There was, as usual, some poor play in the Pro Bowl. On the NFC's first running play, the offensive and defensive lines rose wearily from their stances and leaned lazily into one another, embracing like exhausted heavyweight boxers, while Philadelphia Eagle LeSean McCoy tentatively took the handoff and trotted nonchalantly into the gentle embrace of his opponents. The half-filled stadium roundly and rightfully booed this pitiful display of sloth and complacency.
Fortunately, some athletes came to compete. The few who played at full speed--like Larry Fitzgerald and Brandon Marshall--looked like fleet Olympians among lumbering, clumsy couch potatoes.
Fortunately, the Seahawks acquitted themselves admirably. Michael Robinson blocked effectively, though not brutally. Neither McCoy nor Matt Forte capitalized on this--each carried only twice--but Marshawn Lynch ran hard, taking 8 carries for 43 yards. It wasn't quite Beast Mode, but he showed more toughness than anyone else on the field that day.
Most of Seattle's starting secondary played. The AFC quarterbacks threw downfield relentlessly, but Seahawk defenders rarely allowed their receivers to catch anything. Miami's Marshall managed one big reception at Brandon Browner's expense--the big cornerback tried to make a play, but obliterated his safety support in the process, allowing Marshall to escape downfield to the end zone.
Earl Thomas had a similar experience. He made a great read on a deep ball, moving in front of the receiver to make an interception, but a cornerback blundered into him, preventing him from completing the pick. To add insult to injury, the ball bounced freakishly off Marshall's foot and into his hands for a touchdown.
The takeaway lesson seems to be that chemistry matters in the secondary. When you don't know what your teammate is going to do, you can get in one another's way. That kind of chemistry is hard to build in the brief, perfunctory Pro Bowl practices.
It was a fun game. The NFC's coaches called an aggressive game, including an early onside kick, a fake punt (San Francisco's Andy Lee threw for a first down), and a lot of laterals the first time the defense intercepted a pass. The NFC led for much of the game, but made a fundamental mistake by letting Cam Newton play the entire second half. He looked every bit a rookie, completing only 33% of his passes for 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Initially, Newton appeared to be trying, but when he threw an interception to the AFC's Derrick Johnson late in the game, the fleet, hulking Carolina quarterback made no attempt to stop the defender, despite being in excellent position to do so. Sad.
It's nice to see Seahawks in the Pro Bowl again, and gratifying to see them play with distinction.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Psyched for the Pro Bowl
Yes, I'm serious.
Lots of people slag the Pro Bowl. They complain that NFL superstars compete halfheartedly in Honolulu, more interested in avoiding injury than in vying for victory.
That's true on some level, but it also misses the point. Regular season and playoff games require league athletes to wage the athletic equivalent of war, a supreme and unrelenting effort to win, exhausting every ounce of speed, power, brains and brutality at their disposal.
You won't see that in the Pro Bowl. The NFL's all-star game is supposed to be fun, and if you accept that, it can be fun to watch
If you watch football primarily for the violence, then the Pro Bowl isn't for you. It's a more decent and civilized game. No one wants to get injured or to injure anyone else in an all-star game. Thus, cheap shots are rare. (Exception: In 2007, when Buffalo's Brian Moorman tried to run for a first down on a fake punt, Denver safety Sean Taylor annihilated him. That was hard core.)
Pro Bowl rules are different, to facilitate scoring. For example, in the Pro Bowl, defensive backs can't cover tight ends. This forces defenses to assign linebackers to the task, giving tight ends a distinct advantage, and exposing linebackers whose pass coverage skills rank somewhere below an all-star level.
I like the Pro Bowl, but I haven't watched it for a few years, because no Seahawks played in the game in 2010 or 2011.
Fortunately, Seattle has several representatives on the NFC squad. On offense, fullback Michael Robinson will be blocking for tailback Marshawn Lynch. On the other side of the ball, we'll see three-quarters of our defensive backfield rotating through the secondary: cornerback Brandon Browner, strong safety Kam Chancellor, and free safety Earl Thomas.
I thought Red Bryant should have made the squad, but other than that, I can't complain.
Several Seahawks earned enough respect from their peers and the fans to win passage to Hawaii. I hope they have fun, play well, and win.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Traveling thwarts the diehard
We embarked on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land this holiday season; that is, we came home to the Seattle area to visit family and friends
We've had a great visit.
Unfortunately, my traveling companion unwittingly booked our incoming flight during Seattle's home finale against the 49ers.
I had hoped to remain oblivious of the outcome until I reached the house of my mom, who had dutifully DVRed the contest. I had intended to watch the showdown between the NFC West's top two teams with the same suspense enjoyed by those who watched it live.
