Patton's 2011 NFL Mock Draft

By Patton Richard

1. Carolina Panthers: Cam Newton, QB, Auburn.

People will argue whether this is the right pick, all I can say is we don't know enough about him. If he LOVES football like Tebow or Locker does, then he can succeed. If he's more worried about establishing a brand, I'm not so sure. If Carolina picks him they've done their homework. It's not like they're passing on Ndamukong Suh for him.

2. Denver Broncos: Marcell Dareus, DT, Alabama.

This pick seems fairly certain at this point. Marcell Dareus isn't nearly as good as Suh, infact I'd have him ranked below Gerald Mccoy (who went 3rd last year) too. This pick is for sale (Arizona is who would want to trade up here as they want to jump Buffalo as they both have the same needs).

3. Buffalo Bills: Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU

My #2 rated player in this draft behind the guy who goes #4. I like Peterson, I think he's an elite playmaker. I ranked him above Joe Haden (the #1 CB last year).

4. Cincinnati Bengals: A.J. Green, WR, Georgia.

Cincinnati really needs a wide receiver. Although, don't be surprised if it's Julio Jones here. All I'm hearing about A.J. is that he's a superstar waiting to breakout, whereas Julio Jones is a football playing proffessional, who will run perfect routes and od the dirty things and not complain. We'll see who Cincinnatti takes.

5. Arizona Cardinals: Von Miller, LB, Texas A&M

Von Miller and Patrick Peterson are the two guys they want most. It looks like they'll get one of them.

6. Cleveland Browns: Julio Jones, WR, Alabama

I was told Julio Jones is the best blocking WR of the last 15 years. He's going to show up, and do everything you want him to do.

7. San Francisco 49ers: Jake Locker, QB, Washington.

I'm just going off what I believe to be true here. Jake Locker is a better fit for Harbaugh's system then Gabbert is. Also, Locker isn't guaranteed to make it past Tennessee, Washington, Minnesota or Miami so trading down makes it difficult. Robert Quinn could easily be the guy here too.

8. Tennessee Titans: Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn.

Tennessee needs defensive linemen and they just hired the DL coach from Auburn in Tracy Rocker.

9. Dallas Cowboys: Tyron Smith, T, USC.

I've been hearing it's him or one of the two corner backs.

10. Washington Redskins: Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri

I don't think they're actually happy about this at all. They wanted Locker or Juloi Jones and they're both gone.

11. Houston Texans: Robert Quinn, DE, North Carolina

It's tough here between Quinn and the CB needs. I think they'll address CB by Free Agency or trade up for Peterson if he drops.

12. Minnesota Vikings: Mike Pouncey, C/G, Florida

I've been hearing this for over a month now.

13. Detroit Lions: Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado

I think Detroit goes CB here, but I'm not sure which one. I like Smith more and I keep hearing his off the field troubles aren't so troubling at all.

14. St. Louis Rams: Corey Liuget, DT, Illinois.

Liuget has huge upside, I'd love for him to drop to Seattle.

15. Miami Dolphins: Da'Quan Bowers DE, Clemson

Top 5 talent drops due to scary medical. Miami needs a passrusher.

16. Jacksonville Jaguars: Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska

Best player available, I guess. I'm not a huge Prince fan.

17. New England Patriots (from OAK): JJ Watt, DE, Wisconsin.

I keep hearing they want to trade up, but knowing them they probably want to trade down or out of the first round.

18. San Diego Chargers: Cameron Jordan, DE, California.

Scheme fit. People thought Cameron Jordan fight be a top 5 guy after his Senior Bowl. His stock is falling but not that far, he could certainly go before this.

19. New York Giants: Anthony Castonzo, OT, Boston College

I think he's the 2nd best OT in the draft, and he's gotta go at some point.

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Ryan Kerrigan, DE, Purdue

They want a pass rush, Kerrigan is a high floor low ceiling type player

21. Kansas City Chiefs: Phil Taylor, NT, Baylor.

Trusting a source here, saying Romeo Crennel wants a nose tackle. But lets be honest, KC now runs the same way NE does, so who knows.

22. Indianapolis Colts: Nate Solder, OT, Colorado

Rarely does Bill Polian come out and say exactly what it is they need, so I trust they'll go OT here.

23. Philadelphia Eagles: Aldon Smith, DE, Missouri

This is a tough pick to narrow down, I know they'd love a CB here. I feel like it could be Danny Watkins here too.

24. New Orleans Saints: Gabe Carimi, OT, Wisconsin.

There right side was bad, and Carimi is a fantastic run blocker. I think he fits the system well here.

