Dark Angel Award: Week 3

[Contintued from 12SS Home Page]

This was the first game for newly acquired Deion Branch, as well as the first start for 2005 first round draft choice Chris Spencer at left guard. This was also the necessary wake up game for the overall Seahawk offense, but the defense wound up stealing the show.

A lot of consideration for this award was given to the much-questioned Seahawk secondary, that came up with three early interceptions, two by Kenny Hamlin and one by Michael Boulware, which set up the Seahawk offense in great field position. Adding to the outstanding play of this unit were Kelly Herndon, who has been playing like a man who doesn't want to lose his job to the 2006 first round draft choice, and said first-rounder, Kelly Jennings, who was third on the team with five tackles. Together with a solid performance from Jordan "Big Play" Babineaux, they shut down the Giant wide receivers for most of the day.

On the offensive side of the ball, it may have been Deion's debut but it was Nate Burleson's coming out party. The $49 Million Dollar Man racked up 4 catches for 42 yards and a touchdown, and should quiet any of the naysayers who were questioning the deal to get him from Minnesota. First time starting TE Will Heller also made a strong case for this award, with a 3 catch, 1 TD performance, making the injury to Itula Mili not hurt as much.

But this week's award is going to someone on the offense, whose contribution to the game was NOTHING. NIL. NADA. ZERO. ZILCH. What I'm referring to is the number of sacks the Giants were able to rack up against the Seahawk offensive line. The Lions and the Cardinals each got to Hass three times, the Giants, with Strahan, Umenyiora, Pierce and Arrington, got NONE!

While the credit goes to the entire offensive line, the biggest difference from the previous weeks is Chris Spencer, and it appears Seattle has found the answer to the burning question at left guard. Sure, they still need to gel together to get the ground game in gear, but the pass protection allowed Matt & Company to take full advantage of the great field position the defense kept handing them.

All Seahawk fans know this team will only go as far as Matt Hasselbeck can take them, and with the way he was getting knocked around like a lotto ball, it's good to see we have a young, strong, healthy optoin to go along with Walt to protect Matt's blind side.


So this week's Dark Angel Award goes to the second year man they call "Hollywood". I can't wait to see the sequel next week in Chicago!




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Dark Angel Award: Week 1

Seahawks 9, Lions 6.

No, this isn't the score at the end of the first quarter, but the final score of the first game for the defending NFC Champs. Three field goals for the good guys, two for the home team, and both teams combined to miss three others.

I know the game is called Football, but this is pretty ridiculous!

You would think that kicking the game winning field goal, as well score all fo the team's points, would pretty well lock up this award for Josh Brown. However, as noted above, his first two attempts were blocked, so no blog iron for the kicker with the cute smile this week.

On offense, new starters Floyd Womack, Itula Mili and Nate Burleson would have seemed to be odds on favorites for stepping up and providing a spark for the team. However, Pork spent most of the day yelling "look out" over his shoulder, Mili caught 4 balls, but didn't dominate like Stevens, and Nate made just one catch - albeit a beautiful one - but one beautiful catch does not buy you this award!

By the same token, the Emaciated Maniac, Julian Peterson, had a very quiet seven tackle, one sack performance, D.D. Lewis did well in relief of the injured Leroy Hill, but no well enough, and rookie Kelly Jennings played sparingly, notching three tackles in the contest.

Honorable mention goes to the old man, Mack Strong, who turned in a career day with six receptions for 30 yards, and who went airborn to pick up a critical 1st down early in the game.

Serious consideration can be given to the other Kelly though. Yes, Boke, THAT Kelly, as in Kelly Herndon, who lead the team with eight tackles, and was frequently seen in the same camera shot as the man he was defending! Herndon actually played very well, covering tight and providing run support, and bringing some serious wood when he squared up to make his tackles.

But this week's Dark Horse Award is going to the return men of the Seahawks, Willie "I'm Da Mann" Ponder and Jimmy "It's More Fun To Run" Williams. My unhealthy man-crush on Josh Scobey is no secret to the regular readers here, so I was watching this new return man with a keen eye. Not to seem fickle, but it was love at first sight, as Ponder took the opening kick off at the 10 and contemplated himself for 23 yards, giving the offense great field position.

He followed that up with a 41 yard return from the two, his long of the day, and a 24 yard return from the three. Thanks to some decent play by the Seahawk defense, he didn't get any more opporunities to impress.

Jimmy Williams used to evoke the same response from Seahawks fans, as a parent watching their child running with scissors, but not today. He did call for a fair catch on the first one at the 10, but it was the right thing to do, as he was surrounded by Lion defenders. He broke the next two for 22 and 17 yards, each time handing the ball over to the offense well beyond the 20 yard line.

The field position provided by these return men, coupled with the workman effort turned in by the defense, is what kept the Seahawks from suffering another dissapointing defeat in a road opener.

And I'll take a disappointing win over a disappointing loss every time!


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