Even though this is pretty much a futile effort since you can never predict things like injuries, I thought I'd volley in with some thoughts on the Seahawk schedule and how I think they might do this year. First off, it's a brutal road schedule. A lot of 10am Pacific time games which as we all know are the Seahawks kryptonite, regardless of coach or personnel. We get the NFC East and AFC North teams, two of football's toughest divisions. And for what seems like the 13th year in a row, we have to go to Chicago, which apart from Pittsburgh (Week 2's opponent) might have the worst field in the league. In any case, on to the predictions:
Week 1 - At San Francisco and America's Crappiest Stadium. Maybe a little optimistic, but I see a win. SF has a rookie head coach that's decided to hang on to the ultra-bust Alex Smith at QB. I think ultimately the 49ers can put some wins together but like the Hawks, they will suffer more heavily than most from the lockout.
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Week 1 - At San Francisco and America's Crappiest Stadium. Maybe a little optimistic, but I see a win. SF has a rookie head coach that's decided to hang on to the ultra-bust Alex Smith at QB. I think ultimately the 49ers can put some wins together but like the Hawks, they will suffer more heavily than most from the lockout.
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Week 2 - At Pittsburgh. Going out on a limb here, but I see a loss. If our O-line plays like they did in the 2nd preseason game, James Harrison might rack up 6 figures worth of fines driving Tarvaris into the ground.
Week 3 - Home against Arizona. This is a win. The Hawks have been great in home openers the last number of years and count me as one that just doesn't see the greatness yet of Kevin Kolb.
Week 4 - Home against the Dirty Birds. Unfortunately, I think this is a loss. Atlanta came in here and handed us our lunch last year and I don't see that changing.
Week 5 - At the New York Football Giants. If this is at home, I think we can win since the Giants have lost a lot of pieces in the offseason. But since it's in the swamps of New Jersey and an early game, I just can't see a win.
So we're at 2-3 going into the bye week
Week 7 - At Cleveland. You'll have Mike Holmgren, Pete Carroll, and as we found out on KJR this morning, Jim Mora all in the same building. Thankfully the Cleveland Browns will also be in the building and I see this as our 3rd win.
Week 8 - Finally back home to take on Cincinnati. You have to feel bad for Bengals fans. They are truly the Clippers of the NFL as far as just inept ownership. They built a new stadium with taxpayer dollars and Mike Brown promised them a winner. As with a certain President promising unemployment wouldn't go above 8% if we gave $787 billion in gifts to the unions and state governments, it didn't happen. I'm seeing a win for the Hawks.
Week 9 - At Dallas. Like Chicago, it seems as though the Hawks always have to go there. If only they kept Wade Phillips around, the Hawks might have a chance to take advantage of the incompetence. Another early game in a place where we never win...I'm seeing a loss.
Week 10 - Home against Baltimore. This is going to be another tough one, especially if the O-line hasn't come together yet. However, it'll also be Joe Flacco's first experience with the irresistable force that is the 12th Man. I'm thinking the Hawks find a way to squeak out a win at the buzzer.
Week 11 - At St. Louis. Lately, the hole that is the Edward Jones Dome has caused some problems for the Hawks. I'm seeing this trend continue, particularly if Sam Bradford can avoid the Sophomore Jinx. Hawks lose.
Week 12 - Home against Washington. So begins a string of 3 in a row in the friendly confines of Seahawks Stadium. Washington's one of the few teams that have as big of a mess at QB as the Hawks. But I think the Hawks are an overall better team than the 'Skins and our place is a bit of a house of horrors for them. Hawks win.
Week 13 - Thursday night at home against the Eagles. These Thursday night games suck. We can't tailgate since we have jobs and traffic is a nightmare as you have 67,000 people trying to get into town as twice as many are trying to get out. Philly made a lot of big moves in the offseason and as long as Michael Vick doesn't trot out a repeat performance like he did against the Steelers on Saturday (3 INT in the 1st half) the Eagles probably win. The only redeeming thing will be the potential return of the Vick Has Herpes chant in the men's bathroom.
Week 14 - (Cue Hank Williams Jr.....) Monday Night Football at home against St. Louis. The Hawks have a pretty decent record on Monday Night, particularly since moving into Seahawks Stadium. If I'm remembering correctly, St. Louis hasn't won here since 2004 and they won't do it this year either. Hawks win.
Week 15 - Back out on the road to Chicago. You can almost guarantee it'll snow since that's what happens when the Hawks visit Soldier Field. So as a result, you can guarantee that the field will be in worse shape than ones you played on in junior high. The pouty Jay Cutler will probably have a field day again and Julius Peppers will devour whoever's replacing the injured Okung at left tackle (you know he'll be injured again). Hawks lose.
Week 16 - Home against the Brawling 49ers. If you didn't see the news over the weekend, apparently the wine and cheese crowd is no more. Dual shootings in the parking lot, fights in the stands, and a fight in the bathroom that left one guy unconscious apparently are all in a day's work at a preseason game against the Raiders. Fortunately, Alex Smith's pictures of the coaching staff still have him on the team so we can count on a few over throws and the Hawks should be able to march to victory.