25. Seattle Seahawks: Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama

This is a weird spot, and I think Seattle would trade down. When writing this spot I wrote down these names: Mark Ingram, Danny Watkins, Marvin Austin, Muhammad Wilkerson, Stephen Paea, Kyle Rudolph, Jonathan Baldwin, Titus Young, Jerrell Jennigan, Aaron Williams, and Colin Kaepernick. This is why we need to trade out of the first round, I decided to go with Mark Ingram for a few reasons. Yes, I think this is a luxury pick. I know RB is not our biggest need. His 10 yard burst at the combine was fantastic, so ignore his 40 time. Secondly, he runs angry like he's going to hurt someone. Third, everyone hated Lynch and our RBs until the Saints game, but he wasn't great, or even good, last year. I think Ingram can be a probowler right away, and we need talent everywhere. I'm surprised this pick came this way.

26. Baltimore Ravens: Brandon Harris, CB, Miami (FL)

This seems like somewhat of a reach, but Ozzie Newsome is the best drafting GM in the league. They always look towards what they're going to need, and they're going to need more corner backs now and later.

27. Atlanta Falcons: Kyle Rudolph, TE, Notre Dame

This is the perfect fit, but somewhat of a luxury pick. They would love a WR here too. I don't know which one they'd prefer.

28. New England Patriots: Danny Watkins, OG, Baylor.

Probowl caliber olinemen goes to a team where he can start right away and everyone will ask "Why didn't we take him earlier?"

29. Chicago Bears: Derek Sherrod, OT, Mississippi State

They need oline help badly.

30. New York Jets: Marvin Austin, DT, North Carolina.

They need Dlinmen badly, it's either him Wilkerson or Paea.

31. Pittsburgh Steelers: Adrian Clayborn, DE, Iowa

He's tough, feels like a Pittsburgh pick.

32. Green Bay Packers: Muhammed Wilkerson, DE, Temple

They're going to go after a passrusher, maybe Brooks Reed here?


Round 2

33. New England Patriots (from CAR): Ryan Williams, RB, Virginia Tech

They need a runningback, I think they might take Ingram at #17.

34. Buffalo Bills: Ryan Mallett, QB, Arkansas

In order to be a QB you have to have a STRONG arm. Mallett has that, although I keep hearing he might slip out of the 2nd ala Colt McCoy.

35. Cincinnati Bengals: Andy Dalton, QB, TCU

I'm told Jay Gruden loves Dalton and thinks he's a good fit for the WCO.

36. Denver Broncos: Akeem Ayers, OLB, UCLA

They are taking Defense throughout the entire draft. He's the best one on the board

37. Cleveland Browns: Brooks Reed, OLB/DE, Arizona

I think he's the hybrid type that will work for Cleveland.

38. Arizona Cardinals: Jerrel Jernigan, WR, Troy

I love Jernigan, and I think Arizona needs more targets.

39. Tennessee Titans: Christian Ponder, QB, Florida State

I think the Titans would prefer getting Dalton over Ponder, but we'll see.

40. Dallas Cowboys: Ras-I Dowling, CB, Virginia

Dallas would love to take another CB, that's why I'm hearing it could be Jimmy Smith or Prince in the first, I think they'll settly with Dowling here.

41. Washington Redskins: Rodney Hudson, OG, Florida State

Fits the scheme well.

42. Houston Texans: Aaron Williams, CB/S, Texas.

He might be a CB, but I think he'd be a safety.

43. Minnesota Vikings: Jonathan Baldwin, WR, Pittsburgh

Big wide receiver to replace Sidney Rice if he walks this year.

44. Detroit Lions: Mason Foster, LB, Washington

I think they go DE or LB here. Foster, Martez Willson and Bruce Carter are my highest 3 left.

45. San Francisco 49ers: Stephen Paea, DT, Oregon State

I feel like Paea is a Harbaugh type of player.

46. Denver Broncos (from MIA): Cameron Heyward, DE, Ohio State

It's all defense.

47. St. Louis Rams: Titus Young, WR, Boise State

Tough to place him over Torrey Smith, but I think Young fits Mcdaniels better.

48. Oakland Raiders: Stefen Wisniewski, C, Penn State

Everyone has been saying this is Oakland's target, but Torrey Smith sure does run fast...

49. Jacksonville Jaguars: Colin Kaepernick, QB, Nevada

Just a hunch here.

50. San Diego Chargers: Torrey Smith, WR, Maryland

Wide Receiver here I guess, I mean San Diego had the #1 Offense and #1 Defense last year.

51. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Rahim Moore, S, UCLA

This seems to be a good fit for Moore and for Tampa.

52. New York Giants: Mikel Leshoure, RB, Illinois

A lot of people have Leshoure has the #1 RB in this draft, and he falls this far.

53. Indianapolis Colts: Ben Ijalana, OT, Villanova

They're going to take olinemen at every chance they get.

54. Philadelphia Eagles: Martez Wilson, LB, Illinois

Good LB that fits a need.

55. Kansas City Chiefs: Bruce Carter, LB, North Carolina

Fits the system.

56. New Orleans Saints: Drake Nevis, DT, LSU

He's a big big boy.

