It's pretty bad when I write up the grade card before the game is over. But it's obvious that the Seahawks have not passed and deserve an F this week. No dissrepect intended to the Buffalo Bills, but the Seahawks should never have let the game play out like this.

It looks like the Seahawks have taken a step backwards on all sides of the ball. There's no excuse for that, not with as many returning players as they have this season. This is looking like a rebuilding season, not one that should be built on last season.

Offense: F. With the exception of future HOF O-Lineman Walter Jones, the O-Line was pushed around like George McFly in the cafeteria. It is impossible to look at where the running game is when the line cannot block. Last season, even with poor run-blocking, Matt had time to find a receiver. Not now. He's been sacked four times so far. ####! ####! ####!

Defense: D-.  They escape the F only because they forced 6 3-and-outs, 4 of those on the Bills first four possessions. Well, It looks like a total of 7 now, but the game is all but over, so it doesn't count (2-min Warning). The run defense was pitiful, and I hope Jennings paid for a ticket, because he sure looks like a spectator out there.

Special Teams: G-. I had to invent a new grade lower than an F here. Burned on the kick coverage, and totally not accounting for all of the Bills on the fake FG.

Seahawks did not pass. They will need to make some HUGE adjustments before next week, especially if the Injuries to MoMo and Nate keep them out. I wanted Bump to make the squad, but not in this manner. Looks like I may have made a '####'s Paw' wish on that.

Mack Strong "Shut Up and Get It Done" Award: This is awarded to the Seahawks player who shuts up, ignores personal glory, and does his job (kind of an anti-Chad Ocho Cinco). It's hard to hand this out with such crappy play this week, but it goes to Walter Jones. WalJo did not get moved around at all, and totally manhandled anyone who came near). Paul Allen needs to clone him off a few times. Coming in second was MarcusTrufant. Not because he made any really big plays, but because he covered so well that the ball rarely came to his area. When it did, he did not let it get caught or stopped the play right there.

I'd write more, but I'm too disgusted to do it . The Seahawksare better than this, and they need to step up and show it.

The only bright spots are that they have a two game homestand coming up, and a bye after that. They have the time to make the necessary adjustments. The only other bright spot is that this was the opening game of the season, and there is a lot of football left.

GoSeaHox! Stay 38!

Well, the playoffs are over, and we have our conference champions; the New York Football Giants and the New England Patriots. Next stop, the Super Bowl That No One Will Watch. Seriously, there are only four markets that will have any interest in the actual game. The first two are the people of Massachusetts (and to a smaller degree Connecticut, New Hampshire and Maine) and the people of New York. The third are the players and die-hard fans of the ’72 Dolphins, who will root for the Giants to stop the Pats from joining the hallowed ranks of the season-sweepers. The final market that has an interest is the San Diego Chargers and their fans, who would like to see Eli ground into something that could go on a New York pizza. Chargers fans will want Archie on that pizza to, if the Pats can find a way. The rest of the country is only interested in whether the Patriots can join the ’72 Dolphins, or if they will fall on their faces at the finish line. Oh, and the commercials too. 

Right now, the Giants are billing Super Bowl XLII as the rematch between Rocky Balboa and Clubber Lang in Rocky III. Right now, the Giants are scouring the hospital records from the December 29 matchup to see if some gruff, but lovable, Giants fan got shoved into an iron railing by Bill Belichick. Right now, the Giants are building a statue of Eli Manning, so that he can throw a motorcycle helmet at it. Right now, the Giants are downloading “Eye of the Tiger” and “Gonna Fly Now (Theme from Rocky)” onto their iPods.  

The rest of us really don’t give a damn.   

It’s almost impossible to like either team. There are many reasons to like them both, but you just can’t. The Patriots have risen to dominate the NFL, after decades of being dominated. Teddy Bruschi is the poster-boy for overcoming adversity. The man had a stroke, for God’s sake. In Webster’s Dictionary, under All-American Boy, it says “see Tom Brady.” On the opposing side, the Giants started the season looking as if they would be spectators at the Super Bowl, but knuckled down, instead of under. Michael Strahan is one of the best-known, and liked, defensive linemen in the country. Eli Manning is looking as if he might finally emerge from under Peyton’s shadow. But you still can’t like either team.  

The Pats have risen to prominence with a system of interchangeable parts. You can’t even buy most jerseys with a player’s name on it. Unless it’s Brady or Bruschi, someone else will be wearing that number next season. Machines can’t love, so why love them? Bill Belichick is probably the dirtiest coach since John Madden. We only root for the crooks in movies.  And, frankly, Brady’s charm has worn thin. We’re completely sick of how nothing ever goes wrong for him. There is such a thing as too much o####ood thing.   

