Why the Seahawks win this Sunday (long)

[MigratingOsprey]

Well guys and gals here goes .. this will hit a few different sites so i appologize if you see it more than once ... i'm sure the discussions will be different

I'm obviously familiar with the hawks and have seen a bit of the cards this year as well.

While the cards looked pretty good for a half last week I just think the hawks are a top to bottom better team. The cards OL has potential to be a top flight unit, however injuries and toggling of positions may of led to them looking less than stellar last week, emmitt had really his only good game of the season last year against the hawks .. but then again so did everyone else ... smith is in decline

I don't see the cards hitting 4 yards a carry this week, i'm thinking they will fall in around 3.7, the DL is opening up space for a fast linebacking trio to get up to the line ... this may shift if the seahawks get up big and go into prevent though, but if that happens the game is already decided

blake is a quality QB ... i think he's actually an upgrade over plummer ... you could find success throwing to freddie jones (conwell did well last week) ... boldin will be good, but the hawks can plan for him ... i think he could be a solid daryl jackson type receiver for you and a good pick in round 2 ... foster, imo, is garbage .. i do like kasper though

on D i like your safties but hate your corners ... harrington dropped back 30 times last week and wasn't sacked once ... your pass rush is week although i really do like pace ... he will have a tough test going against jones though ... might be best to switch him to line up against pork chop and use his speed and some stunts ... i think wendell bryant has the making of a bust .. don't like his attitude and his performance (zero tackles last week)

i think your linebackers are fairly solid

seattles linebackers are top flight ... they can do it all and are deep .. godfrey, simmons, brown and lewis cause havoc

the secondary depth has been tested and it is young ... thankfully they are facing a young receiving corps ... trufant and lucas are very solid, hamlin is a punishing hitter and toungue looks better suited for rhodes defense

pass rush is still suspect, but the run D looks a ton better .. hand is in shape and ready to play

the defensive attitude has changed .. they may give up a big play or two, but overall they want to punish the offense

Seattles OL isn't shabby at all .. their left side is dominant with the right side being shaky, but solid

all 3 TEs should be healthy this week and they are a talented bunch

alexander appears to be more decisive this year

and i'd take any of our top 3 receivers over any receiver on your team for this season

special teams aren't really special for either team, kasper and morris can return well for their respective clubs ... gramattica has no leg but is accurate, brown seems like a very good kicker ... punters, blech

so after this breakdown how will things play out ... in seattles advantage ... seattle's weaknesses are a shaky right side of the OL, young secondary, poor ST and little pass rush ... the cards don't have the pass rush, receivers, STs to take advantage of this

The cards weaknesses are their secondary and the possibility of teams running on them .. seattle has alexander adn a passing offense that can be very explosive .. i see this where the game will shift .. i think seattles passing opens up the run moreso than i think arizonas running opens up the pass

i think arizona will be hurt by it's youth ... i like the young nucleus and the way they are rebuilding, but youth makes mistakes .. seattles players are getting more familiar with each other, especially on offense

the heat will be in AZs favor .. but seattle practiced in cheney running two a days .. this shows they have dealt with some heat ... it's only supposed to be around 100 this sunday and the training staff already has the team prepped .. i think seattles depth can also help mitigate this advantage

if the cards control the clock with a running game and passing to the TE with the occasional big play to boldin this could get interesting

however i think the hawks will do what it takes on defense, win the TO battle and break it open from the offensive side

should be fun (whew, was like an essay ....)

 

[SECTION 11]

Nuh uh.


Back to you Osprey.

 

[Pariah]

Originally posted by SECTION 11
Nuh uh.

Can't argue with that kind of logic. Looks like it'll be the Cards in a rout!

I think it'll be a damn good game. Mac'll have these guys uber-pumped to play the home opener and they'll be out for blood after letting the Lions game get away from them.

 

[Rivercard]

Originally posted by Pariah
Mac'll have these guys uber-pumped to play the home opener

I sure hope so. To me they looked a little disinterested in Detroit. I watched a little of the Titan game and what a difference in attitude - now there was a team that looked excited to play some football!

 

[Renz]

I really think the heat will be a factor. If our offense can have some long drives and keep the Seattle defense on the field, I think they will melt in the second half.

Seattle's OT, Walter Jones I think it is, who just signed last week is going to die out there.