57. Seattle Seahawks: James Carpenter, OT, Alabama

Again I wrote down 5 names: James Carpenter (OT, Alabama), Edmund Gates (WR, Abilene Christian), Greg Little (WR, North Carolina), Christian Ballard (DE, Iowa), Jurrell Casey (DT, USC). I wanted to place Greg Little here so badly, but wussed out. I think Carpenter is the best OL left.

58. Baltimore Ravens: Christian Ballard, DE, Iowa

Good DE. I'm not quite sure on the scheme fit, but I like him.

59. Atlanta Falcons: Randall Cobb, WR, Kentucky

A playmaker for the offense that wants/needs them. He's like Mccluster and will probably go way earlier than this.

60. New England Patriots: Jabaal Sheard, LB, Pittsburgh

New England is just taking the highest rated player that falls.

61. San Diego Chargers (from NYJ): Johnny Patrick, CB, Louisville

I really don't know what to do with San Diego.

62. Chicago Bears: Jarvis Jenkins, DT, Clemson

Chicago needs to replace Tommie Harris badly.

63. Pittsburgh Steelers: Curtis Marsh, CB, Utah State

They would love to get a CB earlier, but Curtis Marsh is a physical player.

64. Green Bay Packers: Jurrell Casey, DT, USC

I think he should go before this. Green Bay won the superbowl with lots of players on IR, they draft depth everywhere and Casey will play in the NFL for a long time.

Hasselbeck leads Seahawks stunning win over defending Super Bowl Champions Saints 41-36

By Kshell

All week long the Seattle Seahawks were being bashed on as the first team in NFL history to not only make the playoffs but host a playoff game with a losing record(7-9). All week long nobody gave the Seattle Seahawks a chance as they were a double digit home underdog to the defending champions New Orleans Saints. These are the same Saints who defeated the Seahawks earlier in the year 34-19 which you can read here. What you'll notice in that first contest is the play of Matt Hasselbeck. Hasselbeck threw for 333 yards that game while today he set playoff career highs in touchdown passes.

The game started off as no surprise to anyone who follows football. The Saints took the opening possession and drove down the field on the Seahawks defense. Drew Brees had torched the Seahawks earlier in the year and he would once again have another big game. The Saints would stall in the red zone eventually and have to settle for a Garrett Hartley 26 yard field goal to take a 3-0 lead. The Seahawks would then throw an interception on their first possession which wasn't Matt Hasselbeck's fault as the ball tipped off of Ben Obomanu's hands. The Saints would once again take advantage of the short field going 35 yards in eight plays ending when Brees would hit former Seahawks fullback Heath Evans on a one yard touchdown pass. The Saints took a 10-0 lead. It was looking like another Seahawks blow out but Hasselbeck had other plans.



The Saints trying to kick away from dangerous return man Leon Washington chose to kick the ball short at first. That meant the Seahawks offense would have great field position at their own 43 yard line. That is when Hasselbeck started to prove why Pete Carroll named him the starter as I discussed yesterday. After a Marshawn Lynch six yard run, Hasselbeck would hit Mike Williams for a gain of 10 yards, then Obomanu for a gain of 10 yards. Lynch would rush for 10 more yards to the Saints 21 yard line. After a short completion to Stokley and a five yard penalty on the Saints the Seahawks had the ball on the Saints 11 yard line. That is when the Seahawks faked the run and hit fantasy football bust tight end John Carlson for an 11 yard touchdown strike from Hasselbeck to pull within 10-7.

In the second quarter the Saints behind Drew Brees would answer right back with a 10 play 78 yard drive. On the drive Brees was four for five passing for 53 yards. The Saints ran the ball five times for 25 yards including the third and four from the Seahawks five yard line draw to former Seahawks running back Julius Jones for a five yard touchdown run to put the Saints back up 17-7. Jones became the first player in playoff history to score a touchdown against a team that he had played for during that season. The Seahawks for the second time would have to try and overcome a 10 point lead.



Thankfully for the Seahawks Hasselbeck brought his "A" game today. Hasselbeck would hit Obomanu for a gain of 12 yards. After a first down and a run of three yards by Lynch the Seahawks faced a second and seven from the Saints 46 yard line. Hasselbeck had a beautiful pump and go to Cameron Morrah for a gain of 39 yards. Hasselbeck led Morrah beautifully on the pass. The very next play Carlson would intentionally fall down as Hasselbeck rolled to his right then threw back to his left for a wide open Carlson for the touchdown. Carlson who had just one touchdown all season long caught his second touchdown of the game to pull the score within 17-14. A few series later the Saints running back Julius Jones would fumble the ball which Marcus Trufant recovered. The Seahawks would have to settle for a 29 yard field goal by Olindo Mare to tie up the score 17-17.



