Seattle Way Overrated

[NashDishesDimes]

Maybe I am being biass but I dont think so. Seattle is just one of those teams that the analysts just assume are good. They had struggles last year and yet all they did was lose people this offseason i.e. Okung, Carpenter, Bruce Irvin, Micheal Bennett, and others I believe as well. Their line was bad last year, and all they have done was lose the couple good pieces they have. Marshawn is gone, Rawls is out, Christine Michael is filling in admirably but they lost a lot at the RB position.

I look at their weapons and they are mediocre at best with Graham and Baldwin.

The defense seems to still be strong but i just dont know how people can sit there year over year and pick them over the Cards.

Cards went to NFC championship last year and won the division, Seattle did not. All Seattle did was lose people and they opened up the season as favorites in the division. There is no other explanation than the medias infatuation with the Sea****

See their depth chart below, doesnt scare me at all:

http://m.espn.com/nfl/depthChart?teamId=26

 

[iRobot]

The thing that Seattle has done over the years and done well is, figure out opponents flaws and exploit them. Even with personnel loses, they could still very well exploit our flaws.

This is going to be smash mouth, violent football, as most divisional matchups are.

 

[Beaver]

Their D is just not as good without Chancellor.

Also, just a matter of time before Russell gets hurt behind that line.

They do have IT when the game is on the line, I will give them that. Cards need to pick up that instinct.

 

[GatorAZ]

Their weapons at the skill positions and OL are average at best. Wilson doesn't get the credit he deserves. If you put any other QB on that team they're significantly worse.

Right now we're best equipped to limit their offense more than ever. Our ends have never been this athletic and HB is starting to look explosive again. I think one of the big keys Sunday is our corners tackling in the open field. Their wide outs are small YAC guys and Wilson will eventually break the edge and be 1v1.

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[Mitch]

The Seahawks do a masterful job of covering up their weaknesses with superb coaching. It all starts with their offensive line, which is makeshift, talent-wise, at best. Yet, Tom Cable has them playing at a very productive level. Who would have ever thought, for example, that Bradley Sowell could be a good, solid LT? Yet, last week he dominated Brooks Reed in the run game and fended off Dwight Freeney very well.in pass pro (0 sacks). The coaches didn’t even have to give him chip help.

On defense, they have speed, they are physical up front in a 4 man line and they try to intimidate opponents.

They are very good on special teams. Their kicking game has been excellent for years.

Russell Wilson, aka “The Closer”, is one of the top 3 QBs in the league at pulling out wins in close contests, and when healthy he is like trying to tackle a squirrel..

They are not especially deep…but their guys play hurt, like Wilson, Bennett and Chancellor (if at all ready) will do this week. In today’s NFL it sure is a bonus if your QB is mobile—that puts enormous pressure on defenses and it changes coverages.

Their personnel philosophy, imo, is right up there with the Patriots’. They set trends, such as making long, tough CBs the rage and such as drafting speed LBers who never have to come off the field because they can tackle and cover.

Better yet, they play the best zone defense in the NFL because of the quickness of their LBers and the cagy, tough play at CB and S. And because they play zones, they don’t have to worry as much about defensing scrambling QBs, because they do not vacate areas of the field.

Some are saying they are under-rated…but, they have Pro Bowl quality players in QB Wilson, TE Graham, WR Baldwin, DE Bennett, DE Avril, LB Wagner, LB Wright, CB Sherman, SS Chancellor, FS Thomas, P Ryan and K Hauschka.

The Cardinals have to win the battles up front—on offense they have to get blocks on Wagner, Chancellor and Wright, which they failed to do in Weeks 17 and in the NFC Championship Game versus SEA and CAR (Keuchly, Davis and Thompson) respectively. What makes that task more difficult is the lack of a FB who can iso on Wagner. You have to block straight at Wagner, he’s too quick to try to block him from an outside angle.

Versus their zone coverage, the Cardinals need to stretch the zones, as ATL did in the second half, by running WRs into the seams and TEs and RBs out to the boundaries. If they can suck Earl Thomas up, that’s when they can pass over the top…which Floyd has done very successfully versus them.

On defense, the Cardinals have to spy on Wilson and stay completely disciplined in their rush lanes (which they did last week versus the NYJ—perhaps in preparation?). Not sure if Wilson (left knee) will run the read option that he has consistently exploited the Cardinals with…but they have to be prepared for it. If the DE bites inside like they did versus BUF, they will give up big chunk yards and big momentum swings.

Defending Graham and Baldwin on crossing routes and rub/pick plays will be a significant challenge…hopefully the pass rushers will keep their hands up and ready to make deflections, which is what can get Wilson in trouble because of his lack of height.

If the discipline and patience from the 28-3 win carries over, the Cardinals have a very good chance to turn the tables on SEA at home, which would feel extra sweet in light of the last three home drubbings.

