MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL WEEK 8 ANALYSIS

Bevell Driving Porsche Off the Cliff In Seattle. Again!

When the #2 team in the NFL -  plays the 25th ranked team - there are certain things you expect to see.  Long sustained drives by one team - followed by hopeless 3 and outs by the other. If the 25th ranked team just lost it's starting QB - you expect that in spades.

That is exactly what we saw tonight. Only it was the #2 team that only executed 1 Rushing First  Down All Night and only 5 Total. The NFL avg is 20 1st downs per game. I calculated the numbers before the game tonight on an updated system we will use next week. I re-figured the final score at (44) 35 - 9 Seattle. That must have been pretty accurate, as the Odds-makers called the over at 44 too. St Louis scored 9 points as projected. The long trip didn't keep the overworked Seattle defense from preventing a single TD. 

How does arguably the best team in the NFL nearly lose to a 25th ranked team - without it's starting QB?  It wasn't the cross country road trip. Sorry Mike. 

One simple answer: 

Play Calling!

Fact: STL has the 25th Ranked Rush Defense. 

Fact: SEA has the 5th Ranked Rush Offense - #1 by Yards Per Game.

Fact:  Marshawn Lynch is the 4th Ranked RB in the entire League. 

Fact: SEA Ran the ball only with 8 times - all Night!

I have voiced my concern over bad play calling in Seattle on several occasions: 

At the end of last season:
http://happycapper.blogspot.com/2013/01/seattle-threw-it-away-litterally.html

Also earlier this month: http://happycapper.blogspot.com/2013/10/thursday-night-footbal-week-7-summary.html

The Blame for this Falls Squarely on One Man.
Offensive Coordinator Darrell Bevell.
Or Does it?

Bad play calling cost the Seahawks a trip to he Superbowl last year.  If someone drives your finely tuned, formula one race car - into a tree - you don't let them keep the keys.  You really do have to scratch your head and ask - Who is the hell is this Guy?  I only looked him up in order to spell his name right. The more I looked into to him - the more I started to feel like Woodard and Bernstein. 

First of all - Bevell is a Perennial Loser who never played professional football himself. He was Dumped by the Cellar Dwelling Vikings -  just prior to being picked up by Seattle. Before that he was QB coach for Brent Farve in Green Bay.  Farve needed a QB Coach? Reminds me of the Horse show guy being appointed head of FEMA. The more I peeled the layers back - the more my eyes started to water. 

Turns out Seattle has fired 3 Offensive coordinators in the last 4 years. His predecessor Jeremy Bates was fired due to "Philosophical Differences" between Bates and Carrol. Josh McDaniel interviewed for the open position. That would have made sense - young creative Patriots assistant with head coaching experience in Denver. Nice pedigree. Who the hell chose Bevell?

Carroll did!  He conducted the final interview with Bevell and hired him over McDaniel. Turns out Carroll has always been mainly a Defensive minded coach. He had to hire Offensive guru Alex Gibbs to save his ass and his job at USC after a 6-6 start. (BTW - I love Pete Carroll and the college enthusiasm he brings to a team. Uncovering the truth was not pleasant for me.)

But, there you have it. Carroll hired a lackey to run his offense and has no idea how to manage him or the play calling. Blind leading the blind.  That explains the Boot, Boot, Sit Lynch, run around the backfield - strategy you saw tonight. Verses the Run, Boot, Pass I have been begging them to return to for close to a year. Guess it wasn't genius in the first place. Just a happy accident that may not be repeated anytime soon.

Too bad. I'm so tired of seeing squads of talented players - driven into the ditch by stupid coaches. Shottenheimer did it in KC by micromanaging Montana into early retirement with Marcus Allen in the backfield.  Reed did it in Philly - not running the ball with 2 backs averaging 5 yards per carry.  Reminds me of the song "Someone left the cake out in the Rain." With Lynch on one side and Sherman on the other - It's a hell of a nice cake. Too bad they put the icing on with a rolling pin.