Takeaways: Seahawks Are NFC Champs

By Jackson Safon

In an unbelievable game, the Seattle Seahawks beat the San Francisco 49ers 23-17 in the NFC Championship and are now headed to New York for Super Bowl XLVIII. First of all, props to the Niners on a great season and a great game, they battled hard and were close to winning that game. As much as Seattle hates Kaepernick, he played an outstanding game through three quarters and isn’t going away any time soon. The Seahawks however closed the game much better than the Niners, forcing three turnovers in the fourth quarter and outscoring San Francisco 10-0 in the final frame. So many contributors on both sides of the ball, so many big plays, and so many lucky bounces for both teams: unbelievable game that 100% lived up to the hype.

1. Seahawks’ biggest strength holds true

Seattle’s defense was its staple all year and it showed through when it mattered most, the fourth quarter. Zero points and three turnovers. That is dominance in the clutch. So many players came up big it’s hard to quantify and hard to name them all, but a few that come to mind are Bobby Wagner, Kam Chancellor, and Michael Bennett. Those three guys played out of their minds, and did so at all different levels of the defense. Bennett was the most consistent pass-rusher the ‘Hawks had today and came up with a strip sack as well as the fumble recovery on the ASS (Avril Strip Sack, credit to @HawkBlogger). Wagner was a run stopper extraordinaire throughout the whole game, helping hold Frank Gore to 14 rushes on 11 carries, and Chancellor laid the wood a few times as well as came up with a big interception. Kaepernick played great for most of the game and was virtually unstoppable when pulling it down and running, but the defense was too much for him in the end and Sherman’s tip to Malcolm Smith (reminiscent of his tip to Earl Thomas earlier in the year) sealed the game.   

Kam Chancellor came up with a huge interception in the fourth quarter.

SFGate.com

2. Three offensive stars

Russell Wilson, Doug Baldwin, and Marshawn Lynch led the offense to its best showing in weeks. Wilson struggled a bit early, but eventually hit the big play to Baldwin down the field and most importantly, didn’t turn the ball over after the first play where he was stripped by Aldon Smith. Baldwin was my prediction for offensive player of the game and he didn’t disappoint with six catches for 106 yards as well as 109 return yards. Marshawn Lynch however was truly the best offensive player on the ‘Hawks, as he has been all season. While I didn’t think his late touchdown run against the Saints deserved the title “BeastQuake 2.0”, his 40 yard touchdown run yesterday absolutely can claim that title. It was the longest run against the 49ers in the Jim Harbaugh era and Lynch broke the Niners streak of 22 straight games without allowing a 100-yard rusher. While 23 points will probably not be enough to beat the Broncos in the Super Bowl, the offense took massive steps to get back to where we are accustomed to seeing it.

Doug Baldwin had the best game of his career on Sunday night.

SFExaminer

3. Ten Stats/plays that stood out

-Frank Gore: 11 rushes for 14 yards

-Colin Kaepernick 11 rushes for 130 yards

-Three turnovers in the fourth quarter for the 49ers.

-51 yard completion to Baldwin relatively early in the game: I thought this gave the offense confidence it hadn’t had in weeks.

-Marshawn Lynch 22 rushes for 109 yards (4.95 yards per carry).

-Russell Wilson 5 rushes for 0 yards, Darrell Bevell needs to let him loose in the Super Bowl.

-Decision to go for it on 4^th and 7 instead of kick a 52 yard field goal. Not the call I would’ve made but had faith in Carroll once it was made.

-Both teams had the exact same number of total yards: 308.

-Luck factor seemed to be even, both teams had weird bounces and plays go their way (fumbles bounced the Niners way until Bowman injury/strip).

-Percy Harvin is coming back.

