MVP: Marshawn Lynch

Not only did Marshawn rush for 1,204 yards and become the first Seahawk to score a touchdown in 10 consecutive games, “Beast Mode” became a national sensation with his style of running and Skittles antics. Lynch is the face of the Seahawks, and without re-signing him, this off-season just wouldn’t feel as positive. Lynch also helped resurrect Seattle’s running game, which hadn’t had a 1000-yard rusher since 2005. He’s a free agent going into 2012, and it is of the utmost importance that the Seahawks re-sign him.

Honorable mention: Earl Thomas, David Hawthorne, Red Bryant

SEE WHO TOOK HOME BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT, BIGGEST SURPRISE AND OTHER AWARDS AFTER THE JUMP!
 

Dear Tarvaris,

Hey, it’s Seattle. Looking back at this year, we’ve been through a lot together, haven’t we?

When Pete Carroll brought you in to replace Matt Hasselbeck, fans were unimpressed. You didn’t really do anything worthwhile when you were the starting quarterback in Minnesota, even playing terrible at times. An average NFL fan’s perspective of you was a young, inexperienced QB with a strong arm that most of the time made boneheaded decisions.

Add all that to replacing a Seattle legend in Hasselbeck, and it was predicable how Seahawks fans would react to you: negatively. Fans flooded Seattle talk radio stations calling for your head even before the season started, as backup QB Charlie Whitehurst outperformed you during preseason. But nonetheless, Pete Carroll kept you at starter going into the season opener against the 49ers.

And it was disaster.

The Seahawks offense couldn’t get off its feet during the first three games scoring an average of just 10 points, and much of the blame was put on you, T-Jack. The boo-birds at CenturyLink field were even louder now, routinely chanting “CHARLIE! CHARLIE!” during the Seahawks’ 13-10 victory over Arizona in week 3. We all wanted you to quit. Yes, give us Charlie Whitehurst, we thought. Just end our misery now.

But you persevered.

After those first three abysmal games, you fought through a torn pectoral muscle on way to throwing for 2564 yards, 12 touchdowns, and a 60 % completion rate in your final 13 games. Once we got our chance to see Charlie Whitehurst fail miserably in Cleveland, we all shut up and admitted you’re not half bad.

You became enamored to Seattle fans once we realized your mental toughness. Not a lot of guys can transfer to a new team with fans biting at your neck and have a decent season leading a young, growing team to a 7-9 record that could have easily been 9-7 if not for a couple close losses.

But you did have your “what the heck are you doing Tarvaris?” moments like your fumble at the end of the 49ers game or your three interceptions in Dallas. Those moments made us wonder whether or not you can truly be a franchise QB, but hey, that issue is a whole other letter.

In the end however, you were pretty good. That’s it. You weren’t amazing, not terrible. Just good.

Just know, Tarvaris, that we all appreciate what you went through this season. Against many odds, you persevered and fought until the end.

And that’s all we can really ask for.

Sincerely,

Seattle


--Nathan Parsons (@nathanparsons98)

Seattle Seahawks (7-8) vs. Arizona Cardinals (7-8)
When: 1:15 pm PT
Where: University of Phoenix Stadium; Glendale, AZ
TV: FOX Channel 13 (Announcers: Sam Rosen, Chad Pennington and Jody Jackson)
Radio: 710 ESPN AM and 97.3 KIRO FM (Announcers: Steve Raible and Warren Moon)

After a tough, gut-wrenching loss to the 49ers last Saturday at home, the Seahawks prepare to wrap up their season Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals. Both teams are eliminated from playoff contention, yet Seattle still wants to gain momentum into the offseason with a victory. Pete Carroll said he will play it just like any other game and he expects the starters to play as much as they normally would. A win would drop the Seahawks further down the board in the draft, but it also would give them a one game improvement over last season with a 8-8 record.

Because it’s never too early to talk about the NFL draft. Okay, so maybe it is. But after watching Boise State obliterate Arizona State in the Las Vegas Bowl, a thought popped up in my mind: Should the Seahawks draft Kellen Moore?

Moore put up stats that are truly amazing, but winning more games than any other college player EVER (50) is his most impressive, including three out of the four bowl games he’s played in. The NCAA will likely never see another person win so many football games. But Moore’s done more (see what I did there) than just win games. 

Coming off a big win in Chicago, the Seahawks enter this pivotal NFC West showdown against the 49ers knowing that they must win to keep their playoff hopes alive. The final home game of the year for Seattle will feature two of the hottest teams in the league. San Francisco will look to stop Seahawks RB Marshawn Lynch, who has scored a touchdown in 10 straight games, while Seattle hopes to continue their stellar defensive play. This matchup has all the makings of a defenive battle.

