The Seattle Seahawks Thank God For The NFC West

 

 

Last Saturday found the Seattle Seahawks bruised, broken, and lacking optimism heading into a week five showdown with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Stricken with memories of losing its franchise quarterback to injury in week two, giving away a fourth quarter lead in week three, and getting dismantled by the Colts in week four, the Seahawks’ week five outlook was mediocre at best.

To make matters worse, Seattle’s week two loss came against division rival San Francisco, who seemingly turned into the NFC West favorite overnight. San Francisco was favored in its week five matchup with the Atlanta Falcons, meaning that a loss to Jacksonville on Sunday could drive a nail in Seattle’s proverbial coffin.

Entering week five, the San Francisco 49ers stood atop the NFC West at 3-1, while Seattle sat two games behind with a paltry 1-3 record.

It seemed that a Seahawks’ loss could initiate a domino effect to end the Seattle Seahawks’ 2009 season.

Then, the unexpected happened.

 

A Seattle Seahawks’ victory wasn’t wholly unexpected. In fact, the Seahawks were favored by 1.5 entering the contest. It’s safe to say, however, that no one foresaw the one-sided victory that played out on Sunday.

Matt Hasselbeck returned with a vengeance, throwing four touchdown passes for the first time since December 2007. And Seattle’s defense stifled a Jacksonville offense that had posted 30+ points in each of the last two weeks in a 41-0 rout.

Down the coast, QB Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons drummed the San Francisco 49ers 45-10, dropping the Niners to 3-2 on the season.

Suddenly, the Seattle Seahawks’ 2009 season didn’t seem so bleak. After falling two games back through four weeks, and losing their offensive captain to a back injury, the Seahawks seemingly reversed their fortunes in one October afternoon.

 

This reversal of fortune isn’t all about the Seahawks. It also has to do with the worst division in the NFL not called the AFC West; the consistently mediocre NFC West.

Seattle’s 2-3 record is not much to talk about. In fact, it places them in the lower half of the NFL (19th out of 32 teams). This record looks better, however, when viewed in light of Seattle’s berth in the NFC West.

The Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Washington Redskins also sit at 2-3 on the year. Unlike the Seattle Seahawks, however, all three of these teams trail their respective division leaders by a staggering three games.

Conversely, the Seahawks trail the NFC West leading San Francisco 49ers by only one game. 

Why are the previously mentioned teams unfortunate enough to be three games out with the same record? Quite simply, they play in better divisions.

Houston and Jacksonville play in the AFC South, which features the 5-0 Indianapolis Colts. Washington plays in the NFC East, which features the 5-0 New York Giants, as Philadelphia Eagles, and Dallas Cowboys who both sit at 3-2.

Compare these divisions to the NFC West, which features a could-be high school team in St. Louis, last year’s Super Bowl darlings in Arizona, and a youth movement in San Francisco, and Seattle’s 2009 forecast turns sunny with a chance of playoffs.

 

A long season awaits the Seattle Seahawks. Undoubtedly, if Seattle plans to compete in 2009 it needs to establish itself against division rivals Arizona and San Francisco. If it can do this, a .500 record against the rest of the league might be enough to reach the 2009 postseason.

Is it fair? No, but it’s what leaves the Seattle Seahawks thinking Thank God for the NFC West!

 

 

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The Ballad of The 2009 Seattle Seahawks: It Could Happen To You

Last weekend was the end of the Major League Baseball season (for the Mariners, at least), and my wife and I decided to attend Friday night’s matchup against the Texas Rangers.

Walking to Safeco Field, I caught a glance at Qwest Field’s exterior display and enjoyed a quick laugh.

Three years ago, nothing would have struck me about the the Seattle Seahawks’ 2009 schedule stretched next the North Entrance of Qwest Field. This year, however, the faces staring back at me stirred up loyalty, resent, and sorrow. 

The schedule (image here) proudly boasts a trio of Seattle’s best players; QB Matt Hasselbeck, CB Marcus Trufant, and LT Walter Jones. 

 

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2009 NFC West Featured Columnist Competition: Week Three Results

The NFC West went 0-4 in Week Three of the NFL regular season.

Arizona was dominated, Seattle was outplayed, San Francisco was robbed, and St. Louis continued their 2008 Detroit Lions impersonation.

Despite a horrid week on the field, the FC’s here at Bleacher Report kept on churning out (mostly) winning picks.

Here are the results and honors from Week Three.

