Whatthebleep? We run for 243 yards and lose? ADRIAN has one of those immortal games and we get beat at Seattle. Diseased. SIDNEY RICE throws a precision pass to ZACH MILLER and we cannot find KYLE RUDOLPH all game.
Nine-to-Noon is ready for the bitching today, and much of it will have merit. As we fly back from Completeless in Seattle, THE QUARTERBACK is sitting by himself feeling awful. He cares as much about the performances as anybody on this team and is crestfallen right now we lost again. He knows he needs to play better, but I also believe some things have to be done to help him continue to improve.
To wit, let's stop tripping over the lack of a deep game and find a way to get the young man in a rhythm. BERCICH, and Elite Analyzing Mind, repeatedly pointed it out during the broadcast today – Christian Ponder never finds a rhythm to his game anymore, and it's up to the offensive coordinator to fix that.
So, if that means a series of three-yard completions to get him going let's do it. Even if it's 3-for-3 for nine yards and a punt let's start that way Sunday against the Lions. He is lacking confidence right now, and even though he hasn't even played a season and one-half of starts it's imperative to the future of this team Christian Ponder gets going.
There will be many wondering when it's time to go to JOE WEBB, and that's not the answer because he's not the future of the spot, either. I cannot say for sure Christian Ponder absolutely is the right guy for the job here for the next 10 years, but something has to be done to help this anemic passing attack because the frustration is boiling over.
Is JEROME SIMPSON even on the team? What happened to those sweet slants we ran this preseason with him that amassed good yardage? And that Rudolph has two catches for 17 yards the last three games is inexplicible. Maybe mix in a “stick route” or five for the young man to give him a chance to break a tackle after a three-yard gain. I don't know, it just seems the passing game has bottomed out, and had we been able to throw the ball just a little today we very well could have won the game at a place nobody wins.
We need the BYE week to break some tendencies, rediscover the passing attack and chill out. And we absolutely have to beat Detroit to head into said off time with some happy feelings and a chance to pull some upsets through the final six games. Shoot, the Chicago Bears have as many defensive TD's as we have passing TD's and that's just embarrassing. Can't happen. Has to change.
Maybe Ponder is not the long-term answer at QB but he's our guy and we have to groom him. Of course we need better receivers to complement tough-guy PERCY, but creating gameplans that give him a better chance to succeed is what I am looking for starting Sunday.
Our OC was on a roll earlier this season but we all of a sudden have become easy to slow in the passing game. Our run offense is the best in the NFL, and that's even when they stack the “box” and know it's coming. But several times this year in front of halftime when we are rushing to score I have no idea what our plan is, and I was shocked late at Seattle we threw a fade to Percy given he was operating on that gimpy ankle. Guess you have to take chances with the best you have, but it looked very difficult for him to get by the corner given the injury.
So, let's do everything we can to give Christian Ponder a better chance to progress and please find ways to get Simpson and Rudolph more involved. When you run the way Adrian has the last three you are not supposed to be 1-and-2. Our defense is on the field too much because the offense is not sustaining drives. It has to be wearing down and that's leading to missed tackles. If we lose to Detroit there's a chance we lose every game the rest of the season, so stop the bleeding and head into the off week on a positive note.
... MISC: Seattle P JON RYAN is terrific. He averaged nearly 50 yards per boomer and is the best P I have seen all year.
-- Seattle rookie QB RUSSELL WILSON is the third best rookie QB we have seen this year but has a chance to be very good. He gets a little inaccurate on some easy throws but feels the pressure as well as most. He, too, has enough wiggle to avoid sacks. Russell has a nice arm, seems to have tremendous leadership qualities and a bright future in the NFL.
-- Seattle runs blocks for MARSHAWN LYNCH very well. OC DARRELL BEVELL called a wonderful game today, and they operate very quickly and efficiently. He used GOLDEN TATE wonderfully, and those two quick-hitters to him in the second half were effective. Darrell always has been good at burning the blitz, even though it didn't seem like we brought more than four many times today.
-- K BLAIR WALSH continues to shine. He drilled that bad boy from 55 and told me after the game he knew the wind was blowing right-to-left, and that's the reason the thing hooked in. He is 19 of 20 this year.
-- More Rudolph bitching. He only was targeted twice today, and there's no way that should happen. He has established himself as one of the game's best TE's and is not being given a chance to win battles.
-- We were minus two in the take-give and keep losing that key stat. We will not win the rest of the year if we keep soaring into the minus. Percy's fumble led to a big TD and we are not taking the ball enough from the adversary.
