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Chris Carson

Seattle Seahawks

Seattle Seahawks Vs Washington Football Team Preview

by Kevin Nesgoda
written by Kevin Nesgoda

As we look ahead to this weekend’s game, we will see the Seattle Seahawks take on the Washington Football Team. Seattle is coming off a dominant win against the winless New York Jets, and Washington is coming off a win against Seattle’s division rival, San Francisco 49ers. Washington has moved into the top spot in the NFC East and are on a four-game winning streak. Seattle is fighting to regain the number one seed in the NFC West from the Los Angeles Rams and will need to win this week’s game in order to complete that feat.

The Seahawks are favorites by six points (sportsbettingdime.com) as they head to D.C. this weekend. 

For a quick breakdown, the line for Seattle/Washington looks like this:
Straight Up: Seattle (-250), Washington (+200)
Against the Spread: Seattle (-5.5), Washington (+5.5)
Over/Under: o44.5 (-110), u44.5 (-110)

Things to Consider- 

Seattle has had their issues with The Washington Football team in the past. In fact, they have dropped the last 5 out of 6 games to Washington, a team that statistically shouldn’t have even been on the same field. It will be interesting to see if Seattle comes out and plays down to their opponent, something they have been known to do in the past.  

Rashaad Penny is coming back off a torn ACL he sustained in the 2019 season. Penny has been back on the practice field for two weeks and was just added to the 53-man roster just in time for this week’s game.

When asked, offensive coordinator, Brian Schottenheimer, stated that “He (Penny) looks terrific.” The addition of Penny gives the Seattle offense the dynamic of a pass catcher out of the backfield. Penny would be the more elusive alternative to Chris Carson and Carlos Hyde.

Penny has 65 rushing attempts for 370 yards and three touchdowns in his career. 

On the defensive side of the ball Seattle has also activated DE Damontre Moore. Moore came over from the San Francisco 49ers in 2020. While Carlos Dunlap is still injured Moore brings more depth to the DE unit. Moore has seven tackles and one sack this season in seven games played.  

For the Washington Football Team, they will rely on second year quarterback, Dwayne Haskins to fill in for Alex Smith. While Alex Smith has been playing well in his comeback campaign, he has been feeling some soreness in the surgically repaired leg and Washington is being very cautious in how far the push him. Haskins has starting experience; however, people feel that he had been rushed into a starting role. In the 2020 season Haskins has thrown for four touchdowns and three interceptions. 

Washington will also be missing their 3rd round pick and starting running back, Antonio Gibson. Gibson has been sidelined by a toe injury and missed last week’s game against the 49ers. He was a limited participant at practice on Friday and is doubtful for the matchup against the Seahawks. 

Running back JD Mckissic will get the bulk of carries against the Hawks on Sunday. Mckissic has ran for 299 yards on 66 attempts and one touchdown in the 2020 season.  

Check us out on twitter @CascadiaSN for live game updates. Kickoff is scheduled for 10:00 AM PT at FedEx Field. 

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Seattle Seahawks

Seattle Seahawks vs Miami Dolphins Preview

by Kevin Nesgoda
written by Kevin Nesgoda

As Russell Wilson, and The Seattle Seahawks take on the Miami Dolphins, we are expecting to see another high scoring game put together by the explosive Seahawks offense. With the offensive weapons Seattle has, and lack of experience in Miami’s secondary, Wilson should be able to have a field day airing the ball out. Miami’s defense ranks 25th in the league for passing yards, allowing teams to rack up around 266 yards per game. That means Russ should be able to pad his MVP stats that he has already posted so far this season.

However, Seattle has been dealing with their own injuries so far this season. Starting strong safety, Jamal Adams, who has been battling a groin injury he received last week against the Cowboys has been ruled out for this weekend’s contest. Quinton Dunbar who was acquired from The Washington Football Team, is also ruled out for Sunday’s game still battling a knee injury. This leaves Shaquill Griffin and Quandre Diggs as the only starters left in the secondary from the start of the season. Seattle will also be missing rookie linebacker, Jordyn Brooks, which means increased playing time for pass rusher Shaquem Griffin.

Touching on the running game, Miami’s defense ranks 23rd in the league for defending the run. However, with questions about Chris Carson’s health will see how Seattle shrinks his workload on the day. With it being early in the season there is no point in pushing him to far, especially with the opponent Seattle is facing this weekend. Expect Carlos Hyde and Travis Homer to handle most of the touches on the day.

Seattle’s biggest concern should be in second year back out of Washington, Myles Gaskin. He is currently averaging 3.8 yards per rush, and with injuries in the front seven Seattle will need their inexperienced players to step up and win the battle in the trenches.

In the end Seattle should win the game favorably. The way the teams is clicking there isn’t a defense that can seem to slow them down. Expect Russ to throw for over 300 yards and 3 touchdowns. I believe the defense will be able to step up and shut down “Fitzmagic” and come out on top 31-17. Kickoff takes place at 10:00 AM pacific time in Miami.

If you are placing bets on the game, the Seahawks opened up as a 6.5 point favorite, but lines have closed closer to 5 points. The Seahawks have also covered on all three wins this year and have gone over the point spread.

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Seattle Seahawks

Seahawks Surge Past Cowboys, 38-31

by Kevin Nesgoda
written by Kevin Nesgoda

In this week’s matchup we saw the Seattle Seahawks take on the Dallas Cowboys. It truly was a tale of two halves for the Seahawks, but even after battling key injuries throughout the game their offense was able to pull through and the defense was able to step up when it counted. 

