Super Bowl Update

TIME Magazine, December 11, 1972


Building For The Super Bowl - Miami Coach Don Shula


Forty-years ago, Miami Dolphins football in December had genuine significance and gave South Florida a real sense of identity, excitement and togetherness that it had never before enjoyed. 
I know -I was there.
But now...

Some, including many who should know better, foolishly say that South Florida has

By Kshell

The Seattle Seahawks defeated the Green Bay Packers 14-12 on one of the more wild finishes in Monday Night Football history. We've all seen the catch by Golden Tate by now and I'll get into that play specifically in a moment as he hauled in the 24 yard game winning touchdown pass from rookie Russell Wilson. The shame in this controversy is so much of this game has already been forgotten which is what I'll be going over. The Seahawks more importantly are now 2-1 on the season and 18-8 all-time on Monday Night Football while being 14-5 all-time at home. This was a huge home win for Pete Carroll who has built this Seahawks defense into an elite defense. So in this upcoming post I'll just go over some observations of the game.

-  After looking at the replay of the final play it had appeared that the Packers M.D. Jennings had intercepted the pass. It was also obvious Golden Tate had committed an offensive pass interference.

Now I'll say this I think if the real refs had done this game the same call would have been made. It was in live action and it had appeared that Tate had caught it simultaneously with Jennings. The rule states that the offensive guy is rewarded the catch and that can't be reviewed. I also don't think the real refs would dare call an offensive pass interference as they  never call pass interference on Hail Marry plays either. I think this was a lot tougher call than people want to admit. I also believe had the Packers won this way there would be 1/10th the outrage. Nobody seemed to care after the Super Bowl XL loss or Vinny Testaverde scoring that phantom touchdown to beat the Seahawks in 1998.

-  It was a nice coming out party for the most scrutinized pick in the 2012 draft Bruce Irvin. Irvin as most of you know many said the Seahawks wasted a first round pick on. Well in this game he got after Aaron Rodgers quite a bit recording two sacks which gives him 2.5 for the year.

Irvin was brought in to create pressure on the quarterback and so far this year he has done just that. I also liked his flare for the moment as he did the "discount double check " dance after his first sack. I think Mel Kiper Jr did the Seahawks a favor as well by famously doubting the Irvin pick. Reading Irvin's twitter you can tell that fuels him which is nice.

Irvin is that pass rusher that Aaron Curry was supposed to be for the Seahawks. The Seahawks haven't had a pass rusher like him since Julian Peterson when they led the NFL in sacks back in 2007. Watching Irvin grow in this defense is going to be fun to watch for years to come.

- Chris Clemons was another great pick up by the Seahawks in the Carroll regime. He has recorded 11 sacks the last two seasons and recorded four on Aaron Rodgers in the first half alone. Clemons tied a Seahawks record for most sacks in a game with four other guys with four sacks.

For the year now Clemons has five sacks and with the addition of Irvin he can get even more sacks. The last two years he has been the only primary pass rusher for the Seahawks. With Irvin now in the fold Clemons will have help creating sacks which makes an already top 10 defense even more scary. This defense really doesn't have a weakness on their roster which is headlined by the pass rush of Clemons and Irvin as they sacked a hard quarterback in Aaron Rodgers eight times in the first half.

- Switching to the offense I felt Marshawn Lynch ran hard once again especially in the first half. Lynch finished with 98 yards rushing on 25 carries(3.9 YPC) as he ran for the tough yards. It was a grind for Lynch whose longest run was only for nine yards but he was consistently getting yards against those eight man fronts.

Lynch on 4th and two got the key first down which could have set the Seahawks up for the win. Lynch this year unlike Shaun Alexander is running well despite his contract. This season Lynch has ran for 305 yards(4.2 YPC) with one touchdown. Lynch has been steady for the Seahawks which they need him to be since they have a rookie quarterback. Lynch is the face of the franchise on offense and is the leader this offensive unit desperately needs. This was yet another great personal move by the Carroll/Schneider regime in acquiring Lynch.

- The passing game once against struggled which isn't all rookie Russell Wilson's fault. Wilson was 10-21 passing for 130 yards with two touchdowns but more importantly zero interceptions. Wilson also rushed for 18 yards.

Wilson did earn his first career 4th quarter comeback as well. For the year Wilson is 43-75(57.3%) for 434 yards(5.8 YPA) with four touchdowns to one interception with 66 yards rushing. The passing game must do more going forward but the key is Wilson isn't losing the game. Wilson was throwing the ball away constantly and gave up only one sack. For the second straight week and for the 10th straight quarter he didn't turn the ball over either. Wilson will eventually have to do more but for now he is growing in this offense which is exactly what Carroll wants.

