Week 1 preseason thoughts

[dogorama]

Only watched it 1.5 times, but here's what I got.

Both QBs played better than I thought they would. Boykin's inexperience is obvious, but he has some natural QB instincts and felt less raw at QB than you would expect. The touch on his deep ball was impressive. Now if only he could learn how to spike a football. Both guys suffered significantly from a sub-replacement level group of running backs and receivers, as Seattle is super thin at both positions currently due to minor injuries.

It's preseason for Pete too. He blew an obvious opportunity to challenge when Alex Smith converted a 3rd and 9 on his first drive. The receiver caught the ball while airborne and his second foot was clearly out of bounds. No challenge from Seattle, instead they have 12 in the huddle and take a stupid penalty. Ware gets the easy TD on the next play, but if Pete were paying attention, it would have been 3 points and not 7.

It's just a preseason game but boy did the D-line look bad, both starters and depth looked pretty awful. Spencer Ware looks way faster than he did when he was a Seahawk but there is no excuse for having your starting defense getting their asses kicked the by a 2nd/3rd string RB. We all know that having Kam and Bennett out is a big deal but it shouldn't have been THIS BIG of a deal. The pass rush was essentially non-existent as well.

I've always been a big skeptic of moving Clark to DE/LB. Clark is good at blowing up a ZBS running game and he's good at controlling gaps, but these are DT skills not DE skills. This game was a chance to convince me there is some logic to the move, but if anything it only reinforced my feelings. Clark was a total non-factor despite playing a lot of snaps. He totalled just one pressure that I know of. Yeah, it's really early but we all remember what he did really early in 2015. Unfortunately, Seattle has had Clark lose so much weight that he's already penciled in for this role rest of season, it's a real bummer.

I get that Seattle has seen a ton of Alex Collins in practices, but it was a real headscratcher for me that Collins totalled just 4 touches in this game. It's a very limited sample size, but Collins played EXACTLY like I thought he would. When he gets a head of steam, he can push for that extra yard as well as anyone. He'll be a great short yardage back for us. Unfortunately, Collins tied his shoes with Robert Turbin's shoelaces, and if you get even a tiny piece of Collins in the backfield before he makes those first couple steps towards the hole, he will go down with alarming ease. That's a problem, because our current OL talent and Cable's scheme means that backfield penetration on obvious running downs will be an issue our RBs have to overcome.

Haush was money. Jon Ryan, fresh off of his Jim Gaffigan audition, had a pretty good game as well.

Tyvis Powell was gifted a pick and fell down for no reason, potentially costing himself a real shot at a pick six. He had some head turning plays on specials though. He may have already made the initial 53 man roster based on his performance today.

I hate to say it, but Kenny Lawler didn't look like an NFL player today. I also don't believe for a second that he weighs 203 pounds. If he bulks up next offseason, I could see him having a chance. But the only way he makes the 2016 roster is if the rest of our WR depth is shambles.

Richardson played and didn't get hurt which was nice. But he didn't stand out as much as I thought he would either. Mixed bag.

I've always thought that Zach Miller was an exceedingly generous comp for Nick Vannett, but today it looked like a dead on comparison.

I didn't watch the OL super close, but I did see one play where Glowinsky dominated his block to set up a 9 yard run by C-Mike.

Britt seemed to do an okay job in the run game, but failed with stunt pickups just like before, allowing pressures that led to punts. He hasn't changed.

Jarran Reed looked exactly as expected. Gap sound, but a non-factor in the pass rush and struggles to penetrate into the backfield vs. the run. I think he is an okay player but I am starting to understand why he fell as far as he did in the draft.

Christine Michael looked better than ever. He could have been even more productive if not for a few rushed decisions. His new life motto seems to be do everything like your hair is on fire. It pays off between the tackles but there were a few 10 yard runs that could have been 30 yarders with a slightly less frantic style. Even during his postgame interview he seemed to be in turbo-mode, talking so fast that every third word was "man." In essence, Michael is going too fast for his processor to handle it. Hopefully he relaxes a bit at some point and he allows himself to slow the game down a bit.

I'm not sure if I blame the secondary or give credit to the Chiefs OC, but Alex Smith picked apart the secondary at will and on a few drives Nick Foles seemed to do the same. I lean towards crediting the OC rather than blaming our starters. The Chiefs were really good at staying on schedule and having that effective running game definitely made an impact on our pass D.