Although I wore my Seahawks #71 jersey that day, we made it through the flight, the terminal, and baggage claim without learning the result of the game.
Then, in the elevator to the parking garage, some guy remarked, "Tough game, huh?"
Knowing that Seattle had lost drained me of all motivation to watch the game during our visit. I chose instead to spend the time with family and friends. I'll watch it and perhaps post on it when I get back to the desert Southwest.
Obviously, I'm disappointed that we lost, though I'm heartened that the Seahawks snapped San Francisco's impressive streak of denying rushing touchdowns and holding opposing runners to less than 100 yards. That salvaged some modicum of dignity.
I'm also psyched that some Seahawks will get to soar to Hawaii to play in the Pro Bowl.
Tomorrow's game matters. Seattle needs to beat Arizona to eke out a .500 record, the only way to make the case that the team made real progress this year. I hope to see Seahawks play with passion as they make the case to keep their roster spots in 2012.
However, I won't see tomorrow's game live, either. My traveling companion unintentionally booked our return flight during Seattle's season finale against Arizona. I hope no one tells me how it turns out until I get home and watch it.
I can't believe the bad luck that has afflicted me this season. Tomorrow will mark the fourth game this year that I haven't been able to see live. Before this season, I hadn't missed a regular season game since... 2002?
We've had a great visit.
Unfortunately, my traveling companion unwittingly booked our incoming flight during Seattle's home finale against the 49ers.
I had hoped to remain oblivious of the outcome until I reached the house of my mom, who had dutifully DVRed the contest. I had intended to watch the showdown between the NFC West's top two teams with the same suspense enjoyed by those who watched it live.
Although I wore my Seahawks #71 jersey that day, we made it through the flight, the terminal, and baggage claim without learning the result of the game.
Then, in the elevator to the parking garage, some guy remarked, "Tough game, huh?"
Knowing that Seattle had lost drained me of all motivation to watch the game during our visit. I chose instead to spend the time with family and friends. I'll watch it and perhaps post on it when I get back to the desert Southwest.
Obviously, I'm disappointed that we lost, though I'm heartened that the Seahawks snapped San Francisco's impressive streak of denying rushing touchdowns and holding opposing runners to less than 100 yards. That salvaged some modicum of dignity.
I'm also psyched that some Seahawks will get to soar to Hawaii to play in the Pro Bowl.
Tomorrow's game matters. Seattle needs to beat Arizona to eke out a .500 record, the only way to make the case that the team made real progress this year. I hope to see Seahawks play with passion as they make the case to keep their roster spots in 2012.
However, I won't see tomorrow's game live, either. My traveling companion unintentionally booked our return flight during Seattle's season finale against Arizona. I hope no one tells me how it turns out until I get home and watch it.
I can't believe the bad luck that has afflicted me this season. Tomorrow will mark the fourth game this year that I haven't been able to see live. Before this season, I hadn't missed a regular season game since... 2002?
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Wreak merciless vengeance upon the 49ers
It is nice to see Seattle sitting atop the list of the 7-7 NFC teams "in the hunt" for the playoffs (i.e., still alive enough to move up to a wild card berth). All the teams below us on the list--Arizona, Chicago, the Giants, and Philadelphia--rank lower than the Seahawks because we have already defeated them this year. If we had beaten more teams, we wouldn't need help to make the playoffs, but at least we thumped some of the right teams.
Last week's crushing of the Bears was encouraging on many fronts..
The secondary continues to develop into one of the league's better units. Although Brandon Browner remains the NFL's most frequent pass interference offender, he also leads the team in interceptions, and has helped make Seattle's defensive backfield the 2nd most larcenous in the league.
Chicago's stout run defense exposed the limitations of the makeshift Seahawk line, but Marshawn Lynch still managed two rushing touchdowns. Lynch now has a 10-game touchdown streak, a franchise record.
However, the level of challenge will increase further tomorrow afternoon against San Francisco, which boasts the NFL's best run defense. Incredibly, the 49ers have not allowed a rushing touchdown all season; their 14-game moratorium on terrestrial scoring is unprecedented in league history.
Who will prevail in this collision between Lynch's 10-game touchdown streak and San Francisco's 14-game ground shutdown?
San Francisco, probably, though I hope the 12th Man might weigh in on the matter rather emphatically.
Another encouraging aspect of the win over Chicago was the fact that T-Jack our quarterback took up the slack when our run attack couldn't rack up enough yards because our O-Line couldn't stack up against the Bears D.
