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...should be a clear sign from god that SSI should remain a baseball only blog!
;)
Seahawks Opening Day Pregame
=== NFL PYTHAG DEPT. ===
I/O: The 2008 Seahawks had 8 of their 'Opening Day' starters hit the injured reserve, including Hasselbeck for 9 games. They were #2 in the NFL for most starts lost to injury.
I/O: The Seahawks went 4-12, but were outgained by only 15 yards per game, and "Pythag'ed" more like a 7-9 record in terms of yards gained and lost.
I/O: The Seahawks had the 14th-toughest schedule in 2008, but face only the #24 schedule this year.
.......
CRUNCH: All of these numbers seem to indicate that the Seahawks got unlucky last year. But:
1) The injuries -- in part -- reflected the fact that they're an aging team. Again this year they have Branch* and Walter Jones out for the opener.
2) The lack of will to win -- in part -- reflected the fact that they reported to a boss who wasn't going to be around long.
So, the 'unlucky' 4-12 record was more a case of an old team throwing in the towel, IMHO. Leaving the question as: will they scramble back into the ring and grab the towel back under Mora? ... moving to...
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=== COACH'S LEARNING CURVE DEPT. ===
I/O: The Seahawks have a damp and moldy running game ... a state-of-the-art passing game ... and a new offensive coordinator who loves the, um, run.
....
CRUNCH: We remember Bill Walsh retiring, taking over the announcer's spot in the booth, and then when working 49'er games ... sourly complain that the 49'ers played well without Walsh "only because of the passing game [I] installed over the years," direct quote. :- )
Hasselbeck does not need Mike Holmgren whatsoever and will probably even flourish now that the leash is off. T.J. Houshmandzadeh and John Carlson are better targets than he has ever had.
.....
21st-century NFL teams need passing games, but don't necessarily need running games.
The 2008 Steelers had no running game. There have been years that Tom Brady's crew finished #22, #27, whatever, in running. There have been other great, recent, teams that didn't have running games.
The thing is, offensive coordinators can (and usually are) married to their own ideas of how football "should be" played. How long will it take the Seahawks to give up and admit that Matt Hasselbeck has to pass them to the playoffs? Strategically, that's what Dr. D will be watching.
.....
This problem is exacerbated by the fact that the Rams were easy to run against even before their injury list came out this week. Not only might the Seahawks run deceptively okay, but they might buy into their own (non-) ability to run the ball this year.
The neurotic optimist might hope that Greg Knapp will "teach" them to run the ball, and then they'll have a whole offense. Dr. D is not a neurotic optimist. You've got 2-3 years left of Holmgren's passing system. Use it.
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=== Park My Hummer, Lofa Dept. ===
I/O: Aaron Curry looks ready to lead a charge back into pressurizing, aggressive defense.
Crunch: And they need SOMEthin' for that gruesome #30-in-yardage outfit.
Sometimes it puzzles me how pro sports insiders read tip-top draft picks AS early as they do. How, for example, could Nike afford to bet $80M on LeBron James before the kid ever even played* a college game? But they had it pegged from the start.
The Seahawks' self-assurance on Aaron Curry's stardom, who was NOT particularly a spectacular college player, has been unreal. They let Pro Bowler Julian Peterson go for him ... they gave Curry a staggering contract that dwarfs Tatupu's and Hill's ... they anointed him the starter on the day of the draft, so to speak ... and now the kid sits down there on the sidelines with Hill yukking it up like he'd made four Pro Bowls already.
I take all this to mean that Aaron Curry is one baaaaaaad hombre. The kind of guy who freezes you when you meet him. Let's hope that he freezes a few tight ends.
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=== Dr's Prognosis Dept. ===
Right now it's Seattle -7 at QWest ... the same as AZ at home vs SF, the same as Peyton Manning at home vs Jax, the same as San Diego on the road against the Raiders.
Seattle has won 4 straight at home vs St. Louis, including 37-13 even in last year's 12-loss season. Nothing's a guarantee, but the first pitch is an 86 fastball and the batter has the signs.
At QWest field, -7 might be a little modest on this one.
Cheers,
Dr D