Seahawks Insider
where there is no offseason

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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Seahawks Insider
Sunday, October 5th, 2008
Posted by Frank Hughes @ 02:18:18 pm

First, Matt Hasselbeck said he hyperextended his knee but should be fine. He looked to be in a lot of pain to me, limping out of the locker room. I'm sure that thing is going to swell of overnight and get sore. He said he was able to twist with the knee when he got hit, which saved him from being injured more severely. He said he didn't think it was a late hit -- I did -- but that it was just playing football.

Mike Holmgren said Deion Branch was the only serious injury. He did not specify how long he would be out but said it was a heel injury. Now, this is speculation that we will never know, but you do have to wonder if this injury has anything to do with coming back too early. I know it is not the same leg or the same injury, but in the same way that Marcus Tubbs was injured last year, I believe your body compensates in other parts when one part of you is weak. Perhaps this is completely separate and not related, but it does raise the question.

[More:]

Holmgren did not seem overly angry in his postgame news conference, but I will say he was serious and stern. He essentially said that this team needs to do a very honest evaluation, with no sugarcoating, and fix what is wrong. I asked him for some preliminary thoughts on what the problems were and he said that he needs to look at film and will address it more on Wednesday. Deon Grant seemed to think that players are trying to do too much and are not taking care of their own business. Everybody needs to look in the mirror and make their own corrections before trying to fix somebody else's mistakes.

Holmgren said that if the leadership on the team is lacking from the players in place, then they are going to have a big problem with the Big Show. He said he felt this was not similar to the Buffalo game except in the final score. There, he said, there were some unusual circumstances with the special teams and weather and stuff. Today, he said, was a butt-kicking. Give the Giants credit, he said, but he thinks the Seahawks are not playing up to their potential. And they better fix it. And now.

He was not really willing to answer the question about East Coast travel. He basically said his box is pretty full just digesting the loss and he doesn't have a lot of room to stand on the sideline and consider the other stuff.

Lofa Tatupu once again used the word "embarrassing." The defense, understandably, was not in a very good mood. They did not say they were overmatched, but they did talk about missing a lot of tackles. My argument is that you missed tackles perhaps because you were overmatched, but, hey, that's only one man's opinion.

Hasselbeck said the offense was pathetic on third down conversions (1-11), the reason they struggled so badly. He said one of their goals to run outside on the Giants, but when they fell behind so quickly they went away from that. He said he looked up at the scoreboard at one point, and usually he does the math in his head for what they have to do to make a comeback. But when it was 24-3, "the numbers started getting big," he said.

Categories: Game Coverage 39 comments

COMMENTS:

BobbyK @ 14:33 - Sunday, October 5th, 2008 Email
RE: Branch

Branch is historically a pansie who ALWAYS gets hurt EVERY year with sissie injuries. It doesn't matter with him, it's always something different. This is just more of the same.

moo @ 14:35 - Sunday, October 5th, 2008 Email
We are soooooo screwed. It's going to be a loooooooooong year.
nighthawk2 @ 14:36 - Sunday, October 5th, 2008 Email
He needs to look at film? What the hell was he looking at all game? Wednesday? Address it now, address it tomorrow. And dude, you're absolutely freakin' right that they missed tackles because they were overmatched. This defense is small and soft and gets pushed around all the time. The co-ordinators suck, the position coaches suck, and the players suck. And so does the GM that put this collection of stiffs together. And maybe, Hass, you fell behind so quickly BECAUSE you went away from that. You didn't throw to Carlson, you didn't run the ball, and your receivers suck.
nighthawk2 @ 14:38 - Sunday, October 5th, 2008 Email
BTW, I said after the Buffalo game this was a 5-11, 6-10 at best team. I stand by that. But winning 6 games is going to be reeeeeeeeeeally hard.
pabuwal @ 14:38 - Sunday, October 5th, 2008 Email
Well, this game brings the Seahawks record to 3-25 under Holmgren and 2-21 with Hasselbeck as the starter in road games against teams that finish the year with a winning record.