The Seahawks after trading punts would have the ball with five minutes to go in the half with the score tied at 17-17. The goal was to not only score but make sure Brees didn't have enough time to score a touchdown themselves. Facing a third and 11 from their own 23 Hasselbeck hit a quick pass to Ruvell Martin in the slot for a gain of 15 for a first down. Then facing a third and one, Justin Forsett barely got another Seahawks first down. Later in the drive the Seahawks were facing a third and three from the Saints 45 yard line when Hasselbeck dropped back in the pocket had ton of options but decided to go deep. Hasselbeck once again delivered a perfect pass to Brandon Stokley for a 45 yard touchdown to give the Seahawks a 24-17 lead. That would be a playoff career high three touchdown passes for Hasselbeck. The Saints would then march down the field and settle on a 22 yard Hartley field goal to give the Seahawks a 24-20 lead at halftime.



In the second half Hasselbeck continued to be red hot passing. After a Lynch four yard run Hasselbeck would hit Mike Williams for a gain of 11 yards to their own 36 yard line. Hasselbeck would hit Obomanu for a gain of 18 to the right on a beautifully thrown fade route. He would hit Forsett for a gain of nine yards, after a failed fake half back pass attempt the Seahawks were facing a third and two on the Saints 38 yard line. Hasselbeck then threw a perfect pass in double coverage to Williams for a 38 yard touchdown. Williams who had just one touchdown prior to last week has now scored a touchdown in back to back weeks. The Seahawks were up 31-20 at that point in the game. The Seahawks after getting a stop would have to settle for a Mare 39 yard field goal after a key dropped pass on third down. The Seahawks would lead 34-20.



The Seahawks would blow a golden opportunity to put the defending Super Bowl champions away once and for good. Facing a third and three from his own 35 yard line Brees hit Julius Jones out of the backfield for a gain of two and a half yards. Kelly Jennings made a terrific tackle on Jones to stop him short. After the lines judge measured the spot the Saints were one inch short of the first down. Trailing by 14 points but with four minutes to go in the third quarter Sean Payton decided to for it on fourth down. Payton then handed off to Jones who was blown up and stopped short of the first down. The Seahawks up 14 points had the ball on the Saints 37 yard line. Due to a dropped pass and a delay of game the Seahawks got nothing out of that opportunity.

The Saints took advantage of new life driving down the field 87 yards in 12 plays. On the drive Brees was seven for nine passing for 57 yards on the drive. The drive ended on another touchdown run by Julius Jones from four yards out. The Saints would then three and out the Seahawks again and go on an eight play 53 yard drive which was stop short at the Seahawks three yard line. Brees facing a third and three from the Seahawks four yard line hit Devey Henderson on a quick throw but Seahawks rookie safety Earl Thomas came up to disrupt the play which stopped the Saints short. The Saints would have to settle for a 21 yard field goal by Hartley to close the Seahawks lead to 34-30.

The Seahawks offense would be stopped again but due to a great 52 yard punt by Jon Ryan and a Saints penalty they had to start from their own six yard line. Brees would immediately pick up 11 yards on a pass to Reggie Bush. Then the 12th man would strike as the Saints would have their third false start penalty of the game. Facing a second and 15 from their own 12 yard line Brees dumped it off to Heath Evans for a gain of seven. With four minutes and change left in the game Brees would throw an incomplete pass. The Saints would be forced to punt the ball to the Seahawks with four minutes to go. The Seahawks who couldn't run all year had to try and find a way to milk the clock out to extend their season. Instead the Seahawks would only last 58 seconds but that wasn't a bad thing either.



The Seahawks would turn to Marshawn Lynch who went "beast mode" on the Saints. After getting stuff up the middle for no gain facing a second and 10 from their own 33 yard line the Seahawks decided to run Lynch again. This time Lynch would bust the longest run of his career, longest run in Seahawks postseason history and possibly the greatest playoff run given the importance of the run in playoff history. Lynch would make eight Saints miss tackles on his 67 yard touchdown run which began as a simple run up the middle which went from a gain of four to the fans being excited about him getting a first down, then he would stiff arm a defender and keep running and make another defender miss. Just for good measure Lynch would make one last Saint defender miss a tackle at around the two yard line. Lynch's touchdown run put him over 100 yards for the first time this year and would give the Seahawks a commanding 41-30 lead with three minutes to play in the game.

The Saints were not ready to give up just so easily they would march down the field 70 yards in nine plays. Brees would hit Devery Henderson for a six yard touchdown pass to pull within 41-36. The Saints would then go for two and hand the ball off to DeShawn Wynn who was stuffed on the two point try. With 1:30 left in the game and only having one timeout the Saints were forced to onside kick it. The man who caught the first two touchdowns of the game John Carlson made the easy catch on the kick which was kicked right to him. The Seahawks after two running plays took a knee and pulled off the shocking upset 41-36 over the Saints.