Wilson looked great other than his last pass. And even that pass probably would have only been picked off by a handful of corners in this league. Had Wilson put it further outside, it probably would have been a TD. I like that Wilson is going to have that play stuck in his mind all week at practice.

All three Seattle QBs suffered drops that made their statistical performances look worse than they really were.

The ending was hilarious. It was seriously some of the worst clock management I have ever seen to end a game, and it actually worked to our favor as McEvoy drew single coverage during the chaos and confusion.

I think you are pretty accurate in your assessment, especially Frank Clark. I was very excited about his potential and now he looks like one of those experiments that don't work. Hopefully we're both wrong on that count.

 

[Seahawkfan80]

Great assessments guys. On Clark, remember that most of the first 3 weeks are going to be vanilla and only a cherry or two dropped in for spice. The one poster said that some are working to see if they have a job in 4 weeks. Some are EXACTLY that. As they rostershift people in and out during the next 2 weeks, expect a few differences in schemes to see how the newer players handle the system. Again, on Clark, he may be a position member that needs to demand 2 players and that changes the opponent team's scheme. That allows our safety or other players to modify their attack formation. As Pmedic says....it is a great time to be a Seahawk Fan.

 

[Tical21]

I wasn't able to watch the game. I have 2 questions for you guys. How were the SAM lb's at setting theedge? Did we see Browner at SAM Lb against base personnel? Wouldn't Kelcie be a guy we would see that against?

Thanks!

 

[theincrediblesok]

Tical, I just messaged you.

 

[DJrmb]

I just went back and watched the 1st half for the 3rd time and I noticed something I haven't really heard talked about. They actually started the game with Clark on the bench and 3 DT's plus Avril. They started the game with Jefferson on one end, Reed and Rubin in the middle and then Avril on the other end. I wonder if this was something just because Bennett wasn't playing or if they will try to bring that into the regular season.

Also Marsh had a good game. He had some good rushes later on which I know were against lesser competition but he did show a lot more use of his hands which is always good. However where I noticed him even more was on special teams. He was just as big in special teams as Powell (who was great) in my opinion. There were a couple of tackles on returns where I felt Marsh made a possible TD saving tackle. He looked good and at minimum should be an asset on ST.

 

[Tical21]

Okay, so I was able to watch the first 35 minutes of game time.

We didn't see any special Browner packages. He was strictly the backup SS, which I think puts him at 3rd SS behind Jam and McCray. He is a heckuva punt return gunner blocker. I could see him being a staple special teams player.

Morgan was ok. He didn't blow up the TE like Irvin could, but didn't get manhandled either.

Pinkins IMO lost any chance he had of being the starter. Got washed inside bad on a long run that bounced outside of him, instead of setting the edge. He also blew contain and allowed a long punt return.

Marsh set the edge with authority, probably against a 3rd stringer though. Will be interesting to see how he does against better competition. I didn't get tons him take any drops in coverage.

Odhiambo was a mess. Ole.

Gilliam is a good run blocker on the right side. Some guys, myself included, are much more comfortable with the shoulder and foot work on one side, and the other side just doesn't feel natural. He could be like that.

If Sowell can't play, we might be in big trouble.

I like the way 44 plays. Aggressive. Quick.

Paul Richardson carries himself like a player.

Deshaun Shead's lack of athleticism scares me. Interesting that Simon played LCB.

C-Mike can sure hit a hole. I still have questions about the way he finishes.

 

[Fade]

I just went back and watched the 1st half for the 3rd time and I noticed something I haven't really heard talked about. They actually started the game with Clark on the bench and 3 DT's plus Avril. They started the game with Jefferson on one end, Reed and Rubin in the middle and then Avril on the other end. I wonder if this was something just because Bennett wasn't playing or if they will try to bring that into the regular season.

Also Marsh had a good game. He had some good rushes later on which I know were against lesser competition but he did show a lot more use of his hands which is always good. However where I noticed him even more was on special teams. He was just as big in special teams as Powell (who was great) in my opinion. There were a couple of tackles on returns where I felt Marsh made a possible TD saving tackle. He looked good and at minimum should be an asset on ST.

Jefferson is Michael Bennett's backup. He will play 5-Tech in the base. and kick inside to rush the passer on nickel downs. He is not a pure DT.

