I'm going to go Homer-ish on this one LOL. No surprise to most of you here. I predict we stomp the poop out of the Cardinals in tomorrows matchup and take back our damn house. Somewhere along the way we lost the "Our House" or more specifically "Not In Our House" message, which was and has once again become, something to be respected by our opponents, when they come to play in The House of the 12th Man!
Game Score Predictions:
Seahawks 42 vs Cardinals 9 that is of course provided we don't find ourselves having to defeat the Cardinals and the NFL NYHO (NFL New York Headquarters and their Officials) too. If they want to do what they often do, and try to influence the outcome of games, for us or against us, then we need to come with a game plan to answer that influence, especially if their against us.
For the first time in all the years that Pete Carroll has spoken for the team, I heard him directly address this matter in a recent press conference, when he said that the Seahawks had committed themselves, to cleaning up "their hands" on the field, to a man. His rational is, what has been obvious to me and many others, for sometime now, that if you give the Officials the slightest reason to throw flags, and call penalties, which clearly have influenced the outcome of many of our games.
These Penalties, real or imagined, have been hurtful, to us, and in many instances, have proven to be too many and too much for us to overcome. In short, it's been painfully clear to most that we have been denied success over our opponents on occasions where the officials appeared intent on assisting our opponents in defeating us.
I want to clarify that it's not just the Seahawks who have fallen victim to overly zealous Officials, who "Appear" to take sides in many of our games and do their level best to give advantage or create disadvantages for one team or the other. There are some games where the Officials appeared to have sided with the Seahawks, too, I don't want them to influence either.
Don't imagine for a moment, that just because we clean it up, and make it more difficult for the Officials to toss flags and call penalties, without exposing their true intentions, that they won't continue, to do their best to factor them out of the equations of the games and their final outcomes. There is way too much money at stake for them to let teams settle things fairly and even handedly. If we succeed in doing what Pete is determined to do and that is play Lilly White Clean and force the Officials to risk showing their hands to the public, by calling ghost plays, or even making up penalties on the fly that do not even exist, in their efforts. By doing so, the Seahawks, which is our only concern and the only thing we can do anything about, will be afforded a much better chance of creating too few penalty opportunities for the Officials to come, provided we can put up enough points to make it Nearly Impossible for our opponents to overcome, even with the help of our Officials and their influences.
The way the Seahawks are playing on all sides of the ball right now, Offense, Defense, and Special Teams, they should have a real Hay Day with the Arizona Cardinals. I've spent a lot of time this past week reviewing film footage of the Cardinals, and the Seahawks too of course. Both Offense, and Defense, well and Special Teams too, but there is a whole lot more film available on the Offenses and Defenses.
What I have seen defensively from the Cardinals, in their last few match ups, has been mostly man to man coverage, and what is referred to as Cover Zero formations. While this has paid off for them against some opponents, it has not proven very effective against the run, and against teams with less effective running games than the Seahawks bring to the field. I know from watching the Seahawks Offense, that when the Cover Zero Defense, is deployed by our opponents, we traditionally have thrived both in the running game, Russell and our RB assault team, and have had even greater success in our air attack.
The flight crew we have on the field for Russell right now are having record breaking seasons, Doug, Tyler, Moore, McKissick, Ed, Nick, where do you want me to stop? I have to wonder if the Cardinals are not going to come into Seattle with a different game plan than the one they have been running with. The question is What? if they had something that was working better, it seems like they would have deployed it.
Our Defense, has truly come full circle this season, with marked improvements evidenced in every outing. Shaquill has filled the Shoes of Richard Sherman and is showing the promise that we believed he was capable of going forward. We couldn't have asked him to peak at a better moment in time than as we head into the Play Offs.
The rest of our Defense has also matured in leaps and bounds this season and can wear the title "The Legion of Boom II" on any field, against any opponent. Some will still want to argue that the LOB is dead and gone, but I continue to maintain that it has always been alive and well, that it was never a collection of characters but rather a defensive philosophy and strategy, which remains the brainchild of Pete Carroll, and will follow him where ever he goes. His new contract assures me that the LOB was born on the fields of Seattle and that it will remain there for the rest of Pete's coaching career.
Whatever we bring to the field, we need to insure that Pete's philosophy, that every game we play is equally important and is a Championship Opportunity and a Championship worthy opponent. I trust that Kenny Norton and Shotty are coming on to the field in this game, ready with a plan for anything and everything the Cardinal bring with them. I really want to make a statement, not just to the Cardinals but to every team in the NFL in this game and that statement is "Not In Our House". We need to reclaim our house and declare ownership of it again.
If you put your ear to the ground in the NFL right now, and ask any team, which team they most hope to avoid going into the playoffs, at home or away, you will hear them unanimously cry out "The Seattle Seahawks". We are on a mission, to prove to the world, that the Seattle Seahawks are "the most dominant force in the NFL", a team capable of defeating any team, anywhere, anytime, and most specifically "In Our House". I'll go a step further and remind everyone that a House is wherever your heart is, the Hearts of the Seattle Seahawks and the 12 are united like never before in this moment. Our House is Wherever We are, The Super Bowl will be played "In Our House" this year.
The perfect storm is brewing right now, in the Pacific Northwest, and no coach in the NFL, knows better how to prepare his forces for the battles that lay ahead down the Play Off Stretch, than Pete Carroll. I love this team, and what they represent off and on the field, they are to a man, capable of winning it all.
All we need to do is, stay focused, disciplined, and follow Russell Wilson out on to the battle fields that stand between us and the Super Bowl Championship.
Russell is a true leader, who has earned the trust and faith of his teammates. The Seahawks are so lucky to have him on leading us through these battles that lay ahead. He pushes himself harder than his teammates, to reach levels of excellence, that continue to astonish everyone associated with the Seahawks. Russell, knows and believes in his heart, that he and all of them will achieve great things when they believe and have faith in him and each other.
The 12 have been granted, their pride and honor back this season, we have been granted our right to believe again. What a tremendous gift. I personally have never lost faith. I have been the insufferable HOMER in this forum and anywhere else that will give me a voice, this entire season, No Doubt, No Surrender, Never Give Up, and Always Believe that Everything is possible, because it is.
The Seahawks continue to be a team destined for greatness, individually and collectively, off and on the field, and make it so easy to feel proud and honored to be one of the many, a 12. Under Pete's guidance, We've been allowed the opportunity to feel a genuine sense of belonging to and being a part of, something really special, as Twelves.
I'm not just a fan, and I'm not just a Freak, which anyone who knows me will tell you I am, I'm most Importantly A 12th man, and everything it represents, on the field, off the field, everytime we take the field. I can't thank this team enough for having allowed to feel a genuine part of their Journey under Pete Carrolls guidance.
I truly believe in my heart of hearts, that we are Super Bowl Bound this season, and that if we keep the faith, there is nothing in the world that is going to deny us our place in NFL history. Would or Will I be heart broken if it were to go any other way? Of course, LOL, the Thrill of Victory and the Agony of Defeat. The real question you need to ask yourself, is "Do You Believe"? I Do!
Go Seahawks!