The Cowboys took an early lead 3-0 lead right off the bat. Seattle was able to bounce back with a scoring drive of their own, with a deep shot down the field to the team’s leading receiver on the day, Tyler Lockett. On the following kickoff, Seattle pinned the Cowboys within the one-yard line because of a muffed kickoff by return man Tony Pollard.  On the following play the Seahawks were able to capitalize and stop Ezekiel Elliot in the backfield for a safety.  

However, after the mistakes made by the Cowboys, they were able to put together a solid drive of their own, leading to Elliot plunging into the end zone from the one-yard line and tying the score at 9-9. Again, this revamped offense led by Russel Wilson was creating some momentum when they took a deep shot down the field. As DK Metcalf was streaking down the field with five yards of separation from his defender, Russ was able to drop the perfect ball into his hands. Unfortunately, sometimes you deal with lack of football IQ with the younger players. Dallas’ defender never gave up of the play and was able to strip the ball from Metcalf where it rolled out of the back of the endzone for a Dallas Cowboys touchback. 

After what seemed to be a costly mistake, Russ and Lockett were able to connect on their second touchdown pass of the day from the one-yard line, putting Seattle ahead 16-9. Dallas, being as persistent as they are, still wouldn’t let up—Dak Prescott was able to hook up with Boise State Alum, Cedric Wilson, on a forty-yard pass that brought Dallas within one. 

With the pressure on Seattle, the team knew that they would have to put up points because of the key injuries they had on defense. Wilson didn’t waste any time as they got the ball back to put themselves in another scoring opportunity. As the clock winded down all the way to seven seconds, Wilson was able to hit Lockett for a hat trick on the day, giving the duo three touchdown connections and putting the lead at 23-15. 

At the start of the second half, the pass rush started getting to Dak and the Cowboys when Jarran Reed and Bobby Wagner were able to apply pressure and create a strip sack that was recovered by defensive end, Benson Mayowa. Mayowa returned the fumble to Dallas’ five-yard line. Following Chris Carson’s four-yard run, Wilson was able to find tight end Jacob Holllister for the one-yard pitch and catch, giving the Seahawks a 30-15 lead. 

As the game progressed, the Seahawks’ play calling got very complacent, and Dallas was able to slowly chip away at the lead. Prescott again found Cedric Wilson on a drag route across the middle, where he was able to take into the end zone for a forty-two-yard score. After another unsuccessful drive by the Seahawks, the Cowboys got the ball again down 30-22. Dallas put the pressure on when they were able to meticulously put together a nine play, eighty-nine-yard drive down the field to bring them within two points of what use to be a sizable lead held by the Seahawks. The Seahawks still seemed out of rhythm on the following drive, where again they would have to punt the ball back to the Dallas offense that seemed to build some momentum after a strong start to the second half.  

Seattle was able to control the bleeding on what looked to be another promising drive for the Cowboys and only hold them to a field goal, but at this time their lead had been decimated. If there is one thing we’ve all seen from Wilson’s tenure, it’s that no game is out of reach for him and his team. With 1:47 left in the fourth quarter, Metcalf redeemed himself when Russ found a hole in the coverage and hit him in the end zone for a twenty-nine-yard score, giving Seattle a 38-31 lead over the Cowboys. 

As the Cowboys got the ball back they were not backing down. After a surge by the pass rush in the second quarter, Seattle was not able to slow down this Cowboys offense. After what looked to be another potential scoring drive by the Cowboys, Seattle’s rookie defensive lineman Alton Robinson was able to take down Dak for the sack. Dallas was forced to burn up their final timeout and come up with a play call that would give them a chance to tie the game. On the final play of the game, with Seattle loading the field with DB’s, Ryan Neal picked off Dak’s last-stitch throw to seal the deal and push the Seahawks to 3-0 on the year. 

Notable Injuries- 

Chris Carson- Knee sprain

Jamal Adams- Groin Strain

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Russ cooks, Adams feasts in Seahawks’ 38-25 win over Falcons

by Kevin Nesgoda
written by Kevin Nesgoda


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ATLANTA ­– I’m not sure if the Seattle Seahawks’ season-opening win over Atlanta was a preview of things to come, but it sure was fun Sunday watching Russell Wilson carve up the host Falcons with surgical precision and leading the Seahawks to a 38-25 win that wasn’t as close as the score may indicate.

Wilson got his opportunity to cook and roasted the Dirty Birds for 322 yards and 4 TD passes. More impressively, Russ completed 31-of-35 attempts and finished with a rating of 143.1. Equally impressive was the team’s newest star, safety Jamal Adams, who gave Matt Ryan and the Atlanta offense fits and tallied 12 tackles, 2.5 TFL, a sack and two hits on Ryan. Adams’ versatility was certainly on display, and if Sunday was any indication, it doesn’t appear he will “get bored” in the Seahawks’ scheme any time soon.

Ryan would go on to pass for 450 yards but needed 54 attempts to do so and tossed just two scores and was picked off by Quandre Diggs. Three Falcons had 100+ receiving yards, including Julio Jones (9-157), Calvin Ridley (9-130) and Russell Gage (9-114). Ridley hauled in both TD passes, covering 18 and 7 yards.

VIEW BOX SCORE

Chris Carson – after catching just two TD passes all last season – matched that total in the first quarter with catches of 3 and 19 yards, helping Seattle (1-0) to a 14-3 lead after one. Todd Gurley II plunged in from a yard out in the second, but had a relatively quiet Falcon debut, and Atlanta (0-1) trailed just 14-12 at the break.

