SB Nation Blog: John Morgan

Fireworks

John Morgan — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 17:19:32 -0000

Loud

Flashy

And Explosive.

Season Retro: The Objectivist

John Morgan — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:19:05 -0000

Matt Hasselbeck

Stats*

*Includes all games minus Week 10, Divisional Round and the second half of Week 3 and the first half of week 1.

Highlights

9/9/07

The series ends with Morris making a tumbling catch in the endzone for the score.

Let's start with the first play of the drive. Leonard Weaver's in as the lone back. Seattle's in a three wide, single tight formation. Weaver pops into the flat, Beck scrambles for three, but what's interesting here is that after the play ends Beck chews out Weaver seemingly because he ran the wrong formation or was supposed to stay back and block. Flash ahead to the presnap huddle on the seventh play of the drive. The Hawks only have 10 men on the field, and once everyone gets to the line of scrimmage that becomes clear. Someone, possibly Holmgren, calls a timeout from the side line. Beck, again, is visibly agitated. The camera zooms on him approaching Holmgren and I think I see his lips say: something, something "Wide Open".

The following formation is similar, but now instead of three wide and a single back, the Hawks start 3 wide with an I back formation. Presnap Morris motions to the left and you can see Hasselbeck watching as Derrick Brooks shadows out on coverage. It's really almost too obvious. The play starts, Beck looks right briefly and then keys on Morris running a fly pattern. Beck launches a real lofty pass, lots of arch, and Morris nearly loses the ball in flight, but is so wide open that he manages to catch it while crumpling into the endzone. I don't know if this was all planned together, if the ten men in the huddle was an attempt to see the Bucs coverage, or who spotted the obvious mismatch, but this is a great example of strategy conquering talent. Seattle scored that touchdown through sheer guile and almost in spite of Morris' efforts. It wasn't a by Websters trick play in true, but it was an obvious attempt to deceive the Bucs D and it worked to near perfection. Just fun football there.

11/4/07

Hawks ball, 2:07 on the clock, Seattle down by three. Beck scrambles for 11, completes a pair of dinks to Bobby Engram, the second for the first and midfield. Next play, Beck surveys left, turns right, ignores Weaver, stutter steps and then whips the ball into double coverage. Incomplete. Drive alive. Game alive. With 1:21 remaining, Beck drops back and finds Hackett on the edge for 15. The Hawks are at Cleveland's 35 and within Brown's range. One play later, it's 2nd and 6, 54 seconds remain in regulation. Mike Holmgren calls a run, Morris nets 4 hard earned yards, but 22 seconds are run off the clock. Next play, incomplete pass - it's now second and ten, the Hawks are 15 yards from the endzone, but with no timeouts. 18 seconds remain. Draw. Morris picks his way through the scrum, breaks an arm tackle, finds space in the second level, but is corralled at the Browns 4 yard line with time slipping away. Beck quick-spikes it. Brown converts the field goal. Overtime.

12/3/07

On his touchdown pass to Bobby Engram, Beck audibled Will Heller into an H-back position, and Shaun Alexander up and to his right in a wing back position. He did that, presumably, to pick up the Eagles' not at all disguised wide blitz. Funny, though, Alexander slipping up and out (almost) into the flat seemed to freeze Joselio Hanson and allow Engram to split the Eagles' zone. Were Alexander in his original position behind Beck, 5 yards behind the line, Hanson likely disregards Alexander, picks up Engram, and then who knows? Sometimes you make one right read and get another free for the effort.

Lowlights

11/4/07

It's 3rd and 7, following a 7 yard Morris run, following a 4 yard Alexander loss, and the Hawks are set in a 4 receiver 1 back set. After the snap, Beck takes a three step drop, stares down Bobby Engram, pats the ball just so the defensive backs can be sure he's about to throw and whips the ball into double coverage. Had he not stared down the receiver, the pat might not have mattered, had he not patted the ball, Sean Jones may not have been so sure that he could break on the route, but when you stare at one and only one receiver from the get go and then pat the ball just so everyone knows you're about to throw it, anything but a pick is a sign of luck or defensive incompetence.