4. Initial Super Bowl Thoughts

The Seahawks will face Peyton Manning and the Broncos in two weeks and they will have to try and slow down the best offense in the history of the NFL. Peyton Manning had more passing touchdowns than any other team had TOTAL touchdowns. He broke the passing yardage record. They had five position players with double digit touchdowns. The gap between their offense and the second best offense (Bears) in points per game was about the same gap as between the second place offense and the second worst offense (Texans). Their offense is ridiculous and can score on you in any and every way imaginable. Yet all that being said, I think the Seahawks match up PERFECTLY to stop them. They have a shutdown group of defensive backs to slow down the electric set of receivers the Broncos have, they can put pressure on the quarterback with just four rushers, and they have the ability to stop the run as well. The offense will have to perform a bit better, but the Broncos haven’t faced a defense even close to what they are going to see in the Super Bowl.

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Takeaways: Seahawks Escape Saints’ Grasp

By Jackson Safon

The Seahawks grinded out a 23-15 win against the New Orleans Saints on Saturday and then watched the 49ers manhandle Cam Newton in the second half of that game to collect a 23-10 win against the Panthers. This means that it will be Seahawks vs. 49ers 3.0 this Sunday for the NFC Championship. There is little doubt in anyone’s minds that these are the two best teams in the NFC and on Sunday, at 3:30 Pacific Time, the Clink will be rocking as the divisional foes face off for a trip to the Super Bowl. Looking ahead to that game comes later in the week however as first a serious conversation needs to be had about the Seahawks game against the Saints.

Steven Hauschka came up clutch once again for the Seahawks.

OregonLive.com

1. Umm…trust in Russ?

Russell Wilson was 9/18 throwing for 103 yards through the air and only contributing 16 more on the ground. In Wilson’s professional career this was his worst game in terms of passing yards and fifth worst game in terms of completion percentage. The passing game was stagnant throughout the entire game and Wilson only had two completions in the second half. Two. That is not to say the struggles in the passing game were all his fault however, as the receivers failed to get consistent separation, the offensive line played sub-par, and the weather was a huge factor. That being said, it was arguably the worst we have ever seen Russell Wilson play and it is coming at the worst possible time. The early forecast for Sunday’s game is mid-40’s and a 40% chance of rain. It shouldn’t be as bad as this past weekend, but shouldn’t the weather at home be working in our favor instead of against it? I believe Wilson will be able to turn it around, but if he can’t, there is virtually no way that the ‘Hawks beat the Niners.

2. Marshaaaaaaaaawn Lynch!

Beastmode was in full effect on Saturday to the tune of 140 yards and two touchdowns for Lynch including the nail-in-the-coffin 31-yard touchdown run at the end of the game that registered on the Richter scale. Lynch was basically the entire offense on Saturday and he will have to have a similar performance on Sunday against the 49ers. Maybe it was the unveiling of the “Beast Burger” at Century Link (if you haven’t seen it, look it up hint: it is served with skittles), or perhaps it was the Top Pot Donuts he ate before the game. Whatever the reason, Lynch came to play in a big way, something he had been struggling to do at the end of the regular season. With the passing game struggling as mightily as it is, expect to see Lynch with another full workload this weekend.

Marshawn Lynch had yet another dominating performance against the Saints on Saturday.

WCBSports

3. Dougie Fresh

Doug freaking Baldwin came up with another huge play on Saturday as he has done all season for the ‘Hawks. Late in the game when we needed it most, Russell Wilson delivered a dime of a throw down the left side line and Baldwin showed incredible body control twisting to get both feet down and essentially ice the game. Baldwin has come up big for the Seahawks time after time and with Percy Harvin unable to stay healthy it can be argued Baldwin is the most complete receiver for the ‘Hawks right now. Wherever he ranks, it is clear he has the clutch gene and I expect to see a couple more big catches against the 49ers.

4. Tale of two halves for the defense

In the first half, Drew Brees was awful, missing throws by a lot and was clearly rattled by the weather as well Seattle’s defense. In the second half however the Seahawks’ defense couldn’t get any pressure on Brees and he picked apart the secondary like it was practice. He finished with 309 yards and no interceptions which is something Earl Thomas and the Legion of Boom cannot be happy about. Colin Kaepernick is no Drew Brees when it comes to throwing the ball, but if the defense plays as lackluster as it did in the second half against the Saints, watch out.

