Big game in a few hours...my thoughts for anyone who cares.
Seattle getting a lot of attention the last month with the big scores, and beatdown of San Fran, and now expected to win tomorrow by most, when 3-4 weeks ago the Seahawks were defined around the league as "the team that got a lucky win" on MNF.
Truth is, they've been preparing and executing this well since beating the Vikings the first weekend in November. Outside of a defense who was feeling the heat (literally) in Miami and let Miami march down the field for two 4th quarter drives (and a INT called back for roughing the passer), they would be undefeated since then. The 50+ point games were not a bunch of flukes, it was executing and taking advantage of Buffalo and Arizona's errors...but wins vs Minnesota, Chicago, and San Fran were games where Seattle was noticeably better all game.
Really hard as a fan not to be excited for this playoffs in so far as possibilities, but also longer term. From Wilson to the defense, Lynch going about his business and the low key receivers, this team has has the confidence of knowing they just have to execute and things will go there way. That comes down to the coaching staff and the maturity of Wilson, to help prepare the team every week. Its been building, but this last 4 weeks that have opened the eyes of the NFL, but the team has looked prepared and confident twice as long that.
Not since the Superbowl team has the team looked this good, but I'd venture to say, this may be even a better "feeling" about the team then that. Back then it was a meh NFC west, and the Seahawks rode Alexander. Hasslebeck was good often very good, but still made you pull your hair out with poor decisions every game, and straying away from the game plan trying to be a hero. He managed to get through it and the team did well that year, but it wasn't a surprise in following years that it turned sideways quickly as Hasslebeck's attitude and poor decision making came back to bite them as his physical abilities started to decline. Holmgren couldn't control him, or could Jim Mora, and Carroll the first year was stuck with him. This team, you get the sense that the QB is in full control...he's a control freak and studies hours and hours of film in preparation. It bodes well for the future, and having the defense vastly improved in all three areas, certainly helps. So if the team stays grounded, no reason this team can't be in this kind of shape for the next few years.
But, anything can happen in a one gamer...two or three bad bounces and things go badly, quickly, tomorrow. Thankfully the St. Louis game grounded the team a bit, and they should be ready to go as they have been most of the season, certainly the last half. As I said previously, I think the Seahawks have seen more of/and or better teams this years than what the Redskins do on both sides of ball, then the Redskins have seen in their 16 games. Seattle's slugged it out and had to change game plans on offense and defense with NE, MIN, Chicago, GB, SF...the one loss to SF, it was within a score. If Griffin isn't 100%, that will hurt Washington, as they will need his abilities to scramble. But with a Bruce Irvin and younger, more mobile LB's this year in Seattle, it's not going to be a cakewalk. On offense...Lynch is as good a RB as Washington has seen all season, and Wilson's ability to do the read option is a new wrinkle, along with multiple receivers who are all reliable, and 2 TE's who are also reliable...a balanced attack. Full credit to Washington for making the big run to get to this point, I just see Seattle equal or better in each aspect of the game, and if Griffin can't be the mobile QB he was in the first 10-12 games, it will be that much tougher.
Given the way the last 8 games of the season has gone since the shackles have been taken off the playbook for Wilson, and how well the team has looked on defense and just done all its needed to do to win games fairly convincingly, it would be a real shame to bow out tomorrow. Hoping for good things, and then moving onto Atlanta, but can't take anything for granted.
Did what they did the last 2+ months in winning. Got behind and although Wilson panicked on one drive, he kept it together. Could've been more if not for Lynch fumble on goal line and overthrow of Baldwin on next drive.
Got back to the usual defensive game plan when they didn't have to worry about Griffin running.
Once they got into the offensive groove, they rolled.
Clemons and Haushka hopefully are OK after falling victim to the terrible field in Washington. Both will be needed, especially Clemons for the pass rush.
Should be good game next week. Browner and Sherman vs Jones and White. Gonzalez will be the other threat that Seattle has to worry about.
Closest Seattle played to an offense like this were Brady and the Pats. Ryan is a good An so Seattle has to get the pass rush going early as they didn't really get today until late.
I think Atlanta is better on paper and should be favoured. If Seattle can play the way they did today and have the last two months, it will be close and come down to turnovers.
The Seahawks can play loose where you know the Falcons will be tight with expectation and past playoff losses when favoured, so there is that aspect too.
