If we continue to lose games, it will be interesting...

[Hawkfish]

Thinking today it's been years since I have participated in the debate, "would you rather go into the playoffs as a WC and lose or just not go as it gives you higher draft picks?"

I pray that we don't have to have these discussions in a month or so...

Go Hawks!

 

[HawkGA]

If this team rights the ship enough to have a shot at the playoffs, I pity the higher seeds. I think this is definitely a team that could go 3 road games to the Super Bowl. Not saying they would, but saying they are probably one of the most likely teams to be able to do it.

 

[McGruff]

I pray we never have those discussions, because the answer is patently obvious. You always play to win. You always play to have a shot at making a run. If this team has any other designs at any point, they are not the players and coaches I thought they were.

We have a competitive, winning culture.

 

[RiverDog]

I pray we never have those discussions, because the answer is patently obvious. You always play to win. You always play to have a shot at making a run. If this team has any other designs at any point, they are not the players and coaches I thought they were.

We have a competitive, winning culture.

As long as there is a mathematical chance to make the playoffs, you always play to win.

But once you have been eliminated, you start the process of player evaluation, sort of like what is done in the preseason. Decisions have to be made at the end of the season, so the team needs to get as much information as they can. This means that although the players on the field may be playing to win, you may not be fielding your best team.

For example, if, heaven forbid, we are eliminated from the playoffs by Week 14, you will start seeing a lot more of Thomas Rawls and a lot less of Beast even though playing Beast would give us the best chance to win the game. The team needs more information on Rawls, if he really is going to be our RB of the future, and Rawls needs the game experience. Beast is more than likely not going to be with us for much longer.

 

[CodeWarrior]

I pray we never have those discussions, because the answer is patently obvious. You always play to win. You always play to have a shot at making a run. If this team has any other designs at any point, they are not the players and coaches I thought they were.

We have a competitive, winning culture.

As long as there is a mathematical chance to make the playoffs, you always play to win.

But once you have been eliminated, you start the process of player evaluation, sort of like what is done in the preseason. Decisions have to be made at the end of the season, so the team needs to get as much information as they can. This means that although the players on the field may be playing to win, you may not be fielding your best team.

For example, if, heaven forbid, we are eliminated from the playoffs by Week 14, you will start seeing a lot more of Thomas Rawls and a lot less of Beast even though playing Beast would give us the best chance to win the game. The team needs more information on Rawls, if he really is going to be our RB of the future, and Rawls needs the game experience. Beast is more than likely not going to be with us for much longer.

Great way of looking at it.

 

[mrt144]

Also, given how the team drafts, I dont think draft picks are even that valuable.

 

[torontoseahawk]

we traded away our first round pick for next year?

 

[McGruff]

I disagree. This isn't baseball and we aren't the Browns. We know what we've got, and winning promotes winning. You never ever put less than your best team on The field. Never.

 

[kearly]

The only time I would want the team to miss the playoffs for draft position is when I believe the team is in dire straights. For example, I was happy to see the 2009 team miss because if they had made it, it would have meant more years of Ruskell and Mora AND it would have crapped all over the next year's draft picks.

In 2010, I wrongly wanted Seattle to miss because the team still needed help with talent infusion. While the drop from 8th to 25th in each round probably did hurt Seattle, without those 2010 playoffs there would have been no beastquake. Even if the draft position cost us 1-2 good players, it was worth it for a historic play that will be shown to NFL fans 100 years from now.

So barring a case where the team needs to clean house, I always want playoffs, even if I believe there is zero chance of a SB berth. Any time you are in a playoff game, you have a chance to be a part of NFL history.

 

[Attyla the Hawk]

Continue to win.

This is still a very talented team. And we've seen them flip the proverbial switch and make super bowl runs. While the record is painful, the reality is, we are as close to being 6-0 as we are 1-5. We have been competitive in every single game. And if we figure out how to convert 3rd downs and/or make plays defensively to prevent 70+ yard TD drives in the 4th quarter -- this is a team that can win in any venue.

