Hubris catches up with the Hawks

[hawksfansinceday1]

...........For years we've heard about how Marshawn makes the defense better because he feeds the entire team energy. Lynch plays like a maniac and it inspires his teammates to do the same. But this year, Lynch just hasn't quite been the same and neither has the team around him. Maybe rather than point at the defense, we should point at the run game. Maybe if we get Lynch back to terrorizing teams in Beast Mode, it will create much of the energy that is missing.

Lynch is the beating heart of the team. I think it is very likely that his struggles are intrinsically tied to the morale of the team, and that has a significant impact on the defense.

If that's indeed the case, not having Bevell "resign" after XLIX was an even worse mistake particularly considering Marshawn was on a TV show making fun of the call rather than himself not getting the ball.

Again, several of us long time posters (e.g. Scottmojo) said right after that loss that Pete was going to have to do his best coaching job ever if he was going to both keep Bevell on board and the locker room in the right frame of mind. He has failed to do so thus far.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

I don't know why some of you guys are focusing so hard on the offense, aren't we basically scoring as many points and gaining as many yards in the run and pass game as we always have?

Maybe the explosive plays are down, but overall we've scored over 20 points in 4 out of 6 games. #1 in rushing, #11 in total offense.

It's the D that needs to be raked over the coals. Freaking horrible.

 

[PTSHawk]

Are we seeing the team evolving? the old guard are slowly but surely being phased out and here we are seeing a perfect storm of a group of players having reached their peak now starting to fade (certainly mentally), a league of very fine margins between a W and an L, and new players fitting into a system that is also at an immature stage of development, reference the inclusion of Jimmy Graham and looking to a better passing/running game balance. This is one of Wilson's struggles, the other is the o-line of course.

For as bad as the season has been so far Wilson and Graham are getting better together, little signs of improvement from last week to this.

This is the beginning of Pete's next team. Things will pick up over the medium term I think. We're just not ready for it and patience is required.

 

[StoneCold]

I think it's possible they've lost some fire, but we have been in every game. It could also be, as fans, we're over thinking this. That's what losing can do, but really we're just a couple of plays from winning most of these games.

 

[ringless]

Michael Irvin was talking about the hawks yesterday and said something similiar. He said what the hawks used to do to teams , the other teams are now doing to them. AT HOME, in thier own stadium. Teams arent scared anymore. It used to be other teams confusing plays at century link. Now the hawks are confused. Hopefully they get pissed off and start playing like they used to

This is a good point. I was talking to my best friend in Australia who is a huge Seahawks fan from Seattle. When Detroit made that come back (0-4) at the time for me that was a really defining moment. But when Detroit came in there and got to 6" within victory it made me feel like anyone could come to the link and have a chance if Detroit could do it.

The blown losses against GB and Stl weren't a huge deal because I don't feel Seattle was ever dominating those games. They had the lead for a very limited time in GB. The Packers loss was understandable. The Rams loss was understandable and both of those games I think it's fair to say they were the better team as a whole. Those teams overall had great game plans.

But then that loss against Cinci happened the week after the Detroit debacle and I felt like I started to notice little things. I remember last year when big plays where made the entire team celebrated, got excited. Sherman would run down the field next to Lynch on a big run so he could greet him. It was a different ENERGY. They played as one.

This week when the offense stalled again you almost felt like you were watching the previous two weeks on replay. I actually had confidence that the Panthers could do it because of what Detroit was able to do.

Im not in the locker room. But I feel like they just aren't playing like a team. They don't act like they use to on the field. They don't have that same energy, or trust. I think they are still going to win a lot of games this year. I don't see anyway Seattle misses the playoffs this year although this time they go on the road. But I do feel that for the first time in years. Teams can and will walk into that stadium with a new sense of confidence.

 

[mrt144]

Part of me wishes that the defensive breakdowns were a passive aggressive Machiavellian scheme to force change on offense. :stirthepot:

 

[UK_Seahawk]

The god-king has betrayed a fatal flaw: Hubris. Easy to taunt, easy to trick. Before wounds and weariness have taken their toll, the mad king throws the best he has at us. Xerxes has taken the bait.

The use of the word hubris reminded me of the above quote. The quote below seems more pertinent to our situation:

The world will know that free men stood against a tyrant, that few stood against many, and before this battle was over, even a god-king can bleed

We are the bleeding God King I'm afraid, the world and more importantly the players / coaches have seen ourselves bleed. I don't think they believe they are immortal any more.

 

[Seahawk772002]

The obnoxious hubris of Seahawks fans on the internet needs to be toned down as well. Insulting the fans of other teams less fortunate than the Hawks ( while they were in cap heaven) is coming home to roost. The recent Superbowl matched up the two most obnoxious fanbase in the NFL, with the Patriots fans earning the bragging rights until the newest winner is crowned in 2016. Players may trash talk on the field, but fans don't play the games and don't have to trash talk on the internet. Hawk fans need to play nice now that they are drifting down in the standings.

I think we need to distinguish between old school and new school fans.

Us old school fans who lived through all the losing haven't been the ones on message boards and social media talking trash and rubbing it in to other fans.

It's the millennial bandwagoners who just started rooting for the Hawks the past 4-5 years that are doing all the talking..........and btw, they're just following the lead of our players. Everybody loved it when Sherman and the rest of the D talked about as much trash as humanly possible.

Now teams and other fan bases are enjoying the hell out of enacting a little karmic revenge.

Exactly Sargeant,

Old school fans know the difference between the Howie Long (laugh at the) Seahawks and the trash talking Richard Sherman Seahawks.

Seahawks were known for Steve Largent and maybe Chuck Knox(after the craziness of early years of Jack Patera faded).

Holmgren kind of put them on map; knowledgeable NFL are aware of Super Bowl XL NFL screw job in Detroit.

Bandwagon fans are wannabes who almost are looked down upon by those who remember Dan Doornick, Jacob Green, Norm Johnson, Curt Warner, Fredd Young, Kevin Mawae, etc; will stop just so you know i get the drift of being long time Seahawk fans.

One last thought - wonder what only deceased past head coach Mike McCormick would have thought of the game with his connection to both Seahawks and Panthers?

 

[ExBassGuide]

Hubris? Nope! The hawks are still playing hard. It looks like the O line issues (pass protection and a more successful running game) and other offenses finding ways to attack the cover 3 defense. The defense is playing hard. Same good team working on a few things causing some problems. The hawks are still trying to get jimmy involved in the offense and It really looks like that is starting to work! This is a very good team and Pete is a very good coach! Take a deep breath and let out S L O W L Y.
Feel better now I think you were hyperventilating. RELAX :snack:
Roger