Stymied by NFL's 28th Ranked Defense -- Seahawks 20 @ Saints 25

It's a Halloween Monday and I'm terrified that Seattle is not going to make a move ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline.

This team might be 4-2-1 and in first place in the NFC West-- but behind that record is a frightening situation.

I can't imagine that there is another offensive line in the NFL that could possibly be worse than Seattle's. Behind that offensive line is a banged up quarterback and an appalling excuse for a run game. The lone offensive highlight from the Seahawks came when a former QB/Safety-turned-receiver-turned-quarterback threw a bomb to a receiver-turned-running-back for 43 yards.

This team is hanging on by a thread.  I get that you can't play with fear of injury, be you a player, coach or fan-- but that doesn't mean you shouldn't prepare for worst while hoping for the best.

The Seahawks apparent strategy doesn't appear sustainable to me. Asking your defense to carry the team is a tall order.  Especially when your bye week came about as early as it possibly could have and you're coming off your 4th consecutive season with a post-season appearance.  You're asking for injuries or, at best, a defensive unit that is completely burned out by the time the playoffs roll around.

We should expect more from our defense purely based on the payroll-- and they've delivered to that point.  The offense has to meet them half way.  Or at least a quarter of the way.  They haven't even shown that.

The Seahawks have a rough schedule ahead including match ups with the Patriots, Packers, Panthers
and each of the division opponents who seem to be hip to our play style. If Seattle doesn't make significant changes to their game plan-- I don't see this team finishing any better than  8-7-1. 

With the rest of the NFC West floundering, that may still be good enough to win the division, but that would likely have Seattle hobbling into the playoffs with a beat up offense and a worn out defense.

Quite frankly, anything less than a Super Bowl appearance this season will be a tremendous disappointment.

Is it time to panic? Absolutely not. There's still ample time for the Seahawks to make adjustments and finish the season strong. But that has to start by making a trade to acquire offensive line help.

Maybe that's not Joe Thomas (though, I hope it is).  Maybe its not even Joe Staley. Bring in any veteran lineman that has played in the NFL. There has got to be someone better than Bradley Sowell and George Fant that is available.

We are so thin across the offensive front, God forbid something happen to one of the other linemen. We still have 9 regular season games to get through and a minimum of 3 playoff games to win the Super Bowl.

With Rawls status up in the air and Christine Michael being the model of inconsistency that he is, it might not be a bad idea to seek out help for the backfield, as well.  Even snagging someone off of another team's practice squad would go a long ways in showing that this staff is taking preventative measures to stay competitive.

Sure enough, not long after I praised Darrell Bevell did he fall into his old ways.  My good friend Adam refers to it as Bevell having to be "the smartest guy in the room".   The whole 'They're-expecting-Lynch-to-get-it-so-lets-pass' mentality was on full display for the final play of Sunday's game.

Right now, Seattle is treating Tom Cable the same way they're treating their entire defense.  They've basically provided him with a ton of manure and asked him to polish it into Super Bowl rings for the entire team.

Joe Thomas might be 31 with only a handful of seasons left in him, but if Seattle is serious about developing guys like Fant, Ifedi, Glowinski and Gilliam-- they would benefit greatly from an All-Pro veteran presence for a few years.

They have to at least be serious about having Wilson at QB beyond this season. If they don't trade for some help, his days could be numbered.

What is this, Soccer?! -- Seahawks 6 @ Cardinals 6 F/OT

For the first time in franchise history, the Seahawks ended a regulation game with a tied score. If you're a fan of smash-mouth, defensive football-- or, perhaps, soccer --this was a treat for you!

Unfortunately, while the Seahawks defense might have put on the single greatest performance in the history of the game, the offense could not have been more of a polar opposite.

At 4-1-1, The Seahawks find themselves in a good spot.  They're leading their division, trending in the right direction and in position to fight for the #1 NFC seed. That being said, Seattle needs to face some facts and take some preventative measures to make sure they don't sabotage their championship window.

