RSS
Home
List: Seahawks STILL in contention
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
What is it with these Seahawks? The worse they play, the more games they lose, they still can't seem to play themselves down and out of contention.
At 2-5, the Seahawks are still alive for the NFC West title. The division is that bad, matching the team Seattle puts on the field each week.
The two teams ahead of the Hawks in the division, San Francisco and Arizona, both lost Sunday and they have a growing list of issues. We could ask the question whether one of these teams could win the division with a losing record, but the schedule gets easier for all of them.
Here's this week's football reflections:
1. Hawks coach Jim Mora, no doubt feeling the heat of this embarrassing start, reminds me a little of Mariners' manager John McLaren. Both were promoted from within and both seemed to be misplaced. They can't motivate the team. McLaren couldn't figure it out and was fired by midseason.
2. Mora said Monday that everyone is accountable from now on and that some people might be fired if the team does not improve. We've seen this kind of reaction before, mostly from managers and coaches trying to look like they are in charge when, in fact, they're grasping for straws.
3. Let's look, once again, at what the Hawks have to do in their desperate attempt to win the division. They play Detroit Sunday and should win. Then they'll have three straight on the road, Arizona, Minnesota and St. Louis, and will need to win two, particularly against Arizona. If that happens, the Hawks could move within one game of both the Cardinals and 49ers with five games remaining against SF, at Houston, Tampa Bay, at Green Bay and Tennessee.
4. The TV broadcast team of Dick Stockton and Charlie Davis for the Seattle-Dallas game was spotty at best. They butchered names, they had wrong names and they focused relentlessly on the Cowboys. But one thing Davis said irritated me. He said Hawks QB Matt Hasselbeck was “courageous'' in all the pain and injuries he has to overcome to play. No. He's not courageous. Reserve that for those who really are, soldiers in harms way and police and fire fighters. Hasselbeck plays a game. He's a gamer, perhaps, but it doesn't take courage to play it, not in a real sense.
5. Jon Gruden, Mike Holmgren, Bill Cowher and Mike Shanahan are all sitting on the sidelines this season but they all might be back in the game in 2010. There certainly will be plenty of openings, beginning with Washington (Gruden for Jim Zorn). But each one of those guys is pretty smart. They're not going to a hopeless situation and there are plenty of them, such as Buffalo, Tampa, Jacksonville, St. Louis, Kansas City, Cleveland and Oakland. They're going to think twice before accepting any of those graveyard guards.
6. Houston RB Steve Slaton is so versatile as a runner and receiver. He's a load for the opposition to stop. The problem is, he's stopping himself. Slaton has fumbled seven times, including one in the first quarter against the Bills. He was immediately benched for the rest of the game. RB Ryan Moats took over and he had 126 yards and three touchdowns. Coach Gary Kubiak would not commit to either back but I think Moats has displaced Slaton for the time being. They'll spot Slaton.
7. Should you be reminded once again, Seattle holds Denver's first-round draft choice. The Broncos finally lost Sunday in grand fashion, 30-7 to Baltimore. How many more losses can we expect? Perhaps four, Pittsburgh, New York Giants, Philadelphia and possibly San Diego. The Chargers, who play the Broncos at Mile High in three weeks, may be more motivated because they would be in a more desperate state for the post-season.
8. In Week Eight, St. Louis won its first game of the season. The Rams are now just four games out of first place.
9. Tennessee also won its first game Sunday (after going 13-3 last season) and looked good in a 30-13 victory over Jacksonville. The Titans switched to Vince Young at quarterback – on the owner's suggestion – and he did OK. It was RB Chris Johnson who helped ease him back in with 228 yards and two touchdowns. Interestingly enough, the Titans may be putting all their pieces together just in time to deal with the three top NFC West teams, San Francisco (Sunday), Arizona (Nov. 29) and Seattle (Jan. 3). The key to the NFC West title goes through Tennessee.
10. Then there was one unbeaten - New Orleans. The Saints survived a close one Monday with Atlanta, 35-27. Their schedule is favorable. Their toughest road trip is at Atlanta (Dec. 13). Their two toughest opponents are New England (Nov. 30) and Dallas (Dec. 18) but both at in the Superdome.
Mini Lists:
Top Five: 1. Indianapolis. 2. New Orleans. 3. Minnesota. 4. New England. 5. Philadelphia.
Bottom Five: 28. Seattle. 29. Detroit. 30. St. Louis. 31. Tampa Bay. 32. Cleveland.
Player of the Week: Tennessee RB Chris Johnson gives the Titans their first win with a monster game, a franchise-record 228 yards and two touchdowns on runs of 52 and 89 yards. A honorable mention is Indianapolis WR Reggie Wayne, 12 catches, 147 yards, one touchdown.
