The Rams...WASH.....Atlanta.... Our last three games have left a bad taste..

Why all the comebacks?? If we could score in the second halves...Why not the first halves???

Can somebody telll me why we have had so much trouble with first halves in general last season and the last three games in particular?

First halves in general? We were ahead or tied after the first half in 12 of our 18 games last season.

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Okay, so maybe that pass rush is still an issue. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Russell decided that he wanted to work on the "come back wins" and "game winning drives" aspect of his game... it was in his pre-game notes.

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I never "worry" about football games. It's a game, and I'm not even playing in it . . .

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Every single team has a different personality. I would be worried, if we were playing in the Super Bowl. Since that team is officially done, I'm not.

Why worry. The season is over. Next year will have a whole different feel to it. Winning every game by 50 will do that.

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Go Hawks!

I wouldn't say I'm worried per se. I did wonder to myself, why it seemed during the Atlanta game that we didn't seem to use the read option much early. It was devastatingly successful when we did use it. It almost seemed as if they were trying to establish a more "pro style" offense against Atlanta, when all along, what we had been doing would work well.

I'm past it now, but it was definitely something that made me wonder what we were thinking sometimes.

Maybe a poll would have given you a better feel?

I guess the team took the whole "Can you win it in the 1st quarter ..." thing to an extreme those last two games. Or it could be, Rams game -- didn't matter much. Skins game -- first time in the playoffs for many, home team fired up, Atlanta game -- More examples of playoff intensity, with a home team that really wanted to win to shut up the doubters and show they weren't to be overlooked.

I don't know the answers and I am sure the coaches are self-scouting to figure out what happened in not only those games but for the entire season. It's what they do.

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"Pray to the LORD now...Seattle are a bunch of heathen atheist Canadians."

Yes

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Still missing you everyday pal.

Atlanta had it defended. Look at the San Francisco game. Kaepernick only ran for 21 yards.

They were gambling off the TEs. Both QBs eventually shredded this scheme through the air.

I wasn't talking about just Russell running the ball. The read option is so much more than that, but there just seemed to be very little of the actual read option look. Just giving the look can freeze the Linebackers which allows our receivers to get open between middle and deep defenses. Anyway, like I said, it's the past now, and I think for what it's worth, our staff will learn from it and at the very least Wilson will learn from the tape and we will continue to progress coming into next season.

*cough, boring & vanilla offensive play-calling in the first halves, then lively play-calling suited towards Wilson's strengths in the second halves, cough*

Sorry, that was quite a lengthy cough. I may have some bronchitis action going on.

Carroll is always stressing about winning the turnover battle. Since big reward passing plays are inherently proportionally risky, he tends to start out a game conservatively and lean on the defense and running game.

The problem is, sometimes we'll run into a really gifted opposing offense that is able to limit our running game and jump ahead of us in terms of points. Which finally forces Carroll to open the playbook and go with the higher reward/higher risk plays.

If the opposing team doesn't get ahead of us by more than one score, I think Carroll is perfectly content to keep on plugging away with relying on the defense and running game, and having a conservative approach for all 4 quarters.

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Remember, there are two teams on the field. The other team is trying to score points and win games too.

We can't expect to always be up 14-0 in every game....sh*t happens.

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@SeahawkGreg

YEAH, WE HAVE A DUDE NAMED CHRISTINE...DEAL WITH IT!

One correlation i noticed in all these "slow starts" of Wilson getting constantly sacked and running for his life and no running lanes for Marshawn was that JR Sweezy was in those first half halfs. The first 2 drives in the Washington game Sweezy was in, we did absolutely nothing those two first drives, as soon as moffit went in we marched down the field every single drive after that. Same thing with Rams game where wilson got sacked like 6 times. I didnt rewatch the Atlanta game to see when Sweezy came out because it was to painful but i do know that the run blocking was not up to snuff and Sweezy whiffed a huge block in a critical situation. Not sure when Moffit when in into that game though.

My guess is Cable saw Sweezy get a good block in the 49ers game then fell in love.
But Moffit is clearly the more reliable guard.

I've seen this team start strong and finish slow (beginning of the season) and I've seen them start slow and finish strong (end of season). Ideally your team would play solid all four quarters but that's just not realistic. I guess if I had to choose one I'd like to be a team that finishes strong.

It's power running 101. You let your big back beat up the opposing defense until they get tired and can't contain. It's why Lynch seems to get better as the game goes on.

Who wouldn't be happier with more points in the 1st half? But a game is not won in the 1st half. We're a second half team in a very real sense of the term.

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Give me some damn skittles...

I'm not sure I count the Wash and Atlanta playoff games. Both were on the road, at near max mileage for Seattle to fly to, back to back. You think it was a coincidence that we took one quarter to wake up in Wash, and then two quarters to wake up in Atlanta?

Against the Lambs, there were a number of factors, not the least of which is that they have a really good defense developing there. Not surprising considering their coach.

I look at it a lot like boxing. You kind of spar and look for openings in the first few rounds, then pour it on at the end. So, I'm not really worried.

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Talent can get you to the playoffs.
It takes character to win when you get there.

The record speaks for itself, but I get the point. I think it's something that will be fixed next year, this team is only going to get better. And we ended up 12-6 (with playoffs), so that's more what matters.
Obviously on the road, it would be nice to see faster starts, but the way this team can put up points in a short amount of time, they'll be fine. Like someone else mentioned, we're a second half team. We have a tendency to really get rolling in the second half, and have the running game to tire out a team in the 4th quarter. That is huge imo in the quest for a title. This team can eat up clock when it counts, but can also score quickly if needed.

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60 percent of the time..........it works........every time

Based on the fact that the Niners also didn't run much read option, I'm guessing it was something Atlanta did schematically to take away the QB option.

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