That Sucked

All last week I was going back and forth about when I should start talking about the draft and prepping for the 2009 season. Tonight's game against the Buccs produced an overwhelming 'now'. This season is done. Really, the season was done last week, but any hope vanished tonight, both with the loss and, more importantly, the ridiculously poor performance. This team can't do anything. Will they win even four games this season? I'm not even sure they'll beat the Rams when the go to St. Louis.

I have to say I'm especially disappointed with Seneca Wallace's performance. Maybe I think too highly of him. Maybe Deion Branch and Nate Burleson are much better than we (I) gave them credit for. I guess it could be that these receivers are awful (and if that's the case, why not play Jordan Kent? And why did we give up a fifth-round pick if Colbert isn't going to do anything?). I've loved Wallace as a backup since his 2006 performance and his projected growth since then. There's a great chance he'll start a couple more games, and I really wanted to see him come up big. But it looks like he's become infected with whatever has got into every other Seahawk player.

I guess it's time to start projecting the Mora era.

Bad Team

John Morgan, FieldGulls:

Five games in, I have no rational hope for this team. Something has invaded this organization, its coaching, its talent, its management, that has poisoned it to its core. It's no longer a matter of a good team underachieving, this is a bad team playing to form.

It's true. The Seahawks aren't a good team playing poorly. They're a poor team.

Five games in, I have no rational hope for this team. Something has invaded this organization, its coaching, its talent, its management, that has poisoned it to its core. It's no longer a matter of a good team underachieving, this is a bad team playing to form.

During the third preseason game Mike Tirico made a comment (which I objected to) about how the team might respond if a (god forbid!) 2-3 start were to happen. Well, we're here. Actually, we're worse. And if this continues for another couple of games (at Tampa, at a surprisingly-explosive San Francisco, home vs. Philadelphia), the Seahawks will be in a position where the reasonable response will be to start planning for next year. With as bad as the Seahawks have been playing, and with Hasselbeck potentially out for a long time, it's not unreasonable to think the Seahawks will be 1-7 after eight games. At that point, the unfortunately-there elephant in the room - Holmgren's final season - will have to be addressed.

I'll hold off on the 'what to keep, what to toss' post (or set of posts) until there's nothing else to write about. For now, I just hope Holmgren can find a way to go out with his head up.

Let's Be Real...

The Seahawks aren't making the playoffs.

The last chance the Seahawks had vanished when the Cardinals blocked a punt to win in overtime, and that last chance would have been due only to the ineptitude of other NFC West teams. The Seahawks would have had a sliver of a chance only because Arizona would have shown they couldn't get out of their own way. Now, Arizona has a pair of big wins over Buffalo and Dallas. They're a full two games ahead of the second place, 2-4 49ers, whom they also have a win over. Barring and injury-riddled collapse, the Cardinals have this division locked up. I've already posited that the Seahawks have no chance at a wildcard spot, but I'll hammer home the point now:

• The NFC East has three teams with four wins and a fourth team, Dallas, with three wins.
• The NFC North has three teams with three wins.
• The NFC South has three teams with four wins and a fourth team, my preseason dark horse New Orleans, with three wins.

That's ten teams with three or more wins, of which seven will be fighting for two wildcard spots. The NFC is incredibly strong this year. I was shocked when I looked at the divisional standings. Ten teams are at least two games better than the Seahawks. You know what else that means? It means the Seahawks have a horrible record.

Who else is in the one-win club? Cleveland. Houston. Oakland. Kansas City. St. Louis. Seattle.

Right now, the Seahawks have a better shot at a top-10 pick than they do the playoffs. Depressing...

Be Careful What You Wish For

Somewhere, in some dark corner of my brain, I'm sure I found myself wishing, after watching their obvious chemistry, that Charlie Frye would get a chance to throw to Jordan Kent in a real game.  Those two were a money combo in the second and third preseason games.

Well, now it's starting to sound like Hasselbeck won't be playing Sunday.  Seneca Wallace is already out with a reaggravation of his calf injury.  So, if Matt can't go, Charlie Frye gets to step up.

Yikes.

So, what's the potential bright side of this?  I have a few.

1. Above all else, everybody on the team, offense, defense, and special teams, steps up their game to compensate.  I don't know if this means better preparation, better focus, or just giving that much more effort than they otherwise would have.
2. On a similar note, use the loss of your leader as a point to rally the team around.  Thank goodness this is a home game.
3. Establish the running game from the start.  Holmgren (probably) won't feel comfortable coming out with his normal plan, and instead tries to run the ball down the throat of the Packers (who have given up 100-yard rushing games in four of their five games).  Let Julius Jones carry this team.
4. With a greater focus on the run, both by the Seahawks and the Packers, there should be plenty of extra space for the Seahawks receivers to get open.

It's going to be a tough game, and without Hasselbeck the Seahawks are probably an underdog, even at home.  But, the Packers are equally banged up, and if, say, Aaron Rodgers gets knocked, the Seahawks could feast on Matt Flynn.

