Again, allow me to apologize for the presumptuous post, but well, its here. Deal with it. I believe they will get better as I get back into the swing of watching game film. Havent watched game film in a real way for 18 years and its totally different. As I touched on last week, human instinct is to watch the ball. Thats how you watch the GAME of football. But its not what you watch when you want to see WHY things happened as opposed to WHAT happened. Again and again I find myself missing plays when re watching because Ive gotten back to watching the ball. I re-watched certain plays 5 times to finally see the "why". And Im still not always seeing what I should see.
Ok.. on to the comments proper.
1) Last week I felt the theme of the game was "game of inches". This week the concept of the week is "Tipping Point". This game was full of examples of how effects arent linear.. there are incremental changes that can basically be ignored, but then at a certain point.. the changes suddenly have an effect. First example in this game is Tony Gonzalez. He's still an effective TE, but he isnt what he was even last year in the playoffs. Hes been losing some speed, some control, some agility for years..and this year its caught up. He had 3 catches and was a non factor. Last year in the playoffs he seemed unstoppable at times. Kudos to the coaching staff, they knew it and didnt waste an effort by catering a scheme to negate him.. he was covered by "whoever".
Another example of tipping point: the Falcons and their demise. They keep letting talent leave thinking it doesnt matter, but finally it added up and was too much. They are missing two absolute star WRs, and that means they will be able to compete next year again I think..but on defense they just dont have anything left and the demise was sudden. Last year they could get pressure, they could play a good zone defense. Now they struggle to get pressure and their zone defense was nothing special. For their sake I hope Trufant improves next year. He's not bad now, but they need an over all increase in talent. Not a bunch of stars, just an incremental raise in talent.
Seahawks offensive line: They didnt suddenly get really really good.. but what we see is that they can play well unless they are faced with elite pass rushers. We all were spooked by what happened when they played the Rams.. the talent gap between our tackles and their DEs was too high and they became turnstyles. I think yesterday they were also outclassed in fact, but not by enough to reach that "tipping point" where every play looks like a jail break. Looking forward, except the 49ers and the Rams again, we wont be playing that type of DE.
2) Last week I wrote I felt the Seahawks were getting too cute on the D line.. often playing 4 speed rushers even on 1st and 10 or 2nd and 5 type plays. Mebane hardly played in the first half. This week they got back to what they do: Putting in a disruptive line with 1 or 2 pash rushers at a time. Mebane played much much more and was..well..disruptive. Even on passing down..he doesnt get the sacks but he is such a presence that he tends to attract 2 blockers meaning no help for someone trying to block Clemons or Avril off the edge, or a blitzer either up the center or edge. Only two sacks, with two more wiped out by pressure but Matt Ryan has a quick release and makes quick reads. Solid against the run again and that makes the pass defense that much easier. Dont really need that NASCAR line until the 3rd quarter and we are up by 3 or 4 scores.
3) Another thing I harped on last week was that at some point Wilson was just going to have to start letting it fly even if Tate or Kearse or Baldwin dont have much separation. Obviously he did exactly that with dramatic results.
4) Player to watch in 2014: TE Willson. They are clearly grooming him to be "the guy"..they are going to need to save money and TE is one easy place to do it. Miller is great...but expensive and we have key players who will need money. This game Willson was essentially mimicing Miller, unlike other games where his duties were more limited. he played H-back, he played in line TE, he played full back.. interestingly he often played those positions a series after Miller did and I wondered if they were actually doing "on the job training" . He is clearly talented in pass catching.. his routes will improve and his blocking and he will be a complete TE.
5) Speaking of Willson at FB.. Miller played at FB again ..as well as Mrob and really, there wasnt much to choose.. we ran effectively no matter who was at FB this game. It wasnt a great game for MRob who missed a couple blocks..but he couldnt have been in on more than 15% of the plays. Lots of 2 TE sets, or 1 TE and 3 WRs were used. Lynch had long gains with all three at FB.
6) A lot of the talk this week was that our problem the last two games against the run was that LBs were not staying in their gaps. Mostly I disagreed.. I watched them fill their gaps last week but then get eaten up by linemen and unable to get off those blocks fast enough. This week obviously was much better..but conversely I did catch Wright out of position a couple of times, including on the Falcons best run of the night when they put Snelling in.
