Courtesy (AP)

Oh boy,

This game was a huge disappointment for Seattle. From defensive containment issues, to poor play calling on both the defensive and offensive side of the ball the result was hard to swallow.

This puts the playoffs into the dream category for Seattle, and puts tremendous pressure on the Pete Carroll regime to finish the season strong.

There’s a difference between flash and substance and the Seahawks have plenty of flash. It’s the substance that is keeping them from winning games they must win. The Seahawks need to find some middle ground in this area.

Russell Wilson: 21-27 yards, 2 TDs 125.9 Passer rating.

Wilson was everything for the Seahawks offense today. From his 21-27 224 yards, and 2 TDs, to his 38 clutch yards on the ground. The blame for this debacle can not be placed on Wilson at all. He was main reason game was close.

Seahawks offense: Points: 14 (Passing: 216 Rushing: 96) Lynch with only 46 yards.

The Seahawks game plan was abysmal.  The offensive line was man handled in the run game and the result was a total destruction of what the Seahawks were trying to do. The Dolphins were ready for the inside zone, play action, and crossing routes. Russell Wilson was  pretty much the lone bright spot today.

Note: I’m not ignoring the amazing Golden Tate catch.

Seahawks Defense: Allowed: 24 points, 435 Yards (Rushing: 189 Passing: 246)

The Seahawks did a good enough job for the majority of the game in every aspect. Time and time again the defensive line collapsed the pocket and forced quick throws by Ryan Tannehill. Reggie Bush (87 yards, 1 TD) was a minimal factor, but when they lost contain he burnt them badly including the crucial TD run. Something I talked about in my game preview.

However, later on in the game, the Seahawks looked worn down and continually went to a soft underneath zone. When pressure stopped getting close it allowed Tannehill to pick them apart. Very confusing game plan late to say the least. This was just another example of late game fizzles.

Special Teams:

Leon Washington‘s NFL record 8th kick return for a touchdown came at a great time. Credit to the kick return team for giving him a huge one-cut hole and nothing but green grass to the end zone. Jon Ryan was great again today and the punt and kick off teams came to play.

Coaching: 10 for 59 crucial yards.

Penalties, Penalties, and more penalties. These were killers for sure, but the biggest issue from a coaching standpoint was the refusal to utilize speed in the running game. The Dolphins are one of the better teams in the league at stopping inside runs yet the play calling stubbornly forced that very thing all day. Where was the creativity and adjustments after halftime? Why not try some outside zone with Leon Washington at least once? Why not give the Spread zone option more of a chance? We may never know.

From a defensive stand point, the decision to play soft underneath zones even when the pressure wasn’t getting home was baffling and I believe it cost Seattle the game in the end. Very disappointing loss in what is probably the nail in the Seahawks playoff coffin.

With remaining road games at Chicago and Toronto, the Seahawks will be kicking themselves for today’s debacle. Going two for two will be tough.

What are your thoughts on todays loss? Comment below and let’s discuss!

Halip/Getty Images

Where: Sun Life Stadium, Miami
Time: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Team Records: Seahawks (6-4); Dolphins (4-6)

The Seahawks, fresh of their much-needed bye week, head to Miami to face a struggling Dolphins team in what I consider a must-win game for Seattle’s playoff aspirations.

At 6-4, the Seahawks need to find a way to get 10 or more victories in what is turning out to be a tight NFC West race to the top with the San Francisco 49ers. If the Seahawks can’t take the division the 10-plus win goal should put them in the playoffs as a wild card team. But to do so Seattle must shake off their horrendous road record and win one or two on the road to finish the year.

For the Dolphins, a rested and hungry Seahawks team is the exact opposite of what they need right now. During their current three-game losing streak, the team has begun to show signs of imploding under positive expectations brought on by some unexpected early season success.

Keys to the game: Russell Wilson

1. Manage the game. The Seahawks may be facing a team with issues but one thing they do well is rush the passer and stuff the run. Miami pass rusher Cameron Wake is going to be an issue for Seattle all day long if Russell Wilson doesn’t get the Seahawks into manageable down and distances with savvy checks at the line of scrimmage. Wilson must diagnose and get the Seahawks into the right play or he’ll be in trouble.

2. Expose Dolphins coverage. Miami Cornerback Nolan Carroll has struggled mightily this season and should be ripe for another beating. Russell Wilson would be smart to find Carroll and target him until he proves it’s not a good idea.

Bottom Line: Wilson doesn’t have to be a beast for the Seahawks to win, he just needs to be careful with the ball and smart with his reads. Football doesn’t have to be hard, just find the matchup to exploit and go after it.

Keys to the game: Seahawks offense

1. Find daylight. The Seahawks are well-rested and that’s a good thing. The Dolphins boast a run defense that prides itself with shutting down the run. That just happens to be what the Seahawks like to do most. Marshawn Lynch and the Seahawks offensive line must fire out, and get movement on the Miami defensive front early on or it will have to be the Russell Wilson show.

 2. Screen game. The Seahawks have shown that they can utilize the screen game and have success and this game may require it. What they must avoid is relying on the receiver “alley” screen and try to add running back screens in the mix. The last thing the Dolphins want is Marshawn Lynch on the outside with a head of steam.

3. Avoid turnovers. Road game failures usually come down to mental errors and the Seahawks seem to struggle with those away from Seattle. If the Seahawks can play error-free football this Dolphins team may crack under the pressure. Not doing so gives the Dolphins hope.

