Game 4: 'Hawks at Indy

[Danny Darko]

VS.


The Seahawks will face one of the best teams in the NFL this year at a time when they are trying to tread water in a floundering division. The 49ers will get to pound away at the lowly Lams, and Arizona gets a week to regroup while the 'Hawks will get a gut check in a match of Strength vs Weakness (passing excellence vs secondary misery).

Injury update:

Seahawks-

Knock knock... Who's not there?:
Matt Hasselbroke is out. Big Walt- might be done forever, and Locklear(LT) is gone till November along with Trufant(CB) and Hill(LB)

Better news(slightly) is that Mora stated cornerback Ken Lucas (groin), middle linebacker Lofa Tatupu (hamstring), tackle Brandon Frye (groin), guard Rob Sims (oblique) and free safety Jordan Babineaux (neck) should be able to play against the Colts.


Colts-

Dwight Freeney, initially thought to be out for weeks has not ruled himself out after suffering a quad injury. Middle linebacker Gary Brackett, safety Bob Sanders and cornerback Kelvin Hayden - all starters may be out for the game, as well.


Things to Watch:

1-Senecca's improvement or lack there of. Blame what you want on the kicker, but Senecca had an up and down game with too many mistakes.

2-Manning vs the secondary. This seems like a mismatch and it's trouble because Manning is a master of adjustments at the line and there is no 12th man to stop his audibles this week.

3-Speaking of kickers.. the pressure is on for Mare. He'll be on the hot seat, so does this give him focus or confidence issues/distractions?

4-Banged up left tackle play. Freeney or no Freeney the 'Hawks are starting an injured 3rd string LT. yikes.

5-Dr Heckyl and Mr Jones- which version of Julius Jones shows up? He's on pace for his best year ever, he's broken a few big ones this year, but he's also often looked pedestrian at times.

Predictions-

I'm predicting that the Colts may fail to get up for the maligned Seahawks, for this reason alone the game might not be a blowout. Seahawks play well enough to be encouraging, but lose.

Colts 24 Seahawks 14

[Ex-hippie]

I'm predicting that the Colts may fail to get up for the maligned Seahawks, for this reason alone the game might not be a blowout. Seahawks play well enough to be encouraging, but lose.

Colts 24 Seahawks 14

Meh. When Peyton wants to kick your ass, he does. And when he sees a banged-up secondary, he salivates. Hawks might be able to score a few points with Freeney either out or not at full strength, minimizing the damage on the O-line, but I think this one could be cover-your-eyes ugly. Colts 41, Seahawks 17.

[Bulltalk]

Yeah, I'm with hippie in the we're going to get killed camp. Injuries, we're east-of-the-Mississippi, and the Terminator is playing QB against us.

[Sweezo]

Same here. I wouldn't be that confident against the Colts if this team was at full strength, let alone with a depleted secondary.

[Danny Darko]

Well, you know... unless Curry and Jackson turn into Lawrence Taylor and Strahan and turnstyle the colts O-tackles for 5 sacks and 3 fumbles for scores.

[Sweezo]

Pretty going as expected. Defense can't get pressure on Manning, the DBs are getting beat, no one's covering the RB out of the backfield, our running game seems stalled, and Seneca is still stupid. How can you not throw the ball away instead of taking a loss and not know where the line of scrimmage is? Goddammit.

[SD2042]

Like the pics. Seahawks lose this one whether they are at full strength or not. Their defense don't have enough to stop Manning from making his passes.

[Sweezo]

There's a big difference between having Trufant and Josh Wilson out there instead of seeing Jennings and Fisher just let Colts receivers run past them at will.

[Bulltalk]

Pretty going as expected. Defense can't get pressure on Manning, the DBs are getting beat, no one's covering the RB out of the backfield, our running game seems stalled, and Seneca is still stupid. How can you not throw the ball away instead of taking a loss and not know where the line of scrimmage is? Goddammit.

I know you're a U of O fan, but I'm a U of W fan, which means this weekend is going to completely suck for me as a football fan. The Seahawks are lambs marching into the slaughterhouse, and I'm still unable to cop-a-thought about the Huskies in my brain other than "did we just lose that f*cking game?" How did that happen? I was watching it, and I still don't know how it happened. LOL

OMG! I'm about ready to hibernate for the winter.

[Sweezo]

I know you're a U of O fan, but I'm a U of W fan, which means this weekend is going to completely suck for me as a football fan. The Seahawks are lambs marching into the slaughterhouse, and I'm still unable to cop-a-thought about the Huskies in my brain other than "did we just lose that f*cking game?" How did that happen? I was watching it, and I still don't know how it happened. LOL

OMG! I'm about ready to hibernate for the winter.

