Even John Morgan over on Field Gulls has now admitted the possibility of something more than a 9-7, wild-card-round sort of season for our Seattle Seahawks. Given that Morgan isn't exactly a geyser of Seahawks optimism, you know something unusual is afoot. Hell, Tony Dungy just called us the best team in the NFC the other night (a statement met with open derision by Dan Patrick and Rodney Harrison... That fuck Harrison? He'll be dealt with later on).
I'm not ready to anoint Seattle as Super Bowl favorites- I've seen too many promising Seahawks starts dissolve, like a Newcomer in salt water, into non-playoff seasons to book my February flight to Dallas just yet... However, I'm at a point where I'd be shocked by anything less than an NFC West title this season. Let's break down the remaining schedule, shall we?
Games Seattle SHOULD win: @OAK, @AZ, CAR, @SF, STL
Games Seattle LIKELY WON'T BE FAVORED to win: NYG, @NO, KC, ATL, @TB
If you really think that we shouldn't be able to beat the Raiders, Cardinals or Niners regardless of venue, you really need an immediate infusion of Twelve confidence. These are mediocre-to-bad teams that Seattle SHOULD beat. So that part is simple: win the games we should win, and you get to 9-7. That week 17 win over STL should settle the west, even if the Rams come into that one 8-7 (remember, they already have four losses and have not won away from home yet).
If the Seahawks win ANY of the games from that other menu? We're talking 10 or more wins, and a real chance at a playoff bye or even the #1 seed. To me, the probable range of our final record is between 9-7 and 11-5. It's exciting, isn't it?
We've just been through two craptacular seasons, but thank God we have ownership that didn't passively give Mora "another chance." Nope. Mr. Allen recognized that was a terrible, losing notion and brought in a hungry, talented HC and a young, bright GM. This season could crumble down the stretch like 1994 or 1998, but I doubt it... Carroll and Schneider have turned the Seahawks Steamer away from the pointy rocks and toward a smooth(ish) journey to Championship contention.
Yes, we don't yet have a Lombardi Trophy, but we are a LUCKY fan base: A billionaire owner who invests in the team but doesn't meddle in football decisions, the best facilities in the NFL, a front office that creates an amazing fan experience on gamedays at Qwest Field, and a team clearly back on the upswing. Enjoy this, Twelves. Our time in the Hell of losing, mediocre football looks like it was blessedly brief.
Next up? Oakland. I guess I'm supposed to be all scared of going into the Black Hole on Halloween? Meh. The Raiders beat up on Denver the other day. Good for them... But I'll believe they can play well for two consecutive games when it actually fucking happens... They're a brood of Silver-and-Black flakes down there, and our Hawks are going to remind them of their proper place in the NFL pecking order on Sunday.
1 comment:
I definitely could see us beating the Chiefs and the Saints as well. The Saints really aren't that good this year. They lost against a team we beat (Cardinals), they barely beat the Niners, they barely beat Minnesota at home, they barely beat Carolina at home and they LOST to the Browns at home. Meanwhile the Chiefs have a mediocre QB and are only doing well because they have a good running game (which could easily be stopped by our run defense).
And I'm not counting out a win vs. the Giants or TB either. The only real trouble I can see the 'Hawks having is against the Falcons.
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