Keys to the game: Defense

1. Pressure. I’ve been saying for a while that the Seahawks late bye week was going to be rough for the defense. They have been asked to carry this team for the better part of the season and over the past few games the wear and tear had begun to show. This had a direct effect on the amount of pressure they could muster. With the Seahawks injury free and well rested, look for defensive coordinator Gus Bradley to dial-up pressure and force Miami’s rookie QB Ryan Tannehill to fold under it.

Easy Pressure Target: Miami RT Jonathan Martin

2. Contain, Contain, Contain. Reggie Bush causes problems for teams because of his ability to bounce inside runs to the outside and beat contain to the corner. Seattle must play to the whistle and wrap and drive this man to the ground. When he bounces, the linebackers must be there to funnel Bush back into the teeth of the defense. If Reggie Bush gets free, he will put up yardage in bunches.

3. Avoid Penalties. Avoiding turnovers is paramount for road teams, but right up there on the list is penalties. When you play a team that struggles on offense like the Dolphins have been, you can’t extend their drives with mental errors. If the Seahawks play tough and clean this game should be decided by the third quarter.

Keys to the game: Special teams

1. Field position. This might be the biggest key for Seattle. If Seahawks stud punter Jon Ryan gets the opportunity to punt, his leg could be the difference in the game. The Dolphins are not designed to march up and down the field and pinning them deep gives the Seahawks offense even more opportunities to put points on the board.

Keys to the game: Coaching staff

1. Preparation. When you have two weeks to study yourself as well as your upcoming opponent the fact is there is no excuse for a poor game plan. Head coach Pete Carroll and staff must develop a plan of attack that exposes the Dolphins many offensive weaknesses.

2. Tempo.  For many reasons, the Seahawks rank near the bottom of the league on offense but Darrell Bevell plays a part on game day. Quick play calling means quicker huddles and more time for Russell Wilson to diagnose looks at the line of scrimmage.

3. Be multiple. At this point the NFL knows what the Seahawks are. They are a powerful inside zone running team led by a savvy rookie QB and an elite level defense who specializes in coverage, run stuffing and pressure.

On offense, the coaching staff must not allow players such as DE Cameron Wake and DT Randy Starks to disrupt with their penetration and must do so by varying their play calling. Balance equals unpredictable.

On defense, Gus Bradley must ensure the one big Miami weapon never sees a clear lane to run and pays for attempts to bounce outside with several Seahawks defenders waiting to lay the hit.

Bottom Line: This is a game the Seahawks should win despite their past issues on the road and considering the playoff implications, they’d better.

Prediction: Seahawks 21-13

(Courtesy AP)

Well that was fun wasn’t it?

This game further proved the point that the Jets are a mess as an organization, and the Seahawks are really good at home. Something everyone already knew.

Seahawks QB Russell Wilson has shown so much maturity in the last several weeks it is really astounding. From his savvy pocket manipulation-to his ability to maintain proper eye level as he escapes pressure-the growth is a great sign for this young Seattle Seahawks squad.

Golden Tate… This man is fun to watch when his head is on straight. It’s games like this you almost forget why people have complained about him. Playmaker is his role, and Sunday he filled it in stellar fashion despite the ugly throwing motion, and reckless ball carrying skills.

The Seahawks defense has also been a joy to watch but need this bye week to regroup. I think fatigue and K.J Wright’s injury has led to some run fit break downs and this break gives the team time to get refreshed for the playoff push. Yes, I said playoffs.

Bruce Irvin is proving to be really good at one thing, and that one thing is getting to the QB. Bruce Irvin’s 7 sacks places him atop the rookie pass rushing mountain top and is a testament to Seahawks defensive coordinator Gus Bradley‘s ability to utilize Irvin in the right situations. Just imagine how good he’ll be when he learns how to play at the NFL level. Scary.

For the Jets, the writing is on the wall. They are not doing anything well on the offensive side of the ball and the blame is on a select few. Offensive coordinator Tony Sparano has installed a gimmick filled scheme and refuses to allow Mark Sanchez to play with a rhythm.

Tim Tebow should either start, play running back, or hold a clipboard. This QB swap approach is killing the Jets season by taking valuable practice time away from the Jets base offense.

Mark Sanchez is a rattled mess. Nothing he does looks purposeful of confident. This has permeated the entire offense. Time after time the Jets either failed at the QB position or the receivers failed the QB. Vicious cycle.

Going to be a long season for the Jets.

Stats that tell the tale:

Total Yards:
Seahawks: 355
Jets: 185
First downs:
Seahawks: 20
Jets: 11
3rd Down Conversions:
Seahawks: 5-14
Jets: 2-11
QB Comparison:
Russell Wilson: 11-17 177 yards, 2 TDs
Mark Sanchez: 9-22 124 yards, 1 INT
Turnovers:
Seahawks: 2
Jets: 3
Defensive Sacks:
Seahawks: 3
Jets: 4

Game balls:

Russell Wilson, Golden Tate, Richard Sherman, Alan Branch, Marshawn Lynch, Max Unger and of course Bruce Irvin.

Enjoy the bye week everyone!

Presswire

It feels like a first world problem that the Seattle Seahawks are 4-4 to end the first half of the season with wins against the Green Bay Packers, New England Patriots and Dallas Cowboys.

But here we are Twelves, forlorn and seeking the light after another road game loss — and the second loss in a row — this time against a Detroit Lions team that gave up 44 points to the Tennessee Titans in an overtime loss. This season is about as uncomfortable as a masseuse who just found out he’ll be working knots out of the back of John Travolta.

