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by **RiverDog** » Mon May 10, 2021 4:44 am

The 2021 regular season schedule is set to be released later this week. Here's our opponents for next season: Home: LA Rams, SF 49'ers, AZ Cardinals, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jags, Tennessee Titans, and New Orleans Saints. Away: LA Rams, SF 49'ers, AZ Cardinals, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Houston Texans, Indy Colts, WFT, and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The biggest difference is the 17th game. The "extra" team we drew are the Steelers, and we play them on the road, giving us an unbalanced home/away schedule.

For me, the biggest question will be how the pandemic affects in person attendance. Will they still be limiting capacity? Will they require masks? Will they assign entry times? Will they demand proof of vaccination? If all is normal, I plan on attending at least two away games and one or two home games, but after attending a Mariners game a few weeks ago and experiencing their protocols, I doubt if I'll attend if we're subjected to similar restrictive measures like insisting people go to their seats and not congregate in groups.

Comments?

by **jshawaii22** » Mon May 10, 2021 2:20 pm

Jerry Jones just put over 70000 boxing fans into his private stadium and then declared that guests should 'socially distance when possible' on their big LED board. (I understand laughter could be heard)
So, wait about 2-3 weeks and that should give a pretty good idea on what Seattle should allow or not allow going forward.
Isn't Seattle going backwards as far as Covid goes? Probably not a good sign as far a putting bodies into the stadium any time soon. What are Mariners doing for fans? It's hard to predict where we will be a month from now, let alone 5 months from now when the season starts.

by **RiverDog** » Mon May 10, 2021 3:25 pm

jshawaii22 wrote:Jerry Jones just put over 70000 boxing fans into his private stadium and then declared that guests should 'socially distance when possible' on their big LED board. (I understand laughter could be heard) So, wait about 2-3 weeks and that should give a pretty good idea on what Seattle should allow or not allow going forward.

The Texas Rangers packed 45,000 into their stadium a month ago and so far, no big super spreader event. Like AT&T Stadium, it has a retractable roof, which was open at the time. It's possible that the warmer climate is helping to slow the spread.

jshawaii22 wrote:Isn't Seattle going backwards as far as Covid goes? Probably not a good sign as far a putting bodies into the stadium any time soon. What are Mariners doing for fans? It's hard to predict where we will be a month from now, let alone 5 months from now when the season starts.

Like the rest of the country, there had been a 4th wave of infections in WA and King County, but it appears to be leveling off. The news was such that the governor decided not to move a number of counties back into Phase 2 even though they had crossed the line in the metrics they were using to make the determination. Oregon, faced with essentially the same dilemma, decided to move violating counties back into Phase 2. About half of all adults in WA have had at least one dose and a third are fully vaccinated.

I attended a Mariners game a few weeks ago, and it was horrible, at least the way I like to watch baseball games. I don't like sitting in my seat and would rather cruise the concourse and watch the game from different angles. But the staff had been instructed not to let people congregate and tell people to go to their seats and they were constantly pestering us to keep moving. I won't go to another baseball game until the restrictions have been lifted.

I'm optimistic about the prospects of a relatively normal season if we can get to 75-80% vaccinated by fall. Nationwide around 85% of adults 65+ have already been vaccinated so subsequent infections shouldn't be nearly as serious. What I'm wondering is whether or not teams will demand proof of vaccination, designate sections for vaccinated only, etc. Teams are going to have to present an operating plan to their states if they want to host large events, so some may decide to include some sort of vaccine passport.

by **NorthHawk** » Mon May 10, 2021 3:45 pm

I think the vaccine passports or certification might be part of it, but I’d rather not be on the front lines of not
letting people in who paid for their tickets but don’t have the passport on them. It could get ugly if a lot of
beer had been consumed.

by **RiverDog** » Mon May 10, 2021 5:24 pm

NorthHawk wrote:I think the vaccine passports or certification might be part of it, but I’d rather not be on the front lines of not letting people in who paid for their tickets but don’t have the passport on them. It could get ugly if a lot of beer had been consumed.

Yeah, I felt sorry for the staff at the Mariners game and even told them how I didn't envy their predicament. The problem would be verifying that a person's vaccination certificate is valid. The one that was issued to me I had to fill out my name and birthdate in my own handwriting. They are extremely easy to duplicate. It's too bad that our POTUS is too much of a chicken chit to allow the CDC to create some sort of an app that would show that you're vaccinated (sorry for the political slant). Leaving it to the private sector isn't going to work as there is no controlling authority.