Great game today. I expected the early first quarter push from Washington, but not THAT good of a push. I was a little nervous but relaxed quite a bit after the second. It's an eerie feeling being so comfortable with a score so close at 14 and 10. The Wilson sacks got to me a bit, but that's just the rookie football fan in me. Seattle completely controlled the game after the first quarter. This is a fun time to be a Seahawks fan!
A healthy RG3 wins over the Seahawks, if he was even 80% he is winning that game but that is all non relative now.
RG3 looked like he was operating on 1 leg only. Tremendous courage from that kid he couldn't even plant his front leg to throw.
If Seattle does not win that game with RG3 in that game condition then they are not a contender at all.
I was less impressed with Seattle winning but more impressed with RG3's courage to try and compete.
The NFL sure called PI much different then any game played this season, what a horrible called game in the secondary.
Wilson had one hell of a good game.
ATL vs SEA should be quite a game.
A healthy RG3 wins over the Seahawks, if he was even 80% he is winning that game but that is all non relative now.
RG3 looked like he was operating on 1 leg only. Tremendous courage from that kid he couldn't even plant his front leg to throw.
If Seattle does not win that game with RG3 in that game condition then they are not a contender at all.
I was less impressed with Seattle winning but more impressed with RG3's courage to try and compete.
The NFL sure called PI much different then any game played this season, what a horrible called game in the secondary.
Wilson had one hell of a good game.
ATL vs SEA should be quite a game.
I know that RG3 has now been elevated to god mode by many but he doesn't change the fact that the Washington defense was awful in the 2nd half.
Healthy or not the way the Seattle defense shut down Washington and moved the ball was pretty impressive and without some bad luck that was a blowout game for them. I don't think the outlook for them going forward should be that different than it was before that game.
A healthy RG3 wins over the Seahawks, if he was even 80% he is winning that game but that is all non relative now.
RG3 looked like he was operating on 1 leg only. Tremendous courage from that kid he couldn't even plant his front leg to throw.
If Seattle does not win that game with RG3 in that game condition then they are not a contender at all.
I was less impressed with Seattle winning but more impressed with RG3's courage to try and compete.
The NFL sure called PI much different then any game played this season, what a horrible called game in the secondary.
Wilson had one hell of a good game.
ATL vs SEA should be quite a game.
You should wipe some of that RG3 off your chin after that post.
From PFT, though surprised I didn't see this on the Fox HD feed here in Calgary, (it must have been the next day) Richard Sherman miked up.
A genuine congrats to Gholston who called him a cheater earlier in the week, but then Trent Williams with a cowardly cheap shot in the post game handshakes.
Sherman likes to talk, but no more then most I am guessing...but no smack talk provoked that cheap shot, with his full helmet on.
Go Seahawks!
Hopefully they come out nice and loose, and then measured, no matter if they're up, or behind, as they've done over there last 6 straight wins.
All the pressure on ATL.
A plethora of thoughts from the game a few hours later...still tough to digest.
-Missed Clemons big time. 1/3 of Seattle's seasons sacks out of the lineup. Only pass rush was secondary blitzes, the first caused the first Ryan INT, but was sparse after that. No sacks, few knockdowns of Ryan. Never heard Irvin's name called, plus Atlanta ran at him and got a lot more yards then Seattle gives up.
-Lynch first half fumble was a huge turning point. Ryan had just thrown an INT, and Seattle was moving the ball down the field ok, and almost in FG range if he didn't fumble it. It let Ryan off the hook, and took a potential 3 points off the board...so instead of 3-3, it was 10-0 a few minutes later and Ryan had confidence instead of doubting himself.
-Gonzalez was going to be the factor that Seattle had to stop, knowing that the WR's were covered up pretty good, and they didn't...3 or 4 big 3rd down conversions in the first half, a TD, and the late catch. All big plays.
-Browner and Sherman and SEA secondary were more or less effective as possible on Jones and White. Sherman with some knockdowns, Thomas with a good game. Sherman got feet tangled as he was closing on White on the TD bomb. Unfortunate, but not like he was torched.
-Going for 4th down. Understand the reason, and tried to trick the Falcons with Robinson, but the wrong call.