 

[JeffGollin]

Their good players always show up.

There aren't as many of those players, lately, but the ones they've got always seem "to be what we thought they were" and it gives them an automatic edge.

 

[eastcoastSUN]

Until we beat them in our house, I would not even utter the word Overrated. They could roll out a one-legged gimpy Wilson and he could still beat Minter 1:1 on a QB sweep, 101 times out of 100.

They could have said the same thing about us last year - we looked great during the season, our lineup looked great on paper, but when push came to shove, we literally choked away the NFC Championship game.

As long as they have Wilson and their Defensive core, they will always be considered a dangerous and great team. Too bad their fans rival some of the worst in the nation, next to Steeler and Cowboy fans.

 

[football karma]

some perspective

four of their five games have been against teams with losing records (net of the the Seattle result) -- Atlanta being the only winning team they have played.

Give them credit -- they have won the games they are supposed to win, with vs LA the only slip up.

Interestingly:

all five teams they have played have below average pass defenses based on QB rating allowed. LA is highest at 17, with everyone else in the bottom third of the league. As you would suspect, all are poor at QB pressures as well -- Miami and the Jets the highest at #16 overall.

Russel Wilson has been playing well -- but he has been playing well against teams that dont defend the pass or rush the passer all that well. In fact, other than the Jets -- the teams they have played dont defend the run all that well either --Atl is average at #15, with LA, Miami and SF all in the bottom half.

i wont go with way overrated -- but i do think this will be the best pass defense they faced, and by far the best defense they faced to date

btw: its also the best D the Cards will have faced to date as well

 

[Knowitall]

Ok I had to log in because WTF are you guys talking about? Ignorance is bliss I suppose but youll see the deepest roster in Seahawks history this sunday night. And I think one of the major flaws when evaluating the offensive depth chart is to go by fantasy football expectations. Although some of the guys, as mentioned about, ie Baldwin and Graham can put up numbers the truth is that as always, the Hawks use a variety of players and spread the ball around. All of our receivers have excellent hands and all are either quick (baldwin) tough (kearse) or flat spead demons (everyone else). CJ Spiller adds an extra element in the screen game that would concern me if I were an opposing fan. The problem has been and will be for some time that Seattle can beat you in so many ways and its hard to stop everything. Still havent lost by more than 10 points since 2011.

Look, I love the optimism you guys have. And you deserve to be stoked (outside of QB future) as you have some incredible young talent (Johnson, oh man) and a veteran stud (Fitz) that just gets better year after year. The gap between the two teams doesnt seem to be much at all and I can see the division going down to the wire IF you win both games against Seattle.

Seattle is 4-1 (ya i heard they havent played anyone, save it K) and has, as you say, lost Lynch, was without Jimmy, Rawls, Kam and that doesnt include the banged up Wilson.

Good Luck..

 

[Harry]

Maybe I am being biass but I dont think so. Seattle is just one of those teams that the analysts just assume are good. They had struggles last year and yet all they did was lose people this offseason i.e. Okung, Carpenter, Bruce Irvin, and others I believe as well. Their line was bad last year, and all they have done was lose the couple good pieces they have. Marshawn is gone, Rawls is out, Christine Michael is filling in admirably but they lost a lot at the RB position.

I look at their weapons and they are mediocre at best with Graham and Baldwin.

The defense seems to still be strong but i just dont know how people can sit there year over year and pick them over the Cards.

Cards went to NFC championship last year and won the division, Seattle did not. All Seattle did was lose people and they opened up the season as favorites in the division. There is no other explanation than the medias infatuation with the Sea****

See their depth chart below, doesnt scare me at all:

http://m.espn.com/nfl/depthChart?teamId=26

 

[Harry]

Those of you touting Wilson have it right. The Cards can't afford to spy him. He's too good. They need to rush under control and maintain their lanes. The need to be pass aware and knock down low throws. The Seahawks will put points on the board. The Cards need to have a dominant time of possession game. This is a must win game. The Cards have the best team. Do they have the best heart?

 

[oaken1]

here is an idea... Lets talk smack about the hags after we see if we can beat them on the field

 

[b8rtm8nn]

here is an idea... Lets talk smack about the hags after we see if we can beat them on the field

Ditto - I think they whup us, and they sure do like to put up over 30 points per game at the UofP.

 

[overseascardfan]

Ditto - I think they whup us, and they sure do like to put up over 30 points per game at the UofP.

Until we beat them in our house, I would not even utter the word Overrated. They could roll out a one-legged gimpy Wilson and he could still beat Minter 1:1 on a QB sweep, 101 times out of 100.

They could have said the same thing about us last year - we looked great during the season, our lineup looked great on paper, but when push came to shove, we literally choked away the NFC Championship game.