I'm also a WSU fan, so it's actually been a mixed bag.

I will say though, as much as it pains me, the Huskies are a completely different team this year. Maybe not a bowl team this year but they seem like a lock for it next year.

[Bulltalk]

I know you're a U of O fan, but I'm a U of W fan, which means this weekend is going to completely suck for me as a football fan. The Seahawks are lambs marching into the slaughterhouse, and I'm still unable to cop-a-thought about the Huskies in my brain other than "did we just lose that f*cking game?" How did that happen? I was watching it, and I still don't know how it happened. LOL

OMG! I'm about ready to hibernate for the winter.

I'm also a WSU fan, so it's actually been a mixed bag.

I will say though, as much as it pains me, the Huskies are a completely different team this year. Maybe not a bowl team this year but they seem like a lock for it next year.

This is true about the Huskies. But I'm still trying to figure out how you can have 10 plays from the 1 yard line and not come up with a touchdown. LOL

Oregon is looking good now. I think you guys have a legit shot at the PAC-10 title.

I hope people will now take seriously that we need a new franchise QB. It's now 34-3. 3 points for us. No Hasselbeck, and we lose. It's that simple. And Hasselbeck is too old and fragile. What's there not to be understood about this?

You know what, Sweezo? I've completely changed my opinion about the draft next year as concerns the QB position. I want the Hawks to pick Clausen or Locker. If Clausen comes out (I don't think Locker will), the Hawks better take him. He's the real deal.

[Bulltalk]

I can't believe Wallace ran it into the end zone. I thought surely he'd pull up beyond the line of scrimmage, and throw an incomplete pass to a well covered receiver.

[Bulltalk]

Those last 2 TD's were lipstick on a pig. This game was a whole lot worse than a 34-17 loss.

[Sweezo]

Oregon is looking good now. I think you guys have a legit shot at the PAC-10 title.

After that Boise State game, I didn't think Oregon was going to amount to much of anything this year. But they turned things around VERY quickly. As much as I might be against, I think they'll get a very big midseason boost if/when Blount is reinstated.

You know what, Sweezo? I've completely changed my opinion about the draft next year as concerns the QB position. I want the Hawks to pick Clausen or Locker. If Clausen comes out (I don't think Locker will), the Hawks better take him. He's the real deal.

Same here. I now regret taking Curry over Sanchez...it seemed if this team was healthy a LB could really help this team get to the playoffs this year. But even if this team was healthy. I don't know that Curry proves a difference maker...maybe he'll be good, but he's missing tackles and assignments right now. Meanwhile Sanchez is looking like a stud.

Which doesn't mean that I think Sanchez would help this team this year. With the offensive line in a total shambles, I bet Sanchez is running around and making poor choices just as Wallace would. But I'd still feel better about our future if we had him right now.

With two picks in the first round next year, we have to get a QB and an LT. We don't have a choice.

I'm not sold on Clausen yet, and I also don't know that he'd come out this year anyway. And I doubt Locker comes out this year...Huskies are better, but not good enough that he'd be looking at a first round draft status given the other names out there.

[Sweezo]

I can't believe Wallace ran it into the end zone. I thought surely he'd pull up beyond the line of scrimmage, and throw an incomplete pass to a well covered receiver.

All that did was piss me off. He's a complete non-factor for the 'Hawks all game, and then late in the 4th he finally starts looking down the field for Carlson, Housh, and Burleson. And when he is given room to run, he scampers in for a TD.

It's bull. If he would do those things early on, it COMPLETELY changes how the defense plays him. If the defense learns that rushing four and playing men back means he'll zip up the field and earn yards, it changes things completely. Instead, he spends most of the game flailing around and throwing to his checkdown recievers as his primary option.

I understand a lot of it was the Colts prevent D giving him some passes, but I also wonder if his decision making is simply better when the game is completey out of hand and there's zero pressure on him to produce.

[Sweezo]

On the bright side...no one here was shocked by what happened today. And we have two consecutive home games against the Jaguars and Cardinals, neither of which are as good as the team we faced today. We have a chance to go into the bye 3-3, at which point it would be a completely different season.

This game doesn't mean too much to me in the grand scheme of things. The Bears one was the one that hurt...we should've won that game. Things would look a whole lot better right now if we had.

[Bulltalk]

On the bright side...no one here was shocked by what happened today. And we have two consecutive home games against the Jaguars and Cardinals, neither of which are as good as the team we faced today. We have a chance to go into the bye 3-3, at which point it would be a completely different season.

