Takeaways: Horrific Seahawks Loss against the Cardinals

By Jackson Safon

Mortality (n.) – The state or condition of being subject to death. While the Seahawks are not vulnerable to a literal death, the loss they took yesterday to the Cardinals proved that they are not invincible. This was Russell Wilson’s first home loss as a professional quarterback, so naturally the thought to this point was that the ‘Hawks simply couldn’t be beat in the Clink. The Cardinals proved that a strong defense and an offense that controls the ball absolutely can beat the Seahawks, even in Seattle. In today’s NFL, there are few teams that fit this mold, but two of them are potential opponents for the ‘Hawks in the NFC in the Panthers and 49ers. The Cardinals just beat the ‘Hawks with Carson Palmer throwing four interceptions. Imagine how badly they would’ve beat us if Colin Kaepernick or Cam Newton was their quarterback. Yikes.

1. Next week is a must-win

Just a few weeks ago, Seahawks fans were saying that the ‘Hawks might be able to rest their starters in a week 17 games against the Rams. The number one seed was thought to be all but sewn up. Yet all of a sudden the game has become one of the biggest of the season. Assuming the 49ers beat the Falcons, the ‘Hawks will have to win on Sunday to secure the number one seed in the NFC. If they don’t do so, the Seahawks will all of a sudden drop to the wild card round of the playoffs and have to go on the road in the first week. Furthermore, the game against the Rams will be no cakewalk. Anything but. Let’s not forget that the Rams were one play away from beating the Seahawks earlier this season. Plus, Jeff Fischer is one of the best coaches in the NFL and can outfox you on any given day. The implications of the week 17 game against the Rams are vast and I cannot wait until Sunday.

2. Defense will lead the team to victories from now on

Early in the season, the Seahawks offense was scoring at a pace good enough for second in the NFL, only behind the historic Denver Broncos. Now it seems the paradigm has shifted and it will be the defense leading the Seahawks to wins. In their past two games the Seahawks have intercepted opponents a whopping nine times. Additionally, in their past 10 quarters the ‘Hawks defense has only allowed two touchdowns. Now the defense hasn’t been perfect, as twice over the past three weeks they have allowed game winning touchdown drives. That being said, the pass defense is right where it needs to be, the run defense seems to be improving, and the pass-rush can be lethal on any given day.

The Seahawks defense will lead the team to victories from now on, no matter what.

Seahawks.com

3. Special teams not so special

What in the world happened with the special teams yesterday? The Seahawks have had the best special teams unit in the NFL and it hasn’t been close. Yet yesterday the special teams was arguably the worst part of the game for the ‘Hawks that included Russell Wilson completing less than 41% of his passes. Steven Hauschka missed a chip-shot field goal, Jon Ryan had his worst punting day of the year by far, and Robert Turbin fumbled a kickoff return. The group as a whole was an absolute disaster. I try not to overreact too much to one week, but something has to be done, the playoffs are upon us.

4. PENALTIES ARE GOING TO LOSE US GAMES

The Seahawks had nine penalties against them for 102 yards. It is not just the sheer number however, it is the situations in which these penalties were committed. Too often did the Seahawks defense commit dumb penalties that kept Cardinal drives alive. Discipline is one of the most underrated attributes that championship teams possess and right now the Seahawks do not have it.

We've seen this look all too many times.

The Seattle Times

5. Offense, Baldwin, missed opportunities

There is far too much to write about in this game but I sure as heck am going to try. The offense was horrible. The offensive line was bad, the running game was bad, and the passing game was atrocious. In my opinion this is the worst game Russell Wilson has ever played in a Seahawks uniform. Not much more needs to be said on that matter. On the Doug Baldwin play at the end of the game I believe the correct ruling was made. Not the correct call, but the correct ruling. The pass was incomplete, but because it was ruled an interception on the field it could not be overturned. I completely agree with the decision made by the referees to not overturn the call because I do not think there was enough video evidence to overturn the call. That single play however should not be called upon by fans as the reason the Seahawks lost that game. They played terrible on offense, missed innumerable opportunities, and finished 2 of 13 on third down. That is absurdly bad. So much to work out in this week of practice and we will see how the team responds on Sunday against the Rams.

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Takeaways: Seahawks Win Easy One over the Cardinals

By Jackson Safon

The Cardinals had a chance to make the score close at the end, but this game was never in question for the Hawks. After a dominant touchdown drive for the Hawks that went 83 yards in a mere five plays, they followed it up with an 11 play, 72 yard touchdown drive. Both resulted in sweet TD throws from Wilson, but the first to Sidney Rice was one of the better throws he has ever made. If you haven’t seen it you have to. It was beautiful. The second touchdown throw was to Zach Miller and that put that Hawks up 14-0. The Cardinals fought back, but the Hawks overwhelmed them in the end and earned themselves a sweet division victory on the road. Next up is the Rams on Monday Night Football (where Percy Harvin could be back), but first let’s find out what to take away from Thursday’s win.

