Seahawks practically demolished themselves versus the Cardinals
If anyone can figure out why the Seahawks consistently play down to the level of the Cardinals, please forward your solution to 12 Seahawks Way, Renton WA 98056.
There’s no rush on getting the solution to the Seahawks coaching staff, which is why I suggested the comically outdated method of snail mail. There’s no hurry because Seattle won’t face Arizona again until the 2019 season. Despite how poorly they played, the Hawks are in the playoffs while the Cards get another long rest.
For most of the game yesterday, you’d be excused if you thought Seattle had given their starters a rest, too. Russell Wilson was sacked six times. Chris Carson saw almost no holes all day, until he broke off that beautiful 61 yard run though a hole I could have run through. That hole was created by tight ends Ed Dickson and Nick Vannett. Told you they were a good fit. The fact the tight ends sprang the one big block was the biggest problem of this game.
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That problem was the offensive line. Resting the alphabet twins, right guard D.J. Fluker and left guard J.R. Sweezy, was the right thing to do. The Seahawks were in the playoffs regardless of this game’s outcome, and both guards were badly in need of some recuperation time. Hopefully they’ll get all the time they need before the game in Dallas, because the offensive line was…. um, I’ll go with not good. No pass protection, no run blocking… all that can be said for the line in this game was that they looked big.
Sadly, that wasn’t the only problem here. Special teams play was… well, about as good as the offensive line, at least as far as the punt unit goes. Michael Dickson had two punts blocked, and looked nothing like the guy who made the Pro Bowl as a rookie. As Lee Vowell wrote in his critique, this has to get fixed, and fast.
Who knows what it is about the Cardinals that makes life so difficult for the Seahawks? They’re a terrible team, and that’s by any objective measurement. When you give up almost twice as many points as you score, you aren’t good. Yet Seattle played a terrible game against them. If this was an aberration, I’d blame it on the substitutions on the offensive line.
But this happens game after game, year after year. It’s gotten to the point I’d rather face the Rams offense teamed with the Bears defense in the playoffs than see the Cardinals. Please, somebody figure this team out!