Personally, I support vaccination passports. Courts have already ruled that they are not in violation of medical privacy laws. Even though I'm fully vaccinated, I would feel a lot safer if everyone around me had likewise gotten the jab.

by **NorthHawk** » Mon May 10, 2021 6:37 pm

They’re probably going to be required for international travel, so maybe that can be the official document. I don’t know what the cost might be, but if you can afford season tickets then you should be able to afford a passport/certificate. The walk up or occasional attendee would be the one who might have difficulty if it adds a significant cost for a family on an outing they planned a year or so for.

by **c_hawkbob** » Mon May 10, 2021 6:43 pm

Today I filled out a questionnaire for Mitsubishi Power Aero (formerly Pratt and Whitney Power, the makers of my plant's gas Turbines) about the possible parameters of the next World Conference, a bit of a big deal annual industry thing and excuse to go to a fancy hotel (usually a big casino) and drink free booze and eat like kings for 4 days. The obvious subject of the questionnaire was what sort of Covid precautions would make potential attendees comfortable enough to attend.

Every question gave the usual list of precautions (masks, social distancing, temperature checks, hand sanitizing stations) except vaccine certainty. After each question I wrote in the comments that knowing everyone else was fully vaccinated would be much more effective than all the other precautions combined.

I won't be attending, at least this year, without that as a requirement.

by **RiverDog** » Tue May 11, 2021 5:13 am

NorthHawk wrote:They’re probably going to be required for international travel, so maybe that can be the official document. I don’t know what the cost might be, but if you can afford season tickets then you should be able to afford a passport/certificate. The walk up or occasional attendee would be the one who might have difficulty if it adds a significant cost for a family on an outing they planned a year or so for.

I have a trip to Iceland planned for next month, and they aren't requiring a vaccination certificate, but if you have one, you can be exempt from having to take a PCR test or undergo a 14 day quarantine. Proof of a recent recovery from a Covid infection is also accepted. The UK government is developing their own app for vaccination certificates and will be requiring them for international travel. The EU has a "green certificate" that they will be using this summer. It seems that everyone except for the US is in the process of developing something official, but it's too much of a hot potato for our gutless politicians in this country to undertake.

by **NorthHawk** » Tue May 11, 2021 6:18 am

Canada, the US, and the EU are actively discussing how a vaccination passport would look and how it could be verified at borders so most of the travel to western countries will probably
require some type of authentication. I wouldn't be surprised if Australia and New Zealand also require the same. It seems quite plausible that Asian countries could also demand that but
it doesn't mean all countries will. Iceland may be an exception but they might find it's out of step with the rest of the world.

by **RiverDog** » Tue May 11, 2021 3:38 pm

NorthHawk wrote:Canada, the US, and the EU are actively discussing how a vaccination passport would look and how it could be verified at borders so most of the travel to western countries will probably require some type of authentication. I wouldn't be surprised if Australia and New Zealand also require the same. It seems quite plausible that Asian countries could also demand that but it doesn't mean all countries will. Iceland may be an exception but they might find it's out of step with the rest of the world.

At least so far, the US government has said that they will not be issuing vaccine passports. They're leaving it to the private sector. Some states may come up with them, but some have passed laws specifically forbidding them. Many airlines, colleges and universities, and private businesses are requiring proof of vaccination, but that's different than a vaccine passport.

This is probably venturing into a non Seahawk topic, but there could be a real bruh ha ha over vaccine passports/restrictions if we were to go into another round of infections/deaths. Imagine if the country went into lockdown after another surge and unilaterally prevented people from traveling, doing business, etc . A fully vaccinated person that poses virtually no threat to the public would have to sacrifice their freedoms, lose their ability to conduct business, and using a phrase in the Constitution, to "pursue happiness" because the government treats vaccinated individuals the same as those that are unvaccinated.