You can’t like the Giants for one reason: Eli Manning is a little ####. Regardless of how big his brother’s shadow is, or that he can’t get an endorsement deal unless Peyton comes along for the ride, or that he has risen above his detractors to lead the team to the Big Game, he is still a little ####. Rather than being ecstatic about being asked to play a game for his living, he demands a trade immediately. We would have understood if he had asked to be traded to the Saints, being from Louisiana. But you cannot forgive his demand to get traded from the Chargers. Yes, daddy was the instigator, but Eli was an adult at the time. He just wasn’t a man.  

So, if you can’t like the teams, you can’t care about the game. The only benefit to the outcome of the conference championships was that we get to see the “hard to say goodbye” commercial again this year (genius; although “You want my Coke, Mean Joe” will win Best Super Bowl Commercial, again). So, enjoy the commercials, hope Tom Petty has no wardrobe malfunctions, and that Madden will hold it to a 12-pack. There’s a game somewhere around there, but. . . 

Underdogs are here!

I love it. Both of my teams are underdogs this Saturday. The Hawks and Cougs. Everyone keeps looking past them. Both teams live by tough Defense. Both keep finding ways to win when it matters.

There is a simple fact that should have the Packers worried. The Seahawks have the best pass rush in the playoffs, and the Packers live by the passing game. Grant has been a good runner, but Favre makes the Pack go. When he's not doing well, neither does the rest of the team.  There is the question of the Seattle offense not giving the D a rest, but if they can put together a few good drives, the defense will give Favre and his O-line fits.

The Cougs are also underdogs against UCLA, despite the better ranking. I like their chances tomorrow, however. What I have seen and heard of the Bruins, it's about players (as individuals). The Coug Headlines, however, are all about the team as a unit. Just look back to the 2004 Olympics to see what teams do to players. The Cougar defense tends to turn the ballhogs into bacon, and their solid, self-sacrificing offensive play befuddles most defenses.

Yes, both the Cougs and the Hawks may be underdogs, but watch your feet or you might trip over them.

GO SEAHOX! GO COUGS! FOREVER STRONG! 

What a perfect day! I am 3-0 today!

Seahawks Win; Cougs Win; and Huckin' Fuskies LOSE!

I have to admit, I was sweating during both games.

At the end of the first half, I saw old Mo' swinging towards the Redskins, as the Hawks offense started to sputter.Thankfully, they were able to overcome the muffed kickoff,  the Skins kicker came through for us, and Hasselbeck was able to put a go ahead drive together. Then, Tru was able to nail down the lid.

I do have to say, though, the Hawks have to play better on the offensive side of the ball next week in Green Bay. If they don't, they're toast.

I was then treated to the Cougs winning their PAC-10 opener. It was a nail-biter until the final two minutes. The good guys win in the end, though. The game was actually not as close as the score, however. The Fuskies could not shoot worth a damn from the charity stripe, and could not turn the very questionable calls, always going their way, into a 'W.'

That's because they suck.

Now, for the awards.

Mack Strong "Shut Up and Get it Done" Award: Marcus Trufant. I'm not just being a Coug Homie here. His "Pick 6" put the game out of reach of a Redskins comeback. Let's face it. The defense has been winning the games for the Hawks this season. As long as the offense can find a way to average at least 10 plays per drive, and rest the defense, the Hawks must be considered contenders. They're 1-0 in the REAL season.

The Mack Strong Award is given to the player who shuts his pie hole and does a hell of a job, not letting anything stand in his way.

Discussion questions for todays sports:

1. What the hell was Santana Moss thinking in gift wrapping the pick and return for Trufant?
2. Why were the Fuskies fouling a great free-throw shooter like Kyle Weaver, instead of Aron Baynes or Caleb Forrest?
3. When will the Hawks realize that Morris and Weaver (Leonard, this time) are the future of the Seattle ground game?
4. Hey, TheRealWildcats. How 'bout them Ducks and Wildcats?  :D

Just saw the score of the other wildcard game. Sorry, Steelers fans. You have to wait at least another year to remove that asterisk from SB XL. :D

Oh, in case Aron and Caleb read this, no disrespect.  You guys are MONSTERS in the paint, but have the old "Hack-a-Shaq" difficulty at times.

GOSEAHOX! GO COUGS! FOREVER STRONG! 

. . . what to say in this post. I alternated between gawping like a goldfish and screaming obscenities during the Seahawks 33-30 OT loss to the Browns.

I have to take my hat off to the Cleveland Browns. In fact, I did just that several times during the second half, if only to throw it at the T.V. Man, I'm starting to hate being right, though. If you read my previous blog, I stated that the Seahawks had to get the running game going and get the stops on third down. They didn't do the first until it was largely moot, and couldn't do the second at all in the second half. And guess what? They lost.