1. ZACH IS BACK!
Oh Zach Miller how we have missed you. After missing both the Colts and Titans games, the strong tight end returned with a bang, scoring a touchdown in the second quarter. He had five catches for 40 yards in his return but his presence was felt all over the field. His blocking in the run game was a pretty sizable upgrade from the talented but inconsistent rookie Luke Willson, and his contributions in the passing game were obvious. Russell Wilson and Zach Miller have developed great chemistry and it showed through multiple third down conversions. Miller is a very good all-around player and it is great to have Wilson’s security blanket back.

This is the Zach Miller we all have come to know and like.

NFLRush

2. The dreaded fumbilitis has struck
Marshawn Lynch had one fumble that he recovered himself, but the big story was King/Savior/Wizard Russell Wilson himself who had three (!) fumbles. Not two, not four, but three (Shout out to all you Monty Python watchers). Some blame the offensive line for allowing constant pressure on Wilson, but that does not excuse Wilson from fumbling so much. Wilson lost two of his three fumbles which led to 10 Cardinals points. This was really what made the game even remotely close as it would have been 34-12 without the turnovers. Wilson has already eclipsed his fumble total of his entire rookie season and it is only week 7. Wilson has now lost five fumbles on the season. The Hawks still got the win, but this has to stop.

3. What in the world happened to the O-Line?!
Of course, the week after I go touting the offensive line for improving their previously-shaky play, they drop a stinker. The line played terrible. Simple as that. To make matters worse, James Carpenter had to leave the game with an ankle injury, although he did return. The Cardinals had three sacks but were in the backfield throughout the game, making it very uncomfortable for Wilson. Not sure what the next move is here, perhaps give Alvin Bailey a shot in one of the line spots. Whatever the coaching staff decides to do, I’m sure Russell Wilson hopes it gets fixed sooner rather than later.

Richard Sherman had another great game on the defensive side of the ball.

NFLRush

4. This defense is scary good
Seven sacks, two interceptions, and two forced fumbles. At full strength this defense is absolutely vicious and can potentially stake a claim as the best defense in the NFL, although the Chiefs might have something to say about it. In any case, what makes this defense so good (besides the Legion of Boom being unstoppable) is its depth. So many plays from so many different players. There were seven sacks Thursday, and eight different players were in on at least part of one. Four different players forced turnovers. Oh and Cliff Avril was the only one to have both a sack and a forced turnover. So 11 different players either had a sack or forced turnover. Nuts. Absolutely nuts.

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Analysis of the Seahawks' 2013 Schedule

by Jackson Safon

The Seahawks have moved from an unrecognized team, only loved by its hometown fans, to a trendy super bowl pick. But now the schedules have been released and I think it’s time for an analysis to see how good of a chance the Seahawks have to win the division. However, because of their NFC West Championship last year, the division still belongs to the 49ers. One cool note about the schedule is the Hawks have the most prime time games out of anyone in the whole league with four. And that number could even increase because of the flex scheduling in the later weeks of the season. Here is an analysis of all of the Seahawks' 16 match-ups this year in the regular season:

Week 1:

At the Panthers. With the Panthers and Cam Newton really taking a step back last year, and the Hawks taking a massive leap forward, I don’t see anything that would prompt me to pick against the Seahawks in this won. Chalk up the win. 1-0.

Week 2:

Home against the 49ers. Sunday Night Football. The home opener is no cupcake as we get the reigning division champs. I think both teams will be improved last from last year and the 49ers offense has a chance to be scary good with the development of Kaepernick and the addition of Anquan Boldin. Both teams will be fired up for this one because of the rivalry as well as the national television spot and I expect it to be a really good game. As good as the 49ers are, and trust me I think they have a chance to be virtually unstoppable this season, I think the 'Hawks win this one. The home field advantage can’t be understated, and I think the Seahawks match up well against the Niners. Win. 2-0.

It will be a match-up of dual threat QB's early in the season when the 49ers come to town to face the Seahawks.

AP Photo

Week 3:

Home against the Jaguars. Gus Bradley returns. Former 'Hawks defensive coordinator and now Jaguars head coach will get his homecoming sooner rather than later. Too bad it has to be spoiled. Plain and simple the Jaguars aren't very good (although I expect them to be improved from last year), and we are very good. Easy win. 3-0.

