Yes! I don't have to die! Yet...

I told the NET community I would bet my life we would beat the Bears and thank God it happened.

I am sure I am not alone in my feelings that while I celebrate a much needed victory, this team is clearly not their championship form yet. If the Super Bowl Champions from 2013 are a 1968 Camaro with a deadly V8, I would say this team so far is the same car with a V6.

Something is missing.

Our offense struggled way too much against a bad Bears team. 0-6 on third downs in the first half is troubling against a team like the Bears AT HOME.

Much of the problem is on the OL, no question. They are still trying to find their feet and that is going to continue all season long much to the sacrifice of Wilson. There is no timing to let the plays develop. If Russ needs 4.5 seconds to see the field and find his reads he's getting half that.

Is it any wonder Jimmy isn't getting the ball as much as you would hope or think? Now today was a nice change of pace where he did get his targets and look at the results.

I used to say FIRE BEVELL as a fan who is speaking emotionally...A fan who speaks with his heart on his sleeve after a loss. Now I say let's consider hiring a new OC next offseason. Why? Because I truly feel he's holding this offense back. We are too talented to be this bland, period.

An offense this talented, with these many studs, should not go 0-6 on third down in the first half of a HOME game against these 0-2 Bears, like, EVER.

Right there, to me, is an indicator that something is wrong. Fundamentally wrong with the play calling.

Okay enough negativity. The positive is clear. WE WON! Thank God. I don't even want to think about the shit storm NET would be right now had we lost.

So let's hope our boys tighten up even more next Monday and give us the type of definitive, dominant home win we all crave.

2-2 Never sounded so good.

Were we behind 21-7 at halftime to a hapless Tampa Bay team....at home......in our dominant Super Bowl season?

This game was no more a worrisome sight than any other in the PC era.

Its just how it is.

We have such short memories around here.

Hawkpower":94k8n3q9 said:

Were we behind 21-7 at halftime to a hapless Tampa Bay team....at home......in our dominant Super Bowl season?

This game was no more a worrisome sight than any other in the PC era.

Its just how it is.

We have such short memories around here.

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That team was 7-1 playing on a short week after a very hard fought win in St. Louis

This team was 0-2 and a loss would have surely ended the season.

Aros is right - the team is just off right now, and really has been that way since the preseason. There are a lot of games still remaining on the schedule, but they just seem to be going through the motions right now. The 2013 team probably would have won today by 50 btw. Chicago is AWFUL.

All that said, last year it took them 10 weeks to get it going, then they got white hot and should have carried that all the way to a SB repeat. So as long as they win, I don't care how ugly it is. Just put the number in the right column on the standings.

Hawkpower":37u3g40i said:

Were we behind 21-7 at halftime to a hapless Tampa Bay team....at home......in our dominant Super Bowl season?

This game was no more a worrisome sight than any other in the PC era.

Its just how it is.

We have such short memories around here.

Click to expand...

Please. It's just how it is? Come on man.

I think the Seahawks are forced to do the bargain basement thing with the OL but since Walter Jones and Hutch were playing together, the OL has been in a consistent state of flux. Cable has a set lineman type but the OL always seems to be in a state of coming together.

If Bevell has to go, how the Seahawks build the OL has to be re-considered in my opinion. It seems the Seahawks have a hard time on the offensive side of the ball when it comes to drafting talent. Lockett seems like a keeper, given the draft capital it took to get him, but the team has a lot of misses on the offensive side of the house.

Jeremy Bates with his crazy 4th down fades that never worked was looked at fondly by some but he was just as unorthodox as Bevell.

To me, this offense is what you are going to get as long as Pete is here. Maybe Bevell goes to the Dolphins or Colts this offseason then we get to find out. I am not counting on some earth-shaking offensive change, even with a new OC.

Aros":365iiuu2 said:

Hawkpower":365iiuu2 said:

Were we behind 21-7 at halftime to a hapless Tampa Bay team....at home......in our dominant Super Bowl season?

This game was no more a worrisome sight than any other in the PC era.

Its just how it is.

We have such short memories around here.

Click to expand...

Please. It's just how it is? Come on man.

Click to expand...

Lots of examples of this very game over the last few years. It never derailed us or pointed to something sinister before.

Its too early in the year to decide that this year, a slow starting 26 point thrashing is worrisome.

Hawkpower":i4fyaul4 said:

Were we behind 21-7 at halftime to a hapless Tampa Bay team....at home......in our dominant Super Bowl season?

This game was no more a worrisome sight than any other in the PC era.

Its just how it is.

We have such short memories around here.

Click to expand...