12/3/07

Just a terrible game for Matt Hasselbeck. Terrible. Since I've been tracking the Hawks, I've never seen a game where Beck was so inaccurate, or worse, so bad about throwing into coverage. Every pass I note whether Beck's throw was accurate, underthrown, overthrown, into coverage or tipped. In most games Beck's accuracy rating is 70%+. On Sunday he was accurate on just a shade under 59% of his passes. In the fourth quarter he was especially bad, accurate on just 30% of his passes. So, he didn't have a bad fantasy day, his QB rating, a somewhat bad but not awful 78.92, and as for a meaningful stat, his DPAR was a more indicative -2.2, but though I haven't compiled information for the entire season yet, I think this was likely his worst game of the year. One more reason the Seahawks were lucky to survive on Sunday.

1/5/08

This is about as close as you'll ever see to me breaking news: Beck was playing hurt. Oh, you knew that? Well allow me to elaborate. On Beck's first pick, he sidearms the throw. An not just a little bit, but so that his arm is almost flat. I noticed a stretch of plays where he was throwing almost every pass this way. Beck does stare down Bobby Engram and that allowed Landry to jump the route, but the pass was slow, floated and so underthrown that Engram breaks his ankles trying to get back to it. Funny, too, because that's the last pass Beck threw like that. Maybe it just hurt less, and as a long as he could get away with it, he would.

Outlook

In 2007 Matt Hasselbeck set career highs in passing yardage, touchdowns and quarterback rating. Whoopee. Within Mike Holmgren’s broadcast and pass offense, he also set a career high in attempts. Attempts beget yardage and touchdowns and touchdowns disproportionately bolster quarterback rating. But throwing a lot and wracking stats does not a valuable quarterback make. The best metric available, DPAR, lists 2003 (87.3) and 2005 (88.4) as more valuable seasons than 2007 (77.0).

It’s wrong.

2007 was Matt Hasselbeck’s best season as a pro. His two best receivers, Hacks and Branch, missed snaps like it was going out of style. To say the running attack evaporated is to imply it disappeared, but it didn’t disappear, no, over 207 attempts the Alexander Express bore an oozing fistula into the heart of Seattle’s offense. The Hawks passing attack manifested in animated or reanimated castoffs, role players and backups. Marcus Pollard, 9.5 DPAR. Leonard Weaver, 6.7. Bobby Engram, 32.0. Mack Strong, 2.5. The Objectivist expanded his read, found plays wherever across the field, and on 72% of his passes, found openings, opportunities and made completions. For 18 games, Hasselbeck put 10 men on his back and created the semblance of offense.

Matt Hasselbeck will play most of the 2008 season a young 33. Behind a potentially dominant line, and with Sea Change improvements at running back and tight end, he may feel very young indeed. 2005 young, but with 2007's maturity. And barring any Mutations, 2008 should be Beck's best season ever--according to stats, according to analysis, and according to fan's everywhere Beer Can fueled memories.

Season Retro: Walter Jones

John Morgan — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 21:20:53 -0000

Walter Jones

Stats*

Blown Blocks: 16

Good Blocks: 4

*Includes all games minus Week 10, Divisional Round and the second half of Week 3 and the first half of week 1.

Highlights

9/16/07

Most importantly, Walter Jones looked himself, dominating defenders and cutting off the edge rush.

12/9/07

The next drive starts with a really nice block by Jones. We talk so much about blown blocks, or pancake blocks, but the best block is the doin' your job block. Joe Tafoya (remember him?) attempts a spin move and Jones freezes him halfway, so that Tafoya is neutralized and the two make a very short conga line.

1/5/08

Walter Jones looked fleet, spry.

Lowlights

9/9/07

Both of Seattle's sacks allowed on Sunday were unequivocally Walter Jones' fault. In my Matchupalooza preview I mentioned he would be facing a very quick young pass rusher, Gaines Adams, and that if he had lost some lateral agility that Adams would be well suited to expose it. The good word is that Jones had no problem with the speedy young end, nor did he look at all overmatched against the rest of Tampa Bay's various ends and tackles that he squared off against. Athletically, Jones looked tip-top, mirroring well on his slide steps, pulling with ease, purpose and velocity and generally looking like the franchise left tackle we have come to know and love. How is it that he allowed two sacks then? Counter-intuitively, not because the 11 year veteran has slowed a step or lost some explosiveness, but because he blew his assignment. They were mental errors.

