The Press w/ Chris[tian] and Spense[r] Week 15 @ Carolina



Seattle got punched in the mouth by a desperate team in a week where San Francisco had already won. It’s hard to know what to take away from this game with so much still on the line in week 17. There was a game left of wiggle room and Seattle lost it in this defeat, now needing to win out to grab the division, along with potentially a bye, and even if that doesn’t happen,

Seattle is likely going to fall into the playoffs whether the rest of the world wants them to or not–Seattle could lose out and still get into the playoffs unless a lot goes wrong for us and right for everyone else, so it’s time to relax, go 1-0 and make sure we keep everything out in front of us. The Rams have had Seattle’s number more than anyone else in the past few seasons, and the combination of Seattle’s offense sputtering and the Rams’ offense shredding our defense led to this game ending early, even with a lul in the game mid third-quarter where a touchdown drive from Seattle would have put the team in position to steal the game after playing from behind for so long. It has happened many times before, but it didn’t happen this week, and that might be a good thing long-term, as players made comments after the game that lead me to believe both the coaches and players need to refocus and remember how bad this team can look if the right plays aren’t called or made. DK can look like an elite talent and drop easy passes. Bobby and KJ can solve offensive checks on the fly and look like fools against Jared Goff. This was a Come Back To Earth game for everyone on the ‘Hawks, and with a very winnable game in front of them, you probably couldn’t ask for a better position coming off a tough loss.

Carolina fired Ron Rivera two weeks ago and the team responded by getting destroyed by a division rival. Their defense is good, their qb will likely look amazing against Seattle, and CMC is the guy to stop. Selling out against Christian McCaffery seems like a no-brainer, and you wonder if last week’s offensive and defensive issues will even have opportunities to be addressed, considering the talent level and matchup. This will be the first game since maybe the Cardinals game where Seattle wasn’t going up against a team fighting for something huge (unless you count the road game vs. the Falcons, who now look good enough to win that close game 7 weeks ago), so an opportunity to get right this week before two final divisional home games is important. The Cardinals always give us trouble and the significance of week 17 doesn’t have to be discussed, but it won’t be significant if Seattle drops this week’s game. Championship teams find ways to bounce back, win games, and settle back down. Getting a nice streak of wins going into the playoffs will be nice regardless of seeding, but the likelihood is they will be playing a talented (if not good) Cowboys team that beat us in Dallas last. Seattle has played well on the road this season, so at this point you want health, momentum, and time to work out the kinks. Quandre Diggs has made this defense better. Jadeveon Clowney, when healthy, has made this defense better. We still haven’t seen the offense and defense excel and gel all at once. Rashaad Penny tore his ACL. Tyler Lockett hasn’t put up the crazy stats he had for over a year. Russ has looked human for a few weeks. It’s time to get right, right now, because although I believe in this team as a WC or #1 seed, they’ll have to be in sync no matter where or who they play.

I’ve got Seattle winning 32-17. Carson with an early score and KJ with a sack. Clowney is out, and if there’s a game we can afford him to miss in the next 3 weeks, it’s probably this one. Don’t underestimate the Panthers and make Kyle Allen beat us–he won’t.

It’s time for Seattle to get ready for the playoffs. For all intents and purposes, they start now. -C

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I think the Seahawks will handle their business on Sunday, as they’re the better team with a lot more to play for. I think the Seahawks have the upper hand in talent, coaching, and system—especially considering the coaching changes going on in Carolina. I think this game will be a blowout, and if it’s close, anyone watching will say that the Hawks had it the whole way.

Now, this is a 2019 Seahawks game, with Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson. So… I know that this game will probably not go like I think. The Hawks have a way of getting a “maybe it’s still last season” performance from teams, as Goff thinks he’s still elite, Atlanta pushes back late with heart, Andy Dalton isn’t washed up, and Baker Mayfield is a young quarterback who can be dangerous when they need him. In light of this, I expect the Carolina defense to look elite, Christian McCaffery to be just enough at suboptimal times for the defense, and Kyle Allen will be ready to beat the Saints.

The Seahawks need to simply take advantage of what Carolina will give them. Gash them on the ground, and pick off Kyle Allen when he tests you. The Hawks can give up 200 yards to McCaffrey and win easily. However, if you allow Allen to stay in it, and fumble the ball a couples times on big runs, then this will be a replay of the Buccaneers game from a few weeks ago.

Bobby with the sack, DK scores, Hawks move to 11-3 on the season with a 37-28 win over Carolina. Go Hawks! -Spense

