Monday Read Option: Seattle Seahawks Are Once Again the Top Birds
By Jason Lisk
It took 14 weeks to get here, but four familiar favorites have emerged in the NFL. We have teams with former MVP’s at quarterback, who have been in the Super Bowl recently: the Green Bay Packers, the Denver Broncos, and the New England Patriots. Oh, and the defending Super Bowl champs are now playing at a level similar to where they were last January.
The standings may show the Seahawks being tied with the Eagles, Cowboys, and Lions, and still trailing the Cardinals by a game. Seattle is above all of those teams as we move toward the playoffs. Over the last three weeks, they have dominated Arizona, won at San Francisco in a key game, then went to Philadelphia and shut down the Eagles.
How dominant was the performance at Philadelphia? Seattle held the Eagles to 139 total yards on the road. That’s the fewest yards allowed on the road against a team that will end the year with a winning record since the Ravens held the Rams to 122 yards in 2003 (and lost, because of 7 turnovers). It’s the fewest yards for a team with a winning record at home, since the 1994 Cowboys held the Steelers to 126 in the season opener.
Time of possession is not usually a good indicator for the Eagles, since they play so fast. However, getting only 45 plays in the game is a pretty good sign that Seattle controlled the game both on offense and defense. At least the Eagles were balanced for those who prefer such things, struggling on 22 runs and 23 passes.
Here’s one indication of just how tough it was. This was the third longest gain of the day for Philadelphia, on a survival play where Mark Sanchez barely got the ball away. The touchdown pass to the Zach Ertz was the only truly big play of the day for Philadelphia against the Seattle defense.
The Eagles only converted one third down all day. Sanchez never converted with a pass (other than one penalty). It was a rough day all around, and Michael Bennett was one of the many stars on the day. He had blown up a key Darren Sproles run after two straight first downs gave the Eagles their most consistent movement all day, and also was part of several other run stuffs. Then he enveloped Sanchez at the start of the fourth quarter rushing from the inside.
Seattle had their problems earlier this year–just a month ago, the playoffs looked in doubt if they didn’t start playing up to their 2013 form. They found it, and have made a run over the last three weeks worthy of a Super Bowl Champion–again.
THE SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS ARE A HOT MESS
In 2010, one of my first posts at this site was one entitled “The San Francisco 49ers are a Hot Mess.” That was in regard to Mike Singletary’s team underachieving and talking to much while doing so. (Fitting that I get to recycle it on a week when there is a silly rumor on Singletary being a head coach next year, more below).
Starting in 2011, Jim Harbaugh came in and turned things around quickly, reaching three straight conference championship games. That is coming to an end, and is a function of the dysfunction in San Francisco right now. Yesterday, the 49ers lost to the Raiders, ending any realistic chance at the postseason. I’ll say this for the Raiders. If they were a college program, the alumni base would be much happier today (just beat our rivals!).
It started right away. Colin Kaepernick threw an interception on the very first play of the game. Kaepernick has really regressed–or the proper word might be failed to progress as teams adjust to him. He cannot–or is unwilling–to consistently go through progressions. Here is a snapshot one second into the first play of the game. San Francisco comes out and runs play action right, with Vernon Davis running the deep corner route out of picture at the bottom of the screen. The check down is the fullback, as Gore has just attempted to cut the rusher.
This is a fairly simple QB read. We see Charles Woodson turn his hips to help on Davis’ route. If Kaepernick doesn’t have the throw to Davis, he’s got the check down to the fullback.
Eventually, he doesn’t throw it to any of those progressions, tries to escape that one free rusher by going left, and throws a forced pass down the sideline to Crabtree that is intercepted by the free safety.
That was Kaepernick’s 36th regular season start. Breaking them down into groups of three, his yards per attempt have gone down from 7.95 to 7.91 to now 7.02. He’s thrown almost as many interceptions (10) in his last 12 starts as in his first 24 (11 total).
Plays like that have to be infuriating for Jim Harbaugh as a former quarterback. Of course, most of the problems with how this team has devolved are of Harbaugh’s–and the front office’s–doing.
I’m usually not big into the off-the-field distractions and excuses, but I do think that the constant smoke of where Jim Harbaugh will be coaching next year (not in San Francisco) has to be weighing on team unity and morale. Aside from personal pride, it would be very hard to listen to a guy preaching teamwork who is working to get out the door. These rumors have been so prevalent since last offseason, when a trade to the Browns was reported as a possibility, that they are showing up on the field.
Don’t expect that to change. With the team needing a miracle to reach the postseason, you can expect the circus to go full three ring mode.
NFL OWNED WEBSITE WANTS YOU TO KNOW THAT MIKE SINGLETARY IS A LEGIT COACHING CANDIDATE FOR 2015
Hey, look at those shiny objects! Also, Mike Singletary is a legitimate coaching candidate for the 2015 season! So says the NFL owned website, as first leaked by a reporter for the same site.
The NFL has the Rooney Rule that teams must comply with during the interview process. It’s a legitimately good rule to have teams consider candidates that they might otherwise not, but some teams lock in on a candidate and then set up a smoke screen interview to satisfy the letter, but not spirit, of the rule.
But let’s not set someone up just to be an option that we can point to in circular fashion (“hey, this is a legitimate interview not being done as a facade, Singletary is a real candidate, there were even stories about it.”) I am sorry, but I am a little skeptical of this one. I’m sure that someone (or plural someones) did tell Ian Rapoport this. I’m just skeptical that it wasn’t put out there for other reasons besides Mike Singletary being one of the hot prospects this year.
[GIFs by Michael Shamburger, images by USAT Sports Images]