 

Week Three Individual Standings

Andrew 14, Seth 14, Dray 13, Rob 13, Scotty 13, Steven 13, Chris 11, Ron 9

 

 

Week Two Team Standings

 

San Francisco 27, Seattle 26, Arizona 24, St. Louis 23

 

Season Individual Standings

Andrew 41, Seth 38, Dray 37, Rob 37, Chris 34, Ron 34, Scotty 33, Steven 33

 

Season Team Standings

San Francisco 78, St. Louis 72, Seattle 70, Arizona 67

 

Monday Night Football Team Tiebreaker

San Francisco 8, St. Louis 8, Arizona 7, Seattle 7

 

Pick of the Week—Chris/Rob/Scotty/Seth (Cincinnati over Pittsburgh)

 

There were no Underdog Bonus points awarded in Week Three, therefore no man stood in sole possession of an outstanding pick. Instead, this award goes to the quartet who chose against the reigning Super Bowl Champs in favor of the Fighting Cedric Bensons.

 

Good call, gentlemen. 

 

 

Fail of the Week—Chris/Ron/Seth/Steven (Oakland over Denver)

 

I understand that there is only so much talent you can pack into one backfield before they win something. That being said, until JaMarcus Russell finds out how to complete a pass and/or retires, this team looks to be doomed. 

 

Chris and Seth promptly squandered their “Pick of the Week” honors by endorsing Al Davis and the colossal waste of talent amassing in Oakland.

 

Hot Streak—Andrew Garda (8-for-9 in Early Games; On Fire in the Competition)

Andrew is simply torching the competition so far this year. He has finished tied for first each week, en route to a healthy three point lead over his nearest competitor. Andrew and Ron both scored 15 in Week One, which still stands as the competition high score.

 

Struck Out Swinging—Ron Clements (nine points scored in Week Three)

This isn’t as much a case of bad selections as it is unlucky breaks. Ron made the right picks when he needed to (i.e. he chose the easy games correctly), but he seemed to be on the losing end of nearly every toss up.

Brett Favre’s Hail Mary, Ryan Mouton’s fumble-itis, Washington’s goal line anemia, and Arizona’s failing offensive line all contributed to a miserable weekend for Ron.

 

What Might Have Been—Had Greg Lewis Not Hauled in the Miracle TD in Minnesota

 

You wanna talk about a game changer? How about a competition changer? 

 

If Greg Lewis doesn’t make that play, San Francisco holds on to win the game, and the entire standings board for the week goes up in flames.

 

Seth would have finished in sole possession of first place, while his St. Louis Rams duo would have jumped two more points in the standings (both Ron and Seth picked San Francisco).

 

Conversely, Rob and Scotty, the Seattle representatives, would have slid back two points in the standings, as each picked Minnesota to win. 

 

It will  be interesting to see how Favre’s late-game heroics will factor into the season-long competition…

 

Consistently Mediocre

Each week has featured a single-digit scoring effort from one of the contestants. Scotty (nine points in Week One), Steven (eight points in Week Two), and Ron (nine points in Week Three) have contributed thus far.

Let’s see if this trend of excellence can continue in Week Four…

 

That’s it for Week Three. Chip in on what you think.

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2009 NFC West Featured Columnist Competition: Week Three Picks

Time for round three of this year’s NFC West featured columnist competition!

For those of you who are unfamiliar with this competition, please click here for a brief outline of the rules as well as a small bio of each contestant.

In short, this is a pick ’em competition. Contestants are in teams of two, each representing the team they write for on Bleacher Report.

Each week, I will publish an article which announces the picks, such as this. Additionally, I will publish a results article once the games are completed, which will include weekly and yearly standings.

 

