JIM HARBAUGH DOESN'T CARE ABOUT HYPOCRISY -- JUST WIN DRUNK, BABY!

49ers LB Aldon Smith mugshots for 1st and 2nd DUI Arrests

San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh has never been quiet in his judgment of the Seattle Seahawks' players who have made questionable decisions, or his opinions of Pete Carroll going back to his time coaching the USC Trojans, while Harbaugh coached the Stanford Cardinals. Now, the 49ers coach is looking straight down the barrel of sanctimonious hypocrisy as trouble has become a geyser created by his own players, and it's not looking too pretty for a coach who continues to stand in judgment of the NFL's most high profile team; coaches, players and he has even taken a few aimed shots at the fans around the NFL.

It was reported today (Friday, September 20) that at 7:00 AM 49ers star outside linebacker, Aldon Smith, was arrested in San Jose California, by Santa Clara police officers who found Smith slumped, asleep and with his face and chest draped over the steering wheel and the airbag which had been deployed after Smith crashed his vehicle into a tree on the side of the road. Police reported that Smith was "very impaired" as they woke him and put him through a field sobriety and breathalyzer test. Smith was unable to complete the sobriety test and was reported to have blown a 0.15 blood alcohol level, (twice the legal limit in the state of California). In addition to finding Smith drunk behind the wheel of his automobile, the officers found marijuana on the console of his vehicle.

Smith was also convicted of another DUI in January 8, 2012. He has also violated the NFL's substance abuse policy (SAP) multiple times for illegal Street drugs. Because of the NFL's confidentiality constraints, they will not disclose the specific street drugs that were used, or how many violations the 49ers linebacker has had. Multiple positive tests, or improper tampering of the testing protocol, will result in involuntary drug and alcohol rehabilitation treatment. Player suspensions can also be invoked for such violations, which can be either handed down by the player's respective teams or the league office. In special circumstances, both the team and the NFL can implement fines and suspensions. Because this is Aldon Smith's multiple offense of the league's DUI policy, it is almost certain that his punishment will be considerable. Aside from each state's individual legal penalty for driving while intoxicated, the NFL's punishment falls under their "Player Contact Policy" and applies special consequences that will likely include a monetary fine and a player suspension to be determined by the Commissioner and the NFL's legal committee.

Not only is Aldon Smith surrounded by drug and alcohol violations, but there was a stabbing incident in which Smith was stabbed at his own home during a conflict at a party that he hosted. In addition, Smith and a former 49ers player (Delaney Walker) are being implicated in a shooting that occurred at Smith's house also. Weighing Smith's involvement in a collection of crimes and NFL personal conduct violations, the league will  likely take all of this into account when they determine what his punishment will be. Considering his numerous transgressions, it would be highly unusual to see Smith go without a large fine and a multiple game suspension, commensurate to the trouble that he has chosen to involve himself in.

Aldon Smith is a fantastic athlete and one of the major game changing players in Jim Harbaugh's dominant defensive squad. He collected an astounding 19.5 sacks last season, and 14 in his rookie season. Already, in just two games, he has already tallied 3.5 sacks which puts him on a pace to make a record-breaking 24.5 sacks in a season,  but with any substantial time away from the game because of suspension, that number would likely be lower. He is a big time pass rusher in the 49ers' defense and if he is suspended, it could put the 49ers in a tight spot and  in jeopardy of losing their hold on the NFC West. Jim Harbaugh was interviewed shortly after the media became aware of Smith's arrest and he stated, “Aldon Smith arrived at practice on time after the accident, he took part in practice drills, and will be playing this Sunday.

Lawyers for San Francisco 49ers' linebacker Aldon Smith and former teammate, San Francisco, tightend Delaney Walker, have been forced to file a response to a civil suit filed against them relating to a shooting at a party at their home last year. According to the San Jose Mercury news, the lawyers answer to the complaint filed by plaintiff Ronndale Esporlas claim that he "knew of the danger and risk to his undertaking" at the party "but nevertheless, freely and voluntarily exposed himself to all risks of harm." The report detailed the response, including the statement that any compensation sought by the plaintiff be updated, reduced or eliminated to the extent plaintiff's negligence caused or contributed to his own injuries and damages, if any"

Aldon Smith was stabbed at the house party, which police said was crashed by gang members in San Jose. Two people were also shot in the incident according to the initial police report--- none of the injuries life-threatening. Smith and Walker were not charged in the incident. According to the San Jose Mercury news report, Aldon Smith may be charged with a crime stemming from the incident, however. Police found assault rifles in the home belonging to Smith "that were purchased legally in another state (North Carolina, but violating California law.” Troubles are just beginning for Aldon Smith it seems.

