Mo' Hawks
Posted Dec. 4, 2006 at 7:40 am by Mike SeelyAbout the best thing you can say about rookie Denver quarterback Jay Cutler's inaugural start last night is that he wasn't horrible. Mike Shanahan's arch-conservative game plan wouldn't allow it. Save for the Seahawk's two scoring drives in the fourth quarter, Shanahan and Holmgren's third down play calling — in which both teams ran with long yardage to go, just as often as they passed — was truly perplexing. Holmgren gets a pass because he snapped out of it and expertly piloted the aforementioned critical drives. (Josh Brown is the Seahawk's MVP. For the season. End of story.) As for Shanahan, when you consider his play-calling, the decision to start Cutler over Jake Plummer in the first place and that wacko Jason Elam end-around that led to nothing more than a shorter field goal attempt (Elam could have made it from the original distance) and a pulled hamstring that might further hamper his team's already dicey playoff chances, and you could make a case that Shanahan had his worst week of coaching during his illustrious career.
Shanahan's logic for starting Cutler is that he gives the Broncos a better chance at winning the Super Bowl. There are two gaping holes in this rationale: (1) if Cutler is similarly mediocre in even one more game, the Broncos aren't going to make it to the postseason and (2) rookie quarterbacks typically suck — even the ones who end up being really, really good in the long run (see: John Elway, Peyton Manning, et. al.).
As for rookie quarterbacks who don't suck, Vince Young is the truth. His team's not going to make the playoffs and that sidearm delivery can be cringe-inducing, but Young still plays the game like the biggest, calmest kid on the playground that carries half his classmates on his back into the end zone. Moreover, Tennessee beating Indy on a 60-yard field goal yesterday is, for my money, the coolest nail-biter in the league this year, one of those special moments in sport where fans with no personal or financial stake in the game go nuts at the bar nonetheless. For me, that bar was the Mecca, where stellar morning bartender Jonesy was predicting a Bronco win last night. While his prophecy obviously failed to come true, he did make one point worth sharing here: the Seahawks had no business letting Green Bay stay in last Monday's game as long as they did. Green Bay, as evidenced by yeserday's 38-10 drubbing, is horrible. Which must mean the Seahawks aren't all that and a bag of Fritos either. Hence, my post-season prediction: the Hawks won't make it back to the NFC title game this year.
Topics: Seahawks
Comments
This isn�t college football. Strength of victory doesn�t count towards points in the BCS. In the NFL drilling a last second Josh Brown field goal is just as strong of a win as a four touchdown blowout.
Especially when the win is against a good AFC team. Doubly so when the 23-20 victory is over the Denver Broncos at Mile High Stadium in the cold. I knew there was a reason to keep hanging on to that faded Mr. Ed t-shirt.
The Seahawks used the old rope-a-dope strategy on the Broncs. Stay in the game. Soak up whatever damage Denver can apply. Wait for a rookie quarterback to make mistakes. Force a few fumbles. Win the game in the final drive of the fourth quarter.
Last week I joked about getting booted off the Man Table for suggesting that a kicker get the game ball. This week Brown deserves a place at the head of the Man Table. He can take Eddie Griffin�s spot. The brother isn�t funny anyway.
Admittedly the Hawks� unwillingness to take any chances on offense was frustrating. Who runs the ball on third and long? Over and over again. But when it�s cold enough for Denver�s Barrel Man to put on extra layers it turned out be a good plan for Holmgren�s finesse offense not to risk many turnovers. Next week at a warm Cardinals Stadium in Arizona the offense should begin stretching the field again.
From here on out, the name of the game is getting the second seed in the NFC playoffs. A by-week and home-field advantage are crucial for the Seahawks to advance in the post-season. With as poorly as Chicago Bears quarterback Rex Grossman has been playing, my hunch is that the number two team in the NFC will be making the appearance in Super Bowl XLI.
The Seahawks are in a three-way tie with Dallas and New Orleans for that honor. The Cowboys and the Saints play each other next Sunday night. Good Seattle fans, as painful as it sounds, will be rooting for Dallas. New Orleans owns the tie-breakers, so far, over Seattle whereas the Hawks have the tie-breakers over the Cowboys.
Throughout the season the starters on offense have looked like the cast of Aliens after the Mother is shown. Other than D-Jack and Deon Branch there�s not been a player who hasn�t missed games or been forced to play through nagging injuries.
As my mean German grandmother taught me, excuses are like assholes, everyone has one. Admittedly the injury bug has been used as an excuse by Seattle. The explanation, though, holds as to why the team hasn�t been running up the score. It�s not being used as an excuse for losing since at 8-4 the Seahawks just keep finding ways to win. That�s what good teams do. Win despite adversity.
Posted Dec. 4, 2006 at 3:53 pm by ReporterwardDon: Stellar post. I hate the Seahawks' chances versus either Chicago or Dallas. Don't really like them against New Orleans either, hence my prediction. But yeah, their best chance is to somehow get that bye and home field as the two seed. Then and only then is another NFC title plausible. You merely bringing up D-Jack and Branch gets to another point of my frustration: the Seahawks' receiving core. With the exception of D.J. Hackett, I've been underwhelmed by all of our receivers this year. Branch disappears for entire halves and Jackson drops too many passes to be the perennial All-Pro wideout this team really needs.
Posted Dec. 4, 2006 at 4:08 pm by Seely