Seattle Seahawks: A 2010 Wishlist

(Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)

Well Seahawks fans, we're six games in, and let's face it.

All is not well.

Sure, we've seen the Seahawks clicking at times.  Against the Rams and Jaguars, the 'Hawks looked pretty dominant, but at the same, any intelligent fan tempered their excitement, as the Rams have won precisely zero out of their last, well, sixteen. 

It's also even more apparent now than it was in Week Five, that the Jaguars are not good either, as they managed to eek out a 23-20 overtime victory against that very same Rams team.

But we have seen glimpses, such as Week Three, when most believe that the Seahawks should've beat the Chicago Bears. We've also seen the defense nullify Maurice Jones-Drew, one of the elite backs in the league.

So what's to be said?  Who's to Blame?

Many point to injuries, again, and while it is certainly a root cause, it could've (and should've) been avoided.  We all knew Patrick Kerney has been through more operations than most military veterans.  It wasn't as though before this season Ray Willis, Chris Spencer, and Sean Locklear had been the perfect picture of health, either.  It didn't take an expert chronologist to calculate the age of Pro Bowl left tackle Walter

Jones, and these others, with the exception of Kerney, are the guys you are relying on to keep oft-injured QB Matt Hasselbeck healthy.  Throw injuries to Trufant, Hill, Mebane, and nagging injuries to Lofa Tatupu in, and it can't be denied:

This is a problem.

Many point to the secondary.  Certainly, also a root cause.  Ken Lucas returned to Seattle to be a more physical presence at corner back, and while he hasn't been exactly what Seattle had hoped, he hasn't been the issue, necessarily.  Trufant (see above) has yet to see the field, as he seems to have been exposed to whatever contagious syndrome was to blame for Hasselbeck's back problems.  Grant, as is the norm, has probably been the most reliable player in the secondary, and Babineaux has yet to show the "big play" potential that many had hoped for, his lone interception on the season being off of a Kurt Warner hail mary in Week Six.  It cannot be denied that, while not a vast improvement, an improvement nonetheless.

Still, a problem.

Many point to coaching and offensive play calling.  Coach Jim Mora has often been praised for his intense offseason conditioning.  Seems as though this should've held injuries off, if only a bit.  At times, the Seahawks have looked like the most prepared team that their opponents have faced.  At others, they've looked like Charleston Southern hosting University of Florida.

—My apologies, I saw an avenue to remark on weak out of conference scheduling and, well, I took it—

Offensive play calling has at times looked, well, offensive.  Week Six and you're down by seventeen in the third quarter, the entire running game has yet to amass ten yards, so obviously, you call two straight draw plays.  Down to a fourth string left guard and left tackle, you expect your quarterback to hang in the pocket against the weak side blitz. 

Play after play.  I know, I'm no coordinator, but perhaps sliding the protection, and calling a few designed bootlegs to the strongside, even just to get a bit of rhythm going, would've been an idea.

In short (or not so short) these seem to be the main issues, in my opinion.  But fear not Seattle fans, for with Christmas rapidly approaching, I have begun to draft my Christmas wishlist, and I'm giving all my wishes to the Seattle Seahawks.

Wish One:  Shop Deon Branch, Patrick Kerney, Leroy Hill, and Seneca Wallace.

Branch has yet to live up to his paycheck in Seattle, as well as the first round pick that Seattle gave to New England to acquire him.

Kerney's production has decreased as steadily as his cost and surgeries have increased.

Hill has been an asset, when he is both healthy, and used properly, however, when he has been absent, the personnel put in his place have performed admirably.

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