Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Week 14 - Desert Pancakes
15 Plays10 months ago
Tristan and Miles talk about Coach Mac’s many correct changes to the rotation, the best way to play Noah Fant, and delivering a stack of pancakes to the desert.
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction to Rialto and Sattawa Lamaya
00:00:00
Tristan Amundson
Miles, there's a little town in Southern California called Rialto, Rialto, California. You know, ancient artifacts have been discovered in Rialto that point to the fact that it was actually settled first in the 1500s, perhaps way before the 1500s by the Sonora Indians of the area. Rialto, as I mentioned, is a pretty small town, 100,000 people,
00:00:32
Tristan Amundson
But Rialto gave Seattle a gift. Rialto is the home of Setawa Lamaya.
00:00:44
Tristan Amundson
And Mr. Lamaya went to Elsinore High School. I was thinking the other day as he was growing up in that area, where did a guy like this learn how to pancake block like that?
00:01:01
Tristan Amundson
And so I started doing some research and there's a lot of great breakfast spots in Rialto, but there's one that stood out because of their large portions. Sammy's cafe, 298 West baseline road in Rialto known for their large portions. The pictures on Google look incredible. Do you think that that's where He first learned to love and to embrace the pancake block at Sammy's cafe. Miles, is that, does that sound right?
00:01:36
M dub
Tristan what a pleasure to join you after the fourth consecutive Seahawks victory 30 to 18 over the Cardinals I think much like the rest of Seahawks nation we were wondering about the first pancakes um the beginning the beginning of Sattawa Lamea's relationship with pancakes.
00:01:56
M dub
And um I've heard that Sammy's, ah the Google, the Yelp reviews are in the high fours. We're talking to quality establishment
Lamaya's NFL Debut and Seahawks' Teamwork
00:02:05
M dub
here.
00:02:05
Tristan Amundson
Yeah 4.5.
00:02:06
M dub
um Wow, wow. i think there's I think there's a really good chance that ah Mr. Lamea has put down a few stacks at Sammy's ah before Um, we didn't talk about it last week, but after being drafted in the sixth round has to buy his time until week 13 last week, debuts at right guard, plays the entire game, plays this entire game, a hundred percent of the snaps and delivers a pretty crucial block on the Seahawks running highlight of the year, a dominant 51 yard touchdown by Zach Charbonnet, part of a 130 plus yard day by the man.
00:02:47
M dub
See how extra running the ball.
00:02:49
Tristan Amundson
It's so beautiful to see, isn't it? I mean, we've been waiting for this moment. We've been waiting for some consistency. I jotted down a note that, and this is not breaking news, but this really does look like the most complete game, all three phases that we've had so far.
00:03:08
Tristan Amundson
And to see the run game married with the passing game, um to see JSN continue to ascend, which I'm sure we'll chat about here a little bit, the defense comes comes through. But man, everything is just easier when you can run the football, isn't it? When you can um When you can tell the other team, we're going to run it and you can still run it. um You know, listen, the joke is old and tired, but more Charbonnet, please, because it is unbelievable to see this guy. Should we break down the play right now? Where do you want to go? We can we can go a lot of different directions. Should we do that right now? Should we do it a little later? You tell me.
00:03:49
M dub
I think we should. I think it's time. And I do. um You know, I almost felt bad for for Mr. Walker. I think we both we hold him in high regard. We understand that he's the first string running back.
00:03:57
Tristan Amundson
and Absolutely.
00:03:59
M dub
And I think this was a sign of the tremendous depth that the Seahawks have at the position and not an issue of the wrong guy getting the the the lion's share of
Charbonnet's Performance and Offensive Depth
00:04:10
M dub
carries.
00:04:10
M dub
I do think I do think that's how I get in there as is it it makes a big difference. I think there is more creativity in the play calling. um And just for the record we had Charbonnet with 22 carries 134 yards and two touchdowns including the 151 yarder we'll discuss right now. And then also this is no small thing either. Kenny McIntosh seven carries for 38 yards. ah that's This is this one of the first game he regularly contributed and he also got some great yardage and I noticed actually
00:04:44
M dub
earlier in the second quarter that he had a very solid 10 yard run on what looked to be this exact same counter run play that um freed up Charbonnet for the 51 yarder.
00:04:56
Tristan Amundson
You know, what's funny about you saying that, um, as we were both looking at this, I bet we both notice the same thing, which is the first moment where Charbonnet has contact where, where they, they start making some, where they, the other team touches him a little bit. Obviously it doesn't work. He he goes on for a 50 yard touchdown, but that was about seven yards. And I was noticing that I thought that was of note because if you look at.
00:05:21
Tristan Amundson
If you look at that play near, let's say it doesn't break open for a massive gain the way it did, even just on its face, it was a seven, eight yard positive great running play. So it makes sense to your point. The fact that Kenny had the same play and he was able to get to about the 10 yard line, that's that's about the same that Charbonnet would have gotten, which I get it speaks to the fact you're not getting hit behind the line of scrimmage and the offensive line is is doing their jobs. That's a that's a really fun note.