Things unraveled for the hosts in the third when Wilson connected with DK Metcalf for a 38-yard TD on 4th & 5. The Falcons would fumble on the ensuing possession, setting up Wilson’s fourth TD pass, a 7-yard strike to new TE Greg Olsen, giving the Seahawks a 28-12 lead heading into the fourth. Seattle held leads of 19 points (31-12) and 20 points (38-18) in the fourth. Carlos Hyde added a short TD run for Seattle.

Atlanta outgained Seattle 506-383, but ended with a minus-2 in the turnover category and went 0-for-4 on fourth down attempts. Despite just 84 rushing yards as a team (with Wilson totaling a team-high 29), the Seattle offense got big days from Metcalf (4-95) and Tyler Lockett (8-92). Benson Mayowa had a sack on Ryan while Bobby Wagner, Shaquill Griffin and Marquise Blair each had seven tackles.

The Seahawks open their home schedule Sunday evening when they host the new-look New England Patriots (1-0) and Cam Newton on a national TV broadcast with kickoff slated for 5:20 PM PT at CenturyLink Field in Seattle.

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Seattle Seahawks

Seahawks head to Atlanta for 2020 season-opener

by Kevin Nesgoda
written by Kevin Nesgoda


Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks open the 2020 NFL season Sunday in Atlanta.

Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks open the 2020 NFL season Sunday in Atlanta.

WATCH LIVE

There won’t be fans in the stands for Sunday’s season-opener in Atlanta between the hometown Falcons and Seattle Seahawks, but that shouldn’t detract from some interesting storylines surrounding both teams when they tangle at 10:00 am PT at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Seattle will get to see All-Pro safety Jamal Adams in action for the first time as a Hawk, while the Falcons are hoping for big things from new acquisitions and former Los Angeles Rams RB Todd Gurley II and DE Dante Fowler Jr.

Seattle certainly must be in the discussion of Super Bowl contenders, while the Falcons – despite a 7-9 campaign a year ago – will look to pick up where they left off when they finished the 2019 season winning six of their last eight.

The two teams are meeting for the fourth time in five seasons, with the Seahawks taking two of the previous three contests. All three games were decided by seven points or less.

Now, let’s dig into the matchup:

OFFENSE

Will Seattle let Russ cook? That’s the biggest question when the ‘Hawks have the ball. Plenty of eyes will be watching to see if Russell Wilson will be given the green light to be more aggressive from the start, which could really open up a lot of big-play opportunities for guys like Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf in the passing game, and open holes for Chris Carson to run through.

For the Falcons, everybody knows how dangerous Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley can be, but will Gurley return to his former self (2017 Offensive Player of the Year), or continue his 2019 form which saw the six-year pro run for a career-worst 857 yards and just 3.8 yards per attempt.

DEFENSE

Adams, Bobby Wagner, Quinton Dunbar. Three players to definitely keep eyes on playing for an extremely versatile defense, one that hasn’t seen as much talent since Seattle’s championship seasons. Honestly, the Seahawks could have the league’s best secondary and, despite uncertainty about where the pass rush will come from, a top defensive unit overall.

Fowler (11.5 sacks in 2019) should help improve a Falcons pass rush that recorded just 28 sacks last season (second-lowest total in the league). The hope is that he can motivate a defensive line to get after opposing quarterbacks, taking pressure off a young and inexperienced secondary.

KEY INJURIES

SEATTLE: OT Cedric Ogbuehi, Out; WR Phillip Dorsett II, Questionable.

ATLANTA: DE Charles Harris, Out; CB Kendall Sheffield, Out; DT Marlon Davidson, Questionable.

PREDICTION: Seahawks 27, Falcons 17

 

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Seattle Seahawks

THE ARSENAL: Seattle’s top offensive weapons not named Wilson, Lockett, or Metcalf

by Kevin Nesgoda
written by Kevin Nesgoda


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When it comes to moving the ball, we all know the names Russell Wilson, Tyler Lockett, and DK Metcalf. This big three will be counted on again in 2020 to lead the Seattle Seahawks into the end zone time and time again. 

But there are plenty of other names who could be called over and over as they help the Seahawks navigate their way through opposing defenses. I originally had almost 10 names on my list of potential weapons for Seattle in 2020, but I narrowed it down to the five I believe will make the greatest impact once the ‘Hawks take the field this season. 

Greg Olsen

A veteran like Olsen brings so much more to the table than just what he can provide ON the field. A strong locker room presence and respectability is always good, especially when it includes a young, but extremely talented, group of tight ends who can learn from Olsen. It’s no secret the 35-year-old has struggled with injuries during his career, but he was still good enough to pull in 52 receptions last season, and more than good enough to be a reliable safety valve for Russ in the passing game.

Will Dissly

Before his sophomore season was unceremoniously cut short by an achilles injury, the University of Washington product was putting together a breakout season, catching 23 of his 27 targets and six touchdowns in just six games. Dissly is working his way back to the field, most recently seen wearing pads at practice, and should be ready to go for the season opener. Despite the crowded tight end room – which also includes Olsen, Jacob Hollister, and Colby Parkinson – Dissly should find plenty of reps after establishing a rapport with Wilson in the early part of the 2019 season. 

Chris Carson

Carson posted his second straight 1,000-yard campaign in 2019 – despite an aggravating seven fumbles – and finished fifth in the NFL with 1,230 yards and six 100-yard outings. The fourth year man out of Oklahoma State is also a proven weapon in the passing game, catching 37 of his 47 targets. If he can continue to produce as he has the past two years – and improve his ball security – Carson should not only find himself among the league’s top rushers, but in the Pro Bowl as well.

