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VS.



A few weeks back after games against Atlanta and the Giants, I would hav said the Seahawks were going to win more than a handful of games, have to trade up for a featured QB in the draft, and would be in contention for the West. There is now a stark reality that the 49'ers have a stranglehold on the west, the Seahawks have found ways to outgain their opponent, play great D, and still lose.

Depending on which side of the fence you might be on, Pete Carroll is either a bumbling elmer who continually makes bad calls in belief that he's controlling a Madden Allstar team, while backing inadequate QBs. Or- Pete Carroll is a scheming genius, who has built an exciting group of youngsters with size, speed, and potential, while masterminding a cleaver tanking for a QB of the future.

The Cowboys come in with a lethal pass rusher, a mercurial QB, and a slew of inconsistent talent. They play Amoeba defense led by Rob Ryan and can be a handfull when the TE's are clicking and Dez Bryant makes plays. It will be fun to watch some of our matchups, but I have to wonder if Pete won't kick 65 yd field goals on 2nd & 3rd, and punt on 4th if the pups get close to upsetting the Brokerib Mountain men.



Injury update:



Seahawks-

QB Tarvaris Jackson is sore but should go. LB Leroy Hill is nursing a bad knee and did not practice. Mike Williams has been held out with a hammy issue.

Boys

Did not practice
CB Mike Jenkins (hamstring)
RB Felix Jones (ankle)
OG Kyle Kosier (foot)
LB Sean Lee (wrist)

Things to Watch:


1-QB Depth Chart.
Considering TJ is playing hurt and the Cowboys get to the QB, it has to be asked-
Charlie for starter of the future is done right? But what would happen if Tarvaris actually has to leave the game? Would Portis get a look after a short lived chance for Charlie based on immediate results? Interesting.

2-Clemons on fire
Clem has been great since his ankle healed up both in run support and on the rush. I just like to watch his moves and speed.

3-Run game (lost in space?)
I like that the Hawks have stuck to the run despite the lack of success. Holmy would have gone pass happy. That being said, I'd love for the O-line to have an "i get it" moment and really wear out a defense with effective running to counter TJ's no huddle gunslinging.

4-Carpenter
He's been left off the whipping boy list for a few weeks now despite some inconsistent breakdowns. This week pits him vs his cryptonite so far: A slippery speed rushing DE

5- Giant CB's vs Dez Bryants temper
They obviously piss off WR's, let's see if they get under Mr Immature's skin this week. I expect the real damage to be done by the Dallas TE''s this week, though.

6-Pete's playcalls
When people say things like "he is still a college coach, he obviously knows the clock hasn't started on his tenure, but next year..." You wonder if Pete, who is media savvy, hears that and if he even cares. If he's conservative, we'll find out, but really I think he keeps playing madden all the way to Barkley.


Predictions-

Seattle 13 Cowboys 24

I was expecting moar Cowboys jokes Danny. Mike Jenkins is out and Sean Lee has a dislocated wrist. That's 2 key players on their D out. Romo isnt playing well either. They can run the ball but we can stop the run well. I think it will be closer than a lot of us expect it to be but our OL is too young and green to handle such a complex defense.

funny you should say that... i erase tons of stuff like this last minute!

Just got back from breakfast and am wathing the game on DVR. It's surprisingly close so far...our defense is really something to be proud of. Chancellor is what I thought Hamlin would become.

K.J. Wright gets burned on coverage [or rather, forgetting to cover] Witten for an easy TD. The ghost of Aaron Curry lingers, apparently.

Kam Chancellor and Richard Sherman are both very very good.

That interception by Jackson was just about one of the stupidest decisions I have ever seen a QB make. Taking a sack is better than rifling the ball directly AT a defensive tackle.

Jesus Christ,...he threw another one. Just take the sack!

so.... Barkley anyone?

Pretty much anyone except Landry Jones.

Danny Darko wrote:so.... Barkley anyone?

Yes, please. And also a pass rush threat to pair with Clemons. Having only one pass rush threat on the team isn't working.

Speaking of Curry, I turned on the Denver/Oakland game just in time to see him out of position to let Mcgahee loose for a long TD run, and then a dumb late hit out of bounds on a 2 yard run to convert 3rd and 20

well, overall pretty happy with the way the O line looked.

To stone Ware was a great thing, I thought Okung started to get his mojo back and Carpenter held up all day on pass or drove right through guys on runs.

Notice Carp on this play to Rice looking strong:

http://www.seahawks.com/videos-photos/videos/Rice-burns-Cowboys-D/d1f4c80e-9f30-49c8-b563-c27190983abf

I'm all over the place about our Hawks. There is a part of me that is happy (believe it or not) with the direction of the team. I like our safety combo. We went from a bad one to a great one in two year's time. I'm encouraged by our CB situation, though I'm bummed that Thurmond went down this year. I am reasonably encouraged by our LB corp, though we could address some longer range issues there, though it's not a high priority. Like Sweezo, I do think we need help on the DL, and that will be a draft concern in the next two drafts/and or in FAcy.

Overall, our defense is no longer a mess, and with continued development of our youth, and a few savvy draft picks/and or FA pickups, we could be strong enough there in the coming few years to contend.

I am still cautiously encouraged by our aggressive revamping of our OL. If we can hit the jackpot, meaning Unger, Okung, Carpenter, and Moffitt all pan-out reasonably well, or at least 3 of the 4, then we'll no longer be in dire straights in that area, perhaps even find it to be an area of strength in the next few years, especially with Schneiders ability to find talent in the draft and FAcy.

As for our receiving corp...if you're like me, you're just not quite sure how good it may be or not, for the obvious reasons. Rice and Baldwin look like real keepers moving forward, our TE is "supposed" to be very good. Outside of those, I can't tell if we'll need another "burner" at that wideout.

Running back seems all but a definite need for upgrade; but I'm confident that we can come up with such a talent with a little bit of luck in the 2nd or 3rd or 4th round of the next draft. We'll see.

As always, QB is everything, and I think that John Clayton is probably right in saying that the PC legacy as our head coach will be decided by how well we address the QB position the next off-season. As you know by now, this need is SO glaring that I'm still in the camp of possibly drafting two QB's in the next draft. I'm coming around to liking Barkley, but now worry that HE won't be available in the draft for us. We may have to make a draft-day-trade to ensure we get our guy next spring.

Anyway...boy...Tarvaris stinking it up like that on Sunday is giving me the feeling of the walls closing in around me as concerns our QB mess.