The hard question on everyones mind at Kansas city.

[ZagHawk]

Seahawks CAN win, but they will need to play a completely error free game. That means getting turn overs, making none, getting off the field on third down on defense, and converting third downs on offense. RW's pass game will need to pick up tremendously compared to what he's been showing the past few weeks. lastly, O-Line needs to get their snap count down. The amount of false starts at home then going into the loudest stadium in the NFL (they beat the record). Seahawks going to really have to bring THE BEST Seahawks we've seen all year to win this game.

 

[blazen2392]

The Chiefs are probably the second worst team remaining on our schedule. Going to be a tough one, but it's one a team of this caliber should win.

...and there lies the problem with this post, and many others like it. Rat. I notice that certain posters are constantly over-estimating the talent or 'caliber' of this team, IMO. That is probably why many of the people that make such posts have blamed our various coaching staffs. This team is barely above mediocre at this time. Injuries, attrition and lack of continuity at many positions have definitely impacted the level of play, but it is what it is.

If we were consistently fielding the 'caliber' of players you speak of, it would reflect in the level of play. So far that has not happened. Anybody who thinks that this team, at present state, can be expected to go into Arrowhead and win is smoking some REALLY good stuff.

I strongly disagree. Like nearly every other team right now, we have some injury issues, but the following things can still be said about the Seahawks:

- Elite QB
- Top 3-5 running game
- Star players all over the defense
- Very well-coached
- Super Bowl experience at nearly every position

Teams that you can accurately say ALL those things about are high caliber. I would expect a team like that to beat one that most classify as average to slightly above average, even at their place. If we don't pull this one off, I'll have next to no hope that this team will be in the playoffs. Losing this game would mean needing to get through a brutal stretch of the Cards twice, the Niners twice, the Rams, and the Eagles (on the road) at no worse than 4-2, and with how good the Lions, Packers, Eagles, and Cowboys look, that might not even be enough.

Your going to be extremely dissapointed. There is a very high chance we will be 6-4 after sunday. I don't know why people are still on a superbowl high. this is not the same team. Even if we loose this game we are still in a good position to get a wild card spot. Anything can happen in the nfl. its not always the better team that wins. If that was the case we never would have lost to the Rams. In this case I do believe we are the better team, but coupled with the fact that we are injured, undisciplined on the road, and playing in a stadium where the noise rivals ours is not going to be easy. Chiefs play lights out at home and you are just setting yourself up for dissapointment if you are "expecting" a win. Vegas isn't stupid and did not make us underdogs for no reason.

 

[Grahamhawker]

What are the stats on NFL teams beating a -1 spread? Happens...I'm thinking pretty often.

Oh, no- I'm setting myself up for huge disappointment again...How did I ever survive the 1st 38 years?

 

[SoulfishHawk]

Well damn, guess I shouldn't even win the game. You've already decided they are gonna' lose. (not loose) :lol:

 

[djb28]

I cannot believe the amount of smoke being blown up the skirts of the Chiefs in this thread. Fantasy football has made people daft or something. If you love fnatasy ball, you need to know one thing: Pick up the KC kicker, Alex Smith is a field goal kickers best good buddy. Even I know those don't come along every day.

KC is led by Alex Smith. He reads Press man cover about as well as I read chinese. The no TDs on the ground thing is a mirage, that run D is very gashable. The pass D is formidable, they get after QBs. How big an adjustment will it be for them going after a QB whose biggest flaw is vs a mush rush? It isn't their nature to slow rush. They are sweating just as much this week as you fans are, watching Russell.

And Andy Reid. KC plays more phyiscal than the Eagles used too, but Reid is just as ready to quit on the run as he ever was. You'll know when he has, his running backs will run flares several plays in a row, or screens 2 out of 3. My biggest fear is that we get nibbled to death on the edges like with San Diego.

You may not love the O-line, but after what they did last week they will be looking to pick Marshawn up and carry him.

My biggest concern is special teams. Hopefully the return of Jeron Johnson shores that up, because black mamba is legit.

They better be willing to pick up Lynch and carry him because they cant pass block.
I wish we could throw comfortably.

 

[Grahamhawker]

I don't know about throwing comfortably, but I do predict "just enough" throwing to beat KC.

 

[firebee]

Trap the Chiefs in the middle with Power off the tackles and then Counter with another trap. The Chiefs defensive front loves to penetrate and get upfield which makes downblocks on the line with pulls clearing out the lane look effective. I don't see Mauga or KCs Safeties being real effective at stopping Lynch if we can get him by the front 4. Getting Lynch past Hali, Poe, Houston and the guys that get in the gaps is going to be the trick to running against them. I would stay away from running too much zone. Their front gets great penetration, which really makes inside or outside zone runs against their defensive front not very appealing.

