Nov.11, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; Tennessee Titans quarterback Matt Hasselbeck (8) warms up before a game against the Miami Dolphins at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

The 2013 edition of the Seattle Seahawks, barring horrific injury or unexpected regression, has a chance to be the best team Seattle has ever fielded. That’s no guarantee of a Super Bowl. That’s no guarantee of a division title. It’s no guarantee that they don’t go 0-16. However, if someone offers you an over/under of 0.5 wins for the season bet your life savings on the over. Times are good and Seahawks fans should, and I think largely do, appreciate what they have at this moment.

For this reason it is odd that I have been overcome with nostalgia for some vastly inferior Seahawks teams from the not too distant past. Specifically, I’ve caught a bad case of Matt Hasselbeck-related melancholy  Given the dearth of quarterback depth right now, Hasselbeck would have been a great addition this off-season, from a football standpoint. The kind of nostalgia I’m talking about though, is too strong to be based on the desire for a second string quarterback upgrade.

Before we go deeper down the rabbit hole, this is the video that got me thinking about Mr. Hasselbeck in the first place.

The thing that stood out to me that in this video is that Hasselbeck just seems to be a really fun enjoyable person to be around. I realized that I don’t miss Matt Hasselbeck as our quarterback. Russell Wilson is more exciting and arguably had a better rookie year than any season Hasselbeck had. I miss Hasselbeck as a guy.

This is an unusual thought for me to have. Firstly, I’m largely drawn to football based on my own experiences playing and a very strong interest in the strategy of the game. I’m much more interested in statistics than narratives; personalities have never been a big part of my fan experience. Of course, I have my favorites like anyone else. My current favorite player is Kam Chancellor but I couldn’t tell you anything about the man except that I love his unorthodox size for a safety and the way he hits.

Matt Hasselbeck is a big exception to the way I think about football players. Most players seem to be either in the camp of cliché artist or smack talker. I often find myself bored with the predictable nature of their interviews. Hasselbeck is different. He strikes me as a guy with a sense of humor who is very genuine and transparent. I find both traits refreshing and entertaining. My usual assumption with players is that I don’t know much about them as people because I am exposed to such a small sample of their personalities. For some reason I always felt like Matt Hasselbeck was someone I sort of knew.  For example, this video from a couple of years ago depicts a guy who is a multi-millionaire star athlete who acts like he’s just a guy. That is a pretty rare find.

Here’s another brief example.

I promise this post won’t devolve into me just sharing examples of Matt Hasselbeck being cool because I think you get it at this point. Or not. Either way I’m not really in the business of just posting a bunch of links.

Ultimately, I miss having Matt Hasselbeck on the Seahawks because of the person he is, and that’s probably a first for me. I’m not trying to deify the man, he just seemed like a really decent human being to me and I always liked having him on the team. I also don’t mean to criticize Russell Wilson. Wilson seems like an intelligent, hardworking and well-spoken man and I have nothing against him. I just don’t yet feel like I know much about him as a person, and, based on the way he carries himself, I’m not sure I ever will. It is Wilson’s prerogative to present himself any way he likes and I don’t begrudge him that. Maybe I’m just not a great interpreter of him and other fans feel like they know him inside and out. It’s hard for me to say.

The point is, even though I would take Russell Wilson over Matt Hasselbeck as starting quarterback every time, it doesn’t mean I don’t miss Matt. There is a lot more to sports fandom than X’s and O’s, wins and losses, or numbers on a page. I suppose it took a video of a third string quarterback I’ve never heard of hitting a half court shot to remind me of that today.

Aug 11, 2012; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Flynn (15) passes the ball during the 1st half against the Tennessee Titans at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-US PRESSWIRE

It was the best of times and the better of times.  Last Saturday’s preseason game against the Tennessee Titans did nothing to temper my optimism for the upcoming season.  I saw a defense that was ready to run roughshod over anybody brave enough to stand in their way and an offense that, working with the defense, should win more than eight games.  Matt Flynn started the first half and Russell Wilson played the second half.  I saw two very different quarterbacks with very different skillsets, mindsets, and playing styles.  I’m going to try to break them down a little bit and offer my opinion on what should happen should nothing substantially change going forward.