Rashaad Penny

With Carson firmly entrenched as the feature back, don’t expect Penny’s workload to increase, but his production should still be just as valuable as it has been in each of his previous two seasons, which includes almost 1,000 total yards on just 160 touches. The former first-round pick is still a great change of pace option in the backfield that will allow the Seahawks to stay aggressive in the run game when he spells Carson or gets on the field in third down situations.

Phillip Dorsett II

This is the one I’ll be watching most closely. Dorsett joins Seattle as a slot receiver with blazing speed – head coach Pete Carroll has called Dorsett the fastest player he’s coached during his time with the Seahawks – with an opportunity to start new after five subpar seasons with the Colts and Patriots. In 71 career games, Dorsett’s numbers are not what you’d expect from a former first-round pick (124 catches, 1634 yards, 11 TDs). With Lockett and Metcalf getting the majority of the attention on the outside, Dorsett could find himself reaping the rewards and finding room in the middle of the field to pull in passes from Wilson.

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San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks NFC West Championship Preview

by Kevin Nesgoda
written by Kevin Nesgoda
49ers-at-Seahawks-scaled.jpg

What a difference a week can make, right? Happy Holidays andHappy Blue Friday, 12s, it’s that time of the week where we take a look at whatthe Seahawks are up against this week.

Typically, I would dig into statistics, try to analyze whatthe game should look like, but Ireally don’t see much of a point due to the injuries the Seahawks have sustained.None of the numbers will reflect what the current roster is producing, at leastfrom a ground game perspective.

Last week, the Seahawks lost two running backs: Chris Carson and C.J. Prosise. Carson suffered a hip injury that put him on the injured reserve for the remainder of whatever happens this season. Prosise suffered a broken arm, which too, ended his season and most likely his injury-plagued tenure with the Seahawks.

The front office did make some interesting moves this week by bringing back two veteran running backs and former Seahawks who haven’t played a single snap this season: Robert Turbin and Marshawn Lynch. Honestly, I dusted off the 2013 internal memories and got hyped for a little while but then reality set in. I have zero ideas how they will fare against a tough defensive front of San Francisco, especially with a banged-up O-Line coupled with the fact these guys haven’t played in a game. The odds are not in their favor, but hopefully, the emotional aspect will drive the line, fans, and backs to another higher level of performance.

In addition to the injuries to the running backs, DuaneBrown is now out for the remainder of the season due to nagging injuries thatrequired surgery. Al Woods and Josh Gordon are suspended, Quandre Diggs isnursing an ankle sprain, and Mike Iupati is dealing with a stinger.

We do have some good news: Jadeveon Clowney said, “There isno way I’m missing this game.” Mychal Kendricks and Shaquill Griffin were fullparticipants in practice Thursday. Therefore, the defense is healthier thanthey were a week ago to make that final push into a reasonable playoffposition.

Speaking of playoffs, here is what needs to happen forseeding: Seattle can clinch the NFC west with a win. They can clinch a firstround bye with a win and Green Bay loss. Seattle can clinch home-fieldadvantage (you know, since they’ve played so well at home this season) with awin plus a Green Bay and New Orleans loss.

San Francisco can clinch the NFC West, first round bye, andhome-field advantage with a win. They could also tie, but would need Green Bayand New Orleans to lose to obtain the latter two.

So, you better believe the Niners are going to come out gunsblazing.

Losing last week to the Cardinals put the Seahawks in atough position, but at the same time, we have to remember they’re going to thepostseason. Fans of 20 other NFL teams will watch the last game of the seasonon Sunday—Seahawks fans aren’t one of them.

I honestly don’t know what to think of this upcomingmatchup. There is a lot on the line for both teams as I just mentioned. I knowRussell Wilson will have to have an excellent game under center. Last week Inoticed he wasn’t scrambling like he usually does and took way too long tothrow the ball. Ultimately, he was sacked multiple times, which stopped anysort of momentum moving forward. The San Fran secondary is pretty elite soerrant passes cannot be made.

Defensively, the Seahawks are in a lot better shape than last. Jadeveon Clowney had one heck of a game against the last meeting of these two teams. Rasheem Green, Ziggy Ansah, and Clowney could be the momentum shift this team needs to get through this week. Jimmy Garappolo, when under duress, made some mistakes I think the Seahawks must capitalize on.

The Seahawks have fallen victim to screens, sweeps, and TE check-downs this season. If SF begins this game plan, like the Rams, it will be tough to come back from. They must stop the 49ers on third down. Conversely, the 49ers have one of the lowest defensive third-down conversion allowances. So, expect that not to change against Seattle who is about average league-wide on third down.

I’m not expecting a high scoring game. In fact, I wouldn’tbe surprised if this is a kicker shootout. I’m not saying that’s going to happen,but, you know…I wouldn’t be surprised.

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Seahawks vs. Cardinals: A Rigorous In-Depth Statistical Analysis and Preview

by Kevin Nesgoda
written by Kevin Nesgoda
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Happy Blue Friday, 12s! Yes, I will continue to call us “The 12s” even though “Primetime” doesn’t think it matters a whole lot. Well, Centurylink averages nearly three false starts per game and crowd noise is a key factor.

Anyhow, the Seahawks are set to play in front of their home crowd against the Arizona Cardinals this weekend. Arizona has always been a thorn in Seattle’s side, historically, but I believe the Seahawks have the edge in this game. As always, I dig into the basic statistics for both sides and attempt to analyze and predict what could happen.

