By the time late December rolls around Seattle Seahawk fans will once again be dreaming sweet dreams of playoffs, and victories and Super Bowls. All the Pete Carroll
Seattle Seahawks return from the dead
detractors will be silenced and Tavaris Jackson will have some people wondering if HE shouldn’t be our quarterback of the future. The Seahawks will be on a five game winning streak, and have a winning record. And if you believe that…you’re not a dreamer…just a knowledgable football fan.
Yesterday’s surprising win over the playoff bound Baltimore Ravens didn’t make me delirious. There is really good cause to predict that the 3-6 Seattle football team will reverse its thus far lackluster season and become a playoff contender. Let’s look at the evidence.
- In the past 7 games Hawks are an unremarkable, but not embarrassing 3-4
- They should be 4-3 having had the Cleveland game stolen from them by a bad officiating call that took away a late game touchdown.
- They lost two of their last four losses by a combined 5 points.
- They’ve been competitive in every game.
- They beat a playoff bound NY Giants team in New York.
- They beat division leader Baltimore one week after the Ravens beat the defending AFC Champion Steelers in Pittsburgh.
- The Seahawk defense has been stout all year.
- The Seattle offense is improving in exactly the areas in which it needs to improve.
And, the number one reason for my optimism that the Seahawks can become playoff contenders by the week before Christmas…their schedule. Seattle plays its next four games against teams with an equal or worse record and three of them are at home. Seattle’s schedule gets considerably easier from this point forward. Seattle plays four of its last seven games at home at CenturyLink Field (still doesn’t feel right calling it that). They play two of the next four games against the St. Louis Rams, who have won only 2 games this season. After next weeks trip to St. Louis the Washington Redskins travel across country with their losing record, and Mike Shanahan‘s job slipping from his fingertips. Then on a Thursday night primetime game when the Seattle sellout crowd will be at its most fever pitch the 3-6 Philadelphia Eagles and Michael Vick come to town. I am quite certain that the Puget Sound’s dog loving, liberal protest-loving, environmentalist wacko population will rain some seriously bad karma down on the Philly QB, with a history of animal abuse. And the Seahawks defense will make Vick’s erratic throwing pay big dividends for the home team, with turnovers. Following Philadelphia the Hawks will be riding a four game losing streak and will be hosting the Rams. They won’t lose THAT game.
That takes us to late December; December 18th specifically. On that date Seattle will be in Chicago playing the increasingly tough Bears. And it WILL BE COLD!!! I do expect Seattle’s win streak and playoff hopes to end in the Windy City. But if they don’t….if they somehow manage to pull that game out of their hats…well…Seattle could run the table. The 49ers will be in Seattle the next week, having long ago clinched the division crown. Then they close the season in Arizona. Win!
Ultimately though I don’t think Seattle will make the playoffs, I do think they can make the late season interesting since they now seem to know how to run the football, and Jackson will continue to play at a level that will compare reasonably well with the Matt Hasselback of the past couple years. And having something to cheer for late in any sports season in Seattle is a Christmas present no matter what the time of year.
Go HAWKS!
11/19/11- Since writing this post the Seahawks have lost the right side of their line. It doesn’t change my opinion. Since starting right guard John Moffitt and starting right tackle James Carpenter were declared out for the year the Seahawks have received news of the Rams losing a starting tackle and another cornerback. The Rams have 9 count ’em, NINE cornerbacks on the injured list this year. And as was pointed out above the Seahawks play the Rams twice in the next four games.
Since the blog was originally posted it’s also been revealed that Eagles quarterback Michael Vick has cracked ribs. Seattle plays Vick and the 3-6 Eagles in 2 weeks.
Seattle WILL be in the playoff race four weeks from now riding a five game winning streak. Then who knows…
Optimism beats pessimism.
11/20/11- One down, three to go. Did you see anything today that would lead you to believe St. Louis could beat Seattle when they come northwest December 11? Nope. So with great confidence in that game the Seahawks still need to win home games against a 3-7 Redskins team, and a 3-6 Eagles. I may be crazy but I think the 4-6 Hawks can beat those teams, both of whom are flying all the way across the country.
Related articles
- Week 16 NFL Picks: Seattle Seahawks and Teams Whose Postseason Hopes Will End (bleacherreport.com)
- Where would Seahawks be if they had good QB play? (footballrelativity.wordpress.com)
- Seahawks, Lynch hope to get 1st TD run on 49ers (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
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