Russell Wilson is hurt.  All the positive talk in the world isn't going change that.  He can still play and his passing ability doesn't seem affected, but he's a mere shadow of his former scrambling, play-extending-self. The film doesn't lie. The stats don't lie.

This offensive line is just that-- offensive. Last night was film study for what happens when a team spends all of its money on a QB and Defense while leaving nothing else for the remainder of the offense. The face of this franchise has now been injured at least twice because of this neglect and to assume that this situation is going to get any better this season without making any roster moves is dangerously foolish. 

We can't effectively run the ball.  With mobility all but completely erased from Wilson's repertoire and the sorry state of the offensive line group-- it shouldn't be any surprise to find Seattle ranked 28th in run offense. Heading into the 8th week of the NFL season, I can say with confidence that the Seahawks have whiffed big time on their Post-Marshawn plan.

We fell in love with Thomas Rawls before our divorce with Lynch was even final.  Rawls was younger and had shown us 8 games of excitement and promise. 

We had forgotten everything that Lynch had meant to this city, this team and Russell Wilson's development so quickly it was sickening.

And, what would you know...

7 games and a bye week into this season and we've seen just 25 yards on 19 carries from Rawls. Christine Michael has been this team's feature back and we didn't even want him on the roster.

At least the Seahawks tried to find some help for their backfield in the draft.  Unfortunately, they failed miserably.  3rd Round selection, CJ Prosise, has been a tremendous disappointment.  Injuries have kept him off the field for most of this season, but even when he's had opportunities, he hasn't produced.  We've been told since day one that Prosise was to have a special role with this team, so it doesn't seem as though he was ever considered to be an every-down back, but Alex Collins and Zac Brooks, who were taken in the fifth and seventh rounds respectively, were supposed to come in and push Rawls and Michael for reps.

Collectively, the three running backs Seattle took in the draft have provided 15 rushing yards so far this season. 

You could argue that Wilson's injuries threw an unexpected wrench in the Seahawks run game plan this season, but that argument is a feeble one.  Yeah, his scrambling ability and uncanny prowess for sensing pressure and knowing exactly when to get down made you feel safe putting your cap money behind your defense.  He's young and in peak physical health-- he can handle it.  Hell, it has worked thus far, so why should the Seahawks brass NOT have assumed it wouldn't work again this year?

Your championship window is open and you just paid your QB big-time money.  Why risk fate?

On top of all that mess, this team may have lost their starting blindside tackle, Bradley Sowell, for at least a few weeks.  His apparent replacement appears to be undrafted rookie George Fant-- who has only played in 15 football games in his entire life. The converted basketball player is an intriguing project, but is this really the right person at this time to protect your injured franchise quarterback's blind side?!

What would happen if George Fant's inexperience leads to a devastating injury to Russell Wilson?

What if Russell sustains a season-ending injury this weekend because we neglected to address our offensive woes? Travone Boykin would come in, an undrafted rookie quarterback, with Christine Michael as his feature back and the worst offensive line in the NFL.  With that formula, I think we'd be lucky to see the Seahawks finish 5-10-1 this season.

The good thing about that scenario is that we'd likely be picking in the top 10 of the draft, where we'd be in a great place to draft our left tackle of the future.  However, we'd probably see a few of the championship-caliber players we've amassed find new homes, just as we have every offseason. The window would get a little bit tighter, though remaining open, but the idea of a dynasty would quickly fade away.

We've been in a very fortunate position these past few years under Coach Carroll. I've been largely blown away by what this leadership group has done in their brief tenure, but I can't help but catch a whiff of arrogance from the way the offense has been managed here that just rubs me the wrong way.  I would get no satisfaction from saying "I told you so" should anything happen to our quarterback, so my hope is that Seattle mortgages the future by trading a draft pick for a competent left tackle ahead of next Tuesday's trade deadline.

