From Champs To Chumps

[Tical21]

It is time to tell the truth on Monday and realize that this run is over. It's done. We're not going to beat teams by showing up anymore. That team is dead. Time to start over again and build a whole new run.

 

[Jazzhawk]

Meh..... lost the ability to care anymore this year, which really says it all. Still love my team, just not living and dying by it this season.

 

[AROS]

11-5 is still alive.

(I'll have to come up with some other stupid rhyme when they lose number 6)

In two weeks I hope to be chanting 6-5 and still alive, lol.

 

[Rob12]

I am not opposed to a shake up even with some of our top players. It will hurt but perhaps it's not a bad idea to let some of them go and replace them with players born of the same mold (hungry with a chip on their shoulders with something to prove).

I mentioned this earlier this year and got roasted pretty good for bringing up Kam and Bennett. I mean I get that that would be beyond painful but at some point you have to address other areas with real capital. Obviously, this core is no longer getting it done.

 

[Rob12]

I am not opposed to a shake up even with some of our top players. It will hurt but perhaps it's not a bad idea to let some of them go and replace them with players born of the same mold (hungry with a chip on their shoulders with something to prove).

There might also be something to all those reports and media speculation that PC has lost the locker room. At least if you got rid of Bevell (and I've never been on the fire Bevell bandwagon), it would just allow the team to re-start and re-build trust which was needed after the way the SB ended. Sticking with Bevell and the call (even if it was the right thing to do statistically) does nothing to keep the locker room together.

It would hurt to see the team rebuild when there is so much talent on the team, but year after year it's the same thing. It's a team with 2-3 stars and a bunch of nobodies become stars that are the ones surprising everyone, and the teams with all the stars that suddenly lack depth, hunger, and etc and fail to reach expectations.

Any links to these reports that PC has "lost" the locker room? I mean it's not unbelievable but I'd like to see it.

 

[scutterhawk]

I don't know that I agree. Seems like the hang time on the punts is not as good as it used to be....

There's a lot to that.
I remember the extraordinary hang times that Norm Johnson use to get on a regular basis, where KR didn't have much of a choice but calling for a fair catch.

 

[Reaneypark]

The good thing is that there is still time for this team to pull their heads out of their rear ends and make a run for the ages. Will they? I have my doubts, I think there is a lack of motivation and focus this year that doesn't get fixed in the short-term. The team needs to regroup and come back hard and angry next year and play with the hatred of losing that all great athletes have.

I predict that they go 9-7 and spend an offseason kicking themselves for being one game out.

 

[Anonymous]

Watching the MNF game last night, it occurred to me that both teams came in with very specific game plans and scheme changes to combat THAT particular opponent. In the first half, seemingly everything defensively that Texans did was working against the Bengals, and vice versa. The Bengals took away Hopkins in the passing game and made Cinci run. Texans took advantage of a questionable O-line and tried to flush Red Rider from the pocket where he is least effective. I could go on and on. The point is what both team's coordinators did was to forcibly take away very specific players and squelched effectiveness making them try something else, and it worked, thus scoring was at a premium.

We don't do that. If we are trying, it most certainly is not working.

No, what we do is ignore what teams are taking away on offense with an elitist attitude that we can make adjustments based on what JUST happened and just do something else. Instead of going into it with a plan to exploit a particular weakness in the secondary, or linebacking core, we toss spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks because we are trying to force a "we can do what we want anyway" attitude, and it isn't working.

Not one time in that game did I hear Collinsworth say "The Seahawks have completely taken player X out of the game and are forcing the Cards to..." Nope, nothing like that. Our offense is playing on the premise that we just show up and see what happens, and it is killing us. No creativity, no targeted attacks on weaknesses or tendencies, nothing.

Until we use the Holmgren approach that was used against Steve Smith in the NFCCG (05/06), or do exactly what we saw last night on MNF, we won't win with offense. Don't even get me started on the D, but we need to add Wags to the "playing great anyway" pile.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

They're not chumps, just not a very good team this year, that's all.

 

[penihawk]

The lack of success of this team this year starts and stops with Wilson and Bevell. Everything else is just an effect from the complete lacking from those two. The difference between the Pats & the Hawks is Tom Brady & anybody that has called plays there the past 15 years vs Wilson & Bevell. Wilson is limited and Bevell stinks!

Go disect any game this year and see how many yards and chunk plays have come from executing Bevell's pathetic offense and play calling vs Wilson making plays in scramble drill or 2 minute drill when teams go prevent. The proof is right there to see. Bevell must go and Wilson's game has to be married to what he does well or this tailspin continues.

 

[seedhawk]

More like the football gods evening things out. Over the past 3 years we basically stole a couple wins a year. Fail Mary, you mad bro, Schaub brain freeze Sherman pick 6, muffed onside kick in the NFCCG. There are others also.

One play in the Card game sums up this season. Sherman undercuts the route, smacks the ball, it goes bonk bonk and their guy comes down with it for a drive sustaining first down. That is football.

 

[StoneCold]

I'm surprised by how many people are blaming the losses on the Super Bowl, greed and Ciara. Implying they've quit trying. Watch the 4th quarter and tell me they're not flying around and working their asses off? We're not seeing the results we want, but they haven't quit.

 

[JAGHAWK]

:13: Except Avril. He is having a great year.

KJ Wright as well.

 

[Hawks46]

I mentioned this in another thread, but the team itself isnt that much different than the ones the last 3 years. We have always left a thin margin of error in our successes. While there were blowouts, there were also tipped INTs, 4th and 7s, onside kicks, etc. that got us through big games.