So much went right this game, and any other day it may have been a win. When your team, however, is going up against  Matthew Stafford — second only to Tom Brady for passing attempts this season, third in passing yards per game and fourth in overall yardage at 2,108 — it takes more than just a great offensive road game.

The Seahawks’ losses this year are more frustrating than many in the last few to me. We’re winning games that few believed we could and giving up sad road losses to teams that basically everyone believed we shouldn’t. There doesn’t appear to be much consistency with this team, particularly with out losses. If the defense has a stellar day, the offense lays an egg. If the offense starts to shine, the defense falters. Perhaps the only thing that seems consistent is that our coaching appears to be poor in 2012. And it appears aligned with the inconsistency on either side of the ball.

I’m a complete laymen when it comes to understanding coverages, but here are my very rudimentary observations: During games against the Packers and Cowboys our defense played a ton of man coverage it seemed, frustrating quarterbacks who had few options, getting sacks and laying huge hits on receivers. On a few of our losses, at least, we see the secondary playing zone coverage, off players and providing tons of space between themselves and the opposing receiver. This is a call from the defensive coaching staff.

With large cornerbacks in Richard Sherman and Brandon Browner, the modus operandi should be man coverage at the line of scrimmage and a quick smack in the mouth or shoulder pads to stop the wide receivers within the allowable five yards. Letting someone like Wes Welker or Titus Young have space only allows those quick receivers the ability to get open enough for quick slants and downfield bombs after a double move. The more aggressive coverage, lacking in Detroit, worked well against Steve Smith for the Carolina Panthers, for instance.

I’ll admit to being just as entertained as everyone else about Richard Sherman transforming into Optimus Prime for the game against Calvin “Megatron” Johnson, but there was more than one weapon on the field for Stafford Sunday. It showed. The ‘Hawks seemed so focused on that one player.

Conservative defensive playcalling on the road simply feels wrong for this hard-hitting Seahawks team. The type of coverages called today also seemed to impact the ‘Hawks stellar run defense. While the Lions only ran for 84 rush yards, it seemed clear they could have ran for more if they didn’t need Stafford to command passes downfield to catch up. It’s the second week in a row that an opposing offense has found solutions to what was supposed to be one of our greatest strengths.

I’m just so utterly frustrated today because this is not a game the Seahawks should have lost. It’s hard to really even focus and figure out what to say. How do you assess a team with different struggles basically every single week?

The only thing that seems consistent is the baffling calls of our coaching staff. If it’s not conservative offensive play calls in early games because (allegedly) we have a rookie quarterback, it’s conservative defensive calls against a very good Lions quarterback.

And where the hell is that pass rush pressure we brought against Tom Brady, Tony Romo and Aaron Rodgers? How can we have a response to those guys but not the Lions?

This is not the type of game the Seahawks should lose. Many are seeing a ton of positive in the fact that the Seahawks have five home games in the final eight. That’s all well and good but we’ll need more than winning those five home games to make it to the playoffs, likely. Our playoff chances got very slim after today.

I should end here with a few silver linings (and then I’m off to kick a puppy or steal candy from a baby. Or both):

– Marshawn’s 77-yard touchdown run was the longest run of his career.

– Russell Wilson had a great game with 236 yards, two TDs and one INT. He had a passer rating of 96.8 and an ESPN QBR of 93.7.  That ESPN rating is supposed to help better state the “clutch” plays of a quarterback to help lead toward a win. Wilson did everything in his power today to get that win.

– Wilson spread the ball out and had nine receivers with catches.

– Golden Tate generally had a redeeming game catching all seven of his targets for 64 yards. One minor complaint within this silver lining: On several catches he ended up running backwards or spinning to negate some of the yardage he’d gained, including losing a first down he would have had due to forward progress if he’d simply have stopped his feet. For the record, Tate also lost a fumble, too.

– The Seahawks had only two penalties for 10 yards.

The New England Patriots bring their number one offense to the Pacific Northwest to face off against the Seattle Seahawks and young and physical number one defense.

Something has to give right?

For average NFL football fans this is a must watch game for the offense vs defense match up alone. For Seattle fans, this is the biggest test for Pete Carroll‘s young and physical defensive unit in 2012.

Hype vs reality, there’s just no way of getting around it.

Important statistics (courtesy of NFL.com):

Key to the game: Progress in the Pocket

Russell Wilson took a step in the right direction last week vs the Panthers. My biggest concern thus far has been his inability to find the confidence to climb the pocket to avoid pressure. Too often his first impulse is to feel pressure (real or imagined) and bail to the right to clear his vision.

Last week he showed me signs that this tendency can be coached out of him. Most of his throws came from sound fundamentals in the pocket and as he stepped up, so did his accuracy. He has a long way to go, but its a nice step forward.

Wilson will need more of that against the confusing Patriots defense. While not a power house defensive unit, the Patriots will no doubt try to force Wilson to fall back on bad habits in the pocket with blitzes and pressure schemes that plug the A-gap throwing lanes and perhaps even the backside B-gap.

This cuts his route progression read down to half the field and it makes playing defense very easy. If he can fight the urge to bail under pressure, there may be big opportunities down the field on Sunday.

I’m predicting a boom or bust type of game here.

Key to the game: Keep the chains moving

Key Matchup: Russell Wilson’s pocket fundamentals vs Patriots front 7

For all the talk about about the Patriots offense vs the Seahawks defense, the biggest thing that will affect the outcome of the game is Seattle’s ability to convert on 3rd down and keep the ball out of the hands of Tom Brady.