00:05:50
Tristan Amundson
um Okay, so let's let's get into this play a little bit. but Let me give you ah just a couple of thoughts from my perspective and then I want to know where your eyes went. the The first place that my eyes went, believe it or not, now this is because I knew we were going to do this segment. I put on the all 22 and I knew I was going to watch it about I mean, I don't know if I should admit this on air. I knew I was going to watch it. that This play, I mean about 16 or 20 times, right? That's kind of what I do because you can just keep hitting back, right? 10 seconds back, 10 seconds back. You just keep watching the same thing and you can watch different guys on the field. The first thing that I noticed
00:06:33
Tristan Amundson
because I was like, okay, everyone did their job on this play. That's the only way a big play like this happens. Tyler Lockett is at the very top of your screen. He's he's way out with his cornerback and Tyler um you know just kind of runs an out route. He runs about 10 yards straight and then he goes out and the cornerback has his back to the play the entire time. Even that,
00:06:58
Tristan Amundson
but had nothing to do with any blocking, had nothing to do with the mechanics of the play, except that the guy that almost tackled Charbonnet right before he got into the end zone was the guy that was on Tyler Lockett. And so you think about like this truly for a big running play like this to work, literally all 11 guys have to do their jobs to perfection. So that's that's my first little tidbit of it. maybe Maybe this is how we should do it. Maybe you should give a tidbit now, like go back and forth. That was the first thing that I got.
00:07:29
M dub
I think you're
Impactful Blocking Strategies
00:07:30
M dub
gonna have more tidbits in total than me but my big tidbit from this one was actually looking on the other side of the formation towards towards the bottom of your screen and on this play they had both Jake Bobo and Noah Fant and Fant was not lined up as a tight end he he was liked lined up out wide and the play is going from right to left so you can see that the the Hawks were anticipating Okay, the ball's gonna come to the left of the offense, and we're gonna have our two best kind of space blockers in Bobo and Fant out there. Fant doesn't give the best effort on this one, but Jake Bobo does, and I think that's why we like. ah it It'd be nice to see the man get some more targets, but my goodness, for a wide receiver, the man can block. I do wonder who is better as a wide receiver blocker than Bobo, and it's the same thing. There's there's a couple of Cardinals who converge on Charbonnet towards the end zone, and
00:08:23
M dub
And the guy coming from the other side was Bobo's assignment, and he was able to stop him. ah those crew That crucial you know fraction of a second enough to make sure Charbonnet can get all the way in there.
00:08:33
Tristan Amundson
That's all it takes, right? Just that fraction of a second. um the The next guy that I noticed, and of course we'll get to Lamea and and his beautiful pancake, but ah the next guy I noticed, and yeah I have a soft spot in my heart for centers, um but it's Olu.
00:08:51
Tristan Amundson
So on this assignment, because this is a counter and you have the garden attack on the right side of the line um coming over um for their blocks, their polling, both of them, ah Abe and LeMaya,
00:09:08
Tristan Amundson
Olu's assignment then is the three technique on the right side of the line. So now he's going to have to um make a big effort and block this guy that is in between um basically the spot that is being vacated by um buy our polling guard and tackle, right? So he has to go that direction.
00:09:30
Tristan Amundson
Cat-like is the only thing that comes to mind. When he snaps, he he he sends a shotgun snap back to Gino. and like i mean You talk about a fraction of a second. He is on the three technique before the three technique knows what's going on. Here's the other one. Now, I'm sorry. I'm just suddenly on an offensive line kick.
00:09:54
Tristan Amundson
Charles Cross has a very interesting, kind of unique, quick shove of the left. I guess you know if you're Charles, the guy on your left, the defensive end on that side of the line at the bottom of your screen, he just gives him a little shove. And then his assignment is to double team with Lincoln Tomlinson, um the other three techniques. so actually i'm sorry not the other three techniques the guy that's lined up on olu so the guy that's lined up on olu gets hit by lincoln and right after he gets hit by lincoln charles comes over to seal the edge and to to double him but what's awesome about charles cross and i guess this ultimately leads to a pancake
00:10:38
Tristan Amundson
He shoves, it's again, kind of cat-like ballerina stuff. He shoves the um the defensive end on the bottom of the screen perfectly into Lemaya's path.
00:10:53
Tristan Amundson
And then after that, it's just it's it's it's breakfast time. it's We're taking a guy out to breakfast, pancakes on me, bam.
00:10:59
M dub
We're back at Sammies. We're back at Sammies.
00:11:02
Tristan Amundson
We're at Sammy's, we're dropping him to the ground. And it's funny, you can talk about all of this stuff without even talking about Charbonnet, right? I mean, Charbonnet has the actual run.
00:11:12
M dub
but see that's got great talk I did forget. yeah
00:11:16
Tristan Amundson
It's just crazy to think. and And you talk about a fraction of a second. The chaos happens about seven yards down the line, right? ah he's He's about seven yards down. There's three Cardinals right there. And it just is that fraction
Player Highlights: Noah Fant and AJ Barnard
00:11:30
Tristan Amundson
of a second that he needs to break through and to have that beautiful 55-yard touchdown run, um which I know is something that all Seahawks fans have been absolutely craving. So what a dude, what what a beautiful play. any other Any other closing thoughts on this play? I don't want to, I feel like I just dominated this segment a little bit, but I just, I loved it so much.
00:11:51
M dub
Oh, it was excellent. I i thought that... I'm not sure what you thought. I thought this was this play was really set up by a lot of stuff that was happening earlier in the game. As as I mentioned, Macintosh got ah a pretty solid 10-ish yard run on what looked to me like the exact same play. Definitely a a very similar concept.
