Takeaways: Seahawks Suffer Tough Loss at the Hands of the 49ers

By Jackson Safon

The Seahawks received their second loss of the season yesterday and this time it was at the hands of their division rival the San Francisco 49ers. In a low-scoring game the Seahawks beat themselves with ugly play in the first quarter and with penalties throughout the game. The 49ers played a strong game on all accounts and deserved to win that game. Although a loss is never what you want, this one could be just what the ‘Hawks need to spark them to a strong finish to the season.

1. Can’t beat yourself

The Seahawks had nine penalties for 85 yards and had a punt blocked in the first quarter that led to a 49ers field goal. It is tough to expect a win with close to 100 penalty yards and a mistake as drastic as a blocked punt from the ‘Hawks own 17 yard line. Although the defense was stout for most of the game, the ‘Hawks could not overcome the abundance of penalties they received. The lack of discipline the Seahawks showed yesterday is one of the few things that can hold this team from a berth in the Super Bowl so it needs to be fixed and it needs to be fixed quickly.

2. Can we have Percy back?

Coming into yesterday’s game, the Seahawks offense had scored the second most points in the NFL and had done so relatively easily. This game however was a completely different story as they only totaled 13 first downs and 264 yards. The 49ers have one of the better defenses in the NFL but that does not mean the ‘Hawks should look as inept on offense as they did. Although Seattle has had a high scoring offense throughout the season, I thought yesterday they missed the presence of an electric player like Percy Harvin. Yes, Marshawn Lynch and Golden Tate are both dynamic players, but Harvin is a hybrid of both of those players, which the elusiveness of Tate and the strength of Lynch. Having him as part of the offense yesterday would have made it a completely different game.

Gangster Harvin needs to make a return to the playing field this season.

Concord Monitor

3. No need to panic

This loss means that the Seahawks are now only one game ahead of New Orleans for first place in the NFC, but there is still no reason to panic. First of all, the ‘Hawks hold the head-to-head tiebreaker which essentially means they are up two games, and second of all the Saints still have to play the Panthers in Carolina and the ‘Hawks have two of their remaining three games at home. This was the first time this season where the opposing team actually played well enough to beat the ‘Hawks so I do not think there is any reason to be concerned about getting the top seed in the NFC.

4. Injuries…time to panic?

Of course not. Max Unger left the game with a “chest injury” that seems to be a left pectoral injury and K.J. Wright left the game with what ended up being a broken foot which could sideline him for up to six weeks. Unger remains week-to-week at this point, but with only three more weeks remaining in the regular season, losing Wright to a six week injury could be detrimental. Malcolm Smith will take Wright’s place in the starting lineup and he is more than capable, but he is not K.J. Wright, who has been playing magnificently as of late. Wright tweeted out that he expects to be ready for the playoffs, but that seems like a bit of a stretch to me. That being said, because the ‘Hawks will almost assuredly have a first round bye, it is possible that Wright makes it back for their first playoff game and if not, he should be back in time for the NFC Championship, if the Seahawks were to make it that far. Because the ‘Hawks shouldn’t have a big problem keeping the number one seed in the NFC, there is no need to panic about these injuries.

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Takeaways: The Return of Percy Harvin

By Jackson Safon

The return of Percy Harvin this week was the most anticipated return since my return to the Redmond High School golf team post-injury, a few months ago. In all seriousness, it was probably the most hyped once since Derrick Rose returned to the NBA floor this season. He may have only played 16 snaps, but in a game only meant for getting his feet wet, Harvin might have gone in up to his waist. His one catch for 17 yards was spectacular and in a huge spot on third down, but the most exciting play of the day was his 58 yard kick return to set up the ‘Hawks with great field position on their drive at the end of the first half. Harvin showed all the 12’s what he can do, and with a bye week to remain 100% healthy, he should be able to handle close to a full workload next Monday night against the Saints on a national stage.

1. Boy is this offense good

With three starting offensive lineman returning this week in Okung, Unger, and Giacomini, the Seahawks offense was dynamic. Although Lynch didn't have a great day on the ground, the increased pass protection made the ‘Hawks passing game lethal, with Russell finishing with 230 yards and two touchdowns on only 13 completions. He also had an outstanding 12.8 yards per attempt and a career high 151.4 passer rating. Wilson was throwing darts out there, but his best throw of the day was the touchdown through the “honey-hole” as Tim Ryan called it, to Doug Baldwin to end the first half. A stellar game from the offense as a whole, but especially the passing game.

What a catch by Doug Baldwin to end the first half. Amazing throw by Russell Wilson.

The Seattle Times

2. Boy is this defense good

The defense had two sacks, forced four turnovers, and scored a touchdown as well. Everyone was flying around the field but the biggest props go to Kam Chancellor and K.J. Wright for their outstanding games. Twenty points may seem like too many to give up to a team like the Vikings, but one of the touchdowns allowed was late in the game against the Seahawks’ second stringers. Most importantly, the run defense was relatively stout again, holding Adrian Peterson to only 65 yards on 21 carries. The Vikings offense obviously isn't as good as the Seahawks next opponent in the Saints, but this was a great effort all around by the defensive unit.

3. Special teams isn't bad either

The Seahawks were stellar in every aspect of special teams once again. Steven Hauschka was perfect, including a 50 yard field goal, Percy Harvin sparked the kick return game with a 58-yard return and forced the Vikings to pooch kick it later in the game, and the punting unit didn't allow the league’s number one punt returner in Marcus Sherels to return the ball once. The Seahawks are dominating in all phases of the game, getting healthy, and now have a bye before their biggest game of the season in a Monday night battle against the Saints. It’s going to be a good one.

Percy Harvin looked electric on his one kickoff return.

KSTP.com

4. Seahawks are firmly in control of their destiny

With the 49ers losing to the Saints on Sunday, they are now tied with the Cardinals for second in the division. Plus, they are now a full three games behind the Seahawks in the loss column, with only five games remaining. In other words, as long as the ‘Hawks continue to play tough, they should have the division locked up. In terms of the number one seed, they are up one game on the Saints, and get them at home next week. Win that and they will be up two plus own the tie-breaker. A win next week should propel the ‘Hawks to the top seed in the NFC. The importance of the game cannot be overstated.

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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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