In my preview from last week, I was dialed in with my projections if you want to take a look by clicking here. If you’re like me and just want the bottom line up front, here it is: I predicted that Chris Carson would have a massive game rushing, that Tyler Lockett would find his groove once again, Seattle defense would pick the ball off, and that Christian McCaffrey would be limited to less than 100 yards on the ground, but thrive as a receiver. All came to fruition. I also predicted the Seattle defense would score six points, and that happened. However, it was reviewed and reversed to negate the play.

This week, the Seahawks are taking on a reeling Arizona team who is trying to find their identity. The Cardinals are among the worst defensive teams in the league and the Kyler Murray led offense is not all that stellar either. I’m terrible at fantasy football and projections, but if you’re in your finals, I would recommend starting Russell Wilson, Tyler Lockett, and Chris Carson—all three are statistically likely to have a massive game.

Let’s dig in and take a look at the chart below, noting the previous week differences:

Total Offense and Defense

The Cardinals are good at one thing: holding on to the football. They lead the NFL by only coughing up the ball 6 times. I talk more on this down below under the passing category. The Cardinals rank in the bottom 10 in terms of total yards, first downs, and third-down conversions. The Seahawks, however, are extremely generous to opposing teams with total yards per game (YPG)—but not as generous as the Cardinals who rank dead last giving up 413.1 YPG. The Cardinals also give opposing offenses the most first downs per game and the second-highest third-down conversion rate where the Seahawks rank pretty high offensively in those categories. As always, the Seahawks have had issues fumbling the football, which needs to continue to tighten up as they work their way into the postseason.

I have discovered some interesting numbers regarding points per quarter. Here is a little spreadsheet detailing how both teams defenses fare. Included are the home statistics for the Seahawks and away statistics for the Cardinals since the game is in Seattle:

Seahawks and Cardinals Offensive and Defensive Statistics Per Quarter

This is a concerning graphic if you are going to solely focus on the numbers. Cardinals are averaging 24 points on the road this season. The Seahawks have allowed an average of 29.4 points to visitors. Conversely, the Seahawks average 27.5 points per home game this season whereas the Cardinals give up 27.3 points per game while visiting. At home, the Seahawks tend to come alive in the fourth quarter, thanks to Russell Wilson and his determination to come from behind and secure a victory. This comes as good news since the Cardinals defense gives up an average of 11.7 points in the fourth quarter while on the road. The Seahawks tend to be giving in the second quarter at home relinquishing 10.2 points on average. The Cardinals, on the other hand, tend to struggle in the second quarter so that average might go down after this weekend.

Digging Deeper

Seahawks Scoring Trends by Quarter

As you can see, the Seahawks score more in the second and fourth quarters. In fact, they have always scored in the fourth quarter of every game this season. The reason the trend line goes down is because of how often they have scored in those quarters. Look at the third quarter. The trend is moving upwards because they have been blanked six times in the third quarter this season. Naturally, the trend will rise since anything is higher than zero. In Week 4, against the Cardinals, the Seahawks’ scoring by quarter went 10, 10, 0, and 7.

One thing the defensive plot graph pointed out was that the Seahawks have yet to surrender more than 14 points in any quarter this season. For a defense that is banged up and statistically ranked low, that seems impressive. Scoring in every quarter is decreasing since the beginning of the season up to last week. Quarters two and four seem to be the thorn in the defense’s side. Fatigue could likely be a factor since these are the later minutes of each half.

Additionally, in nine games this season, the Seahawks have not allowed opposing teams into the end zone in the third quarter, and seven of those nine games did not allow a single score.

As for this match-up, both teams defensively have a better third quarter than the rest of the game. This is likely due to coin toss deferments where the offense is on the field.

Rushing: Offense andDefense

Offense: The Seahawks, to no surprise, run the ball more often than not. I don’t expect this to change. Chris Carson averages nearly 20 touches and 4.4 yards per game. He’s tallied 1,190 yards and averages 85 YPG. He has 7 rushing touchdowns to his name. He has six games over the century mark and has at least 50 YPG 12 times this season. He’s fumbled seven times, losing four—which is likely why he did not get the Pro Bowl nod. This season, Seattle has rushed the ball on 47% of their plays while rushing 53% of the time last week. At home, the Seahawks rush the ball 45.8% of the time. Therefore, I expect another heavy workload for Carson against a Cardinals defense who gives up 122.7 YPG to opposing teams on the ground.

The Seahawks average one rushing touchdown per game and tendto find the end zone less at home averaging 0.8 touchdowns per game at homethis season. However, in their last three games, they have found the end zoneat least once and twice last week against a porous Carolina defense.

Here are the rushing trends for the Seahawks:

Seahawks Rushing YPG

The graphic above shows that the Seahawks are gaining more and more rushing yards per game. Per the trend line, the Seahawks are expected to get around 125 yards on the ground, barring any outliers. The Seahawks have also rushed for 100+ yards in every game this season except Week 1.

For the Cardinals, newcomer Kenyan Drake is coming off a 137 campaign against the Browns where he scored four touchdowns. On the season, he has rushed for 591 yards and has tallied five touchdowns. Obviously, most of his numbers come from just a week ago. Whether at home or on the road, the Cardinals rush the ball roughly 39% of the time. However, they found success in the running game against Cleveland a week ago, rushing nearly 60% of the time. I do want to note that Cleveland is the sixth-worst rushing defense in the league. I don’t expect the Cardinals to put up the same number against the Seahawks.

Lastly, the Cardinals average 1.1 rushing touchdowns per game this season, while finding the end zone slightly more on the road at 1.2 per game.

