Seahawks, Two Super Bowl Appearances Without A Top 40 Receiver ???

[HUGGY]

NOW Seattle has arguably one of the most productive pass catchers in the NFL.

Seattle has appeared in two successive Super Bowls with nary a receiver breaking into the top 40 in the NFL. Most of Wilson's misses were because he had no open receiver to throw to. Now Seattle has by several polls the best TE in football.

Top 10 in 2014 The best tight ends in the NFL today cover32 Page 5

1. Jimmy Graham

Seattle may be the best running football team in the NFL but except for the unusually high numbers in 20 plus yard plays the Hawks have been consistently near the bottom in receiving yards.

Wilson to Graham will change all that. Even if Graham has just an average year by his standards, around 1,200 yards, the Seahawks pass yardage will increase to around 4,500 yards and place them in the top 5 for 2015. They were just out of the bottom 5 last season.

The running game should improve from number 1 to number 1 way ahead of any other team because Graham will make it impossible to stack up in the box to stop Lynch. For the Offense it will be a win-win situation.

It should even help Wilson's rushing numbers because the "spy" will more often than not be preoccupied with helping defend against Graham.

How good can the Seahawks be if they had a truly #1 receiver?

We are about to find out.

 

[HUGGY]

I waited a week and for Max Unger to finally go to N O and pass his physical. I let all of the pros and cons sink in about the trade.

Will the Hawks go undefeated? Probably not. But they will totally destroy almost every team they face in 2015.
For Graham it's a win-win because he can do more with less. With the Seahawks and their Defense he will get more opportunities starting with shorter field position. As often as the Hawks won in their last two seasons they gave away a whole lot of points having to settle for field goals in or near the red zone. That is the territory where Graham excels.

The Hawks were never beaten in the last two seasons by more than 10 points. And that was the exception as that occurred only twice in nearly 50 consecutive games counting the last half of 2012. Most of the Hawk losses were from less than 7 points. 2013 13-3 2014 12-4. In 2015 the Hawks should do no worse than 14-2 in the regular season. HFA in playoffs definitely win a berth in SB # 50. If the LOB can remain intact and healthy for the SB, unlike last season's team, the third consecutive appearance for the Hawks should look like the first one against Denver. A BLOWOUT!!!

Go Hawks!

 

[mack20]

Sorry, but no. Gronkowski is superior to Graham in every way.

 

[HUGGY]

Sorry, but no. Gronkowski is superior to Graham in every way.

I'm not sure I would say Gronk is better than Graham in EVERY way. Gronkowski is arguably the best TE in football. In spite of the fact that Gronk's stats are a bit better than Graham's many national pundits and magazine writers consider Graham the best receiving TE.

That isn't the point of this thread tho.

The POINT is that Graham is leaps and bounds better than any receiver the Seahawks have had in the last two seasons. What the POINT is that with the way Wilson destroys defenses by extending plays and with Lynch already one of the top running threats the only thing missing was a receiver that could OWN the intermediate yardage as far as being a dependable go-to target. Graham IS that missing piece of the offense we needed to give the style of play the Hawks do an added level of dependability which translates to more 2nd and 3rd down conversions to 1st downs an more importantly more TDs in the Red Zone.

The fact remains indisputably that the Seahawks have made it to the SB for two straight seasons with mediocre receivers. The reason that we have been so successful is because Wilson develops chaos in opponents secondaries when he breaks containment. About half the time even our below average receivers get open for long yardage. So what if we go from 50% completions in those circumstances to say 75% completions when defenses can't contain Wilson? THAT means a whole lot more first downs and a lot more scoring. It means TDs instead of FG attempts. It means instead of 9 points from three FGs we get 21 PTs from 3 TDs. It means an average of 36 PPG instead of 24.6 PPG. The best scoring teams last season had just a fraction over 30 pts per game.

Ya it would have been sweet to get Gronkowski. We didn't though..we got the next best thing. It will most likely be good enough.

 

[LA RAM FAN]

Edit out.

