The View From Section 333 – Seahawks at Buffalo
This week, The View from Section 333 goes on the road to Canada!
With the Seahawks playing in Canada, it seemed imperative to put this game in an international perspective and take it to neutral territory. Thus, this game was viewed from the snug of a small pub on Vancouver Island – probably the first time your intrepid reporter has viewed a Seahawks game without the wearing of the Seahawk attire or being surrounded by cheering family, friends and fellow 12th man. Even Twitter, that fallback of 12thman in-game commentary was off limits due to roaming charge issues on the business phone and a lack of wifi in the pub.
Our first impression centered on all the rushing yards being accumulated. In recent weeks, as the offense has hit its stride, adjustments to the offensive scheme have been impressive; Specifically, Wilson’s uncanny ability to run a read offence and make last minute adjustments, either from the line or from the pocket.
Our second impression was that the defensive seemed to be playing with the same fierceness as they did the week before. Not only the first stringers, but those filling in the missing pieces, Smith, Lane and Maxwell were stand outs. A couple quick notes here… Smith has impressed me by really playing within his game. He doesn’t get pulled out of position and he seems to have a knack for playing to the ball. Lane and Maxwell were very gung ho and I appreciated their efforts. Maxwell seemed much more effective, possibly just based on size. Lane, bless his heart, was always at the right place at the right time but lacks the weight to make really effective tackles. He’s a heck of special teams coverage guy… great speed!
Going into this game, I anticipated a win. Buffalo isn’t a horrible team, but their wins have come against less than stellar opponents. Coupled with comments I read during the week regarding how they planned for the game (by finally talking to TJack for what was apparently the first time this season), I really felt like they would not be fully prepared for the Hawks. Throw in the concept of a road game for both teams and it seemed likely we would win.
However, I did not expect the win we had. At the beginning of the 3rd quarter, my viewing companion turned to me and said “we’re going to score 50 points again”, a statement I immediately poo-pooed. No, we weren’t going to score 50 points on the road… Well, I was wrong. We did and it felt great.
After all the struggles earlier this year, the Seahawks have become a team of opportunists. The team with a plan that can respond to all sorts of opportunities. A team of depth that can rise to the occasion and compensate for personnel changes. But most importantly, they are a team in the true sense of the word. Their ability to respond to their opponents, play to their individual strengths, downplay their weaknesses, and make in game adjustments is epic. They’re exactly where they need to be going into their last two games.
And oh my gosh, they’re fun to watch!