Hawks Playbook Podcast Episode 34 - NY State of Mind

Open: Seattle Seahawks Fans, welcome back to the Hawks Playbook Podcast. Join us as we recap the great complete team win in the Big Apple against the NY Giants.  

Featured Segment: Seahawks win on the road vs. the Giants

Seattle finally has a pretty good complete game. The Seattle Seahawks dominated this game on both sides of the ball and moved the team to an overall record of 4-2.

The offensive line played well overall. Odhiambo and Glowinksi allowed only 1 QB pressure each out of 42 attempts. Ethan Pocic did not allow a single pressure on 22 snaps at left guard and center.

Seahawks again have the #1 scoring defense in the NFL. Against the Giants the Seahawks allowed 177 total yards and 1 TD, after getting the ball at the Seattle 17 yards line as a result of a Thomas Rawls fumble.

Giants had 300 combined rushing yards in previous 2 games. Seahawks allowed 46 yards and zero runs over 9 yards.

Seattle’s defense (outside of Titan’s game) has allowed 12.2 PPG and 281.4 YPG. They have not allowed more than 18 points scored against them in the other 5 games.

Featured Segment 2: Game Preview – Seattle Seahawks vs the Houston Texans.

The Texan’s come into the matchup with a record of 3-3 and 3rd place in the AFC South. The Texans have wins against the Bengals, Titans and Browns and losses against the Jaguars, Patriots and the Chiefs.  

The team is led by rooking phenom Deshaun Watson, the 12th overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft. Watson has plenty of playmakers around him but an OL almost as bad as Seattle's.  

Seattle’s offense can’t expect to face a stout run defense led by Merceilus, Clowney and McKinney. They also have a playmaker at middle linebacker in rookie, Zach Cunningham.

Hawks Playbook Podcast Episode 33 - Bye Week Follies 

      In the news:

The Seahawks appear to be in the market for an upgrade at Left Tackle during the break, but so far, have not added a player to the roster. LTs. Cordy Glenn, Duane Brown, and Brandon Albert are all in play.Deshawn Shead, Dion Jordan and Malik McDowell all eligible to begin practicing after Giants game. McDowell not expected to be ready for a few more weeks, but the other two should be ready to start practicing with the team next week. It remains to be seen if and when those players will be added to the active roster any time soon.

Featured segment 1: Biggest Surprise / Disappointment

Players

Offensive weaponOffensive lineDefensive lineLinebackerDefensive back

Overall

  Single Game  Positional unit

Rest of the NFL

NFC TeamAFC Team

Featured Segment 2: Adjusting Expectations

The Seahawks sit at 3-2. With a win over the Giants on Sunday they’ll be 4-2,  which is exactly what both of us predicted before the season began. Unfortunately, they haven’t been as dominant as expected, should our expectations change for this season?

Also, how does the Aaron Rodgers injury and Dallas under-performing alter the landscape of the NFC? What about the emergence of the Eagles and Rams?

Close:  Thanks again for joining us on the Podcast. Please take some time to follow Keith and Bill on Twitter. Keith is @MyersNFL and Bill is @NWSeahawk.

Hawks Playbook Podcast Episode 32 The LA Chronicles

Open: Welcome to the Hawks Playbook Podcast. Thanks for joining your Hosts Bill Alvstad and Keith Myers. Our Seattle Seahawks enter their bye week in 1st place after beating the Rams 16-10 on the road in LA. 

In the News

Michael Bennett has plantar fasciitis issue. Luke Joeckel having knee surgery to clean up some meniscus debris left over from his ACL/MCL repair last fall. Joeckel will miss Giants game and will back after that.

Seahawks worked out LT Brandon Albert, who ended up leaving without a deal, and inquired about trading for Houston’s Duane Brown. 

Featured Segment 1: Seahawks escape LA with 16-10 win over the Rams

Wilson was 24/31 for 198 yards, 1 TD and 1 Int.

No running game without Carson. Rawls 8 carries for 20 yards, Lacy 9 carries for 19 yards and McKissic 2 carries for 0 yards. 