This is the one Pete has been waiting for.

Four years ago, Pete Carroll watched the Stanford Cardinal spoil his Trojans’ perfect season in the Coliseum. Pete’s USC team were 41-point favorites to take care of business against the previously lowly Cardinal, but Jim Harbaugh’s boys spoiled the day for them in stunning fashion, winning 24-23.

Seahawks vs. Rams Postgame Observations
Final Score: Seattle 30, St. Louis 13 

• The Rams are terrible

There’s no getting around this fact in the Seahawks’ 30-13 drubbing of the Rams on Monday Night Football. Actually, they might be the worst team in the NFL right now with the amount of injuries they’ve stacked up. They have no capable receivers aside from Brandon Loyd, which led to a field day for Seahawks corners Brandon Browner and Richard Sherman. St. Louis’ offense in general can’t function, as Sam Bradford was under pressure the entire night, getting hit nearly every pass play.

The only thing the Rams have going for them is an above-average defensive line, but that’s not enough to win an entire football game at CenturyLink field.

• Doug Baldwin deserves the Seahawks MVP

This undrafted rookie from Stanford has emerged as the most productive player on the Seahawks’ offense. Against the Rams, Baldwin caught seven balls for 93 yards and a touchdown adding to his season total of 718. Baldwin is by far the Seahawks’ leading receiver, with Ben Obomanu coming in second with 31 receptions for 336 yards and 2 touchdowns. Baldwin also blocked a punt in the first quarter, which led to Michael Robinson scooping the ball up and taking it in to put the Seahawks u[ 7-0.

Baldwin also has 32 first down catches, second for rookie wide receivers. His play style reminds me a lot of former Seahawk wide receiver Bobby Engram with the way he makes his cuts and how he releases from cornerbacks. Doug has been Tarvaris Jackson’s security blanket.

• Aaron Curry who?

2009 fourth overall pick Aaron Curry has been all but forgotten by Seahawks fans with the emergence of rookie linebacker K.J. Wright. Wright isn’t as near as athletic as Curry, but Wright’s defensive football I.Q. is his redeeming trait that led to a solid 5 tackles, 2 for loss, and a sack against St. Louis. Even before the season started, coaches praised Wright for his ability to pick up and execute the Seahawks' aggressive defensive scheme.

With Wright, David Hawthorne and Leroy Hill, the Seahawks have one of the top-10 line backing cores in the NFL.

• Paul McQuistan is not Russell Okung

From the very first snap of the game, left guard turned left tackle Paul McQuistan struggled. He consistently got beaten around the edge by the Rams’ pass rushers, not being able to shuffle his feet fast enough. This lead to Tarvaris Jackson never being truly comfortable in the pocket until the second half when the offensive line started chugging away at the demoralized Rams defensive line.

While McQuistan struggled in pass protection, he played decent when run blocking, having some nice kick-out blocks on the defensive ends throughout the game. McQuistan’s and the entire offensive line’s efforts lead to Marshawn Lynch rushing for 115 yards and a touchdown, with fans actually throwing skittles on the beast while celebrating his touchdown.

While no one truly felt the absence of Russell Okung tonight, expect it to be felt when the Seahawks head out to Chicago to try to avenge last year’s playoff loss. Bears defensive end Julius Peppers is one of the best in the game, and I imagine he’s licking his chops after watching tonight’s game.


--Nathan Parsons (@nathanparsons98) 

Coming off a big win against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Seahawks now turn their sights to a match-up with their division rivals, the St. Louis Rams, on ESPN's "Monday Night Football". Seattle needs to win their remaining four games to have any opportunity at the postseason, so a win here against the Rams is a must. Marshawn Lynch will look to continue his recent stretch of dominance against one of the worst run defenses in the league.

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Not a lot of this going on this season. Photo source: The Tacoma News Tribune

One of the hottest topics among Seahawks fans this season is Mike Williams. And no, it’s not because he is successfully repeating his breakout 2010 season of 65 receptions for 751 yards. Quite the opposite, in fact.

To say the very least, Williams is having a disappointing season. His struggles were brought to a forefront this Thursday in the Seahawks 31-14 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. Mike had no catches in the nationally televised game.

Last year, the 6-foot-5 beast of a wide receiver absolutely abused defensive backs. But this year, Williams is dropping balls and not getting the ball thrown to him. His 14 catches for 192 yards and one touchdown are baffling. It doesn’t make sense. So...What happened?

