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If you have come here looking for silver linings or to be consoled, this article will not help. I write these columns after a night’s sleep because it provides the time and distance necessary to allow emotions to dissipate and the truth to reveal itself. Even after the most stinging losses, I tend to find reasons for optimism that were obscured by my initial frustration. Not this morning. There were certainly some encouraging individual performances in this game, but the collective outcome was undeniably destructive to the Seahawks goals this season.
It would take a four-handed mutant to have enough fingers to point at all the players and coaches responsible for this outcome. Blair Walsh will get the headlines, and deserves the criticism. The offensive line appeared to have trouble with the Redskins pass rush all day, but it was difficult to be certain on some plays because Russell Wilson was allergic to the pocket. He seemed to uncomfortable from the start, and was in-between scrambling and throwing at the top of his drop multiple times. Germain Ifedi had his worst game. Ethan Pocic struggled. Oday Aboushi was bad.
The offense was gifted great field position multiple times early in the game. A safety, a partially blocked punt, and a fumble recovery resulted in zero points by the offense. That would normally be a massive problem in a game against a quality opponent, but this Redskins team was ravaged by injury, especially on offense. They were ineffective all afternoon, except for three drives. They totalled just 244 yards, but scored two out of three times in the red zone.
Of all the terrible things that happened on Sunday, the worst had to be the Seahawks defense allowing that terrible offense to march 70 yards in four plays for the winning touchdown. A team that prides itself on controlling the deep ball needs to look in the mirror. They allowed the Rams to nearly do the same thing in Los Angeles. The Texans tore them apart. The Titans as well. Kris Richard has the players. I’m not convinced he has the ability to harness their talent.
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More than angry, I am disappointed in the way this team handled this opportunity. This was a win presented on a silver platter. The schedule was setting up perfectly for a real shot at home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Super Bowl aspirations were not foolish. Instead, the team has not lost its third game halfway through the year. Some of their toughest games are ahead of them. Hosting the Eagles, Falcons, and Rams, and traveling to the Cowboys and Jaguars are all significantly more difficult than challenge posed facing the Redskins.
The wiggle room is gone. Seattle is on pace to win 10 games, which likely will not be enough to win the division. After appearing ready for a return to elite status following a thrilling win and the addition of a true left tackle, the Seahawks have crashed back to Earth. They have a few days to pick up the pieces and attempt another launch.