BTW, Iceland is NOT an exception. Reading over their travel restrictions, they appear to be very thorough, want either an electronic or hard copy proof of the type of vaccine, lot number, date of vaccination, and name of the clinic prior to entry. They have a number of other bullet points of requirements if a person wishes to enter via a negative PCR test or a previous infection.

by **RiverDog** » Tue May 11, 2021 3:55 pm

c_hawkbob wrote:Today I filled out a questionnaire for Mitsubishi Power Aero (formerly Pratt and Whitney Power, the makers of my plant's gas Turbines) about the possible parameters of the next World Conference, a bit of a big deal annual industry thing and excuse to go to a fancy hotel (usually a big casino) and drink free booze and eat like kings for 4 days. The obvious subject of the questionnaire was what sort of Covid precautions would make potential attendees comfortable enough to attend.

Every question gave the usual list of precautions (masks, social distancing, temperature checks, hand sanitizing stations) except vaccine certainty. After each question I wrote in the comments that knowing everyone else was fully vaccinated would be much more effective than all the other precautions combined.

I won't be attending, at least this year, without that as a requirement.

I don't blame you one little bit.

I have a niece that was the recipient of a kidney transplant when she was young. There's information out there that the current vaccines don't offer good protection to those that have had an organ transplant. There are others that are allergic to vaccines that couldn't get one no matter how badly they wanted one. Additionally, their immune systems may render them more vulnerable than others. The only way for them to be protected is for those around them get vaccinated and prevent the disease from spreading, ie herd immunity. When people refuse to get vaccinated for non medical reasons, ironically the same people that don't want to wear masks, they aren't just risking their own well being, they're risking the health and welfare of others for very selfish, illogical reasons.

Sorry, I know that I've gone off topic, but this is a hot button issue for me.

by **govandals** » Wed May 12, 2021 5:56 am

I'm probably in the minority buy I'm NOT a fan of 17 games. Players and the NFLPA don't like it. The season is long and guys get so beat up. More injuries lead to a lesser quality on field product.
Where does it end? 17 this year? Then 18, 20, 24? I get the money part of it, but it's like too much of your favorite ice cream. Just my opinion.

by **NorthHawk** » Wed May 12, 2021 6:00 am

govandals wrote:I'm probably in the minority buy I'm NOT a fan of 17 games. Players and the NFLPA don't like it. The season is long and guys get so beat up. More injuries lead to a lesser quality on field product.
Where does it end? 17 this year? Then 18, 20, 24? I get the money part of it, but it's like too much of your favorite ice cream. Just my opinion.

I feel the same about it. They want to go to 18 games, but it becomes a lottery ticket in that the teams that stay the healthiest get deepest in the playoffs. It already is that way, but an extra game will make it worse.
I think they will have to expand the rosters even more than they have to accommodate players getting too beat up to play. It might not happen this year, but if we see some high profile teams not being competitive
because of lack of quality depth, then things will change.

by **RiverDog** » Wed May 12, 2021 6:01 am

govandals wrote:I'm probably in the minority buy I'm NOT a fan of 17 games. Players and the NFLPA don't like it. The season is long and guys get so beat up. More injuries lead to a lesser quality on field product. Where does it end? 17 this year? Then 18, 20, 24? I get the money part of it, but it's like too much of your favorite ice cream. Just my opinion.

I agree. The only plus in my mind is that it allows for an expansion of the international series without teams having to sacrifice a home game, or to hold games at neutral sites that are far away from an NFL franchise but are football hotbeds, such as Boise, ID. But so far, they haven't done that and are simply going with an unbalanced home/away schedule, probably due to the pandemic.

by **NorthHawk** » Wed May 12, 2021 6:07 am

Well, we start the season at 10am against the Colts on Fox. This should give us an indication of how the season will progress and Waldron's influence on the Offense.

by **RiverDog** » Wed May 12, 2021 8:43 am

NorthHawk wrote:Well, we start the season at 10am against the Colts on Fox. This should give us an indication of how the season will progress and Waldron's influence on the Offense.

Yup, and I may be making plans to attend that one. It's good timing as I'll use road games to explore the country, and I don't like going to the Midwest in late November or December. My nephew's fiancé is a native Hoosier so I might just get them game tickets as a wedding present.

The rest of the schedule is due to be released this evening at 5pm.

by **TriCitySam** » Wed May 12, 2021 7:31 pm

As a Charter Seat holder who lives on the east side of the state, the prime time home games are kind of a bummer (requires an overnighter)

When I first got my tickets, they were $15/seat per game. This year they work out around $200....

by **jshawaii22** » Wed May 12, 2021 8:45 pm

The first 7 are all against play-off caliber teams. We have a lot of early season road games. That's the only real bad news.

