Seahawks Pick Up Tackle

General Manager John Schneider of the Seattle Seahawks didn’t waste any time on Monday after the offensive line had their worst performance far as running the ball. The team actually had thirty-three runs and thirty of them were by quarterback Russell Wilson.

A team that considers themselves a running team that is pretty pathetic. Even a passing team does a better job than that. So Schneider knew that he had to go out and get someone. It was important also because the trade deadline ends today Oct. 31.

The Seahawks picked up Duane Brown from the Houston Texans the team they just played on Sunday. It was Brown’s first game of the season because he was a holdout over his contract. It sounds like a mutual parting of ways.

The Seahawks traded cornerback Jeremy Lane along with 2018 fifth round pick and 2019 second round pick. Brown is thirty-two years old so probably doesn’t have much time left however the Seahawks felt they needed an offensive lineman and they went out got one of the best at left tackle.

 

This coming Sunday we will get the answer whether it the offensive line that is the major problem or the running backs. I am sure we know the answer already or the trade wouldn’t happen. Way to go Schneider and the Seahawks for addressing the offensive line. I am sure to have any chance to make it back to the Super Bowl they had to do it. News is that Russell Wilson had his contract adjusted so that Brown would fit under the salary cap. Go Hawks!!

Seahawks and Texans Slug it Out

I would not call it one of the great NFL games of all time when it comes to playing football however it may have been one of the most entertaining especially in the history of the Seahawks.

In the middle of the fourth quarter I did figure the game would come down to the last team that had the ball to win. Technically the Texans had the ball with twenty seconds left however that was after Jimmy Graham was wide open and scored the touchdown. I am sure we were all surprised that the Texans had no one on him when he scored. He went right down the middle of the field without a touch. In fact the CBS announcers were surprised and believed that the Texans made a bad decision.

When it came to pure football the Seahawks didn’t deserve to win the game. They had some lucky chances to win the game and the team that is supposed to be run first ran for only one yard in the entire game. At one point they mentioned on the broadcast the Seahawks had one run of four yards as the longest and I don’t recall anything more after that. In fact most of the yards were negative.

In the previous games the poor running game I am sure were not sure whether it was on the running backs or the offensive line. In this game it was obvious the offensive line. Why it is obvious because almost every time the ball was handed to the running back the Texans defense was already behind the line of scrimmage. Even a great runner like Marshawn Lynch who could break tackles I don’t think would have on Sunday.

I believe it was in the middle of the fourth quarter when in my mind the Seahawks need to go out and get a new offensive line or at least forget running the ball most of the time.

Oh yes I can’t forget the final score it was 41-38. I was very impressed by the rookie quarterback Watson of the Texans. This was the first game that I have seen him play. At least in the NFL and I don’t recall whether I saw him play in college. One thing he didn’t allow the crowd in Seattle bother him at all and he was able to get the ball to the receivers except a couple of times on interceptions. The key interceptions were the ones by Earl Thomas that tied the score at 7-7 and the one by Richard Sherman in the fourth quarter.

Russell Wilson sure had one of his best days passing for the Seahawks throwing for over 400 yards and the spectacular plays especially by Paul Richardson and the other receivers in Doug Baldwin, Tyler Lockett and tight end Jimmy Graham. This game put on by Graham shows that likely the Seahawks won’t be trading him any time soon unless they are given a good offer. In fact they may sign him up since he will be a free agent at the end of the season. The Seahawks finally found a way to use him. Now all they have to do is the same with the running backs or the offensive line and likely both. The Seahawks can’t rely on Wilson making miracles every Sunday but who knows. Now they are tied with the Los Angeles Rams at 5-2. The Rams had their bye week along with Arizona.  Go Seahawks!!

This Week in Northwest Sports

The big three football programs take the field again this weekend. The Washington Huskies are the first taking on the UCLA Bruins in Seattle. The Huskies had a bye week so they have time to rest though they have had several key injuries so far in the season. I won’t get into them however they do hurt the Huskies though they have good depth on the team.

The Huskies now have to rebound after a solid defeat to Arizona State on the road. UCLA does have a good passing attack however the Huskies defense should be able to keep them at bay. The Bruins are an average team having a 2-2 record in the conference and is seated fourth in the south division of the Pac-12. In all they have a record of 4-3. The Huskies should win the game however the offense has to rebound from a poor performance and the field kicking needs to improve especially if they are in close games. They may have won the game against Arizona State if they had made all their field goals.

Washington State Cougars take on Arizona in an evening game at 6 pm. The Cougars recovered from loss two weeks ago when they won last week. The Cougars can’t afford to make mistakes especially on the road this week. Arizona has a good team as well being 3-1 in Pac 12 and 5-2 overall.  Unlike past seasons the Cougars defense has been playing pretty good this season so they have a chance to win.

On Sunday the Seahawks take on the Houston Texans in Century Field. The Seahawks are favored by six points however it will be important that they get off on good tracking in the first quarter. They haven’t had a good first quarter as of yet this season. It must start with the running game.