First Place in Spite of Everything - Seahawks 26 Falcons 24

The Seahawks came out well-rested from their bye with a win over one of the hottest team's in the NFL. This game had all the makings of a blowout if you were able to erase the 3rd quarter from your memory.

In spite of the 3rd quarter meltdown, the Seahawks were solid.  This game was the ultimate testament to their incredible depth.  Kam Chancellor and Frank Clark, two crucial members of the defense, were inactive for this game.  Luke Willson and Michael Bennett, another two integral pieces, left the game with knee injuries.  Christine Michael was even held out for a portion of the game with concussion concerns, but ultimately returned to finish out the game.

Nevertheless, this team fought on to overcome a Falcons team that they might very well see again in the playoffs.

Before I go any further, I have to apologize and give credit where its due. I have (justifiably) been outspokenly critical of offensive coordinator, Darrell Bevell.   The past few seasons it has been as if he has no idea what the strengths and weaknesses of this roster are.

Because of his track record, I came into this season legitimately horrified at the prospect of how he was going to handle the absence of Marshawn Lynch.  Through these first 5 games, I couldn't be more please with what we've seen from Bevell's game planning and play calling.

The last season with Lynch was reminiscent of the last year the Seattle Mariners had Ichiro.  A superstar exiting the twilight of their career who had been, pardon the pun, a linchpin for your franchise for many seasons.  Both players were shadows of their former selves, unable to produce at the level we were all used to, but still deserving of the utmost respect.

We saw both organizations try to make it work, but Father Time is undefeated.  The lack of familiar production polarized the fan bases.  Eventually, both teams had to come to the inevitable conclusion that it was time to part ways and reinvent themselves.

For the Seahawks, this meant turning the keys to the franchise over to their quarterback.  Russell Wilson has earned it.

Sunday's victory over Atlanta was Wilson's 20th 4th quarter come-from-behind victory.  It was also his 50th career win-- making him the fastest player in league history to hit that milestone. Oh, and did I mention that he's playing on a sprained knee and ankle?

Wilson is elite.  Even better-- Bevell gets it.

Furthermore, we're finally getting to see what the Seahawks had in mind when they traded their Pro Bowl Center, Max Unger and a 1st Round pick to acquire Jimmy Graham from the Saints.  These two have been the centerpiece for this team through the first 5 games and it doesn't appear that anyone has an answer for them.

The offensive line is improving with every game, too.  Getting a healthy Germain Ifedi in at right guard has made the progress even more noticeable.  Still, something seems missing from the run game.

Christine Michael has been serviceable.  No one expected him to be the team's feature back this season.  Even after he started the opening game, it was understood that Thomas Rawls was the guy as soon as he was healthy.  Well, just as I had initially feared, Rawls is having a difficult time staying healthy.

Additionally, Michael isn't getting much help in the backfield.  Wilson's injury issues are preventing him from being the solid contributor to the run game.  Lacking the threat of a mobile quarterback that can take off and burn you, teams are able to focus more on shutting the run down.  CJ Prosise hasn't played but a handful of snaps all year as he battles a wrist injury and Alex Collins can best be described as 'just a guy' through the first quarter of the season.

After a surprising start last week, CJ Spiller came plummeting back to reality.  He was a non-factor in Sunday's game against Atlanta and he had at least a pair of crucial dropped passes.

One thing I was really excited to see regarding the run game was when the Seahawks were at the goal line trying to tie up the game late in the 4th quarter.  

The offense lined up in a goal line formation with two tight ends and three tackles.  From left to right the Sehawks had Graham, Sowell, Glowinski, Britt, Ifedi, Webb, Gilliam and Willson.  That's a big spread, but that's not even the part I liked most!

Lined up at fullback was Joey Hunt-- the rookie Center Seattle selected in the 6th round of this year's draft.

When Seattle selected Hunt, there was concern for him being undersized for the Center position at 6' but everyone was raving about his work ethic and football IQ. Given that Seattle doesn't have a fullback on the roster, I thought this was a brilliant move and hope that we will see more of it in the future.