Good news, we only have 2 games in the East 1pm slot, and game #1 is against Indy, so it's easier to prepare.
We don't have any 'cold weather games' as the bad road cities come early and middle of the year so the weather shouldn't be any worse then playing at home.
We have lots of Prime Time games so I'll be able to watch a lot more Seahawk games this year.
Our bye week isn't the usual 4th or 5th week this year.

by **EmeraldBullet** » Wed May 12, 2021 10:59 pm

At niners on October 3, and then host rams on October 7. Thats gonna be rough.

by **obiken** » Wed May 12, 2021 11:37 pm

NorthHawk wrote:Well, we start the season at 10am against the Colts on Fox. This should give us an indication of how the season will progress and Waldron's influence on the Offense.

Not really, I am not pouncing on you NH, but the Colts are really good FB team at home. I think we lose the first two but this schedule we should go 11-6 minimal. Tex, Lions, Jags, and Bears with a caveat, are all easy. IS that good enough with the teams ahead of us, we'll see. But Cowherd thinks with a new Colt QB, we win by 3.

by **RiverDog** » Thu May 13, 2021 6:49 am

Last season, offenses league wide, including the Seahawks, were way ahead of defenses and we were treated to a lot of high scoring games, which was the opposite of what most people expected as conventional wisdom is that it takes more time for players to learn complicated offensive schemes and not as much time for defenses to prepare, and with the pandemic pre-empting the preseason games and severely restricting offseason preparations, it should have been the opposite result.

It's really difficult to handicap strength of schedule this time of year, but I'm pretty concerned about the first two games against the Colts and Titans. The Colts have one of the top offensive lines in the league and the Titans have a top 5 defense and one of the top rushing offenses in the league. Both could present major challenges for us. In all, 8 of our games come against defenses ranked in the top 5 and 10 games against teams with defenses ranked in the top 10. We have just 5 games against teams with defenses ranked lower than 13th. On paper, it looks like a tough draw, and will be a very good test of our new OC.

by **c_hawkbob** » Thu May 13, 2021 7:34 am

I'm going to say we match our 12 wins from last season at least, may win 14.

by **NorthHawk** » Thu May 13, 2021 8:29 am

For Reference purposes (I didn't include noting night games)

Week 1 @Indianapolis Colts

Week 2 Tennessee Titans

Week 3 @Minnesota Vikings

Week 4 @SF 49ers

Week 5 LA Rams

Week 6 @Pittsburgh Steelers

Week 7 NO Saints

Week 8 Jacksonville Jaguars

Week 9 BYE

Week 10 @ Green Bay

Week 11 Arizona Cardinals

Week 12 @ Washington Football Team

Week 13 SF 49ers

Week 14 @Houston Texans

Week 15 @LA Rams

Week 16 Chicago Bears

Week 17 Detroit Lions

Week 18 @Arizona Cardinals

by **obiken** » Thu May 13, 2021 12:18 pm

c_hawkbob wrote:I'm going to say we match our 12 wins from last season at least, may win 14.

I think we lose both Ram games Bob, Matt Stafford got hosed in Detroit and I think he will be really good this year. Niners we get a split IF we play well, if not we lose. AZ has improved with Watt, split there. There are a lot more iffy games this year than last year. I think we win 11, but Fox sports bet has us at 9.5.

by **c_hawkbob** » Thu May 13, 2021 1:17 pm

I think our low over/under this year is owing to the perceived rift between Pete and Russ, which I have seen as a media construct for the most part from the beginning. I have no problem assuming that the line is wonky this year. I'll take that over all day long.

by **trents** » Thu May 13, 2021 10:44 pm

50/50 chance the Hawks will make it into the playoffs this time around and as a wild card team.

by **curmudgeon** » Fri May 14, 2021 7:48 am

6-11
7-10

by **RiverDog** » Fri May 14, 2021 8:00 am

Based on 2021 winning percentages our strength of schedule has us tied at 11th, but there's two other teams above us that are tied as well, so essentially, we're slightly above the median. Our opponents combined winning percentage is .511.