If we have Kam and Wags back, let our defense pinch the interior and push the pocket to force Smith into rolling. If a QB gets flushed, 9 times out of 10, the checkdown is taken away and the QB is forced to run or try completing a pass downfield. With the Chiefs' tendency to not get the receivers the ball downfield and his running ability, we want him outside the pocket with Irvin, Wright or Avril breathing down his neck. Pinch the interior and make Charles try to beat our defense to the outside against our linebackers, Safeties, Sherman, Maxwell and Lane.... Not Simon. I'm comfortable with that matchup. Charles will have a hard time beating Wright, Wag and Irvin to the outside. With the LOB there for backup, I don't see Charles being real effective trying to beat our defense to the edge. I'm more worried about Knile Davis.... It's those big strong up the gut power runners we have problems with and that's the guy that could really hurt us with Mebane out.

 

[MeanBlueGreen]

Much depends on wether Mebane can make it back. If not we may struggle to stop Jamaal Charles. Alex Smith doesn't exactly scare me with all of our DB's back. Stopping there run game will be paramount.

Smith scares me a bit, not because of playmaking ability, but he is the exact kind of qb that could dink and dunk us to death underneath.

Really would like to have Bobby, Kam and Malcolm back for this one.

Smith can do more than dink and dunk

 

[RiverDog]

They're not magic at home, but they're still a tough nut to crack in there, and we haven't had a very good history in that building. Weather could be a factor. I'm seeing a high of 34 degrees with a 15mph wind for Sunday. If it wasn't for Mebane being out I might like us in this matchup. Might be a low scoring affair with each team trying to establish a running game.

 

[Jacknut16]

On the road the defense is less than stellar so we are going to need better play from our QB. There is really no way around this. We are not going into KC an winning unless Wilson plays better.
The defense seems to lack something on the road, and the most important player on the field will have to pick it up for us to have a chance in this one.

 

[Sarlacc83]

Much depends on wether Mebane can make it back. If not we may struggle to stop Jamaal Charles. Alex Smith doesn't exactly scare me with all of our DB's back. Stopping there run game will be paramount.

Smith scares me a bit, not because of playmaking ability, but he is the exact kind of qb that could dink and dunk us to death underneath.

Really would like to have Bobby, Kam and Malcolm back for this one.

Smith can do more than dink and dunk

He can also heave the ball into the stands and fumble it with his tiny baby hands.

Sometimes he can even run the ball.

 

[Grahamhawker]

They're not magic at home, but they're still a tough nut to crack in there, and we haven't had a very good history in that building. Weather could be a factor. I'm seeing a high of 34 degrees with a 15mph wind for Sunday. If it wasn't for Mebane being out I might like us in this matchup. Might be a low scoring affair with each team trying to establish a running game.

Last matchup was what...2010...doesn't seem very relevant to this week's game. According to many on here, no prior performance is relevant in assessing a team's chances ("not the same team" montra).

Hawks will need to step up if they want to be competitive in this one for sure, but anyone who has watched this team the past couple years should know they CAN play well enough to pull out a win.

 

[MissoulaHawkFan]

Alex Smith doesn't throw the ball farther than 10 yards down field, so if they're going to score, it's going to take a LOT of plays which plays right in to the Seahawks hands.

I like the Seahawks chances.

However, we've been a lot worse at Red Zone D this year. The key to making teams dink / dunk all the way down field is to keep them from scoring TD's when they hit the red zone...which we haven't been nearly as good at this year.

If we let them dink/dunk down the field, and are able to keep them out of the end zone, then fine...but if we don't....you might see a redux of the San Diego game.

It'll be a tough game no matter how you slice it. As long as we win, I'm good, because as it is, road wins in the NFL are wicked difficult to get, no matter how good your team is.

 

[rideaducati]

Smith can do more than dink and dunk

HA! No he can't.

 

[CharlesinCharge25]

The Seahawks have beaten better teams. The Seahawks have the better QB. The Seahawks have a defense that matches up well with what the chefs do offensively. The chefs defense isn't built to stop the run, it's built to rush the passer and the Seahawks don't pass very often. I don't see why so many are so skeeerd of the chefs.
The Seahawks defense was given a wake up call and have been playing well since. The Seahawks offense has the same problems they have had for a while, but they are still putting up points. Both the offense and the defense have been getting used to a lot of young guys starting in their first games as NFL players. With as many young starters as they have been forced to use, is it really a surprise that the team has struggled? Those young guys are starting to find their way and we should all expect better play because they are already playing pretty well.