The Seahawks this week signed veteran and former all pro defensive end Dwight Freeney. The Seahawks needed depth for the loss of Cliff Avril who out for the season and maybe his career is over. How much Freeney plays this week will be seen. Since he has been around for fifteen years it is hard to know how much is left in the tank. If he can give the Seahawks a few rounds to spell the other defensive ends that is all they expect.

In soccer (American style) the Seattle Sounders have a bye for the first round of playoffs being the second seed. Again this season the Sounders started off slow but came along in the second half to make the playoffs. Last year the Sounders won it all for MLS championship. All the Sounder fans are hoping for this too repeat again this year. We give them the best to do so.

The Houston Astros the Mariners rival won the second game of the World Series rebounding in the late innings to beat the Dodgers in Los Angeles 7-6. They had travel day off on Thursday and return to Action in Houston. Not an easy task however to win the World Series they have win all the games In Houston. Right now it looks like this series will be exciting enough to go to the seventh game. Whatever the case us baseball fans will enjoy and be thrilled. Now we have to see what tricks that Dipoto has up his sleeves to get the Mariners into the playoffs and hopefully the World Series next year. Go M’s.

Mariners Look at First Base

All Mariner fans know that the priority of the off-season is pitching especially in the starting rotation however far as the regular everyday lineup they have to look at first base.

The two guys who played the majority of time at first base are now free agents; Danny Valencia who began the season as the regular first baseman and Yonder Alonso who they picked up from the Oakland A’s in August.

Alonso says that he would be interested in returning to the Mariners however whether he does or doesn’t will depend on what the asking price is on the open market. Alonso had his best year including being in the all-star game. Haven’t heard about Valencia either from him or the Mariners; he is likely come at a less expensive price than Alonso. There is a possibility that the Mariners could resign both of the guys and have them platoon once again although Alonso will likely want to play every day. Valencia on the other hand can substitute at third base and play the corner positions in the outfield.

Right now Daniel Vogelbach is the only first baseman on the forty man roster. If the Mariners decide to keep him and not resign either Alonso or Valencia the Mariners could go with Taylor Motter as the right handed hitter in a platoon situation if he is still with the club as the utility player. If he isn’t whoever is the utility player could do the same at first base. There is a good possibility that Vogelbach could be traded by the Mariners during the off-season. A lot will depend on how they feel about him as an everyday player at first base. With Nelson Cruz still being the designated hitter Vogelbach would have to wait another year at least to fill that spot. Cruz has one year left on the contract he signed with the Mariners as a free agent. Depending on he does in 2018 the Mariners will have the choice whether to bring him back in 2019 or not. At this point Cruz is not looking at slowing down.

Former Mariner Logan Morrison who had his best year in the majors with the Tampa Bay Rays is a free agent as well. I am not sure whether the Mariners will look at bringing him back or not. Although I like the guy I am not sure whether I would want him once again. Whatever the case it still comes down to how much money the Mariners have for pitching and who they can go after. Go M’s.

Seahawks Beat Giants

The Seattle Seahawks Friday afternoon beat the New York Giants in New Jersey 24-7. The Seahawks have never lost in the stadium there.

Again the Seahawks had trouble offensively in the first half. This time though Jimmy Graham dropped to passes one in the end zone and the other was a long side line pass. Both of them went right threw his arms. He did make up for it by catching a touchdown in the second half in the same way the pass in the first half went through his arms. The Seahawks offense looked totally different in the second half. What made things alright was the defense who gave up seven points however that was after a Thomas Rawls fumble.  

Coach Pete Carroll continues to say they want to be a running team however they continue having problems doing so and then they have to rely on the passing game. One of the running backs has to step up because it is important that the running game is successful if they are going to get off to a good start. This will allow the passing game to improve as well. The only thing that really helped them out in this game though they looked terrible in the first half they at least had the ball a lot longer than the Giants did. I believed this helped them become successful in the second half as well.

Right now the Seahawks are being given six points over the Houston Texans who they play next week in Seattle. Not a large amount as a favorite. They give the home team three points for playing on their field so that leaves three points if you look at that way. So according to the so-called experts the Seahawks are not favored by much. This means that they have to get going in the first quarter for the first time this season. It would be nice to get a touchdown or at least a field goal in their first possession of the game. The offense can depend on the defense to continue bailing them out.

In baseball the World Series starts Tuesday night with the Houston Astros against the Dodgers in Los Angeles. This should be an interesting and outstanding series. I am not rooting for either team however I may root for the team that wins the first game. In any case it will be good to have an exciting series. One thing I do know that we can measure how much more the Mariners will have to improve to make it to the Series next year or after that. The first thing is get into the playoffs whether they get to the series or not. We may have to see them make baby steps. My next report on the Mariners will be about the first base position and after that I will go into the starting pitching. There won’t be any action during the Series on transactions by the Mariners however we should find November to be interesting. Dipoto has made his multi-player trades so far in November. So put on your seat belts and go M’s.

