TERRY MOSHER
TOP OF THE TOWN – By now you are probably over the shock of the Seahawks losing to the Chicago Bears on a snow covered Lumen Field on Sunday (Dec. 26), 25-24. I was not surprised, although the Hawks certainly should have won, and had plenty of opportunities to do so. It’s tough to watch a team that for a decade has produced winning seasons and two Super Bowl appearances, winning one, and not be stunned by the rapid downturn of the franchise. So what went wrong this season to produce a 5-10 record with two games left, one this weekend in Seattle against lowly Detroit and the following week at Arizona? First is that the Hawks have fallen behind the times. While other teams in the NFL West got better in the off-season the Hawks have not. They have stood pat, sticking with the old, but true and kind. Don’t blame injuries because they always happen in the league and teams should always be prepared for the next man up. One thing is plainly obvious: the Hawks rely too much on Russell Wilson. So goes Wilson, so goes the team. And Wilson went downward this season. I think of the Kingston Trio song “Where have all the flowers gone” when I think of Wilson, although I change one word. It’s where have all the magic gone? Wilson used to be like Houdini and escape just about every situation, swirling away and completing a pass on the run for big gains and touchdowns. It was magical. Now it’s not. So where has all the (Wilson) magic gone? When Wilson no longer is magical, the team loses its top tool and loses its confidence. Some blame the broken finger that cost him to miss 3.5 games. I don’t think that is it. Wilson has gotten fat with a big $35 million payday and doesn’t run as fast or be Houdini-like anymore. So the team has lost its, well, magic. It also has waited too long to overhaul an aging roster. Now it might need a complete rebuilt, and that is not something you can leave to Carroll, who is 70 and can’t be leaned on to rebuild. It also paid too much for Jamal Adams, which has cost the Hawks’ ability to sign free agents or draft high enough to get some good players where needed (offensive line, cornerback, running back and a young quarterback). So the Hawks are plainly stuck in neutral while the rest of the league is building rosters that are young and dynamic. It’s a terrible bind the franchise is in. Do they continue down the Carroll road and continue to build on the defense or chuck everything over the fence and start over from scratch? I don’t envy Jody Allen. She has a tough decision to make. And Wilson, who shows signs of wear and tear, must decided whether to stick with the Hawks and find his magic again or ask to be traded. There are plenty of teams out there hoping Wilson becomes available. I think off the top of my head about Pittsburgh and New Orleans and you might add the Jets and Bears. It’s going to be a very interesting off-season that is for sure…. I might add that the winner in the football bowl season seems to be the virus. Teams are finding it difficult to have enough players available to compete in the bowl season. So its virus 1, Bowls 0. That’s enough for today. Stay safe.
Be well pal.
Be careful out there.
Have a great day.
You are loved.