Defense holds NFL’s top offense to 10 points despite lack of offensive consistency to help, zero points in second half.

Defense collected 5 turnovers, including two each by Earl Thomas and Sheldon Richardson.

Featured Segment 2: How do we fix the offense?

Bill and Keith discuss several different ways in which the Seahawks could get more efficiency out of their offense.

Other fixes could include other schematic changing to line blocking, quick hitting pass routes and expanding the role of Russell Wilson in the Read Option look, especially if the team also added a few pass plays out of the read option to further complicate the job of the defense to defend those types of plays.

Close: Thanks again for listening to the show. Don’t forget to check out the website (hawksplaybook.com) for all of our shows, and follow us on social media. All of that is linked at the website.

Hawks Playbook Podcast Episode 31 – Seahawks Terrific Win is Costly

Open: Hello again Seahawks fans and welcome to the show!

Featured Segment: Great Win Proves Very Costly

We don’t know exactly how costly just yet, but 4 key Seahawks players left the game with injuries, some rather significant. Most of which was an ankle injury to running back Chris Carson. Other injuries included CB Jeremy Lane (Groin), DE Cliff Avril (Neck) and LT Rees Odhiambo (Chest).

Key Takeaways:

Seattle finished with 477 yards and allowed just 237 yards to the Colts, including only 32 yards in the 2nd half.

Wilson finished 21-26 for 295 yards, 2TD’s and 2 Int. He ran 23 yards for a touchdown and finished the game with a 107.5 QB Rating.

Eddie Lacy finished with 11 carries and 52 yards. JD McKissic finished with a 30 yards TD run and a 27-yard TD reception. The Seahawks finished the game with 194 yards rushing.

Defense scored 2 TD’s from turnovers. Justin Coleman had a pick-6 and Bobby Wagner had a 21-yard fumble recovery return for a TD. 

Featured Segment 1:Los Angeles Rams 

Players to watch for: QB Jared Goff, RB Todd Gurley, DT Aaron Donald, WR Tavon Austin, WR Sammy Watkins, DE Robert Quinn.

The defense will once again be asked to stop the run and turn the Rams into a one-dimensional team led by an unproven talent in Jared Goff. Seattle should have the right stuff to hold the Rams under their season averages in yards and points. This game is all about Seattle’s ability to score points against the Rams defense. 

Close: If you like the podcast, please consider sharing it with others, or leave us a comment below.  You can follow Keith on Twitter @MyersNFL and Bill is @NWSeahawk.

Hawks Playbook Podcast Episode 30 Titan Fall

In the News:

Team protests, but does so by not coming out for anthem after President Trumps comments. Bill and Keith get into this a bit. For us is this: Let’s have a conversation, listen and by empathetic.

Doug Baldwin left game with groin injury. Baldwin said Tuesday afternoon that he expects to play this week against the Colts.

Dewey McDonald headed to IR with ACL injury. All 3 standout ST standouts are currently hurt.

Featured Segment: Seahawks lose 33-27 on the road vs Titans but Offense Wakes Up

Russell Wilson started slow, completing just 3 of his first 10 passes. After that he was vintage Russ, finishing the day 29/49 for 373 yards, 4 TDs, and no interceptions with a 129.3 QB rating. 

The OL was mildly improved with the addition of Oday Aboushi at RG. The pass blocking was still bad, and the run blocking was terrible. Chris Carson finished with only 39 yards rushing on 11 carries. 

Jimmy Graham finally got on track with 7 catches for 72 yards.  Doug Baldwin had 10 catches for 105 yards before getting hurt.

What is wrong with the Defense?

Defense gave up 33 points. Tennessee’s backs gashed for 195 yards on the ground, including a 5.6 YPC. Only the Giants and Chargers have allowed more rushing yards than the Seahawks in 2017. 

Featured Segment 2: Seahawks host 1-2 Colts

•Still no Andrew Luck, and without him the Colts look like one of the NFL’s worst teams

•Their win was a comeback win over Cleveland (0-3) this week.