Week 17 - New Years Day in Glendale. The Hawks go to Arizona to end up the season. If Arizona has nothing to play for, I see a Hawks victory. If they're still in it (absolute possibility in this division) then I think the Hawks are in trouble since we seem to have nobody able to cover Larry Fitzgerald. However, count me as one who doesn't buy the Kevin Kolb hype. I think he's the latest incarnation of Scott Mitchell and Robb Johnson. I see a Hawk victory to end up the year.
So that puts the Hawks at 9-7, very much in the hunt for a division title unless somebody else comes from out of nowhere. Yes, it's optimistic. Yes, it's probably a little homer-ish. But you know, everybody's talking down this team. Few, if any, believe they can even trot out another 7-9 year. When the general public feels like that, you know you have to go the other way. The bookies in Vegas aren't driving around BMW's because they went with popular opinions.
Week 3 - Home against Arizona. This is a win. The Hawks have been great in home openers the last number of years and count me as one that just doesn't see the greatness yet of Kevin Kolb.
Week 4 - Home against the Dirty Birds. Unfortunately, I think this is a loss. Atlanta came in here and handed us our lunch last year and I don't see that changing.
Week 5 - At the New York Football Giants. If this is at home, I think we can win since the Giants have lost a lot of pieces in the offseason. But since it's in the swamps of New Jersey and an early game, I just can't see a win.
So we're at 2-3 going into the bye week
Week 7 - At Cleveland. You'll have Mike Holmgren, Pete Carroll, and as we found out on KJR this morning, Jim Mora all in the same building. Thankfully the Cleveland Browns will also be in the building and I see this as our 3rd win.
Week 8 - Finally back home to take on Cincinnati. You have to feel bad for Bengals fans. They are truly the Clippers of the NFL as far as just inept ownership. They built a new stadium with taxpayer dollars and Mike Brown promised them a winner. As with a certain President promising unemployment wouldn't go above 8% if we gave $787 billion in gifts to the unions and state governments, it didn't happen. I'm seeing a win for the Hawks.
Week 9 - At Dallas. Like Chicago, it seems as though the Hawks always have to go there. If only they kept Wade Phillips around, the Hawks might have a chance to take advantage of the incompetence. Another early game in a place where we never win...I'm seeing a loss.
Week 10 - Home against Baltimore. This is going to be another tough one, especially if the O-line hasn't come together yet. However, it'll also be Joe Flacco's first experience with the irresistable force that is the 12th Man. I'm thinking the Hawks find a way to squeak out a win at the buzzer.
Week 11 - At St. Louis. Lately, the hole that is the Edward Jones Dome has caused some problems for the Hawks. I'm seeing this trend continue, particularly if Sam Bradford can avoid the Sophomore Jinx. Hawks lose.
Week 12 - Home against Washington. So begins a string of 3 in a row in the friendly confines of Seahawks Stadium. Washington's one of the few teams that have as big of a mess at QB as the Hawks. But I think the Hawks are an overall better team than the 'Skins and our place is a bit of a house of horrors for them. Hawks win.
Week 13 - Thursday night at home against the Eagles. These Thursday night games suck. We can't tailgate since we have jobs and traffic is a nightmare as you have 67,000 people trying to get into town as twice as many are trying to get out. Philly made a lot of big moves in the offseason and as long as Michael Vick doesn't trot out a repeat performance like he did against the Steelers on Saturday (3 INT in the 1st half) the Eagles probably win. The only redeeming thing will be the potential return of the Vick Has Herpes chant in the men's bathroom.
Week 14 - (Cue Hank Williams Jr.....) Monday Night Football at home against St. Louis. The Hawks have a pretty decent record on Monday Night, particularly since moving into Seahawks Stadium. If I'm remembering correctly, St. Louis hasn't won here since 2004 and they won't do it this year either. Hawks win.
Week 15 - Back out on the road to Chicago. You can almost guarantee it'll snow since that's what happens when the Hawks visit Soldier Field. So as a result, you can guarantee that the field will be in worse shape than ones you played on in junior high. The pouty Jay Cutler will probably have a field day again and Julius Peppers will devour whoever's replacing the injured Okung at left tackle (you know he'll be injured again). Hawks lose.
Week 16 - Home against the Brawling 49ers. If you didn't see the news over the weekend, apparently the wine and cheese crowd is no more. Dual shootings in the parking lot, fights in the stands, and a fight in the bathroom that left one guy unconscious apparently are all in a day's work at a preseason game against the Raiders. Fortunately, Alex Smith's pictures of the coaching staff still have him on the team so we can count on a few over throws and the Hawks should be able to march to victory.
Week 17 - New Years Day in Glendale. The Hawks go to Arizona to end up the season. If Arizona has nothing to play for, I see a Hawks victory. If they're still in it (absolute possibility in this division) then I think the Hawks are in trouble since we seem to have nobody able to cover Larry Fitzgerald. However, count me as one who doesn't buy the Kevin Kolb hype. I think he's the latest incarnation of Scott Mitchell and Robb Johnson. I see a Hawk victory to end up the year.
So that puts the Hawks at 9-7, very much in the hunt for a division title unless somebody else comes from out of nowhere. Yes, it's optimistic. Yes, it's probably a little homer-ish. But you know, everybody's talking down this team. Few, if any, believe they can even trot out another 7-9 year. When the general public feels like that, you know you have to go the other way. The bookies in Vegas aren't driving around BMW's because they went with popular opinions.