I'm not skeeerd of the chefs and you shouldn't be either. Sure, they are a good team, but the Seahawks are better and we all KNOW it. The chefs have beaten two teams over the past two seasons that had a winning record when they played them and one of those games was a division game vs the Chargers...you know, the team ravaged by injuries that has lost three straight. The chefs can't beat good teams. They're like the Seahawks under Holmgren pre 2005, they win the games they should, but never beat the good teams.

Pure bs. Can't beat good teams? Whooped the Patriots on front of the world on MNF. Went to SD and won, to MIA and to BUF. Only lost by 7 at Denver and like 6 to SF. Ya SD has had injuries but so have we. Before you go and make stupid ass statements do a little homework. We lost our LG week 1 for the year, run stopping starting DE for the year, Eric Berry missed 6 games, starting WR Avery has missed like 5 games. Oh and MLB Derrick Johnson, one of the best MLBs in all of the NFL tore his Achilles week 1. So don't act like KC doesn't have injuries of their own. Every team has them. You couldn't go to SD and win. We may not be a great team but we're good. Damn good. I look forward to this game because I really like Russell Wilson (Wisconsin fan).

 

[CharlesinCharge25]

And Alex has a bad oline and WR core. Cant throw it deep. He can if protected though. Look at his 75 yard TD in the playoffs against INDY. I'm not a big fan of his but he doesn't make mistakes. I'll take that right now.

 

[AgentDib]

People that are not worried should remember that they blew out the patriots 42-14 at home. That is no joke and that is the type of team we are playing at home.

You're taking the wrong lesson away from that game. That game doesn't prove that the Chiefs are an unstoppable juggernaut, but rather that anything can happen in the NFL and you shouldn't read too much into a single outcome. The story after the Patriots-Chiefs game was all about how the Patriots and Tom Brady looked done, but since then they have gone 5-0 with stompings of the Bengals, Bears and Broncos and now many think they are the best team in the AFC. If you want to pick a single game you could just as easily choose the Chiefs 10-26 loss at the hands of the now 2-7 Titans.

The Chiefs are a good AFC team but they are beatable, and their run defense isn't as good as most here think it is based on last year.

 

[Grahamhawker]

People that are not worried should remember that they blew out the patriots 42-14 at home. That is no joke and that is the type of team we are playing at home.

You're taking the wrong lesson away from that game. That game doesn't prove that the Chiefs are an unstoppable juggernaut, but rather that anything can happen in the NFL and you shouldn't read too much into a single outcome. The story after the Patriots-Chiefs game was all about how the Patriots and Tom Brady looked done, but since then they have gone 5-0 with stompings of the Bengals, Bears and Broncos and now many think they are the best team in the AFC. If you want to pick a single game you could just as easily choose the Chiefs 10-26 loss at the hands of the now 2-7 Titans.

The Chiefs are a good AFC team but they are beatable, and their run defense isn't as good as most here think it is based on last year.

:13:
Yes, it's good to consider more than 1 game.

 

[firebee]

People that are not worried should remember that they blew out the patriots 42-14 at home. That is no joke and that is the type of team we are playing at home.

You're taking the wrong lesson away from that game. That game doesn't prove that the Chiefs are an unstoppable juggernaut, but rather that anything can happen in the NFL and you shouldn't read too much into a single outcome. The story after the Patriots-Chiefs game was all about how the Patriots and Tom Brady looked done, but since then they have gone 5-0 with stompings of the Bengals, Bears and Broncos and now many think they are the best team in the AFC. If you want to pick a single game you could just as easily choose the Chiefs 10-26 loss at the hands of the now 2-7 Titans.

The Chiefs are a good AFC team but they are beatable, and their run defense isn't as good as most here think it is based on last year.

I think people assume the Chiefs defense is still the same from last year. They don't realize the Chiefs are missing Derrick Johnson & Jerry Franklin, making them real thin at ILB. Eric Berry and Hali are playing injured. Fleming, one of their better DBs, is out with injury. This isn't the same defense.

 

[seahawks08]

we need to play by controlling the clock and offense being on the field longer. We can't afford what Alex Smith did to the chargers. We have to keep 3rd downs manageable and keep running the clock. Its a 10 am game, so we need to show up early.