Postmortem - Hawks v Foxboro

[Michael K.]

Not gonna lie, I was nervous about this game. Not because high expectations for NE, but the first East Coast trip with a lot of new parts still adjusting can be a recipe for letting one get away. We flited with that exact scenario before Geno dragged the team to a win.

Seattle came to play - and they made a lot of adjustments on the fly. When the tight ends were killing 'em, they adjusted - they weren't a factor the rest of the game. NE tore up the running game early, by the end Seattle was shutting it down when it mattered. When the NE pass rush was too much, the offense adjusted - in large part because of Geno. Both sides of the ball made solid chess match moves.

This is a big win in my book. Watching the in-game adjustments through out the game was refreshing. Each team's counter moves were solid and obvious, and Seattle made more of them. This was a slugfest on the road - and Seattle got the dub.

I felt the exact same way, but just had a feeling that this team was going to do just what you have highlighted throughout this post. Make adjustements. Sorry, IMO, there is zero chance that any Seahawk team in the last four years would have adjusted to eliminate the TE that killed us in the first half, or been able to come up with the HUGE third and short stop in OT.

Geno Smith putting the league on notice that he's gonna be a problem. 33/44 for 327 yards doesn't take into account several brutal drops by the 'not-hands' team of receives today. Jesus Fant, wash the fucking butter off your hands. Smith was clutch all game long and so much of it was while under serious duress - thanks to smart scheming by NE knowing Walker was out and keying on Geno. He was locked in today - plenty of beautiful passes.

If not for a couple miscues, Seattle really could have/should have pulled away in the third quarter - but that goes against everything that is Seahawk football - if the blood pressure isn't spiking, it's not a seahawks game.

Geno has been impressive, I get the feeling he love's being in Grubb's offense. I didn't get to see or hear much of the third quarter since I was driving home from Kent and lost service about that time, but it seems to me that besides some hiccups in the third, we played pretty damn well. NE is FAR from the team I thought they were going to be coming into this season. Winning on the road in a morning game on the East Coast is a big deal. Doesn't this kind of feel like early Pete Carroll teams? Remember having so much fun watching the young guys fly around on defense in the pre season? How deep the team felt when we watched our second and third unit's play against the rest of the League's second and third units? How aggressive we seemed on Defense? That is how this team has felt, to me.

Defense is looking like they will become a very formidable unit. That secondary is arguably the leagues best, that dline is as good as anyone, but the surprise to me is the linebacker play which has been surprisingly solid - I was expecting them to be a liability and so far they have been a strength. That might be scheme and coaching - putting guys in the right positions, and guys playing their role correctly. It's fun to think about the defense's ceiling - hoping we find out when we head into division play. Crazy fact - top five tacklers were all secondary players - and a special game ball to Julian Love - dude was ballin' out and that blocked field goal was so clutch. Dude is a beast.

Leonard Williams is so good, when they get Nwosu back - damn they are gonna be fierce. Nice to see Murphy get his first sack, but that dline needs improvement in the run game. To be fair, NE was also using a lot of jumbo sets - which is why the tight ends were successful early.

Team is getting better, coaching staff looks even better than advertised - adjustments are happening in real time, time management is solid and no moment is to big so far. Really liking what I am seeing so far.

I agree with all of that. I love how this defense was built in the image to support the scheme that the coach wanted to play. Sounds simple enough, but it hasn't happened here in a very long time. Watching us actually act like we want to get off the field, want to make a play in front of the sticks, want to break up a pass, want to mix up how we attack and how we pressure.....so refreshing.

Top RB out, top edge rusher out, suspect oline play - and they still left Foxboro with the W - this is a hard league and this could've been a loss - but they pulled it out. Important win for a team still finding their way. Sitting in first place and hosting a tough Dolphins team - who may not have Tua avail for the game. Imagine going to Detroit 3-0 - a place Seattle has fared VERY well recently, and this squad is easily better than the last Seahawk teams that played there.

go hawks...

I don't want to beat a dead horse, but doesn't this feel like a game we lose in the past three to four years? One where we have to hear excuses after the game about how close we were, how it's hard to win on the road, how we had a great game plan if only this or that, how we really missed having K9 and Nwosu, how losing Mafe in OT really limited us, how their QB is great at moving around and extending plays, how we just didn't have the right run fits and could never seem to adapt and how Hunter Henry is just such a special player. The list goes on and on.

[acctingman]

I thought SEA's tackling was much weaker in this game. Or is that just me?

I thought so too. Game 1 tackling was amazing. Yesterday's game there seemed to be more missed tackles.

[Michael K.]

I thought SEA's tackling was much weaker in this game. Or is that just me?

I thought so too. Game 1 tackling was amazing. Yesterday's game there seemed to be more missed tackles.

Again, I only saw a little of the second quarter, and missed most of the third on the radio. That said, Wyman usually calls out the defense for mistakes like that and he didn't really, so there is that. I also think it is a lot easier to tackle guys in Denver than what we saw yesterday. Nix is terrible, sorry, just terrible. I realize Brissett isn't exactly a Pro Bowler, but he has good size and mobility and a pretty live arm. It is amazing how much harder it is to tackle a receiver when the ball hits them instride.

Take it for what it's worth, knowing I didn't see much of the game, but I am not worried about the tackling under this staff. Not yet anyway.

[douche]

I don't want to beat a dead horse, but doesn't this feel like a game we lose in the past three to four years? One where we have to hear excuses after the game about how close we were, how it's hard to win on the road, how we had a great game plan if only this or that, how we really missed having K9 and Nwosu, how losing Mafe in OT really limited us, how their QB is great at moving around and extending plays, how we just didn't have the right run fits and could never seem to adapt and how Hunter Henry is just such a special player. The list goes on and on.

Completely agree.

[D-train]

We beat a team on the road that beat a team on the road that was one PI away from beating the World Champions....on the road...

[Captain 97]

We beat a team on the road that beat a team on the road that was one PI away from beating the World Champions....on the road...

I know better than to try and play the algebra equivalency game with the NFL.
Glad to be 2-0 but they barely squeaked by a Denver team that is probably going to have a top 5 in the next draft and they needed a last second field goal to beat a team that won 4 games last year, has a rookie coach and a QB who probably shouldn't even be starting in the CFL. They are going to have to improve a ton if they want to be a playoff team this year.

[D-train]

We beat a team on the road that beat a team on the road that was one PI away from beating the World Champions....on the road...

I know better than to try and play the algebra equivalency game with the NFL.
Glad to be 2-0 but they barely squeaked by a Denver team that is probably going to have a top 5 in the next draft and they needed a last second field goal to beat a team that won 4 games last year, has a rookie coach and a QB who probably shouldn't even be starting in the CFL. They are going to have to improve a ton if they want to be a playoff team this year.

I was just stating interesting facts. Wasn't drawing any conclusions. It is week two. I think we will improve.

[Michael K.]

We beat a team on the road that beat a team on the road that was one PI away from beating the World Champions....on the road...

I know better than to try and play the algebra equivalency game with the NFL.
Glad to be 2-0 but they barely squeaked by a Denver team that is probably going to have a top 5 in the next draft and they needed a last second field goal to beat a team that won 4 games last year, has a rookie coach and a QB who probably shouldn't even be starting in the CFL. They are going to have to improve a ton if they want to be a playoff team this year.

No disagreement from me. But again? I like the direction.

[Donn Beach]

Honestly kinda reminds me of Pete, somehow they'd manage to win games, it's nice to see. The last time they were 2-0 was the 12-4 season

[auroraave]

We beat a team on the road that beat a team on the road that was one PI away from beating the World Champions....on the road...

I know better than to try and play the algebra equivalency game with the NFL.
Glad to be 2-0 but they barely squeaked by a Denver team that is probably going to have a top 5 in the next draft and they needed a last second field goal to beat a team that won 4 games last year, has a rookie coach and a QB who probably shouldn't even be starting in the CFL. They are going to have to improve a ton if they want to be a playoff team this year.

You play the teams that are on your schedule - that's all you can do. Games are generally close in the NFL. This is still the 'preseason' for most teams, especially teams with new coaches, schemes and players - like Seattle. If this is the floor for this team - we are in pretty good shape. There will be some growing pains and some hand wringing losses to come, but this team seems to be headed in the right direction - just the coaching improvements alone are glaring - the time management, the adjustments on the fly, the discipline, the play calling. After the last few years of utter predictability, lack of any discipline or direction, any offensive or defensive creativity, this is a very refreshing looking team that looks potentially dangerous on both sides of the ball. That offense is just waiting to explode and that defense - when Nwosu gets back - c'mon - that is a fierce unit. I don't need perfection, I don't expect perfection or a SB run this season, I expect consistent improvement, discipline, a clear direction from the coaching staff - and I am already seeing that - happy to let this play out and see where it goes. This is what I wanted to see happen. Still thinking this is a 10ish win team. This is still the 9ers division - I don't give a shit if they lost to Minnesota - they are still the team to beat - until they aren't. Cards are gonna be a hard out and the lambs always give us fits - division play gonna be a bloodbath again this year.