Seahawks look for first road playoff win since 1983 at Nations Capitol

By Kshell

This playoff match up features the leagues two hottest teams as the Seattle Seahawks(11-5) who have won five games in a row travel to Washington D.C. to take on the Washington Redskins(10-6) who have won seven in a row. Both teams feature a strong rushing attack, older coaches who have re-invented themselves and more importantly electric rookie quarterbacks. The Redskins will be hosting their first playoff game since the Bill Clinton era back in 1999. While the Seahawks will be looking to win their first playoff road game since the Ronald Reagan era back in 1983.

The focus of this game will be on the rookie quarterbacks Russell Wilson of the Seahawks and Robert Griffin III of the Redskins. Griffin was supposed to be all that as the Redskins traded a lot to acquire him. Whereas Wilson was the 6th quarterback taken in the draft. Wilson, many figured would back up Matt Flynn. While Wilson had other plans this year. After a slow start Wilson ended up having an incredible season that has him in contention for rookie of the year.

 He finished the year 252-393(64.1%) passing for 3,118 yards(7.9 YPA) with a rookie record 26 touchdown passes to only 10 interceptions. He has a quarterback rating of 100.0 which is a Seahawks record. He also ran for 489 yards(5.2 YPC) with four touchdowns. Wilson has been red hot in the second half as he is 123-183(67.2%) passing for 1,652 yards(9.03 YPA) with 16 touchdowns to only two interceptions. He has posted an incredible 120.3 quarterback rating during that time. He has also ran for 361 yards(6.2 YPC) with four touchdowns. Wilson might be the NFL's best quarterback during that stretch.

His receivers are Sidney Rice who led the team with 50 receptions for 748 yards(15.0 YPC) with seven touchdowns. Rice has been pretty consistent this year as the #1 threat for this offense. Golden Tate had a very big year. He was most famous for this this catch on Monday Night but he also had a pretty good year. Tate caught a career high 45 passes for 688 yards(15.3 YPC) with 7 touchdowns. He also threw a touchdown this year to Rice. Doug Baldwin has been coming on strong lately has 29 receptions for 366 yards(12.6 YPC) with three touchdowns. Then tight end Zach Miller has 38 receptions for 396 yards(10.4 YPC) with three touchdowns. Anthony McCoy the other tight end has caught 18 passes for 291 yards(16.3 YPC) with three touchdowns. The Seahawks don't have a go to guy but spread the ball well. Which will come in handy on Sunday as the Redskins rank 30th out of 32 teams against the pass allowing 281.9 yards per game with 31 touchdowns to 21 interceptions.

The Redskins are led by what many think will win the rookie of the year. Robert Griffin the third who won the heisman last year and ended another seattle football teams season defeating the Huskies 67-56 in last years Alamo Bowl . I have a feeling this years game won't be as high scoring. Griffin is coming into this game a little banged up though. Griffin had an incredible season passing 258-393(65.6%) for 3,200 yards(8.1 YPA) with 20 touchdowns to only five interceptions. He has a quarterback rating of 102.4. What makes Griffin even more impressive is the fact he has ran for 815 yards(6.8 YPC) with seven touchdowns.

Just like Wilson, Griffin doesn't have a primary go to receiver. This year the Redskins leading receiver is Pierre Garcon who has caught 44 passes for 633 yards(14.4 YPC) with four touchdowns. The Redskins also have Santana Moss who has caught 41 passes for 573 yards(14.0 YPC) with eight touchdowns. Leonard  Hankerson has caught 38 passes for 543 yards(14.3 YPC) with three touchdowns. Josh Morgan caught 48 passes for 510 yards(10.6 YPC) with two touchdowns. The Redskins will probably have a tough time against the Seahawks secondary which features three guys who have played in the pro bowl with another Richard Sherman who was snubbed for political reasons.

Both teams love to run the football. The Seahawks are led by pro bowl running back Marshawn Lynch who is going to his second straight pro bowl. Lynch made a big splash in his very first career playoff game two years ago against the Saints. When he busted a 67 yard touchdown run which many consider the greatest run in NFL history. Lynch after signing a new contract this offseason leads the Seahawks rushing attack which ranks 3rd in the NFL.  Lynch finished third in the NFL in rushing yards rushing for 1,590 yards on 315 carries(5.0 YPC) with 11 touchdowns. He also caught 23 passes for 196 yards(8.5 YPC) with a touchdown. His backup is Robert Turbin who ran for 354 yards on 80 carries(4.4 YPC). He had 19 receptions for 181 yards(9.5 YPC). The Seahawks rushing attack will go up against the Redskins rush defense which ranks 5th in the NFL against the run.

The Redskins lead the NFL in rushing led by another rookie of theirs Alfred Morris. Morris finished the year second in the NFL in rushing yards with 1,613 yards on 335 carries(4.8 YPC) with 13 touchdowns. Morris is another late round find by head coach Mike Shanahan. Morris who was only a 6th round pick out of Florida Atlantic came out of nowhere to lead the Redskins rushing attack. Teams have to focus so much on Griffin the Redskins are able to run Morris. The Seahawks defense ranks 10th against the run has struggled the second half of the season against the run. The Redskins will hope to pound the run and keep their weakness(pass defense) off the field. If the Seahawks are able to shut down Morris look for them to win this game rather easily.

The Seahawks have a big advantage in the special teams department.  Leon Washington is going to the pro bowl for the Seahawks as a kick returner. On kickoff returns he averaged 29.0 yards per return including a 98 yard touchdown.  On punt returns he averaged 8.7 yards per return on 41 returns(356 yards). Kicker Steven Hauschka on the year is 24-27(88.9%) on field goals. Punter Jon Ryan is averaging 45.6 yards per punt on 65 punts and a net average of 40.8 yards per punt. He has 30 inside the 20 and only 3 touchbacks.

The Redskins on the other hand are poor in special teams. Their return average on kickoff returns is 23.5. On punt returns with new punt returner Richard Crawford the Seahawks have to worry as he is averaging 19.5 yards per return on eight returns. Their punter Sav Rocca has a 43.9 yards average on punts but only 37.2 net average. He also has just 22 punts inside the 20 on 68 attempts. Look for the Seahawks to use this field position to get a cheap score.

Pete Carroll has done a wonderful job reshaping this roster. This is a much different team than the group he led to the playoffs two years ago. Two years ago was an aging team on it's last run which Carroll squeezed a playoff win out of. This group is the youngest team in the playoffs and is looking to go on a run. Carroll has a chance to snap that 29 year streak of not winning a road playoff game and hopefully lead this team to the Super Bowl title.

This Seahawks team led the NFC in point differential with a plus 167 trailing only Denver and New England. According to Bill Barnwell's DVOA rankings the Seahawks are the best team in the NFL and 6th best team since 1991. The Seahawks finished 9th in offensive points and 1st in defensive points allowed. The bulk of this roster was either drafted by Carroll and John Schneider or acquired by them. I don't think Carroll receives enough credit for the job he is doing in Seattle.

