WARNING: This weeks edition of the mon-KEYS to the game includes a rant. While it will also include the same terrific, insightful, analysis that is always does, this post takes a form unlike the form it has taken in the past. As usual, please feel free to post your own opinions of what you feel are the mon-KEYS to the game.All week long now I have heard the question posed over and over again, "How are the Seahawks going to stop Steve Smith?"
I have heard so many times, that the key to beating the Panthers is to stop Steve Smith, that I am sick to death of hearing it!
The ONLY thing that everyone seems to be in agreement about is that, stopping Steve Smith is the key to the game.
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I've been waiting for this all week thanks for makin it early.
ReplyDeleteThis is what the Seahawks will do on Sunday.
1st drivewe will drive 80+ yards down the field and Hasselbeck will throw to Bobby Engram in the back of the endzone while rolling to the righ.
Andre Dyson will intercept Jake delhome in there 1st drive and and take it to the house.
Shaun Alexander scores a touchdown on a scamper.
Lofa Tatupu intercepts Delhome takes it to the house and then starts punchin the goal post.
Leroy Hill hits Goings in the mouth and causes him to fumble. Dyson recovers and scores a touchdown, and then he tweaks his ankle but nothin seriouse he returns.
Michael Boulware intercepts the ball returns it to the 2 yard line. Alexander takes it from there and scores a touchdown.
we force a few more turnovers during the game.
The onlytime the Panthers put the ball into the endzone is an icomplete pass in the last play of the game.
Final Score 42-0 Seahawks win.
Plays might not be in exact order but that will happen i had a vision.
If we don't turn the ball over Smith can gain a 1,000 yards and we will still win because we have the better team, they have one weapon we have 6,7,8 weapons.
The bigplay only gives us the ball back and then we get 7points while drainin 7 minutes.
Posted by o-meezy
I agree whole heartedly Monkey. I too am tired of hearing about how Smith is this unstoppable force. As long as we can hang onto the football this weekend it should be a relatively easy win. I think Alexander will step up with a big effort after last week and Matt's big game last week can only help his confidence. No Turnovers equals an easy win.
ReplyDeleteAhh the rant ive been waiting for monkey! I couldnt handle ranting all by myself! :P
ReplyDeleteFirst Steve Smith, then ill post my thoughts on the Carolina game later
Ahh yes, Steve Smith---also known as Santana Moss II...the difference between the two, is that Smith is overrated---hes a great receiver, granted...BUT he benefits from Carolina passing to him 40 times a game...Mr. Ed himself could put up those kind of numbers, should someone throw 40 chunks of hay at him, he'd eat 1500 total pieces no problem...
Dont get it confused---Smith is better then Moss...Moss is barely a top tier receiver (or, a top 20 receiver), Smith is borederline top 10...but people need to realize how much the ball is thrown to him...
This is why stats are misleading. The Rams, our inferior parasites, are a perfect example. They pass a zillion times a game; and suddenly the stats are inflating, making Bulger look like a great QB despite the fact he is merely a 2-3 Star QB of 6 Stars at best...
His speed, and size (yes you read that right) are big reasons why he is so good...very good at juking and jiving (then wondering why hes on the IR with a leg injury)...his size is quite small...REAL small in fact...that benefits him to sneak through openings in zones. Hard to explain regarding Man Coverage, but put it this way...is it harder to chase a mouse or a cat? People with smaller sizes are just harder to keep an eye on...i dunno---anxiety problem here, keeping from explaining it the way it makes sense to me...
There is however no question that Smith is the guy to stop, if anyone...as monkey said, we're a better team at full strength, yet alone now with all our advantages...so just play Seahawks football, drain 6 mins a possession and score TOUCHDOWNS like we usually do, and they'll have to outscore us---not happening in our own stadium, from a tired team, a banged up team, a team with a mediocre RB, and the way this defense has played in the second half, its not happenin (secondary not included, again, stats are misleading...we're 25th against the pass...horrible to the casual fan? OUR SECONDARY HAS NEVER BEEN HEALTHY UNTIL NOW, SOMEWHAT...and we didnt lose no scrubs either, we lost several good players)
Take Smith away, and the Panthers will be in terrible turmoil...and who says you have to double cover Smith?
