2012 Preseason Schedule Analysis

The NFL announced its slate of games for the 2012 preseason today. The NFL is always geographically friendly for the preseason so the 2012 schedule is no surprise to me. It is very similar to past years. We play three teams from the AFC West for the second consecutive season. Here is our 2012 preseason schedule along with an analysis of each game:

Week 1: Tennessee Titans (August 9-13): Of all our preseason games, this matchup offers up the best storylines. Matt Hasselbeck makes his return to Seattle for the first time since signing with Tennessee prior to the start of the 2011 season. In addition to Hasselbeck, Titans quarterback Jake Locker will also be returning home. Hasselbeck will no doubt get applause from me before the game. He was my favorite Seahawk throughout the 2000′s and he is a great person and player who deserves nothing but respect and cheers from the 12th Man. I expect a lot of UW fans in attendance as well to welcome Locker back. He was a very popular player during his time at Washington and this may be the only time in a long time that fans will get the chance to see him play the Seahawks in Seattle. The nice thing about having the first preseason game at home is you get to see all of our new players for the very first time. I am especially excited to see how the quarterback battle between Tarvaris Jackson and Matt Flynn plays out.

Week 2: At Denver Broncos (August 16-20): Our first road game is in Denver this preseason. The Seahawks lost to the Broncos 23-20 in the 2011 preseason. It was in this game that wide receiver Doug Baldwin made his presence known when he returned a kickoff 105 yards for a touchdown in the 4th quarter. This is the first home game for the Broncos, meaning that this is the first time Peyton Manning will suit up in orange for the Mile High faithful.

Week 3: At Kansas City Chiefs (August 23-26): Our starters will get the most work of the preseason in Kansas City as we visit the Chiefs in week 3. I believe we will know by this game who our starting quarterback will be this season. The starter will most likely play the first three quarters and this time will be extremely beneficial as we get closer to the start of the regular season.

Week 4: Oakland Raiders (August 29-30): For the seventh consecutive season and the second straight at home, the Seahawks will conclude the preseason against their old AFC rival, the Oakland Raiders. The last tune-up will include many players fighting to make the 2012 roster, which in my opinion is why I actually enjoy the last preseason game. Many fans hate this game because of the lack of talent on the field, but what I realize is the final cuts may determine the future of this team and what direction the team is going. I also especially enjoy this game because of the presence of my friend Josh, who is a die-hard Raiders fan. His presence along side me at CenturyLink Field adds a bit of team pride and of course a friendly wager here and there. Although most of you probably HATE the Raiders like I do, check out his Raiders blog if you get the chance. (Good stuff if you are a Raiders fan or just an NFL fan in general!)

Although I look forward to the announcement of the Seahawks preseason games, it is another step taken before we get to the better stuff, which includes the Seahawks regular season schedule announcement, the NFL Draft, and the start of our offseason programs and organized team activities!

Tags: 12th Man, CenturyLink Field, Denver Broncos, doug baldwin, Jake Locker, Kansas City Cheifs, Matt Flynn, Matt Hasselbeck, NFL, Oakland Raiders, seattle seahawks, Tarvaris Jackson, Tennessee Titans, UW

Our New Uniforms

Yesterday morning the Seahawks new uniforms were revealed as part of a Nike fashion show in Brooklyn, NY. Although a handful of teams made minor changes to their jerseys, the Seahawks were the only team to unveil a complete re-design. When they were first unveiled at 8am, my initial reaction was something along the lines of “what the hell is THAT??!!” My fear that the Seahawks would be the NFL equivalent of the Oregon Ducks unfortunately became a reality. As the day went on however, I started seeing several different angles of our uniforms and I started to warm up to the idea of wearing them and at this point, I am now a big fan of our new look. Here are my thoughts on our new uniforms:

Our navy blue home jersey was the jersey modeled in Brooklyn by Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor. I am a big fan of the darker navy and with the navy pants along with the jersey, I think this will be the signature look of this team. I initially did not like the gray and lime green “wing” feature along the shoulders but the design is similar to the back of our new helmet logo, which slightly dips in the back to have a “V” type style. The only aspect that I am having a hard time liking is the numbering, as this shows the strongest similarities to Oregon.