Prediction: Seahawks 23, Redskins 17

I've learned over the years as a Seattle fan that it is never easy. I expect the game to come down to needing a stop against Griffin which is going to be stressful. Ultimately I feel like the Seahawks will win this game due to Wilson lighting up their weak secondary. The Redskins love to blitz which I feel like Wilson will hit some big plays on that as will Lynch running.

I think defensively with Brandon Browner back and Richard Sherman the Seahawks can leave those two corners on an island. Sherman should be up for defensive player of the year. He recorded eight interceptions while also leading the league with 24 pass deflections. He also forced three fumbles and scored two touchdowns this year. With those two on an island and former pro bowl safety Kam Chancellor playing over the top look for the Seahawks to allow pro bowl safety Earl Thomas to roam. This is where Thomas is most dangerous as he is so fast and quick he can read run then quickly recover for the pass. I expect Thomas to make a big play whether that be a key sack on third down, forcing a fumble or simply picking off a pass.

The Seahawks have a great opportunity as a franchise to go on a run this postseason. This will be the franchises seventh trip in the last 10 years but the first trip without Matt Hasselbeck. This is a new era of Seahawks football as Mike Holmgren, Hasselbeck, Walter Jones and Shaun Alexander are no longer around. The only Seahawk who has been here this entire run is Marcus Trufant who had a key interception return for a touchdown to end the Redskins season back in 2007. This team is growing and will only get better. I also know that in the NFL there is no guarantees so for all we know this could be it. I think the Seahawks have what it takes to get it done but it will be a nail biter like all their true road games have been this year.

Sounders snap skid vs Galaxy: Win 2-0

By Money Mike


The Sounders finally snap their winless skid against the Los Angeles Galaxy with a 2-0 win Wednesday night in front of a crowd of 39,002 in attendance. With the win, Seattle climbs into third place in the Western Conference standings and remain six points shy of the first place San Jose Earthquakes with still a couple games in hand between the two. Seattle's next match is Saturday afternoon at 1pm against the Philadelphia Union here in Seattle. That game will be televised nationally on the NBC Sports Network.

Seattle got it rollin' early in the match and put LA's weak backline under pressure. Mauro Rosales's free kick was intended for Jhon Kennedy Hurtado and it looked like Chad Barrett got a head on it and goalkeeper Bill Gaudette came off his line to gather the ball. Gaudette is making his second straight start in goal for Josh Saunders who is suspended indefinitely after being enrolled in Major League Soccer's substance abuse and behavioral health program. In the 10th minute, Mauro Rosales made a cut outside of Bryan Gaul and whipped in a good cross to the six yard area for Fredy Montero who turned and tried to slide the ball through, but Bill Gaudette made a huge kick save.

In the 23rd minute, Mauro Rosales sent Eddie Johnson away down the right hand side. Johnson waited a couple of seconds for help to arrive in the penalty area before doing a scissors move to get past David Lopes. As help arrived, Johnson decided to go alone with his left foot which was spilled by Gaudette and Fredy Montero was there for the rebound, but somehow Gaudette was able to get a foot to that to deny Montero point blank.

The breakthrough finally came in the 40th minute as Seattle capitalized on some poor defending all around in LA's half. Mauro Rosales was left with loads of time and space and he whipped in a beautiful curling ball to the middle of the penalty for Eddie Johnson who beats two LA defenders for a snap header that probably should've been saved by Gaudette, but the ball ended up in the back of the net for Eddie Johnson's second goal in as many matches to give Seattle a 1-0 lead going into the break.

In the second half, the Sounders ended up making a change in goal. Michael Gspurning was replaced by Bryan Meredith after a hip injury that has been bothering him for about a week. So unfortunately, he was taken out and Meredith came on for his first MLS appearance.

In the 48th minute, Fredy Montero finally got on the score sheet in big way. Once again, no pressure on the ball from LA and Montero from 35 yards out hits an absolute belter for his first goal of the season that he's been chasing for seven games and quite possibly a top candidate for Goal of the Year, but more importantly, it gave the Sounders a 2-0 lead.

The LA Galaxy hoped to claw their way back and get something out of this match by bringing in Mike Magee and Edson Buddle and for most of the second half, the Galaxy had a ton of possession, but didn't really have anything to show for. In the 62nd minute, Landon Donovan tested Bryan Meredith from about 20 yards away with a left footed strike, but it was straight at Meredith. A minute later, Mike Magee tested him from about the same distance and a few thought it went in, but it missed just wide of the far post. That was the last real opportunity in the match for LA.


Observations:

Another great turnout by the Sounder nation, that's 55 consecutive MLS matches that have been sold out here in Seattle since the Sounders joined MLS and I don't see that streak ending anytime soon. As a matter of fact, not in a long time. Because of the success this team is having right and the direction they're going in the future, fans will continue to pack the stadium and add to their streak of sellouts as Soccer in America continues to grow. Every year, the capacity for Sounder matches has increased. At the start, the capacity was around 28,000 in 09' and then the fan base started to grow and grow and it continues to grow, so now the capacity is around 39,000 now although there are four matches this season including the friendly match against Chelsea where they'll open up the entire stadium.

Former Sounder Pat Noonan made his return to Seattle since he was taken in the Re-entry Draft by the Galaxy last December. He came on for the last 19 minutes match and didn't really do a thing for the Galaxy because they were outplayed, outcoached, weren't fully prepared for this match. Landon Donovan had a disappointing night, Edson Buddle was unable to provide any spark to LA's attack, Sean Franklin had a disappointing night, Marcelo Sarvas came close a couple of times to getting a red card, Bryan Gaul had a rough night defensively, all night LA just couldn't find a way to click it into full gear.

I was a little surprised to see Bryan Meredith come on in the second half. I thought he did very well in his 45 minutes of work. Took a couple of touches at the start of the half, made a good stop on the shot from Landon Donovan, kept his nerve the entire half and he didn't look like was playing under a bit of pressure. Meredith made his Sounders debut in the final group stage match of the 2011-12 CONCACAF Champions League against Monterrey, mainly because Sigi wanted to rest Kasey Keller for the playoffs that time and Terry Boss and Josh Ford were on the DL. The reason he was out there as a backup to start the match was because Josh Ford is still out injured as well as Andrew Weber.

Gspurning underwent an MRI earlier today on his hip and it appears unlikely that he'll play Saturday in their home match against the Philadelphia Union. If he's unable to go, what I'm hearing is Bryan Meredith will get the start and a guy named Steve Spangler who recently played goalkeeper at Oregon State University will join the squad as an emergency backup.

Eddie Johnson had another terrific night, picking up his second goal of the season and hopefully his goal last night can put an end to all the critics about the Sounders trading Mike Fucito, who unfortunately is now with the Portland Timbers, and Lamar Neagle to the Montreal Impact to get Eddie Johnson. He's made a lot of progress getting back into goalscoring form and so far he hasn't disappointed. I can say now that the Sounders pulled off a good trade because of Johnson's performance recently and also because of his caliber which is much higher than Fucito and Neagle.

In case anybody who was at the game didn't notice, Leon Washington of the Seattle Seahawks was at the match. He does have a couple of pictures and videos from the match on his twitter page. Tony Ventrella caught up with him at halftime for a Sounders 1 V 1. Here's the video....



