Brian Nemhauser·
Morning After
··2 min read

The Morning After: Shameful Seahawks Loss to Redskins Will Have Lasting Impact on Season

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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.

 

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Brian Nemhauser
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26 Comments

  1. You can’t win them all…………………but………..you shouldn’t keep repeating the same self-destructive things either. Walsh will likely be the scape goat, and had he hit at least two of those tries it might have been enough. But he wasn’t alone, 2-4 points were muffed after the touchdowns. Even heard one national guy say that Earl Thomas’ absence was at fault………………bull!

    There will be analysis all over the net so just a short set of points. Sure, last week was a very exciting game, but this week was a reversion to the too frequently seen weaknesses of the Seahawks. Excessive penalties: 16!! Though that’s a record it only beats the Giants game by one. Red zone impotence: am I the only one who winces when they get to the red zone…………or should that be dead zone? A defense that seemingly doesn’t care if it gives up passes over and over in the short and mid area of the middle of the defense allowing a smart offense to keep themselves on the field.

    This performance against a team that had something around a third of the squad injured……..a patched up defense and an offensive line of second and third stringers. Darn few pro-bowlers whipped a team that’s close to 20% loaded with them. That says something about the potential skill differences, but even more about the preparation and coaching. The Seahawk staff is pretty good, good enough to make the playoffs with regularity……………………….but……………..not good enough to do what needs to be done to win the big one. I don’t know who or what specific preparation methods need to be changed in the current system to make this a championship potential team, but until that change occurs we will be better served by not getting our expectations too high.

  3. Really appreciate the article Brian. You are making the points many of us feel.
    What is so sad is every team is flawed this year so the Super Bowl is wide open for the Hawks.
    Agree about Rishard, the defense has not been the same since he became DC.
    Also Pete’s weakness is putting loyalty to individuals over loyalty to team/fans. Obviously that is admirable in a person but not so much for a coach or a president or the head of a large company.
    Also I know you have been loving on Russ, and I am glad we have him over most other QB’s, but Please don’t say he throws a great deep ball. He throws a catchable deep ball but he has way to many over throws or under throws in wide open deep balls. Even with the touch down to Baldwin yesterday DB had to wait for the ball.

    I think this all hinges on RW getting his mind right.

  4. This was an embarrassing loss. If our hopes, dreams, and aspirations are to come true this season you cannot lose this game. As Bob just said perhaps we need to temper our expectations. I don’t think we have an identity any longer. We aren’t the bully on the block imposing our will. To put it in military terms since it Salute to service month we aren’t the marines and the infantry any longer. We can’t come in and run roughshod right over anyone. We need to realize we are the Air Force and Navy aviators bombing from afar. We are quick strike F-22’s dropping missiles and then getting out of there. I know that is not in Petes DNA but he, as well as the coaching staff, need to look in the mirror and realize what we are now. Everything evolves and so must we to have any chance of hoisting another Lombardi.

  5. This game was beyond frustrating and I’m still so mad about it 12 hours later that I’m not even going to go through all the problems I saw. The one thing that’s become clear is that we NEED change on our coaching staff. Both Coordinators need to be let go. We need to bring in some new blood that is willing (Bevell) and able (Richard) to work with what we have to maximize our talent and win games. Too many times our team is unprepared or sloppy and they all just sort of assume that because they believe in ‘always compete’ or ‘win forever’ that they’re always gonna pull out a close game at the end. And then you get games like yesterday. If they were even halfway prepared they would have and should have destroyed the ‘Skins by 40 points. Clean house in the front office JS/PC, it’s past time to do so. . .

  6. Tom Cable is not getting it done. To see what the skins did with that makeshift offensive line in an environment like the clink makes me want to cry. I want THAT coach.

    1. I would gladly have the ‘Hawks pay a butt-load of money to Bill Callahan to be our OL Coach. He has a similar role on the ‘Skins as Cable. He’s way way overpaid compared to most OL coaches to keep him from going and being an OC and he seems to know what he’s doing at least with pass blocking. They don’t really have even a decent running back, so it’s hard to judge their running game. . .

      1. Cable used to work some magic, at least with the run game. Not sure what is going on. The run game has been horrendous. The player personnel particularly challenging this year? Ifedi would give me fits, I know that. Running back seems workable if there were some push. Saw some indication it may be returning with Brown, but they gave up on it in the 4th quarter.

  7. As Aaron Rodgers said one time, R-E-L-A-X.

    We let an easily winnable game slip away for a myriad of reasons. It could be the beginning/continuance of a demoralizing slide into playoff-caliber mediocrity, or it can be the spark that galvanizes this team and hones their competitive instincts. I bet on the latter and I hope the group uses this as fuel to take them the rest of the way.

    1. I’ll bet on the latter too, but honestly, I’m getting real tired of having to seemingly every year. . .

  8. I thought this was a real trap game. After the high of playing at such a championship level against one of the future QB greats, I knew that this team was gonna come out and be flat and sloppy. Doesn’t help that Russell plays badly in these rainy conditions.

    A day when we really should have stuck to the run, Bevell runs a whole bunch of HS level bootlegs. Redskins saw the film and snuffed them out.

    Pete Carroll looked really shook up and demoralized after this game. He just saw the Super Bowl window close on him.

  9. After their SB victory, the Seahawks were set to rule the NFL for half a decade or more. But lots of poor decisions since that day have trickled down to this. Life and NFL football demand evolution, but Pete sticks to his rusty guns. Wasn’t long ago, I thought he was in Belicheck’s league, but building a great team (at which Pete proved a lucky genius) is not the same as keeping a team great.

    Am I the only one whose thought ADB and other Hawk wide-outs should have drawn some yellow flags? (Like when D.J. Swearington (#36) & Co. repeatedly body-slammed and groped our WR’s before the ball got there?).

    Letting House Money go to save a few NFL dollars on Blair Walsh seemed a penny wise-pound foolish move at time time. And now…

    N. Suh, Richie Incognito and JOSH NORMAN with Jim Mora Jr. as a coach would be a good start. If you want a team of dirt bags to rep your town.

    If Paul Allen doesn’t intervene at the end of this season, I’m sure TC, DB and KR will all be back. Because, who in their right mind would want them?

    1. 1. Really, the writing was on the wall for this team, and this season, in the first 4 games. Russell s play sucked, I think because he has the same thing Eli had for many years, the flinches. Like the last 2 years, there were distractions keeping the team unfocused(Bennett) and this cost them the Tennessee game. I d hoped Wilson turned it around the past 2 games, but no, not at all. Like the past 2 years, a terrible O line. Pete simply does not impose discipline, and one can imagine Holmgren with 16 penalties and all the other cra_.

      2. There was the hope that Russell turned it around. But what was the fundamental problem? I think it is Pete s lack of imposing discipline, but moreso, the wrong philosophy these guys have. “It s not how you start, it s how you finish.” The offense is coming onto the field not ready to play, thinking it doesn t matter until the 3rd or 4th quarter, and Pete won t care. The right philosophy is “winning isn t everything, it s the only thing” The right philosophy is “every game is a championship opportunity.” Yeah, how about “every snap is a championship opportunity.” Yeah, how about “every time one of you guys commits a penalty, each of the teammates and coaches and each and every fan feels it like a dagger in the heart.” The offense has looked in most of the games sloppy, undisciplined and lazy, for up to 3 quarters of almost all the games. Yeah, how about that.

      3. Still, when Russell went on his 10 game tear, after the Chancellor holdout, it was because he was required to release the ball quickly, and if he brings that back going into the playoffs, they have a chance to make noise. And hey, the Seahawks do well in Philly in winter.

      4. Belachick is not the norm. For almost all GM/head coach combos, the Superbowls amount to one or 2 appearances, a surge and then a peak and then some 3 or 4 years later a rebuilding. And always remember, the Pats were given 6 free wins every year, and homefield advantage, with their weak division. Belachick would mumble “if you want to play here, don t get penalties.” And one could imagine he would set a few examples every year by firing a few guys.

      5. Back to Holmgren, I can t see him managing Russell, but I could see him running the offense. There would be discipline. He would demand more money go to running backs and the O line. But hasn t the West coast offense seen it s day? I wouldn t like to take the chance on Holmgren s play calls. Andy Reed does all right, but never goes to Superbowls.

  10. …shameful game, we looked completely unprepared for the redskins, and I thought we also looked unprepared for the Texans too(we just got Russ on a rope day).

    Funny how we keep changing the pieces, but still continue to have the same issues….of course to me like so many have said and many more will, this is coaching issue> specifically a Pete Carroll coaching issue. Be it his hard-nosed ideal of how to play football or unwilling to make rooster changes within his coaching staff, we won’t know until its too late and my guess this captain is going down with ship before making or changing philosophy. Too bad, I really do like Carroll, but games like this are just unacceptable.

  11. I did not watch this game as I had prior engagement and kinda glad I did. I kno w the players will say it’s all on them and they have to execute, but at some point we need to face the reality that when there is consistent issue with execution on a week to week basis then you have to look at coaching. Hawks will have to Run the Table and get lucky breaks to get 1 or 2 seed at this point and still have tough games vs the Eagles, Rams and Falcons, then @ Dallas and Jacksonville

  12. I have been saying since 2014 that Tom Cable is way over respected . Who ever ( TC ) is in charge of O-line talent evaluation should be fired ! I am done with TC especially! The redskins literally had guys playing on the O-line that were off the street a week ago and they looked as good or better than our guys , especially the whole right side !!! Rawls was looking like he might get going but they didn’t seem to give him a chance ! And why does PC keep changing the tried and true philosophy of always take the points until the fourth quarter – They should have kicked the extra points , which would have also helped Walsh settle in and could have changed the game circumstances. There are so many idiot moves and penalties ( but few calls on Washington ?????) I could go on for along time ! This was a game they should have won and in reality should have won rather easily ! Time for a new O line coach for starters and maybe more !!!!

    1. darrell bevell gives up on the run to early in the game, i mean as fans we all know what the next play is going to be, pass,pass,pass that’s all we do on 3rd and 2-4 yards where as most other teams will run the ball, enough blame for this game could go around to everyone, but my major problem from the get go was that this officiating crew either sucks or the nfl did not want us to win this game, they were flag happy not letting the guys play, 23 penalties in the game and 16 on us that is wrong, and all but two games had more than 13 combined penalties, one was 13 on denver you can see the nfl wants philly in the playoffs and the other game with 21 penalties was the what would’ve been a boring game oak/mia game, so what i’m saying in reality is that the nfl really does control who gets there and who don’t

  13. Cable used to work some magic, at least with the run game. Not sure what is going on. The run game has been horrendous. The player personnel particularly challenging this year? Ifedi would give me fits, I know that. Running back seems workable if there were some push. Saw some indication it may be returning with Brown, but they gave up on it in the 4th quarter.

    1. Sorry, probably more about the players than the “coach.” Between 2012-2016, the team leading rushers have always led the league or in the top 3 in yards after contact, and dead last in yards at initial contact, which means most of the yardage were made by the runners, not necessarily the blockers.

  14. Finally, Seattle fans begin to see the “light” w/ this team and its leaders. Been saying this crap for the last 3 years, this is not the “dynasty” that was meant to be after winning the SB. But the most significant indicator was PC’s approach or lacks after the loss of the SB. He was totally clueless about the team mental and emotional status. Instead of accepting the fault of that disastrous decision, he was himself about singing the Kumbaya for being an internal optimist. Btw, RW was the one who tried to “mend” the team, not PC. PC deserves all the praises and accolades for what he has done for the city, but it is Peter Principle (no pun intended) running its course. Have seen this same picture from the USC days. But nothing will change. So get used to it for being a second-tier team along w/ all the dashing hope by having some of the top talents, supposedly, in the league year after year.

  15. What more can be said? RW was terrible all day, floating passes, not leading receivers…Blair Walsh showed why the Vikings cut him mid season, why sign a kicker that missed a short fg for a win in a playoff game?? I wonder if there really is a game plan, it seems like they r just playing schoolyard football… lets see what RW can do with the ball… The biggest dissapointment was giving up 70 yards & a td to lose…obviously need to change both co ordinators & TC

  16. There is a point where we must question Carroll’s new wave approach to coaching. They players love it because they are encouraged to “be who they are”. Yet what have been the fruits? Consistently one of the least disciplined teams in the league that leads the league in penalties. The problem seems systemic

  17. That as a brutal game. I am praying they get rid of Bevell this off-season and maybe even look at a new defensive coordinator. It was an extremely frustrating game to watch and it seems like they should’ve done MUCH better. What makes things worse is the Washington DC team came in with a ton of guys injured and not playing. Awful.

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