In recent weeks, Tarvaris Jackson has emerged as an effective game manager when he has adequate run support. However, Chicago's tough run defense forced the ex-Viking to do more, to complete several clutch passes to sustain some drives. T-Jack rose to the occasion and contributed significantly to last week's win
He'll need more of that mojo today because San Francisco will likely stymie our run game and put the game squarely in the place most feared by diehard Seahawks fans: on the shoulders of our starting quarterback.
T-Jack continues to hold the ball too long and take unnecessary sacks; he surrendered an especially unforgivable strip sack in the end zone last week. It made me miss the other Jackson, the guy who gives up on plays too early and throws the ball away prematurely, because that's the right thing to do when you're a quarterback standing in his own end zone behind an O-line comprised of two starters and three reserves. Nothing good can happen when you hold the ball too long in that situation.
Until yielding two late return touchdowns to Ted Ginn, Seattle was competitive against the 49ers on the road in the season opener. San Francisco is playing for a playoff bye; the Seahawks are fighting for a shot at the postseason. The 49ers wobbled against Arizona but looked good on Monday against the Steelers. It will be interesting to see how San Francisco comes out after a short week.
This is almost certainly the last home game of the season. It is almost impossible to envision a set of circumstance that would allow Seattle to host a home game in the playoffs, if we make the playoffs.
Thus, this is the 12th Man's last chance in 2011 to rebuild the reputation of Seahawks Stadium, a reputation damaged by some disgraces earlier this year. The 49ers and their odious coach deserve every decibel of sonic hell our fans can bring down upon them. Terminate with extreme prejudice.
Go, Seahawks!
Last week's crushing of the Bears was encouraging on many fronts..
The secondary continues to develop into one of the league's better units. Although Brandon Browner remains the NFL's most frequent pass interference offender, he also leads the team in interceptions, and has helped make Seattle's defensive backfield the 2nd most larcenous in the league.
Chicago's stout run defense exposed the limitations of the makeshift Seahawk line, but Marshawn Lynch still managed two rushing touchdowns. Lynch now has a 10-game touchdown streak, a franchise record.
However, the level of challenge will increase further tomorrow afternoon against San Francisco, which boasts the NFL's best run defense. Incredibly, the 49ers have not allowed a rushing touchdown all season; their 14-game moratorium on terrestrial scoring is unprecedented in league history.
Who will prevail in this collision between Lynch's 10-game touchdown streak and San Francisco's 14-game ground shutdown?
San Francisco, probably, though I hope the 12th Man might weigh in on the matter rather emphatically.
Another encouraging aspect of the win over Chicago was the fact that T-Jack our quarterback took up the slack when our run attack couldn't rack up enough yards because our O-Line couldn't stack up against the Bears D.
In recent weeks, Tarvaris Jackson has emerged as an effective game manager when he has adequate run support. However, Chicago's tough run defense forced the ex-Viking to do more, to complete several clutch passes to sustain some drives. T-Jack rose to the occasion and contributed significantly to last week's win
He'll need more of that mojo today because San Francisco will likely stymie our run game and put the game squarely in the place most feared by diehard Seahawks fans: on the shoulders of our starting quarterback.
T-Jack continues to hold the ball too long and take unnecessary sacks; he surrendered an especially unforgivable strip sack in the end zone last week. It made me miss the other Jackson, the guy who gives up on plays too early and throws the ball away prematurely, because that's the right thing to do when you're a quarterback standing in his own end zone behind an O-line comprised of two starters and three reserves. Nothing good can happen when you hold the ball too long in that situation.
Until yielding two late return touchdowns to Ted Ginn, Seattle was competitive against the 49ers on the road in the season opener. San Francisco is playing for a playoff bye; the Seahawks are fighting for a shot at the postseason. The 49ers wobbled against Arizona but looked good on Monday against the Steelers. It will be interesting to see how San Francisco comes out after a short week.
This is almost certainly the last home game of the season. It is almost impossible to envision a set of circumstance that would allow Seattle to host a home game in the playoffs, if we make the playoffs.
Thus, this is the 12th Man's last chance in 2011 to rebuild the reputation of Seahawks Stadium, a reputation damaged by some disgraces earlier this year. The 49ers and their odious coach deserve every decibel of sonic hell our fans can bring down upon them. Terminate with extreme prejudice.
Go, Seahawks!
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Welcome to the NFC Best
I'm looking forward to posting on Seattle's triumph in Chicago last Sunday, when I find more time to write.
However, I do have enough time now to note one of the more surprising developments of the 2011 season.