The whole run under Holmgren/Hasselbeck looks fraudulent when you consider these records.
BobbyK @ 14:39 - Sunday, October 5th, 2008 Email
Reporters --- Can you please be (deservedly) tough on the coaching and players for getting their asses kicked again? They need and deserved to be criticized. They get paid way too well to be coddled to any extent. I don't think Ruskell is a sacred cow in any criticisms either.
eropel @ 14:39 - Sunday, October 5th, 2008 Email
One of the worst and most embarrassing loses I can remember.
BobbyK @ 14:42 - Sunday, October 5th, 2008 Email
And then people are going to talk about how great Lofa and Hill are...


Wilson and Jennings are now (if they weren't already) on the list of being closer to busts than good/productive players. They can join Tapp (2nd) and Spencer (1st) as players that were drafted high, but aren't producing like they should for where they were picked.
uk_Hawk @ 14:45 - Sunday, October 5th, 2008 Email


Same old answers from Holmgren.


nidhighe @ 14:47 - Sunday, October 5th, 2008 Email
To listen to the fairweather fans, one would think Mike Holmgren was Tom Flores and Matt Hasselbeck was Stan Gelbaugh. All this talk of firing this coordinator or that coordinator is silly. Someone even said we should look for Hasselbeck's replacement after this season. You people make Matt Millen look like a genius in comparison.
freedom_X @ 14:51 - Sunday, October 5th, 2008 Email
Exactly. Like the Super Bowl year was "fraudulent." Or if they lost most of their home games too, it would "honest." Sheer idiocy.

AS far as Branch's injuries - yeah, those pansy ACL tears. A real man would play through torn knee ligaments. Right.

freedom_X @ 14:55 - Sunday, October 5th, 2008 Email
Arizona seems to be clocking Buffalo, but one key - Arizona knocked out Trent Edwards when Adrian Wilson came in untouched on a blitz early in the game.

When's the last time the Seahawk defense managed to get a pass rusher to the QB untouched? Marshall's pass rush packages are very predictable - the players get no help from the scheme. If they get a sack, it's because players physically beat their man (or the opponent makes a mistake.) The NFL has too much parity to depend solely on physical talent. The scheme has to contribute.
nighthawk2 @ 14:58 - Sunday, October 5th, 2008 Email
"To listen to the fairweather fans, one would think Mike Holmgren was Tom Flores and Matt Hasselbeck was Stan Gelbaugh. All this talk of firing this coordinator or that coordinator is silly. Someone even said we should look for Hasselbeck's replacement after this season. You people make Matt Millen look like a genius in comparison."

Ah, here's one of the idiots that was singing "Don't Worry--Be Happy" after the debacle in Buffalo. And back with the same old B.S. after another ass kicking on the road. You never learn do you? Moron. This team got it's ass handed to hit twice this season, and lost to San Francisco at home, and the only team it's beaten is the worst team in the league. It's lost 5 road games in a row stupid, and has lost it's road games this season by a 78-16 score. How freakin' stupid are you that you can't realize this is a bad team that can't win on the road and is poorly run and poorly coached? Well I know the answer, pretty damn stupid.
seahawkbryce @ 15:01 - Sunday, October 5th, 2008 Email
Pansy, no....Fragile, yes.

Spencer a bust...lol.


Lets face it guys. We didn't get outcoached. We got outplayed. We have a glaring weakness at corner opposite Trufant, and teams are exploiting it. I should have kept count, because it seemed to me that a majority of their passes were towards the right side of our defense, toward Jennings and Wilson. Both are a liability at this point. I wouldn't be objective to starting Babs at this point.