I'm with you on this one. While the circumstances are different, I personally saw nothing different or worth worrying about in this afternoon's Seahawks offense as compared to many other games played last year or the year before.

Hasselbeck":148wrq8h said:

Hawkpower":148wrq8h said:

Were we behind 21-7 at halftime to a hapless Tampa Bay team....at home......in our dominant Super Bowl season?

This game was no more a worrisome sight than any other in the PC era.

Its just how it is.

We have such short memories around here.

Click to expand...

That team was 7-1 playing on a short week after a very hard fought win in St. Louis

This team was 0-2 and a loss would have surely ended the season.

Aros is right - the team is just off right now, and really has been that way since the preseason. There are a lot of games still remaining on the schedule, but they just seem to be going through the motions right now. The 2013 team probably would have won today by 50 btw. Chicago is AWFUL.

All that said, last year it took them 10 weeks to get it going, then they got white hot and should have carried that all the way to a SB repeat. So as long as they win, I don't care how ugly it is. Just put the number in the right column on the standings.

Click to expand...

The circumstances at play don't change the fact that Pete's teams tend to start slow.

The 2013 team would not have won by 50. They TRAILED the Bears equivalent by 14 at the half.

If this game was 46-20 would you feel better?

We've had three consecutive years now where the team got off to slow starts, in games and in the season. But lo and behold, come December we were playing not just for a playoff spot, but playoff seeding. Three straight playoff appearances, two SB appearances, one win, and another trip to the divisional round that we very nearly pulled off a win in. Three straight years we've come out in September complaining how the offense sucks, the o-line will doom us, this or that player bites balls and shouldn't have survived pre-season, yada yada yada.

If the D can force a team to punt on 10 consecutive possessions, somehow I think I can live with a 'slow starting' offense. I have no reason to believe we won't be playing for playoff seeding come this November, again, and doing pretty well as we do.

I suspect we are the best 1-2 team in the NFL, and better than most of the 2-1 teams, too. Yes, we have to play better and I'm confident we will. That's what this team does. It improves, slowly and steadily, until we are the best team playing in December and January. That's what we have been doing and I expect that to continue.

It's important to remember that every year is a new year with a new team for Seattle and every other NFL franchise. You look at the teams that are dominating offensively early this season- Arizona, Pittsburgh, New England, those are all teams with minimal personnel changes on offense.

Now look at the Colts. Their OL is in flux. They added a two new pass catchers and a new RB. Their offense just isn't what it should be so far. Look at the Eagles. With Bradford, Murray, Agholor, and HUGE OL flux. That offense is struggling mightily. Now in Seattle. You have two new pass catchers, two new RBs to work in, and HUGE OL flux. Of those three, Seattle's offense has actually stumbled the least to open the season.

But by the end of the year, I'd bet that Seattle, Indy, and Philly get their act together and start clicking the way other elite offenses have.

I think Seattle treated today like a 5th preseason game. Winning was all but guaranteed, so they used it as a chance to try out some new plays and try and build some trust between Wilson and Graham.

As far as 3rd downs go, Seattle finished 5/10 after starting 0/6. They were also 2/2 on 4th down. Add those numbers up and you have a 38.9% make rate on clutch downs. Last year the league median 3rd down make rate was around 39.8%. Seattle's rate last year? 38.6%. All things considered it wasn't a bad day on clutch downs for our offense.

I hate that the offensive line is always the scapegoat because we all know they are putting it together on a Wal mart budget so we can keep all of our core defensive players and Wilson and under that scenario they are doing a pretty good job. I agree completely that it is time to move on from Bevell. We have the best offensive talent I have ever seen in Seattle and it is time to open things up. If they aren't throwing the ball to Graham 10 times a game they are wasting him. He is not a blocker so lets use him like they did in the 2nd half today.

sutz":3l8kp5jc said:

We've had three consecutive years now where the team got off to slow starts, in games and in the season. But lo and behold, come December we were playing not just for a playoff spot, but playoff seeding. Three straight playoff appearances, two SB appearances, one win, and another trip to the divisional round that we very nearly pulled off a win in. Three straight years we've come out in September complaining how the offense sucks, the o-line will doom us, this or that player bites balls and shouldn't have survived pre-season, yada yada yada.

If the D can force a team to punt on 10 consecutive possessions, somehow I think I can live with a 'slow starting' offense. I have no reason to believe we won't be playing for playoff seeding come this November, again, and doing pretty well as we do.

I suspect we are the best 1-2 team in the NFL, and better than most of the 2-1 teams, too. Yes, we have to play better and I'm confident we will. That's what this team does. It improves, slowly and steadily, until we are the best team playing in December and January. That's what we have been doing and I expect that to continue.