00:12:14
M dub
To me though, I was really encouraged by, and this, it was a little discouraging how new it felt, but I was encouraged by seeing it. On the very first driver of the game, there were two third and one situations and they both were short passes to know a fan and they both converted and kept that drive alive. And to me, I was like, wow, that,
00:12:37
M dub
That seems like seems's very simple, but it seems like something we haven't really seen before. And it really got me looking into Noah Fance usage. And I do think the way he was used in this game to convert those short third downs was really positive. I think it it kind of helped get the offensive linemen in space a little bit, kind of setting this up.
00:12:57
M dub
but That's not really how he's been used that much. So in this offseason, last year we had the three headed tight end group with Colby Parkinson and Will Disley. And the Seahawks chose Noah, really. they And Parkinson's on the Rams right now, Disley on the Chargers. The yardage does not tell that great of a story. We have Noah Fant with 329 yards on the year and no touchdowns. Colby has 267 and one touchdown. And Will Disley is actually the leader.
00:13:28
M dub
with 418 yards and one touchdown. But this this is kind of weird breaking down Noah Phan's 40 targets on the year. So here's how those 40 targets have gone. 26 of those targets have been with at least 10 yards to go to either to the goal or the first down. So a lot of that is first and 10 that counts in the 10 plus yards, but they're basically saving him for long yardage situations.
00:13:59
M dub
30 of those targets have been on either first and second downs. So these are early in you know early in the down. And we've only got three targets in the red zone. And to me, all of those seem kind of backwards. we I think we need him for those.
00:14:14
M dub
ah there's just been um When it's third and short, it just feels like the the run plays have been a little predictable. So to have those two go to fan and convert quite easily I thought were, yeah, it just it led to a lot of unpredictability, I think, to the rest of the day. Now, despite this profile of Fant's targets, which is early downs, long yardage, listen to what he's doing on the year. So this is out of 152 qualified pass catchers in the entire league. Fant is 24th in catch percentage. thats And that's on long targets, you know?
00:14:53
M dub
And despite the long yardage on the targets, uh, so pro football reference has a stack called success percentage, which is measuring how much of the down you're basically converting. And he is 12th in the league in success percentage. As those short, those short-term downs really help. I noticed this a few weeks ago, how high he ranked to that. He's really elite in that. So.
00:15:14
M dub
Um, that's what I noticed. I really, I noticed a really small place in this 30 to 18 game, but I, to me, it felt like a philosophical shift that made a really big difference. And I think pointed to, I still think fans hat is like an 800, 900 yard tight end type of player that just has yet to be unlocked even this late into his career.
00:15:38
Tristan Amundson
So he can, ah yeah, i agreed, he can absolutely do it. It's funny, I noticed the same thing and I think the correlation is with the fact that Gino didn't get sacked and the fact that we were running the football well. um Let me give you, so Gino was 24 for 30, okay, so 24 completions.
00:15:57
Tristan Amundson
Of those completions, seven went to Charbonnet, and we all know those were close to the line of scrimmage. Two went to McIntosh. Three went to Noah Fant, to your point. Most, if not all, of those were short yardage, right? Two of them were, you know, those first down conversions, right? Third down.
00:16:19
Tristan Amundson
to the flat, to the right side, to the flat, to the left side. Basically, mirror plays on either side. And then one to AJ Barnard. That's 14. And actually, I'm sorry, and and one also to Farrah Brown, which was also a short yardage. So 14 of Gino's 24 completions were very close to the line of scrimmage to tight ends and to running backs, which which I think speaks to getting the ball out quick. We're going to avoid sacks and also not getting greedy, right? Hey, I'm going to take what the defense gives me. I'm going to take all these free plays over and over and over again and just trust that it's going to work out. And then obviously, Gino had a few beautiful passes down the field, right, to JSN and to DK.
00:17:04
Tristan Amundson
But that's it. I mean, it it was a very kind of conservative, let's control this game the entire time kind of thing. I was taken aback when I just started counting those up. 14 out of 24 is to those tight ends into the running backs.
00:17:21
M dub
Yeah, that's a pretty huge number considering the the kind of monster investment and production that the team's gotten from all you know three huge wide receivers. yeah it does did it Did it feel to you in the last few weeks that Gino is almost playing to avoid an interception, which he's doing successfully, but I kind of wonder if ah I'm not sure what the solution is cause it's like you want more interceptions, but I almost wonder if he's playing to avoid the interception in the last couple of weeks more.
00:17:51
Tristan Amundson
I just think ah sorry sorry i just to to your point and to your question, what I think is happening potentially.
00:17:53
M dub
Yeah. Yeah. I don't know.
00:17:59
Tristan Amundson
Obviously, interceptions bad. We all know that. But the defense is playing so well. I wonder if Gino is more relaxed. I wonder if he realizes I don't have to win this by myself. like This defense is locking people down.
00:18:12
Tristan Amundson
As long as we protect the football and we make a few key plays, this defense is going to take care of us. And, and I just wonder if as a quarterback, if you have perspective, if that just gives you a sense of, of calm, like, okay, no, it's going to be fine. Like a punt isn't the worst thing in the world. You know, a third down conversion, 10, 15 yards at a time, isn't a big deal. Like we'll just kind of keep grinding this other team.
00:18:40
M dub
That could be right, especially because the Seahawks got up so early in this one. Yeah.