The first occurred on Seattle's drive stalling flea-flicker in the second quarter. The play looked pretty sloppy to start, with Alexander badly selling the run and lateraling a sloppy pitch back to Beck. Needless to say, the Bucs weren't fooled, but Jones was. Marcus Pollard was deigned to cut off the outside pressure along the left while Jones was working the stop-the-free-rusher job often assigned to centers. In other words, Jones had no set defender to block, but instead was assigned Alexander's rushing lane (that turned into a pass rushing lane after the pitch back). Jones spied the hole for a split second and then got distracted by something happening to his right, at this point Jermaine Philips flew right behind him and had Hasselbeck dead to rights. The whole play was botched, Pollard didn't stop the edge rush, Alexander didn't sell the run, Beck couldn't find a free receiver and hesitated to throw but the sack falls squarely on Jones who simply blew his assignment.

The second sack allowed is simpler but more troubling. On third and three of the Hawks second drive of the third quarter Greg Spires made an outside move and though Jones shaded him well Spires froze him and simply darted around his outside shoulder untouched. You don't see Walter Jones freeze up like that and I can't help but think he might have been protecting his left shoulder. Once Spires had a step on Jones to the outside it looked as if Jones just didn't want to risk sticking his left arm out there and potentially being reinjured.

A combination of caution and cluelessness might be expected from a player who missed most of the preseason because of an ailing left shoulder. I'm not too worried about the blown assignment, but if Jones is favoring his left shoulder so badly that he fears putting an arm on Spires one must worry about Jones' health. This is a developing story worth watching.

12/6/07

Walter Jones and Rob Sims are still working on their chemistry. Sometimes I'm not sure if Jones is simply blowing his assignment or if he just expects Sims to do something else. Jones completely missed pass blocking the outside against Mike Rucker, nearly leading to a sack and/or turnover. I have to credit Jones with the gaffe, because, that's how it looks. I can't know if Sims was supposed to pop outside, but can say if he had, about three rushers would have poured through untouched inside.

Outlook

In my soaring, many-buttressed vision of the 2008 season, a crack exists that spans roof to foundation. Best as I try, through faith and historical precedent, to patch that crack, it won’t mend. And the ghouls that peak through, hungry, quick-footed and relentless, keep me awake at night.

Walter Jones is no longer the great left tackle he once was. The pattern of his failings makes me fear that injury, swift decline or an amalgam of each is very possible. Throughout 2007, when a defender reached the end range of Jones’ left arm, the point at which should he wish to maintain the block he’d be forced to hyper extend his arm, even slightly, Jones would bail. He’d disengage the block, sometimes attempt to reassume a comfortable position by moving his legs and then reengage the block, sometimes simply accept he was beat.

Unlike his enshrined peers, Jones is not capable of receiving in-game wonder cure, Cortisone, much less rank and file painkillers like Vicodin, Codeine, Anaprox, Indocin, Percocet and Percodan. Combined with his age, 34, his history of shoulder injuries and his gingerly, almost protective play...a bad, bad feeling wells up inside.

The good news is that the shoulder injury and intolerance for strong medicine are old news. Trials Jones endured, conquered for many seasons now. His play is no longer the once in a generation, freak-nastiness of the early Oughts, but his combination of solid pass blocking and sturdy, sometimes dominant run blocking still places him among the league’s best offensive tackles. He’s more than championship caliber. Healthy. Healthy, he’s more than championship caliber.

Football Explained: Safety

John Morgan — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 23:08:31 -0000

With this post I wrap the position portion of Football Explained. Yes, we only covered the defense—the standard 4-3 defense, but I have much planned between now and the full press Hawks coverage that we try to run August-May. Offense and special teams will just have to wait until 2009-Rigamortous. After we look at the safeties, I’ll again diagram a few actual plays from 2007.

Here’s the tentative itinerary for the next month:

The completion of the season retros, again with stats thanks to my beautiful and, yes, indispensible wife. Prior retros missing stats will be updated. Remember, every season retro is linked to the Field Gulls official depth chart. Names link to season retrospectives for veterans and best available content for rookies. Also, the positions, CB, WLB, RDT, etc. are now linked to their corresponding Football Explained post.