As long as they have Wilson and their Defensive core, they will always be considered a dangerous and great team. Too bad their fans rival some of the worst in the nation, next to Steeler and Cowboy fans.

here is an idea... Lets talk smack about the hags after we see if we can beat them on the field

I agree, saying SEA is overrated would be calling the kettle black for ARZ who was picked by many publications to be in the SB. SEA are the NFC West champs until they are champs no more. I always dread playing SEA because their defense usually manhandles our offense.

 

[cardpa]

The Seahawks do a masterful job of covering up their weaknesses with superb coaching. It all starts with their offensive line, which is makeshift, talent-wise, at best. Yet, Tom Cable has them playing at a very productive level. Who would have ever thought, for example, that Bradley Sowell could be a good, solid LT? Yet, last week he dominated Brooks Reed in the run game and fended off Dwight Freeney very well.in pass pro (0 sacks). The coaches didn’t even have to give him chip help. QUOTE]

So what does this say about our Oline coach? Cable takes a pigs ear and makes a silk purse and our Oline coach takes a pig's ear and makes it a nice looking pig's ear.

 

[daves]

SEA are the NFC West champs until they are champs no more.

Um... what??
... dave

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[oaken1]

I agree, saying SEA is overrated would be calling the kettle black for ARZ who was picked by many publications to be in the SB. SEA are the NFC West champs until they are champs no more. I always dread playing SEA because their defense usually manhandles our offense.

uh...we are the NFCW champs aint we?

 

[b8rtm8nn]

Their weapons at the skill positions and OL are average at best. Wilson doesn't get the credit he deserves. If you put any other QB on that team they're significantly worse.

Right now we're best equipped to limit their offense more than ever. Our ends have never been this athletic and HB is starting to look explosive again. I think one of the big keys Sunday is our corners tackling in the open field. Their wide outs are small YAC guys and Wilson will eventually break the edge and be 1v1.

Yup - without Wilson, they are likely a perennially 8-10 win team based on dominating defense and an average QB. I don't think anyone would have thought that Wilson would be as great as he is - and the luck of having Sherman and Kam turn out as good as they are was unforeseen as well.

 

[NashDishesDimes]

I dont know why everyone says Seattle has our number. Cards went into SEA and beat them last year on a Sunday night game. I dont remember what the stat was but they hadnt lost there in A LONG time. The Cards got smoked at home but there was no chip on their shoulder, it was the last game of the Cards season and didn't matter for playoff positioning. That is not to say the Cards would have won that game, but to say SEA has some major advantage over the Cards is crazy in my opinion.

The Cards roster is far more complete than Seattles, thats a fact. I would agree with some of you that they do seem to pull out the close ones with that IT factor but I would also attiribute some of that to luck. I have watched so many SEA games that they remarkably pull out at the end due to some rediciulous circumstance (alla missed PI call this past week against ATL).

 

[b8rtm8nn]

We have lost pretty decisively the last 3 (and all of the BA regime) home games to Seattle, we give up about 35 points everytime. We have a better roster than the Rams, but they have yet again beat us at home. If the best predictor of future behavior is the past, then the Seahawks will score 37 points - I hope we can keep up.

Date Team Opponent H/A Stadium Result
01/03/2016 Arizona Cardinals Seattle Seahawks H University of Phoenix Stadium (Glendale, AZ) L 36-6
12/21/2014 Arizona Cardinals Seattle Seahawks H University of Phoenix Stadium (Glendale, AZ) L 35-6
10/17/2013 Arizona Cardinals Seattle Seahawks H University of Phoenix Stadium (Glendale, AZ) L 34-22

 

[daves]

The Cards got smoked at home but there was no chip on their shoulder, it was the last game of the Cards season and didn't matter for playoff positioning.

This is a bit revisionist - the Cardinals would have had the #1 seed and HFA had they won & the Panthers lost. The starters played nearly the whole game. The last thing the Cardinals wanted entering the playoffs was an embarrassing beat down at the hands of their most hated division rival, but that's exactly what they got & it was very concerning.

...dbs

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[CardLogic]

Seattle has a great TEAM, and they play like it.

BUT this week will be the Cardinals week! The Birdgang will be coming into this game with a chip on their shoulder, and Seattle is just a little over-confident. Big Red gonna hit them like they haven't been hit in a while!

You don't let someone disrespect your house!

 

[overseascardfan]

uh...we are the NFCW champs aint we?

Um... what??
... dave

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

Oops, forgot we won the NFC West last year. I guess we are champs until we are champs no more.

 

[TJ]

Bet after a 3-3 start, Seattle fans are saying that the Cardinals are "way overrated"

 

[Jetstream Green]

Be it physicality or talent, this game is a even match up and will come down to what team wants it more or where the ball bounces right. It might be a close game or a blow out but it does not change the fact that on any given day it could be the other team with the victory... this is the elite match up of the division