Super Bowl XLVII

[Perpetual_Beast_Mode]

The more I think about this game, the more I think the Seattle Seahawks are about to bring home the first Lombardi Trophy to Seattle!

I just think our offense is going to be more than they expected Sunday. We have the #1 offense vs the #1 defense, but our offense is quite a bit better than their defense (#7 vs #13 if I remember correctly).

I think Percy Harvin is the difference maker Sunday. He and Russell will hook up for a couple big plays and we see Harvin's first Seahawks TD in the Super Bowl!

Yeah, I'm starting to feel a lot more confident, too. Denver has a very underrated run defense, but if we keep committing to the run, I think we can wear them down, get ourselves into a lot of third and shorts, and by the end of the game Marshawn Lynch will have some excellent numbers, as usual.

 

[STBR 27]

Yeah, I'm starting to feel a lot more confident, too. Denver has a very underrated run defense, but if we keep committing to the run, I think we can wear them down, get ourselves into a lot of third and shorts, and by the end of the game Marshawn Lynch will have some excellent numbers, as usual.

Denver's run D isn't even that good, they have had the benefit of teams not even trying to run much. Blount only had 5 carries and Mathews the week before only had 5 carries. Lynch will get yards and Seattle will not abandon the run like those other teams did. I think Marshawn will have over 100 by halftime.

 

[FirebreathingMonkey]

One player I feel like doesn't get enough love from the media and from us. The article sums up how he's been over looked and I would add he was even overlooked after the draft because of Wilson and than Irvin. So for a little love here's Bobby.

NEW YORK -- Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman is the talk of the sports world right now. Free safety Earl Thomas is a candidate for NFL defensive player of the year.

Defensive lineman Michael Bennett, and his R-rated, Elvis-like celebration dance, is a force up front for the Seattle defense. Strong safety Kam Chancellor is a highlight-reel hitter that makes receivers wish they had taken up another profession.

[+] EnlargeAP Photo/Marcio Jose SanchezLinebacker Bobby Wagner isn't the loudest or the flashiest player on the Seattle's defense, but he can be counted on to play at a high level every game.


They all have become stars on the No. 1 defense in the NFL, but it’s the man in the middle who makes it all work.

On Super Bowl Sunday, some casual fans will learn all about middle linebacker Bobby Wagner for the first time. He is the great unknown of Seattle's defense, and the man this unit can’t live without in order to function at maximum capacity.

Wagner is overshadowed by a defense with big talkers, big dancers and big hitters, but he is the glue that holds it all together. And he's OK if some of his teammates get most of the glory.

“I think we’re all very skilled at the positions we’re playing,” Wagner said. “We don’t feel like anyone matches us. So when we play any team, we always feel like we’re going to come out victorious.”

Wagner, an Ontario, Calif., native who played college football at Utah State, is finishing his second NFL season after being picked by the Seahawks in the second round of the 2012 draft.

At the time, there was a lot of “Bobby who?” among some Seahawks fans. But that didn't last long. Wagner started 15 games last season and set the franchise record for tackles by a rookie with 140, along with three interceptions and two sacks.

With all that, he still was overshadowed by another rookie -- Carolina linebacker Luke Kuechly, a first-round draft pick who had 164 tackles last season.

Nothing new for Wagner, but the Seahawks knew they had a rock in the middle of their defense for years to come. That rock, however, showed a little crack earlier this year.

Wagner suffered a nasty high-ankle sprain against Indianapolis on Oct. 6. It appeared the injury would keep him out for a month or more, but Wagner returned after missing two games.

It was too soon. He pushed himself to recover, but didn’t play well in his first game at St. Louis where the Seahawks gave up 200 yards rushing.

SUPER BOWL XLVIII

ESPN.com is your online source for the most comprehensive playoff coverage.
• 2013-14 playoff results | Lines
• Clayton: 10 questions, SB XLVIII
• Insider roster rankings: 1-106

• Vote: Who wins? | Rank players
• Super Bowl Central | Injury Wire
Features:• Vince Lombardi's footprints on NY/NJ
• Salute to stars who missed Super Bowl


“I was playing in some pain,” Wagner said. “But it wasn’t like I felt I couldn’t do the job. I wanted to be out there and I felt I could help the team.”

There was some rumbling about what’s wrong with Wagner? Well, nothing as it turned out, once his ankle healed.

“When Bobby came back from the injury, he was still banged up,” Seattle defensive coordinator Dan Quinn said. “There was a game there where he didn’t play as fast as we’d like him to. Then it clicked where he got back into his rhythm. That made all of the difference for us.”

Since the start of November, Wagner has had at least eight tackles in every game, including 10 or more tackles in four outings. Maybe his best overall game of the season came in the NFC Championship Game against the 49ers.

Sherman, in the national spotlight that night for his postgame rant on national TV, knew how well Wagner had played.