The Seahawks the team that everyone scoffed at making the playoffs will advance to see another week. A team who had won just nine games the prior two seasons has now won a division title, won a playoff game and knocked off the defending Super Bowl champions. Pete Carroll said he took this Seahawks job because he didn't want to rebuild with a new quarterback. Hasselbeck suffered through a year below his standards but ended todays game completing 22 of 35 passes for 272 yards with four touchdown passes and just the one interception which wasn't his fault. Hasselbeck would enjoy a quarterback rating of 113.0. Not bad for a guy whose own fans were chanting his backup just three weeks ago. As for his counterpart well Drew Brees certainly isn't to be blamed completing 39 of 60 passes for 404 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.

When it came down to it the Seahawks had a running game while the Saints didn't. Marshawn Lynch finished with 19 carries for 131 yards(6.9 YPC) with a touchdown while the Seahawks previous starting running back Julius Jones ran for 59 yards on 15 carries(3.9 YPC) with two touchdowns but a costly fumble. The Seahawks had great production from their three receivers, two of whom were picked up in the offseason off the scrap heap. Mike Williams playing in his first playoff game finished with five receptions for 68 yards a touchdown, Brandon Stokley finished with four receptions for 73 yards and a touchdown while Ben Obomanu had five receptions for 43 yards.

All in all the Seahawks live to see another week. After the city of Seattle suffering through so much losing over the past couple of years this has been a nice change of pace. This is by no means a great Seahawks team but this team will be remembered with fond memories. The Seattle Supersonics in the 1986-87 season became the first NBA team in playoff history to win a playoff series with a losing record. That team went to the Western Conference Finals before losing to eventual World Champions Los Angeles Lakers. Now that wasn't a great team but that team is remembered with good memories. These Seahawks have created some memories fans of the Northwest will never forget. Most importantly Matt Hasselbeck proved he was the right choice for Pete Carroll and they both have another week of football.

Observations:


- Matt Hasselbeck has played plenty of great games as Seattle Seahawk in his career. Perhaps he might play a few more great games going forward. I doubt Hasselbeck ever has or ever will play a game like this given the circumstances. The circumstances was the Seahawks were in the playoffs and Hasselbeck threw for four touchdowns. The other circumstance was 35 points meant a loss so it was important to score 41 points.

Hasselbeck tied Walter Jones franchise record today with his 10th career playoff start which he'll break next week. Hasselbeck also has five career playoff wins including five consecutive playoff wins at Qwest Field. Hasselbeck today by throwing a touchdown pass has thrown a touchdown pass in nine consecutive playoff games. He trails only Brett Favre(20) and Tom Brady(14) who are both first ballot Hall of Famers, not even Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, and Donavan McNabb have longer streaks than Hasselbeck. The only game Hasselbeck didn't throw a touchdown he threw for over 300 yards and Shaun Alexander scored on three one yard touchdown runs. Hasselbeck is a proven playoff warrior now.

Hasselbeck had to be on his "A" game today because Drew Brees was as well. Ultimately it was Hasselbeck who won this great scoring battle that will remind fans of the classic Chargers-Dolphins game of 1981(played in January of 1982). Hasselbeck won the battle against a former Super Bowl MVP and in doing so maybe he finally quieted his critics. He deserves his fair share of blame for throwing picks but chanting "Charlie!" or suggesting he is a bum is a disgrace. Hasselbeck is the greatest Seahawks quarterback this franchise has ever had. We should be thankful Brett Favre's unprofessional attitude didn't rub off on Hasselbeck.

Hasselbeck was huge this game and I couldn't think of a better Seahawk than him to be the hero. I know he isn't a hall of famer and most outside the Northwest never thought he was good but when he retires his #8 should be hanging in the rafters. When Hasselbeck is on like he was today he is still an elite quarterback. This is why Carroll started Hasselbeck over Whitehurst.



- All week people were debating who should raise the 12th man flag. Once I learned Walter Jones had not raised the 12th man flag I was thinking this was a no brainer decision. Glad to see our future hall of famer raise the 12th man flag. I noticed in warm ups he was on the field by Hasselbeck. Maybe just his presence brought the good mojo to Hasselbeck and the running game I don't know.

Jones with the Seahawks made the Pro Bowl a franchise record nine times(1999,2001-08) while also being named first team all-pro four times(2001,2004,2005,2007). Big Walt is only the second player in franchise history(our first and to date only Hall of Famer Steve Largent is the other) to have his number retired. It was a great site to see big Walter Jones raise the 12th man flag. Like I said maybe that inspired the offensive line who allowed just one sack all game and opened up good running lanes for Marshawn Lynch.



- Every championship team has a few players who are talented but underachievers before they arrived to their team. The good teams get the most out of that talented player. Pete Carroll and the Seahawks have done exactly that with wide receiver Mike Williams. Williams who ate himself out of the league didn't play in 2008 and 2009 was coming off a seven catch season in 2007. Williams the former 10th pick of the Detroit Lions in 2005 back when they took a receiver every year in the first round looked like he blew his chance.