Defensively, this team continues to prove themselves as the best in the league. The Falcons came into the CLink with the most passing yards and the best running back tandem in the NFL.  The Seahawks tenacious defense held that tandem to a measly 50 yards on the ground.

Earl Thomas had his best game of the season, including a clutch interception that lead to the winning field goal.  Kelcie McCray filled in nicely for Kam Chancellor, though Kam's absence created some communication issues in the secondary.  Kevin Pierre-Louis played well in place of Mike Morgan, who is out for the remainder of the season.

Seattle was able to overcome a series of adverse situations to seal the win and stay on top of the NFC West.  The Rams might be coming back down to earth, but the Cardinals appear to be heating up and they will face the Seahawks for Sunday Night Football next week.  The Cards will have a short week coming off Monday night's win, but they will have home field advantage.

Ultimately, I'm not worried about the competition.  This team has what it takes to go all the way this year.  They have unprecedented depth all across their league-leading defense and they have an elite quarterback at the helm.  No other team in the league can say that.

Back to Seahawks Football-- Seahawks 27 @ Jets 17

Get ELITE nutrition!

That Russell Wilson kid sure is special...

With one leg possibly broken and the other supported by a sprained knee, all #3 did was throw for over 300 yards and a trio of touchdown passes. If there was any kernel of truth to the media's collective opinion that Wilson cannot throw from the pocket-- that has to be thrown out the window after his performance on Sunday.

If you still don't think Russell Wilson is elite by now, it's painfully evident that you do not understand the game of football.

The Seahawks came out of Sunday's road victory in East Rutherford with a 3-1 record and the bye week to look forward to. The final score was not indicative of Seattle's dominant defensive performance.

One of of the Jets two touchdowns came off of a questionable fumble that could have been ruled an incomplete pass. Jets rookie wide out Charone Peake seemed to be the only person on the field that noticed that the whistle hadn't blown as he scooped the ball up and made the hustle touchdown.

Wilson now has 25 games with multiple TD passes and no INTs, most by a player in NFL history in his first 5 seasons to begin a career.  That's not just good-- that's elite.

This is the new Seahawks Football.  The 'Post-Marshawn' version of Seahawks Football.

Use the short pass game to get the ground attack going. Soften them up with a physical run game and take shots down field with the aerial assault. Top it all off with outstanding, elite defensive play.

3-1 is a great spot to be in through the first quarter of the NFL season.  Seattle will take advantage of the week five bye to get healthy ahead of their match up with their former defensive coordinator, Dan Quinn and his red-hot Atlanta Falcons.

Rookies CJ Prosise and Nick Vannett should be healthy for the game against the Falcons. Tyler Lockett and Jarran Reed figure to be a full go by then as well. This team is getting healthy while building chemistry and finding ways to win.

Seahawks Offense Improving -- Seahawks 37 49ers 18

Now, that's more like the San Francisco offense we were all expecting...

After impressively shutting out the Rams in their home opener, the 49ers began falling slowly back to earth in their week two loss to the Panthers-- before explosively crashing to the ground against the Seahawks this past Sunday.

The Seahawks held Blaine Gabbert to 14 of 25 completed passes with a measly 119 yards and an interception-- Seattle's first of the season. If anything, Gabbert proved that he has no business being an NFL starting quarterback and I personally was astonished that Colin Kaepernick didn't take over in relief at some point in the second half.

After a minor lull against the Rams, the Seahawks defense played up to their billing in this one.  Still, it was the Seahawks offense that had their homecoming on Sunday.

Russell Wilson looked far more mobile than he had the week before-- that is at least until he suffered a knee sprain in the 3rd quarter on a cheap and borderline dirty tackle by the 49ers Eli Harold.  Wilson went down hard on Harold's horse collar tackle as his knee caught under the defensive player's body while he was pulled down sideways by the back of his shoulder pads.  Grimacing in obvious pain, Wilson stayed down well after the tackle.