-Wilson not throwing the ball away with no timeouts
-Either of the above two plays go for an easy FG, Seattle wins. Often you can say "well, if they scored, then the rest of the game plan and play calling for both teams would change". I don't think so..20-3 vs 20-0 at half wouldn't have changed the game plan. Credit to Seattle for sticking with the plan..no 4th down gambles after that point or starting to just chuck the ball and hope; just sticking with the game plan and getting success in the 2nd half by doing what they've been doing the last 2 months...good planning, and solid execution.
-Second half started with fluffy soft defense from Atlanta allowing Seattle to rip off 15-20 yard plays and not hitting guys. Tate and Miller with 100+ years each, both with 18 yard averages. Miller huge again for second week in making crucial plays, finishing with 142 yards.
-Seattle responded well after ATL's 3rd quarter TD with yet another long drive...this is the way Seattle was playing the last 2 months, always in control of themselves and confident...something haven't seen from this team in a long long time. Full credit to the coaches and Wilson.
-Inevitable, you knew Ryan was going to start getting the food lodged in his throat...sure enough, throws up a floater the play after Seattle sniffed out the reverse to White, and Ryan looked impatient, and then made the mistake. Game on with the Thomas INT. 2 minutes later, its a one score game thanks to a great run by Turbin and more poor Atlanta soft defense.
-Credit to Seattle line...one false start, and no holding calls I don't think. Wilson never used the read option which is odd. He had a good day running, but that was not by choice, just his usual scrambling abilities.
-Final drive, great play by Lynch to go 20+ yards. Then the TD run...if he fumbled that and Unger picks it up, Seattle doesn't get the TD but ball on goal line, with clock still ticking. Would have likely run down clock some more, and not left ATL with 31 seconds.
-The last 31 seconds will haunt the team and fans for a while. Seattle fans saw this vs the Bears, after Wilson lead them back to take a 3 point lead back a few months ago. Two plays in under 30 seconds, one long one and then a short one, setup CHI in field position for the game tying kick, which they made. Seattle won that game, but the defense was poor. Far too much zone. Same thing here...had Wagner a LB cover 3rd reciever Harry Douglas, and the rest of the secondary was pushed too far back by White, Jones, and Gonzalez. Far too much yards to give up. Then, 18 more yards to Gonzalez, who fought for an extra 3 or 4 yards. Then, Carroll trying to ice the kicker...haven't heard his reasoning for that post game, he said a few times during the year he wouldn't do that. Of course, he missed the practice kick and made the real one.
-The squib; shame Seattle didn't pick it clean, it would've given them 2 or 3 more seconds on the clock and maybe 2 or 3 more yards. If they made a 7 or 8 (or longer gain), and had it at a 50 yard kick. However, without the regular kicker Haushka (thanks crappy Fed Ex field last week), it would've been a 65 yarder and that's too far for a guy in Longwell who's career high was 55....6 years ago. Haushka may not have had the range either, but I guarantee they would've tried it...and imagine that finish.
Not to be in the end. But no reason to hang heads if Seattle...all told, Wilson caps off the year with a new playoff passing yard mark for a rookie at 385 yards. 60 yards running. An incredible 10 for 11 in the second half...the only incomplete pass was the hail mary as time expired. Clutch.
Almost 500 net yards for the Seahawks. Would've been the largest comeback in a playoff game (and would've been down by 20 twice) in 55 years...31 seconds, or a 1st half "meaningless" FG away.
It looked grim in the first 30 minutes, but never, after watching this team do what it has and turned into this year, seem impossible. The game planning, but more importantly the execution of Wilson and the confidence the players have in him (and thus make them better), cannot be overstated. With Seattle moving the ball ok in the first half, anything was possible in the second half with some luck and Ryan's and ATL's playoff confidence...but you knew that missing 3-9 or more easy points in the first half, may turn up big, and that was the case.
Will be interesting to see the comments in the next few days...and where this team goes from here. You'd like to think only up, as the talent is there as is the youth. A home playoff game or more would've had this team, but silly losses to crap teams like ARI, MIA and DET earlier in the year sealed that.
A post-mortum of this incredible season and a look ahead, in another post later on, for those few who care.
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This is some great stuff, stumbled upon this...Richard Sherman interviewing people during Superbowl week...asking unsuspecting fans who the better shutdown corner is, Sherman or Revis.
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