First up is Matt Flynn.  He played with the first offensive team and did alright.  He didn’t knock the socks off of anybody, but I didn’t expect him to. I don’t think anyone else should expect it either.  He is a quarterback that is going to manage games, play within his abilities, stay in the pocket, methodically run the offense, and minimize mistakes.  Flynn is similar to Matt Hasselbeck in that he is a game manager, but he isn’t naturally going to try to take it over and make deep throws unless he needs to.  A lot of the called plays during Flynn’s time were rushing plays as well, which will be typical once the season starts. The Seahawks were trying to get Robert Turbin some experience in its run-first offensive scheme.  Flynn’s game stats show this with 11 for 13 completions, 71 yards, and an interception.

Russell Wilson played with the second unit and after most of the Titans’ first defensive players were out of the game.  That being said, Wilson looked very good.  He was exciting, well prepared, and showed amazing speed.  Wilson is somebody that will create and make plays happen instead of just methodically managing the game.  Wilson also has a hard time staying in the pocket.  His first tendency is to roll-out and see the field from there.  Fortunately, he’s hard to catch once he’s off and running, but it also means he is harder to protect.  Wilson’s height is definitely going to be a factor in his quarterback abilities. His one interception is an example of how he struggles a bit. It was straight downfield and he had to drop the ball in the last 10 feet of the end zone, over a defender’s head.  Wilson didn’t give it enough lift and it was easily picked off.  Wilson had to look over the line, downfield, and beyond another defender to drop a ball in a very tight window.  This is something he will have to learn to compensate for.  Overall, Wilson’s stats were good, completing 12 for 16 for 124 yards, rushing for 59 yards, two touchdowns (one rushing, one passing) and an interception.

I know Wilson has his diehard supporters and didn’t see everything out of Matt Flynn that they needed or wanted, but I still think Flynn is the person to start the season as the Seahawks’ number one quarterback.  The Seahawks offense is built more to Flynn’s abilities than to Wilson’s.  We don’t have a huge deep-threat receiver.  We are going to most likely be running two TEs and a lot of short-to-medium routes oriented toward getting first downs instead of the big play.  This is better-suited for Matt Flynn since he has trouble throwing the ball deep but is very accurate in the short and middle distances.  Flynn is also a pocket-passer which is preferential to our line since they are generally still developing. You could argue that we need a mobile QB to stay alive in this situation, but I really think our offensive line would benefit experience-wise from a more traditional QB.

Lastly, I see Russell Wilson being capable of becoming Seattle’s future quarterback. He is a rookie with a growing team.  One could argue that he should develop with the team as a starter, but I would encourage him to learn on the sideline for a few seasons.  If Flynn doesn’t pan out, Wilson will undoubtedly get a chance.  I just don’t really believe in the whole baptism-by-fire mindset of starting rookie quarterbacks their first year.  (There are obviously special cases, Andrew Luck being one, but I have no doubt that Luck will have struggles during the season as well.)  Flynn is the right quarterback as the Seahawks exist right now. In a few years, after Seattle has to retool its receiving corps and other parts, they can make it a more Wilson-oriented offensive unit.

No matter what, though, I see the beginnings of a great team. I am looking forward to it being the best of times when it comes to Seattle football.

If you’d told me a few months ago when I was all worked up for the NFL draft that I wouldn’t be in section 333 for the first game of the preseason, I wouldn’t have believed you. If you’d told me that not only wouldn’t I be at the game for Matt’s return to the Clink, but I wouldn’t even have access to the game via TV, I wouldn’t have been responsible for my actions!

Yet as I type this, I’m in the middle of the Nevada desert heading toward Death Valley with my husband. Our planned stop tonight is the eastern Sierra Nevadas. I hope to have Wifi but no guarantee on the strength of the signal being capable of capturing a feed. And it’s a pretty sure thing it won’t be televised down here.

So what does an ardent Seahawks fan do?

She falls back on the Seahawks Social Network. Before she leaves Vegas, she connects with fellow Seahawk fans on Twitter to make sure she can at least hear about the finer points of the game, any great plays and updates on who makes a good showing in their first NFL game!