What does it all mean? A look at how different stats correlated with different outcomes. How costly was it when Tatupu blew a tackle? Grant blew an assignment? How beneficial was a Bernard penetration? A Mebane forced double team? I think it will be a lot of fun.

Seahawks All Time Fantasy Draft. We’ve got four GMs including me. A fun look at the Hawks history: different voices, different memories, different priorities. Bernard or Nash? Tez or Beck? Boz or Rouen?

Let’s get down to business.

Glossary

8 in the Box: Usually, when a safety is both between the two offensive tackles (horizontally) and within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage (vertically). 8 in the box is used to counter runs plays, but is weaker against passes, especially the deep pass.

Play Action: Via Wikipedia: A play action pass is a type of American football play. The play action, or "PA" for short, appears to be a running play, but is actually a pass play; in this way, it can be considered the opposite of a draw play.

Soft Shell: Denotes a sideline to sideline deep zone. In a Cover 2, the soft shell is comprised of two deep safeties. In a cover 3, the soft shell is comprised of 3 DBs, typically one safety and both outside corners. The goal of a soft shell is to defend against the deep pass and allow greater freedom to freelance by coverage defenders playing “under” it.

In many regards, the tools and responsibilities of the corner are the tools and responsibilities of the safety. Safeties are much more likely to play zone than man coverage, but may man-up against slot receivers and tight ends. Safeties are more likely to play deep, but, then, are also more likely to play shallow. The responsibilities of a safety vary quite a bit from scheme to scheme and personnel to personnel. Some safeties are primarily run stoppers and short zone DBs—the 8th man in the box. Others play mostly in a soft shell. Even the designation of “free” and “strong” safety can be deceiving. Some teams, like Seattle, use the two positions interchangeably. Others simply assign their safeties the left or right half of the field regardless of the offense’s formation. The most important, defining and universal duty of the safety is the “deep zone” so I’ll expand upon that a bit.

Deep Zone

The classical safety assignment is the deep zone. A safety must “keep everything in front of him” or not allow an offensive player to “get behind” him. The position name “Safety”, then, is a metaphor derived from the sense of safety a deep defender provides. A deep zone can be as shallow as 15 yards past the line of scrimmage, or deep as abutting the goal line--like when defending against the Hail Mary.

Despite a very simple directive, deep zone coverage can be one of the most difficult, demanding and debilitating duties of a safety. Difficult because of the discipline necessary to maintain deep cover despite not directly participating in many offensive plays. Difficult, also, because of play designs (like play action) intended to dupe the safety into deep zone dereliction. Demanding because a safety playing in a deep zone must cover a very large expanse of field; half the field in a Cover 2, or the entire field in a Cover 1. Quickness, speed, but, moreover, efficient angles, recognition and anticipation of how a route will develop distinguish great safeties from adequate safeties from Michael Boulware. (Yes, I’m doing the “D” thing on purpose.) Debilitating because safeties that cannot contain the deep zone die a thousand deaths before being traded to the Texans.

Free safeties are more likely to play in a deep zone, while strong safeties are more likely to be the 8th man in the box.

Who Is Courtney Taylor?

John Morgan — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 23:06:04 -0000

April 30, 2007, I wrote...

By this time next year Taylor could be pushing for a starting job and Seattle could have moved another overpaid wide receiver (cough* Burleson cough*) for another draft pick.

Burleson lingers, but Courtney Taylor is indeed on the shortlist for a starting spot. It’s funny then that this second year player, foisted with some weighty expectations, is still largely anonymous. Today I want to explain briefly why I was fond of the initial drafting of Taylor, why I thought he’d be in the starting mix this season and expand on what Seahawks fans can expect from him in 2008.

In 2002…

Rivals.com ranked Courtney Taylor a 3 star prospect at "athlete". Taylor earned that ambiguous designation after playing quarterback and corner in high school. He was also a standout in track and basketball. Scouts were certain Taylor wouldn’t survive at quarterback, and his future as a DB was nearly as murky, but tools alone forced a bidding war between Auburn and Alabama. On February 6, Taylor signed with the Tigers.

