Is Russell Wilson's Magic gone?

[chf]

Don't get in the way of Hank and his anti-Seattle boner. At his age, any boner is noteworthy.

 

[Uhsplit]

I think the Seahawks' failures this season are all on the GM and front office. I thought the Jimmy Graham trade made absolutely no sense. I think Their inability to take care of their players had an effect on the team's swagger. I blame the front office entirely for trying to make this offense more pass oriented. Jimmy Graham is the worst possible fit for that offense. And they could really use Max Unger right now. The Jimmy Graham trade, along with the contract issues with Wilson and Chancellor really ruined the 'Hawks this year.

Hey welcome!
Now that I have that out of the way, since you are brand new and have 2 posts credited to your account why would half of your posts be directed at slamming a FO of a team you don't root for? Very odd. It makes me think your only reason to post was directed at Seattle.

There is a lot to talk about regarding the Stealers. Ben's injury and coming back. bell going on IR so early after suspension. Lot's more I'm sure but Seattle has your attention for some reason.
Now, to break down your post.
I think the Seahawks' failures this season are all on the GM and front office. I thought the Jimmy Graham trade made absolutely no sense.
Where were you when the trade was made and everyone thought Seattle scored the Lombardi with the trade for JG? Virtually everything I read (and it is easily verifiable with the interwebz) said Seattle robbed NO on this deal trading away an oft injured Center for a prolific TE.
I think Their inability to take care of their players had an effect on the team's swagger.
Inability to take care of players? Kam, RW, Marshawn, Wagner, Wright, ET, Sherm. They have certainly taken care of the stars. Specifically which players are you referring to?
I blame the front office entirely for trying to make this offense more pass oriented. Jimmy Graham is the worst possible fit for that offense. And they could really use Max Unger right now.
It is still a run 1st team. Yes, in retrospec, which is exactly where you are coming from, YES the team could use Unger.
The Jimmy Graham trade, along with the contract issues with Wilson and Chancellor really ruined the 'Hawks this year.
Kam fucked up by being a me 1st guy. He miscalculated his holdout and both he and the team has paid for that. His 4 year contract was almost halfway done. Way too early to redo a deal. We are not Dallas. You speak as though the year is over. Granted, Hawk fans are not happy with the way the team is performing nor with the way the coaches are coaching.

Seahawk fans usually get lambasted for defending the team as I probably will with this response. The only reason I responded is because it is my opinion you are on an anti Seahawk mission. 2 entire posts in your SportsHoopla career and at least half are damning the Seahawks. That's cool and I get that. There are many in this forum that adore the Seahawks struggles.

 

[cdumler7]

Seattle fans are an emotionally fragile lot given to hyperbole and hysterical over-reaction.

It is definitely hard for any fan to see their team that had such promise falling flat on their face. I don't blame Seahawks fans for being upset with the way their team is playing right now even beyond Russell Wilson. To me the problems go way beyond him...

1) The offense has lost their identity. The whole pound it down the opponents throats with Lynch while having Wilson read off of that and pick up big chunks in the passing game and with his feet are just not there. They have worked to become a drop back passing team and it just isn't the type of talent they have.

2) Defensively they do not look like a unified unit. One of the biggest things that made this defense so dangerous is they did not make the mental mistakes that gave up the big plays. Everybody knew their assignment and they executed perfectly. I don't know how many times I have seen that defense completely out of sync on who has what zone or player.

3) The entire attitude of the team has changed. They played with such a swagger the last few years that they just knew going into a game they were going to destroy you. I now see them playing very conservative afraid to make mistakes. They are reacting instead of being the ones who dictated what other teams do with the ball.
There is more but this just doesn't look like the team of the last few years at all. I still think they stand a very good chance of making the playoffs as I think if any team can put together a nice winning streak it is them. They just better figure things out in a hurry of who they are and go play like it.

 

[SonnyCID]

Don't get in the way of Hank and his anti-Seattle boner. At his age, any boner is noteworthy.

Its not the age, its the low T.

 

[chf]

It is definitely hard for any fan to see their team that had such promise falling flat on their face. I don't blame Seahawks fans for being upset with the way their team is playing right now even beyond Russell Wilson. To me the problems go way beyond him...

1) The offense has lost their identity. The whole pound it down the opponents throats with Lynch while having Wilson read off of that and pick up big chunks in the passing game and with his feet are just not there. They have worked to become a drop back passing team and it just isn't the type of talent they have.

2) Defensively they do not look like a unified unit. One of the biggest things that made this defense so dangerous is they did not make the mental mistakes that gave up the big plays. Everybody knew their assignment and they executed perfectly. I don't know how many times I have seen that defense completely out of sync on who has what zone or player.

3) The entire attitude of the team has changed. They played with such a swagger the last few years that they just knew going into a game they were going to destroy you. I now see them playing very conservative afraid to make mistakes. They are reacting instead of being the ones who dictated what other teams do with the ball.
There is more but this just doesn't look like the team of the last few years at all. I still think they stand a very good chance of making the playoffs as I think if any team can put together a nice winning streak it is them. They just better figure things out in a hurry of who they are and go play like it.

