Post Mortem: 2021 Playoffs - Seahawks v Lambs

Michael K.
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Re: Post Mortem: 2021 Playoffs - Seahawks v Lambs

Post by Michael K. » Mon Jan 11, 2021 4:02 pm

He might challenge that post, but only because it is a challenge he can't possibly win. Very well said!

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D-train
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Re: Post Mortem: 2021 Playoffs - Seahawks v Lambs

Post by D-train » Mon Jan 11, 2021 4:26 pm

I should have added the play he threw the challenge flag on to my two plays that sum up the team thread. Goff wasn't even close to being over the LOS when he threw the pass yet out comes the challenge flag. He is truly a buffoon sometimes.
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Re: Post Mortem: 2021 Playoffs - Seahawks v Lambs

Post by douche » Mon Jan 11, 2021 5:47 pm

auroraave wrote:
Sun Jan 10, 2021 7:28 pm
There’s a lot to unpack from that game - a game that honestly felt like a franchise-changing moment.

First, hats off to the Lambs – they came to play. They deserved this game and could be a scary team heading into the next round. They are legit. They were the one team I did not want to play. A lot of people seemed to think Seattle was going to have their way with the Lambs, and I just could not understand what those people were seeing to draw that conclusion.

Seattle came out and did exactly what I expected, and the results were exactly what I expected.

I didn’t watch much after half time. I’ve seen this movie before, far too many times. Every flaw, every philosophy, the botched reviews, the stunning inability to get plays called in a timely fashion, no offensive adjustments, crushing predictability, Wilson taking sack after sack, defensive lapses, all issues no veteran, playoff-caliber team should be having this late in the season.
And yet, here we are...

I did get one last laugh – I saw that Seattle scored a quick field goal to start the second half, at around the 13:40 mark. I assumed they had a big return – and still couldn’t do anything offensively. They literally took less than 90 seconds off the clock.
Same old Seahawks; nothing if not predictable - and that’s the death knell in this league. Adapt or die is the reality.

I will always defend Pete Carroll the man, but Pete Carroll the coach? I cannot defend his coaching blunders and obvious limitations. This was too big of a failure. There’s too much talent on this roster to put on an embarrassing display like that. The ‘culture’ he brings can’t make up for his blind spots anymore. The same mistakes over and over and over, and with the same consequences over and over and over. This team has been treading water, and that’s not going to cut it next year in this division.

Two major plot points that stuck out to me.

First is Wilson’s pick six. It wasn’t the pick or the TD – it was a veteran QB forcing the ball to a player who was pouting. You could clearly see the play as it was unfolding – like the Lambs did. You have to be a leader. You simply cannot be appeasing other players. If DK Metcalf is telling Wilson how to run the show, then all respect is lost for Wilson, and you can’t have that at that position on the field. Wilson’s the General, not Metcalf. The play was obvious, and so was Wilson’s intention – to placate a child throwing a tantrum. Huge, huge mistake. You gotta respect the captain, but the captain is ‘getting guys paid’ and appeasing the children. That’s not noble, it’s ultimately self-defeating. Wilson is far too worried about being liked and his brand image – and I think the franchise is hurting from it.

The second is the failure to use any kind of tempo to get the offense into a rhythm and to stress the Lambs defense. I believe that probably cost them the game. How many times did we see up tempo offenses stress even the vaunted LOB defenses? And yet, with no offensive identity, no real success, you ignore one of the most tried and true weapons in your arsenal. I’ll never understand that. Where are the quick slants to offset the pass rush? Quick throws negate a pass rush, yet we ignore that while playing the best pass rush in the league. Is that on Schottenheimer, or Wilson?

Is Wilson broken?

I don’t know. Is he injured? I don’t know that either, but he’s playing like something’s wrong. He looks lost and without confidence. I’m sure he is relieved that the season is over so he can get back to his true passions; fragrance shilling, podcast hosting, and the never-fucking-ending brand building. Is he the guy to lead the team? I truly hope Seattle brings in some new QB’s. I’d be very interested in taking a look at Wentz. The financials on that create another discussion, but for a team whose mantra is always compete - Wilson seems pretty comfy knowing no one is competing for his job. Maybe that’s what he needs. Maybe that’s what Seattle needs to grow. It's imperative that players, starting with Wilson, acknowledge accountability - no excuses - a flat out admission they blew it and blew it badly.

No matter what, Seattle has to prepare for the future, and they need to get new blood in the QB’s room to either groom or challenge Wilson. Schneider has to be planning for the next Wilson contract, or his replacement. From what I saw this season, another extension seems risky – can you imagine the cost?

What’s next?

Is JS signing an extension? Will Schottenheimer get poached? What coaching changes are coming? I think it’s time for PC to take a different role besides head coach. He’s costing the team too much. It’s hard to argue with 12-4, but if an idiot like me can telegraph exactly what the Lambs game was going to look like, so can the opposing teams.

This loss felt different.

This was a bad loss. There was a lot of expectation - deservedly so. It’s hard not to understand serious changes have to be made, and it starts at the top. Perhaps Carroll has too much power, and he’s not being challenged by his coaches and players. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Every complaint about the coaching and execution were on full display yesterday, and there is no where to hide it and no way to explain it away with soundbites. This was a loss that demands change, now.

It’s painful to see a season with so much hope and potential come crashing down, and that the wounds were mostly self-inflicted. It’s even more painful to have seen them all coming and knowing nothing was going to change that, because the people in those positions don’t seem to have any knowledge that things can be done differently, perhaps even…. better.

Go hawks…
Agreed.

Just putting this out there... would you rather have a team that finishes with a solid record and lose, or a team that squeaks into the playoffs and makes some noise? I respect that Carroll & Co. have amassed a W-L record over the last few years eclipsed only by the Pats, but this inability to accomplish anything in the playoffs is getting old.