The Sounders have now won three in a row and continue to add to their best start in franchise history. Even though the Galaxy didn't put their strong team out there, it was nice to get that first home win against them out of the way. The Sounders are three points back of Real Salt Lake for 2nd place in the Western Conference with three games in hand and are six points back of the San Jose Earthquakes for 1st place in the West and if they can take advantage of those games in hand, not only can they take over first in the West, they can take over the top spot in the race for the Supporters Shield.


Scoring summary:

Seattle Sounders FC - Eddie Johnson 2 (Mauro Rosales 1) 40'

Seattle Sounders FC - Fredy Montero 1 (Osvaldo Alonso 1) 48'


Misconduct summary:

Los Angeles Galaxy - Marcelo Sarvas (caution; foul) 34'


Lineups:

Los Angeles Galaxy - Bill Gaudette; Bryan Jordan (Pat Noonan 71'), A.J. DeLaGarza, David Lopes, Bryan Gaul; Sean Franklin, Marcelo Sarvas, Juninho, Landon Donovan; Adam Christman (Edson Buddle 53'), Chad Barrett (Mike Magee 58')

Seattle Sounders FC - Michael Gspurning (Bryan Meredith 46'); Zach Scott, Jeff Parke, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Leo Gonzalez; Mauro Rosales (Marc Burch 74'), Osvaldo Alonso, Brad Evans, David Estrada; Fredy Montero, Eddie Johnson (Alex Caskey 81')

Bengals use big plays to crush Seahawks at home 34-12

By Kshell

The Cincinnati Bengals(5-2) spanked the Seattle Seahawks(2-5) in Seattle 34-12 behind three big touchdowns while the Seahawks offense continued to struggle. The Seahawks who were held to just 27 yards rushing on 18 carries(1.5 YPC) until the final two plays of the game when Leon Washington ran for 34 yards on the ground. Pete Carroll decided Tarvaris Jackson was too hurt to start so he went with Charlie Whitehurst who once again gave the team nothing so he decided Jackson wasn't too hurt to play anymore. The Seahawks outgained the Bengals 411 to 252 yet lost the game due to mistakes. The Seahawks had several dropped passes,  a punt return for a touchdown go against them then an interception returned for a touchdown. The Seahawks also botched a redzone attempt at the end of the half and while the Bengals didn't do much the Seahawks made sure they didn't need to. Now that the Seahawks are 2-5 while the San Francisco 49ers are 6-1 the season appears to be headed towards NFL Draft talk going forward.

The Bengals took the opening drive and drove 58 yards on 12 plays eating up eight minutes before the Seahawks held them to a field goal giving the Bengals a 3-0 lead. The Bengals tried to pound the run to Bernard Scott filling in for the injured Cedric Benson to control the clock. Scott ran the ball six times for 18 yards while Andy Dalton was five for five passing for 35 yards. The Seahawks who were starting Whitehurst quickly went three and out as the Seahawks had to punt from their own 24 yard line. Jon Ryan had a punt that went 65 yards that outkicked his coverage as Adam "Pacman" Jones made it "rain" as he returned the punt 63 yards to the Seahawks 26 yard line as Ryan tackled him. The Bengals continued to use ball control as Scott ran for nine yards to the Seahawks 17 yard line. Scott rushed for three more yards for the first down to the Seahawks 14 yard line. Dalton finally passed the ball as he found Jerome Simpson down the middle for a 14 yard touchdown giving the Bengals a commanding 10-0 lead as the first quarter was coming to an end. The Seahawks who had Whitehurst starting looked bleak as he proved the previous week he simply can't get the job done. Whitehurst responded to the score and actually appeared to show a resemblence of an NFL quarterback on the following drive.

Starting from their own 21 yard line the Seahawks already trailing 10-0 started their drive. After a Bengals 15 yard penalty which gave them the ball on their own 36 the Seahawks went to work. Whitehurst completed a pass to Zach Miller for a gain of 17 yards. He completed another pass to Sidney Rice for 15 yards to the Bengals 33 yard line. After a sack and a penalty facing a third and 19 from the Bengals 42 yard line Whitehurst hit Ben Obomanu for a gain of 13 yards which was short of the first down but gave the Seahawks a chance at a field goal. Steve Hauschka nailed the 47 yard field goal to open up the second quarter to cut the lead to 10-3. The Bengals then went three and out giving the ball back to the Seahawks. After the Seahawks went three and out Whitehurst saw his day end as Carroll had enough of his ineffectiveness. The Seahawks defense continued to play well as they once again three and outed the Bengals offense.

The Seahawks had made a quarterback change putting in the supposedly injured Tarvaris Jackson for Whitehurst. Starting from their own 28 yard line Marshawn Lynch fumbled the ball giving the Bengals possession on the Seahawks 31 yard line. The Bengals would self destruct committing back to back 10 yard holding penalties giving them the ball first and 30 from their own 49 yard line. Dalton would complete back to back passes setting up a third and 20 which the Seahawks defended well forcing the Bengals to punt from the Seahawks 41 yard line. For the Seahawks on their own 11 yard line facing a third and 10 Jackson hit Rice for a gain of 11 yards which Carroll had to challenge as the spot was off. The Seahawks ultimately would have to punt the ball back to the Bengals as they took over on their own 16 yard line after wasting the previous opportunity. There would be no wasting this possession for the Bengals.

The Bengals starting on their own 16 yard line would run Scott for a gain of three yards. Dalton would hit first round pick A.J. Green for a gain of six yards setting up a third and one. The Seahawks gave the Bengals a first down on a six yard penalty giving the Bengals the ball on the 31 yard line. On third and six from the 35 yard line the Seahawks committed another penalty this time a 14 yard penalty giving the Bengals another first down. Facing a third and 11 Dalton hit a crucial 14 yard pass to move the chains to the Seahawks 38 yard line. It was the Bengals who had a penalty pushing them back to the Seahawks 43. That is when the Bengals dialed up the long ball as Dalton hit Green who blew by the Seahawks secondary as Earl Thomas was late for the touchdown giving the Bengals a 17-3 lead. The Seahawks ended the half with the ball on the Bengals three yard line with 14 seconds left fourth and two with no timeouts. Carroll decided to go for it then the Seahawks called a run to Lynch who got the first down with a gain of two yards but time had expired so the Seahawks trailed 17-3 at halftime.

In the third quarter the Seahawks offense starting from their own nine yard line were facing a second and 10. That is when Jackson hit Ben Obomanu on a deep pass for 55 yards to the Bengals 36 yard line. With second and eight from the 34 yard line Lynch had his longest run of the game for nine yards to the 25 yard line. Jackson then completed a pass to Rice for 15 yards to the Bengals 10 yard line. The Seahawks offense would stall on the seven yard line and would this time elect to kick the field goal. Steven Hauschka nailed the 25 yard field goal cutting the lead to 17-6. At that point Seahawks fans were really wishing they had those three points that Carroll passed up on in the first half. The Bengals offense would take over to start the fourth quarter. At the Seahawks 48 yard line Dalton tried to go deep but Kam Chancellor intercepted Dalton on the 13 yard line then returned it eight yards to the Bengals 21 yard line as the Seahawks finally were having momentum on their side.

