Good morning. I’m headed to the stadium in about an hour, but wanted to post some links before I take off. Here are a couple keys to the game for Seattle today.
Fast start – It seems like I says this every week, but I think it’s even more critical in this game, particularly with what happened against Arizona last month in Seattle, with the Cardinals jumping out to a 17-0 lead. If the Seahawks win the toss, they will probably take the ball first and try to get the offense going, which leads to my next point.
Put the ball in Hasselbeck’s hands – He’s probably the team’s best playmaker right now, so head coach Jim Mora has to let quarterback Matt Hasselbeck put the offense in the right situations and move the ball down the field by using the short passing game, and use the pass to set up the run.
Locklear has to show up – This will be Sean Lockear’s first game back, but Seattle doesn’t have time for him to shake the rust off. He’s has to set the tone early that he can get the job done and keep Hasselbeck clean on his blindside.
Contain Fitzgerald – The Seahawks are not going to stop Larry Fitzgerald from catching the ball, but they can’t let him go for 14 catches for 130 yards and three touchdowns. They have to try and limit his touches and not give up the big plays. Marcus Trufant and Josh Wilson have to play big today.
Dave Boling of the TNT says technically a win is possible for the Seahawks in the desert, although unlikely.
My story today explores the ways to contain Arizona receiver Larry Fitzgerald.
Clare Farnsworth of Seahawks.com provides this midseason report, Q&A style with GM Tim Ruskell. Decent read, but interesting because several reporters who regularly cover the team asked for a mid-season chat with Ruskell earlier this week. I guess we’ve got our answer.
I found this part interesting.
Q: There was a lot of talk during the spring and summer about getting back into the division race and getting back to the playoffs. Were the expectations too high?
A: “Probably so. But, gosh, I’m never going to want to go into a season saying, ‘Hey, this isn’t going to be a real good year; we’re rebuilding.” Because it only takes a certain number of players to have a hot year, or you get a string (of victories) going. So you never go into a season pessimistic, especially when you do a lot in the offseason. Instead, you say, ‘Hey, it’s happened before. This could all come together right now.’ So we’re never going to allow that not to happen. Then I think you’re doing a disservice. But in retrospect, maybe so. Maybe we had our expectations too high.
“But there’s a lot of season left to play, and these guys aren’t even considering that it can’t happen. They’re working to get better. They know they’re getting better. And there’s a lot of season left to go. So let’s just see what happens.
“And we’re not done in terms of our player evaluations. We’re going to let the whole season play out. If you make changes like we did you’ve got to give them time to pan out. Too often, people give up on players too quickly, especially new players. And you make mistakes that way. So we’re going to give it the whole season, then we’re going to take a look, ‘OK, what worked? What didn’t work? What, if any, changes do we need to make?’ ”
Greg Johns of Seattlepi.com provides this game preview of today’s contest.
More Johns: He predicts a 31-27 win for Arizona.
John Boyle of the Everett Herald writes that the Seahawks are at a crossroads today.
Brock Huard of ESPN 710 Seattle offers these three keys to the game.
ESPN’s John Clayton and Mike Sando talk about the Seattle-Arizona matchup in this audio link. The conversation starts about 19 minutes in.
Arizona Cardinals
Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic provides five keys for the Cardinals as they begin the second half of the season.
Darren Urban at azcardinals.com says Arizona is anxious to change its fortunes at home, beginning today.
More Urban: He writes about the revenge factor for Seattle.
St. Louis Rams
Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch provides these key matchups for today’s Rams-Saints game.
More Thomas: Defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove has been given a another opportunity in New Orleans to prove himself after drugs and alcohol led to his demise in St. Louis and Buffalo.
Bernie Miklasz of the Post-Dispatch provides an update on the sale of the St. Louis Rams, with St. Louis Blue chairman Dave Checketts attempting to keep the team in St. Louis.
San Francisco 49ers
Kevin Lynch of the San Francisco Chronicle says head coach Mike Singletary announced that Josh Morgan had supplanted Isaac Bruce as the starter at wide receiver.
Gwen Knapp of the Chronicle says when San Francisco switched quarterback and started Alex Smith, the season became more about evaluating the young team rather than making the playoffs, even though the team still believes they can make a playoff run.
Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee said the Niners 10-6 win over Chicago was a blueprint for how San Francisco wants to play moving forward.
Eric, I agree with your keys, for what it’s worth. And to be more specific regarding slow starts. Last week they gave up a 7+ minute drive to open the game and against Arizona the D started the game by giving up a 13+ minute drive. The D cannot allow this to happen. They can’t set the tone for the game this way and hope to stay in it for long.
It’s not that I’m surprised at Ruskell’s statement, it’s is refreshingly candid. But could his timing be any worse? Those are the sorts of things that are best left to a seasons re-cap. Either enter the season with that approach or address it retrospectively. But smack dab in the middle of the season reads like he’s quit on ’09. Quitting is pathetic. It’s a negative approach that filters down through the whole organization. Talking about rebuilding and perhaps getting hot to begin the season allows the victories to feel better and lessens the negativity and helps single out the positives in the losses. This should not be aired on the eve of game 9.
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Dukeshire: I think with everything that has taken place Ruskell felt the need to defend himself, state that he does have a long-term plan in place and kind of put everything out on the table in terms of his service with the organization.