00:18:45
Tristan Amundson
yeah Absolutely. yeah And you see that at the time of possession, right? 33 minutes versus 26 minutes. um Or I guess, to be honest, let's call it 33 minutes to 27 minutes. It's 26 minutes and 58 seconds. So 27 minutes of um ah possession for Arizona. But that's a pretty good you know chunk of time that we are holding the ball and keeping it away from the other team. So a six-minute difference there.
00:19:11
Tristan Amundson
um is is ah That's a lot in football time, right? I mean, it's a lot of time where your defense is is chilling on the sidelines, you know sipping Gatorade and eating Skittles. that's That's a good place to be if you're a defender.
Coach Mack's Merit-Based Rotations
00:19:25
M dub
Speaking of the defense being on the sideline, uh, so you mentioned the one pass to AJ Barnard, the tight end, and you might remember this Barnard is out in the open field and he absolutely trucks a poor fella on the Arizona secondary.
00:19:39
Tristan Amundson
honestly might be my favorite play. It was incredible. I love that play.
00:19:42
M dub
It was my favorite play and here's, here's why it was. i go I want to take you back to week two of our fair podcast. This was a game played in New England, much like this crowd in Arizona.
00:19:55
M dub
i Well, the crowd in New England, in in Arizona there were a lot of Seahawks fans in the game. and That was not the case in New England. That's pretty far. But there was a similar like low energy crowd issue, let's say. There was not a strong home field advantage. And you might remember back in that New England game, I came on and I talked about, I'm concerned this defense isn't screaming at each other enough. I'm not seeing the, you know,
00:20:20
M dub
that juice factor on a big play because the defense was making good plays in that game and it just seemed like they were kind of walking back ah to line up again instead of really putting a punctuation mark on it.
00:20:34
M dub
Here's how much this team has changed. We're talking A.J. Barter. The offense is on the field and this play is happening close to the Seattle sideline and I'm watching the Seattle secondary pop off off the bench to ah get right up against that sideline and do some of that screaming at A.J. Barter. That had to be a great feeling to be A.J. Barter and he suddenly you're looking at Devin Witherspoon and Julian Love just um you know really appreciating what was going on. and It's like a 12-yard catch, you know, but that that was why it was probably my favorite play of the day. It spoke volumes, I thought, just how connected the team is. And it's ah it's a huge jump from week two.
00:21:18
Tristan Amundson
It's a tone setting play for sure. No, I, I totally, I agree with everything you just said. There's something, what what's the word I'm looking for here?
00:21:29
Tristan Amundson
animal-like animal-like instinctual guttural. There's something really powerful in football when you have a play like that. You have ah as as a player, as a big player, as a tight end to be able to just put your your face mask in the other guy's chest and drive through him. And I mean, i listen, I got off the couch. I got off the couch and kind of gave a yell. I mean, I was i was feeling the same energy of like, youre you are it's I guess it's what makes football really fun and interesting to watch the moments when you are you are just it's it's your will right you're just willing a thing to happen and and you are beating the other team into submission and you don't see that there's not really any other sport where you see
00:22:16
Tristan Amundson
one team that can just physically beat the other team into submission. And you don't see it every Sunday either, right? I mean, listen, later on, I think we'll talk about the Buffalo Rams game. That was not a game where, you know, they're beating each other to submission. That was an offensive, you know, fast. So when you have those moments when, when, when you're able to, um when you're able to just sno bubbles i guess right that's the only that's the only football term that comes to mind. Just when you're able to give the other guy snot bubbles, it's just it's II got a dumb smile on my face right now. It's it's the coolest thing about football.
00:22:59
M dub
Absolutely and what to me what's important about like screaming from the sidelines is ah also with football there there becomes when a team is really together you you kind of realize just how many guys are going to be coming at you and I think it really sends a message like you're going to have to deal with all of us and on a really good football team there's there's just so many players who keep on coming at you in waves ah yeah I think we both appreciated it I do think a reason that this is happening and we're seeing this type of energy from the team now is
00:23:13
Tristan Amundson
ye
00:23:32
M dub
There's a really, it it really hit me in this game watching all the different position groups. There's a really large number of decisions that Coach Mac has made with the playing time rotation as the year has gone on that have all really gone against the grain, like politically speaking. yeah It can be very tempting. And this is where owners will meddle in football operations where they probably shouldn't. It can be very tempting to give a player with the higher draft pedigree or the higher salary if they were the expensive free agent to give them the complete priority. And there's a lot of times where coach Mack has done the opposite. We're stoked on La Maia here. He was a six round draft pick. And um this is a second straight start ahead of Christian Haynes, who was the third round draft pick. um there's ah There's a ton of examples. We're seeing Tyreese Knight is locked in as a starter at linebacker, a fourth round rookie compared to the veteran free agent Tyrell Dodson.
00:24:29
M dub
they brought in over the off season. Or I know it was a lower round draft pick, but the the team traded a draft pick for Travis Gibson from the Jaguars. But they said, no, we're going to go with Knight. We have not talked a lot about Josh Job, who's totally locked in as a starting cornerback. He was always signed to the practice squad in late August and played his first game in mid-October. So effectively off the street from the Eagles, he's locked in as a starter over Trey Brown and Nehemiah Pritchett, who are both draft picks from the team.