Facing a third and 11 from their own 20 Jackson would hit Doug Baldwin for a gain of 31 yards to the Bengals 49 yard line. On the next play Jackson would hit Rice for a gain of 35 yards to the Bengals 14 yard line as the Seahawks moved the ball 66 yards in just two plays. Still riding the hot hand Jackson completed a pass to Golden Tate for a gain of nine yards to the five yard line. This is when the Seahawks turned to Lynch who ran for three yards and the first down to set up first and goal from the two yard line. Lynch would then score his third rushing touchdown of the season from two yards out. Trailing 17-12 now the Seahawks decided to go for two but Jackson's throw to Obomanu was incomplete. After a long 45 yard kickoff return by Brandon Tate giving the Bengals the ball  on their own 43 yard line. The Bengals would eventually settle for a field goal giving them a 20-12 lead over the Seahawks with under five minutes left in the game.

That wouldn't be the last time Tate burned the Seahawks. The Seahawks offense went three and out and were forced to punt from their own seven yard line. Ryan had a 49 yard punt as Tate fielded the ball then made some defenders miss as he went up the sideline for the game clinching score. Tate ran back the punt 56 yards for the game clinching touchdown giving the Bengals a commanding 27-12 lead over the Seahawks. The Seahawks though didn't quit as they took over on their own 33 yard line. Jackson completed a 16 yard pass to Baldwin to the 49 yard line. Jackson completed his next two passes for 21 yards converting a crucial third down to the 35 yard line. After the third down incomplete pass Jackson was injured as Whitehurst came into the game with 1:40 left. Whitehurst hit Zach Miller who dropped the pass which was a theme for the Seahawks all game long. The defense would three and out the Bengals as they used up all their timeouts. Despite limping out there Carroll decided to go back with Jackson instead of Whitehurst despite the fact the game was out of reach with a minute to go in the ball game. Jackson showing a ton of heart for his teammates didn't want to be pulled much like Keith Price against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Jackson would be picked off though as the Bengals Reggie Nelson went 75 yards down the sideline for the touchdown to give the Bengals the 34-12 win.


The Bengals won this 34-12 in what is usually a tough road matchup. The Seahawks have now lost five games in a row to their old conference the AFC. The Bengals were led by the quarterback the Seahawks passed on Andy Dalton who was 18-29(62.1%) for 168 yards(5.8 YPA) with two touchdowns and two interceptions. His main receiver was A.J. Green who had four receptions for 63 yards and a touchdown. While Bernard Scott ran for 76 yards on 22 carries(3.5 YPC). Meanwhile the Seahawks were led by Tarvaris Jackson who was 21-40(52.5%) passing for 323 yards(8.1 YPA) with an interception. While the starter Charlie Whitehurst was 4-7(57.1%) for 52 yards(7.4 YPA). The main receivers for the Seahawks were Sidney Rice who had seven receptions for 102 yards. Ben Obomanu had four receptions for 107 yards while Doug Baldwin had five for 73 yards. The running game was led by Leon Washington who had 34 yards rushing on just two carries. Meanwhile Marshawn Lynch had a terrible game rushing for only 24 yards on 16 carries(1.5 YPC) with a touchdown and a fumble. This was a tough loss for the Seahawks who allowed two return touchdowns while their offensive miscues cost them once again. This has been a trying year for Seahawk fans which doesn't look to have any hope in sight for this season at least.

All in all, the Seahawks drop to 2-5 and have lost their last two home games. They will once again go on the road to Dallas this week a place they haven't won at since 2002. This year appears to be going down the drain and unless the Seahawks can somehow find an offense in the offseason I don't see next season being any different. The Seahawks when they were 2-3 had two winnable games coming up and they lost them both as the offense scored 15 points in those two games. The league has figured out the no huddle offense they run and the quarterback play continues to be suspect. This year has turned into what the Seattle Mariners just experienced a try out for the youngsters. Sadly as Seattle fans that seems to be how our teams are lately always waiting for next year and this Seahawks season is no different.

Observations:

-  Marshawn Lynch is proving yet again why the Buffalo Bills are a smart franchise to get rid of him. Lynch had another lackluster game with 24 yards rushing on 16(1.5 YPC) with a fumble while being shutout in the passing game. Lynch isn't getting holes but he also is slow. Lynch unlike the other running back in the same city Chris Polk is simply a short yardage. He can't beat you in other ways with his speed or with his pass catching ability. Lynch is proving to be a bust minus the one big run in the playoffs last year. This is a position the Seahawks have neglected far too long and must draft a runningback this year as Lynch has proven time and time again he isn't the answer at runningback for this franchise.

For the year Lynch has ran for just 263 yards(3.6 YPC) with three touchdowns and only 11 receptions for 83 yards. In six games this year Lynch has rushed for under 40 yards in four games and under 30 yards in three games. He has averaged less than 4.0 YPC in five games and less than 3.0 YPC in three games and even less than 2.0 YPC in two games. He has been a total disaster and once the Seahawks fans realize this the easier life will become. When the Seahawks let Lynch go he'll just be a goaline back for some other team. He has proven he isn't a starting runningback in the NFL.

- Tarvaris Jackson has actually impressed me this year. He has shown a ton of courage as he is getting killed this season having been sacked 20 times despite playing only 21 quarters this season. This past game despite obviously being hurt Jackson still threw for over 300 yards even though his receivers didn't help him out with all the drops. Jackson has shown he can be a nice backup quarterback who can fill in for the guy when he goes down. Jackson by no means is ever going to be the guy but unlike Whitehurst who obviously doesn't belong in the NFL Jackson has proven he still indeed has value. Jackson is also showing he is a better leader than I had ever thought he was and the fans are slowly starting to embrace Jackson(it doesn't hurt that Whitehurst has killed any chance of a controversy).

For the year Jackson has completed 60.9% of his passes for 1,335 yards(6.8 YPA) with six touchdown passes to six interceptions for a quarterback rating of 78.5 which is about what I expected from him. That shows he is an NFL quarterback but also shows he isn't a franchise quarterback that will lead you to the promise land anytime soon. As is I wouldn't mind him starting the year next year as the starter as the Seahawks hopefully are developing their first round draft pick at quarterback.


- Pete Carroll inherited a team that was short on talent and on the defensive side of the ball he has done a terrific job. He moved Red Bryant to defensive end, drafted Earl Thomas with 14th pick overall. He traded for Chris Clemons and signed Brandon Browner off the scrap heap. He got good value in the draft with Kam Chancellor, Richard Sherman and K.J. Wright showing he does know defense pretty well.

On the offensive side of the ball his moves have bombed. Russell Okung who was taken sixth overall can't go a game without jumping for a false start. James Carpenter was a questionable draft pick as well as he continues to be burned every week. Carroll traded 20 spots down in the second round plus gave up a third round pick for Whitehurst which has been a bust move. Gave up two draft picks for Lynch who has been terrible as well. Drafted Tate in the second round who has given the Seahawks very little. The Seahawks offense this year is averaging a pathetic 15.5 points per game in an offensive era where the rules are set for the offense. Carroll's teams are committing way too many penalties as well. I do think Carroll is a good head coach just not sure if he should be team president. There obviously needs to be an offensive guru in his ear this next offseason as he has shown he knows defense while showing he knows nothing about offense.