Sometimes it's just not your year, and if the Seahawks lose this game it's probably Not Their Year.  Hell, even if they win it may not be their year.  Realistically the Seahawks probably have to win this game and the Tampa game, and then the 49ers game before the season is no longer on life support.  Time to cheer extra-hard.

The Curse of Forsett is Lifted!

Justin Forsett was signed to the Seahawks practice squad today.  All is right in the world again, and the Seahawks will go on to win their next 12 games and ride the momentum all the way to a Super Bowl championship.

On a more serious note, there had to be some bad vibes around the team, certainly among the running backs, when Forsett was lost to the Colts.  At the same time Jordan Kent was cut while Courtney Taylor was kept.  I know it was wishful thinking on the behalf of the coaches, but it's obvious to all of us in hindsight that Taylor wasn't ready for the job.  I'm wondering if there weren't rumblings in the locker room about favoritism?  This is certainly on a much smaller scale than the favoritism shown to Shaun Alexander, but the underlying principle is enough rub some players the wrong way.  As much as I love having Holmgren as the coach of the Seahawks, he does have a few flaws, one of which him letting his affection for players get in the way of playing the best players.

So, Kent is back but may not play, and Forsett is back but definitely won't play, but I think whether they play is insignificant compared to the lightening of spirits that will follow the return of these two hard-working young players.

I Just Found a Reason to Watch Sunday's Game

First, I'll qualify that statement.  Other than Sunday or Monday night games, maybe two Seahawk games get televised in LA each season.  Last weekend was one such lucky (or unlucky) weekend.  For the remaining weekends I have to decide whether I want to spend the $20 (more if I treat my girlfriend for coming with me) to sit at a sports bar for three hours to watch the game.  Some weekends, even if I have nothing else going on, it's just not worth it.  This weekend's game was one I was on the fence about.  Then, courtesy of Mike Sando, I learn that Jordan Kent has been signed.  Awesome.  I don't know much about evaluating football talent but I do know this: Jordan Kent caught passes, which more than can be said for Courtney Taylor, who incidentally was the player released in favor of Kent.

So, this means Kent is playing this weekend, right?  Well, after thinking for a moment, not necessarily.  It only means Holmgren wants to retain the option of activating, and possibly playing, Kent.  Still, that speaks to progress - or a serious regression by Courtney Taylor.  What a fall from grace.

Another interesting tidbit from Sando - the Colts released Justin Forsett.  Huh.  So, if the Seahawks initially wanted him on the practice squad, they'd put a claim in for him now, right?  I mean, has anything changed since he was lost to the Colts?  I'm not saying anything, I'm just saying...

Anyway, what I like best about signing Kent, and maybe this is just me, but Kent brings excitement to the game.  He brings an extra 'gamer' element, which is something that could be used on game day.  I haven't heard much reporting about Kent since he was cut, but last I heard he wasn't learning Deion Branch's position.  Courtney Taylor was, but he obviously hadn't learned it enough.  Kent is so inexperienced that I wouldn't expect he would be inserted for Branch in this game.  So who fills in for Branch at flanker?  Colbert?  Engram has filled in at one or both of the outside receiver spots before, so maybe move him outside with Bumpus in the slot?  Or use two tight ends with Carson in the slot?  As for split end, it'll be between Robinson, McMullen, or Kent.  I'm tired of McMullen - he was a good story in the Rams game, but otherwise he's hurt more than helped.  If Kent doesn't play because Robinson is healthy enough to go, I'd be fine with that.

The Defense as a Whole

I'm not sure why I decided to single-out Julian Peterson first, because the defense as a whole failed miserably yesterday.  I'm not the best person to give advice as to where to defense should go from here, but I'll talk about where to go because I can't get it out of my head.

Somewhere (FieldGulls? SeahawkAddicts?) I heard the suggestion of putting Hobbs in as the starting corner opposite Trufant.  What's the worse that could happen? (Snark alert)  The current starting right corner is already getting torched.  Hobbs looked great in preseason (I know, it's preseason, I don't really care right now), and Wilson is more of a nickel corner (or so I've read).

Of course, if we're shaking up the secondary, Brian Russell should probably be benched too.  Babineaux?  I guess if I'm looking for something different, sure, try him there instead.  Could we put C.J. Wallace at strong safety and move Grant to Free Safety?  I'd be up for trying that.

Tapp is really starting to look like a second-round bust.  That guy can't get any pressure off of right end.  I'd love to suggest playing Lawrence Jackson inside a-la Justin Tuck (they're nearly identical in size, btw) to aid in the pass rush, but Tapp is hardly reliable as his backup.  Jason Babin was getting great pressure in the preseason, so we had to cut him.  Meanwhile Baraka Atkins has zero tackles in four games.  I don't even know which games he's been active.

Sigh.... this is just a day full of rants.