Week 4:

At the Texans. This is a tough one. The Texans are not only very good but they are nearly unstoppable in Reliant Stadium. They play pretty good defense, and have J.J. Watt dominating the line of scrimmage. Although Russell Wilson has proved everyone wrong with the whole height thing, I am interested to see if he gets affected at all by Watt’s unbelievable ability to swat passes at the line of scrimmage. Another tough one for the 'Hawks is the fact that the Texans are a much better running team than they are a passing team, and rush defense is the weaker half of the 'Hawks defense. Expect this one to be very close, but I think the Texans will pull it out at home. 3-1.

Week 5:

At the Colts. Although the Colts were a playoff team last year, their scoring margin was that of a .500 team, and that showed when they got handled by the Ravens in the playoffs. One more year under Andrew Luck’s belt and I expect the Colts to be a very solid team, but not enough to contend with the 'Hawks. The Colts offensive line was the worst in the league last season and the new and improved Seahawks pass rush will feast on it all game. Expect a lot of sacks and possibly a few interceptions as well. 'Hawks win. 4-1.

Week 6:

Home against the Titans. Bad team. In the CLink. 'Hawks win. 5-1.

Week 7:

At the Cardinals. Thursday Night Football. Although I do expect the Cardinals to be much improved from last year, I just don’t see how they can hang with the 'Hawks. They play good defense and if Bruce Arians gets a quarterback the Cards could surprise some people, but I still don’t think they are good enough for the Hawks. Not nearly. 6-1.

Week 8:

At the Rams. Monday Night Football. After a short week with a game on Thursday they get even more rest not playing until two Mondays later. This long week will be really helpful because the Rams have a chance to be really good. They play very tough at home and I think they have a chance to make some noise in the division, but an extra long week for the Hawks bodes poorly for St. Louis. Expect a win. 7-1.

The Rams and head coach Jeff Fisher will boast a much improved team this year.

Kevin Casey/Getty Images North America

Week 9:

Home against the Buccaneers. The Bucs were last in the league against the pass last year and I expect Russell Wilson to have a feast in this game. However, their offense was decent with Doug Martin running the ball and Freeman chucking it down field  This one has a chance to be a shootout, but no matter the type of game, the Seahawks are still much more talented. 'Hawks win. 8-1.

Week 10:

At the Falcons. The rematch. The Seahawks lost a heart-breaker to the Falcons in the playoffs last season at the Georgia Dome which would have sent the 'Hawks to the conference championship game. Tough loss. Chance to avenge it here. I am a serious believer in Matt Ryan at home in the regular season, but I think this is one game he just can’t win. I can’t even imagine how fired up the 'Hawks will be and I think they take this one on the road in a nail biter. 9-1.

Week 11:

Home against the Vikings. Adrian Peterson is superhuman so the Vikings always have a chance. But I always like the Seahawks at home. Without a quarterback and a linebacking crew, I don’t see the Vikings keeping this one close. 10-1.

Week 12:

BYE. This gives me a chance to put in some notes. It scares me a little bit to be typing 10-1 through our first 11 games. That’s a really good start. Perhaps too good to be true. However, I think it’s going to happen. Also, this next set of games after the bye week is so unbelievably critical it’s hard to understate. Three VERY good teams in a row. Read on.

Week 13:

Home against the Saints. Monday Night Football. Dun dun dun dun... Dun dun.. dun dun.. Dun dun dun dun dun... dun dun.. dun dun... That doesn't really have the same affect without the actual MNF music (actual music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrnY11pXSFE ). But I was trying to get you pumped up, because this is a huge game. National television against one of the premier offensives and premier teams in the NFC. The Saints under performed last year, but I expect them to bulk up on defense at the draft, and with Sean Payton back that offense can do anything. Defensively, this will be the biggest challenge for the Seahawks all season. The extra week of preparation will help, but I say it’s a loss. Tough game. 10-2.

Drew Brees and the pass-heavy Saints could prove to be too much for the Seahawks.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-fjUciSTPhlk/UHIl11avymI/AAAAAAAApVg/YYaw0bNQ4yU/s0/

Week 14:

At the 49ers. Wow. Right after we get the Saints we have to go to San Francisco on a short week. That’s a tough one. As good as the Seahawks are this year, I think the 49ers have an outside shot to be better. Plus, playing in Candlestick isn't easy. Niners win. Back to back losses is tough. 10-3.

Week 15:

At the Giants. I said the next stretch of games would be key didn't I? Another tough game. The Giants will return strong after a down year last year. I think they could be a tough match-up for us, but I have a feeling we pull this one out. Even in the Meadowlands. 11-3.

If the Hawks could go through weeks 13-15 with at least two wins I think that would be a colossal success.