In conclusion, this years Seahawks season won't be very fun. From here on out there will be draft talk and rebuilding talk once again. There won't be any magical playoff runs like last season which is too bad. The Seahawks appear to be headed towards their fourth straight losing season something they haven't done since 1991-1994 which like this included a transition from their franchise quarterback to having nobody next in line. The fans aren't as patient with Carroll as most Seattle fans are I've noticed. This season has gone down the drain quickly with this embarassing home loss 34-12. Now the Seahawks despite us just now entering November and the season isn't even half over yet are already talking about next year. This should be another depressing final two months of the season much like 2008 and 2009 were.

Seahawks lose snoozefest 6-3 to Browns

By Kshell

The Seattle Seahawks(2-4) lost on the road to the Cleveland Browns(3-3) in a game that set football back a few decades. The Browns escaped with a 6-3 win over the Seahawks in a game which featured no offense, missed calls and terrible quarterback play on both sides. The Seahawks who were without Tarvaris Jackson and a late scratch to Marshawn Lynch saw their offense put up just 137 yards of total offense which was just 2.7 yards per play. The Seahawks called 33 pass plays which saw them just put up 72 yards of offense which is also just 2.2 yards per passing play called. The defense played great but that didn't matter as the Seahawks offense couldn't move the ball minus one drive. The Seahawks couldn't overcome a few bad calls and in the redzone despite having several chances couldn't score a touchdown. Pete Carroll's handpicked quarterbacked Charlie Whitehurst appears to not be an NFL quarterback after the Seahawks had two weeks to prepare for this game. The Seahawks also didn't run the ball well either as they ran for just 65 yards on only 17 carries(3.8 YPC). This was a disgraceful offensive performance for Carroll's Seahawks who fall three games back in the NFC West.


The first half was a snooze fest like much of the game was. The Browns led 3-0 at halftime on a Phil Dawson 52 yard field goal which was set up by a Charlie Whitehurst fumble. The first half highlights included a Red Bryant blocked kick. That was the only highlights for the Seahawks who had just 55 yards of total offense which averaged only 1.89 yards per play which for the NFL is beyond pathetic. The Browns offense wasn't much better as they only had 140 yards of offense while averaging only 3.4 yards per play. The first half saw the Seahawks longest drive go only 15 yards while they had five punts and a fumble. The offense was abysmal in the first half as the Seahawks were held in check for the fifth time in six games in the first half. This was also the fifth time in six games the Seahawks trailed at halftime as they went away from the no huddle offense. The first half was so bad that many thought there was no way that the second half could be any worse and sadly many were wrong. The second half did feature one critical blown call that probably cost the Seahawks the win. The second half also saw Whitehurst continue to struggle while the Browns offense did barely enough to come away with the victory. The first half definately set the stage for a terrible game despite the closeness of the score.

The second half saw the Browns open with the ball first. The Browns actually had a nice drive going as they went on an 11 play drive covering 50 yards. The Browns had the ball on the Seahawks 30 facing a second and four when Colt McCoy was intercepted by David Hawthorne to keep the score at 3-0. The Seahawks offense of course did nothing as they punted the ball back to the Browns. The Seahawks forced a three and out and a punt by the Browns. Leon Washington Fielded the punt at midfield then with his burst a speed bust it to the outside and went up the sideline for the games first touchdown giving the Seahawks a 7-3 lead. The officials who made some horrible calls all game long threw a flag for a block in the back which replayed showed was merely a flop. The Seahawks though still had good field position on their own 45 yard line. That is when Whitehurst threw a pass to Sidney Rice which it had appeared Rice was being held. The pass was immediately intercepted as the Seahawks momentum quickly changed. In the matter of moments the Seahawks went from being up 7-3 which in this game felt like being up 21 points to still trailing 3-0 as Whitehurst continued his struggles. Seahawks defense once again forced a three and out then had their only successful drive of the game coming up.

Starting from their own 38 yard line the Seahawks began their only decent drive of the game. The drive began with a Leon Washington run of 11 yards. Washington then ran for four more yards to the Browns 47 yard line. On second and six Whitehurst went back to pass as he saw a wide open Sidney Rice. Whitehurst completed the pass to Rice for a gain of 38 yards to the Browns nine yard line. The pass was so horribly thrown that Rice's momentum forced him out of bounds. Had the pass been a decent pass Rice walks into the endzone and the Seahawks take the lead. As is the Seahawks had first and goal from the nine yard line. Whitehurst tried a wide receiver screen to Rice which he was tackled for no gain. On the next play Washington ran for a gain of five yards and was only brought down due to a game saving facemask which gave the Seahawks first and goal from the two yard line. On the first play they tried Justin Forsett to the left which he was tackled for no gain. Whitehurst then attempted two passes and both were incomplete as his struggles continued. The Seahawks were forced to settle for a Steven Hauschka 20 yard field goal to tie the score up at 3-3 as the quarter was almost over.

The Browns would respond to the field goal with an 11 play drive that ate up over six minutes. Facing a third and three from their own 24 yard line McCoy completed a 13 yard pass to extend the drive. Again on third and six from the 41 yard line McCoy completed another crucial seven yard pass to extend the chains. After that McCoy hit a 16 yard pass to the Seahawks 36 yard line. The Seahawks defense would get tough and stop the Browns. Dawson came out to try to make his second 50 plus yard field goal of the game. Dawson drilled the 53 yard field goal to give the Browns a 6-3 lead over the Seahawks in the middle of the fourth quarter. The Seahawks offense of course went three and out like they did all game long.

The Browns took over hoping to put the Seahawks away as they went on a 14 play 60 yard drive which ate up six and a half minutes. Starting from their own 34 yard line the Browns started to grind down the clock. First with a short pass for five yards, then with a run of a yard setting up a third and four. McCoy hit another key pass for nine yards to their own 49 yard line. On third and 11 from the 48 yard line McCoy ran up the middle for a gain of 12 yards to continue the drive. Michael Hardesty had a run of six yards to set up a third and four. The Browns surprised the Seahawks with a run call which went for six yards to extend the drive to the Seahawks 28 yard line. Hardesty then had a run of 15 yards to the Seahawks 13 yard line. The Browns went super consertative as they ran the ball three straight times. Had the Browns scored a touchdown given that there was a little over three minutes left in the game  that would have iced the game. Instead the Browns called on their field goal unit to try and go up six points. That is when Red Bryant came through once again blocking his second field goal attempt of the game as he is trying to go after Joe Nash's record. That blocked kick gave the Seahawks new life but their offense once again couldn't do anything. Whitehurst on fourth and 15 couldn't complete the pass as the Browns had possession again. The Seahawks were going to get the ball back but Bryant who had a great game headbutted a Browns offensive player drawing a penalty which iced the game. The Seahawks lost 6-3 as their offense did nothing. The Seahawks passing game was terrible which saw Charlie Whitehurst complete 12-30(40.0%) of his passes for 97 yards(3.2 YPA) with an interception as his quarterback rating was 35.0. The leading receiver was Sidney Rice who had two receptions for 38 yards while the rushing attack wasn't much better. The rushing game was led by Leon Washington who had 39 yards rushing on seven carries(5.6 YPC) who also had four receptions but just 10 yards. Justin Forsett had 23 yards on eight carries(2.9 YPC) in the game as well.