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I approve this message! :th2thumbs:

Aros is right.....if you take away the Jeff Fisher fake punt return, Seattle has 3 points at half, because it's unlikely they drive the length of the field.

I'm a little concerned that a game at a good team like Cincinnati that could be a win, puts too much pressure of the defense to hold AJ Green and others to under 20 points, if we don't get first downs and have a lack of scoring of holding the ball. The other concern was Forte running the ball against us, without Mebane and that was without the support or even threat of a passing attack.....they held the ball for the first 14 out of 20 minutes of the game, which wears out a defense, if it continues to the 2nd half.

The Lockett kick return turned the game that could have been 16-0 to 26-0....if we struggle to get to 27 against the Lions, who are clearly better than the Bears, and has the threat of a passing attack, Seattle will be in a dogfight then has a short week to Cinci.

1 or 2 first downs in the 1st half against the teams like Arizona, Cincinnati and a healthy Pittsburgh will be problematic to securing the 1 or 2 seed. I don't think this team has three playoff wins in them, they need home field for at least one of them and to avoid a wild card game.

I can't see the offense struggling all year in the first half, but doing so for another couple of weeks could be costly in the long run. If you are a 3 seed behind Arizona and Green Bay because you have 3 losses before Arizona comes to Seattle, you run the risk of not catching them for a #2 seed behind Green Bay......I counted 3 losses for Arizona and one was at Pittsburgh in a couple of weeks.......which may not happen now with Ben hurt and Vick as QB.....We need to score and win the next 5 games, no excuses.

kearly":3tbxjell said:

It's important to remember that every year is a new year with a new team for Seattle and every other NFL franchise. You look at the teams that are dominating offensively early this season- Arizona, Pittsburgh, New England, those are all teams with minimal personnel changes on offense.

Now look at the Colts. Their OL is in flux. They added a two new pass catchers and a new RB. Their offense just isn't what it should be so far. Look at the Eagles. With Bradford, Murray, Agholor, and HUGE OL flux. That offense is struggling mightily. Now in Seattle. You have two new pass catchers, two new RBs to work in, and HUGE OL flux. Of those three, Seattle's offense has actually stumbled the least to open the season.

But by the end of the year, I'd bet that Seattle, Indy, and Philly get their act together and start clicking the way other elite offenses have.

I think Seattle treated today like a 5th preseason game. Winning was all but guaranteed, so they used it as a chance to try out some new plays and try and build some trust between Wilson and Graham.

As far as 3rd downs go, Seattle finished 5/10 after starting 0/6. They were also 2/2 on 4th down. Add those numbers up and you have a 38.9% make rate on clutch downs. Last year the league median 3rd down make rate was around 39.8%. Seattle's rate last year? 38.6%. All things considered it wasn't a bad day on clutch downs for our offense.

Click to expand...

But you also have to throw in garbage stat time, I know your metrics don't consider impact time and garbage time it's all relative. When it counts is what the eyeball test can distinquish, 4th down on a goal line in the Super Bowl, that play in St Louis, critical plays versus playing with a 20 point lead and a defense taking risks and trying to play from behind and giving up something hoping to guess right to get a turnover, or losing heart and playing out the string.

I'm with Aros, Bevell is holding this offense back, and Pete's just as responsible for letting him. I've watched this offense for 4 years now going on 5 under them and nothing has changed. defense playing lights out, but teams hanging around because we can't move the ball in the first half. Go into halftime, make the adjustments, and come out swinging... Why does it always take an entire half to figure it out? we are obviously a better offense, when Russ has the ball in his hands more. I bought into the run the ball to set up the pass philosophy, but I'm not so sure that it shouldn't be the other way around. What's the difference going 3 and out throwing the ball as opposed to going 3 and out running it... You call a draw on 2nd and 13? when it's obvious teams are game planning to stop the run.

Mistakes, interceptions, sacks be damned, Russ needs to have more control over this offense, and Bevell needs to realize that or he needs to go.. JMO

NewJerseyHawk":bte7xhjg said:

Aros is right.....if you take away the Jeff Fisher fake punt return, Seattle has 3 points at half, because it's unlikely they drive the length of the field.

I'm a little concerned that a game at a good team like Cincinnati that could be a win, puts too much pressure of the defense to hold AJ Green and others to under 20 points, if we don't get first downs and have a lack of scoring of holding the ball. The other concern was Forte running the ball against us, without Mebane and that was without the support or even threat of a passing attack.....they held the ball for the first 14 out of 20 minutes of the game, which wears out a defense, if it continues to the 2nd half.