Hopefully we can get some consistency out of our WRs. 4 games, 4 differents sets of starting WRs is not how an offense develops chemistry and consistency.
tribfan1 @ 15:04 - Sunday, October 5th, 2008 Email
Their record says it all.
Dukeshire @ 15:05 - Sunday, October 5th, 2008 Email
Comparing a fan to a GM is idiotic. No, Holmgren is not FLores, that's why this is so frustrating. His team is playing like a Flores team, however. This team is not built to win in this league. It's a cliche, but if you can't win the game at the point of attact, you can't win. They have been beaten, and beaten severely during Ruskell's time by more physical teams time and time again; the Bears, Giants, Packers, Steelers, on and on. He refuses to adjust his philosophy and this team is paying the price. Until they get bigger and stronger, everywhere, what we saw today will continue, as it has for 3 years. (He did not put together the crux of the '05 team.)
nidhighe @ 15:11 - Sunday, October 5th, 2008 Email
nighthawk2, it's easy to be an armchair coach, isn't it? When you can coach even 10% as well as Mike Holmgren, let us know.
uk_Hawk @ 15:12 - Sunday, October 5th, 2008 Email


I think we got outcoached AND outplayed.


SouthPrairieRedneck @ 15:29 - Sunday, October 5th, 2008 Email
Ruskell is too single minded in his approach (character over size and skil). There needs to be a balance. He seems to ignore physical attributes to a fault. I believe that there is more underlying the lame duck season of Holmgren which is manifesting itself in attitude, a key component of winning.

They talk a good game but the results speak for themselves.
kralcs74 @ 15:30 - Sunday, October 5th, 2008 Email
Didn't catch one part of the game over here in Japan. Sound like I was lucky. But now I gotta here all the NFC East fans talk the same ol' S***. I was looking forward to the game but I guess my team really needs to fix something fast to go anywhere...oh yeah if the Cards beat the Bills then we are really going to hear it. LOL

Can somebody fix something...PLEASE!
marcyun @ 15:38 - Sunday, October 5th, 2008 Email
nidhighe, i consider myself an optimistic fan (hell, i live about 10 miles away from the Meadowlands and am surrounded by Giants jerseys every Sunday, but i still root hard for my Hawks). i've criticized nighthawk for being a incessant naysayer in the past. but i have to say right now he is more right than wrong. i'm not saying we have to fire half the team and staff but the simple fact is this team has not been taken in a direction that will lead to success in the NFL. we are simply physically overmatched at nearly every position - you only need look at our height and weight numbers vs. the opponent's on any given Sunday. coaching and talent (both of which are suspect at this point as well) can only take you so far - the rest is simple physics and physiology. we have got to beef up this team or the days of owning the division are going to be faint memories from the past.
kralcs74 @ 15:48 - Sunday, October 5th, 2008 Email
I'm optimistic over here in Japan cuz I can't see what is wrong with this team... ;-P
blocis @ 15:54 - Sunday, October 5th, 2008 Email
The problem with this team is the same as it almost always is; character. Not the good-guy, bad-guy character stuff that Ruskell talks about, more like having 'some grit' or competitive intensity.

I am tired of having a fast finese team that gets physically beat by a more emotionally intense opponent.

No guts, no glory.
BobbyK @ 15:55 - Sunday, October 5th, 2008 Email
freedom_x - do some reseach and see Branch's history injuries. Go ahead show your lack of football knowledge by pointing out one major injury. People on this blog, yourself not included, are smart enough to know why he has been out up to this point (ACL). Then actually see all the time for this or that he missed while he was back in New England too. Some people are just injury prone (Branch).
thedude @ 15:56 - Sunday, October 5th, 2008
nighthawk, why are you such an ass?

just because we suck doesn't mean you need to call someone stupid fifteen times in one paragraph. predicting mediocrity is not a sign of intelligence.