All in all, the Seahawks dropped a very winnable game which will sting at the end of the season. Had the Seahawks won they would be 3-3 instead they are 2-4 which leaves them three games back of the San Francisco 49ers who are 5-1 and actually that is 3.5 games back due to tiebreaker. I think it is safe to say there will be no more quarterback controversy as Whitehurst showed he isn't an NFL quarterback. With two weeks to prepare the offense was a joke and last year the Seahawks fired the offensive coordinator. At what point does the offensive failings fall on Pete Carroll's shoulders? Carroll better find some answers quick as the fans have turned on him because he let go over overrated veterans. This was a tough loss for sure never good to lose when you allow only six points both on fifty yard plus field goals.

Observations:

- The Seahawks passing game was struggling all game so why they called 35 pass plays(30 pass attempts, three sacks, two Whitehurst scrambles) is very confusing. The Seahawks threw the ball 70.0% of the time. The Browns were in the bottom three in the NFL against the run and although Marshawn Lynch was injured still should have ran more. During the game Washington averaged 5.6 yards per carry but only received seven carries. I know he isn't an every down back but still give him 13-17 carries and the Seahawks probably win this game.

While on topic with the run game this last game proved that Justin Forsett serves no purpose on this team. He was held to 23 yards rushing on eight carries(2.9 YPC) and something stood out in the redzone. The Seahawks have no power backs on their roster besides Marshawn Lynch. Forsett basically is a poor version of Washington so having both on your roster not to mention an undersized fullback is just stupid. The Seahawks must get a real fullback this offseason and replace Forsett with a goaline back who can record those tough yards when you need him to.

- Charlie Whitehurst had one of the worst performances I've seen in a while for a starting quarterback. Very rarely does a quarterback play the entire game while attempting 30 passes and somehow threw for under 100 yards. This was a very winnable game where a simple decent throw to Rice on that 38 yard completion and the Seahawks win the game. Had Whitehurst been able to throw for a touchdown when he had two cracks at it from the two yard line the Seahawks win this game as well. Pete Carroll gave up 20 spots in the second round and a third round pick for Whitehurst in a move that at the time was questionable looks downright horrible now.

So far Whitehurst has started three games for the Seahawks going 1-2 in those starts. The Seahawks are averaging only 8.7 points per game while Whitehurst was 46-89 passing(51.6%) for only 402 yards(4.5 YPA) with two touchdowns to three interceptions with a quarterback rating of 57.4 which is downright terrible. The defense played their best game of the Carroll era and it will go down as a loss which will remind fans of the 1992 Seahawks. Whitehurst who is a free agent at the end of the season in his short sample size has proven he isn't the answer for the Seahawks going forward.

- Pete Carroll is a defensive minded coach and his defense when Red Bryant has been healthy has been pretty good. Carroll is the head coach and team president which means the offensive shortcomings also fall on his shoulders. This offense minus the stretch where they used the no huddle(why not use the no huddle this game?!!!) has been terrible. Last year Carroll used his one fire the coordinator get out of jail free card. Carroll can't fire the offensive coordinator again in my opinion without first having his job examined in the process.

Whenever you lose a game 6-3 the fan base is going to be angry and rightfully so. The game plan was just plain  awful to have your backup quarterback throw 70% of the time in a game in which at most you trailed by three points. The Seahawks should have put the ball in Leon Washington and Sidney Rices hands more instead of second tier tight ends. The offensive game plan was terrible and although Carroll has no say on the offensive gameplan as head coach that ultimately falls on his lap. Carroll is now 9-13 as Seahawks head coach and 10-14 if you include the playoff games. I think like most college successful coaches Carroll is realizing that in the NFL you have to draft you can't just sign all the best kids because of where you are located. You have to actually evaluate talent instead of offer 25 scholarships to the best kids in the country. The Whitehurst mistake is squarely on Carroll as that move has been nothing short of a disaster.

In conclusion, the Seahawks lost the probably the most boring game in close to a decade. At least in a blowout I can turn the game off but this game was close so I sat through the entire snoozefest. The Seahawks lost a very winnable game because the offensive gameplan was horrible. The Charlie Whitehurst experiment needs to end as he clearly isn't better than Tarvaris Jackson. Carroll has a ton of work to do as the offseason much like this past offseason will be spent on drafting nothing but offensive guys. The Seahawks lost to a bad football team 6-3 in a game which will haunt them throughout the season.

Seahawks Hope to Bounce Back Against the Giants

(Photo Courtesy of @RGray525)

By Wyatt Lyles 

Tomorrow the Seahawks take on the New York Giants in their final game before the bye week. Sitting at 1-3, it would be nice to get a win here and not be 1-4 going into the bye. In order to do that, though, the Seahawks need to make some adjustments. Here are my three keys to winning Sunday's game. 

1. Run the ball well

This Giants team is one that that has allowed a running back to get 100+ yards on the ground in back-to-back weeks. Overall, they're allowed about 117 yards rushing per week. this is something that the Seahawks will need to capitalize on if they hope to win this game. While the run game hasn't exactly been all that spectacular, the offensive line has been getting better, and if there was any week to finally break out big, this would be the week. The Seahawks need to keep on committing to the run and feeding the ball to Marshawn Lynch. If he can get himself heated up, we could see another Beast Mode run sometime here soon. 

2. Beef up the pass rush 

After four games, the Seahawks only have five sacks as a team. Last week, they had zero sacks. This is something that has been a bit of a problem with their defense thus far. The run defense is great. The secondary has been adequate. The pass rush, however, hasn't been great. They just aren't generating enough pressure on the quarterback. They aren't forcing them to make bad throws. They're pretty much just standing around watching the quarterbacks throw the ball. That's why they've only got two interceptions thus far as well. They need to get back there and force Eli Manning into mistakes in order to get an edge in this game. Make him throw on the run, make him throw it away fast before he gets hit, just throw off his rhythm. Just don't let him stand back there and take his sweet time. That won't help you win any games. 

3. Keep making improvements on special teams 

Special teams was the focal point of this team last season. They are what kept us in most games. That hasn't been the case for most of this season. In week one, they gave up two special teams touchdowns. In weeks two and three, they just couldn't get any nice returns going. Last week, however, they started to see sparks of life. Leon Washington had a couple nice returns that put us in great field position to start drives. As we all know, football is a game of field position. If they can give us a short field to start drives from, it can go a long ways to scoring points and winning games. Hopefully they can continue with the success of last week's improvement and help us win this game. 

With all this said, I'm not completely confident that the Seahawks can win this game tomorrow. I think that if they play they way they did in the second half last week, but only for the whole game this time, a win is totally possible. I just don't know if that will happen. I am totally ready to be proven wrong and surprised though. I look forward to a greta game either way. 