I suspect that the issues ARE mostly mental, rather than physical. The SI story in the offseason about the trip to Hawaii was interesting, because it said that it wasn't until the very last day that they made any progress bringing the O and D together after the Superbowl... ahem... incident.

I'm guessing of course, but I suspect that maybe the band-aid and air-clearing weren't as successful as they thought.

And I get that fans have trouble taking the long view. But this has been the best the team has EVER been. We're not necessarily going to be a perrennial 15 year power like the Pats, but I'm pretty optimistic about what the next decade and a half holds.

Certainly beats the fvck out of the 90's!

 

[Hank Kingsley]

Don't get in the way of Hank and his anti-Seattle boner. At his age, any boner is noteworthy.

Have to admit, that wasn't half bad....

 

[Hank Kingsley]

Its not the age, its the low T.

chf's was much better.

 

[Hank Kingsley]

I suspect that the issues ARE mostly mental, rather than physical. The SI story in the offseason about the trip to Hawaii was interesting, because it said that it wasn't until the very last day that they made any progress bringing the O and D together after the Superbowl... ahem... incident.

I'm guessing of course, but I suspect that maybe the band-aid and air-clearing weren't as successful as they thought.

And I get that fans have trouble taking the long view. But this has been the best the team has EVER been. We're not necessarily going to be a perrennial 15 year power like the Pats, but I'm pretty optimistic about what the next decade and a half holds.

Certainly beats the fvck out of the 90's!

I'm kind of optimistic about the next decade too..... The lean years are coming....

 

[chf]

I'm kind of optimistic about the next decade too..... The lean years are coming....

You cheer for so many teams, one of them will be good.

 

[Hank Kingsley]

You cheer for so many teams, one of them will be good.

While I might have mugs and towels coming out of my ears, I really don't have that many teams I truly root for.

Dallas and the Pats.

Arizona gets honourable mention.

But in any game I watch I have one team I'd rather have win. Always.

Even if it's Seattle vs Philly. But it would depend on the circumstances.

If Seattle is sucking as they currently are and I need a Philly loss to help Dallas, I might actually hope Seattle smacks the smugness off Chip Kelly's face.

But it would be a toss up, the piggy gum chewer versus the constant spitter.

Tough call....

 

[old1r1sh]

Hey welcome!
Now that I have that out of the way, since you are brand new and have 2 posts credited to your account why would half of your posts be directed at slamming a FO of a team you don't root for? Very odd. It makes me think your only reason to post was directed at Seattle.

There is a lot to talk about regarding the Stealers. Ben's injury and coming back. bell going on IR so early after suspension. Lot's more I'm sure but Seattle has your attention for some reason.
Now, to break down your post.
I think the Seahawks' failures this season are all on the GM and front office. I thought the Jimmy Graham trade made absolutely no sense.
Where were you when the trade was made and everyone thought Seattle scored the Lombardi with the trade for JG? Virtually everything I read (and it is easily verifiable with the interwebz) said Seattle robbed NO on this deal trading away an oft injured Center for a prolific TE.
I think Their inability to take care of their players had an effect on the team's swagger.
Inability to take care of players? Kam, RW, Marshawn, Wagner, Wright, ET, Sherm. They have certainly taken care of the stars. Specifically which players are you referring to?
I blame the front office entirely for trying to make this offense more pass oriented. Jimmy Graham is the worst possible fit for that offense. And they could really use Max Unger right now.
It is still a run 1st team. Yes, in retrospec, which is exactly where you are coming from, YES the team could use Unger.
The Jimmy Graham trade, along with the contract issues with Wilson and Chancellor really ruined the 'Hawks this year.
Kam fucked up by being a me 1st guy. He miscalculated his holdout and both he and the team has paid for that. His 4 year contract was almost halfway done. Way too early to redo a deal. We are not Dallas. You speak as though the year is over. Granted, Hawk fans are not happy with the way the team is performing nor with the way the coaches are coaching.

Seahawk fans usually get lambasted for defending the team as I probably will with this response. The only reason I responded is because it is my opinion you are on an anti Seahawk mission. 2 entire posts in your SportsHoopla career and at least half are damning the Seahawks. That's cool and I get that. There are many in this forum that adore the Seahawks struggles.

To respond to the first part of your post, I'd like to mention that it was one of the first threads I saw that I thought was interesting. And despite me being born and raised in Pittsburgh, my Step-Father is from Seattle, so the Seahawks and Steelers are the main focuses of my family. I've watched every Seahawks game since 2012 and consider them my "second team" even though I will have no problem rooting for my Steelers next week when they play Seattle.