00:24:59
M dub
We talked about Barner. He's only 35th on the team in cap hit. He's getting 48% of the snaps, including that one absolutely monster snap. Pharaoh Brown, it was a one-year free agent deal. it's a little He's a little higher in the cap rankings than you might think. He's 15th on the team in his cap hit. And Brown's getting half the playing time exactly, 24% of snaps. And one that what got me thinking about it was watching this game. The team paid a pretty,
00:25:27
M dub
Big contract to race on Jenkins. He's 12th on the team and cap hit Kobe Bryant down at 27th a developmental project, but he ah in the past The project is complete now ah Kobe Bryant played 100% of the snaps in this game Got a monster interception got another forced fumble. That's just luckily bounced to Arizona and Jenkins only got 35% of the snaps in this one and And for unfortunately, the ultimate example might be our our dear friend Tyler Lockett, who is second on the entire team in cap hit, only behind Gino. And this is the sixth straight game that he's received under five targets. You have to go back to the Falcons game for the last time. He was targeted more than five times in a game. Now, a credit to all these guys, the guys who are winning the playing time battle and and the guys who are losing it because
00:26:21
M dub
you are seeing a team become more together over the course of the year. These are tough situations for these guys who are not getting the snaps. I mean, it would hurt to, you know, every one of them. And I credit to everybody that that the team is really staying together. And I think it sends a very meaningful message that you you don't earn your playing time on the Seahawks with your salary. You earn you earn it with your play.
00:26:49
M dub
We talked a few weeks ago about how Draymont Jones, I was locked into this for a few weeks. He was only getting about 30 or so percent of the defensive snaps. That number has gone back up. He's kind of at the max 60 to 70 percent the last few weeks, the max you want to see a defensive lineman get. um And and that that went smoothly as well. So, yeah, that that was what I noticed this week. just just and they're They're all over the field. the you know It's totally in every position group.
00:27:16
Tristan Amundson
it It is fun to see a coach um practice what he's preaching, right? He's preaching competition. He's preaching, you know, we're going to find the best guys out there to to compete and to go for it. and And to see them really live that out um has been refreshing. Throughout the NFL, you don't see that, right? You see a lot of political decisions to your point being made all the time. So the fact that um This regime feels really comfortable doing that.
Seahawks' Evolving Team Culture
00:27:43
Tristan Amundson
It feels very similar to you know the early days of Pete when you know it was every man for himself and it was just competition, competition, competition. and and Obviously, that turned out really well. That allowed guys like Richard Sherman and Cam Chancellor to shine, right even though they weren't super high draft picks. and
00:28:02
Tristan Amundson
um our good friend KJ Wright to to shine, right? Because these guys that weren't necessarily the highest draft pick were were able to prove it on the field. um And you're absolutely right. Josh Job is what a great example of it. I mean, that's a guy, if you were to ask me where he came from, I i mean, I couldn't tell you at all that you mentioned that undrafted free agent. Well, that makes sense. You know, I don't even remember the moment that that he was signed or or how that all went down. So the fact that they're letting these guys play um You know, maybe one of my favorite stories and and honest to God, interceptions aside is Kobe Bryant, because he he has always been really fun to to watch. And it seems like he's always just been kind of on the outside of this team for whatever reason. It just seemed like Kobe was never he always was giving good effort and and pretty good productivity. And it just seemed like he kept having bad luck or ah yeah extenuating circumstances. He wasn't getting the playing time.
00:28:58
Tristan Amundson
He's one of those guys. It's fun to see him actually get that playing time and be out and be be showing what he can actually do, which is obviously um a lot. So, yeah, no, I think that's a really cool point, man. um And it's great to see yeah The other side of it that I hear you saying is, it's just great to see this team become the team it's supposed to become, or the team that it was eventually going to become, right? It's, it is taking on its own personality with these specific players. And, you know, if it, it it could be Lamea, it could be, um, Lucas, those guys bring a very different energy than the guys that were there earlier in the year, right? They, they both kind of have a gritty,
00:29:43
Tristan Amundson
I mean, ah immediately when you see Abe Lucas out there, he always kind of has that scowl on his face. And he just, I think Abe Lucas is kind of but ah kind of a bad man. Like I think Abe Lucas is not a not a guy that you want to be playing against on the football field. I'm sure he's a nice man in in real life, but he looks like one of those guys that on the football field, you you just don't want to have to mess with.
00:30:09
Tristan Amundson
um and a lot of those personalities are coming out. you know This is, I think the personality side of it, it's not necessarily um the pay scale side, because this guy is a high draft pick, but you're seeing in it with Devin Witherspoon continually be a thing too, where you're seeing him become who he is, right? You're like you're seeing him become a focal point of this of this team. So it is just fun to see I don't know if I've ever seen anything like this where you're seeing not only the players, but also the coaching staff figure out who they are. And everyone is figuring it out in real time because everybody's super new. So that's kind of the the other cool part of it. There's not one coach, you know, let save Leslie Frazier. There's not one coach that's been here before. And yet they're all kind of learning it and figuring it out together, which which is pretty fun.
00:31:07
M dub
This this week, the broadcast mentioned here ah about the coaching staff ah blending together and everybody came to know one another. The broadcast of the game this week mentioned that McDonald and the rest of the the staff conducted effectively an exit interview for all the players on the bye week, which I can't believe I didn't hear about that. I was following the team pretty closely here, but. ah That is very unusual.