Seahawk's Week 9 Grade Card:

Defense: C-       Started off strong. Forced a 3-and-out after the INT, Held Cleveland to a FG after a First and Goal on the 2, despite the lack of penetration they largely stifled the Cleveland offense. Then Halftime came and not one Cleveland punt for the rest of the game. The game is 4 Quarters long, guys.

Offense :  C-        What's it going to take? You can't say poor blocking when MoMo and Weaver surge ahead with every touch, while SA goes down in the backfield. Here's a nickle's worth of free advice: You have two home games coming up against relatively weak opponants (that's right, I went there, Da'Bears are weak this year). Let Shaun sit out (including practice) and heal. Work on developing the younger guys. The passing game is still producing, but the Browns were able to exploit the fact that you weren't even considering the run, covering receivers like ugly on Pittsburgh cheerleaders.

Special Teams: A      IDK how much the rush had to do with Dawson missing the PAT, but it deserves a mention. And once again, Burleson hands the kick coverage their own ####, this time on a 94-yard punt return. They looked like Clevestone Cops falling all over themselves. One of the best moments in the game, from the Seattle perspective.

Mack Strong "Shut Up and Get It Done" Award: Nate Burleson

I swear, he must have read how I was tempted to give it to him after the St. Louis game, and decided to get it this week.  Like I said, his 94-yard punt return was one of the best moments the whole game, especially since he stood on the six yard line for about 3 seconds and gave about 6 guys a chance to bring him down, then burned them like Presto Logs. The Mack Strong Award is given to the player who gives 110% to do his job, not letting anything stand in his way.

All that said, the Hawks did not pass this week. They let a15 point lead slip away, could not force a punt in the second half, and really had no ground game (although MoMo damn near put the game away with seconds left >sigh< If Only).

The next game is MNF against the 49'ers (even I think that's a bad MNF game, why not the Bears game?). It looks like a good time to run some running game experiments.

GOSEAHOX! FOREVER STRONG!

Well, The season is officially half over, the Hawks have had their bye week, and they remain at the top of their division. You can make all the noise about weak divisions and strength of schedule that you want to, but that noise does't matter once the second season, or playoffs, gets going.

the Seahawks stand at a crossroads coming out of the bye. They can either travel down the same road that they have been, playing only one side of the ball. Or, they can step up and mesh all of the gears.

Believe it or not, the Seahawks stand poised to become one of the great teams of the 2007-08 season. Their defense is third in the league in points allowed. They are the fourth-ranked sacking defense. If the offense can get it going and do their part, I see no reason why they are not SB XLII contenders.

The Cleveland game becomes more important than anyone thought that it would be at the start of the season. It's no longer a simple inter-division road game. It is now an all-important mid-term. You know, the one where you can either use for leverage when trying to get more money from your parents; or it's the one that gets you put on Double-Secret Probation. The Hawks need this win. And they need to get it by controlling both sides of the ball, not just by being opportunistic should the Browns get sloppy.

Seahawk Keys to the Game:

1. Get the running game going - You knew that this would be #1, didn't you? Without the running game, DB's feel free to stay back in coverage. That will smother your passing game. The running game also is the biggest contributor to the ToP contest (one of the biggest indications of into which column a game will go). It doesn't matter who is doing the producing, the running backs just need to produce.
2. Get the stops on third down - Despite the high ranking for the defense in points allowed, the Hawks rank 22nd in third down conversions allowed. This needs to change.The offense hasn't been doing real well in keeping the D off of the field, but the D need  to get themselves off of the field first.

 These are, in my opinion, the two bigest things that the Seahawks need to accomplish. Not only to win the upcoming game in Cleveland, but go roaring into the playoffs. I think that they should not have too much difficulty winning their Division whether these two kinks are worked out or not. But if they do not develop the running game and get those third-down stops, they will go nowhere in the playoffs.

The Seahawks are at the crossroads, the choice is theirs . . . . 

Defense: A-

Sure, they got beat for big gains a few times, but 7 sacks, 2 picks, and keeping the Rams out of the endzone for the whole game earns them the A. Just remember though, that it was the Rams, holders of the Ryan Leaf Award for worst offense.

Special Teams: A

How can I not give them an A? Special teams scored 19 of the 33 points (technically, special teams does the PATs too, so I could say 21 of 33). Once again, Burleson makes "Ramburger" out of the kick coverage. Brown is once again perfect, going 4/4. Again though, this was the Rams.

