifelong Seahawks fan, Walters signed with his hometown team in 2013, but spent most of the season on the practice squad. In 2014, though, he became a major contributor as Seattle’s primary punt returner. His secret: dependability and expendability.

Walters won the job not because he posed the most dynamic return threat on the team--far from it. Faster and shiftier returners on the roster included Percy Harvin, Paul Richardson, Doug Baldwin, Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas III. Early in the season, Seattle coaches let Sherman and Thomas compete for the punt return gig, but they eventually realized that it would be asinine to risk injury to All-Pro pillars of the Legion of Boom on special teams. Ditto for Doug Baldwin, the team's #1 wideout. Harvin and Richardson specialized in kickoff returns.

Catching punts is much trickier, because there's more English on the ball. Worse, greater hang time gives coverage units more time to close the shorter distance between the line of scrimmage and the ball, so the returner is much more likely to get blasted. This forces punt returners to make a split-second choice between calling a fair catch or running with the ball. The decision looks more straightforward from the serenity of your couch than it does when you're peering up into the lights, trying to track the trajectory of the ball while stealing glances at the crazed headhunters sprinting toward you with evil intent.

Walters erred on the side of caution, returning only slightly more punts (27) than he fair-caught (23). 

Among players who returned 10 or more punts in 2014, Walters ranked 29th in the NFL in average yardage, with an anemic 7.7 yards. 

However, he led the league in securing possession, with zero muffs and zero fumbles. Only two other players in the NFL returned as many punts without a turnover that year. The returners who lead the league in punt return yardage and touchdowns also tend to fumble a lot more.

Walters also returned a couple of kickoffs and caught a few passes on offense out of the slot.

This season, Walters joined a small exodus of ex-Seahawks who migrated to Jacksonville to play for ex-Seattle defensive coordinator Gus Bradley. He still returns punts and kickoffs occasionally, but Walters works primarily as a reserve slot receiver for the Jaguars. Against Houston last month, he caught a career-high eight passes for 87 yards.

Happy Belated Birthday to my man Bryan Walters (born November 4, 1987), a Seahawk from 2012-14.

Return of the King

My man King Mortstar hath penned another guest post. Hark and witness his pithy sagacity:

"You're cut!"

Despite the usual early-season turmoil that seems to haunt the Seahawks, things ARE looking up going into the bye week.  The injury bug that plagues us (and most teams) every year has NOT BEEN nearly as impactful so far... our O-line shuffles appear to be coming to an end, and our seemingly annual adjustment to departing D-Coordinators should be smoothing itself out.  Remember, the Hawks have won 21 of their last 25 games played in November and December.  The 2015 version of this team is REALLY NOT that much different than those of recent years past.  We should be THANKFUL we're 4-4 heading into November and the bye week, despite the adversity we've endured in this first half of the season.  GO HAWKS !!! 

They liked to score

Tailback Curt Warner resists a facemask, stiffarms Raider lineman Greg Townsend

Trivia question: What three Seahawks have finished one or more seasons leading the NFL in scoring rushing and/or receiving touchdowns?

Two of them should be fairly obvious.

Last year, Marshawn Lynch led the league with 17 touchdowns.

Shaun Alexander did it twice. He scored 20 touchdowns in 2004, and then topped that with 28 in 2005, setting an all-time record... until LaDainian Tomlinson of the Chargers scored 31 in 2006. (Very few players have even approached LT or Alexander's records since then.)

So, who was the third Seahawk to lead the league in touchdowns?

Steve Largent? No. No Seattle receiver has ever come close.

Curt Warner? Good guess, but wrong. I put his picture up there as a distractor.

Chris Warren? Not bad. He scored 16 touchdowns in 1995, but Emmitt Smith had 25 that year.

Ricky Watters? Nope.

John L. Williams? Dude was a very bad man, but fullbacks rarely achieve such records.

Ahmad Brooks? No cigar.

Sherman Smith? Getting warmer.

The answer is David Sims, with 14 touchdowns in 1978. Sims was one of the few fullbacks in the Super Bowl era to have managed the feat.

His record did not reflect a shortage of quality running backs. To win his scoring title, Sims bested luminaries like Walter Payton, Earl Campbell, Franco Harris and Tony Dorsett.

David Sims, Seahawk fullback, 1977-79

Seattle took Sims in the seventh round out of Georgia Tech in 1977. As a rookie, he normally blocked for halfback Sherman Smith, who gained more than twice as many total yards (1,182) as Sims (545) on nearly twice as many catches and carries (193 touches for Smith vs. 111 for Sims). Somehow, though, the rookie scored eight touchdowns to six for the veteran. Clearly the kid had a nose for the end zone, especially in short-yardage situations.

Four times as a rookie, he attempted a pass on trick plays. He completed just one of them--a 43-yard touchdown to Steve Largent.