00:31:36
M dub
in the NFL. That is a very unusual step. And I thought it was genius on two levels, one, the individual level where you're kind of letting a guy know, like, here's what we're working on. Here's what we're prioritizing with your game. But I think it also said that a much more meaningful message that there were four and five at that time and it wasn't looking good. And I think it said the message that we have about half the season ago still. And we're, we're not just going to lay down as a, as a sub 500 team. Like this is not.
00:32:06
M dub
We're just not going to do it. ah does it feel that Is that fair to say? like It actually communicates that message. like Yeah, we have a losing record right now. But I just thought it was the best possible thing to to turn the thing around. And it does really feel like see Seahawks 2.0 since that buy. I mean, it's 4-0 since those meetings happened.
00:32:28
Tristan Amundson
No, I i agree. i I think what it what it speaks to me is there's a problem. Let's address it. Let's figure out what the problem is and and take a proactive approach to fixing it versus OK, everyone, just leave and, you know, we'll work out as coaches and and we'll see it. Let's all rest and yo we'll come back after the bye. It was really taking advantage of that time.
00:32:51
Tristan Amundson
and And I do think that it speaks to something that you and I have have spoken about a few times this year, which is for these new head coaches, um the bye week can have the biggest impact because they have the most time to learn or they have the most to learn, right? So giving them some time to breathe in the middle of the season, you can imagine that the bye week for a first time head coach means a lot more than the bye week for Mike Tomlin or, you know, these guys that have been in the league forever, um which I think is true and it's a good take, but I think what you're saying as another layer of texture to it, which is it's only beneficial if you take advantage of it, right? It's only it's only of benefit if you if you take the steps to really take advantage of that time. And it's clear that those exit interviews and and just the way that um
00:33:48
Tristan Amundson
uh, that, that Mike's going about it, that he's taking advantage of, of, of the time and getting this team in the right place. So no, beautiful point. I listen, man, it's been fun. We are seeing head coaches, assistant coaches, learning on the fly. We're seeing young players learning on the fly. This is a learning program right now, right? And that's that's pretty, pretty fun to hear. I just heard Mike mentioned that, uh, you know, in his press conference yesterday, he was just talking about how he's learned a ton this year.
00:34:18
Tristan Amundson
And I think maybe that's the other side of of it that goes a little unnoticed is Mike seems to have just a great humility about himself and and a confidence that he's not defined by what other people think of him. Because you though even the way he talks, he's not talking defensively. His language is very open and very just kind of curious, which is unusual in um in a world and specifically in NFL world that seems to be a lot about spin and a lot about projecting, Hey, I'm masculine or I know everything and I know what I'm doing. I have a plan. I don't know if I've ever heard a coach
00:35:00
Tristan Amundson
more than Mike say, I don't know. And I've heard him say it multiple times. And I've heard him say multiple times to reporters, oh, that's really interesting. i've never I've never thought of it that way. Or, oh, I didn't know that stat. I've heard him say to reporters multiple times about a defensive stat. Oh, I was i didn't know about that one. That's that's a really cool number.
00:35:21
Tristan Amundson
that's That's a unique cat, man. like Not a lot of people are willing to do that, are willing in in any profession to say, oh, that's interesting. Tell me more about that. um He doesn't have to be the smartest guy in the room, even though you know he he might actually be. But he has the confidence to to answer slowly and to and to answer carefully. So I just think, I don't know, it's ah it's ah it's a testament to him. I think we're going to like this guy. I guess is what I'm saying. I think it's going to be fun to watch him mature and become a better and better coach because he's well on his way.
00:35:56
M dub
Absolutely. and yeah That's a great point because you because of that add that openness and that attitude, you really do get the feeling that this is just starting.
Analytical Decisions: Field Goals and Turnovers
00:36:07
M dub
he's not yeah That but year two is going to be different from year one and he's going to just keep on pushing it forward, whatever that but however that looks.
00:36:16
Tristan Amundson
Absolutely, man, absolutely. Well, it was a fun game. um Did you happen?
00:36:21
M dub
Can I bring in one more point from the game?
00:36:23
Tristan Amundson
No, no, I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
00:36:25
M dub
All right, all right.
00:36:26
Tristan Amundson
No, yes, yes, more, more, please.
00:36:28
M dub
Yeah, so that's we're focusing on a lot of first half stuff here, but we concluded last week's episode with my plea to the team that because of the makeup of this squad and its strengths and its weaknesses, I really recommended that the team in fourth and goal situations kick the chip shot field goal instead of going for the touchdown.
00:36:53
M dub
So that's how we ended. And then immediately the Hawks first drive of this game end up with fourth on the two yard line, fourth and goal on the two. And I have to say, and then the and in the field goal unit came out and I have to say, I also, I wasn't even watching the game live, by the way, the game had already concluded before I started it up. So what already happened, it happened and my My cheeks turned rosy because I was like, oh my goodness, here it is. Here's my idea. This is what I wanted to happen. And suddenly the consequences just felt huge because the team was already down 7-0. And you know, so it only makes us 7-3. Doesn't change it away from a one possession game. And I was like, oh boy, this is what I wanted to happen, right? I just wanted to actually make these decisions in the game.