[The Patriots have allowed a 44 percent completion rate on 3rd down, and that is the one area the Seahawks offense must exploit on Sunday.]

The Patriots do not have a stellar defense (29th against the pass, 8th against rush) but it is good enough to bother the Seahawks anemic 27th ranked offense.

If Seattle get’s bogged down with predictable play-calling and Russell Wilson regresses inside the pocket, it may be a very frustrating day.

Bottom line: More Seahawks offense means a fresh and aggressive Seahawks defense. It also means more pressure on the Patriots to perform in an extremely loud environment with far fewer offensive snaps.

12th Man, get ready.

Key to the game: Force the Patriots to show their hand

As you’ve already read and heard repeatedly, New England boasts the number one ranked offense. What you may not know is that the Patriots are doing it with incredible balance.

Per NFL.com the breakout looks like this:

Rushing attempts: 191

Passing attempts: 185

This is not the Tom Brady to Randy Moss Patriots from years ago. This team has become completely unpredictable and that makes them very dangerous.

For Seattle, the front four must control the line of scrimmage, stop the new found running success, and force the Patriots into predictable down and distances e.g., 2nd long, 3rd long. This will be critical against the Patriots high tempo offense.

Key Matchup: Patriots’ Wes Welker and Rob Gronkowski vs the Seahawks underneath coverage.

Bottom Line: Predictable Patriots mean exposed Patriots, and Chris Clemons and Bruce Irvin sack dances.

Key to the game: Special Teams Field position

The Seahawks kick off and punt team have been very good this year in return coverage and will need to force the Patriots offense into long field situations.

Failure to do so in this area could be disastrous to the Seahawks game plan.

Key to the game: Winning the chess game with Bill Belichick

Obviously, football is a game of adjustments. Patriots head coach Bill Belichick may just be one of the toughest coaches in the NFL to deal with from a game plan perspective.

There is nothing that will hurt the Seahawks more than allowing Belichick’s schemes to confuse Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson. In my opinion, this is paramount.

The Seahawks may not have time for Carroll’s famous second half adjustments.

Carroll, and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell need to keep the Seahawks unpredictable and the Patriots defense as vanilla as possible to get the win.

How you ask?

The Seahawks must keep the tempo high with quick play calls, and even quicker substitutions. Delays here will hurt. Allowing Wilson and the Seahawks offense to get in and out of the huddle quickly will establish a rhythm and keep the Patriots substitutions limited.

The 12th Man and Seahawks defense will do its part against the Tom Brady led Patriots offense, but has to get help from the other side of the ball.

Hopefully for Seattle, Pete Carroll is up to the task.

(Photo: Bob Leverone, AP)

Seahawks rookie QB Russell Wilson picked a good time to have a basically solid performance during a week when many fans were (and probably some still are) calling for his head in a 16-12 win over Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers.

But despite the dubya and an as-expected intergalactically-stellar performance from the Seahawks defense, there clearly is still much-needed improvement for the ‘Hawks offense that must happen.

Wilson had his best performance of the regular season so far with 221 passing yards and a touchdown, though a bit marred by an interception for a Panthers touchdown. By a dude named Captain Munnerlyn. I mean, seriously, if a guy picks you off and runs back a pick 6, and it sounds like he should be starring in his own Saturday morning kids special, there is a problem.

Sidebar: How high exactly do you think that man’s parents were when he came into this world?

On the Twittersphere many a folk were playing the “Nitpick Our Short Quarterback Game” by pointing out every single missed pass and what they felt should have been done differently. It’s baffling to me that people think they have the same vantage point as any players on the turf when all we see generally are sky box side views of the game. Of course you’re going to see someone open more often than the quarterback, no matter his height.

Despite Wilson’s solid showing, however, the Seahawks continue to have several major deficiencies, and this win only further highlighted those issues. The negative attributes should be concerning for any fan, most especially considering how middling of a defense the Carolina Panthers have. They’re basically ranked in the bottom 10 of every defensive category there is. Not only could we hardly touch them in the early part of the game in the red zone, we didn’t even use Lynch or rookie RB Robert Turbin very efficiently considering the Panthers have been giving up more than 134 yards rushing on average per game.

The Seahawks were held to under 100 yards total today. Yes, Beast Mode’s 85 yards on 20 carries is still damn good, and he remained second in the league in total yardage, but this should have been an even better game for him.

I attribute this to a rather lackluster performance by the offensive line, which hasn’t been that bad this season in run plays. As a matter of fact, that’s where they’ve stood out generally.

Both the defense and offense had absolutely stupid penalties today, and I’m about to be a rich man by selling “Bench Breno” T-shirts because No. 68 Giacomini can’t seem to stop himself from getting penalized. Some will say at least one penalty was due to reputation and it shouldn’t have been called. I would say that if he hadn’t gotten that reputation in the first place it wouldn’t have been called. You have to know that the locked out refs would be taking notes every single weekend, watching who was playing dirty and preparing to throw extra flags on those guys to whip everyone back into shape after the debacle that was the replacement referees. Whether Breno did it or not, he earned that reputation, and now he must live with it. He needs to cool down. Benching him was a good call, but he might need to not start next game, period.

Giacomini wasn’t the only one with some stupid penalties today. Not even sixth-ranked sack master Chris Clemons could avoid a roughing the passer call by pushing Panthers QB Newton too late after a throw was made.