Now, I know that each one of us is innocent until proven guilty, but Aldon Smith was tested for his level of inebriation and a breathalyzer and blood alcohol level put him at roughly twice the legal limit of .08, in California. That's pretty drunk and that puts Smith very drunk, or at least extremely hung over, as he arrived at the 49ers practice facility that morning. How a coach could allow his player to take part in practice drills in preparation to play in a game just two days later is mystifying to me at best. Harbaugh is a man who has stood in his ivory tower of self-righteousness, casting down judgment on the Seattle Seahawks for their iniquities and transgressions. Now, he has placed himself in the "Crystal Cathedral" of glass houses, and it's raining hailstones the size of watermelons.

Ahmad Brooks, another 49ers linebacker, was reported to be at one of the clubs in California and drinking alcohol to excess. After leaving the club, he drove drunk to a teammate's house, nose tackle, Lamar Divens. After drinking a lot more alcohol and smoking marijuana at Divens' residence, Brooks decided to drive home in his own vehicle. His teammate, Divens, told him that he would not give him his car keys because he didn't want him to drive home drunk. Brooks proceeded to argue with Divens and after getting agitated, he beat his teammate over the head with a beer bottle several you are in times requiring stitches to close the gashes in Divens' skull. Then, witnesses corroborated the story that Brooks threatened to get his pistol if Divens didn't give him his car keys immediately. Brooks drove home drunk after leaving his teammate in the front lawn bleeding from his head. This story has been confirmed by several people present at Lamar Divens' home. To make this story even more disgusting and pathetic, Brooks offered a monetary settlement to Divens, (reportedly $100,000) and undoubtedly with pressure from the 49ers organization to settle and make this story go away quickly and quietly, Divens chose not to press charges of assault, battery and threat with a lethal weapon on Ahmad Brooks. Brooks recently signed a new contract with the 49ers for $45.5 million.

No surprise----Jim Harbaugh chose not to comment on the events that happened that night. 

Just prior to the 2013 regular season, Harbaugh and the 49ers, made a trade with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for corner Eric Wright. After spending his afternoon in front of the press slamming the Seahawks organization for players testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs, Harbaugh proceeded to trade for a player who had already tested positive for a PED. This really does nothing to dispel the fact that Harbaugh isn't above taking players who have questionable character, including a multitude of violations of NFL league's substance and conduct policy as well as state and federal crime violations.

The purpose of this article is that Jim Harbaugh on the 49ers is making decisions for his football team that are not above those of any other coach in the NFL willing to take a chance on players with questionable background history. His highfalutin, holier than thou, we're better than you tone that he uses in his press conferences has created a gigantic bull's-eye on Harbaugh's back and the backs of every player wearing a 49ers uniform.

Nothing in the NFL is settled in September and nothing is settled in November, but the Seahawks will travel to San Francisco at Candlestick Park, where the 49ers play their home games… and on December 8, the Seahawks will obtrude upon that stink hole of a stadium and confirm a "season death sentence" for Jim Harbaugh and the rest of the 49ers team. For it is there, that the Seahawks will clinch and reclaim the NFC West Divisional Championship Title, the No.1 Seed in the NFC and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

If the 49ers are unlucky enough to squeak out a wildcard berth in the playoffs, and if they happen to advance, they know the Super Bowl goes through CenturyLink Field…Every Forty-Niners; player, coach, assistant coach, and ball boy, knows that the C'Link in Seattle, Washington is the last place on the planet earth that they want to be. If they thought a relatively unimportant second game of the season created a record-breaking 136.6 dB of thunder… What kind of unearthly, seismic event of biblical proportions would Seahawks fans create for an NFC title game that could return the Seattle Seahawks to the Super Bowl?

I say forget the earplugs, it's time to purchase a full-size bodysuit, complete with crash helmet and groin protection. Go Hawks!

