Stillers vs. Seahawks Pregame Analysis (Game #8, @ Seattle)
The bumbling 2-5 Stillers travel to Seattle to face the 5-2
Hawks.� The Hawks won't be in too
pleasant a mood, having given away a game to the Bungals last weekend.� �
* When the Hawks have the ball, they'll be led
by QB Matt Hasselbeck.� The former Boston
College standout has developed into a good NFL QB. �His INT total has been a bit sour this season -- 7 thus far,
including 3 in last week's loss to Cinci -- but aside from that he's had a solid
2003.� The ground game is led by RB
Shaun Alexander, who is right at the cusp of being among the elite all-around
backs in the league.� Alex is having a
fine campaign, gaining 4.4 yard per crack on the ground and adding 24
receptions.� Alex is aided by FB Mack
Strong, who, no pun intended, is a fairly strong FB.�
The receiving corps is deep and dangerous.� Darrell Jackson and Koren Robinson lead the
team in receptions, with Jackson averaging an incredible 19.1 YPC.� Bobby Engram chips in quite nicely as their
#3 receiver, and TE Itula Mili gets into the act with 16 catches.�
�
The O-line is led by the left side of the line, manned by LT Walter Jones and
LG Steve Hutchinson.� The line's ability
really drops off after that.� Center
Robbie Tobek, RG Chris Gray, and RT Chris Terry are about as average as they
come.� Of course, unlike in Pittsburgh,
Seattle's coaching staff hasn't pissed and pouted about not having 5 all-pro
linemen to man their offensive line; they've merely made do with what they've
got.�
The key matchup will be Seattle's trio of WRs,
against the Circle-Triangle Defense (no corners, and a dunce cap on
top at free safety).� I haven't been
able to confirm this, but word out of Seattle is that the Seahwks receivers are
having fist fights over who will get his turn to toast and torch the Stiller
secondary in the downfield passing game.�
Imagine the battle among a group of beggars that spot a $20 bill on the
ground, and you get the gist. �The
Seahawk trio has to be licking their chops at the prospect of running through,
past, and around the NFL's very worst secondary.� The only benefit in favor of the Stillers, is at least 2 of these
receivers are questionable with sore ribs.�
Seems they laughed so hard from watching films of Holt and Bruce abuse
the Stiller secondary, that they pulled some muscles in the rib cage area.�
* When the Stillers have the ball, their
sagging offense hopes to take a page from what Cinci was able to do in their 27-24
win over Seattle last week.� Bear in
mind, of course, that Kitna was remarkably efficient and threw 2 TDs and no
picks, while Rudi Johnson garnered for 101 yards on 27 carries.� The Stillers haven't seen that kind of QB
nor RB play all season, so it may be a bridge too far to expect that from the
Stillers this weekend.�
Maddox's play has plummeted to the lowest it's ever been in
his short tenure with the Stillers.� The
worst part of it is his tentativeness and his complete lack of confidence.� He's so timid that he's aiming
the ball instead of throwing it.� Perhaps
playing on the road will loosen him up.�
At RB, the great savior, aka The Tubby Tailback, Jerome
Bettis, got his first start this season last week and did little more than
nothing.� He fumbled once and averaged a
whopping 3.5 yards per rush.� Amoz Zereoue,
of course, was all but entirely removed from the offense, rushing a token 2
times and 2 receptions.�
The Seattle defense has a nice blend of free agent
acquisitions and good draftees.� The
D-line is solid, led by DE Chike Okeafor and DT John Randle.� Antonio Cochran and Cedric Woodard round out
the DL, with able backup work done by Norman Hand and Brandon Mitchell.� The LB corps is as good as it gets in this
day of free agency.� Leading the way is
former Stiller Chad Brown, who should have been the player signed in spring 1997,
not Fat Boy Bettis.� Randall Godfrey --
a very shrewd offseason signing -- and Anothony Simmons round out this superb
LB trio.� ��
The secondary is young but very talented.� This year's #1 and #2 picks, Trufant and
Hamlin, are starters, not bench-rotters who are "still learning the scheme
and still trying to get a feel for the defense".� Ken Lucas, a 2nd round pick in '01, works at CB, and former Chef
Reggie Tongue wags his tongue at SS.�
Shawn Springs and former Stiller Willie Williams serve as capable
backups and nickel-dime backs.�
The key matchup will be none this week.� Quite honestly, I see no matchup that the
Stillers can possibly win.� Running the
ball against this front 7 will be fairly fruitless, and passing the ball in the
face of a good rush and a good secondary will be as daunting as playing blackjack
while blindfolded.� If Seattle shows up
to play, this could be very ugly.��
* Special Teams: �Former Stiller Tom Rouen handles the punting chores.� Josh Brown, who has hit a 58-yard FG this season,
handles the PK tasks and has had a fine season thus far.� Maurice Morris and Kerry Carter handle the
KOR chores, while Engram works the PRs.�
The Stillers are coming off a rare, but good, spec teams effort, the
lone bright spot in the loss to the Rams.�
��
Key Individual Matchups:
* Robinson, Jackson, and Engram against the Circle-Triangle
Defense.� Seahawks officials should
discourage women and children from attending.�
This matchup could be as ugly and gruesome as a self-immolation.�
* FB Dan Kreider vs. the Hawk LB corps.� If the Stillers are going to run the ball, Kreider
is going to have to slam heads and lead the way.�
* CBs Trufant and Lucas, vs. Plex and Ward.� Big dawgs against big dawgs.
* Randle El vs. the Seattle punt coverage.� El had the 84-yard TD return last week.� Rouen is prone to poor boots with shallow
hang time.�
�
* Synopsis: The Stillers have long had their struggles
in Seattle, starting way back in 1981 when backup QB Cliff Stoudt broke his
hand on a mechanical punching bag after a close loss to the Hawks.� The Stillers are struggling and
underachieving, while the Hawks are in the thick of the NFC playoff race.� Seattle took Cinci lightly last week.� They won't make the same mistake this
week.� The demise of Billy Cowher will
continue, as the Hawks will prevail, 29-17.