Taylor redshirted his freshman season. He would contribute in four seasons, but his sophomore and senior seasons stand out. In both, Taylor topped 700 yards receiving. 700 yards is not superficially spellbinding, but a meaningful adjustment should be applied. His sophomore season Taylor caught 24% of his team’s total receiving yards. Senior: 31%. That’s not Donnie Avery (40%) or Jordie Nelson (47%!) territory, but it’s fair comparable to fellow SEC standout Dwayne Bowe (30%). His 707 yards receiving his senior season came on an offense that attempted only 22 passes a game and only 282 for the season. Rodgeriqus Smith scratched 452 yards receiving, 232nd in NCAA 1-A. No other Tiger topped 300 yards.

In 2007…

Scouts liked Taylor’s mix of size (6106/204), athleticism, production and fast developing skills. Early projections considered Taylor a 3rd to 4th round talent. A couple things happened between then and Taylor’s eventual selection in the 6th.

First, underclassmen Calvin Johnson, Dwayne Bowe, Robert Meachem, Anthony Gonzalez, Teddy Ginn Jr, Sydney Rice and Dwayne Jarrett declared eligible for the draft. All but Rice and Jarrett would be taken in the 1st round. Rice was selected 44th and Jarrett 45th overall in the 2nd. That influx of talent, including a prospect breathless scouts dubbed Randy Moss without baggage, Johnson, and two top twenty receivers in 2007 (by DPAR), Gonzalez and Bowe, helped turn 2007 into the most talent rich wide receiver class since 1996—at least. Middle class receivers like Taylor concurrently slipped.

Second, Taylor flipped tits at the Combine. He ran a 4.5/40, 44th among 50 invited receivers, confirming the fear of many that he was too slow to play in the NFL. In positional drills, Taylor again disappointed, missing (purportedly inaccurate) passes and doing little to assuage fears that he was but a college wide out.

Seattle selected Taylor in the 6th round. 13 picks later, Seattle added an all-potential compliment, Jordan Kent, to Taylor’s poise and polish.

In 2008…

Taylor is known as a top route runner. As I wade deeper into football analysis, I realize "route running" isn’t a tremendously descriptive phrase. Specifically, Taylor runs a precise line and excels in the quickness and precision of his cuts. Taylor is excellent at that almost irreducible skill of "faking guys out". He creates separation into and out of cuts.

Taylor adjusts his speed so that he runs through the pass. After the catch, he moves a bit like a running back: close to the ground, with a choppy, medium length stride that generates speed and power. He’s agile, takes good lines to space and breaks arm tackles. He’s not "dynamic" like Steve Smith, but is quick, tough and opportunistic—a consistent if containable run after the catch threat.

Taylor’s game is little Darrell Jackson, a little Nate Burleson. And like the former, he gets hurt. Taylor has yet to suffer the string of ever more severe knee and toe injuries that (perhaps) prematurely eroded Jackson’s tools, but has the profile and history of the easily nicked, slow recovering wide out that tantalizes with potential from the trainer’s table.

It’s the mark that mars an otherwise exciting talent, but it matters. In between the scrapes and sprains, Jackson was Seattle’s best wide out. Taylor can be as a good or better.

Everybody underestimates the kick in the groin.

John Morgan — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 23:46:37 -0000

Seahawks Depth Chart: Defense

John Morgan — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 18:39:36 -0000

Defense/Offense

Free Safety	Strong Safety

Brian Russell MikeGreen Jordan Babineaux	Deon Grant CJWallace Jordan Babineaux

Right Cornerback	Dime Back	SLB	MLB	WLB	Nickelback	Left Cornerback

Kelly Jennings Josh Wilson Jordan Babineaux	Jordan Babineaux Kevin Hobbs Rich Gardner	Julian Peterson Leroy Hill	Lofa Tatupu DDLewis Julian Peterson	Leroy Hill Will Herring Lance Laury	Josh Wilson Jordan Babineaux Kevin Hobbs	Marcus Trufant Kelly Jennings Josh Wilson

Right DE	Right DT	Left DT	Left DE

Darryl Tapp LawrenceJackson JasonBabin	Brandon Mebane Red Bryant Howard Green ChrisCooper	Rocky Bernard Marcus Tubbs Craig Terrill Larry Tripplett	Patrick Kerney Baraka Atkins Nu'uTafisi

Season Retro: Leonard Weaver

John Morgan — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 21:16:54 -0000

Leonard Weaver

Stats*

*Includes all games minus Week 10, Divisional Round and the second half of Week 3 and the first half of week 1.