*****

THERE WILL BE BLOOD!! - NINERS@SEAHAWKS TONIGHT!!

THE WAIT IS OVER!!!

How can it be?  Here we are in just "Week  #2" of the National Football League 2013 season, and already one of the most highly anticipated NFL matchups is set to occur this Sunday evening in the bright lights of Seattle's CenturyLink Field.  This is a contest of wills that features; "Kaepernicking", "Gore", "Beast Mode", "Russellmania", "Q", "Golden", and of course the "Legion of Boom";  These are only a handful of superstar athletes that will play in this game, and believe it or not, those aren't even  the best reasons to watch.  These are all great, cosmically known parts of the game, but this most highly anticipated Clash of the Titans is the epitome of "The whole being greater than the sum of its parts.”  Actually, Sunday evening's "event" isn't really a game at all; it's a heavyweight bout, and the fight card features the biggest and best up against each other on a 100 yard, green, synthetic canvas.  This battle royale is going to be epic and the nation is waiting for the outcome, either way; A fight of attrition; and the last men standing will have the ultimate bragging rights… until December 8, that is, when they face-off next, at Candlestick Park. 

The burgeoning rivalry between the Seahawks and 49ers developed quickly.  In fact, it could be said that it required only one man, one decision, in one moment, as Jim Harbaugh signed a contract to become the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, leaving his previous job at Stanford.  Harbaugh's decision came precisely one year after, Pete Carroll, chose to leave the USC Trojans, for Seattle and a return to the NFL to coach the Seahawks.  There is no shortage of personal jabs thrown between Harbaugh and Carroll during their college tenures, but one doesn't need to go back far to see that jabs are still being exchanged and that it's Jim Harbaugh doing most of the punching.  Coach Carroll has plenty of pent-up hostility for his colleague, but he chooses to use his words very carefully when he's out of his own player’s locker room or practice field.  That doesn't mean he's not feeding choice words to his team, rallying them around him to provide them even more motivation to destroy his old and current nemesis.  Harbaugh doesn't cloak any of his comments to the press or anyone else who will listen.  He has made it clear to everyone with ears that he finds extra motivation for himself and his players to try and beat the Seahawks more than any other team in the NFL.  Carroll will feed the press the politically correct responses to any questions inferring that he or his players put any more importance in this game against the 49ers then they do any of the other 16 games per season.  He went as far as to say that he as a coach, and his players "Approach and prepare for each and every football game as the most important game in the world".  He refutes that the Seahawks put any more importance on this game and cites the media as the source that puts this conference and divisional matchup at a "rival status.”  Russell Wilson echoes his coach’s sentiment saying, "Each week of the season we are playing our rival and each week our plan is to prepare to go one and oh and nothing more.  I don't think many people buy the story, but all in all it is probably the correct way to prepare your players.  However, it's likely that both the 49ers and the Seahawks have circled their 2 regular-season meetings on the calendar as a special day to get down and dirty, to show their conference and division opponent who's boss in the NFC West.  The 49ers beat Seattle at Candlestick Park early in the 2012 season and it was Russell Wilson's worst statistical game.  This is no doubt more motivation for Wilson to perform better against this football team and to reinforce the lesson the Seahawks gave San Francisco when they visited CenturyLink Field last December when the Seahawks lambasted the 49ers in a lopsided 42-13 shellacking where the 13 points came late in the game in the only touchdown was symbolic at the end of the 4th quarter.  Now, that touchdown may have kept a streak alive for Kaepernick or the 49ers, but it didn't give them more confidence to come back and play Seattle in the loudest Stadium in the world.  Seahawks fans intend to prove that theory as they seek to set the Guinness book of world records this Sunday evening as the loudest recorded Stadium roar ever.  The record is currently held by a group in Istanbul, Turkey when they recorded 131.7 dB during a soccer match held in a stadium in that city.  It will be a lofty goal, but the Seahawks 12th man has been put on notice that they will be monitored for crowd noise and I wouldn't bet against them, particularly since it's being recorded throughout a matchup with the San Francisco 49ers.