Football fans have long mocked the NFC Worst, dismissing Seattle's decade dominating the division as a function of the chronic weakness of Arizona, San Francisco, and St. Louis. According to conventional wisdom, the only wins that NFC Worst teams could count on were within the division; when pitted against real competition outside the division, the Floptastic Four were doomed. The outcry crested last year, when the Seahawks seized the NFC West title with a 7-9 record, the worst winning percentage of any division winner in the history of the National Football League.
For the first half of the 2011 season, the performance of NFC West teams confirmed the stereotype. Although San Francisco stunned everyone by rocketing to to 7-1, the rest of the division meekly reverted to form. Arizona and Seattle both stumbled to an ugly 2-6, while St. Louis--my preseason pick to win the division--blundered to a pitiful 1-7.
However, since the midseason mark, the division has emerged as the NFC Best. Over the last six weeks, the Cardinals and the Seahawks have soared to 5-1, while the 49ers managed 4-2. No other division's top three teams have as good a record over the last six weeks.
Moreover, some of those wins have come at the expense of tough opponents. Over the last six games, Arizona defeated the Cowboys and the 49ers, Seattle vanquished the Ravens and the Bears, and San Francisco slew the Giants and the Steelers.
The Cardinals and the Seahawks have managed to win despite uneven quarterback play and injuries to key players.
For Arizona and Seattle, the recent surge is likely too little, too late in terms of the playoffs. If one of them wins out and get lots of help, a wild card berth is theoretically possible.
Last year, all four of the division's teams finished with a losing record. This year, as many as three teams in the NFC West could finish at .500 or better. That's progress.
The first half of this season recapitulated the NFC West's past, but so far, the second half has suggested a future rich with promise.
Welcome to the NFC Best.
However, I do have enough time now to note one of the more surprising developments of the 2011 season.
Football fans have long mocked the NFC Worst, dismissing Seattle's decade dominating the division as a function of the chronic weakness of Arizona, San Francisco, and St. Louis. According to conventional wisdom, the only wins that NFC Worst teams could count on were within the division; when pitted against real competition outside the division, the Floptastic Four were doomed. The outcry crested last year, when the Seahawks seized the NFC West title with a 7-9 record, the worst winning percentage of any division winner in the history of the National Football League.
For the first half of the 2011 season, the performance of NFC West teams confirmed the stereotype. Although San Francisco stunned everyone by rocketing to to 7-1, the rest of the division meekly reverted to form. Arizona and Seattle both stumbled to an ugly 2-6, while St. Louis--my preseason pick to win the division--blundered to a pitiful 1-7.
However, since the midseason mark, the division has emerged as the NFC Best. Over the last six weeks, the Cardinals and the Seahawks have soared to 5-1, while the 49ers managed 4-2. No other division's top three teams have as good a record over the last six weeks.
Moreover, some of those wins have come at the expense of tough opponents. Over the last six games, Arizona defeated the Cowboys and the 49ers, Seattle vanquished the Ravens and the Bears, and San Francisco slew the Giants and the Steelers.
The Cardinals and the Seahawks have managed to win despite uneven quarterback play and injuries to key players.
For Arizona and Seattle, the recent surge is likely too little, too late in terms of the playoffs. If one of them wins out and get lots of help, a wild card berth is theoretically possible.
Last year, all four of the division's teams finished with a losing record. This year, as many as three teams in the NFC West could finish at .500 or better. That's progress.
The first half of this season recapitulated the NFC West's past, but so far, the second half has suggested a future rich with promise.
Welcome to the NFC Best.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Soaring Seahawks versus Faltering Bears
Soaring after two prime time triumphs, the Seahawks touch down today in Chicago.
During the last six games, Seattle established its identity as a running team. Marshawn Lynch lives in Beast Mode now. Incredibly, the streak has survived the losses of three starting offensive linemen.
It is tempting to imagine that we now mount an invincible rushing attack.
We'll find out today.
Last week's beatdown of St. Louis proved little. The Rams are a broken team, even more decimated by injuries than Seattle. They field the league's worst run defense.
Chicago, by contrast, defends the run relatively well. The Bears haven't permitted an opposing back to gain more than 100 yards against for more than two months
If our makeshift line can open holes against Chicago, we'll know our run attack is for real.
It is a good time to play the Bears. After starting strong, Chicago finds itself in the midst of a 3-game slide that coincides with injuries to starting quarterback Jay Cutler and his replacement by Caleb Hanie, an inexperienced player who has performed poorly. In the last three games, the former Colorado State Ram has thrown for only 502 yards and just 2 touchdowns, but has tossed 6 interceptions, suffered 15 sacks, and lost one fumble.
Presumably, Seattle's defenders are enthused at the prospect of compounding the young quarterback's misery.
Seahawk special teams excelled last week, but today our suspect punt and kick coverage teams must contain Devin Hester, the best returner in league history.
Seattle penalties helped keep St. Louis in the game last week. Against a better Chicago team, those mistakes could be deadly.
Back in January, a loss at Soldier Field eliminated Seattle from the playoffs. Winning there today is the only way the Seahawks can keep themselves in theoretical contention for the postseason.
Go, Seahawks!
During the last six games, Seattle established its identity as a running team. Marshawn Lynch lives in Beast Mode now. Incredibly, the streak has survived the losses of three starting offensive linemen.
It is tempting to imagine that we now mount an invincible rushing attack.
We'll find out today.
Last week's beatdown of St. Louis proved little. The Rams are a broken team, even more decimated by injuries than Seattle. They field the league's worst run defense.
Chicago, by contrast, defends the run relatively well. The Bears haven't permitted an opposing back to gain more than 100 yards against for more than two months
If our makeshift line can open holes against Chicago, we'll know our run attack is for real.
It is a good time to play the Bears. After starting strong, Chicago finds itself in the midst of a 3-game slide that coincides with injuries to starting quarterback Jay Cutler and his replacement by Caleb Hanie, an inexperienced player who has performed poorly. In the last three games, the former Colorado State Ram has thrown for only 502 yards and just 2 touchdowns, but has tossed 6 interceptions, suffered 15 sacks, and lost one fumble.
Presumably, Seattle's defenders are enthused at the prospect of compounding the young quarterback's misery.
Seahawk special teams excelled last week, but today our suspect punt and kick coverage teams must contain Devin Hester, the best returner in league history.
Seattle penalties helped keep St. Louis in the game last week. Against a better Chicago team, those mistakes could be deadly.
Back in January, a loss at Soldier Field eliminated Seattle from the playoffs. Winning there today is the only way the Seahawks can keep themselves in theoretical contention for the postseason.
Go, Seahawks!
Monday, December 12, 2011
Sweep the Lambs
After subjecting Seattle to a murderers' row of road games earlier in the season, the league schedulers showed considerable kindness to the Seahawks on the back end. Two-thirds of the way through a three-game home stand, Seattle enjoyed a mini-bye in the form of an eleven day layoff between last Thursday's game and tonight's contest.
We needed it. Our O-Line must cope with the loss of its third starter in the last two games. Just days after losing two starters--right guard John Moffitt and right tackle James Carpenter--to injuries, and somehow functioning well, anyway, our offensive line lost left tackle Russell Okung to Trent Cole's post-whistle punk-ass judo flip cheap shot.
Hopefully, the long layoff gave the reshuffled line an opportunity to achieve some chemistry. Tom Cable hasn't had an easy first year as our O-Line coach.
Fortunately, like a longtime lycanthrope, Marshawn Lynch seems to have developed the ability to shift into Beast Mode at will. If the line gives him the slightest crease, he will burst through it like a shotgun blast through the soft palate and brainstem of a suicidal firearms enthusiast.
Meanwhile, Tarvaris Jackson has healed to the point where he participates fully in practice. He has played remarkably well recently, despite the injuries. Will healing yield even stronger performance?
The defense remains relatively unscathed by injury, and has dominated lately.
Seattle needs a win to defend second place from Arizona, which edged San Francisco yesterday.
And to keep our anorexically slender playoff hopes on life support.
And to restore the tarnished reputation of Seahawks Stadium.
I expect merciless noise when the Lambs have the ball.
We needed it. Our O-Line must cope with the loss of its third starter in the last two games. Just days after losing two starters--right guard John Moffitt and right tackle James Carpenter--to injuries, and somehow functioning well, anyway, our offensive line lost left tackle Russell Okung to Trent Cole's post-whistle punk-ass judo flip cheap shot.
Hopefully, the long layoff gave the reshuffled line an opportunity to achieve some chemistry. Tom Cable hasn't had an easy first year as our O-Line coach.
Fortunately, like a longtime lycanthrope, Marshawn Lynch seems to have developed the ability to shift into Beast Mode at will. If the line gives him the slightest crease, he will burst through it like a shotgun blast through the soft palate and brainstem of a suicidal firearms enthusiast.
Meanwhile, Tarvaris Jackson has healed to the point where he participates fully in practice. He has played remarkably well recently, despite the injuries. Will healing yield even stronger performance?
The defense remains relatively unscathed by injury, and has dominated lately.
Seattle needs a win to defend second place from Arizona, which edged San Francisco yesterday.
And to keep our anorexically slender playoff hopes on life support.
And to restore the tarnished reputation of Seahawks Stadium.
I expect merciless noise when the Lambs have the ball.
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