Observations from Week Three Picks

• Unanimous Consent Weekend! Everybody likes the Ravens, Eagles, Packers, Texans, Giants, Saints, Dolphins, and Cowboys—Some of these selections are based on how hot a team is (Saints), while some are made based on how bad the opposition is (Green Bay v. St. Louis). Regardless of motive, this week features an unprecedented eight unanimous selections. My apologies to the Cleveland Browns; no-one has faith in you.
• Split Decision Weekend!—Week three certainly features some boring matchups (Baltimore v. Cleveland, to name one), but there are also some intriguing games. While the eight contestants split votes on only one matchup in week one and one matchup in week two, they are at odds four times in week three. San Francisco v. Minnesota, Pittsburgh v. Cincinnati, Washington v. Detroit, and Denver v. Oakland are apparently too close to call. 
• Couples Retreat—Speaking of split decisions, what happens when representatives pair up against each other? In the Denver v. Oakland matchup, notice that the decision is split, yet every contestant agrees with his partner. The San Francisco and Seattle representatives have chosen Denver, while Arizona and St. Louis opted for Oakland. This game could create some separation…
• Patriot Games—Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons are vying for the title of the best team in the NFC, while Tom Brady and the Patriots are coming off a subpar loss to the New York Jets. How did the contestants respond? By picking against the Falcons seven times out of eight. Rob Staton was the only contestant who showed faith in the Falcons.
• Dogging the Underdog—Speaking of Rob Staton picking the Falcons, let it be noted that this selection is the only pick of the week which qualifies for the Underdog Bonus. Maybe it’s because the picks were too easy, or maybe it’s because the probability of landing an Underdog win are so small. Either way, there were few stray picks in week three.
• Andrew and Dray: The Even Couple—Andrew and Dray’s stint as the even couple propelled them into first place in week two. What did they do follow that up? Simple; they spent another week in agreement! In week three, these two agreed on a competition-high thirteen picks.
• Homer Alert—Excluding the Rams, whose representatives have accepted the impossibility of favoring their team, all other teams were split decisions. Chris, Dray, and Scotty all stuck with their teams, despite the fact that none were favorites per this contest’s selections. Conversely, Andrew, Rob, and Steven sold their teams down river for a chance of glory. 
• Quick note—Except for the Rams, who were unanimously chosen against, the NFC West teams found themselves in tight games this week. Arizona and San Francisco are both split decisions, while Chicago is slightly favored against Seattle five to three.

 

Without further ado, here are the picks. Please comment below with your thoughts.

 

	Rob	Scotty	Ron	Seth	Andrew	Dray	Chris	Steven
CLE@BAL	BAL	BAL	BAL	BAL	BAL	BAL	BAL	BAL
KC@PHI	PHI	PHI	PHI	PHI	PHI	PHI	PHI	PHI
ATL@NE	ATL	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE
TEN@NYJ	NYJ	TEN	TEN	NYJ	NYJ	TEN	TEN	TEN
GB@STL	GB	GB	GB	GB	GB	GB	GB	GB
SF@MIN	MIN	MIN	SF	SF	MIN	SF	SF	MIN
JAX@HOU	HOU	HOU	HOU	HOU	HOU	HOU	HOU	HOU
WAS@DET	WAS	WAS	WAS	DET	WAS	DET	DET	DET
NYG@TB	NYG	NYG	NYG	NYG	NYG	NYG	NYG	NYG
CHI@SEA	CHI	SEA	SEA	CHI	CHI	CHI	SEA	CHI
NO@BUF	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO
PIT@CIN	CIN	CIN	PIT	CIN	PIT	PIT	CIN	PIT
MIA@SD	SD	SD	SD	SD	SD	SD	SD	SD
DEN@OAK	DEN	DEN	OAK	OAK	DEN	DEN	OAK	OAK
IND@ARI	ARI	IND	ARI	IND	IND	IND	ARI	IND
CAR@DAL	DAL	DAL	DAL	DAL	DAL	DAL	DAL	DAL

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2009 NFC West Featured Columnist Competition: Week Two Results

 

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NFC West Featured Columnist Competition: Week Two Picks

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How Brandon Stokley Hurt The Seattle Seahawks In Week One

At the 2009 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks traded away their second round pick to the Denver Broncos for the Broncos’ first round pick in 2010.

Denver quickly selected cornerback Alphonso Smith, and the Seahawks gladly tucked the Broncos’ first round choice in 2010 into their hip pocket.

This trade had two universal effects on the Seattle Seahawks fan base.

First, acquiring another first round pick in 2010 strengthened the Seahawks potential to bounce back from a dismal 2008 campaign. First-round picks in the NFL are expected to contribute immediately. Because of this, owning two first round picks opens endless possibilities of acquiring high-end talent, trading up for elite talent, and/or reinvigorating a team that seems to be collectively aging.

Second, acquiring Denver’s first-round pick in 2010 immediately morphed the Seattle Seahawks fan base into a 2009 Anti-Broncos organization. The logic is simple; the worse Denver does, the better Seattle’s acquired pick will be. Therefore, every Seahawks fan finds themselves reminiscing of the AFC West as they maliciously scour Denver Broncos box scores.

You may be thinking, Thanks for the history lesson, but how does Brandon Stokley tie into this?