Well, the first thing we want to think is that he’s unmotivated and lost his drive. After hearing that, Williams replied “I don’t think there is any truth to that.” And I agree. There’s no way a guy just 18 months parted from being a jobless loser could possibly lose his drive this quick. No one is that shallow and unappreciative.

To answer this question, we need to go back to last season. Given one more chance after being a first-round bust, Williams flourished when reunited with Pete Carroll, his former coach at USC. Williams became the focal point of the Hawks’ passing game and, with a veteran quarterback in Matt Hasselbeck, had the best season of his career.

But now Hasselbeck is gone to Tennessee and Seattle’s passing game is called by offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell and run by quarterback Tarvaris Jackson. Doug Baldwin has emerged as a solid target – leading the team in receptions with 37 – and with Pete Carroll’s continued commitment to give Golden Tate and Ben Obomanu more chances, Williams has more competition for catches.

Keep in mind that Sidney Rice came over from Minnesota, and proceeded to take Williams’ no. 1 receiver spot.

Williams has been hampered by injuries, suffering a concussion this season in October and a foot injury last season. That’s bound to harm a player who relies on speed to make an impact.

However, a lot of the blame is put on Williams. He has dropped balls that he caught last season and hasn’t run routes as crisp. But at least he admits it.

Mike wants to hold himself accountable. He said to AP Writer Tim Booth, “When you’re hard on yourself the guys around you know you hold yourself accountable to how you’re supposed to perform, how you’re supposed to play. There is only one way to perform. Either you’re making plays or you’re not.”

A quote like that is refreshing to hear with how many wide receivers in today’s NFL putting the blame on someone else. Mike knows he needs to get back on track, and that’s all you can ask for from a struggling player.

Go Seahawks.

Here are three keys that each team must follow in order to come away with a victory in tonight's game at CenturyLink Field.

Philadelphia Eagles:

1) Establish the run. 

With Michael Vick and Jeremy Maclin both out due to injuries, the passing game will be a bit limited with Vince Young under center. If LeSean McCoy is able to play tonight, the Eagles must pound the rock and try to gain yards on the ground against a stout Seahawks run defense. Young also will have to use his legs at times if the Eagles want to win.

2) Win the special teams battle.

Both teams will be looking to get points in the special teams department with DeSean Jackson and Leon Washington. For Philadelphia, Jackson must give his team good field position. It will be tough for the Eagles to drive the length of the field every time and hope to score with Young under center. Cutting the field in half would make life easier for Andy Reid and company.

3) Start fast.

With only three days of rest and a cross-country flight, Philadelphia will be a bit fatigued in this game. They must take the early lead if they want to have a chance in this game. If Seattle is able to take control in the 1st quarter, the Eagles will not have enough desire to fight back, especially with the 4-7 record they have now. A quick start is the only chance they have to come out of CenturyLink field with a victory. 

Seattle Seahawks:

1) Marshawn Lynch.

Tarvaris Jackson has been playing with a partially torn pectoral muscle for the past several weeks, and that is an injury that will get worse before it gets better. Seattle cannot afford to have Jackson throwing the ball 30-40 times tonight. They must continue and utilize Marshawn Lynch in the running game in order to win. Lynch has being racking up 100+ yards on the ground week after week recently, and they need to ride this hot streak. Lynch must produce for Seattle to come away with a win.

2) Stop the run.

Seattle must force Vince Young to beat them through the air. They cannot let LeSean McCoy or whoever starts at RB tonight for Philadelphia to get easy yards on the ground. Getting Alan Branch back in the middle of the defensive line will help. Branch, along with Red Bryant, must be a force in the middle to halt the Eagles ground attack. If the Seahawks can make Philadelphia a pass happy team tonight, they have a good shot.

3) Limit the penalties.

Game after game, penalties have been an issue for Seattle. They rank second behind only Oakland in terms of total penalties this season, and they need to cut down on this number. Penalties can lead to a loss, as evident in last week's debacle against the Redskins. The Seahawks must play clean and composed football to beat the Eagles.

The Verdict:

Both teams are coming off disappointing losses last Sunday. With the short week, the advantage has to go to the home team. With the Eagles being without Michael Vick and Jeremy Maclin, and perhaps LeSean McCoy, they will not be able to put up as many points as they could with a full roster. Seattle and Philadelphia both have 4-7 records as well. But Philadelphia was expected to do more this year, and therefore one has to question their motivation level tonight. In the end, the edge lies in the home crowd and a more motivated Seahawks squad. 

Seahawks 24-20