- This was a breakout game for Golden Tate who finished with three receptions for 68 yards with two touchdowns. Tate who had the breakout game and last week had the monster block on Sean Lee is proving to be a football player.

Tate had a weird game as well. He showed his big play ability with that 41 yard touchdown reception in the second quarter on a beautifully thrown play action pass by Wilson. Then he appeared to be the goat as the Seahawks were facing a 4th and 3 from the seven yard line. Wilson threw a great fade to Sidney Rice only for Tate to be in the wrong spot and jump in front of the pass only to drop the ball which many thought lost the game. Only Tate would make up for it as Wilson would lob up the hail marry despite being three Packers defenders Tate went up and wrestled the ball to at least make the officials make a judgement call. They ruled it a touchdown and for Tate who was a second round pick in 2010 this was easily his biggest moment as a Seahawks wide receiver.

- Lost in all this madness was the Seahawks defense holding Tony Romo to seven points last week and Aaron Rodgers to 12 points this week(their only touchdown was bs but the national networks won't bring that up). The Seahawks defense currently ranks 4th in the NFL in yardage, 2nd against the run and 1st in the NFL in points allowed.

They shut the mighty Packers offense out in the first half as they recorded eight sacks. Then after the failed red zone play the Seahawks offense late in the game the Packers took over from their own 7 yard line with the Seahawks having just two timeouts. One first down and the game is over. The Seahawks forced a fumble on the first play but the Packers recovered it. The Seahawks defense forced the three and out to allow the crazy play to happen. This defense has been terrific this year. Clemons had four sacks, Brandon Mebane had two and Irvin had two sacks. The defensive secondary was incredible holding Rodgers out of the end zone and to only 223 yards passing on 39 pass attempts.

Carroll has built this defense as every player on that starting except for Leroy Hill and Red Bryant(who he moved to defensive end) were acquired by the Carroll/Schneider combo. They deserve all the credit for this terrific defense which looks to be the best in the NFL. It's a shame that call is overlooking the great job this defense had done.

- Great win for Pete Carroll in his third year as Seahawks head coach. Carroll now improves to 16-19 as Seahawks head coach but remember the team was 9-23 the previous two seasons he took over. He has built this defense from 25th in the NFL in points allowed three years in a row from 2008-2010 to 7th last year to 1st so far this year.

This Seahawks first half of the schedule is tough but they are 2-1 as they head on the road for four of the next five games. I like the direction that Carroll has this franchise going in. The defense is the best defense the Seahawks have had in over a decade probably back to 1997. This defense has no weaknesses and that reflects Carroll who has hit so many home runs as team president so far with the Seahawks. From the Lynch trade, to drafting Chancellor and Thomas, to acquiring Browner and Clemons when nobody thought much of them this franchise is going places.

This game will be remembered for all the wrong reasons. Nobody will remember the blown calls both ways or that the Seahawks defense proved they are an elite defense by shutting down one of the better offenses in football. This game will be remembered on the final play of the game which is a shame as the Seahawks really played well on the national big stage. No credit will be given to the Seahawks though as the national narrative is Seattle "stole" this game which is fine. The Seahawks are 2-1 which they needed since the Arizona Cardinals are 3-0 and the San Francisco 49ers are 2-1. This was a huge win for the Seahawks and a lot happened in the first 59:52 of the game but unfortunately all anyone will remember is the final eight seconds.

By Kshell

The Seattle Seahawks(1-1) will be hosting the Green Bay Packers(1-1) on Monday Night Football for the first time since 2006 when the defending NFC Champions Seahawks rallied to defeat the Packers 34-24 in a snowy Qwest Field. The Seahawks are riding a five game winning streak on Monday Night including four straight home wins on Monday Night. The Seahawks have the best Monday Night record in NFL history at 17-8(.680). The Seahawks have enjoyed great success in the Monday Night era over the years. The Seahawks last loss on Monday Night was a 43-39 heartbreaker to the Dallas Cowboys back in 2004. That loss was the third straight Monday night loss for the Seahawks which was snapped the following year.

In 2005 the Seahawks were playing a late Monday Night game against the defending NFC Champions Philadelphia Eagles. The Seahawks destroyed the Eagles in that game 42-0 as they led 35-0 which sparked the five game winning streak. That also sparked a streak where the Seahawks would shut their opponents out in three of the next four Monday Night games.