-Put pressure on Delhomme...the offense played good, but we have a better dline then the Bears (sorry, our PR is overrated but its still a fact)...and there is NO WAY Carolina's oline is as good as it played, they have been solid, but not THAT good
-Shut off any momentum on the secondary receivers...another words, just because Smith is the focal point, dont sleep on the rest...not because they would burn us, its because Carolina will be able to mix it up for Smith
-Put Smith on his ass...hit him HARD...Manual, Trufant, Boulware, Tatoo, WHOEVER...get him on his ass and make him think twice about crossing the middle of the field
Posted by adp
first time contributor....i felt like this was the best place to put this, but what if we took advantage of Shaun's injury? like today they list him as questionable and then friday or saturday they list him as a game time decision then on the first play or two we put Mo in there, but then all of a sudden Shaun comes in and catches the defense off guard....just thought id give some kind of input.......by the way im coming into town for the game and hoping to get a couple last minute tickets, anyone know how i could get a couple besides outside the stadium before the game? (im originally from seattle so its no big deal if i cant get in the game...it'll be nice to just be in town for this game)
ReplyDeletePosted by miz
Miz - try stubhub.com and make sure you've got a healthy credit limit!
ReplyDeleteMonkey et al - don't take the media stuff too seriously. We're in unchartered territory not only for this franchise, but for the media as well. They're not used to seeing Seattle this deep in the playoffs, and certainly not used to seeing them favored in the NFC Championship game.
I agree that Smith is just one guy, but it seems we all also agree he's REALLY GOOD at what he does. I think we also would agree that if there's one chink in our defensive armor, it's our secondary, which is probably why most of the pundits think Smith is going to go all "Jerry Rice" on us.
But as you point out, they've got Jake DelHomme behind center, and not Montana or Young, and nobody else in the backfield of any note or concern.
In that .com poll, I voted for Seahawks Running game, as this is the best defense, IMHO, against the vaunted Steve Smith. If our running game is working, that means 1) Shaun is healthy, 2) we're taking time off the clock, 3) we're sustaining drives and 4) our play action passing game is nicely set up.
But, that's redundant, because if you look at our 14 wins this season, THAT IS HOW WE PLAY THE GAME, so your one KEY is spot on.
One last item to deal with.
Have you EVER seen a year where there was THIS much talk in the press still debating the MVP weeks after it was announced. Never heard it when Brady or Manning or McNair won it. Been watching football for over 30 years and have NEVER heard an MVP winner get so disrespected by dubbing other lesser players "The REAL MVP".
Can't wait until we win it all and FORCE the national biased press to acknowledge the Seahawks.
Posted by alba
Oh yea, one more key I forgot about:
ReplyDeleteborrow that bucket of water the Redskins used to get the feel for a wet ball!
We cannot afford to put the ball on the ground in this game, unless it's spiking it in the end zone!
Posted by alba
Smitty is going to spank your mon-keys. By the way, #89 was the real MVP this year, and the playoffs so far...how does "Sweet Home Alexander" usually fare in the playoffs?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.kjram.com/audio-video/SweetShaun.wma
charsouth, I don't know about you, but I don't get a vote in the MVP process. I think Shaun is the best RB in the game, but I personally believe that Brady was #1 and Smith #2 in terms of importance to their teams relative the rest of the league.
ReplyDeleteRegardless, I don't think who the media thinks is MVP will affect their play on the Sunday... unless Shaun is ordered to play while carrying the trophy, in which case the Panthers, I think, would benefit.
Also, get an iPod already. The radio is SO 20th century.
Posted by Uff
Yosef -
ReplyDeleteIf there's one thing you can be sure of, your posts will not be deleted or banned from The Street unless you go overboard with unsavory comments or outright attacks. You posted your comment on the sub-blog page here so you should go and copy the text and repost it to this main comments page, so they appear under (over?) your name.
Posted by alba
Weird. Thanks, alba. Maybe y'all are alright after all. :)
ReplyDeleteHere's my comment from earlier:
monkey, where have you been all season? Steve Smith has, in fact, pretty much been the only offensive weapon the Panthers have had all year. But here's the thing - all the opposing defenses knew that, and he still had 9 games over 100 yards as opposed to 5 under 60 (where did you get your facts anyway?) Yes he had a couple of really bad games, including against Dallas when he got tossed out for touching a ref. But overwhelmingly, he has gotten his yards and numbers, and in a few instances even been the key to the Panthers's wins, all the while having the opposing defenses trying to double team him and putting some of the best corners in the NFL on him. Look at it this way, Fred Smoot, Love Boat Captain extrordinaire and excellent CB knew that Steve Smith was going to get the ball, but Smith still got 11 receptions for 201 yards and a TD. Nobody has stopped Smith all year!
