Seahawks 6-Pack: Week 2
By Keith Myers
It’s time for our weekly Q&A with the editor from our opponent’s Fansided blog. Each week, I ask them 6 questions about their team, and they ask me 6 questions about the Seahawks. This week I’m joined by Craig from NicePickCower.com. Be sure to check out my answers to his questions on his site, and let me know if you think I’m way off on my answers!
1) How badly are the fans in Pittsburgh panicking after a week 1 blowout loss?
They aren’t panicking as much as they are pissed off. Losing to your most hated rival that way did not sit well. It was clear that it was Tomlin’s fault this team was not prepared to face the Ravens. Most folks aren’t buying into the ‘old and slow’ that some pundits out there are trying to say.
2) This week, Warren Sapp called the Pittsburgh defense “old and slow.” Do most Steeler’s fan think he was just talking out his… um.. hind end, or is there concern that perhaps he’s right?
Sapp is certainly talking out of his rear end. ‘Old, slow and it’s over.’ You would have thought he talking about himself. Yes, a large percentage of the Steelers D is 30 or over. But this team was JUST in the Super Bowl. I don’t think 6 months of the offseason would suck the speed and agility right out of them to make them look like The Replacements. There’s no concern with age – again just a ton of griping about coaching and being unprepared.
3) How injured is James Harrison, how difficult is it to replace is his production?
The team is mum about Harrison. We know that he has yet to fully recover from two offseason back injuries – based on the way we saw him play on Sunday. He also tweaked a knee late in the game last Sunday. Tomlin said it was nothing serious. He’s not even listed on the injury report for the week and he attended all practices. Harrison is very difficult to replace as far as production goes. When he is 100% and on his game, he is extremely difficult to contain. If Harrison falls to the injury list for any extended period of time, Jason Worlids is ready to step in – but he isn’t as good as Harrison.
4) There seems to be some off the field problems with the James Farrior-Larry Foote rotation at linebacker. How worried are Steeler fans that this might become a distraction that works to derail their season?
I don’t really think it’s a problem. It’s certainly not a problem between the two of them. Where it’s a problem and a distraction (mainly for the fans) is that Tomlin made promises to Foote and other players that they would be rotated into the game against the Ravens based on their preseason play. That didn’t sit well with fans and my staff of writers because the way Foote played. Farrior was doing fine – he’s the leader of the defense – and Foote’s performance was much to be desired. Dick LeBeau stated this week that they will ‘liberally rotate players’ so we can expect this trend to continue. It doesn’t sit will with me, and I’m sure it may begin to wear on some of the starters.
5) The Seahawks have the #2 overall defense after 1 week, the Steelers offense ended the week with the #22 overall offense. Do you think Steelers fans, and perhaps even the team, are perhaps not taking this game as seriously as they should be?
A better stat would be that the Steelers finished 32nd in points scored last week. Ouch. Doesn’t matter how many yards you gain if you don’t score any points for it. But, I can guarantee that the Seahawks will have their hands full with the Steelers on Sunday. Getting beat down like they did served them a big slice of humble pie. I expect them to play with a chip on their shoulder with the intent to prove that they are indeed still Super Bowl contenders and not the old fogies they are painted as.
6) Who’s a young player that perhaps seahawks fans haven’t heard about yet that you think is going to have a big impact on the Steelers team down the road?
Marcus Gilbert. He will be filling in for recently injured Willie Colon. You probably heard his name this week as being the replacement at Right Tackle. He better make an impact immediately and down the road if this team wants to have any offensive success. The Steelers don’t plan to simplify the offense for his sake – so he better hike up the game pants and get to it.