More than just a catch phrase of #12sfollow12s, the Seahawk fans on twitter have your back. Even if I hadn’t asked specifically, I know a 3G signal on my phone would get me commentary, speculation, play by play review and humor galore.

Thanks to the Seahawks Social Network, my poor planning won’t prevent me from hearing about the game. But you can bet my butt will be in my seats for the Raiders!

I’m not one to try and tell people how to feel or what they should think. I only tell you my opinion and,usually, why I think that way. This is no different, but I really do hope that most of you will agree with me on this one.

In my ideal world, Hasselbeck gets the biggest standing ovation of his life when he’s introduced; like big enough that they have to stop and wait for a few minutes before anything else can happen. Then, when he gets under center for the first time, he feels the full weight of the 12th Man barring down on him and his offense until one of his linemen moves early for a false start.

Yep, if I was a script writer, that’s how I’d write it.

Jan 8, 2010; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck (8) throws a pass against the New Orleans Saints in the NFC Wild Card playoff game at Qwest Field. The Seahawks defeated the Saints 41-36. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

Helping me out this time is Justin Stewart from Titan Sized.

Quick Thoughts on Draft: The Titans had a successful draft. It was interesting that they chose to pass on drafting an offensive lineman

Quick Thoughts on 2012 schedule: It doesn’t do them any favor. It’s a rough one, starting off with the Patriots…

Most Interesting Roster Battle: QB: Jake Locker vs. Matt Hasselbeck. Young vs old. Both are quality QB’s and every Titans fan is excited to see how it plays out.

Biggest Strength Heading Into 2012: The QB and WR position. Whether it’s Jake Locker or Matt Hasselbeck, the Titans are set at that position. They also have Kenny Britt and Kendall Wright, not to mention Nate Washington and Damian Williams. Both those positions are the strengths of the 2012 Titans.

Biggest Weakness Heading Into 2012: The Center position. Eugene Amano didn’t cut it this last year and that position is looking for an answer.

Biggest Question Still To Be Answered: Can Kenny Britt be healthy for an entire season and can Chris Johnson return to form?

2012 Prediction: 10-6, Titan make a good playoff push lead by second-year QB Jake Locker.

The Titans were close to getting a playoff spot last season in spite of getting almost nothing from RB Chris Johnson. The team won with it’s defense and Hasselbeck’s arm. With an improved pass rush and resurgent Johnson running the ball, the Titans could be contender in the AFC.  The problem that I see is that the WRs aren’t very deep. Behind the oft-injured Kenny Britt and rookie Kendall Wright, there isn’t many weapons for Hasselbeck to throw to.

One thing to watch for is whether or not Jake Locker can take the QB job away from Hasselbeck. Locker was a really risky pick 2 years ago, and if he hasn’t developed into a starter by this point he may never do so. He barely completed half of his passes in college, and if he can’t do any better in the preseason he may find himself never being more than a backup in the NFL.

Seahawks welcome longtime Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck and former UW QB Jake Locker to Century Link Field with a very warranted standing ovation. However, soon after the ceremonial type reunion, it’s game time!

Ok, so I know it’s a little early to be looking at preseason games, and this is for entertainment purposes only.I will try to steer away from any draft talk and provide a short, enjoyable escape from the miles of pages to be read regarding it. Let’s hope this is what the opening drive looks like for the Seahawks!

Russel Wilson, 8-20, 83 yds, 2 int

This is by no means a prediction, just something fun to ponder, and hopefully read.

Whos ready for some Seahawk football??

Hit me up @12th_army on twitter to talk hawks anytime

Jan 1, 2012; Houston, TX, USA; Tennessee Titans quarterback Matt Hasselbeck (8) throws a pass against the Houston Texans in the fourth quarter at Reliant Stadium. The Titans defeated the Texans 23-22. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-US PRESSWIRE

I’m also not one to make a big deal about ex-Seahawks returning with another team. Sure, some of them can be fun, like booing Josh Brown after he refused to be the “slave to the businessman” and bolted to the Rams. That was entertaining, but few other times have I ever cared.