Week 16:

Home against the Cardinals. Like I said before, Arizona will be much better than last year and surprise some people; but they can’t beat the Seahawks in Seattle. This does have some potential to be a trap game however because the 'Hawks would have just come off three monster games. I hate to say it, but it wouldn't be completely out of the realm to slip a tad bit and lose this game. But I don’t see it happening. Not at home. 'Hawks win. 12-3.

Week 17:

Home against the Rams. The Rams will be good. I believe it. Good defense and an improving quarterback. They tied the 49ers in San Francisco last year and should have won it except for a couple penalties, so it wouldn't be impossible for them to win in Seattle as well. This game though is one that could decide who wins the division as I expect the Seahawks and 49ers to be neck and neck for the regular season title. Because of that, I know the 'Hawks will come out firing and win this game. 13-3.

Okay 13-3. That would be an absolutely fantastic season. Furthermore, optimistically, the Hawks could finish 15-1 with wins at Houston which I think will be very close, and a home win against the Saints. I do not think the Hawks can win all three games in weeks 13-15 however so I don’t really think a perfect season is coming. Although it wouldn't be impossible…anyways. Pessimistically, the Hawks could finish a much worse 10-6, with potential losses being @ Colts, @ Falcons, and @ Giants. Any of these three finishes or something in between could be plausible, but I think this Seahawks team has a chance to be very good. Historically good. Perhaps even Super Bowl good. No need to count your chickens yet, but if I were you, I wouldn't miss too many games this year.

Seahawk's Playoff Picture 2.0

With a win by the Rams, the Seahawks (in dominating fashion), and the 49ers, the NFC West looks pretty much the same. The 49ers have a one and a-half game lead on the Seahawks and a three game lead on the Rams. However, the Bears lost today meaning that the Seahawks would be the fifth seed if the season ended today because of the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Bears. With only three games remaining in the regular season and two games back of the 49ers, it may seem that the Seahawks are out of the race for the division title, and should focus on the wild card, but that is not true at all. The 49ers have a very tough schedule over the next two games, taking on the Patriots in Foxborough and the Seahawks in Seattle, before finishing with the Cardinals at home. The Seahawks on the other hand, have a much easier schedule remaining, with the Bills in Toronto on the “road” next week, followed by the 49ers and Rams at home. It would not be surprising to see the Seahawks win all three of their remaining games, given that two of them are at home, as well as the fact that they are playing extremely well right now. This would put the Seahawks at 11-5. If the 49ers lose to the Patriots next week, and lose to the Seahawks the week after, they would be 10-5-1, which would mean the Seahawks would win the NFC West and most likely would clinch the number two seed in the playoffs.

It was evident that the Seahawks players had a good time in their win today.

www.bleacherreport.net

If the Seahawks lose one of those last three games, and finish at 10-6, they would most likely not win the division, which would mean they would be fighting the Bears (8-5), Redskins (7-6), Cowboys (7-6), and Vikings (7-6) for the two wild card spots. For any of the three 7-6 teams to be able to challenge the Seahawks for the wild card spot, they would most likely have to win out. The Vikings still have the Texans and Packers left on their schedule, which basically means that they are effectively eliminated. The Cowboys have games against the Steelers, Saints, and Redskins remaining, which also basically means that they are effectively eliminated, as it would be very difficult to win all three of those games. The Redskins however have a fairly easy schedule remaining with the Browns, Eagles, and Cowboys left on their plate. Winning all three of those games would put them at 10-6, and in position to at least challenge for a playoff spot, whether it is for the wild card or their own division.

The Seahawks could soon be updating this sign at their headquarters in Renton...

seahawks.com

All of these scenarios show that the Seahawks are in a pretty good position to make the playoffs and still have a shot at the division title as well. In my last article about the playoff picture, I said the Seahawks season could come down to the week 16 game against the 49ers, and that is still the case. Assuming we beat the Bills next week and the Rams in week 17, a win against the 49ers would guarantee us a playoff spot. Plus, if the 49ers lose any of their other remaining games, winning in week 16 would give the Seahawks the division title. Just remember this. We wouldn’t be having any of this “will they make the playoffs or not” talk if the Seahawks would have taken care of business in the earlier parts of the season. With wins against teams like Arizona, St. Louis, Detroit and Miami, which all should have been wins, the Seahawks would be sitting pretty with a 12-1 record right now. Oh what could have been…
           
All of this being said it has been proven time and time again that anything can happen in the NFL. The Seahawks were shown just that in their loss two weeks ago against the woeful Dolphins. Any number of things could go wrong for the Seahawks, but if they play with the tenacity that they showed today against the Cardinals, they should be in good shape to make a solid run in the playoffs.

Thanks for reading and follow us on Twitter @seasportssoup! Like us on Facebook as well! Keep checking back for updates.

Jackson