Highlights

10/14/07

Leonard Weaver offered some small antidote to our rushing woes by way of receiving. When the ball hits his hands he's off, proving a mismatch for New Orleans linebackers. His ability to be a true threat out of the backfield gives Seattle's split-back and to a lesser extent I-back formations new life. With Pittsburgh, and in the early going, New Orleans sitting on our receivers deep, Weavers' ability to explode from underneath could provide an invaluable scheme buster.

11/18/07

Weaver had a fantastic half, and though he's not quite Strong's equal as a run blocker, he's so far better as a rusher and receiver that he's a net upgrade. Weaver busted some heads on his one run, but it was the play where he turned an improvised Beck dish into a drive changing third down conversion that I want to break down. It's 3rd and 5 on the Hawks second to last drive of the half. Seattle is split four wide, with Weaver in the backfield. The Bears bring pressure, Beck escapes, scrambles left, sees Weaver open and delivers a low line drive. Weaver grabs the pass, knocks Trumaine McBride out of his shoes, stays in bounds with a graceful tip toe and nets 8 yards and the first. What makes this play so exciting is the combination of sure hands, power and grace that Weaver displays. Few receivers in the league can blow up a DB one moment and then tiptoe inbounds for a first the next. Gold Star.

11/25/07

Weaver put an end to the madness and blocked a blitzing Witherspoon on a crucial third down conversion. Weaver has improved tremendously as a run and pass blocker since the preseason contest against the Pack.

12/9/07

On the fourth play of the Hawks' second drive, Clancy Pendergast cued up a nifty little five man blitz. Four interior rushers stunted into the line, creating confusion and occupying all five primary blockers. That allowed Matt Ware to come free from the outside edge. Unfortunately for Ware and the Cards defense, Leonard Weaver had his blocking shoes on. Ware is 6'2, 214; a somewhat large DB. That made it all the more fun to see him shot into the air. The funniest part, Weaver blocks Ware and then looks bemused by the results - like he's awed by his own strength.

1/5/08

Weapons Grade Plutonium: A lot of things went right to allow Weaver to rush 17 yards for the score. Foremost, Weaver is an excellent rusher for a fullback. After the snap, Spencer pulls out, but doesn't engage his man. Nevertheless, his presence still functions as a pick, which Weaver exploits perfectly, running behind Spencer until he has a clear angle to the right then cutting towards the sideline. That's where Engram is performing a very determined downfield block. Not dominant and maybe not even legal, but the officials were extremely permissive of holds, and what Engram did was by no means the the worst display of holding I saw in this quarter. (That would be Stephon Heyer grabbing a hold of Kerney's jersey and then falling backwards to the ground, taking Kerney with him.) At this point it's all up to Weaver to smell endzone, and he's does so admirably. Even getting airborne to cross the pylon.

Lowlights

10/7/07

Weaver badly blew a block on Alexander's lone meaningful rush. First play, first Hawk drive of the second half, and the type of blown block that gives you chills. He didn't whiff squaring up against a defender or get caught in traffic, he just ran into his own O-Line, right into Chris Gray's back, so that once Alexander bounced the ball outside, as he's wont to do, Weaver was behind Alexander.

1/5/08

Weaver: Right now, Weaver is a better rusher and receiver than Mack Strong ever was. That's not dig on Strong either, who had some solid seasons. What Weaver can't compare to Strong on is awareness. As a blocker, Weaver runs readily and makes solid contact. Because of his feet and overall strength, Weaver has the potential to be a very good blocker, but he just doesn't always know who to block. That's pretty crucial, of course. On the 3rd play of the Hawks 3rd drive, Morris was dialed up to run off tackle. The Skins' Marcus Washington is walked up to the line, clearly positioned for a run blitz, or a read/react run blitz, but Weaver, whose lead blocking out of the "I", runs past Washington and engages an irrelevant DB. Washington shoots in untouched and Morris eats it for a loss of 3. Good discipline by Mercury here to not attempt to escape a broken play, but the result still effectively kills the drive.