i do think it's a good point that someone else brought up in that we're just undersized in a lot of positions and trying to bring someone like jacobs down in that situation makes it even more apparent.
kralcs74 @ 16:00 - Sunday, October 5th, 2008 Email
I was really hoping that Branch would come out and be a factor for the rest of the season but deep down I had a feeling he was going to get injured. He should retire. What a debacle of a year for Seattle sports. M's worst in Baseball (don't mention the Nats), Sonics (don't want to go there) and the Hawks (high hopes and nothing but dissapointment). Well everyone have a couple of beers and enjoy your day...mine is just getting started.
SouthPrairieRedneck @ 16:16 - Sunday, October 5th, 2008 Email
I'm telling you, it's the coffee. Blame it all on Shultz.
kralcs74 @ 16:29 - Sunday, October 5th, 2008 Email
SouthPraire- I do think it is the coffee. Schultz talked to all of our other sports owners and told them to sell the teams or put out the worst possible teams. I think we may be onto something there. haha
SouthPrairieRedneck @ 16:36 - Sunday, October 5th, 2008 Email
LOL, you may be on to something.
EastCoastFan51 @ 16:50 - Sunday, October 5th, 2008 Email
Guys, we plain and simple were outplayed and outcoached. What happened to Holmgren going for it all this year and pulling out onside kicks, flee flickers and fake punts/FG's? Today would have been a good day to do some of that. He is pathetic, at the end of the first half, down 24-6 he punts it? WHy? You might as well try to give your team a jolt and maybe if they get it they wake up. I was at this game and that defense is a joke. All the fist pumping on the chest don't mean a thing if you can't do it on the field. Marshall should be gone MONDAY morning, his schemes are horrible. How many times are they going to play a zone defense only to leave HUGE holes in the secondary. A few of those holes I could have sat down in and made those catches. The difference between a good team and a really bad or average team? A team that is up 24-6 at half time when they come out in the 3rd and get the ball and get another TD vs. a team that is up 31-3 at half time in the past to only come out in the second half and not be able to move the ball (Seahawks in the past). A good team puts the other team away, the Seahawks squeak out EVERY game just about. I'm sorry but I think we are going to see a entire rebuild next year from QB/WR to our entire defense including a new defensive coordinator. Honestly and don't answer with your heart but be real, do you really feel Hasselbeck is a true #1 QB? A number 1 QB can WIN a game for you and I don't recall ANY game that when we are down more than 21 that Matt has even came close to bringing us back in the game . Like today what's up with the 5-8 pass all day long? Do we not have a pattern longer than 10 yards and could we possibly catch one of them when we finally do catch it? Ok I'm running at the mouth but the bottom line is we are in trouble and coaching is a big part of it and MARSHALL MUST GO!!!!! Or the season is over.
kralcs74 @ 17:10 - Sunday, October 5th, 2008 Email
Season is only five weeks old. How can it be over? I still think we can win the division...(fingers crossed). Even though I would rather have a really good draft pick...(wait I said that during the M's season too.) The problem with our team guys...if you really want to hear it...it is:

WE ARE TOO PREDICTABLE.