 

[Dry Side Hawk Fan]

Yeah, thought the O line looked adequate, considering Gilliam had spent the majority of camp at LT and moved back to RT not long before the game. I've been impressed with Sowell, so it should be interesting the next two weeks. Offense looked sharp out of the box, with the short passing game. Hopefully J. Graham can step in and play to his potential right away. On D, I think they missed Kam and Michael quite a bit. Still, we looked a little soft on the short pass over the middle. Memories of Carolina and Cincinnati games last year. Overall, I'm just hoping we ain't at .500 after six or eight games this year. To start 7-1 or 6-2 would be sweet !!! GO HAWKS !!

 

[kearly]

I want to slightly revise my comments about Frank Clark. He had two pressures not one, and he had at least one QB hit. One thing I like about Clark is that when he gets into the backfield he always finishes, unlike say a guy like Cassius Marsh who forgets to finish the sack when he gets back there. I still think the upside at DE for Clark is along the lines of Everson Griffen, a good but not elite pass rusher.

In terms of run defense, I appreciate that Clark is good at staying home. However, he seemed to totally lack the ability to blow into the backfield and rack up TFL's in this particular game. So I guess it could be argued that he had a good game against the run. He wasn't bad. But compared to last preseason when he seemed to have 5 TFL's a game, it wasn't on that same kind of level or even close.

But I'll give Clark some credit. After watching the game again he was 'okay' though still below my personal expectations given the talent he has. But in fairness, it's really hard to evaluate pass rush in the preseason, especially for a DC like Richard who relies a great deal on exotic blitzing but doesn't play those cards much in the preseason.

 

[kearly]

If Sowell can't play, we might be in big trouble.

It's a shame Russell Okung didn't hire an agent, or that John Schneider is above John Elway's slimy bag of tricks. I still have a hard time understanding why Okung isn't here right now given his total lack of a market last offseason.

 

[dogorama]

If Sowell can't play, we might be in big trouble.

It's a shame Russell Okung didn't hire an agent, or that John Schneider is above John Elway's slimy bag of tricks. I still have a hard time understanding why Okung isn't here right now given his total lack of a market last offseason.

I totally get what you are saying, except for the fact that Okung would have had to eat crow, and he was more willing to accept a really bad contract than do that.

 

[hawknation2016]

If Sowell can't play, we might be in big trouble.

It's a shame Russell Okung didn't hire an agent, or that John Schneider is above John Elway's slimy bag of tricks. I still have a hard time understanding why Okung isn't here right now given his total lack of a market last offseason.

I totally get what you are saying, except for the fact that Okung would have had to eat crow, and he was more willing to accept a really bad contract than do that.

It seems when players sign "prove it" deals, which is essentially what Okung's deal is, they usually choose to sign with another team. Other than the ego theory, I'm not sure why that would happen. Presumably, Okung would have saved some money on state income tax and relocation costs by staying in Seattle. Poor communication between Okung and the front office was probably a factor.

Hopefully, after Seattle wins the Super Bowl, we can say it all was for the best. Okung hasn't even suited up yet for the Broncos, missing all of OTAs and training camp with a shoulder injury.

 

[RichNhansom]

If Sowell can't play, we might be in big trouble.

It's a shame Russell Okung didn't hire an agent, or that John Schneider is above John Elway's slimy bag of tricks. I still have a hard time understanding why Okung isn't here right now given his total lack of a market last offseason.

I totally get what you are saying, except for the fact that Okung would have had to eat crow, and he was more willing to accept a really bad contract than do that.

It seems when players sign "prove it" deals, which is essentially what Okung's deal is, they usually choose to sign with another team. Other than the ego theory, I'm not sure why that would happen. Presumably, Okung would have saved some money on state income tax and relocation costs by staying in Seattle. Poor communication between Okung and the front office was probably a factor.

Hopefully, after Seattle wins the Super Bowl, we can say it all was for the best. Okung hasn't even suited up yet for the Broncos, missing all of OTAs and training camp with a shoulder injury.

There was a rumor he asked Seattle if we wanted to match the offer and we declined. Seems kind of crazy but if true is telling about why we made zero attempt to retain his services.

Sometimes it is best for the player and the organization to just move on.