Offense: C+

They did outscore the Ram offense 14-0, but once again, the running game is nowhere to be found. MoMo and Weaver were able to pound the ball ahead for solid gains. The question is, why didn't they get the ball more often? I do have to say to MoMo, though, FOLLOW THE FULLBACK. Shaun Alexander started off looking like the MVP again, going between the tackles for nice positive yardage. But then, inexplicably, went back to his attempts to stretch and cut back, which almost always result in a loss or insignificant gain. Mike Holmgren was often seen (but, not with his playbook this week) going back to the bench to instruct (yell at) players, why not instruct Shaun to stop trying to get cute? S.A. is not a ####le Sayers type of running back. That can be seen just by looking at his build. He needs to stay between the tackles and wait for the play to develop, then bull ahead. NFL defenses are too fast for that NCAA "50 yards back-and-forth before you cross the line of scrimmage" ####. Additionally, Matt Hasselbeck needs to vent his frustrations in therapy, not on the field. It makes you look like an ####, #### off your receivers, and revitalizes an opposing defense. Holmgren gets paid to yell at players for dropping passes and missing routes, not you.

Mack Strong "Shut Up and Get It Done" Award: Darryl Tapp

I was tempted to give this to Nate Burleson, but the fact that Tapp had every right to sit out after the finger injury, did not, and records another sack, forcing a turnover fumble at the same time, pretty much assured him this new award. The Mack Strong Award is given each week to the player who gives 110% to do his job, not letting anything stand in his way.

All in all, though, the Hawks pass the test this week. It was a win in a divisional matchup.They go in to the bye week with a much-needed win under their belts. Hopefully, Branch and Hackett will come back for the S.F. game ready and rarin' to go. It would give Hasselbeck some more confidence in his receiving corps.  If strides forward in the ground attack can be made over the next two weeks, and the other elements can maintain the level of play that was displayed yesterday, the Seahawks can be a complete team, and a strong contender.

GOSEAHOX! FOREVER STRONG!

Along with the rest of the Seahawk fans, I have had little to smile about this season. But, lest we give in to the gloom that has nothing to do with the clouds coming in from the Puget Sound, I find at least three players that constitute a silver lining, even in the last two games.

1. Julian Peterson. Whatever the Seahawks gave to get this guy from San Francisco, it would have been cheap at twice the price. He is among the front runners in tackles and sacks this season. He is fast, agile, and has a knack for being in the right place at the right time. He is also a nasty, hard-nosed S.O.B.
2. Seneca Wallace. What will it take before the Hawks sign someone else to back up Hasselbeck and make this guy a wide-out full time? If you take into account the fact that 90% of the time when he comes into the game, the play will be designed to involve him, he is playing at a much higher level than his stats would indicate. Since defenses know that he is a primary target whenever he lines up in a receiver spot, he gets better corners on him, double-teamed, whatever else the D can come up with. He still makes the catch.
3. Leonard Weaver. Has anyone else noticed that his rushing yardage from the Saints game is only 3 yards short of Alexander's total for BOTH the Saints and Steelers games? You cannot give this guy the ball enough. He could be the best hope for the resurrection of the roadkill running game.

Despite the humiliation in Seahawk Stadium (before you post, gleefully, that I'm wrong about the name: I know the name, I just refuse to say it), These three players were able to provide a gleam of light in the darkness, and show us what the future of Seahawk Football could be . . . I just hope we don't have to wait until next September.

GOSEAHOX! FOREVER STRONG!

Coach Holmgren, there are a few questions we would like answered.

1. What was wrong with the old long-snapper? I don't even know his name, but week 6 will have us remembering the new guy, Klutz . . . sorry, Stutz. If fans know the name of the long-snapper without having to look it up on the roster, it's because he screwed up.

2. Why is a 32-year-old quarterback still "in the last phase of his development?" You want to see how Matt Hasselbeck deals with adversity? Now? Mike, if a quarterback has not finished developing by age 32, he never will.

3. Why is Shaun Alexander still allowed to talk to the media? "If you look at my tapes, I've still go it." Shaun, we don't care about the tapes. We care about production, and there is a severe lack of productivity in the backfield. It's time for Shaun to stop talking about what he can do, and start showing it.

4. Why does your receiving corps look like they're more familiar with the game of "Hot Potato" than the game of football? Us fans love "yards after catch,"  and "getting out of bounds after the catch." Do you notice what those phrases have in common? The answer is the words "after catch."  Week after week, we get to watch receivers dropping more balls than Heidi Fleiss when the cops kicked the door in.

5. Where was the defense in the first half? This has been the year that the Seattle defense came into being. How can this defense allow the worst offense in the NFL to score 21 points in the first half and shut them down in the second? Maybe the lattes should have been served before the game, instead of at halftime.

6. Are you having Dauber from "Coach" write your playbook? If you need 11 points (TD, 2-pt conversion, and a field goal) does it really matter in which order they come? Does it matter if you lose by 8 points after a failed onside kick attempt rather thanby 11, turning it over on downs after a failed 4th and 9? Yes it does. In the former case, you're going down swinging.

Coach, these are the questions that we would really like answered. Please don't answer in a blog post, press release, or press conference. Answer on the field.

GOSEAHOX! FOREVER STRONG!