Defense: Opponents’ rushing trends against the Seahawks are moving upwards. With the nagging injuries to Jadeveon Clowney, Ziggy Ansah, and Al Woods, this trend is going to likely continue going up until all three are healthy and on the field at the same time. Additionally, Bobby Wagner, the leading tackler for the Seahawks, tweaked his ankle against the Panthers. The Seahawks did sign veteran linebacker Dekoda Watson due to these injuries.

https://twitter.com/seahawksPR/status/1207388976975237120?s=20

I’m willing to bet the Cardinals are going to do a whole lot of running. In Week 4, the Seahawks allowed the Cardinals to rush for 115 yards. I imagine the Cardinals will be on target to do the same this weekend, considering the injuries sustained on the Seahawks defense.

Seahawks’ Defense Rushing YPG Allowance

For the Cardinals, I don’t expect them to hold the Seahawksto under the century mark. They are allowing an average of 122.7 rushing yardsand 27.6 attempts per game. As I mentioned, the Seahawks rushed for 115 in Week4 so they, too, should be on target to meet or exceed that previous mark.

Passing: Offense and Defense

Offense: Despite rushing the ball as much as they do,the Seahawks rank tenth overall in the NFL in the passing category. However, RussellWilson is one of the most sacked quarterbacks in the NFL. Infact, he is one sack shy of being the most sacked QB in franchise history.He is currently tied with David Krieg with 341 sacks. Krieg played 12 seasonsin Seattle to amass the sacks where Russell is in his eighth. Russell has onlyfour games this season under the 200 yards benchmark. Additionally, theCardinals rank dead last in the NFL in passing YPG allowance at 290.4 yards pergame. Quarterbacks facing the Cardinals also tend to have the highestcompletion percentage of 71.6%, also ranking the Cardinals’ defense dead lastin the league.

Seahawks Passing Trends

As you can see, Russ threw for over 200 yards in Week 4 and will likely do the same this week against an atrocious Cardinals secondary. The passing YPG is on the downslope but that is likely due to the two anomalies where Wilson threw for 400+ yards in Week 3 and nearly 350 yards in Week 9.

Unfortunately, Russell Wilson will be without Josh Gordon, who was suspended indefinitely for illegal substance violations. I truly enjoyed watching him play, as limited as it was. Let’s relive that catch from last week:

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1206284982513061888?s=20

For the Cardinals, they are averaging 214 YPG which is amongthe worst in the league. Believe it or not, Murray has been sacked five morethan Wilson this year. The Cardinals are a heavy throwing offense averaging38.2 pass attempts per game but that comes at a cost of interceptions (13 forthe Cardinals) where the Seahawks’ defense is third in the league with 16picks.

Defense: Quarterbacks usually lead the way on every team in terms of fumbling the football. Kyler Murray has been sacked a massive 46 for a loss of 305 yards times this season but has only fumbled the football four times. While the defensive front is banged up for Seattle, even if they get to Murray, I don’t expect a whole lot of turnovers. 

Seahawks Passing YPG Allowance

For the Seahawks’ defense, they have had issues. However,those numbers went down after Week 9 where opposing quarterbacks have beenlimited to under 300 passing YPG. In Week 4, Murray threw for a shade over 200yards, is considered stellar for the Seahawks’ secondary. As I mentioned, theSeahawks statistically have a mediocre defense, but they have never allowed anopponent to score more than two touchdowns in any quarter this season. Therefore,I consider that to be successful.

Injury Report

As of Thursday, non-participants include S Quandre Diggs, T Duane Brown, LB Bobby Wagner, DE Jadeveon Clowney, CB Shaquill Griffin, DT Al Woods, and LB Mychal Kendricks.

Limited participants include C Joey Hunt, G Mike Iupati, TE Luke Willson, WR Tyler Lockett.

Full participants include DE Ziggy Ansah, T George Fant, LB Cody Barton.

https://twitter.com/bcondotta/status/1207820540662038528?s=20

Kendricks, Griffin, and Clowney are game-time decisions, where Ansah and Willson are expected to play.

Up-to-date injury coverage will be provided when it becomesavailable. Make sure you follow us on Twitter @CascadiaSN to see those updates.

Bottom Line

I’m expecting a high scoring shootout type of a game. Depending on which defensive players are available for the Seahawks, there could be some disruption upfront and Kyler Murray will end up making mistakes. The Seahawks have been picking the ball off lately so I expect that trend to continue. I am expecting a run-heavy game for both teams. If Seattle’s middle defensive starters are out, Arizona will have a lot of success on the ground. However, I think Russell Wilson will decide to air out the football a little more than usual considering the poor pass coverage of Arizona.

Based on my numbers above, I’m expecting a 28-24 score favoring the Seahawks. Carson will get at least 100 yards on the ground and Russell should surpass 250 yards in the air. I think the secondary, even without Diggs, will come away with at least one interception, but I would guess two. The Cardinals don’t fumble often so I figure INTs is the only way Seattle will force turnovers.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. It took a while to put it all together to get a better understanding of what to expect. Your feedback is always appreciated and I look forward to putting up the final piece of the regular season next week.

Give me a follow on Twitter @BaseballDudeMan! Go Hawks!

