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| Separation comes from preparation- R. Wilson |
Does it seem like this offseason lasted 7 years rather than 7 months or is that just me? As the dawn of the 2013 Seattle Seahawks season comes upon us I found myself thinking about the critical week 2 matchup against the 49ers and how it very well could be the single most important game of our season. At no point did I stop to think about this Sundays game. Why should I? I thought, it's the Panthers, a team we dispatched last year in Charlotte before we established our offensive identity. A team whose biggest free agent acquisition was Ted Ginn Jr. a top-10 kick returner at best. Yet as I watched more and more of the 2012 Panthers I realized that thought-process was a colossal mistake, this is not a Panthers team to be taken lightly.
While we left Carolina with the W they certainly made us work harder than many of our 2012 matches. On 21 carries they held Beastmode to a slim 85 yards (4.0 ypc) all the while limiting the Seahawk receivers as none had more than 70 yards. Beyond that they were able to win the turnover battle 3-1 (two int's + one fumble recovery vs one fumble recovery). If not for our stout Defense we very easily could be talking about a loss. A defense that will be missing key components to start the year, and that's where things could get interesting.
Areas Where We Should Dominate:
WR's vs Secondary: On offense Golden Tate and Sidney Rice should have no trouble creating separation from the likes of Josh Thomas (0 career int's) and 5'8 Captain Munnerlyn. Personally, I am predicting a solid days work from Tate, perhaps to the tune of 7-90 1td.
On the other side of the ball our corners should have absolutely no trouble imposing their will on the Carolina receivers. Specifically the Sherman vs Steve Smith matchup will be a fun one to watch as I am sure there is no love lost between them (Everytime I watch this I imagine Sherm audibly laughing as he's getting shoved). Brandon Browner is officially listed as questionable, so it may have to be next man up with Walter Thurmond III filling his role and Byron Maxwell manning the slot both of whom are above-average at those positions.
Run Game: This is where I expect to see the biggest difference from last years game. With a clean bill of health for our O-Line the Hawks should have no trouble creating lanes against a Panthers defense line that allowed 150+ rushing yards against the Saints, Redskins, Bucs, Eagles and Chiefs last year. I expect Marshawn to come out and have a much better game and as he dominates, the play-action and bootleg plays will flourish picking up big chunks of yards.
Areas of Concern:
The Battle in the Trenches: Ideally with a healthy front 7 this would be a strength for the Hawks yet injuries to Chris Clemons and Cliff Avril along with Ivin's 4-game suspension changes our landscape. But c'est la vie. On the edges we'll be hoping that Arizona castoff O'Brien Schofield and UDFA Benson Mayowa will be able to provide some sort of pressure, and in the middle it's a huge win that Brandon Mebane and newcomer Tony Mcdaniel are good to go but it should be noted that both are battling through groin injuries. A disruptive 6'7 defensive tackle with a penchant for batting down passes I believe Mcdaniel could become John Schneider's newest diamond in the rough a la Chris Clemons. The X-factor here is Michael Bennett as he has flashed the ability to be one of the most dominating Hybrid DT/DE in the league, I recall Pete Carroll praising him stating that Bennett has some of the most violent hands he's ever seen.
The reason why this is my area of concern isn't because of talent, it's because of discipline. The Panthers run a multitude of option plays through Cam Newton ranging from the triple-option to the familiar read-option all of which are designed to hold the linebackers and forces the d-end to commit to either the QB or RB. One of Chris Clemons most undervalued qualities was his discipline in run defense, in last years game I recall a few occasions where he completely stonewalled Deangelo Williams. If the Panthers do begin running with success then I'd expect Dan Quinn to stack the box and make Cam beat us with his arm.
On offense this is going to be a solid test for OT Breno Giacomini, fans are lightning quick to call him out because of tendency to rack up penalties and with rookie Alvin Bailey hot on his heels Breno definitely has something to play for. At D-end Carolina boasts an exceptional duo in Greg Hardy and Charles Johnson who combined to notch 24 sacks last year. One characteristic I noticed during preseason that worried me was the poor pass protection from our 1st string O-Line on 3 and 5 step drops, it is going to be crucial for our big fellas to give Russell enough time to make the his reads.
Deciding Factor = QB Play
This is what it all comes down to: Russell Wilson vs Cam Newton. With all the hype around 2nd yr QB's Luck, Wilson and RG3 (Screw off Kaepernick this is your 3rd year) fans and analysts seem to forget that Newton was the player that reinvented the read-option in the NFL. Going off for a combine 26 rushing td's in his first two years all it takes is one mistake and Killa Cam will make you pay. However it takes more than supreme athleticism to be a QB in this league, and this is where DangeRuss will make a distinction. The Cerebral Assassin will find and dissect holes in the Panthers defense as he begins the 2013 year flashing pin-point accuracy and poise that will silence any talks of a "sophomore slump".
I predict starting out with a tough few drives but for the Hawks to take command as they settle into a groove and open up the playbook. As we take a commanding lead it will make the Panthers abandon their run-first gameplan and force them into taking shots downfield, right where our legion will be waiting to lay down the boom.
Final Score: 28-14 Seahawks
It has been a brutally long offseason but we made it, and with the expectations higher than ever I personally cannot wait to see what our Hawks have in store for us this year. Brace yourself 12's, for this is the calm before the Storm.
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