•Jacoby Brisset, the former Patriot 3rd-stringer, is the starter at QB.

•Colts rush D only giving up 3.3 yards per carry, 8th in NFL

•Colts pass D is giving up 7.9 yards per pass attempt, 25th in the NF

Hawks Playbook Podcast Episode 29 – Seahawks Make Winning Hard

Open:  By almost all accounts, the 49ers are terrible, but the game much harder to put away than was to be expected. Maybe the Seahawks offense is THAT bad. 

Featured Segment: Seahawks Win Despite our Below Than Average Offense

Keys to the game:

Wilson completed 23-of-39 passes for 198 yards with one TD. He ran 12 times for 34 yards in the game. 

Wilson’s touchdown to Richardson came after Richardson had badly dislocated a finger.

The Seahawks defense kept them in the game with stellar pass defense. BrianHoyer completed 15-of-27 passes for 99 yards. 

6 drops, including two TDs and a critical 3rd down, kept the offense from gaining both rhythm and separation in this game. 

Chris Carson carries the ball 20 times for 93 yards. Eddy Lacy was a healthy scratch and Thomas Rawls was limited to 5 carries.  Carson is the present and future featured back for the Seahawks.

Chris Carson has averaged 2.6 yards per rush after contact through two games. Lacy and Rawls have combined to carry it 10 times for 7 yards.

Featured Segment 2:

The Tennessee Titans are 1-1 on the year after beating the Jaguars 37-16. Derrick Henry has emerged as their lead back after picking up 92 yards against the Jags. But of course, the main headline generating player for the Titans is QB Marcus Mariota. 

The focus is all on the Seattle offense this week. Can the Seattle Seahawks move the ball consistently against an average NFL Defense? The Titan’s look beatable, but on the road, with our struggling offense, our defense may have to step up and win the day.

Close: Find us on Twitter @HawksPlaybook  We will see you all next week!

Hawks Playbook Podcast Episode 28 – Loss on the Road in Green Bay

Open: While Seattle did fall in it’s opening game to the Packers, there were some positives. There were a number of negatives as well, almost all on offense.

Featured Segment: 5 Takeaways from loss to Green Bay Packers

The offensive Line play was the worst-case scenario given the hope during preseason.

Terrence Garvin played 30 snaps at SAM LB. 

Eddy Lacey does not look like a starting RB.  On the other hand, Chris Carson should be the starter and get 15-20 touches a game.

Griffin rises to the occasion and plays 70% of defensive snaps after Lane is ejected.

Defensive Line is going to have an amazing year.

Bonus takeaway: The call for change for assistant coaches Tom Cable and Darrell Bevel has already begun.  The only thing the offensive lining is blocking for now, is our path to the Super Bowl!

A Look Ahead: Week Two at Home vs San Francisco 49ers

Key Players on 49ers to look for:  QB Brian Hoyer, RB Carlos Hyde, WR Pierre Garcon’, LB Navorro Bowman, DE DeForest Buckner, DE Soloman Thomas, DT. Arik Armstead, CB Ahkello Witherspoon, LB Brock Coyle, LB Malcolm Smith

49ers have lost 6 straight to the Seahawks, and have won 8 of the last 9 games by a combined score of 147-67

Early line has Seattle Seahawks by 13 points

Close: You can find all of our podcasts at www.hawksplaybook.com as well as subscribe to the show on ITunes and BlogTalkRadio.  Follow Bill and Keith on Twitter.  Keith is @MyersNFL and Bill is @NWSeahawk.

Hawks Playbook Podcast Episode 27 - Regular Season Schedule Predictions

 

    Open: We had a great time recording this episode, and came to an agreement on more than a few games. So sit back, relax and hold on to your favorite beverage as Bill and Keith walk you through each game and predict who wins and who loses.

    Featured Segment:  Regular Season Schedule with Predictions.

The guys go game-by-game through the 2017 schedule to and select winners for each week. 