 

[JeffGollin]

You can't refute Osprey's logic, but alas, the League Office won't save everyone in Seattle the trouble and concede the game to the Seahawks.

They're still going to have to play the game.

Just like Miami did - when they were required (heh heh) to "waste their time" whupping up on the Texans.

 

[spanky]

Migrating Osprey,

Welcome to our Board. Your post was insightful and well balanced. While I hope to heck that we win, I also acknowledge that Holmgren has made some very good changes to your team......perhaps none better than Ray Rhodes himself. This game is going to answer alot of questions for us Cards fans and last years game results and this season's pre-season game mean little when looking at the Seahawks in 2003. We also have had a make over, which one of our faithful has profiled over at one of your threads, so I won't repeat here.

It is obvious to me that it will not be as easy to run against your D this year as last year........unless they get just plumb tuckered out in the heat of the day in Tempe. We should be able to air the ball out a bit however. If I'm game planning this, I'm going to let Emmitt have the first two series of downs and then I'd be pushing Shipp at you for the remainder.Shipp has a different running style than Emmitt. While not as "jewky", he is more powerful, which is what I think we'll need for game this game.

It remains to be seen on which of our receivers take the field as #1,2 and 3. I wouldn't expect that Gilmore nor Foster will see as much time as they did against Detroit. I'd plan for B. Johnson and K. Kasper.

We also have a secret weapon......a QB who can catch his own passes. Wait till you see it........never before in football history I'll tell ya.! Some people have even suggested that Elin Nordegren is going to leave Tiger Woods for him......he's that amazing!

 

[CardLogic]

Osprey,

I actually think that the Seahawks are a much improved team over last years version. The addition of Ray Rhodes as DC will provide the greatest impact of any of the change the team has made. In fact, Seattle may challenge for the Division crown this year.

But, you have got TWO rookies in the secondary and you think that they have an advantage over our recievers??? I beg to differ! As luck may have it our starters (Gilmore, Foster) are dinged up and might play less this coming Sunday...

Good luck, that is. That means more playing time for Cardinals TWO rookie recievers (Boldin, Johnson). Boldin has demonstrated his "stuff"; and I believe Bryant Johnson when given additional playing time will prove himself as better than Gilmore or Foster.

Oops, I almost forgot Freddie Jones coming at ya! Who is gonna handle him?

You are right about one thing....

It should be fun!!!

 

[SECTION 11]

If our defense turns in another uninspiring zero pick, zero forcred fumble, zero sack day, we're going to have to score about 38 points to win.
If our special teams allows another GD return for a td, coughs it up and gives those salmon munching hooligans 30 yard fields on punts and 60 yard fields on kickoffs, then we're going to have to score about 68 points to win.

 

[CardAvenger]

Originally posted by SECTION 11
we're going to score about 68 points to win.

....but what are we going to do during the second half of the game? Prevent?

 

[AZCB34]

Originally posted by SECTION 11
If our defense turns in another uninspiring zero pick, zero forcred fumble, zero sack day, we're going to have to score about 38 points to win.
If our special teams allows another GD return for a td, coughs it up and gives those salmon munching hooligans 30 yard fields on punts and 60 yard fields on kickoffs, then we're going to have to score about 68 points to win.

I don't see Blake playing at quite the same level he did against DET...but maybe the running game can pick it up some more (not complaining about Sunday mind you). This is going to be a bigger test...IMO a better team.

Watch out for Alexander. He holds the key.

 

[Lex]

We've got the #1 offense, the #1 wide receiver, the #1 quarterback, what have we got to worry about? We'll just score 68 points.

No problemo.

 

[Pariah]

Originally posted by Lex
We've got the #1 offense, the #1 wide receiver, the #1 quarterback, what have we got to worry about? We'll just score 68 points.

No problemo.

Pfft. 68 points. As yakov Smirnov used to say: "Peice of pie."

('course, Yakov was always wrong, and only funny 'cause he had an accent.)

 

[Redheart]

Originally posted by Lex
We've got the #1 offense, the #1 wide receiver, the #1 quarterback, what have we got to worry about? We'll just score 68 points.

No problemo.

Let's not overlook the 8th best overall defense in the NFL.

It was the TURNOVERS and special team play that GAVE the kitties a win.