In response to your question about Mora’s mood at the Friday press conference, he’s always pretty mellow on Fridays because we talk to him after practice, so he’s usually a bit drained. But he has been more to the point in his comments to our questions, probably thinking less is more at this point.
In terms of the locker room, guys seemed loose and relaxed on Friday, and I would be surprised if they laid another egg here. I think they will give their best effort, whether that’s enough or not remains to be seen.
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Eric, I can understand that. And as I said, his candor was refreshing. But I find the timing odd. I suppose those who want Mora fired can put that to rest now. I’m certain his plan doesn’t include having the head coach being replaced after just one season. As for DeHaven and Knapp however… sigh.
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That may be true, unless Paul Allen is tired of the whole mess of them.
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Of course. Allen pulling the plug on the “plan” not withstanding.
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I’m glad Seahawks.com featured someone under the radar for once.
http://www.seahawks.com/news/articles/article-1/Friday-feature-Mike-Gibson/20d8741e-955b-41c8-a2fb-b0fd78e5174d
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Wife and I flew down to the game to watch the Hawks smash the cards in the mouth. Just heading to the game now…..Show some 12th man pride!!!
GO HAWKS!!!
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PEARLJAM23? Well alright! Welcome. Have a great time!!
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It’s kind of sad that Tim Ruskell has spent years assembling what is basically one of the worst Seahawks offenses in franchise history and what may be one of the worst 2 year stretches in non-expansion franchise history and he’s saying the team he put together was not very good.
Where would this team be if they hadn’t played the two worst teams of the last 30 years a total of 4 times?
We’ll find out today. Another one of those efforts where they can’t keep the game within 20 should mark an end to this current regime. They need to win this game.
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The non-expansion vs expansion comparison is unreasonable. The results are what they are and, no denying that. But the circumstances that surround them are worlds apart. I mean, we’re trying to make a comparison between an absence of talent against the backdrop of a team loaded with pro bowl players crippled by injuries and impeding retirees. And what Ruskell’s saying is that the team he’s attempting to build is incomplete.
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*impending*
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If we’re rebuilding, why sign some aging vets who will eat up cap space when we could have done our best with some younger guys and set us up better for the future.
Long term plan my ass. The long term plan would have involved drafting Sanchez (which I didn’t or don’t support). It would have involved NOT trading 3th/4th round picks to get Unger. More picks is good. Now, I’m not bashing the Unger trade b/c I liked it (and still do)… my point is that if you’re rebuilding and have a long term blue print… you don’t trade all kinds of picks away… We traded the first pick in the 5th round, our early 7th rounder, and a 3rd rounder in 2010 to draft Butler late in the 3rd round this past year. There’s no way in hell I’m buying the “long term” plan bullsh!t.
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If you read the interview, Bobby, he specifies that it is a 2 year “plan”. And as far as your trading draft picks criticism come is, where does having 3 picks in the first 2 rounds next year come in?
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So there’s “a plan” in place, eh??? Sorry, that plan only seems to be about the excuses for failure. I really don’t see the motivation on the field by the coaches… quite the contrary… there almost seems like players are quitting… and I’m thinking the gameplans are a significant part of it all… Run on first down for -1, run on first down for -1, run, etc… Backup QB can’t score when he gets in the red zone…. Sorry Mr Ruskell, I’m not seeing the big “effort” you are trying to sell… spin it as you like, the results tell us different….
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Well, he’s talking like he’s going to be the “we” that are going to “take a look” after the season.
Don’t think that’s a given, but then again he probably doesn’t think so, either. But he can’t show it.
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after reading this article and hearing a 2 yr plan and were not the same team as 05-07. Yeah Ruskell you put this crap of a team together and let Holmgren leave on a bad note and now Ruskell is asking for another year to fix his mess. I’ll be shocked if we win in AZ and we will probably finish no better than 7-9. Ruskell knew his contract was up after this year so where did he get the idea of a second year? He knew his contract was about up and made moves to make this team competitive. Ruskell failed in the last 4 years to give us a Top 10 defense which we are not. Ruskell let the O-line get old-Jones/Wahle and lacking talent-let hutch go and no future at RB & QB, a high priced WR and LB core and no dominating DL players. and he wants us to give him another year to fix all these areas. He is not the right guy seahawk fans this team has met its end of success and now we need a new leader and it doesn’t have to Holmgren.
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Duke – we have 3 picks in the first 3 rounds. Pretty much like everyone else. And if it’s Ruskell drafting… I’d trust him more with a 3rd round pick than a 1st round pick.
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Pretty much but not really. You know exactly what I meant; 2 firsts and a 2nd. And yes, we all know Ruskell has had much greater success with the 2nd rounders than his firsts.
I’m not trying to defend Ruskell here, my criticism for him is well documented. But some of the things said here are unreasonable and that’s what I take issue with. Come on Bobby, you know where I’m coming from.
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I know. But it’s fun to mess with you.
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Lol. You’ve done that to me a few times. I would make a terrible fish. “Is that a horrible looking worm on a rusty, barbed metal hook? Outta my way! Got to bite on that, quick.”
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The Broncos are barely winning (17-14) at Washington late in the 3rd quarter. I’d really appreciate it if Zorn could do our draft position a favor.
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LOL!
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