Reunited with his old college coach Pete Carroll, Williams has had a huge comeback season. For the year Williams caught 65 passes for 751 yards and two touchdowns in 14 games. Williams also caught 40 first downs as he quickly developed to be Matt Hasselbecks favorite wide receiver. Williams earlier this week was rewarded with a three year contract extension. Williams playing in his first playoff game today had a great game with 68 yards receiving with five receptions and a touchdown. Williams has been a great bargain pick up for the Seahawks a sign that Carroll can coach up underachieving talent.



- The Seahawks traded a fourth and a fifth round pick to the Buffalo Bills to acquire Marshawn Lynch for games like today. Last week in the second half to clinch the NFC West championship Lynch ran for 70 yards to control the clock and grind out points for the Seahawks.

This week Lynch constantly running hard was setting Hasselbeck up on third and shorts because he would get those gains of four on first or second down. Then with the game on the line the Seahawks who haven't had a running game since 2005 Lynch went into full "beast mode". Lynch broke eight tackles on his 67 yard touchdown run. Nevermind the playoffs that is one of the best runs you'll ever see. Given that it was the playoffs and that there was four minutes left in the game that run has to rank up there amongst the best runs of all-time. Lynch is a talented back and with an actual offensive he can be a very productive back.

After being stuck up in Buffalo with no chance of making the playoffs Lynch is finally getting a shot. He may still be on a bad team and his line in Buffalo can't be any worse than in Seattle but at least for Lynch he is playing in big games. Hopefully the Seahawks can work out a deal for Lynch as he does run very hard. Give Lynch the line Alexander had in 2005 and he might have ran for over 2,000 yards.



- I'm going to sing the praises of Pete Carroll once again. Carroll inherited a truly bad roster due to Tim Ruskell apparently not knowing anything about football. After the controversial firing of Jim Mora after one year, releasing big names(T.J.Houshmandzadeh), the way Carroll left USC, etc it was looking like Carroll was going to be taking a ton of heat this time of year.

Instead Carroll like Mike Holmgren and Chuck Knox led the Seahawks to the playoffs in his first year. In fact Carroll is the first Seahawks coach to ever win the division title and a playoff game in his first year as Seahawks head coach. Carroll has brought that winning swagger to Seattle which the players desperately needed. This is also a roster in transition. Only three guys on offense(Matt Hasselbeck, Sean Locklear, Chris Spencer) started the last Seahawks playoff game which was just three years ago. On defense only four guys(Brandon Mebane, Marcus Trufant, Kelly Jennings and Lofa Tatupu) started the last Seahawks playoff game just three years ago and neither kicker was on the team. As you can see he inherited a team in a bit of a transition.

Carroll has the players believing in him and most importantly in themselves. He has taken guys nobody wanted and made them into something. He took Leon Washington, Chris Clemons, Mike Williams and Brandon Stokley and made them valuable key contributers with the Seahawks. Him and John Schneider had a terrific draft which saw them net two huge starters in Earl Thomas at safety and Russell Okung at left tackle. Carroll's work is just beginning in the offseason but at least he is giving the players a taste of success to build on for the future.

At the end of the day as fans that is all we can ask for from our sports teams. Just give us hope and a chance each week. I love the fact that in the divisional round of the playoffs I get to watch my favorite team play once again. I get another week of talking about the Seahawks with my friends and family. Another week of hearing people talk about the Seahawks. As a diehard sports fan of a team especially a Seattle sports team you often wonder why you are a fan and put up with such misery. This is why because when your team finally does something it is so much sweeter. You think the Patriots fans will be this excited if they win next week? Heck no they won't. Congrats to the Seahawks for giving me another week of cheering on my favorite team!

Quaterback controversy in Seattle? Who should start the Seahawks playoff game?

By Kshell

This Saturday the Seattle Seahawks(7-9) will be the defending Super Bowl champions New Orleans Saints(11-5) in the Wild Card playoffs. The Seahawks return to the playoffs under first year head coach Pete Carroll for the first time since 2007. There was some questions on who will start at quarterback for the playoff game but Pete Carroll announced that he is sticking with veteran Matt Hasselbeck. In this following blog post I'll explain why Carroll made the correct call and it's not even close.

Before I explain why Carroll made the right decision I'll show why Whitehurst was even considered. Whitehurst played a good game in the NFC West championship game against the St.Louis Rams which you can read about by clicking on here. Whitehurst played well against the Rams completing 22 of 36 pass for 192 yards without throwing an interception. He played well in a primetime game which is a sign he can thrive under pressure.