Agreed. I had this game penciled in as a high-probability-loss from the outset. The thing is, however, the way that the schedule was set for us this year, it was almost imperative that we go 4-2 into the bye-week (secretly I was hoping for 5-1...homer loving and all LOL). I felt that going 3-3 had us on the ropes as a playoff contender, and anything worse and we're history.

For instance, after the bye-week, 3 out of our next 4 games are on the road, 2 of them early games, and the opponents on the road are Dallas, Minnesota, and Arizona. It's quite probable that we dump at least 2 out 3 of these games, if not all 3 of them. That's why starting off strong was a big deal for us this year, and why the injury thing early killed us, especially as concerns Hasselbeck.

It's just a big UGH! What can you do? If we lose to either the Jags or Cards at home in the coming two weeks, it's looking like a long year for us as fans, and, believe it or not now, OUR pick might be the better 1st round pick than the Broncos' pick. Who would have thought THAT a few months ago?

I have a difference of opinion with you about Clausen. Boy have I changed my tune on this guy. I've seen him play 3 times now, and call me impressed. I like him more than Bradford, Sneed, Tebow, and McCoy now. He can do it all. And he's a real gamer. Locker's improvement is also blowing me away. I agree with some prognosticators that in the Husky/Notre Dame game, we may have seen the top 2 NFL prospects at the QB position in the college ranks. If Clausen came out, and he was available, I'd take him without one moment's hesitation, and not look back. I'd do the same for Locker. I think these guys are going to rocket-up the draft board.

Agree with Wallace in his approach to the game. Why am I never surprised when we throw it to the check-down guy? LOL

[Bulltalk]

PS> The Mariners are beating the Rangers in the 7th inning 4-1. Felix is on the verge of going 19-5 for the year, and the M's are on the verge of going 85-77 for the year. Who would have thought that, all things considered, the Mariners, not the Hawks, will probably be the team that delighted me more this year, and the team more worthy of praise?

[Sweezo]

For instance, after the bye-week, 3 out of our next 4 games are on the road, 2 of them early games, and the opponents on the road are Dallas, Minnesota, and Arizona. It's quite probable that we dump at least 2 out 3 of these games, if not all 3 of them. That's why starting off strong was a big deal for us this year, and why the injury thing early killed us, especially as concerns Hasselbeck.

On the bright side...I think all three of those teams are beatable. Dallas hasn't looked that good, and neither has Arizona. And Minnesota's season wouldn't look quite as stellar right now if it weren't for an act of God against the Niners at the end of that game.

It's just a big UGH! What can you do? If we lose to either the Jags or Cards at home in the coming two weeks, it's looking like a long year for us as fans, and, believe it or not now, OUR pick might be the better 1st round pick than the Broncos' pick. Who would have thought THAT a few months ago?

I'm not convinced Denver's that good yet. They've had an easy schedule. But yeah, clearly that pick isn't going to the #1 overall. We may have two picks in the top ten though...how sad...

I have a difference of opinion with you about Clausen. Boy have I changed my tune on this guy. I've seen him play 3 times now, and call me impressed. I like him more than Bradford, Sneed, Tebow, and McCoy now. He can do it all. And he's a real gamer. Locker's improvement is also blowing me away. I agree with some prognosticators that in the Husky/Notre Dame game, we may have seen the top 2 NFL prospects at the QB position in the college ranks. If Clausen came out, and he was available, I'd take him without one moment's hesitation, and not look back. I'd do the same for Locker. I think these guys are going to rocket-up the draft board.

I'm not against Clausen. Or Locker. There's still plenty of time left in the season for both of them to continue doing what they've been doing.

Clausen looks sound and I think what he does at ND could transfer over to what Seattle does in the mid-range passing game pretty easily.

I don't think I've ever advocated drafting McCoy except for mentioning it in this thread...and if I actually think about it, he doesn't exactly thrill me. And I don't want Tebow. At all.

If I really thought about it and had to rank how my order of preference for college QBs that could be available as of right now, given their respective strengths/weaknesses, I'd go with...

1. Sam Bradford
2. Jevan Snead
3. Jimmy Clausen
4. Jake Locker

I put Locker at the bottom because I think he still has some maturing to do. Snead does too, but he's got a goddamned cannon for an arm so I'd give him more leeway. If you asked me how to rank those four in terms of NFL readiness, I think I'd flip Snead and Clausen.

Which actually makes me wonder if waiting to draft a QB wasn't a bad idea. Sanchez would've been a good pick, but I think there's four guys available for us next year that can turn into a franchise QB.

As for LT? no idea. I'm not an astute enough football watcher to sit and watch an LT all game and let you know what I think.

[Sweezo]

Scratch that bit about Denver...looks like they're going to go 4-0. ****!