Travone Boykin came in to relieve Russell for a single play before Wilson returned to finish the drive.  Boykin took over on the next series and finished the game-- throwing both is first interception and first touchdown pass before all was said and done.

The franchise quarterback's injury certainly put a damper on the much needed offensive explosion,
but Wilson's improvement coming off of last week's loss wasn't the greatest revelation of the game. Christine Michael scored the first and second rushing touchdowns of his tumultuous career and finished the game with 106 yards on 20 carries.

With news coming out today that Thomas Rawls fractured his leg in last weeks game in LA, we can only take comfort from Michael's performance in conjunction with the improvement across the offensive line yesterday. Both Rawls and rookie CJ Prosise were inactive on Sunday, leaving all of the ground work to Michael and rookie Alex Collins.

Germaine Ifedi could potentially return for next week's match up with the Jets, but after Sunday's showing, I would give him another week of rest before the Bye week and let him come back in week 6. I cannot see the benefit to rushing him into his first game if we don't absolutely need him.  J'Marcus Webb played markedly improved from his effort against the Rams.

Wilson is expected to play on Sunday against the New York Jets and Boykin has some live-fire experience under his belt.  The defense is rolling and the offensive line and the passing game appear to be hitting their stride. As I said before the season even began-- my greatest concern is how this team will replace Marshawn Lynch.

I love Thomas Rawls as the next 12, but now more than ever, I feel justified in my concerns regarding his long-term durability.

After all-- we had only seen a small sample size of Rawl's ability.  Granted, we were all impressed with what he had put on tape. 830 yards on 147 carries while only starting in 7 games.  His aggressive running style was reminiscent of Lynch at a time before we even knew Lynch was in his final NFL season.  We were confident that we had found Beastmode Jr.

Believe me.  I was excited to have Rawls as our presumptive starter this season.  But with every ounce of excitement came an equal part concern, for myself.

We had been spoiled in our time with Marshawn.  A running back isn't supposed to carry your team for 5 years and consistently be considered among the 3 best at his position without missing so much as a game. When Lynch began to show the first, long overdue signs of wear-- fans were not very forgiving.  Part of that could very well be due in part to Rawls powerful emergence.

After the dust settled and Lynch had proclaimed his retirement, Rawls became our guy.  It's a far better transition than most teams get, but he hadn't even started a half of a season's worth of games before his ankle injury-- there was plenty of concern to be had.

Some of those concerns were eased when Seattle selected 3 running backs in the subsequent draft.  They drafted as many running backs as they did offensive linemen, which seemed to be an area of concern even more pressing since Russell Okung and JR Sweezy departed in free agency.  The Seahawks response in free agency was considerably less flashy with J'Marcus Webb and Bradley Sowell.

At that point, I was fairly pleased with how the organization handled replacing Lynch.  As the pieces began to shuffle around and come back together, my concerns crept back in.

As it turns out, CJ Prosise was brought here to be more of a 3rd down and pass catching specialist.  More of an answer to replacing Fred Jackson than replacing Marshawn.  Zac Brooks spent the preseason being consistently outperformed by Troymaine Pope-- both of whom are no longer with the team.

Alex Collins and his unofficial fan club president, ESPN 710AM's Mike Salk, had me fired up.  An explosive SEC running back?  SIGN ME UP! But in the days and weeks that followed the draft, Collins has done nothing to convince me that he'll ever be good enough to lead this team's rushing attack.

The only veteran this team brought in to compete in the backfield was their own failed, high draft pick.  If you would have told me Christine Michael was going to come back and assume the starting running back role back when Lynch first announced his retirement, I might have openly wept.

Alas, here we are.

Our quarterback is beat up and Thomas Rawls could be out the next 4 weeks. Christine Michael has performed admirably, but did cough up the fumble that cost the Seahawks a 3-0 record.  Plus, we're one injury away from Alex Collins and Terrence Magee being our only options in the run game.


So, what are we going to do about that?