 

[LA RAM FAN]

I keep forgetting,since this site does not allow you to quote just part of a post anymore,here it is.

Will the Hawks go undefeated? Probably not. But they will totally destroy almost every team they face in 2015.


yep with the aquisition of Graham,EASILY one of the top 5 priemier tight ends in the game,maybe even top three,this will really open things up for that offense for the first time for a full season in wilsons career in seattle.

With the aquisition of Graham,as i said on BP'S thread,this will probably be enough to offset pete the cheat taking payoffs to throw a superbowl.

With Graham there to throw to for a full season,even pete taking a payoff again to try and throw the game again wont work for him next time i doubt.

 

[Paulie]

This is the kind of pickup that's going to get Wilsons stats up to the level of national pundits admitting finally that he's in the discussion of the great qb's playing right now. He tends not to be included in that top 5 status for reasons that I just can't comprehend. I would take Russell Wilson over all but maybe 2 QB in the entire league, and id be willing to even put him second after Rodgers. The way the guy manages a game and keeps the offense moving and avoids taking hits is second to maybe only Rodgers. It isn't JUST the defense that is taking Seattle to the big game every year. This guy with real weapons to throw to is just nasty scary.

 

[Paulie]

With the aquisition of Graham,as i said on BP'S thread,this will probably be enough to offset pete the cheat taking payoffs to throw a superbowl.

With Graham there to throw to for a full season,even pete taking a payoff again to try and throw the game again wont work for him next time i doubt.

Dude you could suck the fun out of a fucking pornstar orgy. Not EVERYTHING is a conspiracy. I mean the 9/11 shit, ok I get it.. But sports is supposed to be an escape from all the political bullshit. How do you even enjoy sports at all when you believe the entire thing is really just going to be the result of conspiratorial tampering?

 

[LA RAM FAN]

With the aquisition of Graham,as i said on BP'S thread,this will probably be enough to offset pete the cheat taking payoffs to throw a superbowl.

With Graham there to throw to for a full season,even pete taking a payoff again to try and throw the game again wont work for him next time i doubt.

Dude you could suck the fun out of a fucking pornstar orgy. Not EVERYTHING is a conspiracy. I mean the 9/11 shit, ok I get it.. But sports is supposed to be an escape from all the political bullshit. How do you even enjoy sports at all when you believe the entire thing is really just going to be the result of conspiratorial tampering?

pete the cheat throwing the game was a wakeup call for me this year.if the chargers or my future LA Rams are not in the superbowl,I will never watch the superbowl again.

If the chargers miss the playoffs this year again which is a strong possibility since Rivers best years are behind him,I will not be watching any playoff games this year.

I will continue watching those two teams just to look at their cool uniform colors which are easily the coolest looking unis in the country but that's it.I wont be getting into who wins or anything knowing how crooked the game is.


People warned me here before the season began about carrol.I should have listened to them.they were right.

well at least NOW I am awake and wont be played for as a chump anymore like so so many others here and around the country will continue to be.

 

[Old Hickory]

NOW Seattle has arguably one of the most productive pass catchers in the NFL.

Seattle has appeared in two successive Super Bowls with nary a receiver breaking into the top 40 in the NFL. Most of Wilson's misses were because he had no open receiver to throw to. Now Seattle has by several polls the best TE in football.

Top 10 in 2014 The best tight ends in the NFL today cover32 Page 5

1. Jimmy Graham

Seattle may be the best running football team in the NFL but except for the unusually high numbers in 20 plus yard plays the Hawks have been consistently near the bottom in receiving yards.

Wilson to Graham will change all that. Even if Graham has just an average year by his standards, around 1,200 yards, the Seahawks pass yardage will increase to around 4,500 yards and place them in the top 5 for 2015. They were just out of the bottom 5 last season.

The running game should improve from number 1 to number 1 way ahead of any other team because Graham will make it impossible to stack up in the box to stop Lynch. For the Offense it will be a win-win situation.

It should even help Wilson's rushing numbers because the "spy" will more often than not be preoccupied with helping defend against Graham.

