Moore: Can Seahawks sustain their pace or are there too many concerns?
Oct 24, 2019, 1:17 PM
(AP)
It seems like thoughts on the Seahawks are all over the place. Some fans are excited about their 5-2 record and think they have a good chance of beating the 1-6 Falcons on Sunday to move to 6-2. That would put them on a 12-4 pace for the season.
The 3 Questions: How will Quandre Diggs fit in Seahawks’ secondary?
But others have concerns about the defensive line and safeties, while the glass-half-empty crowd thinks the Seahawks are lucky to be 5-2 and about to collapse.
I took a Twitter poll today with the following possible responses to the Seahawks’ 5-2 record:
• 1) Thrilled or happy at least
• 2) OK but have defensive-line concerns
• 3) OK but have safety concerns
• 4) They’re fools’ gold
Seahawks are 5-2 and likely to go 6-2 after beating Atlanta, which would put them on a 12-4 pace for the season. But it still seems like there are doubts about this team sustaining its success. Taking the temperature on where you are with the Hawks. #GoCougs
— Jim Moore (@cougsgo) October 24, 2019
I thought No. 2 would be the biggest vote-getter, and last I checked, that’s the case. The Seahawks aren’t generating much of a pass rush with only 11 sacks on the season and just six in the last six games.
I would have answered No. 3 since my biggest concern is the play of the safeties, and this even takes into account the acquisition of Quandre Diggs from Detroit. He’s bound to help, but I don’t view him as a solution, more of a slight upgrade from what they already had on the roster. But that response got the fewest votes.
Seahawks’ NFC hopes
I’ve changed my thinking a bit with the NFC contenders. Two weeks ago I thought it was wide open and the Seahawks were right in the thick of it. Right now it looks to me like San Francisco and New Orleans have built a bigger gap between themselves and the rest of their NFC competitors.
Do you still think the Hawks have a reasonable chance to win the NFC West? Or are you thinking more along the lines of another 10-6 season as being more realistic, which would mean another wild-card playoff spot and three road games if they last that long?
I don’t necessarily feel like the 6-1 Packers will continue to play at that pace, but of the three two-loss NFC teams, Carolina and Minnesota look like they’re more on the way up than Seattle. The Panthers have won four in a row, the Vikings three in a row.
Why so much base defense?
Seahawks defensive coordinator Ken Norton said yesterday the reason they like to go with their base defense is because “it’s about trying to get your best players on the field.”
I’ll take him at his word, but are Bobby Wagner, Mychal Kendricks and K.J. Wright all playing that great this season? Maybe so, but if that’s the case, it sure doesn’t say much for what they think about nickel corner Jamar Taylor.
I don’t know how often a tight end is the linebackers’ responsibility, but it frequently seems as if tight ends find soft spots in the Seahawks’ defense. As much of a concern as Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones poses this week, tight end Austin Hooper actually has six more receptions than Jones this season and just as many touchdowns with four.
Not much of a home-field advantage
I know this is a road game, but the Seahawks are only 2-2 at CenturyLink Field this year, and the wins were by one point over Cincinnati and one point over the Rams. They could easily be 0-4. Under Pete Carroll, the worst home record they’ve had is 4-4 in 2011 and 2017. Overall in the Carroll era, they’re 55-21. What’s happened to the home-field edge?
Maybe it’s as simple as the team not being as good as it used to be. Maybe some 12s are selling their tickets to secondary markets, reducing the noise levels. Maybe visiting teams are better equipped to deal with the noise by using silent counts.
With only four home games left against Tampa Bay, Minnesota, Arizona and San Francisco, there’s a chance they could post a losing record at CenturyLink for the first time since Carroll arrived in 2010.
Then again, when you flip that around, the Seahawks are 3-0 on the road and have a decent shot at setting a franchise record for road record in a season, which is 6-2 by the 2013 Super Bowl championship team.
The Seahawks have five road games left against Atlanta, San Francisco, Philadelphia, the Rams and Carolina.
Seahawks still in acquisition mode?
The Seahawks made one trade this week – would you like to see them make another before the trade deadline on Tuesday?
I’d like to see them trade for a wide receiver who is better than Jaron Brown and David Moore, Russell Wilson’s current third and fourth options. I don’t think Brown and Moore cut it on a Super Bowl contending team. And second option D.K. Metcalf, as good as he’s been, can be hot and cold.
I don’t think they need another tight end with Ed Dickson returning from the injured reserve next week.
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Heaps: If Hawks make another trade, what position needs the most help?