University of Washington standout and 4 time Pro Bowl fullback, Marcel Reece, was recently released by the Raiders. Given that the Seahawks have yet to settle on a fullback, I feel that the 31-year old fullback would provide an immediate upgrade to the rushing attack. His build, style and ability seem to fit well with Pete Carroll's scheme, too.

I know the Seahawks love to keep 'their guys' but it wouldn't hurt to bring in a veteran running back, too.

The offensive line showed excellent progress against San Francisco and I expect to see that continue next week against the Jets, despite their fearsome defensive front. We're in a position where we shouldn't have to rush Ifedi into the lineup until he's fully healed.

This early bye will greatly benefit the Seahawks this year.  They have had their bumps and bruises, but all teams will have their fill through the course of the season.  The offensive line will grow through experience, just as they do every season. They appear to be off to a faster start than usual. Christine Michael will need to be relied on as this team works through injuries and growing pains.  Russell will have to get the ball out of his hands quicker and the defense will have to keep playing to their ridiculously high standards.

Starstruck in LA-- Seahawks 3 @ Rams 9

Through the first two weeks of the season, I can confidently say one thing about this team:

These Seahawks are NOT fun to watch.

Mike Salk from 710 ESPN Seattle described it best this morning when he said the Seahawks have been playing in 'Survival Mode'.  Call it what you like-- its no fun waiting to see which team will make the first mistake and who can capitalize on that mistake.

It's hard to lay any of the blame on the defense. Through the first two games, this team is allowing an average of 9.5 points per game.  I think most fan bases across the country would be happy with that number.

The problem lies within how this team was constructed. Here's a look at the top 11 highest-paid players on this team--  I did 11 because the kicker is in the top 10.

                                             
No.                  Player  Age Pos  Cap Hit
25          Richard Sherman   28  DB 12569000
3            Russell Wilson   28  QB 12342000
88             Jimmy Graham   30  TE  8900000
29              Earl Thomas   27  DB  8000000
56              Cliff Avril   30  DE  6000000
50              K.J. Wright   27  LB  5250000
31           Kam Chancellor   28  DB  5100000
72          Michael Bennett   31  DE  4000000
54             Bobby Wagner   26 ILB  3000000
4           Steven Hauschka   31   K  2700000
20              Jeremy Lane   26  CB  2000000

Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 9/19/2016.

Take Hauschka out of the equation and 8 of the 10 highest paid on this team are defensive players.  Essentially, your entire defensive secondary, 2/3 of your Linebacker group and your two most prominent pass rushers.

Your lone offensive stars on this list are Russell Wilson and Jimmy Graham.  Wilson makes absolute sense.  This team will live and die by his performances.  Graham's prominence in our cap allocation makes less and less sense with each passing week-- though, we should all understand the team's initial though process with this acquisition.

 A mere glance at this list should give an ancillary picture of this team's MO.  They want their defense to keep you within one score before the final two minutes so that Russell Wilson can make just enough plays for Hauschka to kick a game winning field goal or perhaps for Wilson to find Graham in the endzone for the go ahead TD reception.

So far, that has worked fairly well.

But what if, say, Russell Wilson were to get banged up?  You know, from playing behind a shit offensive line?  What if we come to find out that Marshawn Lynch isn't quite as replaceable as we had initially thought?

Then what?

Well, any coach worth his salt would make adjustments to the gameplan and lineup to accommodate for these worst-case-scenarios. One of the most glaring faults of this coaching staff is stubbornness.  I get that you want to own your philosophies, especially if you're hoping to get others to buy in, but if it ain't working, at some point, you have to go back to the drawing board.

It's times like these, in the aftermath of a 9-3 loss to a divisional opponent, where your offensive line couldn't stop a nosebleed, where I get real sick & tired of hearing about what a genius Tom Cable is.

This team has had tremendous success the past three seasons in spite of it's offensive line. At no point over the last few seasons has anyone gone on record saying anything positive about the way Coach Cable's unit has performed.