Seahawks Offensive Line and More

Again this season like several before the question is the offensive line. In past years it had a lot to do with the passing game while this season so far it looks more like the running game. So the big question is the problem with the line or the running backs.

Rookie Chris Carson seemed to be able to do a good job when he was in the game and then he was hurt. He is now out for some time. He may come back near the end of the season. Thomas Rawls who has been hurt more than healthy hasn’t done the job and Eddie Lacy hasn’t done the job either.

We look at two other runners as well. J.D. McKissic seems to be doing the job in limited action coming in on third downs primarily. He has taken the place of C.J. Prosise who does a great job when he is able to stay healthy. His problem is that he hasn’t been able to. The Seahawks believe he can be the everyday back as well but we wonder since he isn’t able to stay healthy.

The Seahawks are going to be without Luke Joeckel on the line for the next four to six weeks. At least that is the estimated time anyway. The questions will the line be better or worse without him. Most likely we won’t be able to tell for a couple or three weeks. So our answer about the running game will still be in question. The passing game could be worse without Joeckel as well. Other words Russell Wilson could be running for his life. Whatever the case is the running backs have to setup. I figure if Marshawn Lynch can work with a mediocre line than these others guys need to try. I believe the Seahawks signed Eddie Lacy because they thought that he was the Lynch type. If he isn’t than they need to look to replace him.

In other news Cliff Avril was put on the injured reserve which means he is likely done for the season. He is thinking whether the injury will keep him out the rest of this season or for his career. We do hope that he returns because he is a good guy besides a good player. Frank Clark who has been in reserve looks like his replacement for now. The Seahawks are hoping that he steps up to another level. They believe he is capable of doing so. Michael Bennett is expected to play however I am sure his time on the field will be limited to his toe injury.

I was surprised the New York Giants won their first game of the season last Sunday over the Denver Broncos after having so many injuries the week before. This shows the Seahawks can’t take them lightly especially on the road. The Seahawks have struggled on the road though they did beat the Rams in Los Angeles. I thought it was a lucky win and the Seahawks need to start off faster than they have been to be sure of a victory. Go Hawks!!

The Mariner Minor Leagues

                                       Kyle Lewis Mariners Number One pick in 2016 and
                                       number one prospect


 

The Seattle Mariners minor leagues are the players they use to develop for the major league squad or for trading to get established players that they are in need of.

Under Jack Z. and Bill Bavasi the farm system was terrible. Actually Bavasi was the main celebrate just Jack Z wasn’t able to turn things around. The Mariners are hoping to now under Jerry Dipoto. The Mariners have developed a few pitchers however in recent times Kyle Seager and Mike Zunino have been the only everyday players that made it to the major leagues. In the year that Kyle Seager was drafted the only other player to make it to the major leagues was Dustin Ackley who was the second overall pick in that draft. He wasn’t a success because most believe he was rushed to the major leagues too fast. This last season he played at  the Los Angeles Angels triple A team so he trying to make back to the major leagues. Zunino most feel he was rushed to the major league as well by Jack Z because of the lack in catching the Mariners have had. In 2016 the Mariners had Zunino play most of the season at triple A until there was an injury to the backup catcher. He started 2017 in Seattle but was sent down in May for almost three weeks because he started off slow batting way below .200 and having one home run. When he returned he had a good rest of the season though he had times where he struggled again. In June he was the Mariners hottest hitter though he tailed off in July and August but had a good September. He ended the season with twenty-five home runs. Some are wondering whether the Mariners should sign him to an extension. My answer would be no until at least May. The Mariners should see whether he can start off the season where he left 2017. If he can I would consider signing him to an extension in the middle of the season.

Right now the Mariners have ten pitchers in their top thirty prospects. The rest of them are mostly infielder and outfielders. Andrew Moore who came up a couple times during 2017 is not considered one of the prospects and likely because he pitched too many innings. Kyle Lewis the number one prospect who is an outfielder and drafted number one in 2016has had some injuries since signing with the Mariners. The number three prospect is 2017 top draft pick first baseman Evan White who struggled with injuries as well when he signed. My thought is the Mariners should think first before sending their top picks to minor leagues after signing since it has been a problem. I would have them work out in Peoria until at least the Arizona Fall League or the next spring training. 

Right hander Nick Neidert who is the number two prospect spent most of the season at single A Modesto though he did end the season at double A. I wouldn’t be surprised if he starts the season at double but then is promoted to triple A Tacoma. Sam Carlson who was the second draft pick in 2017 struggled with injuries as well. He was drafted out of high school so we won’t see him any time soon.

Outside of the top four prospects I would have no problem trading any of them since the odds are great that they won’t make the majors unless it is Daniel Vogelbach at first base besides the pitchers. The players the Mariners in the past they traded that were mistakes like Jose Cruz and Jason Veritek were top draft picks.  We just hope that the Mariners can develop more players that make the start lineup. Go M’s.