I didn't even watch the game to know that we ran the same plays that we ran during our Super Bowl years. Mike your a GREAT coach but unless we change our plays a little the good/great teams are going to eat us alive.
kralcs74 @ 17:15 - Sunday, October 5th, 2008 Email
Talk about condesending (sp) myself...geez I really suck at this blog stuff. LOl
EastCoastFan51 @ 17:17 - Sunday, October 5th, 2008 Email
How can this season already be over? The pattern has been set, another underachieving team. Do you really see THIS team putting together a run, of say, even 3 games? The season is over because we are two games behind the Cards, YES THE Cards!! And we have yet to play them yet. Lets see, the Bills handed it to us and just today the Cards handled them easily. This team always says "we are going to play smashmouth", and they come out like pansies. Not trying to argue but this team is like you said predictable , and thats on both sides of the ball. Still Go HAWKS, but I have this feeling it's going to be a long season. On a positive note, there were a LOT of Seahawks fans in the stands today.
ballhawk300 @ 17:24 - Sunday, October 5th, 2008 Email
This is a bad matchup for the Hawks, our defense is small and needs sustained drives by the offense to be effective, a small speedy defense needs rest to be effective. Our offense can't expect to be in rhythm with the revolving door of receivers and personnel we've had this season. That being said we still play in by far the weeakest division in football. And talent wise are still the best in the division. Hasselbeck isn't the problem, and for the comment about short pass plays...look up the basis of the west coast offense and comment when you actually know something about football. And for all you fairweather season ticket holders, please give up your tickets to some real fans and jump off the hawk bus already.
krieg17 @ 17:24 - Sunday, October 5th, 2008 Email
Here is what I saw. I saw a team that has no heart. I saw a team after halftime that was laughing on the sideline (future coach was one of them) I saw offensive linemen giving up when JJ was still trying to get yards. I have been a fan of this team for 25 yrs and this reminds me of the Brian Bosworth era. Now for more "your team sucks" at work Monday!!!!!!!!!
EastCoastFan51 @ 17:40 - Sunday, October 5th, 2008 Email
OK ballhawk300, I've been watching football for a long time and have played so I know a little bit, but 7-10 yard passes won't get it done. Don't take this personally but since you called me out like I'm clueless I have to comment. Yea, the WCO is a short passing game but that's when you have recievers who have YAC's not guys who catch that seven yarder and fall to the ground. When have one of our recievers exploded after the catch and made someone miss them? It doesn't happen or at least not since Galloway. You still need a guy to catch at least a 30 yarder to open the field up or the defense will sit right at the 7 yard mark, shoot I remember Jerry Rice doing that in SF, oh wait and wasn't that the west coast offense? So don't give me excuses and say look up the meaning of WCO. I've seen it but it sure isn't the one that SF ran in their glory days with Montana/Young. I like that you are a diehard and so am I but I'm being realistic and aside from 2005 our offensive numbers are average if not downright bad at times. How many drives stall? How many third and longs? Shoot home many third and shorts have we failed to convert due to dropped 3 yard passes? If Matt was truly a great QB don't you think he would be able to settle down once in a while on the road instead of putting up a turd of a day? I always support him but great QBs make average receivers great, but I think since Zorn has left that we are seeing that Zorn did a lot for Matt that we didn't realize. Maybe Holmgren didn't make Matt but Zorn did, ever think of that? Look at Jason Campbell, guy looked lost last year and this year he is playing really well. I think we need to realize this season is spiraling out of control. How many seasons can Marshall keep this up and stay employed?
swab @ 18:49 - Sunday, October 5th, 2008 Email
I could have predicted Branch would get hurt again. Typical. Cant even play half a game. Our defense likes to talk about how great they are, but this is 3 out of 4 games the other team basically did what they wanted. Total disgrace. 4 probowlers. Josh Wilson is horrible and an idiot. Brian Russell and Deon Grant are way overrated. Julian Peterson needs to learn how to wrap people up instead of bouncing off people. I saw Lofa take the wrong angle over and over. pathetic.
freedom_X @ 21:32 - Sunday, October 5th, 2008 Email
If someone says Branch is injury-prone - no one's going to argue against that. If that's all that was said, it's been said many times with no dissent.

But call Branch "a sissy"... well, if you're stupid enough to make that claim, you deserve to have the "obvious" exception to your reasoning called out. You don't get any mulligans for shoddy logic.

With your vast, encylopedic knowledge of the NFL, find me one player, coach or scout that thinks Branch is a wimp (sissy, malingerer, hypochondriac, whatever synonym you like.) They may say he gets hurt a lot, but I defy you to find any quote where they think he lacks heart or guts.

Of course, the essence is that you can't argue against someone or something without demeaning it. When your main line of reasoning involves an insult, it deserves what it gets.


Seattle12thMan @ 10:55 - Monday, October 6th, 2008 Email
To me the team looked uninspired until the fourth quarter when they knew it was a total embarrassment. Is the team really playing for this year or just hanging out until next year? The need to play with more feeling and purpose, I don't think it is any specific player, although there are those who are not performing as well.

How many of them have given up?

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