In 1978, Smith and Sims comprised an impressive one-two punch:

Sims, a fullback, actually logged more carries (174) than Smith (163), and Sims rushed for nearly as many yards (752 vs. 805 for the halfback).

Sims also caught more balls (30) than Smith (28), though the halfback earned more yards (366) on fewer catches than the fullback (195).

Sims scored more than twice as many touchdowns (15) as Smith (7). Fourteen of his touchdowns came on the ground, but not all of them were dives. He could plow through you like a prototypical fullback or run past you like a halfback, as he did on 44-yard touchdown sprint against the Baltimore Colts.

Smith and Sims combined for 2,118 yards and 22 touchdowns, which was better than Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier of the Steelers, who won the Super Bowl that season.

Sims carrying the ball in a loss to Miami

The two Seahawk backs also outperformed Earl Campbell and Tim Wilson of the Oilers that year, and Houston advanced to the AFC Championship Game.

Tony Dorsett and Robert Newhouse gained more yards, but scored less than the Seahawk duo; Dallas lost the Super Bowl.

Walter Payton and Roland Harper also accumulated more yards, but visited the end zone less often; Chicago went 7-9 and missed the playoffs.

Thanks in large part to this robust rushing attack, Seattle had its first winning season (9-7) and Jack Patera won AFC Coach of the Year, even though the Seahawks failed to qualify for the playoffs.

Unfortunately, Sims got injured early in the 1979 season. Medical exams diagnosed him with "congenital stenosis... an abnormal narrowing of the canal housing the spinal cord," which "made him susceptible to serious injury if hit on the head." Of course, this forced him to retire immediately.

Happy Belated Birthday to my man David Sims (born October 26, 1955).


Told 'Em So

I've been saying since May that Seattle should split out Jimmy Graham wide and avoid lining him up as a traditional tight end because he is unable or unwilling to block. ESPN notes that the Golden Graham is putting up good numbers when split wide.

I've been arguing since September that lining up in read-option sets is a good way to compensate for our subpar offensive line. ESPN confirms that our running backs gain more yards per carry out of the read-option than when Russell Wilson starts under center.

More Mudbone

If, like me, you can't get enough Dave Krieg, then check out this post by my man JB, a prolific and popular RPG blogger who is also a hard-core Seahawk fan with a Mudbone man crush that rivals my own. You get JB's insightful analysis of Krieg vs. Hasselbeck, plus a robust discussion in the comments section. (Unlike Seahawks Diehard, JB's B/X Blackrazor blog has a large and interactive readership.)

I'm grateful to JB--a loyal and consistent reader of Seahawks Diehard for years--and to you, for reading this post today. Please consider commenting sometime.

A few postscripts on Dallas

Zero sacks

I forgot to mention that last night.

Despite the absence of O-Line cornerstone Russell Okung, replacement left tackle Alvin Bailey and his comrades slowed down Greg Hardy and the rest of the Dallas pass rush just enough to let the amazingly elusive Russell Wilson avoid getting tackled in the backfield even once. After the sackfest our opponents had enjoyed in the previous seven games, that constituted quite an achievement.

<100 yards passing for Dallas

The Legion of Boom and the Pass Rush of Doom limited Pro Bowl quarterback Matt Cassell to just 98 yards passing. That's sick.

Blanketed by Richard Sherman, Dallas All-Pro wideout Dez Bryant made only two catches for 12 yards on six targets.

Correction: Cowboys All-Pro tight end Jason Witten got shut down, but he did not get shut out. He caught two balls for 16 yards on four targets.

Ricardo Lockette's Heart

Remarkable courage as his life, health and career hang in the balance

Not sure how I forgot to mention how cool it was when Ricardo Lockette made the Legion of Boom sign as the medics wheeled him off the field on a gurney. Of course, it was a relief to see see that he was able to move his arms at all, but at that point, Lockette could not have known the extent of his injury, and his ability to encourage his teammates in the face of massive personal uncertainty was heroic.

Props to Dallas fans for graciously applauding a fallen warrior.


More evidence that Dallas is Evil

As Seahawk Ricardo Lockette laid motionless on the field near the end of the first half, both sidelines spilled onto the field.

Most of the players were concerned about the injury. Some Cowboys had to restrain ex-Seahawk Christine Michael from going to check on his former teammate.

Bryant on Lockette's injury: "That's what you f***ing get!"

There some heated exchanges, too. Fox cameras caught All-Pro Cowboys wideout Dez Bryant yelling, "That's what you f***ing get!" (The network captured no audio, but you don't have to be a lip-reading expert or a SPAFF-certified decoder of facial expressions to discern Bryant's careful enunciation.)

Bryant has a longstanding reputation for tantrums, but this reaction suggests that he may be as evil as Jerry Jones or Greg Hardy.