Mostly its because I cheer for the Seahawks. I like the players, but players come and go. The Seahawks are my team, and thats not going to chance just because players or coaches do.

I feel a bit differently about Matt Hasselbeck returning the week of August 9th (actual date not set yet) with the Titans. Matt is clearly the best QB this franchise has ever seen, and I don’t think it’s all that close. Matt also didn’t leave by his own choosing, so there’s no reason for any Seahawk fan to have any ill-will agaisnt him.

Instead, I expect the 12th Man to give him a very long standing ovation when he’s introduced pre-game, because he deserves it. I also expect the 12th Man to make it impossible for him to call an audible, and to force his line to commit a ton of false starts, because that’s what we do.

In the end, when Matt finally decides to hang up his cleats for good, I want him to do it as a Seahawk. Sign him to a 1 day contract and let him retire as a member of the team that will shortly after put his name up on the ring of honor.

Mack Strong might be the greatest FB in Seahawk's history, but is he the in the top 32 of all Seahawks? Credit: Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE

Below is my seeding for 4 brackets. This seeding is NOT final! The first step is for nominations. Either comment in this thread, send me an email, send me a tweet, or comment to our facebook page with your comments and suggestions.

Who have I left out? Who did I include that doesn’t belong? How would you seed the brackets? Be sure to let me know!

After that, we’ll begin the voting. First thing we’ll do a “group vote” process that will automatically shrink each bracket form 8 down to 4. After that, it will be head to head for 4 rounds of voting until we declare a winner!

Quarterback/Line Division

1. Walter Jones
2. Matt Hasslebeck
3. Dave Kreig
4. Jim Zorn
5. Tarvaris Jackson
6. Warren Moon
7. John Kitna
8. Chris Grey

Missed the Cut: Seneca Wallace, Trent Dilfer, Stan Gelbaugh, Steve Hutchinson, Howard Ballard

This started out as a QB only division. Obviously, it was tough to fill out a full bracket with only QBs; giving tourney spots to Wallance and Gelbaugh would have been painful, so I decided to combine QBs with offensive lineman. I’m sure the seeding in this bracket will be debated as well. The top 4 seem obvious to me, though the order of those 4 might be disputed. I’m sure I’ll also get some grief for putting Jackson ahead of both hall of famer Warren Moon, and the ever popular John Kitna. Chris Grey, who’s played more snaps than any other player in Seahawk history, sneaks in at the #8 seed.

Offensive Skill Player Division

1. Steve Largent
2. Curt Warner
3. Shawn Alexander
4. Chris Warren
5. Joey Galloway
6. Brian Blades
7. John L. Williams
8. Mack Strong

Missed the Cut: Darrell Jackson, Sherman Smith, Paul Stanzi

Largent seems like a easy pick as a number 1 seed here. The order of the franchise’s 3 great backs will likely be disputed, as will the inclusion of Joey Galloway. Williams and Strong are definitely deserving, but I wonder if enough fans will give proper love to the fullbacks.

Defense Division

1. Cortez Kennedy
2. Eugene Robinson
3. Kenny Easley
4. Jacob Green
5. Rufus Porter
6. Jacob Green
7. Jeff Bryant
8. John Harris

Missed the Cut: Michael Sinclair, Sam Adams, Patrick Hunter, Chad Brown, Anthony Simmons, Dwayne Harper, Manu Tuiasosopo

This was the toughest division to put together. I easily could have included any of the players listed as “missed the cut,” and I’m sure I’ve forgotten some as well. As far as the seeding goes, I’m going to need your help on this one. How would you rank this group?

Coach/Media/Kicker Division

1. Mike Holmgren
2. Chuck Knox
3. Jack Patera
4. Tom Catlin
5. Steve Raible
6. Norm Johnson
7. John Kasey
8. Rick Tuten

This was a tough division to fill. I wanted to put Holmgren, Knox, and Patera into this touney, and I believed that Raible and Catlin deserved to be there was well. I just don’t think a kicker or punter will ever get enough votes to get past round 1 so their inclusion seems pointless.