00:37:50
M dub
that you just, I felt eyes, there nobody was looking, I felt eyes pointed at me with that decision. And I was very nervous for how the rest of the game would go. And boy was I delighted that, ah you know, that made the game seven to three. And boy was I delighted that the end of first quarter, it was 17 to seven after those two beautiful interceptions. And I do think it was the right call, but i it did make me realize how different it is to actually make these decisions in the moment.
00:38:24
Tristan Amundson
incredibly hard. Yeah, no, and incredibly hard that that these guys have to go through all of this. I do think that Mike makes it easy on himself and that I do think for the most part, he he just follows the numbers. I think he really does follow the analytics.
00:38:38
Tristan Amundson
um although who knows maybe over these last couple of weeks he's starting to sprinkle in his own level of hey you know what maybe the analytics say just run it down the middle here and you know worst case scenario the other team gets it on the one but you know what no we're we're just going to take the points we're we're going to play conservative um And yeah, man, listen, we, we didn't even have time to get into the two interceptions really with, with any great detail, but what, just what an unbelievably beautiful statement that both of those were right off the bat, you know, just to really take control. And I don't know about you when I was watching it, I was putting myself in the Arizona's position turn points off of turnovers.
00:39:22
Tristan Amundson
specifically touchdowns off of turnovers are, they are daggers. They they destroy the game for you. They are killers. And i obviously it was so beautiful to see that we were on the right side of it. That pass to Jackson, 20 yard touchdown pass to the corner of the end zone was so beautiful. And you know I love, part of me just loves that that was the first play. like We get it back. Let's take a shot. Bam. Like just, just a dagger through the heart of all of Arizona simultaneously was, was a beautiful thing. So yeah, but the defense really showed up.
Seahawks' Defensive Strengths
00:40:00
Tristan Amundson
Um, and I agree with you though. I was thinking of you during that play and I was thinking like, just, let's just get the points. Let's get the points and move on.
00:40:09
M dub
Oh man, I do have to say, so when the the Cardinals marched down the first three minutes of this game and scored a touchdown and wasn't it shocking to just see a straight up drive ended a touchdown?
00:40:19
M dub
i think I think that shows just how good this defense has been that it was kind of like, wait a minute.
00:40:26
Tristan Amundson
That's not the most happened, yeah.
00:40:26
M dub
ah a level it's It's one touchdown, ah you know, they're they're not like rolling or or anything like that. and It's one touchdown and it just felt Totally shocking. And in all four of these games since the bye week, the opponent has not scored three touchdowns. There's there's been a ceiling on two touchdowns, even though the Hawks went down in a in a hole with 57 minutes left to go in the game.
00:40:51
Tristan Amundson
Pretty cool. No, it was a it was an absolutely great game, man. um Like you said in the beginning, four in a row.
Upcoming Challenges Against the Packers
00:40:59
Tristan Amundson
This has become ah a nice little pattern we're seeing with the Seahawks three in a row. Now four in a row. um We got a tough one. We got a tough one coming up against the Packers. Packers come into town. How do you feel about it? Any any thoughts before we wrap this puppy up?
00:41:17
M dub
Is this the first primetime game? This is going to be Sunday Night Football this week. Is this the first night game for the Hawks this year?
00:41:21
Tristan Amundson
Hmm.
00:41:23
M dub
There was the Thursday night one against San Francisco. But I think this is the first Sunday or Monday night. Anyway, I saw a terrifying stat from Ben Baldwin, who is a longtime analytics guy um who tweets a lot about.
00:41:29
Tristan Amundson
I think so.
00:41:40
M dub
ah He created the fourth down robot on Twitter that kind of calculates the decisions in real time. anyway
00:41:47
Tristan Amundson
you you you mean You mean Cletus on Fox?
00:41:48
M dub
Uh-uh.
00:41:50
Tristan Amundson
That's the fourth down robot you must be talking about. That's the only robot I know that's associated with football. he His name's Cletus. He's a great guy. He's there for me every Sunday on Fox.
00:42:02
Tristan Amundson
I don't know if Cletus still around. i now Now that I think of it, I don't know if I've seen Cletus this year.
00:42:06
M dub
Cletus is there. Brett Favre has nothing on Cletus. This guy comes in every week. um The fourth down robot is an ethereal, non-tangible robot presence, unlike Cletus.
00:42:17
M dub
And this robot only specializes in fourth downs.
00:42:17
Tristan Amundson
Got it.
00:42:20
M dub
Cletus is in every down player. We know that.
00:42:21
Tristan Amundson
Got it. Okay. Very different then.
00:42:25
M dub
um So we are we are effectively in the NFC North now for the rest of the year. We have four games left, and three of them are against NFC North opponents before finishing off with the Rams.
00:42:37
M dub
The Vikings, the Lions, and the Packers between them, when they play any opponent not in that circle, so when they're not playing each other, they are 28 and 3 against the rest of the NFL.
00:42:51
M dub
ah And so the Buccaneers, the Eagles, and the Rams are the only teams who have managed to defeat them. That hasn't happened since week eight, ah these teams.
00:43:00
Tristan Amundson
Wow.
00:43:01
M dub
are So the Packers are 9 and 4. which doesn't sound that impressive until you realize their losses this year are to the Eagles, the Vikings, and two times to the Lions, all by a combined 20 points. This might be the best nine to 14 of all time. So um it's a tough challenge, but look, we've been in playoff mode since that bye week. I'm, I,
00:43:30
M dub
I would be disheartened and surprised by a blowout loss. I wouldn't be surprised by any other result. I think this defense is good enough to win the ball game. and would Actually, I would be surprised. I'd be surprised by a blowout either way.