In the Matt Hasselbeck era the Seahawks were 3-1 on Monday Night. He lost his first start to Dallas despite completing 28-40(70.0%) of his passes for 414 yards(10.4 YPA) with three touchdowns and no interceptions while rushing for 16 yards. In his four career Monday Night starts with the Seahawks Hasselbeck was 80-131(61.0%) for 947 yards(7.2 YPA) with 9 touchdowns to 4 interceptions. He also ran for 44 yards as well. Hasselbeck also played well under the lights in Seattle.

Another player who seemed to shine well in big games was Shaun Alexander. He did most of his damage on Sunday Night but on Monday Night he still had good games. Coming off the bench in a loss to the Kansas Chiefs back in 2000 as a rookie he ran for 74 yards on only 11 carries(6.7 YPC) with a touchdown while catching two passes for 13 yards. Alexander played in five Monday Night Games for the Seahawks where he ran for 503 yards on 116 carries(4.3 YPC) with six touchdowns while catching nine passes for 59 yards. His biggest game was the last Monday Night game he played in against the Green Bay Packers in the snow game where he ran for 201 yards on a career high 40 carries(5.0 YPC). The Seahawks have a new running back now who thrives in big games.

Last year in the Seahawks 30-13 blowout win over the St.Louis Rams on Monday Night Football they were led by pro bowl running back Marshawn Lynch who ran for 115 yards on 23 carries(5.0 YPC) with a touchdown while catching two passes for eight yards. He also attempted two halfback passes but both were incomplete. For the Seahawks to continue their win streak on Monday Night they must feature Lynch who has ran for 207 yards on 47 carries(4.4 YPC) with a touchdown this season. Lynch has ran for over 100 yards in six straight home games. During that stretch he has ran for 712 yards(118.7 per game) including 122 last week. He has also rushed for six touchdowns during that stretch while catching another touchdown. Lynch has been terrific for the Seahawks and if he can run effectively while keeping the powerful Packers offense off the field even better.

Tonight will be a special night in Seattle as every Monday Night game is. The Seahawks as a franchise always get up for Monday Night as they have won five in a row including four at home. As a franchise they are 17-8(.680) on Monday Night and 13-5(.722) at home on Monday Night which is also the best in NFL history. Besides Monday Night this is a big game for the Seahawks as they play four of the five next games on the road which for a franchise who typically struggles on the road this is a key win. The crowd will be pumped up which is always a good sign for the Seahawks who always play well on Monday Night!

By Kshell

The Seattle Seahawks once again showing how they don't really care about team distractions as they just signed future hall of fame wide receiver Terrell Owens. As Owens famously would say better get your popcorn ready. The Seahawks on Monday signed Owens to a one year deal worth one million. Pete Carroll is showing once again he'll bring in guys who are hungry and ready to compete. Owens who has played previously for the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals hasn't played in an NFL game since 2010. Owens was last seen being cut by an Arena  Football league team and has always been known to be a team cancer in previous stops. The Seahawks are taking a gamble and if Owens isn't buying into what Carroll wants he'll be cut just like previous players have.

Terrell Owens coming to the Seahawks is a bit of a shock for those who remember his stunt he pulled on the Seahawks during a Monday Night Football game back in 2002. When the Seahawks were going to take on the 49ers two years ago I actually talked about that incident plus some other famous games . For Owens while he was with the 49ers he also danced on the Dallas Cowboys star at midfield before joining the Cowboys later on. What the Seahawks are getting in Owens is a six-time pro bowl wide receiver and five-time first-team all-pro. Owens has led the NFL in receiving touchdowns three times in his career and has gone over the 1,000 yard mark nine times in his career. For his career he has played in 219 games making 201 starts. He has recorded 1,078 receptions for 15,934 yards(14.8 YPC) with 153 touchdowns. He has 39 carries for 251 yards(6.4 YPC) for three touchdowns. Owens has made the pro bowl with the 49ers, Eagles and Cowboys and played in one super bowl with the Eagles. In that Super Bowl loss playing on one leg he caught nine passes for 122 yards showing how special of a talent he really is. There is no doubt that T.O. despite all his other stuff that he pulls along with Randy Moss was the receiver of the 2000's.

