Keys to the Game - Week Nine

Written by Chris Sullivan

Sunday, 08 November 2009 09:24

Somehow, I think that I'm not the only one who is getting damn tired of saying "this week is a must-win for the Seahawks." Alas, that is certainly the case today. The Hawks have four games against four last-place teams in the second half of the season -- the Lions, the Bucs, the Rams and the Titans. All four MUST be won, obviously. Then we need to pick up a few others -- the Cardinals and 49ers are especially important. Still, if we lose this game the draft guide gets broken out and hell, I might as well just redirect the site to Rob Staton's Draft Blog.

We won't do that though, because we're gonna crush these joikawfs. Here's how:

No friggin' injuries. You can't afford any more if you want to try to recoup and compete as a unit, especially on the O-Line. I'm hoping that the Hawks don't rush Locklear back in there unless McIntosh is suffering. Why would you?
Houshmandzadeh needs yards and receptions when it matters. Anyone else insanely annoyed with him? I know there are. The easiest solution is for him and Matt to get on track, and I'm hoping these next two weeks get them where they need to be. I really do believe there is an outside chance that we can compete if we get going, but they need to lead that effort.
Defensive Line must deliver on pre-season promises. If you can't do it against the Lions, who are you going to do it against? Look for a D-Line rebuild if these guys can't really start clicking. Mebane has been good, but not Pro-Bowl like I had expected. Cole has been solid, but again, not super duper. Cory Redding needs to show up in a big way. LoJack has been the most pleasant surprise, and Darryl Tapp has been playing like a man possessed. Both of them are probably our defensive MVPs thus far... still, they need to play TOGETHER and play well.
No injuries. For real.

Comments (11) Add Comment

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written by Hawks Fan, November 08, 2009

i have a feeling Cory Redding plays his tail off against his former team.

Just like Branch
written by MonroeCoug, November 08, 2009

only shows up against former team.

D-Line
written by LouieLouie, November 08, 2009

The make up of the D-Line is that the players are solid, but not pro bowl. That should make them a solid D-Line. What skewers their stats is the lack of offense that has kept them on the field for long periods several times this year. The D-Line is solid, and given a balanced team, would uphold their share.

Against Dallas, True's critical pass interference calls helped open the floodgate. He won't do that again. He had a ton of rust to break through, but maybe the Lions are just the medicine he needs.

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written by S.TTBM, November 08, 2009

Part of the reason the defense has given up so many points, despite occasionally looking stout, is due to Gus Bradley's schemes. He always seems to have guys in all the wrong places, with huge gaps in coverage, by the second drive. The defense just isnt consistent. The huge ammount of time they are onfield is a definite factory, but to me the most glaring issue is the fact that the defensive schemes often seem off-kilter, and just plain wrong. No matter how you execute, if the scheme is faulty, its all over. Bradley shows moments of brilliance, but too much cluelessness. I hope he improves by next year, or he will replace Marshall in Hawk infamy.

And the refs flagging Tru for PA three times was a joke. Only one of those calls was even remotely legitimate. That was ROger Goodell's influence plain and simple. Welcome to the new NFL, where star players are protected, and small market teams never get the calls, where fair competition falls to the lust for more money.

The keys to me for this game are: steady defense. No need to take risks, just get off the field when you force third and long. Dont give up big plays. Detroit isnt very good.

On offense--stop trying to run on first down! Pass the damn ball! Get Housh and Carlson the ball early, then throw at Nate and Branch. DONT throw the ball at Carlson or Burleson on third down, they drop too many balls. Send the WR's more than two yards downfield, and dont put three WR's in the same area.

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written by S.TTBM, November 08, 2009

But if the OL cant block, better just pray.

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written by T.J., November 08, 2009

Not trying to hijack this thread, but I saw this on ESPN today....

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4634879

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written by T.J., November 08, 2009

And this response in the PI...

http://blog.seattlepi.com/football/archives/184446.asp

Sorry...I don't know how to add them as links.

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written by CWEH, November 08, 2009

There really shouldn't be any "keys to the game" for this week. If we do anything other then a "blow out", then we need to look into next season. Lions should not score more then 10 points.

In the case of loss to Lions, Knapp and D-Cor both need to be fired immediately after the game.

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written by Omar Little, November 08, 2009

STTBM, I agree with you that Tru's PI calls were total BS. Not sure I would call Miles Austin a "star" though. Tru's going to have to be 100% today if Megatron is playing. That guy is way more talented than Fitz and even Andre Johnson, hes the best in the league.

Anyone have any idea as to when we are busting out the green jerseys again? I would like to see them again sometime soon.

Top 5 keys to todays game
written by Major Hit, November 08, 2009

5. Cole needs to take a 5 yard drop rather than his usual 10 yard drop on double teams.

4. Mora needs to give his best pre-game speech ever.

3. Hass needs to order out barbecue ribs at half-time.

2. Offence needs to always run on first down.

1. Cris Gray needs to bring his A game in order to stop Joey Herrington.

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written by Omar Little, November 08, 2009

OK, I know we like to think we are always getting screwed by the refs but I think the Ravens today got shafted on a scale of epic proportions. I mean first the refs hand the win to New England and now they're giving it away against Cincy. Its not as bad as the superbowl, but the refs hate the Ravens just as much as us.

Chad Ocho Cinco even tried bribing a Ref! I'm sure it'll be on youtube or sports center if you didn't see it.