Leadership

One thing that I take very seriously in evaluating a team is leadership. This is one reason I always doubted Tarvaris Jackson. In all of his press conferences this year he looked scared and confused, as well as mumbling every word he spoke. It was almost like he didn’t really want to be our starting quarterback, as if his mom was forcing him to go out for the team.

All year long I have been trying to decipher who our leaders are. With the absence of Marcus Trufant, Lawyer Milloy, Lofa Tatupu, and Matt Hasselbeck it has been difficult for the Seahawks. We are definitely a young team in transition waiting for leaders to emerge. So with this article I am going to do my best to evaluate which leadership roles have been filled as well as try and spotlight roles where leadership is still needed.

I’m going to start with the two emotional leaders of the team since they are definitely the most fun to watch (as well as being my favorite players). Our two emotional leaders are unquestionably Marshawn Lynch on offense and BIG Red Bryant on defense. The emotional leader on an offense or a defense is the guy that thrusts energy into the heart of every player before kick-off as well as being the one to keep that energy pulsating as the game wears on. They also help pick the team up in situations when they are down, whether with a play on the field or through encouragement on the sideline. Richard Sherman is a player to watch in this regard, for he is too emotional not to become a leader.

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Equally amazing was how fast the story seemed to disappear from everyone’s mind once the game’s began. I can’t believe how quickly this topic went from being a hot-button issue to yesterday’s news. By the end of the 2nd game, Hasselbeck seemed like a forgotten memory. After week 3 I stopped comparing the stat lines of the 2 QBs each week because it seemed like no one cared.

Now that the season is over, I thought it would be fun to revisit the topic and see how each QB did throughout the season. Lets check out the numbers:  (more…)

Looking around the blogosphere and at the .net forums, it seems pretty clear that most Seahawks fans want to see Matt Barkley in a Seahawk uniform. You can count me among the small minority that doesn’t want to see that. While this is partially because Barkley doesn’t fit Seattle offense, it is also because the Seahawks will have to give up most of their draft, and possibly even next year’s first round pick as well, in order to move up and get him.  Because of those two things, I just don’t see Barkley ever coming to Seattle. I really hope that most Seahawks fans realize this too, and stop obsessing over him.   (more…)

Obviously, this team desperately needs to find its next franchise QB; it’s next Jim Zorn, or Dave Krieg, or Matt Hasselbeck. There is a lot of pressure on the front office to find that player, and ultimately most fans will determine the success of this offseason solely on their ability to fill this one need. I actually think people are focussing on this one position too strongly, but that’s a topic for another blog post.

DE is next on the list, and I mostly agree. Seattle’s defense has had one major weakness this season, and that has been the pass rush. There just hasn’t been anyone who’s been able to pressure the QB besides Chris Clemons. The problem with putting DE this high is that both starting DE are already in place. Anyone picked in the draft or signed as a FA will be a part time player. Still, the need is great, though the answer may lie in the next position on the list.  (more…)

It ain’t gonna happen.

No way, no how. Tarvaris Jackson is, and in all likelihood, will continue to be the Seahawks’ starting quarterback for the rest of the season. An injury is the only circumstance under which Whitehurst will see the field for the foreseeable future. Even if the Seahawks are down by four touchdowns in the fourth quarter, Jackson will still finish the game.

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There has been no bigger controversy this offseason than the choices made about the quarterback position for the Seattle Seahawks. Lets review:

• The Seahawks could not get Matt Hasselbeck re-signed before the start of the lockout.
• The Seahawks did not choose a quarterback in the April draft.
• Within hours of the lockout being lifted, the Seahawks informed Hasselbeck that he wasn’t going to be brought in, and instead signed Tarvaris Jackson to be the starter.
• Jackson struggled throughout most of the preseason, while backup Charlie Whitehurt played fairly well, leading to there being a large group of vocal fans wanting Whitehurst to be named the starter. Despite this, Jackson remains atop the depth chart.

So here we are with Tarvaris Jackson as the starting Quarterback going into the season opener against the 49ers. Doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence does it? It should be noted, though,  that the players voted on team captains this week, and that Jackson was voted in as captain. Perhaps the team really does believe in Jackson to be the starter after all. Personally, I can’t say I have much faith in him at this point.

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