 

[Sgt Largent]

...It's preseason for Pete too. He blew an obvious opportunity to challenge when Alex Smith converted a 3rd and 9 on his first drive. The receiver caught the ball while airborne and his second foot was clearly out of bounds. No challenge from Seattle, instead they have 12 in the huddle and take a stupid penalty. Ware gets the easy TD on the next play, but if Pete were paying attention, it would have been 3 points and not 7...

I noticed it was preseason for the referees as well. They had 2 linemen downfield on this play, one of which was more than 7 yards downfield and the other I think not much more than the 1 yard box they usually give them. Surprised me because for all the grief they get, they are usually pretty on point with that foul. I wonder if they are experimenting with positioning or responsibilities this preseason, though I haven't heard any news on it. Probably just missed one.

 

[HawkGA]

If Sowell can't play, we might be in big trouble.

It's a shame Russell Okung didn't hire an agent, or that John Schneider is above John Elway's slimy bag of tricks. I still have a hard time understanding why Okung isn't here right now given his total lack of a market last offseason.

I totally get what you are saying, except for the fact that Okung would have had to eat crow, and he was more willing to accept a really bad contract than do that.

It seems when players sign "prove it" deals, which is essentially what Okung's deal is, they usually choose to sign with another team. Other than the ego theory, I'm not sure why that would happen. Presumably, Okung would have saved some money on state income tax and relocation costs by staying in Seattle. Poor communication between Okung and the front office was probably a factor.

Hopefully, after Seattle wins the Super Bowl, we can say it all was for the best. Okung hasn't even suited up yet for the Broncos, missing all of OTAs and training camp with a shoulder injury.

Pretty sure I've heard Clayton address this and it just basically comes down to the current team having to explain to the player why they aren't worth a certain amount whereas the other team gets to essentially start from a clean slate and offer.

It's pretty much ego but it would take a lot, I think, for most people to overcome the ego.

 

[drdiags]

Maybe it was because I watched the game with KC announcers on NFLN but the whole game seemed like the Chiefs were in control and dominating. Special teams coverage was not good nor returns. It will be interesting to see this week's game and week 3. When the Seahawks had serious depth they seemed to be swarming all the time on defense and special teams.

The pre-season game against the Broncos in 2013 just seemed like their 3rd string would whoop on the Broncos. That is why the SB was not a shock to me. No matter what the talk is in camp so far, what I saw was a lackluster effort and just not that level of physicality they showed back in '13.

Still remember John Fox's SB comments "They are fast!". Not something I see this season yet.

 

[kearly]

Maybe it was because I watched the game with KC announcers on NFLN but the whole game seemed like the Chiefs were in control and dominating. Special teams coverage was not good nor returns. It will be interesting to see this week's game and week 3. When the Seahawks had serious depth they seemed to be swarming all the time on defense and special teams.

The pre-season game against the Broncos in 2013 just seemed like their 3rd string would whoop on the Broncos. That is why the SB was not a shock to me. No matter what the talk is in camp so far, what I saw was a lackluster effort and just not that level of physicality they showed back in '13.

Still remember John Fox's SB comments "They are fast!". Not something I see this season yet.

Completely agree. That's why I've been really slow to get on board with the "it's like 2013 all over again!" narrative. Our starters are mostly amazing, but our depth is a mere shell of what it was in 2013.

Seattle could absolutely win the SB this year but I don't think it will be the same as 2013 at all.

 

[MizzouHawkGal]

Maybe it was because I watched the game with KC announcers on NFLN but the whole game seemed like the Chiefs were in control and dominating. Special teams coverage was not good nor returns. It will be interesting to see this week's game and week 3. When the Seahawks had serious depth they seemed to be swarming all the time on defense and special teams.

The pre-season game against the Broncos in 2013 just seemed like their 3rd string would whoop on the Broncos. That is why the SB was not a shock to me. No matter what the talk is in camp so far, what I saw was a lackluster effort and just not that level of physicality they showed back in '13.

Still remember John Fox's SB comments "They are fast!". Not something I see this season yet.

2013 was once in a lifetime like the 1985 Chicago Bears. The 2016 Seahawks have a better than good chance to be just as good as the 2013 version except by a different means. Basically by having a quarterback and offense that would kill that supposed legendary defense where they stand. This version will be far more balanced and count on all three phases of the game to dominate.