7) You really need pre-cognition to play DB in the NFL now.. A guy drops a pass and you better know he was going to drop it because if you happen to be at the speed and distance so youll hit him too soon after the drop youre going to get a penalty. That HAS to be addressed again once the dust from the law suits settles.
8) At the end of the 1st half Russel went down hard on the sideline. Being a beat down Seahawk fan conditioned to expect the worst I somehow immediately thought he was hurt. Shocked at the mentality the Seahawks history has given me!
9) So impressed that so suddenly the 12th Man has become so mobile. We've never travelled like this , even in 2005. Even in Atlanta you could hear on the TV "Sea Hawks!" cheers and the crowd cheer when Tate made his amazing TD catch.
10) Very little drop off in this game when BB went out, but I think that was a matter of match ups. I want BB back by the time we play the Saints...
11) Early in the game C Pierre was awful. Embarrassing almost.. on one play he missed on his initial block, then went to block another defender..and essentially dove to the ground accomplishing nothing.
12) Atlanta's defensive game plan was .. odd. To a degree weve been exposed..the point is to stack the box and over load or put visible pressure on tackles, while keeping contain on the pocket. Atlanta rarely put 8 in the box, and paid the price. In coverage their zone was ineffective and soft. Tate's screen was a great example..and a great play call. The CB was way back already in the area he would cover.. so there was space to get the quick pass off and get the blockers in front. When Atlanta went to man coverage, Wilson threw it up and Kearse and Tate were able to come down with it down field. To be fair, maybe Atlanta just doesnt have the players to follow the game plan other teams have used against us.
And finally.. just my own comment.
Talking to Sammy ..well..texting.. something came up..
I think we should all make sure that for all our nit picking, for the anxiety and anticipation we have.. for all the other emotions this magical season has.. make sure we all take time out to sometimes just ENJOY it. Savor it. Revel in it. 9-1 starts are exceedingly rare. Who knows when we enter a down cycle or whatever. The point is, some day this season is going to be one of the semi-mythical Good Ole Days.. the Glory Days. So while we should keep on arguing about and griping about the O line, or how much the FB should be used or whatever.. do make sure you let yourself smile, laugh, bask in the awesomeness that is the 2013 season.
Ok.. on to the comments proper.
1) Last week I felt the theme of the game was "game of inches". This week the concept of the week is "Tipping Point". This game was full of examples of how effects arent linear.. there are incremental changes that can basically be ignored, but then at a certain point.. the changes suddenly have an effect. First example in this game is Tony Gonzalez. He's still an effective TE, but he isnt what he was even last year in the playoffs. Hes been losing some speed, some control, some agility for years..and this year its caught up. He had 3 catches and was a non factor. Last year in the playoffs he seemed unstoppable at times. Kudos to the coaching staff, they knew it and didnt waste an effort by catering a scheme to negate him.. he was covered by "whoever".
Another example of tipping point: the Falcons and their demise. They keep letting talent leave thinking it doesnt matter, but finally it added up and was too much. They are missing two absolute star WRs, and that means they will be able to compete next year again I think..but on defense they just dont have anything left and the demise was sudden. Last year they could get pressure, they could play a good zone defense. Now they struggle to get pressure and their zone defense was nothing special. For their sake I hope Trufant improves next year. He's not bad now, but they need an over all increase in talent. Not a bunch of stars, just an incremental raise in talent.
Seahawks offensive line: They didnt suddenly get really really good.. but what we see is that they can play well unless they are faced with elite pass rushers. We all were spooked by what happened when they played the Rams.. the talent gap between our tackles and their DEs was too high and they became turnstyles. I think yesterday they were also outclassed in fact, but not by enough to reach that "tipping point" where every play looks like a jail break. Looking forward, except the 49ers and the Rams again, we wont be playing that type of DE.
