Takeaways: Seahawks End Regular Season on High Note

By Jackson Safon

The Seahawks beat the Rams 27-9 yesterday and in doing so, clinched the number one seed in the NFC and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The offensive struggles continued early in the game but the ‘Hawks were saved by Malcolm Smith and the Seahawks defense as Smith intercepted Kellen Clemens and took it back for six on the Rams first possession of the game. The main storyline of this game however was the animosity between the two teams and how chippy the game was as a whole. This lead to an abundance of penalties including numerous personal fouls on both sides. Head referee Jeff Triplette had himself a field day, with 19 total penalties accepted and several more that were called, but offset throughout the game. The Seahawks were the only ones talking trash at the end however as they took control of the game and finished with a 13-3 record (which by the way is the record I predicted in my schedule analysis article).

1. Playoffs? Are you kidding me? Playoffs?

It is that time of year again folks, where you will be seeing the video clip of Jim Mora and his playoff rant over and over. The good news however is this season the Seahawks are poised to make a Super Bowl run as the road to New York in the NFC will go through Seattle this year. After the first round bye that the ‘Hawks have, there will be three potential opponents for them, the Packers, 49ers, or Saints. Because the NFL is not bracket style, the seeds are reorganized after every round, which means the Seahawks will play the worst seed remaining and the two-seed Panthers will play the best seed remaining. This means there is zero chance of the ‘Hawks playing the Eagles until the NFC Championship. In my opinion, the order of difficulty in terms of potential ‘Hawks opponents is 49ers, Packers, then Saints, but I will go into more detail on the playoff matchups next week.

Could the Packers pull of a stunner against the 49ers?

Bleacher Report

2. D-FENCE!

As I said last week, with the offense sputtering somewhat, it will be up to the defense to lead the Seahawks to victories. Not only did the defense almost outscore the Rams by themselves this week, they completely and utterly dominated a Rams offense that moved the ball with ease last time these two teams played. In the week eight matchup in St. Louis, the Rams ran for over 200 yards on the ground, but yesterday they only managed 13. In the whole game. The 13 rushing yards allowed by the Seahawks ties a franchise record and just goes to show how dominant this defense can be. At season’s end, the defense ended up first in points allowed, total yards, passing yards, and interceptions. The only other teams that can argue for the best defenses in the league are the 49ers and Panthers, who coincidentally (or maybe not) are the two toughest teams left in the NFC besides the ‘Hawks. In any case, I believe the Seahawks defense is the best in the NFL and will be almost impossible to score on in the playoffs at the Clink.

P.S. K.J. Wright could make it back for the first playoff game the Seahawks have to play. Get excited folks.

K.J. Wright's return to the Seahawks defense could be the difference between a Super Bowl and going home disappointed.

Seahawks.com

3. Three stars

I am going to do a hockey inspired three stars for the game against the Rams because there is just so much to write about with the season ending and the playoffs coming up but so little time. One star goes Malcolm Smith. Smith had an interception that he returned for a touchdown that was good for the first score of the game but more importantly, he has filled in brilliantly for the injured K.J. Wright. The second star goes to Marshawn Lynch who came just three yards short of snapping his streak of games without 100 yards on the ground. Lynch was doing the dirty work while the passing game was struggling early on and really went to town. He will continue to be the focal point of the offense as possessions become more important in the playoffs. Three stars go to Golden Tate who had a career high eight receptions and 129 yards. He also had a long touchdown reminiscent of the play against the Rams in week eight when he received a taunting penalty for waving. There was no need for him to wave this time as it was very clear that these teams have gone in two separate directions, with the ‘Hawks securing the number one seed and the Rams heading towards a top pick in the 2014 NFL draft. The 2013 regular season has come to a close, with the Seahawks having tied for the best record in the NFL, but this is not good enough as this season started and still remains Super Bowl or bust.

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Takeaways: Seahawks Scrape Out a Win in St. Louis

By Jackson Safon

The Seahawks record is 7-1. The best in the NFC, by a half game, and tied for second best in the NFL. And that is just about all the good news I have. The final score was 14-9 but my goodness was that an ugly win. Pete Carroll said, “I got nothing,” to the ESPN cameras as he was leaving the field, but the good news for you is I have found a way to put that game into words.

1. Offensive line?
What happened? I would like an explanation of what in the world has happened to the Seahawks offensive line in the past two weeks. Just two short weeks ago, I was singing the praises of the line for showing improvement, but then the football gods decided to smite me and the Seahawks line, as they seem to have gone missing. ESPN’s “C’mon man” would not even come close to doing justice to how poorly the offensive line played. They allowed seven sacks. Seven. Without a quarterback as mobile as Russell Wilson, that number could have easily reached the double digits. Tom Cable, Seahawks nation is begging you to fix this.

 

The play at left tackle has been weak ever since Russell Okung was injured.