No decent person celebrates when someone in an athletic contest take a cheap shot and suffers a serious injury. At that moment, we did not know if Lockette was dead or alive, and--if alive--if he was merely injured or in fact paralyzed or otherwise crippled.

When reporters asked him about it in the locker room, Bryant lied audaciously, perhaps unaware of the existence of indisputable contradictory visual evidence:

“I won’t ever, ever, ever, ever wish bad on a player that’s been knocked down. C’mon, man. Stop with the bulls—. Not once did I say that’s what you get. I got on one knee and prayed for that man.... C’mon, man. Don’t put clips together and do that...."

“I’m too busy trying to break it up, trying to get our players back. I’m telling Richard [Sherman] and Earl [Thomas], 'Y’all get your players back.' I’m talking to the officials more than anybody.”

"That ain't right. That is not right. That is not right."

“I swear on my daughter’s soul I would never in my life do that to anybody."

Bryant then threw a tantrum for several minutes, screaming and raving and cursing and--like a Republican presidential candidate--threatening to stop talking to the media for asking unwelcome questions.

“Y’all took that s— too far. Whoever wrote that, whoever done that is a dirty m—–f—–. That really pissed me off. That ain’t right. That is not right. That is not right. That is not right."

Epic win

That was exhausting to watch.

Richard Sherman schooled Dez Bryant today.

The Seattle offense gained respectable yardage, but underperformed on the scoreboard against a stout Dallas defense. The Seahawks put together a few solid drives where Darrell Bevell dialed up the right mix of runs and passes and planned rollouts to compensate for limited pass protection. The O-Line acquitted itself reasonably well with regard to run blocking.

Everyone seemed a little off, though.

Marshawn Lynch ran tough throughout the game, but a couple uncharacteristic stumbles led to lost yardage and a clock-stopping out-of-bounds blunder late in the game.

Russell Wilson missed more throws than usual.

Our receivers dropped some balls early on.

Stephen Hauschka never misses, but he had a block kicked.

Ricardo Lockette's concussion disconcerted everyone.

Richard Sherman had a holding penalty nullify a spectacular punt return by Lockett.

Michael Bennett got flagged for a low hit on Matt Cassell.

Luke Willson scores Seattle's only touchdown on the day

Still, a lot of things went right.

DangeRuss generally made good decisions. Jimmy Graham, Luke Willson, Doug Baldwin and Tyler Lockett each made clutch catches at crucial intervals.

I thought Alvin Bailey had done his duty when I saw Greg Hardy hobbling off the field near the end of the first half. 

However, like a horror movie monster--through some miracle of modern medicine--Hardy returned after halftime, looking no worse for wear, and proceeded to make the play of the game for his team. Late in the third quarter, when DangeRuss tried to throw past him, the defensive end slapped the ball into the air, tracked it, and wrapped his big hands around the pigskin like he was closing his fingers around a woman's neck. It looked like a probable pick six. 

Hardy secured possession on the Seattle 20-yard line with no Seahawk between him and the end zone. 

The only Seahawk who conceivably had a shot at tackling him was Russell Wilson. 

Standing under 6' and barely exceeding 200 lbs., Wilson is supposed to be too small to play his position, and many would assume that a man his size would have trouble tackling a 6' 7" 278-lb. supremely athletic freak of nature like Hardy. 

When QBs try to tackle interceptors, it rarely ends well.

Prototypical quarterbacks rarely make those tackles. More often, they hurt themselves, look silly and/or get blown up by blockers when they try.

But DangeRuss is no normal quarterback. He is fast enough to catch Hardy, brave enough to sell out while attempting the tackle, and skilled enough to execute a textbook ankle tackle to stop Hardy cold and save the game.

As a former high school coach who used to teach that anyone, however small, can tackle anyone, however big, if they just use proper technique, I was moved almost to tears by the Wilson's heart and execution on the play.

As a writer who earlier today juxtaposed Hardy's perfidy against the decency of DangeRuss, I couldn't have asked for a more direct demonstration of the relative athletic and moral merits of the two men.

In the waning minutes of the fourth quarter, with the Seahawks trailing, Wilson became superclutch, repeatedly eluding a fierce pass rush and hitting pass after pass to sustain the drive. 

On third down and seven on the Cowboy 16-yard line, Wilson rolled left, saw no one open and decided to run for the first down. 

It didn't seem possible. Two fleet Dallas defensive backs were in excellent position to stop him, but DangeRuss did what he does--dug down to find an extra gear no one knew existed--and outran and lunged forward for the first down.

Of course, it was the defense that kept us in the game.

Richard Sherman shut down Dez Bryant more totally than I'd dreamed possible. Our cornerback ran the receiver's routes better than Dez did, forcing Bryant to play defense to prevent at least two Sherman interceptions.