Seahawks 17 - Giants 24 

Seahawks comeback falls short loses to Falcons 30-28

By Kshell

The Seattle Seahawks(1-3) found themselves trailing 27-7 to the Atlanta Falcons(2-2) in a game at home. The Seahawks stormed back to pull within 30-28 but a 61 yard field goal attempt by Steve Hauschka was wide left as the Seahawks fell just short. The Seahawks offense easily played their best ball of the season in the second half led by Tarvaris Jackson who threw for over 300 yards. He also threw for three touchdowns once again connecting on a deep pass to Sidney Rice. The Seahawks defense couldn't stop Matt Ryan early in the game while Michael Turner scored two touchdowns as well. The Seahawks were torched by the Falcons receiver duo of Julio Jones and Roddy White. The Seahawks will now have to go on the road for the next two weeks after falling to 1-3 their worst start since 2009 when they went 5-11.

The game started off terribly for the Seahawks as they went three and out. The Falcons took over on their own 28 yard line would go on a 12 play 72 yard drive having taken up over seven minutes on the drive. The drive would begin with two straight runs to Turner for nine yards. On third and one Ryan would hit Julio Jones for a five yard gain. After no gain, Ryan would complete a pass to Tony Gonzalez for a gain of nine yards. Turner would rush for three yards to record the first down to the Seahawks 46 yard line. Former Oregon State running back Jacquiz Rodgers would rush for seven yards then follow that up with an 11 yard run to the Seahawks 28 yard line. Ryan would connected on a pass over the middle to White for a gain of 26 yards to the Seahawks one yard line. After the Seahawks stopped Turner on the one yard line the Falcons finally punched the ball through. Ryan on a play action pass threw the ball perfectly over the head of K.J.Wright to Gonzalez for the one yard touchdown to give the Falcons a 7-0 lead. The Falcons would have to wait until the second quarter before they would erupt on the Seahawks.

In the second quarter the Falcons would take advantage of a mistake by the Seahawks. The Seahawks on their own 36 yard saw Tarvaris Jackson throw an interception which was returned to the Seahawks 37 yard line. The boo birds were coming out on Jackson at that point although the Seahawks failures weren't resting just squarely on his shoulders. With the ball deep into Seattle territory didn't take long for the Falcons to score a touchdown. The drive would start off with Ryan hitting Turner with an eight yard completion to the Seahawks 29 yard line. Ryan would follow that up with an eight yard run of his own to the Seahawks 21 yard line. After an incompletion that is when Turner would score on a 21 yard touchdown run to his left. Turner simply out ran the Seahawks secondary for that touchdown to give the Falcons a 14-0 lead. The Seahawks were in desperate need to strike back against a team who was 13-3 just a year ago. The Seahawks offense which had showed no signs this season of making this into a game would survive their own fan base on the following drive. As for the Falcons this was just the start to a very big second quarter which saw the Falcons score 17 points.

After a horrible kickoff return the Seahawks began down 14-0 on their own 16 yard line. The drive would start off with a Marshawn Lynch two yard run to the 18 yard line. Jackson would throw an incomplete pass setting up a third and eight on the 18 yard line. That is when Jackson would show the Seahawks 12th man a glimpse of what he is capable of doing. Jackson would hit rookie receiver Doug Baldwin for a 30 yard gain to their own 48 yard line. On the following play Jackson would have a hard count causing the Falcons to jump offsides which meant a free play for the Seahawks offense. Jackson looked to his right and saw his former Minnesota teammate Sidney Rice wide open as he hit him with a perfect pass. Rice would walk into the endzone untouched for the 52 yard touchdown pass by Jackson to cut the lead down to 14-7. The Seahawks were right back in the game. Unfortunately, the Seahawks would have that quick momentum taken away as the defense still couldn't stop the Falcons.

The Falcons would respond by going on an 11 play, 72 yard drive which lasted over six minutes. The drive would begin with Ryan completing a pass to Turner for a gain of 10 yards. Facing a third and 13 from their own 35 yard line Ryan would hit rookie receiver Julio Jones for a gain of 29 yards to the Seahawks 36 yard line. On third and seven from the Seahawks 33 yard line Ryan would hit White for a gain of 15 yards to the Seahawks 18 yard line. Ryan would hit White again for a gain of 16 yards to the Seahawks two yard line. After a short run by Turner to the one yard line, Turner would finish the drive off in style. It had appeared Turner was going to be stopped short but instead he did his best Bo Jackson impression making LeRoy Hill his Brian Bosworth. Turner scored on the touchdown giving the Falcons a 21-7 lead. The Falcons would force a three and out while then going on a nine play drive which accounted for 33 yards. The half would end when Matt Bryant would drill the 47- yard field goal giving the Falcons a commanding 24-7 lead at halftime.

The Falcons would begin the second half with the ball on their own 20 yard line. Ryan would once again hit Jones for a gain of 45 yards to the Seahawks 35 yard line. The Seahawks would stop the Falcons after that forcing a long field goal attempt by Bryant again going into the Hawks Nest. Bryant would drill the 50-yard field goal to give the Falcons a 27-7 lead which had everyone thinking this game was going to get ugly. The Falcons to that point were not being stopped and minus one long pass the Seahawks offense wasn't doing anything. Well that would change as the Seahawks offense would finally wake up to make this into a game again.

The Seahawks would receive a nice 36 yard return from Leon Washington to their own 39 yard line. Lynch would rush for three yards, then catch a pass for five yards setting up a third and two. Justin Forsett would rush for three yards giving the Seahawks a first down at midfield. Jackson would once again hit his rookie receiver Baldwin for a gain of 20 yards to the Falcons 30 yard line. Jackson would dump the ball off to Washington for a gain of four yards to the Falcons 26 yard line to set up a third and six. That is when Jackson would hit a receiver who hasn't been thrown to very much this season. Jackson would connect with Mike Williams for a gain of 19 yards. After a short gain by Washington then an incomplete pass the Seahawks were facing a third and goal. Jackson would connect with Williams for the six yard touchdown to pull the Seahawks within 27-14. For Williams that was his first touchdown reception of the season.

What would transpire next involved plenty of momentum swings. The Seahawks would record a stop on the Falcons. Then  on their own 28 yard line Jackson would complete a 26 yard pass to Lynch to the Falcons 46 yard line. He would then hit Baldwin for a gain of 11 yards. Jackson would complete a pass to Forsett for a gain of 17 yards to the Falcons 18 yard line. Jackson would throw an interception intended for Zach Miller to the Falcons five yard line. Seattle would then force a three and out. Washington would take the punt 33 yards to the Falcons 11 yard line. The Seahawks would waste little time as they handed the ball to Lynch. Lynch would bust the run for 11 yards for the touchdown. That touchdown would close the lead to 27-21 and for Lynch that would be his first touchdown of the season.

taken by Jimmy Hickey

The Falcons would go on a 13 play, 57 yard drive which took up six and a half minutes of clock. The drive would start on their own 20 yard line with Ryan hitting Jones for a gain of four yards. He would hit White for eight yards. On the 30 yard line Ryan would hit Gonzalez for a 22 yard gain to the Seahawks 48 yard line. On third and two from the Seahawks 40 yard line the Seahawks committed a five yard penalty give the Falcons a first down. Facing a third and eight from the Seahawks 33 yard line Ryan would hit Rodgers for a gain of 10 yards to the Seahawks 23 yard line. The Seahawks defense would deny them of the endzone which brought on Bryant again. Bryant would make the 42 yard field goal to give the Falcons a 30-21 lead. Due to a poor kickoff the Seahawks would still have life left in them.