With Hasselbeck struggling taking care of the ball as of late many fans want Whitehurst to start. Whitehurst has played smart but also isn't doing anything either. He has essentially started three games since he played the majority of the Tampa Bay Game. In his three games where he played extended playing time he scored just one touchdown each game. Against a powerful offense like the Saints 16 points won't be enough. Another reason why Whitehurst shouldn't start is because his season numbers are worse than Hasselbeck's across the board. Whitehurst YPA is only 5.1, completion percentage is 57.6% and his rating is 65.5 on the year. Whitehurst was terrific in the game against the Rams but the Seahawks will need more against the Saints.

Now that I listed why people may think Whitehurst should start I will now explain why Hasselbeck starting is the right move. First of all Hasselbeck has already faced this Saints defense before and had one of his better games as a Seahawks quarterback passing for 333 yards which you can read here. Hasselbeck is one of the few guys on this roster with any playoff experience as Hasselbeck will be making his 10th career playoff start. Hasselbeck is 4-1 all-time at Qwest Field in the playoffs with a four game winning streak.



The Seahawks have a better chance of winning the game with Hasselbeck. Whitehurst is fine if you have a defense like the 2000 Baltimore Ravens but the Seahawks don't in 2010. The Seahawks to win this game need points and need a quarterback who can score points. Hasselbeck had a horrible year by his standards but still beat Whitehurst across the board with 6.8 YPA, 59.9% completion and 73.2 quarterback rating. When Hasselbeck faces a blitz which the Saints love to do his YPA is above 9.0. Hasselbeck has faced every type of defense there is while Whitehurst hasn't. For the Seahawks to pull off the upset Hasselbeck has to bring his "A" game which is still better than Whitehurst "A" game.

For those who want Whitehurst to start you are entitled to your opinion. Hasselbeck has thrown 17 interceptions this year to just 12 touchdowns and he hasn't played well at all. Whitehurt might not turn the ball over but when it comes to winning games he doesn't score points at all. Go watch the Rams game again his "break-out" game and he left some points on the board. He overthrew Mike Williams when Williams had one on one a veteran like Hasselbeck lobs it up to Williams for an easy touchdown. On another play Whitehurst panic when if he had just stepped up in the pocket he runs for an easy 20 yards if not a touchdown in the third quarter. Whitehurst is a better runner than Hasselbeck but he isn't Michael Vick either. Hasselbeck is a better passer, is a veteran who has been there and done that. Whitehurst has played in three and a half games in his career that's it.



Ultimately Pete Carroll made the right decision. He is going with a guy who has won four playoff games, started nine playoff games in his career. Whitehurst may have won the NFC West Championship but Hasselbeck has won the NFC Championship. With Whitehurst you get no turnovers but no points or upside. With Hasselbeck you could get a disaster at this stage of his career or you could the good Hasselbeck who will lead the Seahawks to the upset win over the Saints. Hasselbeck has already played great against the Saints this year, is the team captain and has won big games in the past. Quarterback controversy? Puhhhhlease! Hasselbeck gives the team the best chance to win and I'm glad Carroll made the right decision. Now we have to worry about the real problem which is finding a way to stop Drew Brees.

Drew Brees leads Saints over Seahawks 34-19

By Kshell

In a game which saw plenty of passing today as both starting quarterbacks combined to pass for 748 yards saw Drew Brees emerge as the winner. Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints(7-3) won the game 34-19 over the Seattle Seahawks(5-5) simply because the Saints were scoring touchdowns while the Seahawks settled for four field goals. Drew Brees proved to be a bit much for the Seahawks passing for 382 yards and four touchdowns. The Saints unlike the Seahawks also had some balance out rushing the Seahawks 112-58. New Orleans erupted scoring touchdowns on five consecutive drives which spanned at the end of the first quarter through the start of the third quarter.

The Seahawks afer three and outing the Saints began on offense which would feature Matt Hasselbeck and the passing game. Hasselbeck coming off a season high of 333 yards the previous week would top that total this week. On the drive facing a second and 18 from their own 22 Hasselbeck would hit Mike Williams for a 68 yard gain. On the play Williams was caught from behind hurting his ankle. The Seahawks would have to settle for a 20 yard field goal by Olindo Mare.The Saints would respond by featuring the run on their next possession. The Saints would go on a 12 play 80 yard drive which would feature running back Chris Ivory running for 42 yards on eight carries including a one yard touchdown run. The Saints would lead after the first quarter 7-3.

The Seahawks would respond to that touchdown with another long pass from Matt Hasselbeck. Hasselbeck would hit Ben Obomanu for a 42 yard pass. Once again though the Seahawks would have to settle for another Olindo Mare field goal this time from 43 yards out. That would cut the lead to 7-6 but the Saints would respond yet again. The Saints would go on a 10 play 80 yard drive which would be capped by Drew Brees hitting Marques Colston for a 23 yard touchdown as Colston split the Seahawks defenders. The Saints went on a nine play drive covering 42 yards which was capped by another Brees touchdown pass to Robert Meacham on a play action pass from three yards out giving the Saints a 21-6 lead.