More than any other stadium in the NFL, perhaps in the world, CenturyLink Field is the most inhospitable of surroundings for a visiting football team.  The noise is so distracting it literally prevents one from gathering their thoughts, and for an NFL quarterback who needs desperately to communicate with his offensive teammates, it can be nearly impossible to coordinate a successful huddle and play call.  Colin Kaepernick is a year older, and a year more experienced, but last season he didn't cope well with the crowd noise at all.  This year, by NFL rule, stadiums throughout the National Football League will be allowed to play music and public address speaker noise during clock play.  In addition, messages can be displayed to incite even more fan crowd noise.  This could be good news for Kaepernick and the 49ers.  I would imagine that Harbaugh, being an intelligent and proactive coach, that he has taking measures to be the crowd noise with hand signals, perhaps field signs from the coaching staff and no huddle, hurry up style offensive play calling.  This has proved ineffective in the past from every other football team in 2012, but of course he's free to try.

It's no secret anywhere in the United States that the Seahawks and 49ers loathe each other and this hasn't been lost on the fans of San Francisco or Seattle.  Reports of Seahawks fans harassing people, either brave enough or dumb enough, to venture into the entrance of CenturyLink Field have been harassed and even assaulted presumably by Seahawks fanatics.  In response, Seattle police, in cooperation with CenturyLink Field security, well control the concourses, aisle-ways and concession courts wearing 49ers merchandise (hats, jerseys etc.).  They will be obviously arresting fans who interfere with them or harass them due to team loyalty.  This has been widely spread throughout computer social media and news programs, so this won't resemble any kind of sting operation.  This same method has been used in Oakland and San Francisco effectively.

It's amazing how this rivalry has become so bitter and intense in such a short time.  It was just 2 years ago that the NFC West was referred to in ridicule as the NFC Worst.  All 4 franchises had losing records against all of the other divisions in the NFC and appeared to be on a crash course of mediocrity for years.  This was before an enormous transformation of the Seahawks by Pete Carroll and an equally drastic change of the 49ers by Jim Harbaugh.  Both teams transitioned much differently, however.  The 49ers already had the nucleus for a playoff team when Harbaugh arrived in 2011.  Harbaugh added a lot of talent to the team over the next 2 years, but what made the 49ers become so dominant was a change of leadership.  Harbaugh has provided a nasty, unyielding and smart tone to his coaches and players and they have reflected his energy and nastiness on the field.  Carroll had a much different approach to reforming the Seahawks into a winner.  You can say it was a much kinder and gentler way of relating to his players.  Carroll wanted to provide a positive working environment for everyone in the organization all the way from the quarterback to the person who mops the floors after practice.  Make no mistake; this isn't a soft football team, nothing of the kind in fact.  Just ask the Legion of Boom, Richard Sherman, Brandon Browner, Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor if they're going to take on their opponents with a soft and gentle approach.  Carroll teaches toughness and physical, hard-hitting with big, fast and athletic players that want nothing more than just have the ball in their hands, and players around them ready to distribute it and provide a path.  Harbaugh's approach is a much more blue-collar, working man's mentality of intimidate and dominate.  He also creates a team of athletic and quick, hard-hitting players.  But it would take a lot less time to describe how both teams are different.  As different as their approaches are, Harbaugh and Carroll produced football teams that are physical, they like to establish a tough running game, complimented by a big play, dangerous set of offensive weapons to build a quick lead and hold it with excellent defense. 

I would venture to say that, while they aren't likely on each other's Christmas card list, they have more in common than either of them would like to admit.  Intensity is a virtue that echoes throughout their organizations, coaches and players.  Harbaugh and Carroll are aggressive defensive coaches who will stunt and take chances at critical times in close games.  However, both head coaches trust their offensive coordinators to make most of the offensive calls.  Seahawks' Daryl Bevell and Niners' Greg Roman, both have supreme trust in their quarterbacks to make smart decisions when plays break down, but neither of these crazy geniuses are willing to hand over playcalling to their extremely intelligent quarterbacks.

QB's Russell Wilson and Colin Kaepernick are as different as it gets considering their physical stature and personas off the field; Kaepernick goes 6'5" 230 lbs. and Wilson 5'10" 5/8 205 lbs. Kaepernick is rap music, hanging with celebs and clubbing, Wilson is Rachmaninoff, Pike Street Market and the Seahawks film room.  However, that's where the big differences trail off; both players are superb athletes with the ability to hurt defenses badly with their legs running the football or their strong arms throwing accurate downfield passes. 