This year, we have been in position in all 5 losses and just havent made that one extra play, whether it be on offense or defense (or punting, we didn't need that touchback last night. we needed it inside the 10) that secures 4th quarter wins.

For me, this is personnel, but moreso the mentality of the players asked to make these plays. Maybe they've lost their edge, maybe they've lost their cohesiveness. I don't know. All i know is the team is just missing "something" that is preventing it from finishing these games. Not sure it can be recaptured in time for a late season run.

The problems might not be big, but the solution may be out of reach. I hope not. Maybe this is the wake up call..

Spot on. Perfectly said.

It's our mentality, whether that was Chancellor holding out, or new OL or whatever, but we're not as resilient as we were last year.

 

[hawksfansinceday1]

Watching the MNF game last night, it occurred to me that both teams came in with very specific game plans and scheme changes to combat THAT particular opponent. In the first half, seemingly everything defensively that Texans did was working against the Bengals, and vice versa. The Bengals took away Hopkins in the passing game and made Cinci run. Texans took advantage of a questionable O-line and tried to flush Red Rider from the pocket where he is least effective. I could go on and on. The point is what both team's coordinators did was to forcibly take away very specific players and squelched effectiveness making them try something else, and it worked, thus scoring was at a premium.

We don't do that. If we are trying, it most certainly is not working.

No, what we do is ignore what teams are taking away on offense with an elitist attitude that we can make adjustments based on what JUST happened and just do something else. Instead of going into it with a plan to exploit a particular weakness in the secondary, or linebacking core, we toss spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks because we are trying to force a "we can do what we want anyway" attitude, and it isn't working.

Not one time in that game did I hear Collinsworth say "The Seahawks have completely taken player X out of the game and are forcing the Cards to..." Nope, nothing like that. Our offense is playing on the premise that we just show up and see what happens, and it is killing us. No creativity, no targeted attacks on weaknesses or tendencies, nothing.

Until we use the Holmgren approach that was used against Steve Smith in the NFCCG (05/06), or do exactly what we saw last night on MNF, we won't win with offense. Don't even get me started on the D, but we need to add Wags to the "playing great anyway" pile.

Darrell Bevell.

And the only thing you heard Collinsworth say about our team's offense was him questioning Bevell's play choices. Former Pro Bowl WR in the NFL that knows a thing or two about football.

 

[timmat]

Belichick has managed to keep his team relevant year after year by letting stars go and building new ones through the draft. Perhaps the Hawks should have done the same thing, as much as we love our stars, its human nature to lose the hunger once you get paid and have hit stat status and have proven yourself.

Belichick's teams remain relevant year after year with a plug-and-play cast because they have an extremely dominant and hyper competitive QB in Tom Brady, easily one of the best ever (hate to admit it). There has never been a dynasty team in NFL history remain relevant for so long, and it's only because Brady didn't need the same supporting cast to surround him for his entire career to win games. Combine that with Belichick's ability to sculpt a winner WITHOUT what every analyst says you need - an identity. They can reinvent their style from week to week and be successful.

Trying to compare what we've built here to the Pats is apples and oranges. We have an all-star cast that MUST be playing team ball to win. When they are in sync, it's a thing of beauty. But we will not be successful if any piece of the puzzle under-performs over and over. That's not really the case in NE.

If Bevell or whoever would pull their head out and go back to what works, we do win with an identity -which is run first to set up Russ. Forget Jimmy. It takes carries away from Beast. Russ is not Brady and can't carry the team from the pocket. Russ is a piece to a puzzle. Brady is almost all the puzzle pieces wrapped into one.

 

[Siouxhawk]

The lack of success of this team this year starts and stops with Wilson and Bevell. Everything else is just an effect from the complete lacking from those two. The difference between the Pats & the Hawks is Tom Brady & anybody that has called plays there the past 15 years vs Wilson & Bevell. Wilson is limited and Bevell stinks!

Go disect any game this year and see how many yards and chunk plays have come from executing Bevell's pathetic offense and play calling vs Wilson making plays in scramble drill or 2 minute drill when teams go prevent. The proof is right there to see. Bevell must go and Wilson's game has to be married to what he does well or this tailspin continues.

There have been a lot of plays where Bev's offense has produced both yards and points. It's clear to see that without a halfway sufficient line, any play would break down. This last game, penalties also came with reckless abandon. Usually you get a team that can EITHER run or pass block. These guys can't do either with any consistency, so our offense bogs down. Throw in a sieve of a defense in the fourth quarter and you have a 4-5 team.

 

[soxhawk]

Our defense is still a top 5 defense. First half offense vs. AZ was a joke. We were lucky to be in the game.

The defense is gassed by the 4th quarter from having to keep the offense in the games. We keep losing in the 4th quarter due to the fact that we have our D on the field so much.

Lynch can't break through holes like before, Wilson is trying to be a pocket passer to appease Graham, our O-Line is bottom 5.

Why not bring back the read option and successful playcalling that worked for us before and works for Carolina this year?

 

[jammerhawk]

Far from chumps, # 5 now in DVOA with a losing record. Only one of the 5 losses has been by more than 7 points and that one by 10 points with a 3 given up late.

The team is still very competitive even though it presently has losing record. There are all sorts of reasons why the late game swoons are happening but they are mostly as a result of an inability of the O to use up some clock, this is mostly on the OLine but given the OC knows the OLine sucks as far as any run blocking or pass protecting consistency our OC still calling slow to develop passes and failing to find ways to creatively use the mismatches in personnel the team has with quick hitting plays.the O unloads unfair pressure on the D and the D is making many uncharacteristic mistakes this season.