The white road jersey is my favorite of our three jerseys. The wing pattern on the shoulders has no lime green and it is predominantly navy. Pairing this jersey with the white pants looks the best, as it keeps the history of our uniforms in tact over the past 10 years (blue with blue, white with white).

The gray jersey is very interesting to me. Of the pictures I have seen of this alternate jersey, it is a very light shade of gray. It is so light in fact, that initially I had a difficult time figuring out which jersey was white and which was gray when next to each other. Gray uniforms are very rare to see in football. I don’t think the NFL would allow the Seahawks to wear the gray tops and their opponent wear white; the colors are too close to each other. It is this point that interests me to see when the gray uniforms will be worn. The only times I could see us wearing the gray uniforms are on the road or at home in the beginning of the season; When the weather is hot the Seahawks could opt for the gray tops and force their opponent to wear their colored top.

A couple more notes…. I LOVE the new helmet. The darker shade of blue matched with the blue and gray striped bird looks very sharp, fresh, and even intimidating. The “Seattle” word mark on the bottom of the back of the helmet also looks really good, and the feather patterned stripe in the middle of the helmet also looks really good. Perhaps my favorite aspect of our new uniforms is the salute to the 12th Man. On each side of the neck and down each side of the pants are 12 feather trim marks. In addition, the number 12 is also sewn on the inside back collar of each jersey. Never before to my knowledge has a fan base been incorporated into a team’s uniforms.

I cannot wait for these to go on sale so I can get my hands on my “Hansman #12″ jerseys!

Tags: 12th Man, NFL, Nike, Oregon Ducks, Seahawks Uniforms, seattle seahawks

My Take On Our New Logo

As you may have heard over the past 24 hours, the Seahawks new logo (pictured above) has been leaked. No source has confirmed this is in fact our new logo, but I have learned that the Seahawks are in fact expected to unveil a new logo next Tuesday, when the NFL and Nike release the new uniforms for the 2012 season. If I were a betting man, I would put good money on the idea that this is our new logo.

As you can see, the lower stripe of the bird is now silver, replacing the lighter of the Seahawks two shades of blue. The bulk of the bird also seems to be a lighter shade of navy than before. The neon green eye remains the same.

Although I love the logo from 2002-2011, I also like this logo because it incorporates more of the past. The return of silver in our color scheme is a nice touch, even though I do not expect the silver helmets to be back (Danny O’Neil of the Seattle Times has reported the helmets will be a darker shade of blue than before). This logo is crisp, and to be honest I was kind of stumped the first time I saw it. I’m not colorblind but when I use my imagination, the silver stripe can look like a very light blue stripe.

The Nike uniform release is not until next Tuesday, but there are rumors floating around that the Seahawks will introduce a silver/gray alternate jersey in addition to the blue home jerseys and white road jerseys. If a silver or gray alternate jersey were to appear, I wonder whether it would be considered a home or road jersey. The last time I remember seeing a silver jersey in an NFL game was by the New England Patriots on the road. Personally, I do not approve of having a silver or gray alternate jersey. I would much rather see the Seahawks wear a royal blue throwback jersey at home.

All in all, I am stoked for the logo and jersey unveiling next week. Let’s just pray they don’t give us the “Oregon” treatment.