2) Last week I wrote I felt the Seahawks were getting too cute on the D line.. often playing 4 speed rushers even on 1st and 10 or 2nd and 5 type plays. Mebane hardly played in the first half. This week they got back to what they do: Putting in a disruptive line with 1 or 2 pash rushers at a time. Mebane played much much more and was..well..disruptive. Even on passing down..he doesnt get the sacks but he is such a presence that he tends to attract 2 blockers meaning no help for someone trying to block Clemons or Avril off the edge, or a blitzer either up the center or edge. Only two sacks, with two more wiped out by pressure but Matt Ryan has a quick release and makes quick reads. Solid against the run again and that makes the pass defense that much easier. Dont really need that NASCAR line until the 3rd quarter and we are up by 3 or 4 scores.
3) Another thing I harped on last week was that at some point Wilson was just going to have to start letting it fly even if Tate or Kearse or Baldwin dont have much separation. Obviously he did exactly that with dramatic results.
4) Player to watch in 2014: TE Willson. They are clearly grooming him to be "the guy"..they are going to need to save money and TE is one easy place to do it. Miller is great...but expensive and we have key players who will need money. This game Willson was essentially mimicing Miller, unlike other games where his duties were more limited. he played H-back, he played in line TE, he played full back.. interestingly he often played those positions a series after Miller did and I wondered if they were actually doing "on the job training" . He is clearly talented in pass catching.. his routes will improve and his blocking and he will be a complete TE.
5) Speaking of Willson at FB.. Miller played at FB again ..as well as Mrob and really, there wasnt much to choose.. we ran effectively no matter who was at FB this game. It wasnt a great game for MRob who missed a couple blocks..but he couldnt have been in on more than 15% of the plays. Lots of 2 TE sets, or 1 TE and 3 WRs were used. Lynch had long gains with all three at FB.
6) A lot of the talk this week was that our problem the last two games against the run was that LBs were not staying in their gaps. Mostly I disagreed.. I watched them fill their gaps last week but then get eaten up by linemen and unable to get off those blocks fast enough. This week obviously was much better..but conversely I did catch Wright out of position a couple of times, including on the Falcons best run of the night when they put Snelling in.
7) You really need pre-cognition to play DB in the NFL now.. A guy drops a pass and you better know he was going to drop it because if you happen to be at the speed and distance so youll hit him too soon after the drop youre going to get a penalty. That HAS to be addressed again once the dust from the law suits settles.
8) At the end of the 1st half Russel went down hard on the sideline. Being a beat down Seahawk fan conditioned to expect the worst I somehow immediately thought he was hurt. Shocked at the mentality the Seahawks history has given me!
9) So impressed that so suddenly the 12th Man has become so mobile. We've never travelled like this , even in 2005. Even in Atlanta you could hear on the TV "Sea Hawks!" cheers and the crowd cheer when Tate made his amazing TD catch.
10) Very little drop off in this game when BB went out, but I think that was a matter of match ups. I want BB back by the time we play the Saints...
11) Early in the game C Pierre was awful. Embarrassing almost.. on one play he missed on his initial block, then went to block another defender..and essentially dove to the ground accomplishing nothing.
12) Atlanta's defensive game plan was .. odd. To a degree weve been exposed..the point is to stack the box and over load or put visible pressure on tackles, while keeping contain on the pocket. Atlanta rarely put 8 in the box, and paid the price. In coverage their zone was ineffective and soft. Tate's screen was a great example..and a great play call. The CB was way back already in the area he would cover.. so there was space to get the quick pass off and get the blockers in front. When Atlanta went to man coverage, Wilson threw it up and Kearse and Tate were able to come down with it down field. To be fair, maybe Atlanta just doesnt have the players to follow the game plan other teams have used against us.
And finally.. just my own comment.
Talking to Sammy ..well..texting.. something came up..
I think we should all make sure that for all our nit picking, for the anxiety and anticipation we have.. for all the other emotions this magical season has.. make sure we all take time out to sometimes just ENJOY it. Savor it. Revel in it. 9-1 starts are exceedingly rare. Who knows when we enter a down cycle or whatever. The point is, some day this season is going to be one of the semi-mythical Good Ole Days.. the Glory Days. So while we should keep on arguing about and griping about the O line, or how much the FB should be used or whatever.. do make sure you let yourself smile, laugh, bask in the awesomeness that is the 2013 season.
