Championship teams...

[SonicHawk]

Crappy teams have games like this too.

No, they don't. Crappy teams don't WIN these games. The 2010 Seahawks wouldn't have won this game.

Crappy teams lose these games and get blown out in other games.

That's BS Volsung. Crappy teams beat other crappy teams with crappy games all the time.

The Seahawks were a crappy team today. There are no excuses for this game. Show up next week and blow out TB or continue to be outplayed by lesser opposition.

 

[bestfightstory]

That actually makes me feel better.

To be honest, treating our OL like an afterthought has bothered me before the season began and is the #2 source of worry for me this year.

It was #2 but then our OC took that title.

Way to count.

 

[volsunghawk]

Crappy teams have games like this too.

No, they don't. Crappy teams don't WIN these games. The 2010 Seahawks wouldn't have won this game.

Crappy teams lose these games and get blown out in other games.

That's BS Volsung. Crappy teams beat other crappy teams with crappy games all the time.

The Seahawks were a crappy team today. There are no excuses for this game. Show up next week and blow out TB or continue to be outplayed by lesser opposition.

Whatever floats your boat. :mrgreen:

The point of the thread, though, is to point out that "championship teams" aren't teams that exist on some magical plane, doing no wrong and winning every game in blowout fashion. I've seen enough posts from people saying things like, "Championship teams play like <insert awesome result here>" and implying that Seattle clearly can't be a championship team just because they played an ugly game. But the fact is that's a fantasy. It's not reality. And while having a game like this on your schedule doesn't guarantee that you're a championship-caliber team, it doesn't prevent you from being one, either. Championship-caliber teams have crappy games sometimes. They have flaws, whether due to talent or depth/injury issues at a position or two. But they keep winning even if it's ugly. That's the difference.

 

[MysterMatt]

I have nothing but respect, volsung, but blech. I never really had you pegged as any sort of apologist, which is precisely how this OP reads. The bottom line is that we barely escaped a humiliating defeat despite a universal attempt at suckitude from our coaches, our QB, and our OL.

I'll always take a W, but this team, or at least the team that shat the bed tonight, is an embarrassment to any with the label of "champion". We gotta do a lot better.

 

[dunceface]

I don't feel like he's being an apologist for our play today, just a realist on the expectations of a REAL championship team in reality. I mean REALLY...

Championship teams get wins even when 2 of the 3 phases of the game are absent for whatever reason.

 

[KitsapGuy]

Brandon Browner ‏@bbrowner27 1h
This win was more enjoyable then a blowout win, for the fact we had to dig deep to get it done. Divisional win #Gohawks #LOB
Retweeted by Danny Kelly

 

[MysterMatt]

Brandon Browner ‏@bbrowner27 1h
This win was more enjoyable then a blowout win, for the fact we had to dig deep to get it done. Divisional win #Gohawks #LOB
Retweeted by Danny Kelly

I read that and laughed/barged, too.

 

[dunceface]

Brandon Browner ‏@bbrowner27 1h
This win was more enjoyable then a blowout win, for the fact we had to dig deep to get it done. Divisional win #Gohawks #LOB
Retweeted by Danny Kelly

I read that and laughed/barged, too.

I'm surprised you could laugh through the embarrassment...

 

[volsunghawk]

I have nothing but respect, volsung, but blech. I never really had you pegged as any sort of apologist, which is precisely how this OP reads. The bottom line is that we barely escaped a humiliating defeat despite a universal attempt at suckitude from our coaches, our QB, and our OL.

I'll always take a W, but this team, or at least the team that shat the bed tonight, is an embarrassment to any with the label of "champion". We gotta do a lot better.

Wasn't intended as an apology, and believe me... I'd much rather see us play a hell of a lot better than we did last night. I think the coaches' lack of adjustment on the protection issues was unconscionable, I think only giving Lynch 8 carries was a terrible move, and I'm not at all happy that we gave Zac Stacy his breakout game. And I want to watch the game again, but I thought that there were several times when Wilson took a sack he didn't need to (i.e., even though the Rams DEs were all over him quickly, he had outlets that he didn't take). So it's not like I'm trying to cast last night's game as a classic defensive struggle and hyping it up.

But I see repeatedly here at .NET these platitudes trotted out about how "championship teams do this" or "championship teams don't allow that", and I wanted to challenge that garbage with some actual fact. Teams that win championships deal with games like this all the damn time. And no, their fans don't like it, either. Just wanted to head off the notion that last night's ugly game (and some of the other ugly games we've had this season) somehow "disqualifies" us from being a SB contender.

 

[Tech Worlds]

Yep. Championship teams also fail to make adjustments and make it a point that their franchise qb gets beat to an inch of his life.

 

[MontanaHawk05]

You know who else has games like this?

Teams that lose in the playoffs.

This team can play better. They HAVE played better this year, on the road, against much better teams. This was bizarre.

 

[BlueTalons]

Championship teams learn from games like this. What doesn't kill you will only make you stronger!