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Seattle Seahawks at Carolina Panthers: Recap and Injuries

by Kevin Nesgoda
written by Kevin Nesgoda
Russell-Wilson-lifted-e1569863134712.jpg

The Seahawks flew to the East Coast to take on the reeling Carolina Panthers and secure a 30-24 victory. This win was also Pete Caroll’s 100th as the Seahawks’ Head Coach. However, while the Seahawks are now 11-3, it came at a cost of a couple of key defensive players.

https://twitter.com/Seahawks/status/1206321799476084736?s=20

Seattle was successful during their first three drives of the ballgame. After the kickoff, Chris Carson was able to pound the ball downfield, fueled by a 23-yard run, to get the score. Jason Myers missed the PAT to give the Seahawks a 6-0 lead after an 8-play, 74-yard drive. The Panthers’ first drive resulted in a punt to give the ball back to the Seahawks.

Tyler Lockett was able to find his groove and caught a 44-yard reception from Russell Wilson, who was dialed in throughout the ballgame. Wilson was able to connect with D.K. Metcalf for a 14-yard touchdown. After a successful PAT, the Seahawks were up 13-0 on the 8-play, 84-yard drive. With that touchdown reception, D.K. passed Doug Baldwin for second-most receiving yards by a rookie in Seattle history.

https://twitter.com/Seahawks/status/1206279823670136832?s=20

The Panthers found some life using the screen pass and jet sweep. Christian McCaffrey, who I believe is undoubtedly the best running back in the league, was able to pound the ball in for a touchdown – completing a 12-play, 75-yard drive.

In the second quarter, the Seahawks were facing second down and 18 at their own 17-yard line. Wilson connected on another deep pass to Josh Gordon for a whopping 58 yards. After a few penalties, Wilson connected with Tyler Lockett in the end zone for a 19-yard touchdown, ending the 6-play, 80-yard drive.

https://twitter.com/Seahawks/status/1206284893832937472?s=20

The second half was not as explosive offensively for the Seahawks. They were only able to score another touchdown on a beast of a run by Chris Carson, plus an additional field goal by Jason Myers. The defense took some hits to injuries which allowed the Panthers to capitalize. They scored 17 unanswered points after the Carson touchdown.

https://twitter.com/Seahawks/status/1206312928317591553?s=20

At one point in the fourth quarter, the Seahawks had SIX non-starters on the field playing. Pete Caroll commented after the game that “It was a great statement to walk out with a win with those guys playing.” As for the injuries, Caroll mentioned that “[Bobby] Wagner sprained his ankle a little bit. Quandre Diggs sprained his ankle also, but worse than Bobby.” Therefore, time will tell after more tests, more to follow later this week.

When asked about players’ status for next week, Pete mentioned that “Ziggy Ansah, Luke Willson, and Mychal Kendricks all have a good chance to be back on the field next week–Luke for sure.”

Thrice Picked. Seattle’s linebackers Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright collected all three Kyle Allen interceptions today. Wagner had one, Wright had two.

https://twitter.com/Seahawks/status/1206306065635102720?s=20

Not a runaway. With a banged-up defensive front, the Seahawks were able to limit Christian McCaffrey’s rushing attempts to only 19 carriers for 87 yards. However, they didn’t have an answer to the screens and sweeps. D.J. Moore had 113 receiving yards while McCaffrey collected an additional 88 yards. Christian is the 7th player in history to have 1,200+ rushing and 750+ receiving yards in a season. Seahawks defense tallied three tackles for loss plus a sack on the day.

On of the offensive side of the ball for the Seahawks, Wilson was 20 for 26 with two touchdowns. Lockett broke out of his slump and had 120 receiving yards with a touchdown. This is his fourth game with over 100 receiving yards this season. On the ground, Chris Carson had another 100+ yard game, rushing for 133 yards and two touchdowns.

https://twitter.com/Seahawks/status/1206278629514076160?s=20

The game got close in the fourth quarter when the Panthers were trying to make a comeback, but couldn’t stop Chris Carson’s running game who ultimately sealed the game.

Looking ahead, the Seahawks head back home to take on the Arizona Cardinals. Injuries are a factor here, but it might be a good week to let those who are not 100% to rest an additional week before the final regular-season game at home against the 49ers.

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Seattle Seahawks-Los Angeles Rams 2: Electric Preview

by Kevin Nesgoda
written by Kevin Nesgoda
1190px-Seahawks_players_2015_preseason_vs_Raiders.jpg

Happy Blue Friday, 12s! This week the Seattle Seahawks travel to Los Angeles to take on last year’s divisional champions Rams. I will be attending since I am semi-local due to living in San Diego. Therefore, if you are going to be there, make sure you hit me up on Twitter @BaseballDudeMan to crash my tailgate if the weather allows for it.

The Seahawks are facing another pivotal game with seeding implications. Luckily, the 49ers travel to New Orleans to take on a tough team in the Saints. If the 49ers lose and the Seahawks win, it will give Seattle a much-needed cushion in the NFC West.

For some reason, I have an unsettling feeling about playing the Rams in Los Angeles. The Seahawks are 4-6 in the last 10 meetings against the Rams dating back to 2014 and have dropped 4 of 5 when traveling to St. Louis / Los Angeles. However, this is football…sports.

Anything can happen!

I have taken a deep dive into the statistics for both teams. I will make some predictions of what to look out for, especially vulnerabilities for both teams.

Offensively, the Seahawks put up an NFL third best 390.2 yards per game, but the Rams are on their heels at nearly 370 per game. Both teams seem to have fumbling problems and the Seahawks are the fourth-worst team. Chris Carson leads all RBs with six and Todd Gurley has three. The Seahawks are above average on third down conversions where the Rams are median in that category.