Those of you who missed NFL Live this week, live in cave , or hail from Montana may not have heard of the best week one game not featuring Tom Brady; Denver at Cincinnati.

[Video Here]

With 0:38 left, Cedric Benson swerved into the end zone (pun intended) to give Cincinnati a 7-6 lead. Denver had a half a minute on the clock, but everyone in the stadium believed that Cincinnati had clinched it.

On second and ten, Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton threw an ill-advised pass in the general zip code of wide receiver Brandon Marshall. Bengals cornerback Leon Hall broke up the pass, but in doing so he lofted the ball downfield. Brandon Stokley eagerly plucked the ball out of the air and jetted towards pay dirt for a game-clinching 87-yard touchdown.

With one tipped pass the Denver Broncos earned a tick in the win column, and the Seattle Seahawks dropped a spot in the 2010 NFL Draft.

Every year, a proverbial race-for-last breaks out in the final weeks of the NFL Season. Aptly named the “[Insert College Star Here] Sweepstakes” this dash for mediocrity toys with the fate of the NFL’s worst franchises (e.g. 2006 NFL Draft).

This year’s contestants seem to be the usual suspects, as most experts have pegged the Detroit Lions, St. Louis Rams, and Kansas City Chiefs as potential top five picks in the 2010 NFL Draft.

Some experts have pegged the Denver Broncos as a top five pick in 2010, but if week one is any indicator, the Broncos could stick it to the Seahawks in 2009.

Consider the following and decide if Seahawks fans have reason to worry…

 

The 2009 Denver Broncos are supposed to be BAD…

How bad? Well that depends on who you ask. An array of AFC West previews project the Broncos to finish as high as 7-9 and as low as 1-15, but this much is unanimous: the Denver Broncos will be a lower-tier team in 2010.

What does this give Seahawks fans? Hope! Acquiring a first round draft pick is one thing, but when you can acquire a first round draft pick from a team that is universally projected to fail, the world seems a little brighter.

 

… But the 2009 AFC West is supposed to be worse

Sure, the 2009 Denver Broncos are supposed to be atrocious. What many experts fail to acknowledge, however, is that the 2009 AFC West is supposed to be worse.

San Diego is undoubtedly the cream of the crop in the AFC West, but even they looked awful in week one. Past the Chargers, the division barely registers a pulse.

Division previews are split on who will finish second, third, and fourth, but regardless of the order, it is generally accepted that the bottom three teams in the AFC West will all finish with terrible records. Consider this preview, which has the second place Kansas City Chiefs at 4-12!

Yes, the bottom three teams in the AFC West will likely finish with negative records, but when these teams play each other someone has to win (unless Donovan McNabb is around). This someone-has-to-win-even-if-both-teams-are-bad dilemma could benefit Denver.

Remember that the Denver Broncos have a week two matchup with Cleveland, as well as two games remaining against both the Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders.

Even if the Broncos lose every other game on the schedule, they could go 6-10 by simply beating up the Browns, Chiefs, and Raiders.

 

One win can change everything in the NFL Draft

Let’s say that Seahawks fans get their wish, and the Denver Broncos play miserably for the rest of the 2009 campaign. Even if the Broncos finished 3-12, Brandon Stokley’s catch will still leave fans wondering what might have been?

In 2009, the Jacksonville Jaguars finished 5-11. Not to be bested, the Seattle Seahawks finished 4-12. No big deal, right? Wrong! Through a series of tiebreaks, the Seattle Seahawks received the fourth pick in the draft, while Jacksonville received the eighth.

That’s four spots difference for a one win differential.

Now consider the 2009 Denver Broncos. Regardless of the rest of the season, Brandon Stokley’s miracle touchdown, and the Denver Broncos’ undeserved win over Cincinnati, could cost the Seahawks dearly in the 2010 NFL Draft.

 

There are no life-changing lessons to be learned here, but remember the following:

• Brandon Stokley’s miracle touchdown earned an undeserved victory for the Denver Broncos in week one
• While the world expects Denver to fail in 2009, five or six easy matchups could lead the Broncos to an over-achieving record
• Regardless of the Broncos’ final record, Brandon Stokley’s game-winning touchdown in week one undoubtedly cost the Seattle Seahawks at least one spot in the 2010 NFL Draft

If the Broncos’ draft pick seems too low in 2010, Seahawks fans will know who to blame…

sk.

 

 

 

 

 

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NFC West Featured Columnist Competition: Week One Results

Week One of the 2009 NFC West FC Competition is in the books, and there could already be some separation.