King 5

2. Ummm…defense?
When it rains it pours. Not only was the Seahawks offensive line terrible but the defensive line allowed huge holes in the Rams running game. The Rams ran the ball down the Hawks throat to the tune of 200 net yards averaging 5.4 yards per carry. That is significantly worse than the Seahawks defensive average and I’m not quite sure why it happened all of a sudden. The Legion of Boom played decent pass defense, but overall I was not all that impressed with the defense. They kept the team in the game with some timely turnovers, so credit has to be given as they essentially won the game for the Hawks, but the unit didn’t play well as a whole.

3. Beastmode?
Marshawn Lynch got only eight carries for 23 yards. Over the course of the entire game. Lynch normally hits those milestones after the first six minutes of the game, but for some reason the offense decided to abandon the run and he finished with his lowest carry and yardage totals this season by far. The team finished with 44 rushing yards and a measly 2.9 average in their worst rushing performance of the season by far. So many issues with the offense yesterday, but abandoning the run didn’t help.

Bruce Irvin was one of the main reasons the Seahawks were able to fend off the Rams last night.

Kevin Casey/Getty Images

4. Bruuuuuuuuuce!
Bruce Irvin everybody. In a game with a comedy of errors, Irvin was one of the only positives and it was a joy to see him play so well. He finished second on the team in tackles, with nine total, as well as an interception and a sack-fumble. He played well throughout most of the game and is making a great transition from defensive end to outside linebacker. He was a weak run defender last year but has taken that challenge head on and is now a plus defender in that area. Furthermore, for a player that is known as a pass rusher, his interception was a great one as he was 25 yards downfield. This shows his always improving coverage skills which will make him exceedingly valuable going forward. But he showed the real reason why the Hawks drafted him with an athletic sack-fumble late in the game. Bruce is a beast and it is great to see him progress.

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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.

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Jackson

Seahawk's Outlook for the Remainder of the Season

A tie? Really? A tie?! The Rams not being able to close out the 49ers last weekend was one of the more painful things I have had to watch so far this season. An illegal formation penalty to call back an 80 yard play to start overtime, and a delay of game penalty to take back a 53 yard field goal to end overtime doomed the Rams. Talk about a sloppy overtime. Now instead of the Seahawks being one game behind the 49ers, they are now two games behind. That being said, if the season ended today the Hawks would still be in the playoffs as the six seed, and I am here to tell you how the Hawks can either stay as a wild card spot, or potentially even win the division.

The 49ers and Rams tied last week, a game the Rams should have won.

Kyle Terada-US Presswire

After a bye this week, the 6-4 Seahawks play the Dolphins in Miami, the Bears in Chicago, the Cardinals at home, the Bills in Buffalo, and finish with the 49ers and Rams both at home. The Dolphins looked atrocious this week, so even with the inconsistent play of the Hawks on the road it should be a pretty easy win for the ‘Hawks. Now as good as the Seahawks have looked recently, let’s be honest, they aren’t going to beat the Bears in Chicago, especially considering Cutler will probably be back by then. They could contend, but I expect the Bears to pull away. The next four games though, are all winnable games, especially with three of them being at home. The big game will obviously be the week 16 matchup against the 49ers at Century Link. Beating the 49ers in week 16 is the difference between 11-5, and 10-6, which in a competitive NFC, could mean everything.

The 49ers on the other hand, have a very tough remaining schedule. Starting with the Bears at home this week on Monday night, they go to New Orleans to play the red-hot Saints, then play the Rams in St. Louis, which is always tough, then play at home against the Dolphins, against the Patriots at Gillette Stadium, against the Hawks at Century Link, and finish at home against the Cardinals. The Niner’s may be two games up on us, but it is not unlikely for them to lose against the Bears, to the Saints in New Orleans, and to the Patriots in Foxborough. That would leave them with five losses, going into the game against the Seahawks. In this scenario, the winner of that pivotal week 16 game, would finish one game ahead of the other, and would win the NFC West.

The Seahawks look to avenge their previous loss when they face the 49ers in week 16.

Kyle Terada-US Presswire

 

While winning the division, and getting home-field advantage in the first round would be huge for us (as shown by our win against the Saints last year), getting in through the wild card would still be better than missing the playoffs completely. The Packers are one game ahead of us right now, and it is conceivable that they will only lose one or two more games the rest of the season, which would essentially guarantee them a playoff spot. The only other viable threats to our playoff spot are the Vikings (6-4), the Buccaneers (5-4), and the Saints (4-5). The Vikings chances do not look good at all, playing the Bears and the Packers twice more, along with the Texans. The Buccaneers have to play the Falcons twice more, play the Saints in New Orleans, and the Broncos in Denver. The Saints are a team that is smoking hot, and has an easy enough schedule to give us a run for our money. Their remaining schedule is the Raiders in Oakland, 49ers at home, Falcons in Atlanta, Giants in New York, Buccaneers at home, Cowboys in Dallas, and Panthers at home. The Saints are virtually impossible to beat at home, and with the Giants struggling, the only game I see them losing is in week 13 at the Falcons. That would put them at 10-6. Now it should be abundantly clear, that the Seahawks week 16 game against the 49ers is the key to our playoff hopes. If we win that game, and win the others we are supposed to down the stretch, we have a great chance of not only making the playoffs, but winning the division as well.

 

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

 

Jackson