The reality is the Seahawks aren't signing that T.O. just like when they traded for the greatest receiver of all-time Jerry Rice they got him at the end of his career. Owens was last seen in the NFL playing for the Cincinnati Bengals back in 2010 where he played in 14 games making 11 starts. During that year Owens caught 72 passes for 983 yards(13.7 YPC) with nine touchdowns. Owens at the age of 37 proved he still had game. Unfortunately for the Seahawks Owens is going to turn 39 years old this December and hasn't produced a 1,000 yard season since 2008 or made the pro bowl since 2007. Owens at this point in his career doesn't appear to be worth the head ache. He still is 6'3" 226 pounds and if anything is another guy brought in to push the youngsters. Owens will provide competition and can't afford to be a problem in the locker room as Carroll has shown with anyone that he'll cut him. Carroll is bringing in Owens because he feels Owens can still be a decent player in this league. However, if Owens attitude or more importantly his production isn't up to par he won't make this roster.

The Seahawks earlier also brought in Braylon Edwards. Edwards who has played for the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers. Edwards back in 2007 caught 80 passes for 1,289 yards(16.1 YPC) for 16 touchdowns at the age of 24 years old. It had appeared Edwards was ready to join Owens and Moss as an elite wide receiver in this league. Instead he has never found the magic despite his 6'3" frame. Recently he was cut by the 49ers last year after catching only 15 passes for 181 yards(12.1 YPC) in nine games. Edwards like Owens was brought in to compete for a roster spot. In 2007 if someone told me the Seahawks would have Owens, Kellen Winslow and Edwards I'd think this would be a really talented roster but an explosive roster as well. I doubt both Edwards and Owens make this team. Better chance neither makes this roster than both making the roster.

In the end I don't mind these moves actually. If either guy can find his old form then the Seahawks picked up a solid receiver for nothing like they have the last two years with Mike Williams in 2010 and Doug Baldwin in 2011. If either guy shows he has no game Carroll will cut him like he has already done with Antonio Bryant who was signed then immediately cut a few days later. Carroll is constantly bringing in players and constantly cutting even more players until he finds the roster he likes. That is the thing I like about the Seahawks I feel like we are maximizing our 53 man rosters better than anyone. The Seahawks may not have the best talent but they don't have scrubs on their roster either. All said and done if you survive cut day you still must compete or Carroll will still show you the door. Owens and Edwards might find their pro bowl ability once again or they might end up getting cut before week one. I like that the Seahawks are taking chances on guys and aren't afraid to cut bait if this doesn't work out. As a Seahawks fan I hope Owens is making us all say the phrase "get your popcorn ready". This was a risky signing by the Seahawks but a very solid move when all said and done.

By Kshell

Happy 420 to all my readers who happen to enjoy the green. This weekly rant has plenty to rant about this week. First I'll begin by saying that I'm sure every 7-11, smoke shop, fast food drive thru will be quite packed this Friday as it's 420 day which is a big "holiday" for all those weed smokers out there. For those of you who managed to put the bong down(or continue smoking I guess) while reading this I'm very happy that my blog has appealed to you. Now back to what I'll be ranting about this week. In this following post I'll mainly be talking about the Seattle Mariners and I'll spend some time discussing the Seahawks schedule. For the Mariners there will be plenty to discuss this week that has me in a bit of a pissed off mood. Once again I hope my weekly rantings will at the very least entertain you guys. For those who don't smoke you can enjoy this April 20th as well and thanks for reading my blog.

This week the NFL schedules were released and like always people were curious how the Seahawks schedule was. Well earlier this week I broke down the Seahawks schedule week by week to see who the Seahawks play as I gave my two cents on each game. The obvious game that stands out is the third week of the season as the Green Bay Packers come to Seattle to take on the Seattle Seahawks on Monday Night on September 24th. Matt Flynn will be taking on his old team and the Seahawks will be hosting a rare Monday Night game in September. The Seahawks have won four in a row on Monday Night at home and have won five in a row overall. The 12th man will be rocking on that night as the Packers stroll in led by Aaron Rodgers who might be the games best player. The Packers last year went 15-1 as they looked to defend their title but were upset in the divisional round to the eventual Super Bowl champions New York Giants. This will be a big stage for the Seahawks to show the nation they are a serious threat this year as most national experts are picking them as a team poised to bounce back this season.