Outlook

Mike Holmgren is an execution coach. He’s not flashy or innovative, but uncompromising and disciplined. Execution without innovation is a Honda Accord. Innovation without execution is an Edsel. Execution without innovation is Philip Roth. Innovation without execution is your bespectacled roommate that loiters coffee shops, two books apparent (a heavily dog-eared A Reader’s Manifesto and an immaculate as a slab of marble 77 Dream Songs), with alcoholic affectations and a thousand blank notebooks. But though uncompromising dedication to execution has earned the former schoolman a spot in the Hall, it’s not without blood. Slippery speed back Ahman Green springs to mind.

Leonard Weaver nearly suffered Holmgren’s wrath. Had the Walrus still been the man with the phone, Weaver may not have survived the preseason. Had he not, it would have been a debilitating loss. Weaver is a talented rusher and receiver with developing blocking skills. His execution is still primitive, but he’s a recently converted tight end faced with an abbreviated learning curve. As sure as his imperfections glared under the hot August sun, his passion and potential burned through the cold winter months. Weaver has a fistful of talent and the soul of a hustler. It’s too bad this might be his final season in Blue. So, with Owen Schmitt aboard, does Seattle unleash the scariest power package in the NFL (Burleson, Schmitt, Carlson, Weaver and Duckett) or do Weaver’s rough edges force him to the periphery? Execution is irreplaceable, but so is talent.

Five Fearless Preseason Predictions

John Morgan — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 21:53:41 -0000

The preseason is my favorite part of the football year. The season--I live and die. The preseason--I sit and root. For the team, the youth, the scrappers, the hacks and the hanger-ons. The big egos sit and the hungry kids fight for employment. And none of it matters a damn. I love the preseason because it’s about stories and who’s gonna make it and who’s gonna surprise. It’s frivolous. It’s fun.

So is the spirit of this article. Potshots welcome.

John Carlson will be the story.

Seattle expects Carlson to start week 1. He’s been in and out of camps courtesy a gimpy hamstring. I expect Holmgren and company to give Carlson a crash course in the West Coast come preseason: lots of snaps, lots of targets and lots of minutes. Carlson has just the skill-set to torch opponent’s second and third stringers. He’s an excellent route runner and a surgeon at dissecting zones. The preseason is about getting players up to speed and evaluating talent. The fire zone can wait. I expect to see Carlson streaking down the seam against a grip of cover 2 zone and cover 2 man. He won’t Stevens it up.

Seattle will shutout an opponent.

The Hawks have silly defensive line depth. In the third quarter, against the Bears and Raiders second string offensive lines, Seattle will roll Red Bryant, Marcus Tubbs, Craig Terrill, Larry Triplett, Lawrence Jackson, Baraka Atkins and Darryl Tapp. That’s just not fair. Lance Laury and Will Herring aren’t superstars, but both are quick and technically sound. Seattle’s second string corners are Josh Wilson and Kevin Hobbs. The Hawks are a deep, young defense and against a pair of talent poor and gold leaf thin offenses, not only will they shut someone out, they’ll explode for a second half defensive rout.

Jordan Kent will do something incredible.

I’m picturing scramble left, Wallace to Kent for 70 and the score.

Olindo Mare will beat out Brandon Coutu.

I wasn’t fond of the Coutu pick and I think he’s the Hawk’s most precarious player. So far, all I’ve heard about Coutu’s performance is explanations: Nerves, inexperience—BS. I think the kid’s lost a few ticks off his fastball. His senior season his kickoff average plummeted to a Mike Vandejagt-like 59.0 and he notched only one touchback, but 3 kicks out of bounds. I expect Mare to completely outclass the rookie.

Charlie Frye will suck.

…And the search for a backup quarterback continues.

Madden 2009

John Morgan — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 19:44:42 -0000

Now, who wants to scores 60 TDs with Owen Schmitt?