There's still some drama to play out with a number of our opponents that affect our odds of success. Will Aaron Rodgers return to the Packers? Who's going to be the QB for the post Brees Saints? Will Deshaun Watson return to the Texans? How will Matt Stafford fit in with the Rams offense, and who's going to QB the Niners? We'll be going up against a lot of teams that have new QB's, Goff with the Lions, Wentz with the Colts, Lawrence with the Jags, and Fitzpatrick (?) with WFT.

Based on the defenses we are playing and our disappointing finish last season, I'm very hesitant to project us as matching our 12 wins and divisional championship performance from last season. But given what's going on with our opponents, it's more difficult than ever for me to offer any kind of conclusive opinion or forecast.

For me, this is a pivotal season. If we can't break through and make a decent run at the SB, then I'm off the Pete/Russell bandwagon and for hitting ctrl-alt-del. I'm not satisfied with mediocracy.

by **NorthHawk** » Fri May 14, 2021 8:36 am

We have two questions on Offense. Will we be ready to play in a new scheme? We talk about new QBs entering a different Offense, but will all of the players be on the same page
early in the year? I think this question cancels out the new QB concerns that Indy would have as Wentz has played for Reich and knows the basic ideas of his Offense. The other
question is whether Pete will step in again and scale back our Offense if it struggles.

For those reasons alone I think we could either have a 10-7 or 7-10 record and maybe be as bad as 2-6 before the Bye. I don't think that 2-6 is likely, but I do think it's a possibility.
I would suspect we would be around 5-3 before the Bye week. As RD said, depending on the QB situations in GB and Houston, those could be pivotal wins or losses. The other issue
we have is quality depth. We are thin on the interior of the DL, RB, and DB's. Maybe the new Offense will be RB friendly like SF seems to be where it's almost like they can take any
nobody RB, plug him in and he rattles off 100 yds.

by **Aseahawkfan** » Fri May 14, 2021 4:06 pm

RiverDog wrote:Based on 2021 winning percentages our strength of schedule has us tied at 11th, but there's two other teams above us that are tied as well, so essentially, we're slightly above the median. Our opponents combined winning percentage is .511.

There's still some drama to play out with a number of our opponents that affect our odds of success. Will Aaron Rodgers return to the Packers? Who's going to be the QB for the post Brees Saints? Will Deshaun Watson return to the Texans? How will Matt Stafford fit in with the Rams offense, and who's going to QB the Niners? We'll be going up against a lot of teams that have new QB's, Goff with the Lions, Wentz with the Colts, Lawrence with the Jags, and Fitzpatrick (?) with WFT.

Based on the defenses we are playing and our disappointing finish last season, I'm very hesitant to project us as matching our 12 wins and divisional championship performance from last season. But given what's going on with our opponents, it's more difficult than ever for me to offer any kind of conclusive opinion or forecast.

For me, this is a pivotal season. If we can't break through and make a decent run at the SB, then I'm off the Pete/Russell bandwagon and for hitting ctrl-alt-del. I'm not satisfied with mediocracy.

I'm not interested in getting off the franchise QB bandwagon.

I will be ready to move on from Pete. I think he's lost his way myself. This is not the energy and focus he brought when he first arrived. He's not sifting every rock for talent and making everyone compete for their job. He's reached a point like so many other great head coaches where he's attached to his legacy and trying to find quick fixes for a return trip to the big game. There are no quick fixes. What got you there the first time is what works. That is relentless hunger to find talent in cheap places. Same way Belichick did it for years or any successful coach. One thing about Bill B over the years is he never let his attachment to players or desire for a quick rebuild get in the way of finding cheap, effective talent in the draft. He wasn't making all these lopsided trades for high flier talent he didn't intend to keep around long. It was always impact signings for a good price. Pete and John had that focus when they first got here, but they lost it. Pete lost a lot of the faith players had in him when Bevell made that terrible call he oked. I believe right now we would be fine right now had that terrible play call and Super Bowl loss never happened. It like a poisonous dagger in the psyche of this team that ripped them apart.

by **Rambo2014** » Fri May 14, 2021 5:54 pm

Looks grim boys!!!!