I'd also like to say that I was around when the Jimmy Graham trade went down, and I also was aware of the buzz surrounding the trade. I saw the fan reactions and everyone saying it was a great move for the Seahawks. My immediate reaction to the trade was "this makes no sense". The Seahawks have been the best running team over the last few seasons, and Marshawn Lynch has been one of the best backs in the league over the last few years. To make a trade for a player like Jimmy Graham, who can't/won't block on a run first team. And not only did they trade for a "tight end" who doesn't fit their style, they traded an offensive linemen that was their best blocker. I'm not surprised at all that Jimmy Graham has been inconsistent this season, and that's putting it mildly. Jimmy Graham is similar to Percy Harvin in that if you're Seattle, you're going to need to make it a point to get this guy the ball, even though you're scheme doesn't agree with that. I would've thought that Seattle would learn from the Harvin situation. I've never been a big fan of Jimmy Graham. I think he's soft and bitchy. He doesn't work at all for a running team, so because of that, I thought the trade was ridiculous.

When I say "inability to take care of their players" I don't mean they couldn't pay their players necessarily. Admittedly, I didn't word that right. As I said previously, Seattle is a run-first team. I like to compare Russell Wilson to a young Ben Roethlisberger. Despite their obvious differences, Roethlisberger was the kind of QB that would look decent in the first three-and-a-half quarters, then pull a miracle out of his back pocket and win you a huge game. Russell Wilson has nerves of steel, which was evident in the NFC Championship last year. Because of this, I see them as quite similar. However, Russell Wilson isn't the most valuable player to this team. I'd say Kam, Earl, Bobby, and Marshawn are as, if not more, valuable. I don't think he's worth $21m to this team. If I was Seattle, I would've let him walk if he's going to ruin my team's chances down the road. Despite Russell's playoff magic, I think there are others that could help this team win, and would cost more than half as much as Wilson. With the $21m you could pay for blockers and and some receivers. I think that the Wilson deal handcuffs the team. They took care of Wagner and others, but the team has plateau and is no longer moving towards creating a dynasty. I thought they had a foundation built in 2013 to win several Super Bowls over the next few seasons, yet the front office managed to; 1) overpay Wilson 2) trade for a player that doesn't make sense for the team 3) ruin the team's momentum towards a dynasty.

I've rooted for the Seahawks for several years now. I picked the Seahawks to win the last two Super Bowls in the preseason. Coming into this season, I knew they'd have issues because of their lack of identity. I'm sorry if I gave off the wrong vibe, but I'm not a hater. I'm just a disappointed supporter who doesn't support every move my team(s) make. The same goes for the Steelers.

 

[CruiseControl]

^ lol

My head hurts after reading that.

 

[DragonfromTO]

Yeah it's cool. But to respond. They paid every other player more than him. Which is a slap in the face if you ask me. Maybe you can argue that Wagner or Bennett are more valuable to the team. But everyone saw how bad Thomas and Sherman looked without Kam back there. I think it's pretty clear that he deserves more than them.

You don't get what you deserve. You get what you negotiate.

 

[scoutyjones2]

You get what you need

 

[Scooby-Doo]

I said in the off season.. If lynch retires, the Seahawks won't win the division. Lynch was the main piece to that team behind the defense the past couple of years. Although Lynch didn't retire, he has missed a lot of playing time and the team is just not the same. You can see he is starting to break down and that does not bode well for Seattle.

Lynches value to that team is not just what you see on the surface. When Seattle runs the ball effectively, the defense stays fresh. They are not the type of team that can put together consistent, time-consuming 80 yard drives with out the power run. It's either a big play or a 3 and out. Just look at the AZ game. AZ possessed the ball more than double Seattle and that defense was gassed. As a matter of fact i'm willing to bet they were down in TOP for most of if not all of their losses.

Lynch is the key to that offense. If he is ineffective, the Seahawks are done.

 

[chf]

meh. For over two full seasons now, Seattle has been passing (or running the read option) to set up the run. Running in obvious running situations has failed all too often. Even 3rd and 4th and short.

Get Marshawn to the second level against DB's and he's been ferocious, but he's been less than spectacular against stacked fronts for a long time now.

I'll always appreciate him for what he brought to the team, but he hasn't been the one man wrecking crew that people think.

 

[scoutyjones2]

Don't get in the way of Hank and his anti-Seattle boner. At his age, any boner is noteworthy.

I never understand another man's fascination/interest in another man's penis...

 

[chf]

I'll never understand your fascination with my fascination.

 

[Rambulance]

OK, OK... we'll trade you Nick Foles for Wilson straight up. God, you don't have to beg.

 

[jarntt]

I always felt Wilson was overrated by many. He is a good QB, not great and yes his defense and running game absolutely made it much easier on him to succeed.

BUT...I guess now I need to change my stance. I still think he is a good, not great QB, but apparently now that makes me say he is UNDER-RATED. I hate the excuse of the OL as if it absolves him from blame because that OL is playing OK now and he needs to get rid of the ball and then he won't get so many sacks. But the guy is still a very good NFL QB. He is smart, minimizes the negative plays, is a winner, is clutch, makes huge plays with his legs and he throws that friggin deep ball so accurately that it pisses me off every time he drops it right in. The Cowboy game was a great example. He didn't play that well that game, but he took his team down the field and won the game when it mattered (edit - so did EVERY other QB against the Cowboys, but i think the point is still valid).