How good can the Seahawks be if they had a truly #1 receiver?

We are about to find out.

This work?

I know you want to talk about tight ends. That is not the solution.

Problem is, Russell is a really good game manager. He is not as good a game manager as Peyton or Eli.
Russell has a superior coach, RB, and defense to make him look far better than he really is.
So, he is a really good game manager; and with their record... no need to find a better QB.

And that reveals the problem.

No one talks about it much, but in the NFL, QBs rarely improve. What you see at the end of their rookie year, is what you get.
Vince Young is a good example. He is a fantastic, fabulous athlete -- would be a top 5 tight end if he would stoop down from his QB-or-nothing stance -- but by the end of his rookie-of-the-year rookie year, defenses had him figured out and he was history.

So.
Here is what the underlying problem is.
Hall of Famer Steve Young says the Collective Bargaining Agreement, CBA, prohibits enough practice so that QBs and receivers could get in total synch.
Consider Johnny Unitas to Raymond Berry.
They practised routes until it was so dark even owls packed it in.
But Berry knew every inch of the field, so well that once, he ran a few routes before a game at NY Giants... and announced that the field was too narrow.
He made the officials measure it, and sure enough, not only was it two or three feet too narrow on one end, it was also a foot short on that end.
Now, no receiver is allowed to practice enough to know something like that.

So.
The CBA is an egalitarian document, leveling the playing field so fewer real talents can shine, but we can celebrate mediocrity.
Hooray.

 

[TheOldSchool]

Hasn't Tom Brady won 4 superbowls without a top 40 receiver on those teams?

 

[HUGGY]

One question that needs repeating is "how does Wilson excel at finding his receivers down field enough to lead the NFL in 20 plus yard plays?"

One answer could be that Wilson flies his receivers down to San Diego for a week or more of getting reacquainted with each other during the off season. He has done this for the last two seasons.; The NFL hasn't told Wilson he has to stop these private pass and catch sessions.

Even though Wilson is dead last in throwing attempts his team leads the NFL in big plays. He is only slightly better than average in throwing accuracy at roughly better than 60%. He may be in the top 10 in accuracy. The reason he doesn't rate higher and lead in accuracy is that he forces throws to mediocre receivers that are typically covered even after he dances around and gives them time to get open.

That dynamic will change this season with Graham on the Hawk's roster if he stays healthy. Graham will get open given the extra time Wilson buys him. So will our other receivers as team's defenses will have to cheat to looking for Lynch and cheat to cover Graham. Having Jimmy on the team should make it very difficult for other teams to practice to defeat the Hawks. It's like they will need THREE SPYS!!! One for Lynch,,One for Wilson and one for Graham.

Keep watching the Seahawks dot com site and you will get notice of the extracurricular practices held by Wilson and the Hawk receivers.

 

[HUGGY]

Hasn't Tom Brady won 4 superbowls without a top 40 receiver on those teams?

Brady is still counting his lucky stars over the last one. He knows that Seattle should have won that game. It was a fluke play, although a PERFECTLY timed shoulder into Lockette...maybe a tad early....Lockette never got his hands on the ball. But I'm willing to conceede it was just an excellent play by Butler. It had never happened before is why I call it a fluke. That was the first intercepted pass in NFL playoff history on the one yard line. That fact in itself made the call a good bet by Bevell. Nine more passes in the same exacy circumstances result in a TD or at worst a wasted play and time no loss of yardage. It WAS a second down. That is obviously 4 down territory if there is enough time left.

 

[TheOldSchool]

Hasn't Tom Brady won 4 superbowls without a top 40 receiver on those teams?

Brady is still counting his lucky stars over the last one. He knows that Seattle should have won that game. It was a fluke play, although a PERFECTLY timed shoulder into Lockette...maybe a tad early....Lockette never got his hands on the ball. But I'm willing to conceede it was just an excellent play by Butler. It had never happened before is why I call it a fluke. That was the first intercepted pass in NFL playoff history on the one yard line. That fact in itself made the call a good bet by Bevell. Nine more passes in the same exacy circumstances result in a TD or at worst a wasted play and time no loss of yardage. It WAS a second down. That is obviously 4 down territory if there is enough time left.