 

[stickman1966]

I could not agree more with the sentiment of this post. Championship teams wins UGLY games. Most people only remember the CHAMPIONSHIP itself. They recall the Giants won the Super Bowl. They remember that some guy they never heard of caught a TD with his helmet. They don't even know it wasn't a TD just set up a TD. They also don't recall that they barely made the playoffs that year, they just remember they won.
Same will be true if this Hawks team goes forward and win a championship. The diehards on this board will have a "Do you remember the Rams Game" thread in ten years and some guy will respond that He was THERE and he NEW then that the Hawks were gonna win. We have all read that a million times here. For me as a life long fan of this franchise, I have lived through enough years where the Hawks folded like a house of cards and gave up the game winning TD time and time again. I will take the win everyday of the week.

They played ugly on offense last night...they played well on D at times but it was as if tehy had never had a RB cut back against the grain. Browner made me vomit a couple of times with more of what is becoming a really bad trademark for him, making BLATANT stupid and unnecessary plenalties at crucial times in games. Yep it was a BAD outing and didn't look like championship talent...BUT THEY WON

Get over it...move forward as I am certain Pete and staff will do...


7-1 Best record in the NFC

 

[volsunghawk]

You know who else has games like this?

Teams that lose in the playoffs.

This team can play better. They HAVE played better this year, on the road, against much better teams. This was bizarre.

Agreed. This team can play better, and I expect them to play better.

But I want people to consider something. This Rams team went 1-0-1 against the Niners last year. They split with us last year. While they might not have had Bradford available for this game, is there anyone here who thinks that Bradford is the reason the Rams have played the NFC West tough the last couple of years? I don't recall a whole lot of people pumping up Bradford on this site, at least.

But I do recall a lot of people voicing concern over the Rams pass rush this offseason and early in this season. And while Bradford is on IR, the Rams' rushers are very much healthy and active. I was not surprised at the pressure they were getting on Wilson. I was, however, surprised that the team went away from the run so quickly... this was never going to be a game where the difference was more than one score, so there was no need to abandon the run in favor of the pass. I put that on the coaching, and I hope they are doing some honest assessments of their decisions on Tell the Truth Tuesday.

I am no more concerned about the offense than I was before the Rams game... it's been pretty well hobbled since Okung and Giacomini went out, and the team has faced some really good pass rushing teams over the first half of the season. It's a perfect storm for trashing our passing game. I'm hopeful that the presence of Okung, Giacomini, and Harvin will improve things, but it will probably take a bit of time for everyone to gel once folks are healthy, so it may not take off right after they return.

I am, however, more concerned over the Zac Stacy show. I'm hoping that was just an off game by the run D and that they'll get it back together next week.

 

[bestfightstory]

I am, however, more concerned over the Zac Stacy show. I'm hoping that was just an off game by the run D and that they'll get it back together next week.

Yeah. Me, too. Hopefully this isn't the beginning of our semi-annual mid season run defense recession.

The Vegas line last night had M Lynch favored over Z Stacy by 42.5 yards. Didn't quite turn out that way. Hell, Steven Jackson only broke 100yards rushing against Seattle once or never in all those games over all those years.

 

[seahawks08]

... have games just like this one.

Forget that old garbage about "Oh, championship teams always beat up on the bad teams and win close games against good teams." That's not true, usually.

Last year's Ravens team won a game VERY MUCH like this one when they got outplayed by the Steelers in Pittsburgh, yet the Ravens walked out with a 13-10 win. That Ravens team also had a nice 3-game losing streak in the middle of the season, but they still won it all.

The 2011 Giants won the SB, but they had a 4-game losing streak during the season and got SWEPT by a 5-11 Redskins team.

The Packers in 2010 lost a game on the road to the Lions, 7-3. They still won the SB.




It's time to stop pretending that "championship teams" are juggernauts who never have off games, who never have bad matchups, who never have to deal with injuries decimating a unit, and who always dominate the bad teams and beat the good teams. Anyone trying to sell that isn't watching the NFL. They're in some fantasy land.

First we are not the Ravens, neither the Ravens are us. We have always had difficulty with the Lambs. We had 11 days to game plan, this team doesn't have an answer for quick defensive lines. I also think players lost focus and put this in the bag after a great performance in the Desert. Our chop blocks were like guys fall down and they jump over our oline. Their QB had designed roll outs to counter our pass rush. We were out coached, beaten up mentally and physically. Its ok to criticize our team and say it as it is. If it helps put a chip on their shoulder so be it!

 

[Largent80]

Rams are stocked with players chosen in round 1 because of being bad for so many years.

They rose to the occasion when most were picking a blowout (that includes me).

But, the Hawk defense made an incredible stand at the goal line which made up for the entire final drive and saved the game.

Vols hit a home run, great teams win these and win them in this fashion. You had better get used to it.

 

[seahawks08]

If nothing was working we should have put TJ in for a few plays just to change the rhythm and throw the defense off. Probably would have given RW to think and start fresh. Nothing was working is a lame thing to say. Getting your team to play is the coaches job. You can't worry about things you can't control. Worry about this one Pete as this is something you can control!

 

[bestfightstory]

^ That's Right!!

Further illustrating the importance of HFA in the playoffs.

We play much better there.

 

[Sarlacc83]

The Rams straight up have our number. And it was even worse last night, because they had 2 reasons to play with fire. 1) Because everyone gives Seattle their best shot (and even mores o in the division) and 2) Everyone, but everyone, laughed at them for being second string to the Cardinals. I imagine they had the type of fire last night that a bad team gets once all season.

And they still lost.