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Hawks Playbook Podcast Episode 41 – Seahawks Let One Slip vs Jacksonville

Open: Welcome again to the Hawks Playbook Podcast and join your Hosts, Bill Alvstad and Keith Myers on the previous game run down, and a look forward to our home game vs the Los Angeles Rams, in a critical NFC West showdown.  In many ways, both Keith and I view this next game as a must win game, in order for the Seahawks to control their own destiny, and create the easiest path into the playoffs…… A division title and a home playoff game.  But, first things first, let’s look at some news items, and a look back to the loss in Jacksonville.

In the News:

  •   Malik McDowell was arrested following an altercation in an Atlanta Georgia bar.  This, because of McDowell confronting the bar about money owed to him and then pouring 2 bottles of liquor out when he doesn’t get what he wanted.  Later, McDowell issued an apology for his behavior, but damage to his reputation in Seattle has been done.  Let’s hope this is isolated and McDowell can get to Seattle this off season and be cleared to participate in off season work outs.
  •    Dion Jordon cleared to return to practice and hopes are he can return to play this weekend.

Featured Segment One: Seattle drops crucial game on the road in Jacksonville

As Keith and I discussed in the show, I said, “We are a team that sometimes plays great, but we are not a great team”.  I think this is true because of our inconsistency this season, and by losing so many key players to injury.  We are inconsistent and undisciplined, which as a result has limited our margin of error in games to virtually nothing. With that said, in a mostly disaster of a game, as Keith pointed out, we were able to be in a position to win, or at least take the lead with 2:30 left to play in the 4th quarter.

  •   The Team had 144 yards rushing vs the Jaguars.  However, 50 yards came from Wilson, and 10 yards from Lockett. The rest came from 22 attempts for 81 yards for a 3.7 YPA. But 2 runs accounted for 30 of those yards. The rest then was 20 Attempts for 50 yards or 2.5 YPA. Not stellar, but they were able to move the ball now and again.
  •   Seattle’s pass rush was anemic to say the least. On 27 Blake Bortles drop backs, Seattle’s defense accounted for 1 QB hit, 0 hurries and 0 sacks.  That’s not how you create a situation that forces Bortles into his mistakes, and it allowed Bortles to have a nice game.
  •   In a 6 play stretch from the end of the 2nd quarter into the beginning of the 3rd quarter, Jacksonville scored 21 points. You add in a couple of Russell Wilson interceptions and that’s where Seattle lost this game.
  •   Mr. 4th quarter, Russell Wilson did finally show up and in his first drive of the 3rd quarter had a 1 play, 61 yards TD to Paul Richardson. This is the play that set the NFL record for 4th quarter touchdowns. Wilson followed that up on the next drive with a 2-play drive including a 74-yard TD to Tyler Lockett, giving Wilson 17 4th quarter touchdowns, with 3 games remaining to play in the regular season.  Incredible.

Featured Segment Two: Seattle faces the Rams at the Clink

Seattle now plays in its most significant game of the season so far when it faces the Los Angeles Rams at home for sole possession of 1st place in the division.  The importance of this game can not be understated. Winning this game gives us the tie breaker over the Rams, puts us in 1st place and in the driver’s seat in the march towards the playoffs.  If we lose this game, we fall two games behind the Rams, making winning the division highly unlikely, and we would have to depend on another NFC team to lose (most likely Atlanta), to get into the playoffs…. even if we were to finish the season with 10 wins.

As far as the Rams are concerned, this is their most important game of the year as well.  They can all but wrap up the NFC West by winning this contest, and believe me, they will be coming into Century Link highly motivated to do just that.  Does Seattle have the emotional strength to compete at the highest level with a division foe who wants to knock them off?  Stay tuned!

Close:  Thanks so much for listening again to the Hawks Playbook Podcast.  Make sure to listen next week when Bill phones in to the show from Sunny San Diego and Keith takes the reigns! Let’s hope we can talk about a win!  See you next time.