Back to the red zone: The Seahawks continue to simply have very few answers to red zone scoring. Two first-half opportunities were squandered and again the team settled for field goals, going into halftime up on Carolina 6-3. Horrifying.

Thankfully the Panthers coaching staff is in no way as elite as that of the Green Bay Packers, who made some amazing halftime adjustments two weeks ago. I was truly concerned going into the final half of the game Carolina would have Cam Newton running all over the place, but it just didn’t happen.

Deserved Kudos

As usual, Seattle’s defense deserves the game ball for an amazing performance. Newton was sacked four times, the final hit coming from rookie defensive end Bruce Irvin who tallied a sack and a stripped ball that defensive tackle Alan Branch fell on to finalize the game. Rookie linebacker Bobby Wagner also had an awesome performance with 1.5 sacks.

But probably the turning point of the game came on a strip by cornerback Brandon Browner on Carolina RB DeAngelo Williams (who has just a very, very gentle smile, based on the commercials I saw during the game). Browner also had a goal line tackle that shut the Panthers out of a potentially game-winning score.

So, a win is a win is a win, right? Not with the New England Patriots coming to Century Link Field next week. Having the second best defense in the NFL right now means nothing if the offense can’t put up some points. The Patriots are a top 10 rushing defense right now, but ranked 29th in receiving allowing nearly 300 yards per game. Let’s hope today’s QB performance by Wilson was a warm-up for next week.

He’ll need it.

Now I’m off to fire up my press for those “Bench Breno” T-shirts. Who wants in on this?

Photo: Tom Gannam / AP

It’d be easy enough for this entire reaction blog post here to simply be me typing in all-caps just one big, long curse word and hitting submit. I should do that, because the amount of effort that would take is about as much as the Seahawks put in against a team like the St. Louis Rams. I’ll hold off on that, but I’m sure there will still be some blue language here.

The game was a frustrating loss and continued to keep questions about rookie quarterback Russell Wilson‘s long-term viability as a starter front and center. Perhaps what’s worse, however, is that it’s at times unclear if the issues the ‘Hawks offense is having is because of QB play, because of the line collapsing in like a dying star, because the receivers don’t have the ability to get open down field or the coaching.

Perhaps it’s all those things.

This week, coach Pete Carroll made claims that he has called for a conservative offense because he is having a rookie QB helm the ship.

It’s mind-boggling that is the tact of a coach who allegedly believes in his starting quarterback considering the play of some of the other rookie starters out there. Robert Griffin III put up another huge game in Week 4 against Tampa Bay (or as I like to call them, the St. Louis Rams of the NFC South) with 323 passing yards, 43 rushing yards on seven carries for a TD. Miami’s Ryan Tannehill dropped 431 passing yards on the stout Arizona Cardinals defense. Cleveland Brown’s rookie QB Brandon Weeden tossed 320 yards over the Baltimore Ravens. Both Miami and Cleveland lost this week, and they’ve got their own issues, but the point here is that there is a huge difference in what appears to be the faith of the coaching staff of those teams versus the Seattle Seahawks. Pete Carroll can say whatever he wants to the media, but what we’re seeing on the field seems different.

What has me the most pissed off this week is that we simply should not have lost this game. It wasn’t the damned fake field goal (though if I hear a Fox announcer say “trickeration” ever again I’m going to kick a puppy) or even the three interceptions Wilson threw (they didn’t, largely, appear to be fully his fault).

I’m angry our coaching staff appears to simply not believe in the person they’ve asked to lead this team.

Today we saw some great flashes from Wilson in the first drive of the game. The quarterback was able to zip some passes to wide receiver Sidney Rice and our ground game was superb. When the Rams brought pressure, he got out of it and it was clear climbing the pocket wasn’t the answer.

After that, everything seemed to falter. Red zone touchdown scoring simply doesn’t exist for the franchise right now. The offensive line doesn’t have any inkling as to what pass protection seems to mean. Russell Wilson does not have the ability to climb the pocket and appears to have some type of fetish for the scrambling boot leg (including loss of yardage while being tackled in the backfield).

Today’s game made it hard not to think that Wilson’s height really has a large impact on his ability to make plays, most especially when his line fails him in protection and closes throwing windows. If he were taller would he be able to get the ball to wide open tight end Zach Miller at the two yard line?

It’s just very hard to know where exactly the offensive failure is right now.

I’ll tell you where it’s not, though: The failure sure as hell isn’t our running game. Beast Mode Marshawn Lynch and Robert Turbin (aka Turbo) are the shining stars of the offense. If Turbin had been given the 20 snaps Lynch did, he could have had 150 rushing yards today based on his pace. Marshawn, too, was extremely effective in his runs, including an 18-yard Skittles Scramble (that’s trademarked)  for a TD on the first drive.

But the Seahawks simply cannot rely on only the running game to win. What’s baffling is that, with such a successful ground game, the passing game should be all the more successful. And, yet, when Wilson is back to pass it’s like a different team is playing.

Frankly I better end this now. I’m so frustrated this week I’m not even sure where to go with this. Just a few quick snippet thoughts and then I’m going to mic drop and go eat some apple pie:

1) Despite how pissed I am, Wilson should still start. He needs better coaching support, better play from receivers and damned better pass protection. Let’s face it, we’re still 2-2. I don’t know that Matt Flynn would have fared any better and frankly Wilson has a far better chance of escaping when our offensive line plays like shit, which seems to be the norm right now on passing plays. I’ll change my tune quickly if I don’t see some changes at QB, however.

2) The left side of the line with Russell Okung and James Carpenter was great today in run blocking.

