So, the Seattle Seahawks, preseason favorites to win the NFC West for the 5th straight year, have started the 2008 season 0-2.  Let's look at why.

Matt Hasselbeck - the QB play thus far in Seattle's two games has been spotty, at best.  Matt missed 90% of the preseason snaps due to a tweaked back and has looked very rusty against the Bills and 49ers.  If the Seahawks have real playoff aspirations, he needs to return to his Pro-Bowl form and lead the offense as he is capable.

WR Corps - With injuries to six wideouts (Branch, Engram, Burleson, Obomanu, Payne, Wallace), Seattle is desperately thin at wide receiver right now.  Branch and Engram are tentatively slated to return after the week 4 bye and play in New York against the Giants, but Burleson's speed and Obomanu's energy will be missed for the whole season with injuries.  Add in the loss of youngster Logan Payne (IR - knee) for the remainder of 2008, and Seattle is looking for some help at the position.  Billy McMullen was signed as a FA and Michael Bumpus signed from the practice squad, but neither of those two are the kind of playmakers Hasselbeck needs to open up the passing game.  Strangely, former Seahawk Koren Robinson is still sitting at home.  Would his athleticism and knowledge of the WCO help this club?  Undoubtedly, but he may not be the roster move the Hawks make now with Payne out for the season and Wallace expected to miss 3-4 weeks.

Special Teams - Olindo Mare has done well in his work, so there is no hurting there; he's 4-for-4 in his field goal attempts including 2-for-2 from 40+ yards.  However, aside of his performance thus far, the ST play in Seattle has been a glaring weakness.  Punter Ryan Plackemeier was waived after a poor performance against the Bills in week 1 (11 punts, 40.9 avg), and Jon Ryan signed to replace him (3 punts, 39.0 avg against 49ers) - neither is even marginally exceptional.  Kickoff and punt coverage has been mediocre, and the kick and punt return squads have done nothing special save for Josh Wilson's 54-yard kickoff return against San Francisco.

Now, let's take a look at things that have gone RIGHT for the Seahawks.

Julis Jones - Jones racked up 127 rushing yards and a score against the 49ers in week 2, making a firm statement to the coaches and his teammates that he can get it done.  Sure, the Niners' defense isn't exactly what one would consider "stout", but 100+ yards is still a very good total, especially after his less-than-stellar performance against Buffalo.  He also has 5 receptions for 31 yards thus far, an marked improvement over Shaun Alexander's receiving outputs.

John Carlson - The rookie tight end has been all that was promised, and more.  His 10 receptions lead the team, as do his 130 receiving yards.  He's been solid, and his 6 catches for 78 yards paced the Hawks' receiving group in week 2.  Matt Hasselbeck should continue to look for him with all of the WR injuries the team has suffered, and Carlson's stock will only rise further.

O-Line - While the Buffalo game wasn't good (5 sacks allowed, 85 rushing yards), the O-Line fared much better aginst the 49ers, allowing just one sack and giving Julius Jones the lanes he needed to slash and twist his way to 127 total rushing yards.  Walter Jones and Mike Wahle look to provide the backside protection for Hasselbeck, and both have done well.  As a whole, this group has played only one good game, but their improvement from week 1 to week 2 shows me they're on the rise.

D-Line - Patrick Kerney is picking up right where he left off in 2007: he has 8 tackles (7 solo) and 3 sacks in Seattle's two contests.  The eight-sack performance this group produced in week 2 was impressive; add in that they held Frank Gore to less than 70 rushing yards and they look better than ever.  Rookie Lawrence Jackson had two sacks of J.T. O'Sullivan against the 49ers, and he is looking just as good as hoped.

LB Corps - Julian Peterson, LeRoy Hill and Lofa Tatupu are all tied with 13 tackles thus far in 2008, a good sign.  Only one sack between the three of them (Peterson), but that pace will improve over the course of the season.  Any of this trio could all start in the Pro Bowl.  Yes, they're THAT good.

DB Corps - Here we have a group that dominated in 2007, allowing the fewest yards and TDs in the NFC.  However, this looks like a different group right now.  Poor support from the safeties (Grant, Russell) and spotty cornerback play (Trufant, Jennings) has plagued this team.  Jennings need to learn to play the ball and not the receiver; Trufant got burned ugly by Isaac Bruce against the 49ers.  This is a squad that excelled in 2007, and very few changes have been made.  Improved play is a must, and it all starts with Trufant and Jennings being competent in their man coverage and Grant and Russell providing the support and big hits necessary.  Shutting down the Rams' passing attack in week 3 is a big must for this group of players to still be considered an asset to the team.

Well, there you have it.  Nothing fancy, just some basic analyses.

All in all, an 0-2 start is not good... but it's also not the end of the world.  Big wins against the New York Giants (week 5) and at home against the Packers (week 6) will help to allay some of the ouchies that we're all feeling.  But, it all has to start with a win over St. Louis to get the Hawks their first win in 2008.

GO HAWKS!!!