And I assume your numbers for Hasselbeck are from December. That's nice but this is January, and in the playoffs, Delhomme shines. Jake Delhomme has a higher passer rating in the 2005 playoffs (including a game against the league's #1 defense) than Hasselbeck (112.6 to 100.6) and before last week, Delhomme had a 105.1 career postseason passer rating.
Now all this isn't to say that the Panthers are miles better than the Seahawks or anything like that. Alexander was the best offensive player in the league this year (even though an argument could be made for Tiki, Alexander was better), and Hasslebeck is a good QB. I actually believe that these 2 teams are pretty evenly matched, and this will be a great game on Sunday. But it just seems to me you pulled all of your facts out of you ass on this one. I don't believe you watched a single game or highlight this year that didn't have something to do with the Seahawks. You obviously don't know anything about the Panthers, so why post on them at all?
All that said, you're right about one thing - the only way for teams to win in this league is to worry about their own team and not how to stop the other team. If you offense is as good as they have been all year, and your defense plays at the top of their game, the Seahawks have as good a chance as can be hoped for.
Posted by Yosef
Don't try to butter me up now, I'm NOT the alba from Fantastic Four!!!
ReplyDeletePosted by alba
I'm NOT the alba from Fantastic Four
ReplyDeleteAre you sure? She was in Seattle in that TV show, right?
Posted by Yosef
If I were, I'd probably touch myself more than I already do!
ReplyDeleteMy handle is shortened form of albaNY Hawker, thus not only proving I'm not her, but that I'm pretty far from Seattle as well!
Posted by alba
Albany, NY? You should be a Panthers fan! Half the people down here are from upstate NY!
ReplyDeletePosted by Yosef
No, I SHOULD be a Bills fan, since they're the only TRUE NY team...the Jets and Giants play in New Jersey.
ReplyDeleteBut alas, 30 years ago I decided to pick up one of the expansion franchises and stick with them through thick and thin, so that when they won the Superbowl one day, I could proudly announce that I have follow them from DAY ONE.
That day is coming my friend, mark my words!
Posted by alba
Here's the thing, You're right that this season he's had more 100 yard games than games below 60 (I was not actually meaning this particular season but throughout his career) but since I didn't say that specifically I deserved the comeback...I can take it.
ReplyDeleteThe point still remains that Smith averages a little over six catches a game, and even if they force the ball to him, he cannot be reasonably expeced to be any more dangerous than the NFL's hottest QB or the NFL's best runningback, who both obviously touch the ball a lot more often.
Even IF Smith goes off and has a big game of over 100 yards and say, two scores (which would be a really really good game for any reciever and even for the unstoppable Smith, that just means the Seahawks will have to score three touchdowns with all of their weapons. Between Darrel Jackson Shaun Alexander Matt Hasselbeck and Joe Jurivicius I have no doubt that that can and will be done.
It seems that everyone has forgotten the #1 most important thing about winning in the playoffs (or any game for that matter) IT'S ALL ABOUT THE LINE PLAY! Our OLine is the only truly unstoppable force that will take the field next Sunday. If you win the war in the trenches, (and we will, we always do), you win the game, plain and simple. Add the fact that the Seahawks simply have more weapons... forget about it. The real question should be, how in the world can the Panthers possibly hope to stop Seattles offense.
BTW isn't this the same Carolina team that has been so Jeckle and Hyde all season long? Isn't this the same defense that jsut a few weeks ago couldn't stop Dallas' Julius Jones, who racked up 195 yards against you? seattle has allowed 1 that's ONE 100 yard rusher all season, and it took overtime to get that.
Isn't this the same Carolina team that allowed the Bears to get 8 sacks on Delhomme the first meeting? I thought so, the Seahawks have NEVER allowed anything like that to happen this season.
While the Panthers have played this season like it's a roller coaster ride with Sybil at the switches, the Seahawks have been consistently doing the same thing to every team they faced since after week one.
Don't give me "the panthers are hot right now"...the Seahawks are hot right now, and have BEEN HOT all year. NO ONE scores points like the Hawks, no offensive line is as dominating as the Hawks. No Runningback in history has been as dominant in a single season as Alexander, and right now, NO QB IS HOTTER THAN HASSELBECK!!! NUFF SAID!
Firstly, agree with the key, play the game plan and good things will happen.
ReplyDelete"Fred Smoot, Love Boat Captain extrordinaire and excellent CB knew that Steve Smith was going to get the ball, but Smith still got 11 receptions for 201 yards and a TD. Nobody has stopped Smith all year! " Agree, I was at that game, was really hoping to see Tice lose his mind, instead he lost C-Pepp.