    Featured Segment: Preview of Seattle Seahawks AT Green Bay Packers

• Right tackle Bryan Bulaga is questionable now with an ankle injury.  Someone like Kyle Murphy or Jason Spriggs (Both 2016 draft picks) would have to fill in, leaving the Packers vulnerable to the Seahawks edge rush.  Look for this to be a possible factor in the game.

• Last time these two teams squared off, Russell Wilson was sacked three times and had five interceptions.  Arguably his worst game as a professional.  Look for Wilson to rebound in a big way.

• Defensive coordinator Dom Capers likes his new corner back toys in Kevin King and Josh Jones, 2017 draft picks. Also look for Capers to try and run stunts and blitzes towards the middle, while sending his corners around the edge to take advantage of Seattle’s perceived weakness at the tackle position.

 

    Close: Thanks so much for joining us for this special addition of the Hawks Playbook Podcast.  Let us know what you think of our predictions and share your own!  You can find the Hawks Playbook podcast all over the internet. You can also subscribe to the podcast on ITunes and any one of a number of Droid Podcast Apps on your devices. Follow Keith on Twitter @MyersNFL and Bill is @NWSeahawk.

Hawks Playbook Podcast Episode 26   Exploring the 53-man roster

Open:  Welcome again to the Hawks Playbook Podcast with your Host’s Bill Alvstad and Keith Myers. It’s been a great off season since we started 6 months ago way back in February, and here we are 26 episodes later.  If you have been with us since the beginning, we thank you.  If you’re just joining us for the first time (Bandwagoner!), we welcome you too!

This is the first of two podcasts this week. It’s a great show and we’re glad you’re with us.

In the News:  MEGA TRADE!!  We got Sheldon Richardson!!

In a trade heard around the world, the Seahawks traded Jermaine Kearse, a 2018 2nd round pick and a 2018 7th round pick to the New York Jets for defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson.  As Keith points out in the show, the 7th was a throw in and the team was going to be moving on from Kearse anyway, so we essentially traded a late 2nd round pick for one of the game's best DTs. 

Featured Segment:  Bill and Keith Breakdown the 53-Man Roster

Bill and Keith bob and weave over the team’s final 53-man roster going through it by position group. It’s a nice comprehensive conversation that include why the team let go of Kasen Williams and moved on from Jermaine Kearse. They also talk abut the 10 guys added to the Practice Squad.

Close:  Thanks so much for joining us on the podcast.  Please take the time to subscribe to the podcast our set www.hawksplaybook.com as a bookmark and look for a new show each week.  Follow us on your favorite social media as well.  Follow Keith on Twitter @MyersNFL and Bill is @NWSeahawk.

Hawks Playbook Podcast Episode 25 - Bubble Burst

Open: We are at episode 25, almost ½ a year of bringing you a weekly show devoted entirely to your team, the Seattle Seahawks. The next 25 episodes will hopefully take us all the way past a Seahawks appearance in Super Bowl 52 at the new Vikings Stadium in Minneapolis. Each week until then, we will bring you the good and bad from each game, as well as a look forward to the next opponent. 

News:  It has been reported that 5 significant players (Lockett, Bennett, Avril, Wilhoite and Joeckel) are away from the team this week receiving a treatment called Regenokine. The treatment is intended to provide relief to injured areas be it joints or muscle tissue. The players will not play this week and will be ready to join the team for the first regular season game versus Green Bay.

Featured Segment: This week’s show is all about looking at the projected 53-man roster and identifying the players that both Bill and Keith have identified as being “On the Bubble”. Those players that are right on the cusp of making the final roster, or being cut in the one and only roster cut down after the final preseason game against Oakland Friday night. This year, the talent depth is deep, and the amount of players that could land outside the final 53 reflects that. 

Close: Next week’s show will be crazy amazing as we will have a set 53-man roster, excluding any last-minute cuts and pickups after all the teams cut down to 53.  With 1200 players hitting the open market at once, anything can happen. Please follow Bill and Keith on Twitter. Keith is @MyersNFL and Bill is @NWSeahawk.  You can also follow the show pages on Twitter @HawksPlaybook