Seahawks vs Chiefs: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Well, it appears that most of the other Seahawks blogs have adopted a similar format to recapping each preseason game, so I’ll try my best to keep this as “original” as possible.

And I like old Clint Eastwood films as much as anyone, but it is pretty hard to narrow down the bad and ugly when you’re 3-0 in the preseason. From a fan’s perspective, there isn’t much to complain about.

We’ve won every game, and the starting units have looked good. More importantly, they’ve stayed relatively healthy. Unlike the abortion that was last year’s preseason, the Seahawks appear ready for the upcoming regular season.

The offseason additions have – for the most part – performed well, and the new coaching staff looks capable. It doesn’t look like it will be difficult to improve on last season’s 4-12 record.

On Saturday, the Seahawks continued their roll in the preseason, putting away the Kansas City Chiefs 14-10.

Although the game was marred by missed field goals and a lack of offensive production, a lot of Seahawks played well in Kansas City. Others, however, did not.

THE GOOD

Matt Hasselbeck: Hasselbeck looked great on Saturday, aside from his first pass that was tipped at the line of scrimmage, intercepted, and returned for a touchdown. If there were any lingering thoughts or concerns about his back injury, he put them to rest. Hasselbeck looked primed and ready for the season, completing 76 percent of his passes for 216 yards and a pair of touchdowns. This preseason, Hasselbeck has completed 71.7 percent of his passes and has a quarterback rating of 111.7 – highest of any quarterback in the NFL.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh: Catching a touchdown pass for his second consecutive game, Houshmandzadeh appeared to be in complete sync with quarterback Matt Hasselbeck. On a broken play early in the game, Hasselbeck tossed a loose ball forward from his chest to Houshmandzadeh for a 17-yard gain. He finished with five catches for 60 yards and a touchdown.

John Carlson: Always a receiving threat, Carlson proved against the Chiefs that he is a competent blocker as well. He is developing into a great player at the tight end position and will be a true weapon in the passing game this season. Carlson had five catches for 68 yards, including a 28-yard touchdown pass from Matt Hasselbeck in the third quarter.

Aaron Curry: Curry continues to develop and reminded us that he can be a dominant athlete on the field. Curry is finally beginning to fly around the football field and make plays, as evident by a huge hit on Chiefs running back Jackie Battle. Though he only finished the night with three solo tackles, Curry flashed his ability on the field and should be a great linebacker in Seattle for years to come.

Nick Reed: In Kansas City, Nick Reed constantly faced double teams and larger blockers. He wasn’t as dominant as he was during the first two exhibition games, but Reed did make an impact and recorded another sack. He continued to show his ability to pressure the opposing quarterback and still hasn’t given Seattle a reason to leave him off the 53-man roster.

THE BAD

Brandon Coutu: Coutu has performed better than his competition so far, but he didn’t help himself any in Kansas City. He missed a 51-yard field goal that looked like it fell about ten yards short – his first miss of the preseason, and in a Seahawks uniform.

Jordan Kent: I continue to find myself frustrated by Jordan Kent. He is 6’4”, 219 pounds, and possesses all of the physical tools of an All Pro wide receiver. He runs a 4.4 40-yard dash, and can stretch the field better than any current receiver on the roster. But he hasn’t made a catch in an NFL regular season game. So far this preseason, he only has two catches for 12 yards (4 receiving yards against the Chiefs). Kent seems to disappear when he is on the field, and will probably find himself on the practice squad again.

Cameron Morrah: Morrah is a player who also appears destined for the practice squad. Drafted late in the seventh round, he probably could’ve benefited from an additional year in college. He definitely has the potential to be a threat at tight end, but so far, he has appeared clueless and lost on the field. Morrah has yet to prove himself a playmaker as he falls further behind Joe Newton on the depth chart.

Deion Branch: We were supposed to witness a breakout day for Deion Branch on Saturday, fully recovered from injury and ready to contribute. Unfortunately, it wasn’t so. Branch didn’t have much of an impact on offense and was rather ineffective and overshadowed by other receivers. Branch finished with just two receptions for 13 yards, his only catches so far this preseason. At 30 years old with an injury history, Branch is giving the front office more reason to deem him expendable.

THE UGLY

Olindo Mare: Brandon Coutu was perfect kicking field goals in the first half of the preseason; Mare had to prove that he was the best kicker on the roster on Saturday. Unfortunately for Mare, he didn’t do much to help himself. He missed both field goals he attempted, including one from inside the 30 – the other was a 53-yard attempt. In addition to the missed field goals, Mare also showed no distance on a kickoff in the second quarter. Mare’s poor showing on Saturday could’ve quite possibly cost him a spot on the 53-man roster.

Kevin Hobbs: There aren’t many good things to say about Hobbs, who has had a terrible preseason. Blown coverages and missed tackles have defined his play, and I would be very surprised if he even sniffs the final roster.  If anything, he is still around because he is a veteran Seahawk and the team needs depth while they deal with injuries at the position.

Devin Moore: The speedy back from Wyoming probably isn’t ready for a spot on the roster. In fact, he is in danger of even securing a spot on the practice squad. Moore averaged 1.7 yards per carry against the Chiefs, and only has 61 yards on 23 carries in three games. He has not shown anything on special teams, either.