Andrew, Ron, and Seth took advantage of the Underdog Bonus in Week One, as each selected one winner who earned them extra points.

Here are the results and honors from Week One.

 

Individual Standings

Andrew 15, Ron 15, Seth 14, Rob 13, Chris 12, Dray 12, Steven 12, Scotty 9

 

Overall Standings

St. Louis 29, San Francisco 27, Arizona 24, Seattle 22

 

Pick of the Week – Seth Doria (San Francisco over Arizona)

Super Bowls be damned, Seth took the Niners to topple last year’s NFC Champs. More impressively, he did so without the support of either San Francisco representative. Seth was the lone advocate of the Niners, but this correct choice netted him two points from the Underdog Bonus

 

Fail of the Week – Dray Miller (St. Louis over Seattle)

Honorable Mention here goes to Scotty (Kansas City over Baltimore) and Chris/Seth (Carolina over Philadelphia), but the St. Louis Rams were certainly the worst looking of the bunch.

St. Louis rumbled, bumbled, and stumbled their way to a shutout loss in Seattle, which, given the state of Seahawks football, doesn’t paint a beautiful portrait of their 2009 outlook.

 

Hot Streak – Andrew Garda (Undefeated in Early Games)

Andrew was on fire in the early games of Week One. He began the day 9 for 9, including an Underdog Bonus choice of the Denver Broncos over Cincinnati. Andrew was finally tripped up when his San Francisco 49ers upset the Arizona Cardinals. He still finished tied for first with 15 points. Good week, Andrew!

 

Struck Out Swinging – Scotty Kimberly (four picks eligible for Underdog Bonus)

Picking Kansas City to win in any given week is bold. Picking Oakland to win in any given week is also bold. Picking them to win in the same week is suicide. Don’t believe me? The last time Kansas City and Oakland won in the same week was in September… in 2007!

Scotty took courage to heart and picked four unpopular choices: Tennessee over Pittsburgh, Kansas City over Baltimore, Miami over Atlanta, and Oakland over San Diego. Not a single one hit, and he is currently in last place.

 

What Might Have Been – Seth Doria

Had Brandon Stokley not found an early Christmas present in his lap, the Bengals would have held on to a close victory over Denver, and Seth Doria would be sitting in first place.

Instead, he is nestled into third place, behind two men who earned Underdog points from that same Denver victory. If it weren’t for the tip drill, Seth, you could have been in first.

 

That’s it for Week One. Chip in on what you think.

 

sk.

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NFC West Featured Columnist Competition: Week One Picks

Welcome to the first week of the 2009 NFC West Featured Columnist Competition.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with this competition, please click here for a brief outline of the rules as well as a small bio of each contestant.

In short, this is a pick ’em competition. Contestants are in teams of two, each representing the team which they write for on Bleacher Report.

Each week, I will publish an article which announces the picks, such as this. Additionally, I will publish a results article once the games are completed, which will include weekly and yearly standings.

 

Observations from Week One Picks

• Everybody likes the Colts, Cowboys, Pats, and Saints—While a number of games are heavy favorites (six or seven selections), only the Colts, Cowboys, Patriots, and Saints took the honor of being unanimous choices.
• Nobody likes the Bills, Bucs, Jags, and Lions—One of these teams will pull an upset, and all eight contestants will equally suffer. Book it.
• Rob and Scotty: The Odd Couple—Rob and Scotty agreed on the fewest choices of anyone. Of the 16 games available, these two agreed on only ten.
• Chris and Steven: The Even Couple—Conversely, Chris and Steven seemed to be in harmony while picking. These two agreed on an astonishing fourteen of the 16 games.
• Scotty might not have been sober—Apologies in advance to Rob for a few ill-advised selections. Among four choices which qualify for the Underdog Bonus, I took the Titans over the Steelers, the Chiefs over the Ravens, and (drum roll please) the Raiders over the Chargers. In all honesty, I think the Titans could do it and the Chiefs will do it (the Raiders might need an act of God).

 

Without further ado, here are the picks. Please comment below with your thoughts.