I suppose you could say that JR Sweezy's big deal in Tampa Bay points to Cable's ability to develop players but I think its lends itself more to bad teams raiding the trash pile of Super Bowl teams.

I cannot stand sweating out the initial months of the season, hoping and praying that some amalgamation of players on Seattle's roster will emerge as some semblance of a middle-of-the-road offensive line unit. Knowing that we always have a chance with the ball in #3's hands is comforting, but we all need to accept that there is a possibility that he will not be at 100% for the rest of the season. 

While Wilson's 50% is better than most quarterbacks 100%-- it is laughably unreasonable to expect him to carry an offense on a broken leg with a turnstile offensive line and a running back group that appears to be without a leader.

Furthermore, if this defense continues to fail to create turnovers like they have thus far-- you're doomed.

Richard Sherman said after the game that opponents are not going to provide as many opportunities for them to create turnovers if Seattle's offense isn't playing with the lead.  This is 100% true, but with the money this team has allocated to it's defense, particularly in the secondary, it's not unreasonable for us to expect them to create turnovers no matter the circumstance.

Perhaps the brass should have taken this into account this offseason and shifted some funds to the offensive side of the ball.  Would this team have found itself better off had they traded someone like Cliff Avril for a competent Left Tackle? I would argue that, despite Avril's tremendous pass rushing contributions, we could've been better served having a young, inexperienced pass rusher bookending Michael Bennett and getting a veteran to provide blindside protection to your franchise quarterback.

 With the exception of Germaine Ifedi being injured-- this is exactly the offensive line group this staff CHOSE to enter this season with.  They were willing to go with 5 new starters and a new running back group-- even if it meant endangering the most valuable player on their roster.

Well, it's not paying off.

At best, we have to hope that they get their shit figured out by midseason in time to make a playoff run.  But will it be enough? If our run game continues to sputter and pass protection continues to get Wilson attacked and possibly further injured-- will this team have enough in the tank for a road playoff run?

The reason this makes me so angry and invokes 'the sky is falling' mentality is knowing that this team's window is still open.  As fans, we will have to live with the last minute interception in the Super Bowl against the Patriots for the rest of our lives. We will remember being about one drive short of beating the Panthers in the playoffs last season.  If Seattle fails to reach the Super Bowl this season, it will be considered a failure in my eyes.

This is the last season where this team's window is wide open.  It won't close next year-- but it will begin closing.  More and more integral players will have contracts coming up due to cash in on huge paydays the Seahawks may not have the space to accommodate.  Certain players who already have huge contracts will continue to age and the questions may arise whether or not they are playing up to their pay grade.  Guys will get hurt and every draft will not be the goldmine that was the 2012 draft.  It's just the way of the world in today's NFL-- it's part of what makes this game so great.

But the 2016 season is already underway and this staff needs to figure out how to get the best out of the guys they chose to enter this season with. Like the first two games of the season, the next two will also feature two tough defenses with questionable offenses.  Seattle needs to find a way to get their run game going, adjust their offense to accommodate Wilson's temporary limitations and their defense needs to not only find a way to create turnovers-- they're going to have to find ways to score.

After those two games, Seattle will have a bye week to get players healthy and figure shit out going forward. They won't have the luxury of starting 2-4 this season and having a shot at the Lombardi.  The Wildcard isn't guaranteed to come out of the NFC West this year.  Tampa Bay is chasing the Panthers in the South, Green Bay and Minnesota look neck and neck in the North and who knows what will happen in the NFC East.

The focus now shifts to the 49ers who are coming off a beatdown at the hands of the reigning NFC champs.  Like the Rams, the 49ers also have a hapless offense, but their defense seems to be playing much better under Chip Kelly than they ever did under Jim Tomsula. The Seahawks must score early in this game and keep their foot on the gas pedal.  Even a 7-0 lead in the first quarter would be enough for your defense to seize turnover opportunities that may win the game.

