Eric D. Williams took over the Seahawks beat and Seahawks Insider blog in December. Williams has covered the Seahawks, Sonics and high school sports for The News Tribune since joining the paper in 2006. Eric lives in Tacoma with his wife and two children.
Tacoma News Tribune columnist Dave Boling also contributes to the Seahawks Insider blog.
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First and foremost, Nate Burleson has a sprained knee. His status is unclear. Here's why: Burleson told Eric Williams that he expects to be back next week. However, when we asked Mike Holmgren about the decision to use Nate as a punt returner, his last line was, "Now it looks like we are going to have to find somebody else," insinuating that Burleson could be out next week. Holmgren said they will know more tomorrow, when both Burleson and Mo Morris get MRIs.
As for the locker room, both Holmgren and the players seemed rather matter-of-fact about the loss. They all said it was not the end of the season, they have to learn from this and move forward and they have a lot of work to do.
Holmgren said he wanted to establish the pass against this defense in order to run, the reason he came out throwing. Hass said he actually felt pretty good early on, but they failed to execute (read: catch balls) and found themselves in too many third-and-forevers.
Speaking of Hass, both he and Holmgren seemed a bit perturbed about the report about Matt's back. They both said that if 85 percent of the population got MRIs on their backs, they too would have bulging discs. Both said the disc has nothing to do with Matt missing time or his tough day. Holmgren said he could think of six drops off the top of his head that had to do with Matt's poor numbers.
The wide receiver thing seems to be a head-in-the-sand situation, or at least not one anybody wants to address. I think they all know it is a problem, and the only way to get the young guys experience is to throw them out there, but nobody is willing to say they are concerned about it. Not that it would do any good, I guess, but they keep saying they will figure it out. I get the sense they are just hoping for the best with Burleson.
Nobody had an answer, or was willing to sell anybody out, on the fake field goal. DD Lewis kept saying, "Lack of attention to detail." Holmgren said he had no idea how a 264-pound man could "sneak" out to the side. Denney said he checked in and ran out there and nobody followed him. Holmgren called it embarrassing. Umm, ya think?
Ryan Plackemeier said he thought he was in the groove, but that clearly was not the case. He said he just needs to get back to work to get consistent.
Lofa injured his thumb but it does not appear to be serious. He, Burleson and Morris were the only injuries.
Holmgren said that in a strange way, this may be the best thing that could have happened to the Seahawks, particularly the young players. It gives them a sense that they are very far from where they need to be at a time when it is early enough to correct mistakes.
Hasselbeck said he remembers the year they went to the Super Bowl, they got pounded by Jacksonville -- and Marcus Stroud -- in the first game, and Stroud actually had grabbed his arm and he could not throw the ball 15 or 20 yards. "Things were looking pretty grim," he said. But, obviously, they turned things around that year, and they hope to do the same this year.
Eric will blog his conversations from the locker room at some point.
COMMENTS:
I hope its not a few more losses like this.
This debacle wasn't caused by bulging discs; it was the result of bulging paychecks from a few players who think they are elite but got pushed around by some guys playing harder.
And, please try to get some honest comments from Holmgren. He should apologize to Seahawk fans for his second big debacle in a row for not having his team prepared for an NFL game. I've been watching this team for 31 years, and this was one their most embarrassing losses ever-!! Even Jack Patera could and did, coach better than this.
Not the end of the world- I think I would rather be in the Hawks shoes than the Pats if Brady's knee injury is as bad as it looked.
The offensive line got worked, just like last year, except Walt and Wahle. Sims, Spencer, and Willis were whooped like a rented mule, so the running game looked as pathetic as last year. The RB's ran hard, and didn't fall down right away, so that was better, but they were getting hit by two-three guys in the backfield WAY to often, not their problem, but the o-lines problem.
Meanwhile, the young receivers get a D- for the day, with only Logan Payne getting a passing grade for actually catching the ball for positive yardage, plus good special teams play. Taylor gets an F, and Kent an incomplete, as they didn't play him enough to give him any fair grade.
Carlson can catch, and looked good at there, while "the Putz" sucked, with 3 out and out drops, and a big pass over the middle that was catchable but that he alligator armed big time because the safety was coming up. F- for "da Putz". If he's a better blocker, fine, have him block, but put CARLSON out in the pattern!
I would say the only good play came from Hass (when he had time), Burleson, Weaver, Carlson, and Kerney actually got pressure at times, but no one else was there to help collapse the pocket, so the buffalo QB was able to get away from his pressure too often.
Overall, a crappy first game, but the special teams gaffs are fixable, hopefully we can find a way to get the young receivers to actually catch the ball when they get it, and the D should be fine if the O does a bit more for us. Running game did get better in the second half, but still needs more consistency.
The usual we have no answers -translated- We came in completely un-prepared. We listen to the fans too much who think we are going to the SB and play like are heads are too big to get off the ball.
They came prepared for a pillow fight and got pounded like the Bills had rocks in theirs. The OL got beat to the snap on just about every play with the exception of the 4 man fronts the Bills ran ( confusing because they were getting in the backfield all day).
Hass has to realize the 05 team had better talent and was at least in the game. They also got in and out of the huddle and snapped the ball in record time constantly trying to push the ball down the field. I haven't seen this since 05.
* lack of Draw plays early on.
* inability to run a screen pass ( I thought Solari was the answer to help the OL)
* no quick plays to adjust t the blitzes. If Taylor can't even catch that then he shouldn't have even made the team.
* no leadership on this O today.
Poor preparation is on the coaches. Poor play is on the players who are marginalizing this loss. The whole game plan has got to change and adjustments be made, including the lack of urgency.
It looks as though Holmy is going through the motions on the sidelines with his play-calling and urgency.
Do they want to win or just try and make the next weeks game check?
That's high school crap - which is where most of you stayed in football mentality. This is the pros.
Ok, I know that Mo Morris was the starting HB and Jones will probably start the next game, but we had inclement weather and a big brusing back would have been very useful(a la Ryan Grant or Brandon Jacobs) in the rain. Since we just paid one $4M... why don't we use him? T.J. Duckett is 250lbs+ and inflicts punishment. We needed some fire and start hitting them not vice versa.
I'd like to know if in Holmgren's offence does he script the first 15 plays with one HB in mind or can he change the HB and keep the script? Anyone know?
There's nothing else that I could add that hasn't been said already. This game was embarrassing on every level. The only player that got their job done today was Olindo Mare, the other 44 were completely dominated.
So, be positive, and sure he'll still suck, but he won't suck so bad each week.
Thank goodness we drafted Carlson. There's a reason Denver let the Putz go to Houston and there's a reason Houston didn't want him around anymore.
That's high school crap - which is where most of you stayed in football mentality. This is the pros."
Actually Mr. Psychology, that's exactly what I expect them to do. Show some emotion, show you care about being humiliated. They LOOKED like a high school team today, and from the description of that post-game lockerroom, they didn't care. All the mealy-mouth platitudes being spouted, all the usual b.s. after another road loss, another opening season road loss, another pathetic performance. They've lost their last two games 76-31.
Actually Seneca was in for a few plays at wide receiver and at least two as a returner. The problem however is that Holmgren didn't put him in until we were down 24 to 10. I have all the respect in the world for coach, but if you're not going to risk the backup quarterback in the beginning of the game, what sense does it make to put him in near the end of a blowout? Can you imagine if Seneca had gotten laid out on a punt return in the end of a game already far beyond reach. That decision was a real head-scratcher. I guess the only good that may come of it is that I'll guarantee we'll be seeing Wallace out wide in the next few weeks, lets just hope it works out the way we've all imagined..
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