San Francisco pounds the football at you with the human bowling ball, running back Frank Gore, while Seattle gives you Beast Mode all day, every day with his churning legs and unwillingness to be dragged down without a gang tackle. 

Frisco has perhaps the best offensive line in the NFL, but not a far drop when Seattle fields their front 5 o-lineman.  Harbaugh gives you Vernon Davis, and Carroll answers with Zach Miller.  Miller doesn't have the speed and pass catching prowess of Davis, but Miller might be the best run and pass blocking tight end in the game and don't ever go to sleep on his ability to run precise routes and he has remarkably soft hands downfield.

The 49ers have a slight edge at the linebacker position, and could possibly have the best linebacking crew in football as well.  Kevin Willis, Navarro Bowman and Aldon Smith are 3 of the best.  Seattle has 2 outstanding young linebackers in KJ Wright and runner-up for defensive rookie of the year, Bobby Wagner.  Seattle is still looking for a dominant outside linebacker to complete the trio.  

One of the places that might give the Seahawks the edge at defensive line is the fact that free agent acquired Cliff Avril will return to the starting lineup this Sunday evening for the first time of the season.  With Red Bryant, Tony McDaniel, Michael Bennett and Brendan Mebane in the middle and O'Brien Schofield and Cliff Avril attacking at the edges, Seattle could cause real problems for Kaepernick in a stadium where you can literally feel the noise inside your chest cavity.  The art of the noisy stadium gives the defensive line a decided advantage and nowhere in the world is there a more disruptive and loud fan base than at CenturyLink Field in downtown Seattle.  Last season, San Francisco didn't have the benefit of a healthy Justin Smith on their defensive line, and this year he is healthy.  Seattle will have to try to neutralize him with double teams if possible.  However, Frisco also features Glenn Dorsey and Ray McDonald on the D line, but those players don't carry the clout of Seattle's front 4.  Also, the Seahawks defensive line depth is going to be a problem for the Niners and Pete Carroll likes to keep his defensive line fresh and will be substituting a rotation of down linemen all night long. 

Next up is the defensive backfield positions…  Boo!…  Niners, because Halloween is coming early for your skilled positions, all of them.  This is where the Seahawks have a decided and emphatic advantage of complete and utter dominance.  This is simply indisputable.  The Seahawks corners and safeties are the best and the biggest that the NFL has to offer Pro football.  Coach Carroll brings along All-Pro caliber, physical and athletic corners and pro-bowl safeties that blow you up and ask questions, Lat-…  Uh, Well… they don't really ask any questions; they just "blow you up, and real good.”  Seattle's "Legion of Boom" is quite possibly the best four to ever patrol the top of any defense, or any era.  Sherman, Browner, Thomas and Chancellor are going to make it a long, long night for the 49ers skill positions… all of them.  Where Vernon Davis and Anquan Boldin can usually impose their size and physicality on much smaller corners and safeties, they will now be facing safeties the size of linebackers and corners that resemble the faster tight ends in the league.  Where most large defensive backs suffer the kind of speed necessary to keep up with the more speedy wideouts, the Legion of Boom can keep up with the fastest receivers in the game.  But for players like Brandon Browner, who lacks speed necessary to blanket players like Mike Wallace, DeShawn Jackson and Vernon Davis, he will play press man-to-man coverage and with his size and quickness, he will disrupt the wide receiver's pass pattern so much that quarterback and wide receiver cannot synchronize in their intermediate and deep pass patterns.  This most often forces the offense to try and overwhelm the DB's with 4 wide sets, but they'll only find their own foolishness with this strategy.  Browner and Chancellor will punish pass receivers in the intermediate zones on the field, and Earl Thomas and Richard Sherman will cover so much ground that any passes that aren't thrown with laser speed and precise accuracy will only end up in the defenders reach and the Seahawks will cause turnovers by interception or by fumble.  It is inevitable for any receivers gutsy enough to attempt pass routes in the areas where the Legion of Boom patrol.  Just like vicious shark attacks, there will be no signs of warning inside of CenturyLink Field.  Outside the stadium warnings will be clearly posted all over the city of Seattle; "Beware of Boom: Enter at your own Risk".