The big fluke of the night was the catch that led UP to that play. The last play was just an incredibly dumb decision.

Btw if not for insane fluke catches, Brady might be 6 - 0 in Superbowls. Did you see his "not again" face after Kearse's catch?

 

[HUGGY]

Hasn't Tom Brady won 4 superbowls without a top 40 receiver on those teams?

Brady is still counting his lucky stars over the last one. He knows that Seattle should have won that game. It was a fluke play, although a PERFECTLY timed shoulder into Lockette...maybe a tad early....Lockette never got his hands on the ball. But I'm willing to conceede it was just an excellent play by Butler. It had never happened before is why I call it a fluke. That was the first intercepted pass in NFL playoff history on the one yard line. That fact in itself made the call a good bet by Bevell. Nine more passes in the same exacy circumstances result in a TD or at worst a wasted play and time no loss of yardage. It WAS a second down. That is obviously 4 down territory if there is enough time left.

The big fluke of the night was the catch that led UP to that play. The last play was just an incredibly dumb decision.

Btw if not for insane fluke catches, Brady might be 6 - 0 in Superbowls. Did you see his "not again" face after Kearse's catch?

Kearse's catch was awkward looking but his concentration was exactly what he is supposed to do. Yes, he fell with the ball between his legs but he composed himself enough to gain control of the ball and make it a legitimate reception. Both he and Butler made fantastic individual efforts. I dispute the Kearse catch as a "fluke". Those kind of receptions happen all of the time. Take the tipped ball that is caught by a nearby defensive back. The DB just happens to be in the right place at the right time yet is credited with making a fantastic interception. Again...no fluke because it happens all the time.

Kearse was the intended receiver and just kept staying with the ball and the eventual catch. I believe there were two Pats right there that could have easily swatted the ball away yet Kearse ended up with it as was intended.

What even made the Butler interception possible was the point of contact where Butler hit Lockette before the ball arrived was because the contact occurred inside the five yard chuck / no chuck boundary.

 

[HUGGY]

Hasn't Tom Brady won 4 superbowls without a top 40 receiver on those teams?

Stanley Morgan, Wes Welker, Brandon Stokely just to name a few that have receiver much higher acclaim than any Seahawk receiver on last season's team.

 

[TheOldSchool]

Hasn't Tom Brady won 4 superbowls without a top 40 receiver on those teams?

Stanley Morgan, Wes Welker, Brandon Stokely just to name a few that have receiver much higher acclaim than any Seahawk receiver on last season's team.

None of the three receivers you mentioned were available to Brady when he won a Superbowl.

 

[HUGGY]

Hasn't Tom Brady won 4 superbowls without a top 40 receiver on those teams?

Stanley Morgan, Wes Welker, Brandon Stokely just to name a few that have receiver much higher acclaim than any Seahawk receiver on last season's team.

None of the three receivers you mentioned were available to Brady when he won a Superbowl.

Pro Bowler Troy Brown SBXXXVI, , Dion Branch.SBXXXVIII, Dion Branch was SBXXXIX MVP with 139 yds

 

[TheOldSchool]

Hasn't Tom Brady won 4 superbowls without a top 40 receiver on those teams?

Stanley Morgan, Wes Welker, Brandon Stokely just to name a few that have receiver much higher acclaim than any Seahawk receiver on last season's team.

None of the three receivers you mentioned were available to Brady when he won a Superbowl.

Dion Branch.

What about him?

 

[HUGGY]

Hasn't Tom Brady won 4 superbowls without a top 40 receiver on those teams?

Stanley Morgan, Wes Welker, Brandon Stokely just to name a few that have receiver much higher acclaim than any Seahawk receiver on last season's team.

None of the three receivers you mentioned were available to Brady when he won a Superbowl.

Dion Branch.

What about him?

Dion Branch.SBXXXVIII, Dion Branch was SBXXXIX MVP with 139 yds