“Bobby had 15 tackles,” Sherman said. “He had a great game, like a lot of our guys. The stories would have been about them. So that’s the only thing I feel kind of regretful about.”

Wagner is as fundamentally sound a tackler as you will find. He isn’t flashy, but does everything at a high level. He has five sacks, two interceptions and six passes defensed this season. He’s also the quarterback of the defense.

“He’s someone we certainly count on to do a lot of stuff,” Quinn said, “not just from the attitude that he brings, but making the calls.”

Making sure the Seahawks are in the right defense at the right moment, something that will be critical against Denver’s hurry-up offense with Peyton Manning, is Wagner’s responsibility.

“Bobby has really played well since the second half of the season,” Seattle coach Pete Carroll said. “He has just jumped on board of all of the commands of the defense and the calls and the adjustments that he has to make. He’s really playing fast. I think it’s just a natural process of how he’s grown and how this defense has grown.”

The Seahawks have a defense full of stars, but Wagner is the guy that puts them in position to shine. And he just might have a couple of shining moments himself on Sunday.

 

[RegentDenali]

There talking 44 degrees at game time and 20% chance of some rain. Gonna be just like Dec at Clink. Homey for the Seahawks.

 

[blstoker]

Wagner was my guy coming out of Utah State (I have been watching USU because Eric Schultz, their starting RT, is a kid I've seen grow from knee high to a grasshopper). I desperately wanted the Hawks to draft him, and I'm only slightly embarrassed to admit that when the pick came in I jumped up screaming like the Hawks just scored the winning TD in the Super Bowl (my wife still thinks I'm insane). That pick has turned out as well as I could have hoped, and I'm hoping he's a part of this defense for a long time.

 

[RegentDenali]

Empire State Building lit up for the Seahawks.

 

[RegentDenali]

Reported that Lenny Wilkens raised the 12th man flag on the Space Needle today. Now that is some great mojo right there.

 

[Podunkparte]

Empire State Building lit up for the Seahawks.

Apparently this was based upon the yahoo or amazon or whomever the fuck sponsored the question of the day. Actually I think it was Verizon. Whatever. It's just a Twitter thing.

Anyway, We won day 1 and 2 with questions that were obviously going to go our way. Something like "which team's running game would be most effective," and "Who's defense would dominate?"

I saw that the lights were in Broncos colors Wednesday night and I'm assuming the question was "Who's offense will perform better," or "Which QB will throw for more yards?"

Sunday though the lights will be affected at game time by what's happening and at halftime or during God Bless America, I forget what I read, it will all be Red White and Blue. The winner's colors though will be displayed after the game, and that's what we should really want to see up there.

 

[FirebreathingMonkey]

Article about PI. These are the main things from the article. (I strongly disagree, with the NFL calling hard hits, and WR flopping these PI calls need to lessen. To me aggressive D are not cheating but making the game better. I'd hate to watch the league if they change the rules again to remove D once again which the article states might happen.)

we now know how the best defenses in the game, starting with the Seahawks, expertly manipulate the rulebook and the human-nature based shortcomings of officiating in order to compete in the pass-happy era of the NFL.

said Gerry Austin, And Seattle is the most aggressive of them all, believing that there's no way officials won't call them two to three times in a row -- and that has to change."

Repeat after me: If everything in the NFL looks like pass interference, that's the same as saying nothing is.


. This year they led the league in two categories we used to think were mutually exclusive: PI and overall defense. In fact, they were so good at it, Austin says the NFL is planning to take a serious look at revamping PI -- but not until after the season.

Somewhere along the line the Seahawks also discovered that playing tighter and more physical coverage is also the best way to hide the two cheats -- the jersey tug and the hip pull -- most

"I've had plays where I'm running a route, a guy holds my arm or my jersey or something and I can't really get out or in where I'm trying to go," Panthers receiver Ted Ginn Jr. said "So you try to flop, like in the game of basketball."

The best cheater wins.

Secret Dance of Pass Interference - Flem File - ESPN

 

[WizardHawk]

Killer break down about the run option and what Seattle has been doing with it, or maybe more importantly, not doing with it. Long read, but if you have been screaming at your TV about Wilson not keeping the option then this is the place to find out why.

https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2014/01/29/analysis-notebook-sbxlviii-the-option/

 

[WizardHawk]

And someone posted this vid showing how they also use the pass out of that option look. Freezes the pass rush to stay in their lane for the keeper and allows him more time on the scramble where he is so deadly.

http://www.seahawks.com/videos-photos/videos/Jermaine-Kearse-game-winning-touchdown-catch/7bc0f5ce-ba15-49f5-93f9-5fa7e408f8e7

 

[dude82]

Thanks, Wizard. There has been all kinds of good stuff on these sites over the last few weeks. It's fun to read.