Changes need to be made to cater to this team's strengths.   The staff might have to swallow their pride and admit that they're not able to impose their will, but good coaches know how to maximize their players skill sets while masking their vulnerabilities.

Too Close for Comfort-- Seahawks 12 Dolphins 10

The Seahawks were able to escape week one with a victory in a game that was ugly, to say the least. Perhaps nothing captures the essence of what transpired on Sunday than the changes to the NFL Week Two power rankings.  Despite winning, the Seahawks dropped two spots in the rankings.  Conversely, in the wake of the loss, the Dolphins jumped up a spot from their previous rank.

Before I shell out criticism, I must first complement Seattle's defense. As a whole, this defense played up to their pedigree.  DeShawn Shead and Jeremy Lane were absolutely spectacular.   Seattle's corner back group is far and away the best in the NFL. Meanwhile, Cassius Marsh and Frank Clark proved to be the foundation of Seattle's second wave of future superstars. Additionally, Jarran Reed was impressive in his rookie debut. Earl Thomas certainly didn't play up to his own impossible standards, but that shouldn't be a tremendous concern going forward.  I expect him to bounce back next week against the Rams.

The offense, to me, was supremely disappointing. I'm sick and tired of waiting until mid-season for the offensive line to get it's shit together.  Perhaps it's just the consequence of using the entirety of your cap space on a superstar-laden defense and a franchise quarterback-- maybe it's just a bizarre tactic to insure that Tom Cable isn't snatched up for a head coaching job elsewhere.  No matter what the excuse-- it's become the norm here in Seattle.

The only difference between this opener and previous years is that Seattle seemed to expect substandard line play more this game.  They knew they would be without Marshawn Lynch and they were well aware of the talent Miami has across their defensive front. They even seemingly game planned for it. 

Coach Bevell favored the short pass in lieu of the run, going against the team's self-described philosophy of being a run first team. My guess is that this was a decision made from equal parts fear and necessity. Despite this strategy yielding no points-- it did seem to be working in conjunction with spectacular defensive play.

That is, until Ndamukong Suh came down hard on Russell Wilson's right ankle.

Wilson never missed a snap, but he was clearly in pain.  He returned the following series with both of his feet heavily taped and went on to throw the game winning touchdown-- but he clearly was not his usual, mobile self.

Seattle held on and came away with the win but it was hard for fans to feel good about the game.  The Seahawks were favored to win by two touchdowns, but you never would've guessed that from watching their performance.  Maybe the Dolphins are better than anticipated, but its more likely that we're in for another rocky start for our team's offense.

Then again, it could have been worse-- the Rams were expected to be one of the nastiest defenses in the league, but they were shut out by a 49ers team with little expectations of their own.

All indications are that there is no doubt as to Wilson's availability for the showdown with Los Angeles next Sunday. Still, no one is convinced that number 3 isn't at least somewhat injured. Seattle will need to dramatically alter their game plan in week two if they expect to get the win while preventing any further injury to their franchise quarterback.

The 49ers gave us the blue print for defeating the Rams.  They effectively took LA's star running back, Todd Gurley, out of the game by loading the box and sent the heat whenever Case Keenum dropped back to throw. The Rams simply lack the offensive weapons to overcome a powerful defense.  If San Francisco was able to shut them out and put up 4 touchdowns with Blaine Gabbert-- a one-legged Russell Wilson should be able to match that while blindfolded.

Seattle is going to have to revert back to being a run-first team and trust in their line to create lanes for both Thomas Rawls and Christine Michael.  We saw flashes on Sunday of this, but Seattle didn't commit to their run as much as they're going to have to in LA next weekend.

Keeping Russell out of harms way will be integral over these next few games and Trevone Boykin needs to be ready to be thrown to the fire. For the first time perhaps ever, I am grateful that Seattle has an early bye week.  Unfortunately, they'll be seeing some of the league's toughest defenses leading up to that bye. This is certainly a season where this team can ill afford another slow start from the offensive unit.