The Seahawks would respond to the Saints score by going on long drive themselves. The Seahawks would go on a 12 play 69 yard drive where Hasselbeck was 8 for 10 passing for 63 yards passing. Hasselbeck would hit Obomanu for a two yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to 21-13. The Saints would respond which was helped by a questionable third down roughing the passer call. After receiving that gift first down the Saints would march down the field where Brees would hit Colston for Colston's second touchdown pass of the game from 22 yards out. The Saints place holder would drop the ball like Tony Romo and just miss getting the two point conversation as the Saints would lead 27-13.

The Seahawks behind Hasselbeck would give the Seahawks a position to score a touchdown. After Hasselbeck hit two passes for 37 yards the Seahawks would start committing bad penalties which would move them from the Saints 23 yard line to the Saints 43 yard line. Hasselbeck would hit Stockley for 18 yards to set up another field goal by Mare from 43 yards out. The Seahawks would cut the lead to 27-16 at halftime. Both teams were moving the ball through the air just the only difference was the Saints had a running game while the Seahawks didn't.

The Saints would march down the field on their opening possession moving 80 yards in just six plays. Drew Brees would hit passes of 19 and 17 yards out then would hit Meachem from 32 yards out for Brees fourth touchdown pass of the game to give the Saints a 34-16 lead. The Seahawks would settle for another short field goal by Mare in the fourth quarter to cut the lead 34-19. The Saints would go on to win the game 34-19 behind Drew Brees who finished the game 29 of 43 for 382 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions. Marques Colston was hard to cover and finished with eight receptions for 113 yards with two touchdowns. The Seahawks passing game matched the Saints but the running game was a no show.

The Seahawks passing attack was led by veteran Matt Hasselbeck who was 32 of 44 for 366 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions. Hasselbeck had a rating of 104.9 and has thrown for 699 yards the last two weeks showing signs of the old pro bowl version of himself. Mike Williams would have another monster game for the Seahawks catching six passes for 109 yards on the day. The downside to the Seahawks was Marshawn Lynch who had 36 yards rushing on seven carries but would fumble twice and drop two passes. Lynch after his first two games with the Seahawks has been a bust.

The Seahawks fall to 5-5 but good news for them they are in the NFC West and remain in first place. Pete Carroll most importantly has found a way to rejunivate Matt Hasselbecks career. While under Mora Hasselbeck regressed he is playing his best ball in a long time under Carroll. In four of the last five games Hasselbeck has looked really sharp for the Seahawks. As long as Hasselbeck is playing this well I fully expect the Seahawks to be the favorites to win the division. The Seahawks now return home as they'll have four of their next six games at home at Qwest Field where they are 3-1.

Observations:

- Marshawn Lynch has been a dissapointment since the Seahawks gave up a fourth rounder and a sixth for him. Lynch in his last four games has ran for 120 yards(30.0 YPG) on 40 carries(3.0 YPC) while rushing for just one touchdown and two fumbles. Lynch has also stolen carries from the much faster Justin Forsett. The Seahawks need to find a running game to help Matt Hasselbeck out.

- Matt Hasselbeck is playing some great football right now. This is the first time he threw for back to back 300 yard games since last year on November 8th against the Lions(329) and November 15th against the Cardinals(315). First time he has had back to back games where his quarterback rating was above 100 since the end of the 2005 season where he posted ratings of 127.2 in week 14 vs the 49ers, 147.7 vs Titans in week 15, 131.7 vs Colts in week 16, 104.2 vs Packers in Week 17. Then he continued that run in the playoffs with 100.6 vs Redskins and 118.0 vs the Panthers. Come on Carroll lets resign Hasselbeck soon.

- The Seahawks pass defense has been pretty rough against decent quarterbacks. You saw Eli Manning torch the Seahawks and now Drew Brees. The good news for the Seahawks their next six quarterbacks are Matt Cassell, random Panthers quarterback, Troy Smith, Matt Ryan, Josh Freeman, and Sam Bradford. With the exception of Ryan the rest are eithre bad or unproven. The Seahawks return home and that should help.

- The Seahawks are counting on Olindo Mare way to much this year in the red zone. Mare has kicked 9 for 10 on field goals in the last two games alone. The Seahawks must find a way to score touchdowns in the red zone and not field goals. The Seahawks drove the ball just as much as the Saints did today the only difference was the Saints scored five touchdowns while the Seahawks scored one touchdown and four field goals.

At the end of the day I'm encouraged by this loss. I don't believe in moral victories and the defense has a ton of work to do. I say this because the Seahawks passing offense has come alive. When Matt Hasselbeck is playing like the Hasselbeck of old the Seahawks are by far the best team in the NFC West. Another good news for the Seahawks is they are in the NFC West. Someone has to win this division and even host a playoff game. The Seahawks are 5-5 with four out of six left at home. I look for the Seahawks to win the division still at 9-7 especially if Hasselbeck keeps playing the way he has been playing.