Let's talk about the Seahawks.
 

We are so close, and yet so very, very far. It's hard to think that the Chiefs still have mountains to climb, seeing as we're the #1 Wild Card team right now, but keep this in mind:

• We've only won 6 games, and
• Of the remaining 7 games on the schedule, five of them are murderer's row.

So that means, for the Chiefs to even have a fair chance at a playoff spot (9 wins), they need to win ONE of those immensely difficult games. In order to have an excellent chance at a playoff spot (10 wins), they'll need to win TWO.

Of those five games, few are more daunting than the game we have lined up this week at home against the Seattle Seahawks.

We know they are insanely talented on both offense and defense. But the biggest reason this is going to be a very difficult game: they just beat the Giants by rushing for 350 yards.

350.

yards.

rushing.

That is an actual thing that happened. Now factor in the fact that the Chiefs (a.) like to go into subpackages three-quarters of the game and (b.) are generally a lousy team against the run, and it's clear that this week is an uphill battle.

At least it's at home.

The heart and soul of everything the Seahawks do is Russell Wilson. There are few non-AFCW QBs we know better than Wilson on ChiefsPlanet. We know he's super athletic. He's extremely smart. He's tough and unshakeable. And he's got a fantastic arm that is very accurate. Wilson, however, is also extremely difficult to get to -- his OL is pedestrian, but his movement in the pocket is ballet-like, he always keeps his feet moving and can elude pressure better than every other QB in the league. He is the best in the NFL at eluding pressure. There is nobody better.

We're also familiar, are we not, with Mr. Marshawn Lynch. The Chiefs need to start Vickerson on the DL, and play Mays at ILB, because if we don't, Seahawks' OL and Lynch himself will chew us the **** up. I honestly don't know how we stop the Seahawks run game, but that's why I keep you guys around, right? The Seahawks have really good RBs in backup roles. Robert Turbin is basically a poor man's Marshawn Lynch himself, and Christine Michael is a terrific athlete. The run game is monstrous, and it's everything Seattle does brilliantly.

At WR, they are mercifully less imposing. They've released Percy Harvin, but they've got four good B-listers in Doug Baldwin, Jermaine Kearse, Paul Richardson, and Ricardo Lockette. None of these guys is "take over the game" great. But all of them are shifty route runners, and Wilson's movement in the pocket always buys them time. Zach Miller is another B-lister talent at TE, another guy who will make you pay on a few downs if you aren't on top of him.

The offensive line is strong on the left side. Russell Okung is an excellent LT when he's healthy, and James Carpenter is a former 1st rounder who's found a good home at guard. Max Unger is a tough center. I'm not crazy about their talent on the right side of the line: JR Sweazy and Justin Britt have been beat like drums a few times this year. Britt himself is a rookie at right tackle. Many Mizzou fans here know him very well, and he gets to line up for 60 snaps across from Justin ****ing Houston.

So that is an imposing offense that provides many riddles for the Chiefs defense.

As for the Chiefs offense, most notably, the Chiefs offensive line, well the hits just keep on coming.

After wrestling with the Rams, Jets, and Bills defensive lines, now they get a Super Bowl winning defensive line that ONCE AGAIN creates an unfair amount of pressure. Welcome to the NFL.

It's not quite what it was with Gus Bradley running the show, but it's pretty ****ing close. Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril with Bruce Irvin at OLB is as lethal a set of edgerushers as the Chiefs will face all year. The first two in particular are capable of putting up multi-sack games, and Irvin is capable of being a terror off the edge. Up the gut, Brandon Mebane has been a revelation over the past several years, and while he's a step down from Marcell Dareus and Kyle Williams (thank the lord), he's still a block of granite on running downs. They also start Tony McDaniel, who does a solid job, and they have Kevin Williams backing them up at DT -- yes, the Kevin Williams you're thinking of.

It gets worse, because the second level of the defense is very stout as well. I've already mentioned Irvin, but K.J. Wright and Malcolm Smith came up huge in the Super Bowl (Smith won MVP). Bobby Wagner at MLB is a reliable player as well.

And of course, the Seahawks have the NFL's best secondary. I hope you guys all had fun watching Bowe this week, because he's gone this week. Richard Sherman is a Top Three corner, and specializes on large, physical WRs like Bowe. You can bet that Sherman will read those back-shoulder throws and make Alex Smith pay if he tries that shit on him.

The good news is the rest of the CBs on Seahawks roster can be passed on, SO IT WOULD BE REALLY AWESOME IF DONNIE AVERY MAGICALLY HEALED THIS WEEK. Byron Maxwell, Tharold Simon, Marcus Burley... these are not people the Chiefs need to gameplan around.

Of course, the reason the Seahawks have the best secondary in the league is because they have the best safety duo in the NFL. Kam Chancellor is a 230 lbs punishing strong safety, and while he isn't a world beater in coverage, he can blow up run games. And Earl Thomas is the best safety in the NFL -- he's an elite, 4.3 speed deep single high safety who takes away the deep game. Not that he needs it against Alex Smith.

It is crazy how far this Chiefs team has come. But there is no doubt that it has a long, long way to go. This Seahawks game is going to be as stiff as challenges get.

Definitely agree about Vickerson, he's a hoss against the run, great pickup he was.

Bowe, yeah, Shermans gonna be on him like *pick a euphemism" Bowe will be wearing him like a cape, unless Reid moves him around a lot he'll be spending his day blocking.

They aren't that talented on offense. Their WR's are as poverty as ours. Their TE's have been a massive disappointment and they don't have speed anymore.

All they have left is Wilson and beast mode. Stop beast mode and we win.

The heart of the Seahawks is not Wilson, it's Lynch. Always has been. Stop Lynch and you can beat them fairly easily as long as you stay disciplined in coverage and in your rush lanes.

Wilson threw 2 INTs against the Giants and fumbled as well. Lynch put that team on his back. Even the Seahawks fans agree that Lynch is their best offensive player and the heart of that offense.

They still have plenty of speed.

Baldwin is one of the best slot guys in the league.

Paul Richardson is a rookie but he has great speed.

Their TE Luke Wilson is a 4.5 guy, he is faster than Kelce.

Their main weakness is their OL. I expect Houston and Hali to have a big day. Same with Poe.

If the front 7 plays like it did against Buffalo (5.0 ypc) we have no chance. Stop the run and we can win.

I cant believe you think this.

You should ask Sully to do a nice post on the Seahawks C3.

Seahawks have a ton of injuries on defense. Mebane got hurt yesterday and Wagner and Chancellor have been out for a while (unsure if they will be back next week).

Carpenter has been out on the line, though they got Okung and Unger back yesterday. Zach Miller has been out all season and they may have lost their 2nd TE, Willson, yesterday. TE could be down to third string Helfet and newly signed Moeaki.

Mebane got hurt this week iirc

Their team is nowhere near as good on the road as they are at home, and they're not any more dominant than some of the teams that we've already played.

The only thing you need to know about the Seahawks is that they are going to kick our ass

Also, the Seahawks have had a hard time getting pressure on the QB this year, at least compared to last year. They also aren't very good against the run, especially on the road. The thing I worry about most is stopping Wilson's runs. He tore the Giants up yesterday.

Great thought.

You don't have to take my word for it. This is coming from their own fans: