SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

Instant reaction from 710 ESPN Seattle to Seahawks’ loss to Bucs

Nov 27, 2016, 5:01 PM | Updated: Nov 28, 2016, 8:55 am

Jameis Winston threw two touchdown passes to Mike Evans to lead Tampa Bay past Seattle 14-5. (AP)...

Jameis Winston threw two touchdown passes to Mike Evans to lead Tampa Bay past Seattle 14-5. (AP)

(AP)

As we do after each Seahawks games, we have polled the voices of 710 ESPN Seattle for their instant reactions to Seattle’s 14-5 loss to Tampa Bay on Sunday. Here’s what they have to say:

Jim Moore of “Danny, Dave and Moore”

We’ll see if it was just one bad game or something to be concerned about. The Seahawks usually turn it on in the second half of the season, and Sunday’s loss dropped them to 31-7 in November and December games since Russell Wilson arrived in 2012. So that was different. And you would have thought the defense might have struggled more than the offense with injuries that sidelined Earl Thomas and DeShawn Shead and Michael Bennett again, but Tampa Bay scored only 14 points. It appeared that the offense missed Justin Britt more than the defense missed Thomas, as strange as that sounds. And yet Pete Carroll didn’t single out Joey Hunt, Britt’s replacement, for the offensive line’s poor play. George Fant and Germain Ifedi had a rougher go of it, and the coaching staff has soured on right tackle Garry Gilliam, replacing him with Bradley Sowell in the first half. I blame the constant pressure for Wilson’s passing issues more than anything else. It’s not his fault he was missing receivers – he was under siege almost every time he dropped back. Encouraging development: Wilson back at full health, running eight times for 80 yards. Discouraging development: Thomas Rawls looked OK, not great in his second game back. The best news: every team in the NFC West lost, and the Seahawks retained a three-game lead over Arizona with five to play. The worst news: Dallas (10-1) is now 2.5 games ahead of Seattle (7-3-1) for the NFC’s No. 1 playoff spot. There’s also a whole host of contenders who are right on the Seahawks’ heels now. Detroit and Atlanta, both 7-4; and Washington at 6-4-1.

Mike Salk of “Brock and Salk”

It is hard not to be a prisoner of the moment, but that felt like the worst I can remember the Seahawks playing since Russell Wilson was drafted. The offense may have had worse games where it struggled to move the ball, but those games usually came with a caveat – specifically Russell Wilson’s inexperience or injury. Unfortunately, those excuses won’t work this week. The offensive line struggled. Russell struggled with his accuracy and decision-making. And while the defense only gave up 14 points, they allowed the Bucs to move the ball and consistently flip field position. Good teams are allowed bad games, and many of the issues exposed in Tampa could be overcome with the return to health of stars like Michael Bennett and Earl Thomas. But that was ugly.

Bob Stelton of “Bob, Groz and Tom”

To call that game ugly would be an understatement. The defense got off to a horrific start but was able to pull it together in the final three quarters. Meanwhile, the offense couldn’t find anything positive the entire day. This was by far the worst performance of the season for the offensive line, and it showed. Russell Wilson was sacked six times and threw two interceptions. He was off, as was the entire offense for the majority of the game. This is one game the Seahawks just need to throw away and forget about as they shift their focus to the Carolina Panthers coming up next weekend.

Brock Huard of “Brock and Salk”

Tampa Bay looked and played like a team with its playoff life on the line, and the Seahawks would be the measuring stick. The Seahawks came out and looked like a team unsure of the whereabouts of some of their most valuable, core players. It was also the first time this Seahawk team has fallen behind big on the road this year, and with three rookies on the offensive line in a hostile environment, that was a recipe for disaster – which is exactly what their offensive efficiency was. “Tell the Truth Monday” will be the most humbling yet of 2016.

Gee Scott of “The Gee Scott Show”

The Seahawks walked into Tampa a little wounded, and it seems that Tampa Bay took advantage of that. Not used to seeing the other team be the bully. Well, that’s what the Bucs were today. They were the bully. A tip of the cap to them.

Tom Wassell of “Bob, Groz and Tom”

Same old story with the offensive line, except worse than usual, and as bad of an offensive performance as you can imagine. I shutter to think what it would have looked like had Russell Wilson not been mobile. Defensively, the Seahawks gave it everything they had, even with half a secondary. Somehow they managed to contain Mike Evans in the second half, making the game closer than it should have been. Here’s to hoping that their overall health improves over the course of December.

Brady Henderson, Editor in Chief of 710Sports.com

More than anything, the Seahawks lost this game up front – on defense but especially on offense. Tampa Bay had its way with Seattle’s offensive line, which took a giant step back after seemingly starting to come together in recent weeks. Having to start rookie sixth-round pick Joey Hunt at center with Justin Britt out was a difficult situation against one of the NFL’s most disruptive defensive tackles in Gerald McCoy, but it’s hard to attribute one player’s absence to an entire group getting beat the way Seattle’s offensive line did. Left tackle George Fant seemed to struggle in particular in pass-protection as Seattle gave up six sacks. There usually isn’t a singular reason for a win or a loss. There were several that contributed to this one to varying degrees. Seattle’s secondary was missing Earl Thomas and DeShawn Shead, and it was evident in the first quarter. At the same time, the Seahawks shut out Tampa Bay for the final three quarters while forcing two turnovers. Seattle’s backfield was depleted, and it sure would have been nice to have C.J. Prosise on third down, where the Seahawks were only 1 for 11. And Russell Wilson was off several times, not just on his two interceptions. But you have to figure that the constant pressure he was facing had something to do with that. Wilson didn’t have much time to operate while Seattle’s offensive line was routinely getting beaten.

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Instant reaction from 710 ESPN Seattle to Seahawks’ loss to Bucs