Well that was a bit of a head scratcher. The defending world champion Seattle Seahawks sourly dropped a lop-sided road game in San Diego on Sunday to the tune of 30 – 21. Coming off of their season-opening thrashing of the Green Bay Packers, Seattle took their talents on the road to southern California and shriveled like raisins in the heat.
What gives? For starters, the Seahawks, along with the rest of the NFL, learned the Chargers (playoff winners from last season) remain a quality opponent.
Quality Inn
Speaking of quality road opponents, it’s been a while since the Seahawks actually beat a quality team on the road (if you exempt one particular neutral field game in February). Super Bowl aside, the Seahawks’ road performances have left a little to be desired of recent. Added to yesterday’s loss, which includes two sloppy preseason road losses to the hapless Oakland Raiders and next week’s opponent, the undefeated-and-looking-for-revenge Denver Broncos, the traveling birds are an uneven, beatable squad.
The Seahawks, of course, played no playoff games away from CenturyLink Field and concluded the 2013 regular season with two home games: a victory over the St. Louis Rams and a home loss to the Arizona Cardinals. To find the Seahawks’ last road victory, you have to go to week 15 against the flailing New York Giants on Dec. 15.
To find a quality road victory for the Seahawks, you have to go back even farther. The Seahawks lost on December 8 to the San Francisco 49ers in week 14 and won in week 10 on Nov. 10 against the cratering Atlanta Falcons. Ultimately, both of the Seahawks’ latter-season road victories were won against two teams who imploded: the 7 – 9 Giants and the 4 – 12 Falcons.
To find a quality road win for the Seahawks, you have to go back to either their 14 – 9 squeaker over the always tough (but 7 – 9) St. Louis Rams in week eight or their week seven win over the eventual 10 – 6 Arizona Cardinals. They lost to the Indianapolis Colts on October 6. Basically, it’s been a long time since the Seahawks looked good at someone else’s place against an opponent of playoff or near-playoff caliber.
Legion of whom?
How did the Seahawks’ fortunes sway so widely from their week one outing against the Green Bay Packers? For one thing, the Chargers did not decide to avoid Richard Sherman. For another, they involved their tight end. Okay, “involved” is understating it a tad. Antonio Gates had his way with the Seahawks’ Legion of Boom, in a performance that pretty much cemented his enshrinement in Canton. If Sunday’s three-touchdown bonanza didn’t get him fitted for a bust, then yesterday’s game film will at least be on a continuous loop in every sports establishment in San Diego for decades to come.
The Seahawks cannot attribute yesterday’s loss entirely to the Philip Rivers / Antonio Gates show. Seahawks running backs totaled a mere eight carries (not a misprint, in case you’re wondering). The Beast was rarely unleashed, amassing only six carries for 36 yards. Robert Turbin added two carries for seven yards. Electrifying Percy Harvin rattled off an impressive 51-yard touchdown run, but also lost six yards on his other carry.
While the Seahawks’ offense was far from outclassed, they revealed repeated difficulty in warding off Melvin Ingram and Dwight Freeney. Future opponents with viable pass-rushing talent, particularly those lucky enough to face the Seahawks at their own stadium, will no doubt be cheered by the tape Seattle put on display on Sunday.
The rematch
The week three Super Bowl rematch against the visiting Broncos has lost none of its luster, despite Seattle’s stumble in San Diego. If anything, the tension has only gone up a notch or 12. The Broncos look as good or better than the 2013 Broncos and the Seahawks, well, they’re still playing this game at home, last I checked.
The Seahawks now find themselves looking up at the undefeated Cardinals and tied with the resilient Rams and vexing 49ers in their own division, but for now, all of their goals can still be achieved. It continues with a home win next Sunday at the CLink. If they cannot hold serve and have to face the Washington Redskins on the road with a 1 – 2 record, then you can worry.
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