"I actually believe that these 2 teams are pretty evenly matched, and this will be a great game on Sunday. " I agree, Seattle has more weapons on O, Carolina has the more dangerous weapon. On D, Carolina has more size, experience, and name recognition, Seattle is quicker and has a scheme specifically designed to not give up the big play and stiffen in the red zone , they give up lots of field goals and not many TD's. Line vs. line should be a great matchup, iso cams would be great for this game on Jones and on Peppers.
"But it just seems to me you pulled all of your facts out of you ass on this one. " What facts specifically are you talking about?
Miz, Holmgren never messes with the injury report, probably has to do with being on the competition committee, he always plays fair.
Regarding "real" MVP, my opinion (it's not unique) is that MVP is a popularity contest based on who was most outstanding. Shaun was based on TD record, followed closely by Smith and Tiki. Most valuable, I'd say Brady, Hass is the MVP on the Seahawks, and generally the QB is always the MVP of any team. Who would you rather lose, Smith or Delhomme?
Posted by JoSCh
As I was reading the news site and fan boards, I got to thinking, NOBODY is talking about Jerramy Stevens.
ReplyDeleteIf our oversized receiver JJ can't take advantage of your shorter corners (one who we know very well) then the oversized Stevens will take advantage of your aggressive linebackers and blitz packages.
If Matt gets the protection we know our O-line can provide, like he got all day long against the Redskins, he'll pick your secondary apart.
If you pressure him, he's got Stevens, Hannam, Strong and Alexander as safety valves, to keep the chains moving.
Posted by alba
That Yosef is A-OK!
ReplyDeleteI also agree that NY only has one team.
Posted by AdorableGirlfriend
did anyone read my post???
ReplyDeleteSmith gets the ball thrown to him 30+ times a game, of course hes gonna put up huge stats--thats why Bulger on the Rams does, he throws 60+ times a game, and people think hes great because he racks up yards...whatever.
Smith is OVERRATED---hes a great player, but hes NOT the best receiver in the league just because he put up the best stats...with Moose gone, Delhomme clearly doesn't trust the rest of his receiving corps enough to spread the ball around
Want an award? you got the best comeback played award...MVP? WTF EVER...
ADP, in the Bears game last week, Smith caught 12 of 13 balls thrown to him for (as we all know) 218 yards. Delhomme to everybody else with a cat on his helmet: 12/20 for 101. Sure, Smith gets thrown to a lot, but he has an annoying tendency to catch everything, too.
ReplyDeleteI think Yosef is a munchwagon. He said he didn't dare bet alba some pulled pork on the game. He also said Steve Largent was a cobag.
ReplyDeletePosted by Pinko Punko
Exactly, Uff. Why wouldn't you throw the ball to him every time you get a chance if he's going to catch it and has a shot at breaking a RAC for a TD?
ReplyDeleteBTW isn't this the same Carolina team that has been so Jeckle and Hyde all season long? Isn't this the same defense that jsut a few weeks ago couldn't stop Dallas' Julius Jones, who racked up 195 yards against you?
Yes, it is. But it's also the same Panthers team that held the #1 rushing offense in the league to 28 yards on the last day of the season, and held the #2 rb for yardage (#1 for total yardage) to 41 yards on the first week of the postseason.
Now, I'm not saying the Panthers will shut down Alexander or anything drastic like that. What I am saying is that there's the possibility.
If you like, I'll admit that Seattle was the better of these 2 teams during the regular season, but you can't deny the current streak.
Posted by Yosef
Yosef - you're talking to Seahawks fans here...no NOT underestimate our denial systems!!!
ReplyDeletePosted by alba
I won't deny it. Truth is the two best NFC team are playing this weekend and it should be a hell of a game. What more can really be said?
ReplyDeleteI will admit also, that it's difficult for me to find bad things to say about a Carolina team that is as classy and gritty a team as there is out there.
If the Hawks weren't the team playing the Panthers, I would be pulling for the Panther to go all the way. I actually like the team quite a bit, love the coach, the defensive front four, etc...
Too bad the better team will beat them this Sunday...THE SEAHAWKS!!!
See, the reasoned debate is nice and all, but it's getting a little boring. Wouldn't it be more fun to go back to something like:
ReplyDeleteur Seehawks sux!!1!!11! PAtheRs Rulz!!!1! WEll se on Sunda whn u EAT IT!!!1!!!11!! ROTFLAMO!!1!!11!
Come on, that's what blogs are all about!