The Seahawks would respond with a nine play, 60 yard touchdown drive to make the game interesting. Lynch would begin the drive with a six yard run to the Seahawks 46 yard line, Jackson would complete a pass to Ben Obomanu for a gain of 12 yards to the Falcons 42 yard line. Jackson would rush up the middle for a gain of 13 yards to the Falcons 29 yard line. Facing a critical third and nine Jackson would connect with Baldwin for a gain of 16 yards to the Falcons 13 yard line. Lynch would rush for two yards then catch a pass for another two yards which set up a critical third and six from the eight yard line. Jackson would scramble around buying time for his receivers to find a way to be open. Then Jackson found Obomanu wide open on the left side of the end zone for the easiest touchdown pass of his career. That would be Jackson's third touchdown pass of the game and more importantly pulled the Seahawks to within 30-28. The Falcons wouldn't score but would go on a 13 play, 37 yard drive while taking up over six minutes. By the time they punted the ball to the Seahawks there was only 1:49 left in the game. The Seahawks were starting from their own 15 yard line with only one timeout left in the game hoping to complete the comeback.

With the odds stacked against them Jackson would start the drive off with a nine yard pass to Forsett to the Seahawks 24 yard line. Forsett would rush up the middle for a gain of eight yards to the Seahawks 32 yard line. Jackson would complete a pass to Forsett for a gain of three yards, then to Baldwin for a gain of seven yards to their own 42 yard line. Jackson would hit Zach Miller for a gain of 13 yards to the Falcons 45 yard line with 22 seconds left. The Seahawks would spike the ball then see Rice be called for a false start pushing the ball back to the 50 yard line. Jackson would hit Miller for a gain of seven yards but would miss his throw on third down. Facing a fourth and eight with one timeout remaining the Seahawks elected to attempt the 61 yard field goal. Hauschka would miss the kick wide left as the Falcons would hang on for the 30-28 win improving to 2-2 while the Seahawks would fall to 1-3.

The Falcons controlled the time of possession for a little over 40 minutes as they put up 412 yards of total offense. The Falcons were led by Matt Ryan who was 28-42(66.7%) passing for 291 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions. Ryan also ran for 26 yards as well. Ryan's favorite targets were Julio Jones who had 11 receptions for 127 yards(11.5 YPC) and Roddy White who had six receptions for 78 yards(13.0 YPC). Ryan also hit hit tight end Tony Gonzalez for seven receptions for 56 yards(8.0 YPC) with a touchdown. Michael Turner carried the ball 26 times for 70 yards(2.7 YPC) with two touchdowns. He also caught two passes for 18 yards to help the Falcons build an early lead on the Seahawks. The Falcons scored three touchdowns and three long field goals due to Matt Bryant to earn the victory on the road over the Seahawks.

For the Seahawks who saw their comeback effort fall just short they were led by Tarvaris Jackson. Jackson to date had his best game as a Seahawks quarterback completing 25 of his 38 passes(65.8%) for 319 yards(8.4 YPA) with three touchdowns to two interceptions for a quarterback rating of 96.3. Jackson also ran for 16 yards during the game. This game Jackson spread the ball around to his receivers. Doug Baldwin led the team with five receptions for 84 yards(16.8 YPC). He was followed up by Sidney Rice who had three receptions for 79 yards(26.3 YPC) with a touchdown. Mike Williams had three receptions for 36 yards(12.0 YPC) with a touchdown, Justin Forsett had three for 30 yards(10.0 YPC), Ben Obomanu had three for 25 yards with a touchdown. Zach Miller had three receptions for 21 yards while Marshawn Lynch had three for 33 yards.  Lynch also had just 24 yards rushing(3.0 YPC) with a touchdown on the day. The Seahawks fell behind early and couldn't run the ball effectively so they had no choice but to go to the air. Although the Seahawks lost at least for now Jackson quieted his home fan base from booing him after every incomplete pass.

All in all, the Seahawks must find a way to come out better in the first half. This season Pete Carroll has seen his team fall behind 19-0 in week one, 17-0 at halftime in week two, trailing 10-6 at halftime in week three to trailing this week 27-7. The Seahawks went toe to toe with one of the better teams in the NFC but in the NFL you are measured by wins and losses. The Seahawks are 1-3 as they are two games behind the San Francisco 49ers who hold tiebreaker so in reality they are two and a half games back. The Seahawks dropped a golden opportunity to jump into the NFC West race which is currently being held by Alex Smith and his 49ers. For the Seahawks to be successful for the rest of the year they have to match what their opponent is doing in the first half or this is going to be a very long season.

Observations:

- I thought Tarvaris Jackson played his best game as a Seahawks quarterback. He actually played better than any regular season game Matt Hasselbeck played in last season as well. Jackson completed 65.8% of his passes for 319 yards with three touchdowns. Of his two interceptions one wasn't his fault. The reason the Seahawks were back in this game was because Jackson was making plays with his arm. Jackson had seven different receivers with at least three receptions in the game showing he was sharing the wealth.

For the season Jackson has completed 62.2% of his passes for 846 yards(6.3 YPA) with five touchdowns passing and four interceptions. He has a quarterback rating of 80.0. Jackson won't make you forget about Hasselbeck but it is time for the fans to give him a chance. If he is playing terrible then yea you can boo him but during today that was getting annoying. Jackson was the only reason the Seahawks even had a chance at the end of the game.

- For Pete Carroll this was a tough loss as the Seahawks fall to 1-3 and he falls to 8-12 as Seahawks head coach. I felt Carroll blew it at the end of the game by attempting the 61 yard field goal. The best chance was to let Jackson complete that fourth and eight pass then call timeout to kick the game winning field goal. Carroll did have his team ready and I will say the Seahawks aren't quitting on him like they did last year when they lost nine games by 15 points or more. The Seahawks have twice this year almost came back from large deficits only to fall short. In the NFL you have complete those comebacks or else you are in for a rough season. The Seahawks are now 1-3 with two east coast games then the bye week. This is the most critical stretch of the season for the Seahawks. Lose both games your season is over. Even a split will put the Seahawks at 2-4 which will make it hard to recover from that.

In conclusion, the Seahawks lost a winnable game today which is going to hurt going forward. If the Seahawks had any chances of being a playoff team they needed to win today's game in my opinion. Like I said for a franchise who hasn't won on the east coast since 2007 playing the New York Giants in New  York will be a tough challenge. The Seahawks can't afford to go 1-4 with another road game. This is critical to see if this season will matter or if the fans will be doing mock drafts by Halloween. For the Seahawks they can't accept close losses anymore they must find ways to win games like today or their season is in danger of being irrelevant.