8-9 being generous

NFC West

Rams 13-4
SF 11-6
ARZ 10-7
SEA 8-9

by **TriCitySam** » Fri May 14, 2021 6:23 pm

"I will be ready to move on from Pete. I think he's lost his way myself"

Yeah, enough of this 12-4 crap.....

by **Aseahawkfan** » Fri May 14, 2021 7:20 pm

TriCitySam wrote:"I will be ready to move on from Pete. I think he's lost his way myself"

Yeah, enough of this 12-4 crap.....

12-4 did what in the playoffs? Nothing? ok, then.

6 years since the last Conference Championship is the crap I'm getting tired of. Plenty of teams going to the playoffs. Russell Wilson only has so much time left. We need to make a real run while he's young and healthy. Not keep trading away first round picks for talent we don't keep.

by **NorthHawk** » Fri May 14, 2021 7:29 pm

We haven’t done much with all of the playoff appearances, so we’ve wasted a lot of opportunities.
I really don’t see this team being capable of going deep into the playoffs. We’re too thin on the DL
and secondary on Defense and too thin at RB on Offense. Perhaps Waldron’s Offense will be able to
get more production when the usual RB injuries occur, but this team lacks an identity now unlike in
the early years when other teams hated to play us.

by **c_hawkbob** » Sat May 15, 2021 5:44 am

I'm with Sam. Y'all are spoiled and have evidently completely forgotten what actual mediocracy looks like. Making the playoffs consistently is huge, yes, advancing in the playoffs matters too, but if you are still getting to the dance every year it ain't time for all this ctrl/alt/del BS.

by **NorthHawk** » Sat May 15, 2021 6:20 am

Mediocrity also looks like continually going 1 and done in the playoffs.
Not good enough to win and not bad enough to get good draft picks to improve (not that they would select good players early anyway).
Sure, it's satisfying to win during the season, but it feels almost pointless if we don't have a legitimate chance to go deep into the playoffs.

by **c_hawkbob** » Sat May 15, 2021 6:27 am

No, it doesn't, mediocrity is averaging 8 (now 8.5) wins and only making the playoffs when your division is epically bad. We did that as a franchise for entirely too long as far as I'm concerned.

by **NorthHawk** » Sat May 15, 2021 8:02 am

c_hawkbob wrote:No, it doesn't, mediocrity is averaging 8 (now 8.5) wins and only making the playoffs when your division is epically bad. We did that as a franchise for entirely too long as far as I'm concerned.

Our definitions of mediocrity are different.
Do you really think this or previous 5 or so teams had legitimate chances to go deep in the playoffs? I don't.
We're just a middle of the road team, without an identity, fooling ourselves that we can challenge for a championship.
When it comes down to crunch time we can't get it done. So much for "Win Forever".

by **c_hawkbob** » Sat May 15, 2021 1:04 pm

c_hawkbob wrote:No, it doesn't, mediocrity is averaging 8 (now 8.5) wins and only making the playoffs when your division is epically bad. We did that as a franchise for entirely too long as far as I'm concerned.

NorthHawk wrote:Our definitions of mediocrity are different.
Do you really think this or previous 5 or so teams had legitimate chances to go deep in the playoffs? I don't.
We're just a middle of the road team, without an identity, fooling ourselves that we can challenge for a championship.
When it comes down to crunch time we can't get it done. So much for "Win Forever".

So evidently you definition of mediocre is "not top tier". And yes, we had a legitimate chance at the Super bowl most of the years we've been to the playoffs. The best team is not always the SB champion. In fact I'd say any given year there are 5 or 6 teams worthy of the championship. and we're one of them as often as not.

by **jshawaii22** » Sat May 15, 2021 2:51 pm

back to the team... looks like the Seahawks are really moving away from KJ (or at least acknowledging the possibility he really doesn't return)
Trying last years 2nd round pick, Darrell Taylor, at the strong side LB / edge rusher in 3rd downs like Bruce Irvin (hope he learns not to be run out 20 yards behind scrimmage every play).

Interesting that we normally have about 100 rookies, tryout players and others at this rookie minicamp, but the article states we only have 30 this year. It seems that the NFLPA really shook up the Seahawks offseason. We'll know soon enough if this becomes an issue during the season when we need to start using backups on the field.

https://www.seattlepi.com/sports/article/Seahawks-looking-at-new-role-for-Darrell-Taylor-16178519.php

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