I don't think we can be beaten twice by the same team as well as be beaten twice in a row... so its likely we split the SFO/ARI games at 1 apiece.
Here's what we know: The offense will hopefully pull it's head out of its ass and Bevell specifically will make Lynch the focal point and identity.
Bench Okung, you don't have to shut him down, but give Alvin Bailey if healthy the chance to step-up.
Then hopefully within a month without anymore injury set backs we get a healthy Zach Miller/Max Unger back but the depth at TE/OC/OT will be improved in the long-run.
And basically the Seahawks until the first Arizona game doesn't really face a big time QB with a big time WR corps paired with a either a great ground game or stifling defense.
That's 5 games from now.
During that next month or so, Seahawks will likely get Simon, Maxwell, and Lane all back into the mix to fortify the 2ndary.
I think they should also keep Burley at NCB and let the other 3 compete at LCB the rest of the season and see if one of them is capable of stepping up in big time fashion much like Maxwell did last year when the Seahawks went without Browner/Thurmond for 4 games.
I also like to see Richard Sherman step up and follow the hot target or go-to WR from the first half in the 2nd half. Because its something different and a challenge, not only it creates the opportunity for QBs to try to force feed plays to their best WRs on instinct, but you're fighting fire with fire, and iron sharpens iron. Sherman is a gamer, and I feel the more pressure he feels that's on him, the more responsibility he has to actually be a shutdown CB, he more often than not rises up to those occasions and plays better and more focused.
So, its not far-fetched at all to believe the Seahawks can indeed win the next 4-5 games because they should be able to, they shouldn't expect blow-outs but if they can keep a balanced, consistent offense with Lynch leading the way to open up the horizontal and vertical passing attack, and WRs start to hold on the explosive down-field plays the Seahawks offense will be hard to beat.
I also think the pass-rush is on verge of a breakthrough performance and Quinn almost as the right recipe for success but the guys need to finish... and hope to god for no more injury setbacks only healthy returns and the secondary will start to trend up again.
If the Seahawks can get to the Arizona game in Seattle at 8-2. Then they pretty much control their own destiny in the NFC West with 5 of the last 6 being Division foes. And a big game vs a possible NFC East best Eagles depending how the Season plays out.
They likely could go 3-3, 2-4 finish 11-5, 10-6 and grab a WC.
Or finish strong and go 4-2, 5-1 with a12-4, 13-3 record and get a home game or three.
What I'm basically saying despite the negativity, there is a whole season to play out, and the reality of it is sure you cannot dictate the rest of the season based solely on the failures of one game and move forward with that negativity.
Teams, especially ones as good as the Hawks, don't crash and burn on 1 game.
After the @Houston/@Indy/Titans, fan faith was a little shaky and no one here was proclaiming the Seahawks championship calibur, then we destroyed the Cards on TNF, and we laid eggs against STL and TB that we were like. The Houston game lucky win, then again those same narratives crept in and fan belief in a Championship team was an All-Time Low. Then the Seahawks finally were able to make a 3 game run of dominance, and again we were the team to beat. Then we lose 2 out of the next and all of a sudden the Seahawks weren't good enough again. That was the 2013 season I remember.
So, I'm not going to get plastered over 1 loss... had the Seahawks lost to the Texans, Rams, or Bucs last year... it would have been an even worst meltdown mode, actually there was still pretty significant meltdowns but had we lost those games it would been much worse.
So, I'm not going to let one little loss sour the rest of the season. I even said it in one of the other threads that the Cowboys have a team built similarly to 5-1 Chargers that beat us in WK 2. Romo isn't playing at the League MVP level Rivers is but he's still playing like one of the top 7 QBs in the NFL and the Cowboys have a better O-Line, WR Corps, and RBs than the Chargers.
I just thought Bevell would have learned from his mistakes from that SD game and play ball-control offense and run Lynch down their throats. But he tried to the same things he did in SD, the offense became inept, and the Cowboys were able to exploit the Seahawks by dink and dunking their way downfield highlighted by an almost 10 minute drive in the 2nd QTR that resulted in a mere FG but took the Seahawks offense off the field and kept them from the opportunity to get into rhythm.
Chargers and Cowboys are no joke, they're very good teams, and both teams could very well be 6-0 right now if they didn't shoot themselves in the foot WK 1 with errors. Both teams are 5-1.
I just don't see @STL, @ Car, vs Oak, vs NYG, or @ KC having any of the big time strengths or able to run offenses in a way that can exploit the Seahawks and give them fits.
I also don't see Bevell running bad game-plans... 1 time its excusable, 2 times it's a problem, 3 failures with the same inept game-plan, he should just be fired with Cable taking over. Utilization of the strength of the offense is important. We have a run-blocking strong O-Line and the best powerback in the NFL. Establishing a dominant Run Game is important in opening up the way we do offense... even the horizontal approach. But it seems Bevell for some thinks he can sell the horizontal approach to up the middle of the defense as well as vertically. But its not working and we should go back to the traditional approach with the gimmicks used as constraint plays. If Bevell can't do that, he should be gone. But I think the Seahawks will go back to playing to their strengths, I think the WRs will start stepping up big, and the offense will play ball-control possession football that puts the defense in a more optimal position to create plays when opponents abandon the run game to play catch-up.
I think the Seahawks will figure this out... and I just don't think any of the teams in the next 5 games are good enough in the. Way SD and DAL are good enough to exploit the weaknesses the Seahawks have been showing both offensively and defensively. And each week barring any more injuries, those weaknesses are getting ironed out.
These 5 games are winnable, 8-2 looks like a good probability if things come together as they should.
If the Seahawks make it 8-2. And you look back with realistic expectations before the season, one would most likely say I'll take an 8-2 record.
And then you look back with hindsight, and you'll say damn look at that strength of schedule and the Seahawks are 8-2, I'll definately take that.
But one game at time,and we're on to St. Louis... 1-0 every week. Stay on schedule. Keep the faith.