3) Bench Breno Giacomini. Two after-whistle unsportsmanlike penalties for 15 yards each are unacceptable. Period. During Carroll’s post-game press conference he attributed it to Giacomini playing the full play or some such shittery. Bullshit. When the whistle blows, stop playing. You’re hurting your team. And I’m going to kick a puppy.

4) Our defensive secondary are clearly stronger when they jam at the line. Zone coverage is a weak spot. Getting burned by the Rams really showed it, and really, really hurt.

That’s it. That’s all I’ve got. Next week we face a high-flying offense run by second-year star and big-ass cry baby Cam Newton over at the Carolina Panthers.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go find a puppy.

Otto Greule Jr / Getty Images

Last week Doug Baldwin tweeted he’d need some new teeth after a costly-dropped past in the Seahawks Week 1 loss at the Arizona Cardinals.

Baldwin better let Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee borrow those falsies after getting absolutely here-I-am, rock-you-like-a-hurricaned (Scorpions reference, whaaaaat?) by Hawks receiver Golden Tate in a play that basically summed up how the day went for the ‘boys in a 27-7 loss at Century Link Field.

Frankly, this should have been an even bigger blowout for the Seahawks, but, per the tradition of the last few seasons they got out of the gate rather slow to begin the game. We saw the offensive line continue to struggle, frequently collapsing in to Russell Wilson, hampering his ability to make plays down field. Beast Mode Marshawn Lynch could do very little in the run game, with 10 carries for just 22 yards. I still attribute that to the offensive line. Let’s be fair that in the second half Lynch was able to open it up for 122 yards and a TD overall.

And, yet, through it all, Russell Wilson maintained poise few rookie QBs likely could, ending the half 9-12 with 85 yards and a 94.1 passer rating.

As always, the bright spot of the first half was the Seahawks defense and special teams, with backup linebacker Malcolm Smith blowing up a Cowboys punt that backup strong safety Jeron Johnson would take back for the first Hawks TD of the game.

The Seahawks came out in the second half with necessary adjustments and would end up obliterating a team that took to task the defending World Champion New York Giants in Week 1.

I could post an extremely positive write up here, but I think that wouldn’t be very genuine. The Seahawks have more work to be true contenders and we should have an honest discussion about it. This, you see, is a 12thman Intervention. We love you, Seahawks, but if you keep doing this, you’re going to lose … err … the playoffs?

First, let’s settle on the positive one last second: Kam Chancellor just gave every Cowboys receiver PTSD for the rest of their life; K.J. Wright had a solid game with solid tackling, smart football moves to nearly snag an INT and leading a great linebacker crew; Golden Tate is the meanest little man you’ve ever seen, nearly decapitating Cowboys LB Lee. He avoided two penalties on it – the blind side helmet-led hit as well as the unsportsmanlike for pointing to his name afterward. But the panther crawl he did after the hit was rather sexy. Like a sex panther. It’s illegal in nine countries.

Let’s talk about what needs fixin’, though, shall we:

The offensive line had a solid finish, fixing much of the first-half collapsing and lack of run blocking, but that’s the point: That first half slop needs to stop. The Seahawks need a strong start to go with their extremely strong finishes.

Playcalling: Other than the crafty three tight-end set for a touchdown from Wilson to TE Anthony McCoy, Offensive Coordinator Darrell Bevell has done very little to show he’s at all innovative or willing to be gutsy on calls. He’s got what head coach Pete Carroll has called a special quarterback and I like to think that’s the star-kind of special and not the paste-eating kind of special. So let the kid make some big plays.

Speaking of Big Play Danger Russ: Wilson has got to work on bringing his throws down. When you over throw 6’6″ tight end Evan Moore, you just might be throwing too high. I’ll chalk that one up to first-half jitters for the rookie, though Wilson likes to say he doesn’t get nerves. Also, I don’t know how you don’t see 6’2″, 240-pound linebacker Bruce Carter, but Wilson threw right at him like he was as invisible as whoever the hell Clint Eastwood was talking to in that chair. That first-half play ended in a field goal instead of seven points for the Seahawks.

And, really, that’s about what I’ve got for today. This was a solid performance, and it’s these little things the Seahawks need to work on. We can all say this was a successful day, but we need those details in order to be successful, annual contenders in both this clearly stronger division (the Cardinals beat the Patriots today, folks, feel better about last week yet?).

I’m excited for Week 3 where we face Green Bay on Monday Night Football. Let’s show the world that we have an even better defense than those 49ers, alright? As Wilson says every press conference:

GO HAWKS!

Associated Press/Rick Scuteri

In the Twittersphere, the usual bandwagon, fair-weather Seahawks fans who cried out for Charlie Whitehurst last year blew their lungs out clamoring for Matt Flynn after a heart-breaking 20-16 loss against the Arizona Cardinals today.

Those people are stupid. And get them some oxygen, quick.

Rookie quarterback Russell Wilson had some hiccups in his first-ever NFL regular season game but there was much to like, and Danger Russ looked solid for most of the game, as did the Seahawks defense and special teams.

Let’s look at it this way: Only one rookie quarterback starting in 2012 had a better QB rating than Wilson today. Andrew Luck wasn’t that person. Wilson’s rating wasn’t stellar by any measure at 62.5. Hell, it was even below average. But he did no worse than most of the other rookie starting quarterbacks and avoided mishaps that most of them made, most specifically in the turnover category where he had one just one interception (Luck with three interceptions; Brandon Weeden with four; Ryan Tannehill with three). Wilson didn’t force anything, and if he threw a long pass, he threw it where, generally, a defender wouldn’t have access.