This team is agonizingly close to being great. And I think there are multiple points of failure in virtually every loss that needed to conspire for us to lose pretty much every game. I like the odds of fixing one or two of those. This is a talented and prideful team that can certainly make a great deal from the narrative of being left for dead and rising late in the season to compete for championships.

 

[DavidSeven]

Not sure there's a plausible argument for skipping the playoffs if you have a roster as talented as this one. It was just a couple years ago when it seemed the wildcard teams kept going all-the-way.

There isn't a team in the league that would want to face a 6th-seeded Seahawks team in the playoffs.

 

[firebee]

Also, given how the team drafts, I dont think draft picks are even that valuable.

Agreed... I'm at the point where I think we're better off trading our 1st round picks for 3rd or 4th round picks. All our 1st round picks, minus Bruce Irvin, seem to be misses while our 3rd and 4th round picks always seem to turn into our best players.

 

[mrt144]

Also, given how the team drafts, I dont think draft picks are even that valuable.

Agreed... I'm at the point where I think we're better off trading our 1st round picks for 3rd or 4th round picks. All our 1st round picks, minus Bruce Irvin, seem to be misses while our 3rd and 4th round picks always seem to turn into our best players.

I meant that statement very cynically - if the past roster transactions are any indication, it's not even a matter of hit or miss based on draft position, it's almost as if they've reasoned themselves out of attempting to use the draft (but not UDFAs) to address parts of the team.

 

[RiverDog]

The only time I would want the team to miss the playoffs for draft position is when I believe the team is in dire straights. For example, I was happy to see the 2009 team miss because if they had made it, it would have meant more years of Ruskell and Mora AND it would have crapped all over the next year's draft picks.

In 2010, I wrongly wanted Seattle to miss because the team still needed help with talent infusion. While the drop from 8th to 25th in each round probably did hurt Seattle, without those 2010 playoffs there would have been no beastquake. Even if the draft position cost us 1-2 good players, it was worth it for a historic play that will be shown to NFL fans 100 years from now.

So barring a case where the team needs to clean house, I always want playoffs, even if I believe there is zero chance of a SB berth. Any time you are in a playoff game, you have a chance to be a part of NFL history.

Yes, sometimes losing can be a blessing in disguise. Remember the Vinny Testevere helmet touchdown? Had that play been called right, we would have won the game, made the playoffs, then lost in the first or second round and Dennis Erickson would have kept his job, meaning that there would have been no Mike Holmgren era.

 

[chris98251]

We may miss the playoffs, not really a bad thing, it will give the team a chance to rest,re focus, listen to nay sayers and get that hungar for respect back. For the front office we get time to dial it in and re load and jettison complacent players and those that have decided they have a secure position and don't need to push themselves anymore. Re evaluate our offense and defensive strats and make sure our personnel fits the mold of what we want to do.

 

[Rat]

I disagree. This isn't baseball and we aren't the Browns. We know what we've got, and winning promotes winning. You never ever put less than your best team on The field. Never.

By that logic, we should be playing our starters four quarters in every preseason game.

 

[jammerhawk]

we traded away our first round pick for next year?

Nope, but we traded it for this years's draft and we got Graham, and as well a 4th for Unger.

 

[seahawkfreak]

I really don't believe in rebuilding years. You should play to win every year. Look at the teams that have had top draft picks over the few years, they still suck. Browns, Redskins, Jaguars, Rams. When's the last time the Patriots had a top pick? Anyway I hate missing the playoffs. Once you are in anything is possible.

 

[Optimus25]

This team is a nightmare matchup for any other nfc team in the wild card round. I'd be pumped to make the playoffs cause there's no way we lose till at least the divisional round.

 

[raisethe3]

I believe we should try to make the playoff rather than tanking it. I mean with the roster we have already, why not work and build with experience with those? Especially the younger players who haven't been down the road? Once eliminated, the young guys on the roster gains valuable playoff experience and pressure to know what the playoff atmosphere is like. The following year, set the bar higher and go from there.