Lastly, I come to the wide receiver position for both clubs.  The Seahawks went out aggressively during the off-season and boldly traded for perhaps the single best playmaker in the NFL, Mr. Percy Harvin.  This was a major acquisition and seemingly put the Seahawks in a category that many "so-called experts" chose the Seahawks as the team to beat, not just the NFC West, but the NFL complete.  Unfortunate for the Seahawks, Harvin came into training camp with a hip condition, diagnosed as a slight tear of the Labrum and Harvin chose surgery to fix the problem rather than worsen the condition by playing through the pain.  Many of the prognosticators pulled their endorsement of support because of the Harvin injury.  However, is likely the critics never paid attention to last year's football roster in Seattle.  Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson never had Percy Harvin in 2012, and they outscored every other team in the NFL over the final 8 games of the regular season.  Once the rookie QB,  Wilson, was finally given the remainder of an aggressive playbook that Daryl Bevell wanted to distribute to him slowly, he proved his worthiness, and the Seahawks began to pummel their opponents by very wide margins.  The Seahawks scored 150 points (total) over 3 consecutive games, completely blanking the Cardinals 58-0, then throttling the bills 50-17 and trouncing the 49ers 42-15.

All of this ridiculous, gaudy, football scoring carnage, was created without Seattle's new play-making phenom, Percy Harvin. 

No…  Number 12 was spinning gold for the Minnesota Vikings at the time until he sustained a high ankle sprain in the 8th week of the season.  It was Sidney Rice, Golden Tate, Doug Baldwin, and Zach Miller who sliced and diced through defenses last year supplemented by the soft hands of Beast Mode and Michael Robinson who both got several passes that season.  The Seahawks will return with; Rice, Tate, Baldwin and Miller, but now they add a deep threat in Stephen Williams and a crafty slot standout in preseason, Jermaine Kearse who has proved himself to be more than a little bit dangerous with the football in his hands.  Unfortunately for the 49ers, there most prolific pass catcher, Michael Crabtree, was injured in training camp with a completely detached Achilles tendon and will likely miss the entire 2013 season.  However, one day after the Seahawks traded for Percy Harvin, the Niners made a trade to counter the Seahawks offensive move.  They made a trade for Anquan Boldin, the favorite target of Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco, in Super Bowl XLVII.  So far, that trade looks like a stroke of brilliance as Boldin ripped up the Green Bay Packers for 13 receptions, 208 yards and a TD.  Tightend, Vernon Davis, added 6 more catches and 98 yards.  Kaepernick ended the night with 412 yards and 3 touchdown passes.   

Obviously, the Seahawks are going to need to do their best to put a hold on the prolific passing 49ers, even without Michael Crabtree.   Jim Harbaugh best know where Cliff Avril is today and Golden Tate is due for a huge breakout game receiving and returning punts.  The 49ers have a bad taste in their mouth and you can be sure they remember the humiliation of getting completely blown out in Seattle.  Kaepernick looked fused and beaten in the first quarter and Harbaugh's birthday turned out to be a lesson in football fundamentals taught by  his nemesis, Pete Carroll.  The 49ers are sure to want to come in, Chippy and salty, to prove that they are not intimidated by the crowd noise or the highflying Seattle Seahawks who bested their defense in 2012, only surrendering 15 points per game (a league leading scoring defense).  There are so many sub stories in this matchup you could practically go through each position on the offense and defense and you would find intense emotions; resentment, humiliation, prideful jubilance and conquering dominance.  There is the 49ers desperate desire for redemption and vengeance after being embarrassed by Russell Wilson and the Seahawks, and you can bet the Seattle players and coaches haven't forgotten that there was only one half game that stood between them winning the NFC West and the chance to host at least one playoff game.  I think it's fair to say this one is going to be a donnybrook and the team who is hungriest and can focus through all the hype and the crowd noise will be the team walking off the field with a win.

****

IT TOOK LATE HEROICS BUT A SWEET ROAD VICTORY FOR HAWKS

It was a struggle and wasn't pretty,  but it was a Win,  A Road Win. The Seahawks will take it.

SEAHAWKS WIN IT  12-7 IN A HOT HUMID SQUEAKER

The Seattle Seahawks have had perhaps more hype surrounding their upcoming season than any other team in the NFL.  Russell Wilson has turned heads of all of his doubters and Richard Sherman has backed up his talk on almost every stage across the country.  The Legion of Boom certainly has earned its moniker and Beast Mode has lived up to his grisly reputation as a punishing, tempo setting running back.  So as the 2013 season begins, the expectations cannot be higher for the fourth youngest football team in the league.