 

Tags: Alternate Jersey, New England Patriots, New Logo, NFL, Nike, Oregon Ducks, seattle seahawks, Seattle Times

12 Years Ago

I remember the morning of March 26th, 2000 like it was yesterday. On this day, 10 years of childhood memories came crashing to the ground in a form of concrete and dust. For those of you who don’t remember this day or what I am talking  about, here’s a big hint…

I attended a large handful of Mariners games in the Kingdome from 1996-1999. As much as it pains me to admit, I only attended one Seahawks game in the Kingdome; a 41-7 preseason victory over the Arizona Cardinals on August 28th, 1999. Despite this being my only Seahawks experience in the Kingdome I have great memories of this night. As a kid I was terrified of sitting in the Kingdome’s 300 level. As a 9-year-old kid I had a slight fear of heights but on this night I could not have been more calm. Seahawks fans are different from Mariners fans and Husky football fans. Even for a preseason game, it was the rowdiest experience I had been a part of to that point in my life, and I loved every single second of it. The two biggest memories I have of the game are Chad Brown and Cortez Kennedy dominating the Cardinals for the first part of the game, and the constant chants the entire stadium participated in when the Seahawks gained a first down.

After the game was very emotional for me. The Mariners had already moved into Safeco Field and knowing that it was unlikely I would attend another Seahawks game during the 1999 season, I came to the realization that this was probably going to be the last time I ever stepped foot into the Kingdome. After the game, Me, my dad, and my two cousins went up to the top of the upper deck and touched the bottom most part of the Kingdome roof.

Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love CenturyLink Field. It is the most beautiful building in the National Football League. However, there are times when I do have nostalgic moments with my friends and the Kingdome always come up in our discussions. It is yet another part of my childhood that has disappeared and sometimes I wish I could go to one more sporting event in the Kingdome. I am astonished to see younger kids at Seahawks games and think “they never had the chance to go see a game in the Kingdome, that is too bad.”

I cannot believe it has been 12 years since the implosion. I loved that building no matter how ugly, cramped, and dark it may have been. My memories in the Kingdome are something that will never crumble, just as the building did 12 years ago today.

Tags: Arizona Cardinals, CenturyLink Field, Chad Brown, Cortez Kennedy, Kingdome, NFL, Safeco Field, Seattle Mariners, seattle seahawks, Washington Huskies

Seahawks Free Agency To This Point

I hate the fact that finals occurs at the very start of NFL free agency. Now that I am done I’m  finally back on the blog. Here is a recap of the Seahawks moves over the last 25 hours, and what could be happening within the next few days:

Red Bryant Re-Signed: Within the first hour of free agency, the Seahawks took care of their biggest priority. Locking up Red Bryant for 5 years is a great move and I am very happy that we were able to get the deal done so quickly. According to Bryant in an interview earlier today, the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots showed interest in his services but he wanted to stay in a system and a city that he was comfortable with.

Heath Farwell Re-Signed: Farwell is a solid special teams player. Not the biggest signing but definitely a move to keep special teams continuity in tact, and to keep continuity in the Seahawks linebacker corps.

John Carlson signs with Minnesota: The Vikings reached an agreement on a 5-year, $25 million contract with the former Seahawks tight end. With this move, there are whispers that the Seahawks may be interested in bringing in tight end Visanthe Shiancoe. Shiancoe, formerly with the Vikings is another player familiar with Darrell Bevell’s offensive system and would be a solid replacement to line up in a tight end set with Zach Miller.

Multiple teams interested in Hawthorne: Through twitter, I have confirmed that both the Detroit Lions and New Orleans Saints have interest in linebacker David Hawthorne. After Red Bryant, I believed that re-signing Hawthorne was our next biggest priority. The fact that no movement has been made from Seahawks camp on a contract with Hawthorne leads me to believe he will not be back in Seattle in 2012.

Flynn, Hutchinson, Jones to make visits: Reports indicate that quarterback Matt Flynn, offensive guard Steve Hutchinson, and defensive tackle Jason Jones are all scheduled to meet with the Seahawks over the next 24-48 hours.

It seems to be a two-team race for Flynn between us and the Dolphins. Since the Dolphins are still in the running for Peyton Manning, I think the Seahawks may be the leading candidate to land Flynn. I believe that there is a good possibility that Flynn will leave Seattle on Friday morning with a contract offer.

Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times tweeted today that unless another team “blows away” Seattle’s offer, Hutchinson will be returning to the Seahawks. If the price is right I would not be opposed to bringing Hutch back, however I am having a hard time picturing our offensive line with Hutchinson in the mix, especially if John Moffitt and James Carpenter are both healthy.

Jason Jones has been with the Tennessee Titans for the last 4 years. He has taken a visit to St. Louis and has a visit scheduled with the Seahawks. Adding Jones would bolster our defensive line depth but I believe the Rams have a better chance to land Jones, as he would be reunited with head coach Jeff Fisher.

Stay tuned for more free agency news as it happens!

Tags: david hawthorne, Detroit Lions, Heath Farwell, james carpenter, Jason Jones, John Carlson, John Moffitt, Matt Flynn, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, NFL, NFL Free Agency, Peyton Manning, Red Bryant, seattle seahawks, St. Louis Rams, Steve Hutchinson, Tennessee Titans, Twitter, Zach Miller

Seahawks to release Trufant

Danny O’Neil of the Seattle Times is reporting at this hour that the Seahawks have released cornerback Marcus Trufant. An announcement is expected to come later in the day.

Trufant, a Washington State graduate, was drafted 11th overall in the 2003 NFL Draft. Trufant made both the Pro Bowl and the NFL All-Pro team in 2007, which was his best season. Trufant is the longest tenured Seahawk, and Leroy Hill is the only player remaining from our Super Bowl XL team of 2005.

Although Trufant was a steady player on the field, he made an even bigger impact on the Seattle community. The Marcus Trufant Family Foundation helps families all across the Seattle area.

I for one will truly miss Trufant. I got to meet Trufant at Applebees in 2007 and not only did he sign autographs and talk to me and my friends, we even invited him over to join us for a buffalo wing or two, to which he politely declined. Although this news is no surprise to me, the Seahawks will definitely miss him. Best of luck to Trufant in his future endeavors. My guess is that is career is not over and he will play for another team in 2012.

Tags: Applebees, Marcus Trufant, NFL, NFL Free Agency, seattle seahawks, Super Bowl XL

Should the Seahawks consider bringing back Lofa Tatupu?

With David Hawthorne becoming an unrestricted free agent and Leroy Hill being arrested on counts of marijuana possession, the Seahawks linebacker corps looks like the biggest question mark heading into the 2012 offseason. Because of this, the Seahawks may be interested in bringing back Lofa Tatupu, who was the staple of their defense from 2005-2010.

As you may remember, Tatupu was cut before the 2011 season for refusing to take a pay cut. Although he was looked at as an option by multiple teams after his release, he spent the entire 2011 season at home. Many people including myself believe this is because his demands money and contract wise were too much for any potential suitor. Tatupu is only 29-years-old and I believe he still has the fire to be a force in the NFL, if he can stay healthy.

I believe the Seahawks should take a good long look at Tatupu this offseason, especially if we are unable to retain Hawthorne and/or Hill. After sitting at home, Tatupu may now understand he is not worth what he originally thought and he would be willing to accept a reduced salary. Tatupu also brings excellent veteran leadership and is already familiar with Coach Gus Bradley’s defensive system.

There are a couple of red flags however, primarily his inability to stay healthy. Between 2008 and 2009, Tatupu missed 12 games due to injury and when he returned, many fans including myself could tell his play had declined. Tatupu was also arrested in 2008 for DUI.

I believe we should definitely take a look at Tatupu and seriously consider bringing him back. I don’t expect him to be the three-time Pro Bowler he was early in his career and I don’t think he would even be a starter with the Seahawks, but if we lose Hawthorne and Hill, there is no doubt we will need linebacker depth, and who better to bring in then a guy who knows the system, is a great leader on and off the field, and a guy who after signing a contract extension in 2008, stated “I’m going to end my career with the Seahawks?”

Tags: david hawthorne, Leroy Hill, Lofa Tatupu, NFL, NFL Free Agency, Seahawks