The Lockett kick return turned the game that could have been 16-0 to 26-0....if we struggle to get to 27 against the Lions, who are clearly better than the Bears, and has the threat of a passing attack, Seattle will be in a dogfight then has a short week to Cinci.

1 or 2 first downs in the 1st half against the teams like Arizona, Cincinnati and a healthy Pittsburgh will be problematic to securing the 1 or 2 seed. I don't think this team has three playoff wins in them, they need home field for at least one of them and to avoid a wild card game.

I can't see the offense struggling all year in the first half, but doing so for another couple of weeks could be costly in the long run. If you are a 3 seed behind Arizona and Green Bay because you have 3 losses before Arizona comes to Seattle, you run the risk of not catching them for a #2 seed behind Green Bay......I counted 3 losses for Arizona and one was at Pittsburgh in a couple of weeks.......which may not happen now with Ben hurt and Vick as QB.....We need to score and win the next 5 games, no excuses.

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Its not that this isnt a valid post or concern. Its just that we saw it last year. This very post. All the time.

What we are seeing isnt new. Its frustrating, but it isnt new.

So far, these slow starts and maddening offensive performances have had no effect on our bottom line. Back to back Super Bowls tell the story.

If (or when) it has a real tangible effect, like the one you are worrying about here, I guess that conversation can take place.

Until then, why not surmise that we will continue to win the way we always do until proven otherwise?

I don't know -- maybe because I watched the game on replay, but I wasn't as alarmed by the offense as others seemed to be. We were really just a few tweaks away from unloading at least 40 on those guys. A couple dropped passes, untimely penalties, a few missed opps by Russell is really the bulk of the difference here.

Our O-Line is still an ongoing issue, but it is what it is. Hopefully, they get better. The problem is that they're not especially good at anything -- terrible in short yardage runs and mediocre in pass protection (though trending up). Still, there's time to grow, but you're not going to see many great offenses with a line that can't do at least one thing really well. That line accounts for half the offensive players on the field; they need to be great at something for your offense to be great.

Russell will start getting the timing/placement of that 50/50 fade ball right eventually. That's a well we can keep going to. We hit one of those, and we're already at 30+ points. Lockette doesn't drop that pass earlier in the game, and we're probably adding another seven. TLock had a great opp at that ball thrown to the post in the endzone -- potentially seven more.

On a 3rd-and-4, Russ missed Rawls wide open at the sticks in the short middle. Instead, he scrambled for no gain. Only explanation is that he couldn't see him over the line at that particular second because it was there for the taking. Just highlighting this to show that the opportunity to extend drives was there -- some of the randomness will turn in our favor at some point.

Nothing I saw on Sunday really pointed to there being an endemic issue (besides the blocking maybe). I've seen games where this offense looked hopeless (remember that Arizona game in 2013?), and this wasn't one of them, even in the first half.

I don't think this was an example game for how bad we are. There's a definite dichotomy between 12's who think this was a great win, yeah we have work to do still but overall great win, and the 12's like me that still think there are serious issues to address if the goal is getting back to the Super Bowl for the third straight year.

And what a problem to have, right?

Look, I was as happy as the next 12 walking out of the stadium. Beautiful day, my Hawks just gave an NFC conference rival a goose-egg in our house. The problem I encounter all of the time in here (and any NFL forum) is that there is the feeling that you become somehow less of a fan (even if it's not stated) if you gripe after a win. Truth is, we are ALL great fans. We simply choose to share our passion in different ways. For some it is to find the positive end of story, for others it's to dig into the problems even after a victory. And for many others it's somewhere in between.

One thing I am is honest. I am honest in real life face-to-face with people and I am the same behind a keyboard. I refuse to diffuse my thoughts just because I think it might come off wrong or upset the status quo. Honesty with my feelings will always trump saying nothing or riding the company line.

I am not always right but I am absolutely convicted in my beliefs when I type them out. So in that spirit I type the following:

The Seahawks are still one of the best teams in the NFL but I see we have areas to fix. I know the coaches and players are on it but as a fan you want those things fixed yesterday. I love my team, always will 16-0 or 0-16. W's are a magic elixir for players, coaches and fans.

Go on a winning streak and the fans have less to bitch about. It's a truism that is as old as dirt.

To get to Bevell you have to go through Carroll.

Quit whining and demand a complete coaching change. This isn't Bevell's fault.

WE WON!!! We're going to get better and better... Not too sad or upset about the win and shutout... A win is a win, so let's move on to the next one.... I respect everyone's opinion and Aro's you know I'm with you all the way... However, let's celebrate a victory for what it is... Not an easy win in the NFL on any given day... At Home or on the Road.... At least we're not Cleveland!!! :th2thumbs: