Postmortem: Sea v Lambs - The One That Got Away

[auroraave]

So, that happened today. We let one slip away. We fought to the bitter end, but came up just short.

A bizarre mix of brilliance, WTF's and what if's in Inglewood. Seattle leaves LA with a bitter loss and drops into second place in the NFC West, but also leaves with a shit load of hope and potential. I'm not even mad - LA needed every break to go their way to eke out this win.

As much as this loss stung, I do not feel bad about it. This was a fluke, an anomoly, and the vaunted Lambs needed a series of miracles including an unlikely inside-the-one punt with under two minutes to play - and Seattle somehow, beyond expectations, marched into position to almost steal a win.

Yeah, we lost, but the Lambs were just put on notice. This won't happen again, and LA should be very nervous going forward. They go lucky today and they know it. That offense everyone was raving about was punched in the mouth all day long. Every LA score was the result of a gift from The Darnold.

Make no mistake, this loss lands squarely on Seattle's offense. The turnovers, obviously, were a problem, but that unit still managed over 400 yards of offense and in insane TOP edge, while looking competent at times, almost brilliant at times, but it always felt like they were on the verge of blowing this game open. But they didn't. Time management felt clunky down the stretch, no sense of urgency, but they still nearly pulled it off.

Why the fuck are we not fielding punts anymore? Feels like we've seen this refusal to field the punt and we get burned time and time again. Really baffling why you can't just catch the fucking thing. Imagine those extra ten yards today - that becomes a VERY makable FG. That was a huge blunder, but they still managed to get past it - must've been magic dust in the air today. If Seattle want to be a contender, they are going to have to find a rhythm on offense and, despite putting up very reasonable numbers, tnhis offense felt clunky and disjointed for too much of the game.

We can lament and hand-wring The Darnolds performance - and it absolutely deserves it. He looked nervous. He looked Not Ready For Primetime. I don't know where he goes from this loss, but he is QB one, he's the best chance we have, so we have to move forward - and so does he.

Can't help but smile at how good this defense is. They held the greatest QB prospect in history, according to the 'pundits' this week, to a paltry 130 yards passing and under 250 yards of total offense. If not for the early Christmas gifts Darnold threw around today, this game could have been a blowout the other way. All the Lambs points were from short fields gifted to them by The Darnold. Even then, the defense managed to minimize the damage. However, you can only ask so much of them.

LA had to play a nearly perfect game to beat Seattle - at home - and still needed four interceptions and a barely missed 60 yard field goal as time expired to win. The reality here is Seattle dominated the Lambs - yardage, TOP, all of it... and yes, turnovers, too. The run game was pretty stout - but felt too predictable. We rarely challenged downfield and I was baffled - was LA running two high safeties?

I didn't think LA looked special at all. There were glimpses at times, but once Seattle's players calmed down and just balled out, they basically took over the game.

Oh, but those interceptions, I know, I know...

There isn't a lot to say from this game - hugely disappointing - but yet winnable in the end. Seattle quietly dominated this game. Hats off to Macdonald for an excellent chess match. He handcuffed that offense. Yes, it's unfortunate our offense bumbled around until it was too late, but damn, the fight in this team.

I mentioned before I thought we would lose this game, but that it might be the kind of loss that propels this team to the next level. After watching them dominate the game, I still believe that. We need to win the next game against the Lambs - now we know they can get every single break and we will still have a chance in the end. I'm not worried about this team at all. Thisn is the kind of loss you either fold, or get angry, and this team looks angry.

Yeah, this was one that got away, and that sucks.

Winnable games coming up, no time to whine. Lick your wounds then go punish Tennessee.

Any word on Zabel?

Macdonald post game presser:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNe5yaxKUy8



Go hawks

[douche]

Hard to believe they only lost by two.

[trharder]

Hard to believe they only lost by two.

It really is. If Meyers had hit that kick, it would have been completely surreal. I think my mind would have
immediately gone to - "top 10 best defensive performance of all time."
Rams fans had to be shitting themselves they were letting the Hawks hang around.

[Donn Beach]

That punt is what won them the game isn't it. It's downed on the ten, seahawks win

[D-train]

"Man, Sam's been balling," linebacker Ernest Jones IV said, via the team’s official website. "If we want to try to define Sam by this game, man, Sam's had us in every f------ game. So for him to sit there and say, 'Oh, that's my fault,' no, it's not. There were plays that defensively we could have made, there were opportunities where we could have got better stops. It's football, man. He's our quarterback, we've got his back, and if you've got anything to say, quite frankly, f--- you."

[auroraave]

"Man, Sam's been balling," linebacker Ernest Jones IV said, via the team’s official website. "If we want to try to define Sam by this game, man, Sam's had us in every f------ game. So for him to sit there and say, 'Oh, that's my fault,' no, it's not. There were plays that defensively we could have made, there were opportunities where we could have got better stops. It's football, man. He's our quarterback, we've got his back, and if you've got anything to say, quite frankly, f--- you."

remember back in the LOB days, there was an article or two, showing that teams were so beat up after playing seattle they usually lost the next game? Let's hope this tradition con tinues and we can catch LA in the standings for the rematch - that game is gonna be HYPED up. I couldn't help but think McVey looked worried during this game. I think the changing of the guard is happening - despite this loss. All that hype about the supposedly lethal Lamb offense and Stafford getting his canton coat - and they didn't even manage 250 yards of offense. When The Darnold gets past his ghosts of Lambs games past - he's gonna be a very confident player.

Dude, you're about to miss mudslide season down here! Tons of rain lately. Palisades about to slide into the Pacific.

[D-train]

"Man, Sam's been balling," linebacker Ernest Jones IV said, via the team’s official website. "If we want to try to define Sam by this game, man, Sam's had us in every f------ game. So for him to sit there and say, 'Oh, that's my fault,' no, it's not. There were plays that defensively we could have made, there were opportunities where we could have got better stops. It's football, man. He's our quarterback, we've got his back, and if you've got anything to say, quite frankly, f--- you."

remember back in the LOB days, there was an article or two, showing that teams were so beat up after playing seattle they usually lost the next game? Let's hope this tradition con tinues and we can catch LA in the standings for the rematch - that game is gonna be HYPED up. I couldn't help but think McVey looked worried during this game. I think the changing of the guard is happening - despite this loss. All that hype about the supposedly lethal Lamb offense and Stafford getting his canton coat - and they didn't even manage 250 yards of offense. When The Darnold gets past his ghosts of Lambs games past - he's gonna be a very confident player.

Dude, you're about to miss mudslide season down here! Tons of rain lately. Palisades about to slide into the Pacific.

Wild. Rough year for that area. There was an earthquake last Sept. and then a fire that burned about 200 houses on only 3 miles from our house. I feel like I escaped. It was smoky from forest fires for about a week here late summer but that's about it.

[Michael K.]

That punt is what won them the game isn't it. It's downed on the ten, seahawks win

At the ten? Shit, that was inches from hitting the pylon and giving us the ball on the twenty. Changed the entire drive. That could have been a MUCH shorter FG attempt.

[Michael K.]

Wild. Rough year for that area. There was an earthquake last Sept. and then a fire that burned about 200 houses on only 3 miles from our house. I feel like I escaped. It was smoky from forest fires for about a week here late summer but that's about it.

You didn't walk outside much did you? I think there was a three week stretch where 3 to 4 nights a week we practiced inside due to smoke! LOL

[Michael K.]

Rams fans had to be shitting themselves they were letting the Hawks hang around.

Right? That kind of reminded me of week one for us against the 49ers. Damn near a similar result. I think we crush the Rams at home when we play them next. Damn impressed with our defense.