Whatever our defense did against the Dallas tight ends was even more impressive--I don't remember All-Pro Jason Witten making a single catch. (It's nice to see ex-Seahawk Ryan Hannam still playing.)

Bruce Irvin celebrated his birthday with a game-sealing sack

Late in the game, the defensive line made its presence felt, with just three or four men rushing the quarterback against one of the best front fives in the NFL. Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril's crew effectively took over the game: Batting down balls, jarring Cassell's throwing arm, and effectively concluding the game with Bruce Irvin's triumphant birthday sack.

It was ugly. And glorious. But it was a win, and we'll take that every time.

Jerry Jones and Greg Hardy are both still rich, and they'll continue to menace society in the future, but at least for today, the Seahawks made them the losers they deserve to be.

Tank, Hutch & Bruce

Sherman Smith: Beast Mode before we knew what to call that.

Happy Birthday to my man Sherman Smith (born 1954), Seattle's first star running back (1976-82) and the team's running back coach since 2010.

In college, Smith had helped Miami of Ohio dominate the MAC as a running quarterback. In the 1976 inaugural franchise draft, Seattle spent a second-round pick to draft Smith as a wide receiver--a curious position assignment since Smith ran more than he passed in college, but had few opportunities to catch passes. However, Coach Jack Patera noted the dearth of talent at running back and wisely switched the rookie to that position.

The ungenerous expansion rules of that era ensured a weak roster across the board, including on the offensive line. Smith adapted by bulling through tacklers and grinding out yards after contact. Marshawn Lynch hadn't even been born, so we didn't know to call it Beast Mode back then. We called him Sherman Tank, instead.



His most cherished memory as a player was helping Seattle win its first game in franchise history in November 1976, a victory over Atlanta in which Smith ran for 124 yards and scored two touchdowns.

Smith led Seattle in rushing yards for five of his six years with the team. He proved a capable receiver out of the backfield, too. Unfortunately, a knee injury in 1980 permanently slowed him and diminished his production. The Seahawks traded him to San Diego in 1983, where he played sparingly before retiring.

He taught PE and coached sports at public secondary schools in Redmond for five years, then became an assistant football coach at at Miami of Ohio and the University of Illinois. As the running back coach for the Houston Oilers and Tennessee Titans from 1995-2007, he helped mold Eddie George into one of the league's best at his position. Although Jeff Fisher had promoted him to assistant head coach by 2006, Smith left Tennessee to rejoin his former Seahawk comrade Jim Zorn as Washington's offensive coordinator from 2008-09.

Sherman Tank celebrates with Beast Mode. Darrell Bevell wants some love, too; no dice.

In 2010, Pete Carroll hired Smith to coach Seattle running backs. Sherman Tank has proven a capable mentor for Beast Mode and for former fullback Michael Robinson, who have earned Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors under his tutelage. They and Smith now have a Super Bowl rings, too.

Holmgren should have held on tighter.

Happy Birthday also to my man Steve Hutchinson (born 1977), the most dominant guard in Seahawk history and--after the incomparable Walter Jones, the best offensive lineman. With Jones, Robbie Tobeck, Chris Gray and Sean Locklear, Hutch comprised the best offensive line not just in team history, but arguably also in NFL history. His poison pill departure to Minnesota after Super Bowl XL was disappointing, but that would not have happened if Seattle's front office had had their priorities straight. At the time I thought re-signing Hutch was more important than keeping Shaun Alexander, and the subsequent play of the two athletes and Seattle's rapid decline amply confirmed my thinking. Hutch continued to perform at a high level individually, but never achieved the team success with the Vikings or the Titans that he had enjoyed with the Seahawks. Team clearly meant a lot to him--it was not by coincidence that he joined Matt Hasselbeck in Tennessee. Hutch and Seattle were much better together than apart.

Someone's gonna pay for not extending Irvin

Finally, Happy Birthday to my man Bruce Irvin (born 1987), who has become a beast at outside linebacker. Seattle rolled the dice on him with a first-round pick in the 2012 draft. A high school dropout with a checkered past including prison time, Irvin is also a freakish athlete who played safety, linebacker and defensive end at the college level. The Seahawks initially tried him at defensive end, but by 2013 we moved him to linebacker to capitalize on his diverse skill set. Though a great speed pass rusher with good coverage skills, rush defense had been his Achilles' heel for the first few years, but he has developed into a solid run stopper, too. Irvin is now a complete linebacker, but this may be his last season in Seattle. In the offseason, the front office chose to re-sign Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner, but could not afford to extend Irvin's rookie contract earlier this year. The linebacker has responded constructively by continuing to perform at a high level to maximize his value. I hope Irvin makes Matt Cassell miserable this afternoon.