Unfortunately, our O-line members apparently were having conversations like this tonight: “Derp-a, derp derp derp,” and couldn’t seem to understand the value in providing a more solid throwing window for Wilson. The pocket frequently collapsed, forcing Wilson into tenuous situations, QB hits or sacks.

But we should also, as hard as it may be, give credit to the Arizona defense, known for exotic looks and stunts. While the media focus on the Cards’ QB kerfuffle between John Skelton and Kevin Kolb may have taken focus from the rest of that franchise, the defense is acknowledged as a solid unit. In many ways, the Cardinals and Seahawks were very similar in 2011 for that very reason. Solid D play, mediocre quarterback.

Only, the Seahawks were supposed to be the much more all-around improved team in 2012.

The offense still has some work to do. Receivers appeared to give up on routes. Offensive lineman ran around like chickens without heads. They looked meek compared to the aggressive style of the Card’s D. Odd, considering how nasty players like Breno Giacomini frequently looked for the Hawks throughout the preseason.

It’s like all of a sudden the lineman found a stash of Mom’s sedatives and decided to down the entire bottle on opening night. Russell Okung shocked the world by, again, turning into fragile tea cups, leaving the game with what has been announced as a knee injury. Think of him like a fine China set worth a guaranteed $29 million. Those are some expensive cups.

But there were some wonderful flashes tonight:

Wilson showed poise and smarts during plenty of pressure situations, taking the ball himself to gain a few first downs. It’s that talent that we don’t have with Matt Flynn, who is still accurate and would be a wonderful replacement if necessary (but he’s not necessary now).

During a terrible four-down series to end the game — including a botched decision by the replacement referees that gave the Seahawks a third timeout they shouldn’t have had — he tossed four completely catchable passes to receivers. Turns out their hands had been chopped off prior to each snap, unfortunately.

Sidney Rice, the previously-matching set of crystal stemware for the Seahawks offense to Okung’s China, caught multiple acrobatic catches and took some tough falls. At one point, he landed on at least one shoulder and it looked like he was about to break dance back up onto his feet.

Richard Sherman had an ankle-breaking sideline interception of Cardinals QB Skelton during the second half. Speaking of ankle-breaking, we’ve learned he came out of the locker room in a boot, though he claimed on Twitter he’d “be fine,” whatever that means. Fine for next week? Fine for another sweet “My Brother Dance”?

Braylon Edwards should have a breakout year. We saw it in the preseason and it translated in Game 1.

Doug Baldwin played a fairly solid game after sitting out preseason due to a hamstring injury that required blood to be removed to help the healing process (hello year 1642, bloodletting is BACK BABY! Where my leaches at?), despite the end-zone drop that could have clinched the day.

There’s almost no reason to mention the defense and special teams, because as usual they looked great. Of course, that’s why they should be mentioned, because they deserve it.

But back to Wilson and those “fans” screaming for him to be replaced. After one.friggin’.game.

Despite his claim during his post-game press conference that he had no jitters at all, I think that Wilson will only get better, and those jitters he didn’t have will slowly fade and he’ll settle. Note he also mentioned working on quicker reads, which likely is not only something he needs to work on to continue his progression in the pros, but also because his offensive line is going to force him into that situation.

He’ll need to ensure he doesn’t overthrow receivers on his bombs, too, and game clock management is essential after a few false starts thrown directly because of him.

But he has great field awareness, knows when to scramble when necessary and doesn’t make a bunch of stupid mistakes. He’s a playmaker, but he can’t be the only one doing the heavy lifting, and that’s where that line comes in to play.

No, 12th man, it’s not time to bring Matt Flynn out for a test drive. Not after one game. Not after five, in my view. Wilson has been given a shot, and he needs more time. It was one loss. It was a hard-fought game and everything the Seahawks did they earned through tough work.

For Marshawn Lynch, who gained 90 rushing yards through sheer will power and Beast Mode-style runs, it’s a familiar place to be. That same trudging patience Lynch has attained was embraced by the rest of the team. We nearly had it. This was not a loss in the mold of 2010, or even 2011.

Fixing those red zone mistakes, not leaving the game in the hands of replacement refs, and all of those other things I’ve mentioned (i.e. ~ Derp-a, derp derp offensive lineman) will happen. Pete Carroll will make it happen.

There are 15 weeks to go until the Seahawks are in the playoffs, folks. Let’s all watch it happen.

————————————————————————

@StarvingScout:

I watched and charted every 2011 Seattle Seahawks Offensive snap in the Red Zone. Below is a

quick breakdown of what I saw by personnel grouping. Disclaimer: I’m an amateur, it was a lot of data,
and I had a small screen so definitely factor in a slight margin of error.

Favorite Play

The Outside Zone Run (or tackle zone) is the Seahawks favorite play by far. It should be
assumed going forward that the Outside Zone is the primary running play in each of the subsequent
personnel groupings. They will run it with a lead blocking Fullback (out of 21, 22, or 23 personnel) or out
of Single-Back sets (in 11 and 12 personnel). Lynch is good at turning this play into a big gain.

11 (Kings) Personnel : 43 Plays (Run-16, Pass-27)

Personnel philosophy Outside/Inside Zone Runs, Vertical Concepts, Primary Target:X Vertical
Formation tendencies 50% of the time they will be in a Trips Set of some type.

50% of the time it will be a Shotgun formation.