 

	Chris	Steven	Andrew	Dray	Rob	Scotty	Ron	Seth
TEN@PIT	PITT	PITT	PITT	PITT	PITT	TENN	PITT	PITT
NYJ@HOU	HOU	HOU	NYJ	NYJ	NYJ	HOU	HOU	NYJ
MIN@CLE	MIN	MIN	MIN	MIN	MIN	MIN	MIN	CLE
MIA@ATL	ATL	MIA	ATL	ATL	ATL	MIA	ATL	ATL
JAX@IND	INDY	INDY	INDY	INDY	INDY	INDY	INDY	INDY
DEN@CIN	CINCY	CINCY	DEN	CINCY	CINCY	CINCY	DEN	CINCY
PHI@CAR	CAR	PHILLY	PHILLY	PHILLY	PHILLY	PHILLY	PHILLY	CAR
DAL@TB	DAL	DAL	DAL	DAL	DAL	DAL	DAL	DAL
KC@BAL	BAL	BAL	BAL	BAL	BAL	KC	BAL	BAL
DET@NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO
SF@ARI	ARI	ARI	ARI	ARI	ARI	ARI	ARI	SF
STL@SEA	SEA	SEA	SEA	STL	SEA	SEA	SEA	SEA
WAS@NYG	NYG	NYG	WAS	NYG	WAS	NYG	NYG	NYG
CHI@GB	GB	GB	GB	CHI	GB	GB	GB	GB
BUF@NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE
SD@OAK	SD	SD	SD	SD	SD	OAK	SD	SD

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Seattle Seahawks Cut S Brian Russell; Sign S Lawyer Milloy

The Seattle Seahawks released veteran safety Brian Russell on Saturday and replaced him with former Atlanta Falcons safety Lawyer Milloy.

Russell signed a five-year deal with the Seahawks in 2007, but has failed to provide consistency in the Seahawks secondary, leaving scores of Seahawks fans frustrated with his performance.

Milloy spent the last three seasons in Atlanta, amassing 93 tackles in 2008.

Milloy was not re-signed this offseason as Atlanta expressed an interest in pursuing a younger option at safety, subsequently drafting safety William Moore with their second round pick.

Here are my initial reactions:

1. The Seattle Seahawks secondary is thin

The Seahawks 53-man roster includes cornerbacks Ken Lucas, Josh Wilson, Kelly Jennings, and Travis Fisher, along with safeties Deon Grant, Jordan Babineaux, C.J. Wallace, and Lawyer Milloy.

That’s it.

New faces abound, as Lucas, Fisher, and Milloy were not with the club in 2008.

Conversely, familiar faces are absent. Pro Bowl cornerback Marcus Trufant was placed on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list this week, making him ineligible to play until week seven.

The Seahawks are praying for Jennings or Wilson to live up to their draft-day potential. Jennings was the Seattle Seahawks first round selection in 2006, while Wilson was selected in the second round in 2007.

It will be interesting to see if the Seahawks rely on their current roster or make a move for additional depth in the near future.

 

2. Even if it is minimal, Lawyer Milloy is an upgrade from Brian Russell

Sure, Milloy’s coverage skills aren’t the best, especially considering his date of birth (Milloy turns 36 in November), but think about this argument for a second.

Opponents to the Milloy signing cite his age and coverage abilities as grounds for discontent, yet fail to mention that Brian Russell has similar problems.

The 31-year old Brian Russell has been a detriment to pass coverage since his arrival in Seattle.

Also, consider aspects other than pass coverage.

Milloy is undoubtedly an upgrade at other safety responsibilities, including both tackling and run coverage.

I’m not saying that the upgrade is massive, but look at it this way: Milloy is a clear upgrade from Brian Russell in both tackling and run coverage.

3. Could the team have relied on Jordan Babineaux?

It is assumed that Milloy will need a few weeks before he is ready to contribute in the Seahawks defensive scheme.

In the mean time, Jordan Babineaux will start at strong safety.

That being said, what do the Seahawks do if Babineaux excels in this role?

Babineaux is a pure hitter who, like many Seahawks (see above section), struggles with pass coverage. He is a playmaker, which earned him the nickname “Big Play Babs,” and is well liked by his teammates.

If Babineaux performs admirably in the first few weeks of the season, there will surely be grumblings to leave him in the starting role. This could raise the issue of why the Seahawks signed Milloy in the first place.

Then again, if Babineaux struggles with the starting gig, Milloy can step in and provide veteran leadership in a thin Seahawks secondary.

4. Haven’t I encountered Lawyer Milloy before?

My knee-jerk reaction to the Milloy signing was “isn’t that the guy who I played with on NFL Blitz?”

Short answer: yes.

Anyone who played the game knows that the combination of Bledsoe and Coates crushed on offense and Milloy dominate the defense.

This has no bearing on his actual signing, but damned if I wasn’t excited nonetheless.

 

Comment with your reactions.

sk.

 

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