5. Saints go marching out, 49ers come rushing(?) in

It is time for the rubber game. Seahawks vs. 49ers 3.0. This time there is a lot more than a division title on the line however as the winner obviously gets a trip to New Jersey to play in the Super Bowl. There is no doubt it will be a hard-fought game and it will be much closer than the two previous blowouts at the Clink. A playoff preview will be coming later in the week, but expect a tight one in Seattle on Sunday.

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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 Pull Out Miracle Win Over the Texans

By Jackson Safon

What an unbelievable game. The Seahawks pulled out a miracle win yesterday on the road against a tough opponent in the Texans. All signs pointed to a loss for the Hawks early on as they were down 20-3 at halftime. Nevertheless, they responded with 17 unanswered in the second half and three more in overtime to win the game. Lots to take away from a game like this.

1. The ‘Hawks are a gritty group
It cannot be overstated how great of a win this was for the Seahawks. To say the least, odds were against them: On the road, 10:00 start time, down 17 at halftime. Yet they fought and fought, and came out with a win Sunday afternoon. So many big plays from so many guys, but it all starts with Russell Wilson. He took over the game in the second half. The offensive line play was poor the entire game, so in the second half, Wilson took it upon himself to make the plays and used his legs to run and create time in the passing game. Credit to the defense as well, but the thing I love is that I can’t give credit to everyone. Want to know why? Because the Seahawks are a team. They came together in the second half and pulled this win out as a group. This is a gritty group of guys and after a win like that it’s hard to see how they lose a game the rest of the season. (Remember we still get to add Bruce Irvin and Percy Harvin)

Russell Okung will be missed along the offensive line while he is sidelined by a toe injury.

USATSI

2. Offensive line is decimated
Without three starting offensive linemen Russell Okung, Max Unger, and Breno Giacomini, the offensive line was crippled. Pressure was in Russell Wilson’s face the entire game and it really threw him off in the first half. The passing game was off as a whole, as Wilson barely completed 50% of his passes and had only 123 yards. Unger and Giacomini are not expected to be out for an extended period of time, but this is definitely something to watch out for, as this is a trend that cannot continue. It is fair to cut the new linemen some slack, as the Texans have one of the better defensive lines in the league, led by reigning defensive player of the year J.J. Watt, but going forward the line simply needs to play better in order for the ‘Hawks offense to perform at the level we all expect.

3. The defense really stepped up
Early in the game, the ‘Hawks defense was getting gashed in all phases. Arian Foster and Ben Tate were running through the front seven, while there was no pressure on Matt Schaub at all, which allowed him to connect with Andre Johnson and his two tight ends. But with 18 seconds left in the first half, star defensive lineman for the Seahawks Michael Bennett went down with what appeared to be a neck injury. He was taken to the hospital where a CT scan was negative and Bennett actually returned to the stadium late in the game. This was a turning point for the defense. The ‘Hawks defense had two options. Either be deflated by the injury, or inspired by it. They chose the latter. The second half was a dominant effort by the defense allowing no points. To add to the damage, Richard Sherman came up with a HUGE pick-six with just minutes to go in the game that tied up the ballgame. After a rough first half, the defense (specifically the Legion of Boom) played outstanding in the second half leading the team to a victory.

The Seahawks' best threat at the wide receiver position thus far has been Doug Baldwin.

Getty Images

4. Doug Baldwin – hard to quantify his contribution
Only three catches for 39 yards. Yet Doug Baldwin continues to make a huge impact week after week. With another fantastic sideline catch Sunday, Baldwin changed the momentum in the game. Making that grab really energized the offense that then went on to outscore the Texans by 20 in the second half and overtime. Stats don’t really sum up the meaning and impact that Doug Baldwin has on this team and this offense, but I want to be clear: his value cannot be understated.

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