Hawk Talk - Can We Buc the Trend & Win? Seahawks vs Bucs Preview

Well I think John Madden may have it best, he decided to skip this Sunday’s game because of travel time and has decided to spend the weekend with his family, a sentiment my pregnant wife can certainly relate with. Isn’t it time we give up on these Hawks? I mean who really wants to see Charlie Frye battle Jeff Garcia in a battle of who can avoid making the game winning turnover anyway right.

Well Hawk fans some good news Seneca Wallace took a lot of snaps yesterday with the first team offense to not be starting, sources tell me he goes Sunday.

OPPONENT OVERVIEW

The Bucs are one of those teams that find a way to win, they have tried multiple QB’s already this year bring a great defense and actually a great running game, who would have though that Ernest Graham and Warrick Dunn could combine to be the league’s 6th best rushing attack. Not only can the Buc’s run but they can stop the run their defense is ranked 9th against stopping it and has allowed the 3rd fewest points. Their only weakness is the pass on both sides of the ball, on offense Gruden has platoon Qb’s as they have struggled with turnovers. Defensively the Bucs have allowed a little over 200 passing yards per game but have been able to no let that translate into points, a dangerous trend for a team that relies heavily on defense to win games.

KEYS TO VICTORY

Offense

1) Get Open: short timing routes don’t work without seperation time and time again I have seen our recievers run soft routes, Bill McMullen, Courtney Taylor I’m talking to you, both have been starters too long to keep mailing in routes.

2) Scramble: if Seneca can add a rushing element to his game Sunday it might just open things up for our receivers and for Julius Jones, TB is great against the run but a QB that scrambles can break even a great defensive team wide open. A tall order as Seneca will go into Sunday somewhere around 85% healthy.

3) Running Back Rotation: Sorry fantasy people rest Julius this week, for our running game to be somewhat affective against the Bucs a committee approach is needed, Players like Mo Morris and Even Owen Schmidt need to get touches this is a hard nose defensive team lets keep them of balance by using multiple backs.

Defense 

1) Pass the Buc’s: make this team pass to beat us put it on Garcia’s arm to slay the Seahawks, if we let them run were done the play action and little short stuff will be enough for the Buc’s to carry ball control and they will wear us out. 

2) On the Backs: Lofa Tatupu and Julian Peterson need to step to the fore front Patrick Kerney is to injured to be this teams catalyst both these backers have big play ability, the big hit, forced fumble the third down stop, this defense is a team waiting for a place to happen, they are no doubt better on paper than they have played thus far this season, makes us remeber why we were so good last year!

3) Second Chance: The Seahawks secondary has been average this year and the big plays from last year are now just a distant memory, I think we can stop Tampa’s running attack which means this game will be won or lost in our secondary.

Special Teams 

First Times: Well there is a first time for everything recently resigned preseason phenom Justin Forsett has been placed on the active roster and Micheal Bumpus has been dropped, we keep having this Justin kidd in the wings and everyone is so high on him, well lets see what he can do, give him the ball on special teams let him return kicks and punts, Sunday.

KEY MATCHUPS

1) John Carlson vs Derrick Brooks: Our best pass catching option this season has been John Carlson he has been suprisingly consistent and productive for a rookie. This week he’ll find himself matched up against Derrick Brooks who is as fast as Linebackers come and great against the pass, if memory serves me correct i believe he broke the single season record for interceptions by a linebacker a few years ago.

2) Jeff Garcia vs Brian Griese:The Buc’s need to keep winning to stay atop the ultra competitive NFC South, they both have suffered from mediocrity and no that Garcia has the job back can he keep it?

3) Seattle Seahawks vs Themselves: This team has excuses injuries, confusing coaching situation, age but there is no question we are capable of better but the team can’t help itself from itself, we continue to be our own worst enemy. We abandon the running attack and attempt to throw every down, blow coverages, get call back penalties, fail to execute we are a team in the middle of an identity crisis.

THE LINE

The line is a good one for the Hawks, Seahawks +10.5, can the Hawks win this? sure will we? I’m not sure but I don’t think we go down by more than 10.5

THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT

This has the makings of an upset game for me, we match up well defensively in that we should be able to stop the Tampa Bay running attack. Also I jut have felt like we a re ready to rally if even only for a couple weeks and Seneca played so well in preseason and something is telling me in my gut that this is a game Tampa blows. Check back in the comments section of Mercedes Green’s blog last week I predicted the Redskins fall to the Rams based on the same gut feeling.

In short Stat of the Week is Turnovers which every QB turns it over more will cost his team the game.

EXTRA POINT

 Just a quick couple notes, as your blogger for the Seattle Seahawks I keep my eye on everything Seahawks and this week a couple of mainstream articles mirror some of the questions I have asked here on www.sportstalkbuzz.com

both are worth a quick read, the first comes from the Seattle News Tribune, “Transition for Seahawks” talking about the trouble with our two coach system. 

One hazard in the Seattle Seahawks making the unprecedented more of hiring defensive backs coach Jim Mora a year early to take over for the retiring Mike Holmgren is that there is no blueprint for how such a dynamic affects a team.

Will there be, as some have suggested, confusion among players about who exactly is in control of an organization in transition?

Will the coaching staff be more concerned about future employment than their present jobs?

Will there be an alpha-male tug-o-war between Holmgren, Mora and general manager Tim Ruskell about who exactly is in control of decision-making that will affect not only the immediate concerns of the franchise but the future as well?

The second from The Seattle PI’s Art Thiel “It May be time to consider Hawks without Hasselbeck”

Nobody is saying anything definitive about Hasselbeck’s health, either. But for the first time, he’s losing games to injury on the downside of his career arc. As with his Super Bowl teammates Walter Jones, Shaun Alexander and Mack Strong, time is the fiercest opponent.

Besides the obvious consequences to 2008, the 1-4 start has begun to telescope the future, which means contemplation of team life after Hasselbeck. Healthy witha good team, he’s still a top-10 quarterback. Unhealthy with a mediocre team on the fade, things look different.

REMAINING SCHEDULE

· 10/19 @ Tampa Bay, 5:15 p.m. (NBC)
· 10/26 @ San Fran., 1:15 p.m. (FOX)
· 11/2 Philadelphia, 1:15 p.m. (FOX)
· 11/9 @ Miami, 10 a.m. (FOX)
· 11/16 Arizona, 1:05 p.m. (FOX)
· 11/23 Washington, 1:15 p.m. (FOX)
· 11/27 @ Dallas, 1:15 p.m. (FOX)
· 12/7 New England, 5:15 p.m. (NBC)*
· 12/14 @ St. Louis, 10 a.m. (FOX)
· 12/21 N.Y. Jets, 1:05 p.m. (CBS)
· 12/28 @ Arizona, 1:15 p.m. (FOX)

As always check back Wednesday for more Hawks news and analaysis…

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