Let's talk about the Seahawks.

[Direckshun]

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.

[Chiefs Scratch]

No to shocked to see us booked as a favorite

[ThaVirus]

Wonder who'll score the obligatory first drive TD on us..?

[Frosty]

Originally Posted by ThaVirus

Wonder who'll score the obligatory first drive TD on us..?

Wilson will scramble around and then launch a deep ball to Baldwin.

[thabear04]

Originally Posted by O.city

Mebane to season ending IR with Hamstring. Dunno if posted.

I dunno if it was posted either but this is what i found.


Seattle's defense took another big blow this week.

Brandon Mebane*tore his hamstring and is done for the season, NFL Media's Albert Breer reported Tuesday, per a*Seahawks*source. The defensive tackle is still waiting to hear back from doctors, but the shortest timetable he's received is six to nine weeks. Surgery with a longer recovery period is possible, Breer added.

[ToxSocks]

The Mebane thing just doesn't get me anymore excited.

An injury like that happens and you'd think that Jamaal is going to expose that newly created hole etc.

It rarely ever works out that way.

[Mr. Flopnuts]

Originally Posted by BlackOp

Mebane is out....he is their best defensive lineman. Both their starting TE's are out too. Their fans say the dink and dunk gives them fits. Smith is the best in the NFL at this...I think Charles has a good day running the ball.

They key is to score early in the game and keep it close....Oh and the crowd noise. Will be interesting to see how Wilson handles the crowd + Hali/Houston. This is his first time playing at Arrowhead...

THE key to this game is keeping Beastmode under 20 carries. Preferably under 15. They haven't lost a game this year when he gets 20 carries.

That said though, I can't state enough how much of a dumpster fire they are on the road. They're downright soft away from the CLink.

[Direckshun]

Originally Posted by O.city

Mebane to season ending IR with Hamstring. Dunno if posted.

Wowwwwwwwwww.

Legit game changer. Nobody on their D clogs lanes like him.

Losing Red Bryant in the offseason is now looking like a mistake.

[Direckshun]

Chiefs-Seahawks should have been flexed.

[Direckshun]

Interesting to see Seahawks.com talk about Ron Parker:

Unsung Hero

Ron Parker. Yes, that Ron Parker. He was with the Seahawks in 2011 and 2012, when he played in four games. But Parker was claimed off waivers by the Chiefs last season. In Sunday’s oh-so-close victory over the Bills in Buffalo, Parker was a difference-maker. And no play made a bigger difference than his fully extended lunge to tomahawk the ball from the grasp of Bryce Brown as he was heading for the end zone in the third quarter, and with the Bills leading 10-3. As the Bills’ back reached the 5-yard line, there was nothing between him and the goal line by those 5 yards. Until Parker’s play sent the ball out of the end zone for a touchback. And Parker was just getting warmed up. On the Bills’ next-to-last possession, they had a first-and-10 at the Chiefs’ 15-yard line with less than three minutes to play. But Parker was there to defend three of Kyle Orton’s passes to Sammy Watkins – including the fourth-down throw. Parker finished with a team-high eight tackles, to go with his three passes defensed and the crucial forced fumble. “He’s a gamer, he’s a gamer, he’s a straight gamer,” safety Eric Berry told the Star after the game. “Regardless of what position, what situation you put him in … he’s thrived. He’s been a nickel, he’s been a corner, he’s been a safety and he’s made plays at all different positions.” Sunday, the Chiefs used Parker to shadow Watkins, the rookie who came into the game with 38 receptions, a 15.5-yard average and five TD catches. Against Parker, Watkins had four catches – on 10 targets – for 27 yards. “I thought he had a real good game,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said of Parker. “He is relentless. He's the one out at practices diving to bat balls down and that's just how he goes and it's great to see him rewarded with a game like this. That's a beautiful thing.”

[Direckshun]

Same article.

Burning Question

Can Marshawn Lynch become the first player to score a rushing touchdown against the Chiefs this season? That’s right, in their first nine games, the Chiefs have not allowed a rushing touchdown – despite facing the Dolphins’ Lamar Miller (six), Jets’ Chris Ivory (five), Rams’ Benny Cunningham (four), 49ers’ Frank Gore (three) and Chargers’ Brendan Oliver (three), who have combined for 21 rushing TDs. Ivory (108) and Gore (107) had 100-yard rushing performances against the Chiefs, but did not find the end zone.

Familiar Faces

In addition to Parker, DT Jaye Howard was a fourth-round draft choice by the Seahawks in 2012 and played in two games that season; and DT Kevin Vickerson was with the Seahawks during their training camp in 2010. The Chiefs’ coaching staff includes defensive line coach Tommy Brasher, who coached the same unit with the Seahawks from 1992-98; and offensive line coach Andy Heck, the Seahawks’ first-round draft choice in 1989 who started 70 games at left tackle, left guard and right tackle in five seasons. Chiefs GM John Dorsey was in the Seahawks’ front office in 1999, while director of pro scouting Will Lewis played for the Seahawks in 1980-81 and then worked in their scouting department from 1999-2012. Senior VP of business operations Bill Chapin worked for the Seahawks before joining the Chiefs in 2011.

[OldSchool]

Originally Posted by Detoxing

The Mebane thing just doesn't get me anymore excited.

An injury like that happens and you'd think that Jamaal is going to expose that newly created hole etc.

It rarely ever works out that way.

At the very least, it makes Hudson's job a lot easier. Williams isn't the beast that he used to be anymore and they don't really have anyone else in the middle that's even close to being on par with Mebane. This might be Sherman's busiest game of the year.

[Direckshun]

From Seattle Times:

The series: 51st all-time meeting. Chiefs lead the series 32-18, most of the games coming in the days when the teams were both in the AFC West. The two have played just twice since 2002, each Kansas City wins, the last a 42-24 Chiefs win in Seattle in 2010.

I actually remember that Seahawks victory.

Matt Cassel called an audible in the red zone and Jeff Lilja had no idea what it was.

Ended up being a Jamaal Charles TD on the right side, all Charles' work, since Lilja and Barry Richardson had no idea what to do and their defenders got loose.

[Direckshun]

Originally Posted by OldSchool

At the very least, it makes Hudson's job a lot easier. Williams isn't the beast that he used to be anymore and they don't really have anyone else in the middle that's even close to being on par with Mebane. This might be Sherman's busiest game of the year.

Are you familiar with the injuries in their LB corps? What's the situation there?

[BamBamKam]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Seattle's offense is very different on the road than it is at home.

Yep, it is different. Wilson has been terrific on the road and bad at home.

[Direckshun]

Originally Posted by BamBamKam

Yep, it is different. Wilson has been terrific on the road and bad at home.

Hey BamBam,

Tell us about the injury situation with the Hawks right now. I'm hearing all kinds of reports, I assume you know enough to summarize.