The talk of Felix Hernandez and his fastball have died down after last night. Hernandez used mostly his cut fastball and his change up as he went eight strong innings, allowing only five hits while walking just one. He recorded 12 strikeouts including back to back strikeouts with the bases loaded and one out in the eighth inning. All that was for nothing as Brandon League blew the save and the Mariners lost 2-1 losing the series to the Cleveland Indians. For Hernandez he once again failed to get the win which has been a sad case over the years. In fact since his debut he has had 16 no decisions where he pitched at least seven innings and allowed one run or less. That is the most in baseball since he's been called up. This year in four starts Hernandez has pitched 29.1 innings with an ERA of 2.76, 1.02 WHIP and 31 strikeouts. What he has to show so far is only one win(which was the start he allowed six of his total nine runs actually). For Hernandez who has been surrounded by the Mariners garbage since 2010 as he is only 28-27 this has to be getting old. Last year in August I actually talked about how the Mariners are wasting an incredible ace in Hernandez. If the losing continues and with Hernandez a free agent after 2014 look for him to demand a trade in the offseason or at some point next year. Every athlete wants to win and he's no different. I wouldn't blame him one bit Bill Bavasi and now Jack Zduriencik have failed to build a winner around Hernandez.

Eric Wedge is starting to piss me off with his stance on Miguel Olivo. His quotes to Mariners propaganda person errr beat writer Shannon Drayer were quite alarming.  "Miggy is our starting catcher, Jesus is going to get time as well, it is going to be tough to get Jaso back there,” he said. “Not that I am against it but right now I feel like I need to give the time to Miggy and Jesus. I still want to get Jaso’s bat in the lineup from time to time if I can so that is what we are trying to do.” Then he followed it up with another gem of a quote as well "We’re trying to get it going,” he answered. “I have had conversations with him. I was really pleased with what he did this spring he’s working up the middle more, he is trying to go the other way which is against what you have seen from him in the past typically. He has done a nice job with it. I think he has been a little anxious here early on I think he has been pressing a little bit but his confidence hasn’t wavered and I feel he is going to hit but he just has to do some things in an adjustment period to make that happen.”. Translation our manager is a moron just like John McLaren. He believes in crap like "this guy is gritty", he just "looks" like a ball player, he's "tough", etc. This is all nonsense when John Jaso is left handed, better and younger than Olivo. This year in only 11 AB's Jaso is hitting .273/.333/.727 with one home run and five RBI's. Olivo on the other hand in 42 AB's is hitting .143/.163/.190 with three RBI's. Another thing that pisses me off about Wedge is with a lead late in the game he keeps Figgins in left field instead of substituting a defensive replacement in Casper Wells. Let's face it guys Wedge doesn't know what he is doing and Zduriencik failed on his second manager hiring in four years.

The problem with this picture isn't that there is so many empty seats the problem is you can't tell which game it is or what year. The Mariners crappy play has caught up to them. On a night when Felix Hernandez was pitching the Mariners barely drew over 13,000 fans a day after setting their worst mark in Safeco Field history. Last year I wrote a piece how the gimmicks are no longer working to draw in the fans. This franchise had a great fan base but they are saying enough is enough with the losing. With the price of concession stands, parking and as Chuck Armstrong pointed out the traffic it simply isn't worth it to go to a game. Sure at home I miss out on hydro races and dancing grounds crew but I can enjoy a meal for 1/10th the price. I can yell at the T.V. and not worried about being ejected by the super sensitive folks at Safeco Field. The Mariners need to build a winner then the fans will show up. As of right now I'm supportive of the fans who don't show up because the Mariners management has spit on us fans lately.

Later on today I'll be going to the Mariners game as I'll be forced to interact with the worst kinds of fans in the world.........the bobblehead fans. I'm going to the game with my sister, her boyfriend and my best friend and they are excited to get an Ichiro bobblehead. Which means I'll have to deal with several idiots who don't know the game and are there for the bobblehead. The same type of fans who like Olivo because Wedge says he is good so he must be good. One of these days I'm going to plan a brown papersack game and I hope I can get a huge following to join me on this. Sure we might get kicked out but it would make for a great story and a better time than watching the groundscrew dancing. Anyways since I'll literally be sitting behind our dugout if we are getting blown out I'll let Wedge know exactly how I feel about him as a manager in this town.

That was my weekly rant I hope you enjoyed it. For those who say I'm too negative on Seattle sports well what is there to be positive about? The fact the Mariners made the playoffs 11 years ago? Maybe our new slogan will be "at least we aren't the Pirates". There is plenty to be upset about in Seattle and since I don't have to worry about having credentials revoked I'll continue to speak my mind on the Mariners poor ownership. Hope you enjoyed my blog and for those tokers out there may this be a special 4-20 to you as well!