 

[WizardHawk]

Marshawn Lynch hosts charity event at Planet Hollywood | Seahawks Blog | Seattle Times

Marshawn Lynch has tried all week to talk as little as possible, but on Friday evening he hosted a charity event at Planet Hollywood in Times Square.

Lynch joined Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Josh Johnson, his cousin, and Jennifer Montana, the wife of Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana, to announce the Beast Mode key necklace Montana designed.

“I’m pretty sure you all know what’s been going on with all the media — and that action,” Lynch told the crowd.

“Off the field is what I identify with,” Lynch continued. “Me and my cousin for the last seven years have had a football camp that’s sponsored about 800 kids. We give them free clothes, free shoes and free access to a lot of things they wouldn’t get without the help from us. Mainly we get a kick out of it because we get to come back to our neighborhood where we grew up, where we struggled at, and give something back to the youth that they don’t get. It’s really just about the next generation of kids, and that’s the main thing I focus on. I just strive to be the best I can on the field and off the field. I just let my heart open up to these kids. Thank you. Beast Mode.”

The necklaces cost $124 with 80 percent of the net profit benefiting charity.

Of course the haters won't care about that. He may not be the best public speaker, but I dare you to question his heart and motives.

 

[WizardHawk]

On tonight's late night with Falon, his 'thank you cards' bit had...
Thank you Seattle Seahawks. For being the original angry birds.

Also he did a bit at the opening with several current NFL players making fun of his staff (in retaliation for his doing it to them) and Kaepernick was one of them. He is awkward as hell in public. Also on hand were Brees, Rogers, and several others.

Should they win you can expect several of them to be on those shows next week and lots of chatter about them in monologues etc.

 

[Podunkparte]

Killer break down about the run option and what Seattle has been doing with it, or maybe more importantly, not doing with it. Long read, but if you have been screaming at your TV about Wilson not keeping the option then this is the place to find out why.

https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2014/01/29/analysis-notebook-sbxlviii-the-option/

I've seen this recently. Yes teams are doing a good job at containment putting that crashing DE on Wilson and making him hand it off. Teams have also been putting spies on Wilson, usually their faster LB to try to contain him in other play action formations.

I will say though that there have definitely been opportunities recently where that end doesn't crash and Wilson has free reign to run for big yardage and doesn't take it. He'll need to recognize those opportunities better Sunday and take advantage. Obviously I can't go through and provide screen shots or anything, just going off of what I've seen on replays over the last few weeks.

 

[Logicallylethal]

Field looks nice and clean. Can't wait to see the players get on that field tomorrow!

 

[WizardHawk]

Not sure what you all are doing tomorrow, but I won't be online probably at all unless I check on my phone during a lull. How many of you will actually be online during the game? Can't imagine many as this isn't one of those games you watch alone.

We will be cooking and prepping all day at my house. Have about 10 of us over to watch it. None are the annoying types that don't know football so it should be a good group to enjoy the experience with.

Good luck to you all in whatever environment you are going to follow the game and I'm sure we will all catch up by Monday.

GO HAWKS!!!

 

[dude82]

Not sure what you all are doing tomorrow, but I won't be online probably at all unless I check on my phone during a lull. How many of you will actually be online during the game? Can't imagine many as this isn't one of those games you watch alone.

We will be cooking and prepping all day at my house. Have about 10 of us over to watch it. None are the annoying types that don't know football so it should be a good group to enjoy the experience with.

Good luck to you all in whatever environment you are going to follow the game and I'm sure we will all catch up by Monday.

GO HAWKS!!!

I won't be coming here during the game. I don't come here during regular season games because I can't multi-task and because those game threads get a little nuts, but I'll be so focused on the game today that I'll barely even look at my phone, let alone my computer.

 

[Seahawksgal]

Not sure what you all are doing tomorrow, but I won't be online probably at all unless I check on my phone during a lull. How many of you will actually be online during the game? Can't imagine many as this isn't one of those games you watch alone.

We will be cooking and prepping all day at my house. Have about 10 of us over to watch it. None are the annoying types that don't know football so it should be a good group to enjoy the experience with.

Good luck to you all in whatever environment you are going to follow the game and I'm sure we will all catch up by Monday.

GO HAWKS!!!

I won't be on during the game either. Computer not anywhere near the TV, and I just have a regular flip phone. Dad and I will be watching on his 46" big screen while Mom is hiding in their office (she doesn't like football).

Dad will also be cooking steaks on the grill, and he makes a mean steak.

But I will definitely be back on catching up after the Hawks are presented with the trophy!!!!!!

 

[FirebreathingMonkey]

Ya like others have said I'm not going to be anywhere near the computer once the game starts. Sadly I will be surrounded by people saying hey Fire Which team has the ball? Who our we cheering for? What's the score? And my favorite ... Why did they run up the middle just to be tackled?. Anyways it will all be worth it to see my team in the Super Bowl. GO HAWKS.