For me, the sad part is that this team has no shortage of talent on both sides of the ball. Yet they can't seem to get it done when it counts. Very disappointing.

Michael K.
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Re: Post Mortem: 2021 Playoffs - Seahawks v Lambs

Post by Michael K. » Mon Jan 11, 2021 6:04 pm

It’s not just that they lose in the playoffs, it’s that it is the same old shit year in and year out. We completely forget how to play offense.

Aurora wrote in the prediction thread exactly what he thought would happen, and it is exactly what my 13 year old son said Friday Night and Saturday morning. The only surprise that we looked completely unprepared to play offense is that it surprised anyone!

The exact same disgusting effort on offense that sent us home in 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019...and was the reason we didn’t make the playoffs in 2017. Absolutely NO offense. The difference this year is we never switched to uptempo to even make an effort to make it close.

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Re: Post Mortem: 2021 Playoffs - Seahawks v Lambs

Post by D-train » Mon Jan 11, 2021 6:08 pm

Michael K. wrote:
Mon Jan 11, 2021 6:04 pm
It’s not just that they lose in the playoffs, it’s that it is the same old shit year in and year out. We completely forget how to play offense.

Aurora wrote in the prediction thread exactly what he thought would happen, and it is exactly what my 13 year old son said Friday Night and Saturday morning. The only surprise that we looked completely unprepared to play offense is that it surprised anyone!

The exact same disgusting effort on offense that sent us home in 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019...and was the reason we didn’t make the playoffs in 2017. Absolutely NO offense. The difference this year is we never switched to uptempo to even make an effort to make it close.
I could not believe when RW said the issue Sunday was getting away from up tempo. The same excuse they always make. Total definition of insanity. When fans get back they should sell Seahawk straight jackets at the pro shops an souvenir stands. They could sell 60k of them a game to fans going insane watching our offense.
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Re: Post Mortem: 2021 Playoffs - Seahawks v Lambs

Post by D-train » Mon Jan 11, 2021 6:13 pm

Joe Fann
@Joe_Fann
·
11m
Pete Carroll said the primary focus going into 2021 will be to run the football more often and more effectively. (via
@710ESPNSeattle
)
:idea: :idea: :idea: :idea: :idea: Problem solved!!!!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2rVcxkbIQc
dt

Michael K.
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Re: Post Mortem: 2021 Playoffs - Seahawks v Lambs

Post by Michael K. » Mon Jan 11, 2021 6:19 pm

Well, when your QB is 11 for 27? Maybe he shouldn’t be the focus of the offense. Defenses took the long ball away and our coaching staff and QB had no answer. Think about that, defenses took away the LOWEST PERCENTAGE PLAY in the offense, and we had NO ANSWER.

The average completion percentage on deep balls from an article I just found was 37.5% in 2019. They defended deep balls as 20 yards or more. So, a play that fails two thirds of the time as taken away by opposing defenses, and we curled up into a ball?

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Re: Post Mortem: 2021 Playoffs - Seahawks v Lambs

Post by Gametime » Mon Jan 11, 2021 6:26 pm

D-train wrote:
Mon Jan 11, 2021 6:13 pm
Joe Fann
@Joe_Fann
·
11m
Pete Carroll said the primary focus going into 2021 will be to run the football more often and more effectively. (via
@710ESPNSeattle
)
:idea: :idea: :idea: :idea: :idea: Problem solved!!!!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2rVcxkbIQc
This is fine with an elite Defense. But, we don’t.

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Re: Post Mortem: 2021 Playoffs - Seahawks v Lambs

Post by auroraave » Mon Jan 11, 2021 6:28 pm

The problem is NOT Seattle going away from uptempo - the problem is they never get into uptempo to begin with. Wilson dancing around that is utter nonsense - and his placating of the status quo is part of the problem. He's nothing more than a yes man at this point. Put your fragrance down, put on your big boy pants, and acknowledge the fucking elephant in the room, dude: this offense's refusal to use any kind of urgency until the two minute warning - despite the OVERWHELMING evidence of it's success and necessity - it the elephant. The plodding along gives ALL the advantage to the defense - ALL of it. This feels like 101 level stuff.

During the LOB defense days - arguably the best defense of the 2000's, teams had success running tempo against them. There is always someone open, unless you are running max-protect. If it's man to man, you find your best match up, if it's zone, your receivers find and sit is the space between zones - which is perfect for this tight end crew, and against a high pressure front, you get the ball out quick which completely negates the pass rush.

This is what's baffling to me - we watched teams do it to Seattle for years - and yet Carroll has never seemed to learn the most basic lessons of how to counter those defenses - despite literally watching how other teams did it to HIS OWN DEFENSE. That is the concept I cannot get my brain around. The answer to your woes is sitting right in front of you.

I also think RW is too scared of throwing interceptions and that's why is is so reluctant to throw into any kind of coverage, even if you have the match up advantage. And that's Carroll in his ear, taking the game away from him. It has to be confusing to Wilson on so many levels.

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Re: Post Mortem: 2021 Playoffs - Seahawks v Lambs

Post by Michael K. » Mon Jan 11, 2021 6:39 pm

Great points, and I will add this. Against the Rams, the ONLY way they beat us is if they get out to a lead and can run the ball. If we go tempo out of the gates and jump up 14 to 3? Ballgame. They aren’t throwing their way back into a game with us. Not unless we just decided to have Adams cover Kupp every snap! :lol: :lol:

This was a matchup we should have come out guns a blazing, but remember...that makes Pete uncomfortable. The guy lost sleep at 5 and 0....so we could finish 7 and 5!?

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