Well, I don't know how many more times I'll be able to visit here this week, so I'll just say good luck and you've always got next year. ;)
Posted by Yosef
It would be nice if it were PANTHERS FANS that were throwing the insults and otherwise disrespecting the Seahawks, instead of the national media!
ReplyDeletePosted by alba
"ur Seehawks sux!!1!!11! PAtheRs Rulz!!!1! WEll se on Sunda whn u EAT IT!!!1!!!11!! ROTFLAMO!!1!!11! "
ReplyDeleteLOL.
Posted by JoSCh
Even though I am a Panthers fan, and a Smitty fan, I agree, I'm a little tired of hearing about him. However, this is pretty typical of the national sports media. They find a story, ("short guy plays tall") or (:WR likes puppy dogs and ice cream") and run with it. Nobody is original which is why blogs are more interesting. So, putting myself in your shoes, I would really be tired of hearing about Steve Smith when you have the MVP on your team.
ReplyDeleteBut I felt like you got to the end and realized you still hadn't created keys to the game and ended your beautiful rant with a whimper. "PLAY OUR GAME.
Don't complain about all the Steve Smith cliches and then end your post with one of the biggest cliches in all of sports. The key to winning is for you to "Play your game?" So I guess your other keys to winning are that the Seahawks:
#2"Come to play."
#3 "Come out and compete."
#4 "Stick to the game plan"
#5 "Don't take any plays off"
#6 "Come out do what got them here."
Obviously if you "play your game" your going to win. But adapting your strategy to what the other team is doing, throwing wrinkles at the other team, and finding weaknesses to exploit are also ways to win that actually work outside of a cliches.
Having said all that. I really justed wanted to come over here to get the reverse jinx off my chest.
There is no way the Panthers can win this game. Our best two running backs have one-and-half legs between them. Our third-string running back's best play from scrimmage all year was a fumble recovery. Our quarterback likes horses way too much to be normal. Julius Peppers might play, but not without a cane. Our good punter (the one who did steroids) is juicing with the other Jake in Denver. Rumor has it, our Offensive line has been watching tapes of the Colts all week, giggling and winking at each other. Steve Smith is actually only 5'2" and the NFL is outlawing the rises in his cleats this week. John Fox already made a speech to the team, telling them "it's been a good ride, now you just need to go out and have fun." My prediction. The Hawks "Play Their Game." The Panthers think about playing their game, but then at the last minute decide to play another game, one involving role-playing and dice. Mighty-MVP-Having-Seahawks 178, Third Level Dungeon Master (formerly known as the Carolina Panthers) 7 (Your secondary is weak after all.)
Maybe next year.
Posted by dooom
Finally, a Panther fan with a sense of humor.
ReplyDeleteThat was good, and with a few extra carriage returns to make it more readable, would have been awesome!
I believe the point my esteemed Simean college was making with the "PLAY OUR GAME" cliche was that we do not need any extra wrinkles or adjustments to our game plan to handle the Panthers.
We're the superior team with the home field advantage, and have been beating people by running the ball effectively, passing the ball efficently, giving up yards on defense but not in big chunks, scoring touchdowns ourselves while limiting the opponent to field goals.
You have the edge in best receiver, but we have the edge in GROUP of receivers.
You have the edge in shutdown corner, but I give the overall edge to our collective defense.
You have the edge in pass rushing DEs, but we have the edge with the Human Eraser, Walter Jones on the left, and Sean Locklear, aka "the anti-Heather" on the other side.
We have the edge in home field, quarterback and MVP running back, you have the edge in bi-curious cheerleaders who like to make love in public rest rooms.
I was going to sum up all of these points and identify the overall winner, but honestly after my last comment, I've lost my train of thought!
Posted by alba
Awesome post, dooom. I shall now counter your reverse jinx with one of my own:
ReplyDeleteThe Seahawks, much like all Seattle teams, have a history of coming up short in big spots, especially when they're favored (see also: 116-win Mariners, Dikembe Mutombo at halfcourt). This will be no exception. Shaun Alexander, as in his first three playoff games, will have a quiet game, and Carolina's overlooked-but-excellent secondary will pick apart Matt Hasselbeck after he predicts a first-possession score.
Steve Smith will score 8 touchdowns: five receiving, one running, one on special teams, and one on defense after John Fox gives him some reps at defensive tackle, where he uses his speed and smarts to blow past a Tobeck-Locklear double-team to steal the handoff from Hasselbeck.
Panthers 96, Seahawks 6. The media ejaculates.
Phew, I feel so much better now.
Posted by Uff
What can I say Dooom that was outstanding!
ReplyDelete