Defensively for the same categories, the Seahawks are generous to opposing offenses. They surrender nearly 369 yards per game and allow around 21 first downs per game. However, they are stingy when it comes to allowing opposing offenses from converting third downs at a rate of 36%. The Rams seem to have the defensive edge, yet they still surrender over 300 yards per game to opponents while allowing just a shade over 20 first downs per game on average. The Seahawks, though, tend to cause opponents to turn over the football, forcing opponents to fumble 22 times this season, which is second-best in the league.

Now let’s look at rushing offense and defense for bothteams.

The Seahawks, unbelievably, are a premier rushing team.

They rush early and often.

Seattle averages nearly 144 yards per game on the ground while tallying 12 touchdowns—a third-best in the NFL. The Rams score touchdowns using the ground game, but the rushing numbers are lackluster—under the century mark on average. They rank 25th in the league. The 14 touchdowns likely come from goal line touches and QB sneaks. I have not dug too deep but low rushing yards and a high TD rate is indicative of this theory.

For the Seahawks, Chris Carson is averaging 81.8 yards per game and his longest run is a 59-yarder. He has five rushing touchdowns to his name this season. He is coming off 102-yard rushing campaign against good Minnesota defensive front. He was also able to put up 105 yards against a very tough Tampa Bay defense in Week 9. I do not expect his rushing to waiver. He will continue to pound the ball forward against any defense.

We cannot forget about Rashaad Penny. The sophomore player out of San Diego State has started to establish himself as an elusive running back. The tandem of Carson and Penny is beginning to become one of the best RB duos in the NFL. Penny, in the last two outings, has scored 3 total touchdowns while putting up 129 rushing yards against the Eagles in Week 12 and had 107 total yards and two touchdowns last Monday against the Vikings. I expect him to play a large role this week.

The Seahawks have played defenses that are stout against therunning game and have had success. The Steelers, Buccaneers, Saints, Eagles,and Ravens were all top-10 rushing defenses and the Seahawks have rushed for 151,145, 108, 174, and 106 yards respectively.

I did some quick math. These five teams average an allowanceof 91 YPG. The Seahawks averaged 136.8 yards against these teams. This is adifference of 45.8 yards. Therefore, I will estimate the Seahawks will rush forroughly 145 (+/- 10) yards this weekend against the Rams who give up 104 groundyards per game this season.

For the Rams, Todd Gurley averages 58.4 yards per game but has eight touchdowns to his name. His longest run of the season is 25 yards. For Gurley, the low YPG but eight touchdowns cement my theory that they only use him often near the goal line. Therefore, I hope Seattle is able to limit the Rams’ time in the red zone. In two of his last three outings, he averaged over 90 yards on the ground. However, he was limited to only 6 attempts for 22 yards against Baltimore in Week 12. I expect the Seattle defensive front to limit his running game and my guess is that he will rush for roughly 75 yards and a touchdown.

Finally, to finish up with statistics, we will look atpassing statistics.

One thing that is easy to notice is that both teams aretop-10 with passing YPG, where Seattle is tied with Baltimore for the mosttouchdowns through the air. Considering the Seahawks surrender 269.3 passingyards per game, expect the Rams to exploit that. Seattle is in the bottom threein the league in that category. The Rams, however, have a decent secondary ledby Jalen Ramsey coupled with a defensive front led by Aaron Donald. TheSeahawks have done better in recent weeks with the addition of Quandre Diggs.Tre Flowers and Shaquill Griffin have also stepped up to make impressive playsin the secondary.

I do not expect the Seattle defensive front to get to JaredGoff since he seems to elude sacks. On both sides of the ball for Seattle,sacks are an issue. Offensively, Russell Wilson has been sacked 35 times whiledefensively they have tallied only 23 sacks. The Rams have sacked opposing QBs38 times where Goff has only been sacked 19.

While Russell does not throw as much as Goff, he is moreaccurate with a 67.4% completion rate. Goff, however, has thrown 13 picks thisseason and Seattle’s defense has picked off opposing QBs 11 times. I expectthis trend to continue on Sunday and the Seahawks should come away with aninterception.

As for primary receivers, Tyler Lockett has come off a few poor outings, with illness and injury partially to blame. Since he exploded for 152 yards against Tampa in Week 9, he has been limited to only 4 catches with 67 total yards and zero touchdowns since that performance five weeks ago.

The same holds true for Cooper Kupp. Since his 220-yardperformance in Week 8 against Cincinnati, the Yakima native and EasternWashington University product has only 38 yards per game and a singletouchdown, which came last week against the Cardinals. He coughed up the balltwice against the Bears in Week 11.

Overall, I expect another close matchup between these twodivision rivals. Currently, the Seahawks look and play like the better footballteam, even though they have only been winning football games by a small margin.Goff has been careless with the football and the running game has not been toosuccessful for the Rams this season. Conversely, the Seahawks have been pushingthe ball down the field using both the pass and rush. I am still a little biton the fence when it comes to Seattle’s secondary. While they have shownsignificant improvement, they still seem to give up big plays, as they did lastweek against the Vikings. Goff will air it out so the Seahawks should be ableto take advantage of any mistakes he may make.

As for injuries, the Seahawks do have T Duane Brown, CB Neiko Thorpe, TE Jacob Hollister, LB Mychal Kendricks who all were limited or did not participate in practice. I expect Brown, Hollister, and Kendricks to play Sunday. A list of players who are out will be posted to @CascadiaSN when it becomes available.

I am excited to attend this game this weekend. I hope that the weather holds up and the Seahawks can come away with a much needed W. If you are also coming to the game, let us know on our Twitter @CascadiaSN or by hitting me up @BaseballDudeMan! I will be live Tweeting from the game so make sure to give us both a follow!

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