The Enemy To The Seahawks Success Is "Road Trips"

                                                                      The Seahawk's and the big game

                                                  By Neil Spring

The Seahawks should have a good season with how the pre-season panned out. Their defense looks

good not only with the first string of the defense, (except for the secondary which is questionable), but other

than that they should be very successful. Even their second and possibly third string seem hungry to prove 

themselves in the NFL, players like Reed, and Bennett seem like future first string material. The special

teams has a good look on making big play's when it count's. The offense is back to health with Hasselbeck,

the new receiving  core (Hasselbeck's best group of guy's he's ever had, IMO) Tight end position will play a

big short yard part on the offense. The running game is very lucky to have a few easy games to gel together

so they can keep the top ten running game that Knapp is known for, and I believe that James was brought

into this franchise because of his history of the type of running scheme that Seattle has changed to. James

will not only make a difference in this team he will influence (teach) players like Forsett, Moore, and

hopefully get Jones into the player Seattle drafted him for. The offensive line is better than what the writers

make them out to be and just like the running back's they are lucky to have a few easy games to gel together

with or with out Jones I think they will make thing's come together nicely.

THE GOOD: Seattle should be a nightmare for opponents at home this year the energy that the fans

bring to the game makes the team work together at a 110% capacity  and are overwhelming for most teams

to compete like they planned before the game. Our fans are most of the time are "the twelfth man" for good

reason Seattle's team for most games are guaranteed negative thirty to fifty yards a game because of the

awesome fans. The Seahawk's have a good home record because of it's fan's, and the fact that they (do not

have to travel) I'll show you what I mean in a second. Seattle is only going to have a few big games where it

could be a challenge, but with their talent and depth they should prevail and win hopefully all of them and

go 8 and 0. If by week six they still are not all gelling together Az will pick them apart piece by piece I see

this as a big challenge to change fate for Seattle to take back the west if they win then the week off will be

full of positive thoughts and they will be dangerous in the west for the rest of the season at home. In week

seventeen they have the biggest challenge of the year outside of the NFCW with the Titans if Seattle has

their division in the bag they need to win this game to prepare for the playoffs, even if they lose and make it

a close game they will be dangerous in the playoffs, (unless they are so far ahead in win's and rest their

starters), and the only way that will happen is......  

THE BAD: Winning games away from Quest field. Seattle is known for their resilience at home but away

is a completely different team. They are so reliant on the twelfth man that most of the time I wonder if they

even showed up from home I call them the (sleep walkers) in these type of games. How they end up time

after time NOT SHOWING UP in a season is beyond me. If it is the players fault maybe he should go to bed

earlier, if it is because they did not have time to rest then the coach should have the team fly a day or two

earlier so the team has time to rest before the game and practice wherever they are at. But this is the thing

that Seattle needs to figure out if they want to make, or go deep in the playoffs, and maybe even the big

game. Even if Seattle makes it into the playoffs with a 9-7 record their chances of making a run to the super-

bowl will be like finding a needle in a hay stack. They have to win some road games in order to be

successful in the playoffs because teams play on the road most of their games, unless you have a twelve

plus win's for the season and get home advantage which is teams that win on the road to get that luxury. In

order for Seattle to make it to the playoffs and make it deep, or go to the big game they have to beat some of

these team's on the road and those teams are.....S.F. 49rs in week 2 are a team with a new attitude this year

they have a coach that they do not want to get on the bad side of, and they are a team that wants to compete

for better things than a .500 season, and possibly the division crown if Seattle loses to the 49rs then the

momentum is out of their hands till week six against AZ, plus it may have ruined their chances of showing

AZ, SF, and SL that they are the team to beat in "09 because of the first road loss of the season it could

change the year for them completely. Ind week 4 Imagine the momentum going after week 4 if Seattle beat

the colts in their own yard. The Seahawks would defiantly not be under the radar if they beat this team and

go 4 and o! Momentum would be in their court even for that first game at home against AZ at home in week

6. Speaking of Az  this will be their next challenge in order to be a playoff caliber team for the playoffs AZ

(IMO) did not really knock Seattle off of their perch because they were not really a challenge to get knocked

off Az got a free bee and it is up to Seattle to get it back in this division if they win this game and they have

done well before this game then the division is theirs for "09 with the momentum on their side. If I were Mora

at this point I would not fly the team back to Seattle to practice because their next game is north in MN. The

team would be able to practice and be refreshed for this game, unless the NFL does not allow it I would

practice in MN. This will be the DL biggest challenge yet stopping the run will be a big part of them winning

this game and if they beat AZ I think they will do just that. And last in order to be a dangerous playoff team

they have to play well against G.B. Other than IND this will be the furthest from Seattle they will have to

travel this year in the regular season and a big boost to their success in the playoffs will be winning on the

road over half way across the country.

Conclusion: Seattle has the talent to win the NFCW but they need to win on the road to be competitive

against (good second round) playoff teams Seattle will not get respect until they can do this until then

Seattle can win all the division titles they want and it will be for nothing but to brag about beating the NFCW

teams over and over (yawn) I hope Seattle figures out a way to win on the road not only in their division but

against other teams as well, or it will be another year we will have to wait to see if they figure it out next year.       

My three predictions are based on wins on the road and not winning on the road, plus coming together

as a team because of injury's.

12-4: Seattle may get a bye week and home game in the playoffs, this is what happens when you win

on the road= super-bowl 

9-7: Seattle may win the division and if they do they may pull a Cardinal run but it is highly unlikely if

they cannot win on the road.

6-12: Seattle could not get it together as a team injury's, and the road losses took a toll and the home

games were affected because of the bad misfortunes average teams competed or won against them.