00:43:44
M dub
But I do think this defense is good enough to win the ball game. and But it's a tough opponent, it man. The schedule was also a gauntlet ah around Thanksgiving last year. I don't know how I get such a hard schedule. Again, this is this is a crazy run here.
00:44:03
Tristan Amundson
Yeah, and I agree. I don't think this will be a blowout by any means either direction. I do think it's going to be a really hard game. It's certainly not one that you just ride in as, hey, this is ah this is a win for us no matter what. um This is going to be a tough one, man. that This will be a tough one. They are a formidable team, ah very good defense, underrated defense.
00:44:26
Tristan Amundson
um OK skill positions, great running back, good young ascending quarterback. um This is an opportunity, though, for for our brothers and sisters in the Northwest to to come together to make some noise um in Lumen and and to to affect the ballgame. So hopefully um they can do that. I will say night games in Seattle are a special thing.
00:44:51
Tristan Amundson
and that does tilt the field just a little bit in our direction. So I'm i'm looking forward to it. To your point, haven't had a lot of these prime time opportunities this year, so it'll be fun. And I don't think it could be happening at a better time for the Seahawks, honestly. This team is clearly ascending. This defense is clearly coming together. The offense is coming together.
00:45:12
Tristan Amundson
they The puzzle pieces are much more connected today than they were even a month ago. right You can see every week this team is getting a little better. So
Seahawks Surpassing Expectations
00:45:23
Tristan Amundson
here we go. but This will be a really good test. you know We talk about, or at least I like to talk about you know the middle class of the NFL, the lower class, the upper class. you know To your point,
00:45:34
Tristan Amundson
at least the neighborhood that the packers are living in would tell us this is an and an upper what upper middle class team right this is one of those teams that they can be real tough maybe maybe they're not the lions the chiefs the eagles but they are there right kind of maybe one notch below those guys so it's gonna be a tough challenge.
00:45:55
M dub
Tristan, when you watch this game on Sunday, are you looking forward to see? Because we just know this is going to happen. How much of the broadcast time is going to be spent? One, at Pike Place Market, and two, just replaying the Fail Mary play, which also happened between these two teams in a night game in Seattle.
00:46:15
M dub
i We just know it's going to happen. I guess they have. I mean, you know what I'm talking about.
00:46:19
Tristan Amundson
They have to. They have to.
00:46:21
M dub
Fake it out with Nirvana. you know
00:46:24
Tristan Amundson
it's They have no choice.
00:46:26
M dub
but is it get Well, do they? do they when when do When does this change?
00:46:31
Tristan Amundson
They have they have absolutely no choice. They will absolutely do both of those things. um well We'll see them throw the fish, which is fun. um Yeah, the failed Mary.
00:46:41
M dub
Can we get on a ferry to Bainbridge and see the waters? you know The ferryman's on the front of the boat. and we're like you know there There's a lot that can happen i outside of Good old Pike Place.
00:46:48
Tristan Amundson
go out and see some markets. Yeah, I mean, they they could they could absolutely do it. They could go on a grand tour of the Northwest, but instead they'll just walk their cameras to Pike Place Market and they will set up right there in the front and they'll watch those nice young men throw the fish. That's that's what's going to happen.
00:47:06
M dub
It's a big night for the fish market too.
00:47:09
Tristan Amundson
Hey, let's stimulate that local economy. Um, maybe we can get a shot of Starbucks while we're at it, you know, just other, other things, but yeah, grunge is alive and well, as far as national media is concerned when they're covering a Seattle sports team, it's all grunge all the time.
00:47:27
Tristan Amundson
1994, you never left. NBC is holding you.
00:47:30
M dub
Are we going to see more of the failed Mary or that 2014 NFC championship game? You know, cause that was also Packers at, I feel like the failed Mary happens more.
00:47:36
Tristan Amundson
Oh man, that oh Whoo. That was a great, I might just watch rewatch that this week. That's you reminded me of it. That's a great game. Oh my goodness.
00:47:47
M dub
Oh, uh,
00:47:49
Tristan Amundson
You got anything else?
00:47:53
M dub
Tristan, the Seahawks hit their over. If you were a gambling man in Las Vegas, it was 7.5. They hit eight. I was never in doubt. I was never in doubt. we ought I was very confident about them being over at the start of the year. That confidence was shaking, losing to the Giants. But I bought my Christmas tree on game day on Sunday, and and they already converted the over. So it makes it makes me confident that we're not we not just homers. We evaluated the situation pretty well, I thought.
00:48:24
Tristan Amundson
we're We're not professionals, but we're not homers. I'm probably a homer, but you're you're not as much. you You are much more critical and um objective than I am.
00:48:37
M dub
ah So anyway, i did I did not place a bet on it.
00:48:40
Tristan Amundson
I did not either.
00:48:42
M dub
But it does feel good to know that if I would have, it would have worked.
00:48:47
Tristan Amundson
Yeah, no, that's huge. um I mean, I feel like that's a good time just to say something that's been on my mind for a while, Miles.
00:48:55
M dub
um Let's hear it.
00:48:57
Tristan Amundson
Go Hawks.
00:48:58
M dub
Oh, go Hawks.