So the experts say the Hawks will suck this season?

Worst case I've read is the team will finish last in the NFC-W.

Somehow I suspect those folks are underestimating the talent already here on the roster. There is still a strong nucleus of young talent on the team and the loss of the the divisive guys on the roster may be compensated by the younger more hungry guys. I believe we could see addition by subtraction.

I still believe the Rams will be a problem but the other two teams in the division aren’t there yet or any longer. There is some pay back owed to them and we know who they are now.To me the Digits are overrated and our DEs will eat the GQ man for lunch. The Cardinals have a new coach and have lost a lot of talent.

The Hawks by far have the best QB in the Div., that means a lot. If the OLine and the running game develops as hoped things could be interesting.

At present if I defer with reluctance to the”experts” I still can see the team snatching a wildcard and being dangerous in the postseason. If however the team can win both matchups in the div. vs. the Rams the potential for a deeper playoff run could be more probable than those “experts” acknowledge.

What is the majority view here?

I see 10-6 or better.

I think the team needs a year to integrate the new young guys and regroup from the veteran losses. To me this is like PC's 2nd year where we went 7-9 just like the year before. So I say 9-7 with another near miss for the playoffs. But 2019 could be a really good year for this team if all falls into place with our running game and a young/aggressive defense.

Perhaps 12-4 or even 13-3 and HFA for 2019 will be in the cards. I can see it.

Yeah, I've been seeing a lot of 6-10, 7-9 predictions. Maybe they are right but their reasoning is a causation analysis. Our defense had some solid moments with Sherm and Kam out last year. Until Russ and Bobby go I will keep thinking good things. IMO I feel like our teamed improved this year but what do I know.

The national media narrative is always going to be lazy analysis for the most part. I was just talking to my neighbor about this. If Vegas has the line at 8-8 for the Hawks this season, we would both drop a grand on the over.

9-7 is my prediction.

John's right. The Hawks are reloading.

The Rebuild will be quicker then expected, our O line is a bunch of guys coached away from their strengths, Power, Solari should be able to correct them more easily then teaching guys that have not seen NFL caliber defenders, that should help turn things around a bit. Penny is going to take off quickly I think as well, he will be underestimated and faster then people think, big guys look slower going fast then smaller guys that stride shorter. Having a TE that will make contact and not whiff block is going to also be a big difference. The passing game will benifit from above along with having RB's breaking off and actual screens set up. Thats the offense.

On defense we got a chance to see our reclamition projects step in and up, I think they come back with more attitude and confidence and it will be a legitimate defense, maybe not top 5 but a contending defense, Our LB's will be fine and I can see Griff making some awe inspiring plays, from both the DE and Weak side. The secondary will have Earl, McDougald, Maxwell and Shaq, they should only be better having a chance to now play together and sync up in training camp, if they let their gaurd down we have viable guys now pushing hard to take their job, Maxwell especially.

The key is Pete, does he give the guys the ability to win or tyr not to lose. Taking off the handcuffs and letting the guys play especially on offense is going to be the major key to starting off quickly.

Two records for me.

If Pete lets them play. 10 - 6 and or better and playoffs.

If Pete wants to micro manage, 7 - 9 or 6 - 10.

7-9 as of today. Still lots of off season to go.

I want to watch our TC before I make any predictions. "Experts" are the ones that frequently "suck" with their early predictions.

I'm gonna stick with my usual 16-0. The way I figure it I'm bound to be right one of these years. :lol:

if penny cant run we are screwed. i pray Solari is a magic man. The division is strong; but I believe in Wilson. the things I saw the Oline do under Cable was embarrassing. perhaps it will be much better now.

Lot of unanswered questions. 7-9 sounds and looks about right. Nobody knows if we'll be able to run the ball and I feel the defense is going to be pushed around some this season.

I cant see seahawks finishing below Cardinals... niners are good and the rams are great, but Cardinals?

1-5 in the division.
5-5 the rest of the way.

I'm thinking 9-7 as well, but back in the playoffs in 2019. And I love the fact that everyone thinks they will suck.

How would the experts even know?

The offense will be completely different.

The defense will be completely different.

We literally will not have a clue where we stand until 3 or so games in. Maybe longer, because the team will be picking up the new offense and new defense.

Any projections at this point are just guesses. And there simply is not enough information to make informed guesses at this point.

The team finished 9-7 last season but easily with a competent kicker should have finished 11-5 or possibly 12-4.

The only genuine losses of substance were Bennett, WR-Richardson, and Graham although you could fairly argue Graham had checked out. I believe that both O players have been replaced by positionally capable guys. The other losses were for us JAGs. It remains to be seen if Bennett’s loss can be effectively replaced.

For me I will remain optimistic until proven contrary.

jammerhawk":1jy4wnpi said:

The team finished 9-7 last season but easily with a competent kicker should have finished 11-5 or possibly 12-4.

The only genuine losses of substance were Bennett, WR-Richardson, and Graham although you could fairly argue Graham had checked out. I believe that both O players have been replaced by positionally capable guys. The other losses were for us JAGs. It remains to be seen if Bennett’s loss can be effectively replaced.

For me I will remain optimistic until proven contrary.

Click to expand...

Avril, Kam, Sherman, Richardson and Benett. That's a lot of really good players to lose from a defense.

QuickLightning":32v9wct1 said:

jammerhawk":32v9wct1 said:

The team finished 9-7 last season but easily with a competent kicker should have finished 11-5 or possibly 12-4.

The only genuine losses of substance were Bennett, WR-Richardson, and Graham although you could fairly argue Graham had checked out. I believe that both O players have been replaced by positionally capable guys. The other losses were for us JAGs. It remains to be seen if Bennett’s loss can be effectively replaced.

For me I will remain optimistic until proven contrary.

Click to expand...

Avril, Kam, Sherman, Richardson and Benett. That's a lot of really good players to lose from a defense.

Click to expand...

60% of that list missed a huge chunk of the season anyway.

That's a lot of players who were good at one time, but were beginning to be slowed (or worse) by injury, or distraction; or just wanted more $ than they were worth on the field for a number of reasons, their actual play being only one of these.

Aros":272y9nwi said:

The national media narrative is always going to be lazy analysis for the most part. I was just talking to my neighbor about this. If Vegas has the line at 8-8 for the Hawks this season, we would both drop a grand on the over.

9-7 is my prediction.

John's right. The Hawks are reloading.

Click to expand...

This is where I'm at.

The cupboard of talent, especially on defense was too bare to reload in one year, so IMO it'll take another draft or two for us to get back to a top 10 defense.

So I see us around the 8-8 mark this year, it'd be more bleak if we didn't have Russell. I'd be more optimistic if we were in just about any other division............................... But both the Rams and Niners are now stacked, and the Cards are in the same place we are, trying to re-load but still competitive.

I hope I'm wrong, but we still are very thin at DB, LB, D-line, O-line, TE and WR. That's a LOT of hoping younger unproven players step up.

QuickLightning":14a968pb said:

jammerhawk":14a968pb said:

The team finished 9-7 last season but easily with a competent kicker should have finished 11-5 or possibly 12-4.

The only genuine losses of substance were Bennett, WR-Richardson, and Graham although you could fairly argue Graham had checked out. I believe that both O players have been replaced by positionally capable guys. The other losses were for us JAGs. It remains to be seen if Bennett’s loss can be effectively replaced.

For me I will remain optimistic until proven contrary.

Click to expand...

Avril, Kam, Sherman, Richardson and Benett. That's a lot of really good players to lose from a defense.

Click to expand...

But 3 of those 5 players played only half the year or less. The defense didn't suffer a huge dropoff.