5 times they lined up in a Trips Speed formation

All sprint outs look like they are coming out of Kings Gun Trips Near.

11 (Kings) Alternate Y Line-up Locations

Y Off-4 Times

Y Crack-4 Times

Y Wide-4 Times

11 (Kings) Types of Motion with Play in parenthesis

F3 (Bubble)

W-Yoyo (Inside Zone)

W-Deep (F Wheel)

Y (Zone Run, Slant)

Y-Yoyo (Inside Zone)

11 (Kings) Personnel Red Zone Pass Targets

F-Wheel, Screen

W-Slant (lined up wide in Trips sets the other two WRs lined up inside of him run clear out
vertical routes), comeback, bubbles.

X-Fade, vertical

Y-Out, slant, seam

Z- Hitch, curl, bubble

12 (Ace) Personnel 21 Plays (Run-11, Pass-10)
Personnel Philosophy-Horizontal and Three-Level (Flood) Concepts, Zone Runs with U as a
lead/trap blocker, Primary Target(s): Crossing Routes (To both X and U)

12 (Ace) Formation tendencies

The QB is always under center in Ace sets.

50% of the time it is a Trips set

38 % of the time both Tight Ends are lined up next to each other (Wing and Trump).

They don’t line up either Tight End wide in Ace.

12 (Ace) Types of Motion with play in parenthesis:

F2 (U Out)

F3 (U Cross)

U (Zone run)

X (Inside zone)

X behind Z (Flood)

Y-Deep (F Swing)

Y-Yoyo (X Cross)

Z (Z cross, inside run)

12 (Ace) Personnel Red Zone Pass Targets

F-Swing, flare

U-Cross, out

X-Cross, post

Y-Post

Z-Curl

21 (Regular) Personnel 20 Plays (Run-15, Pass-5)
Personnel Philosophy-Run First, Inside/Outside Zone Runs, Quick Concept and Play Action
Passes, Primary Target(s): Short passes to Z and H

21 (Regular) Formation tendencies

The QB is under Center 100% of the time

100% of the time it is an I Formation (3 times Off-set I Far)

They don’t split any Running Backs or the Tight End wide.

They will line Lynch up at both H and F.

When Lynch is lined up at F

They will either hand it to Lynch or fake it to him and pitch to H Washington

33% of the time WR in Flip Alignment

21 (Regular) Types of Motion with Play in parenthesis

Y (Zone run)

Z (Delay screen to Z)

21 (Regular) Personnel Red Zone Pass Targets

H-Wheel (to field)

Z-Screens, flag

22 (Tens) Personnel

13 Plays (Run-9, Pass-4)

22 (Tens) Personnel Philosophy-Run First, Outside/Inside Zone Runs, both H and F touch the ball equally

22 (Tens) Formation tendencies

100% of the time it is an I Formation

Both TE aligned to same side (Heavy) 5 times

Y lined up wide one play

Won’t hesitate to run the same Short Yardage play 2 or even 3 times in a row

22 (Tens) Types of Motion with Play in parenthesis

F Off (PA Pass)

U (Z Sluggo, Zone Run)

U Out (U Slant)

22 (Tens) Personnel Red Zone Pass Targets

U-Slant

Z-Sluggo

23 (Jacks) Personnel 2 Plays (Run-1, Pass-1)

This is a short-yardage grouping both plays were run with 1 and 3 yards to gain respectively.
One play was Jacks I Right lead dive with a Tackle eligible. The other play was Jacks I Left pass to FB in
flat.

0? (Spread) Personnel 11 Plays (Run-0, Pass-11)
Personnel groupings that fell under this category had no RB in the backfield but on some plays I
could not make out exactly if there were Tight Ends in the formation or not. So in theory they could be
00, 01, 02, 03, personnel but they’ve all been grouped together under this (0?) Category.

0? (Spread) Personnel Philosophy-Vertical/Horizontal Concepts, Intermediate and Deeper Routes,
Primary Target:W

0? (Spread) Types of Motion with Play in Parenthesis-

Z Deep (Z Wheel)

0? (Spread) Personnel Red Zone Pass Targets

U-Out (away from Trips set)

W-Post, trips slant, screen

X-Post, Vertical

Y-Out

Z-Flag, Wheel

Concluding Thoughts and Notes

Kings Personnel is the Seahawks preferred personnel grouping by a wide margin. (It is also their
preferred personnel grouping on all 3rd down plays regardless of field position but I’ll get to 3rd down
plays on another report). They will try and take some vertical shots to the Y just outside of the Red
Zone. They like to throw Bubbles to the 3-WR Side of formations. Sometimes they will manufacture
that 3-WR side by using F3 motion (1 target) or by lining the F out wide (1 target). Late in the season
there was a noticeable trend to target the motion man.

I know that Russell Wilson is starting at QB now so the play calling could change to suit his
strengths. However, NFL Offenses don’t change much from season to season when the same Offensive
Coordinator is in place. Therefore, it would be safe to assume that Darell Bevell’s Red Zone Offense in
2012 will look quite similar to the one detailed in this report. The difference in the 2012 version will
have more to do with whatever Russell Wilson does within plays (favorite targets, throws, or launch
points, etc). I believe that Russell Wilson’s skill-set and leadership will make the Seahawks Red Zone
Offense more effective than it has been before under Darell Bevell. Last but not least, none of this
matters if you don’t tackle Marshawn Lynch. Good luck with that.

Tweet me your criticism, feedback, or suggestions for other Advance Scouting Reports to
@StarvingScout.