Pete Carroll and the rest of the Seahawks players knew that this opening game in Charlotte wasn't going to be a cakewalk and they were right.  The Panthers have one of the best front seven defensive sets in football and a quarterback who has perhaps the highest ceiling in terms of potential of any quarterback in the NFL.  Seattle's defense knew they were in tough Sunday morning with the 247 lb., 6'5" former Heisman Trophy winning quarterback, Cam Newton.  He is simply a nightmare to take down once he decides to pull up the ball and run, and he has a laser right arm capable of making all the NFL throws necessary to be elite.  Newton threw the ball well and took advantage of a couple of mismatches down the field, but for the most part the Seahawks secondary responded and kept him mostly in check, allowing just 116 net yards on 16 of 23 passing.  This is a quarterback and receiving corps capable of putting up much higher numbers.  Some of Newton's decision-making wasn't the best Sunday, hence the 74.1 QBR for the day.  However, with his supreme athleticism and that rocket launcher connected to his right shoulder, the game was constantly in jeopardy of getting out of control.  Despite his mediocre passing stats, Newton made few mistakes and ran with the football very well, lumbering down the field to convert three first downs.  Cam Newton was fun to watch, but it was Carolina's defense that gave Seattle fits all Sunday morning.

The Panthers defensive line definitely won the battle in the trenches.  Russell Wilson had a good day throwing his first 300+ yard game in the regular-season.  However, Wilson's legs are what really helped the Seahawks offence score enough points to win this game.  The diminutive Seattle QB spent most of the early afternoon running and extending plays as the pocket collapsed on nearly every passing play.  Not many of Wilson's completed passes came easy.  In fact, one of his longest completions was to Doug Baldwin on the left sideline as Wilson tried to avoid a quickly disintegrating pocket.  After the game, Wilson said he was throwing to Baldwin, hoping he could make a play on the desperation pass, but he appeared to be throwing the ball out of bounds to avoid a sack.  Lo and behold, out of the dust and smoke came Baldwin seemingly out of nowhere, catching the rainbow pass and just scraping his toes in-play as he crashed and burned on the sideline.  Out of the heap of players also landing on the sideline chock, Baldwin rose with the ball still in his hands as the official signaled a completion.  Baldwin was all over the field with his never failing soft hands and the ability to deceptively create separation between defenders, giving Wilson a place to throw especially when he was in trouble.  It would be natural for most to criticize the Seattle offensive line for failing to protect their quarterback, but that would be an insult to the Panthers' front seven defenders who were an "all day nightmare" for Wilson, Marshawn Lynch and all five offensive line positions.  The truth of it is that Carolina has an awesome crew of defensive linemen and Luke Kuechly leading a very formidable trio of linebackers.  It seemed like Kuechly was everywhere at once, sidelined to sideline, and in Wilson's face most of the game.  Head coach Ron Rivera might lose his job this year if the Panthers don’t improve their season record, and if he does, it won't be because the Panthers don't have the horses to do the job.  Cam Newton has Hall of Fame potential and D'Angelo Williams did an admirable job against a very good defense in the Seahawks.  This was proof that Seattle can have a bad game and still do enough to win, even on the road.  Anyone who thought the Seahawks were going to march into Bank of America Stadium and romp all over this Carolina team hasn't been watching this football team the last two seasons.  They are young, very smart and athletic football team and have the talent to challenge the best in the NFC South.  Any team boasting players like; Cam Newton, Luke Kuechly, Steve Smith, Star Lotulelei, DeAngelo Williams, Ryan Kalil and Greg Olson, has a great nucleus and this is a very much improved football team since Seattle play them a year ago.  Seattle seems to have their number, but that number is small represented by the margin of victory.  Seattle escaped Carolina two years in a row… on a razors edge and with a very tough, resilient and determined Seahawks combined team effort.

It's difficult to name a Most Valuable Player in this Seahawks game victory, because it was one of the more ugly wins that the team has had in recent history.  However, Doug Baldwin, Golden Tate, Sidney Rice, Jermaine Kearse and Zach Miller didn't fail their quarterback this week.  There were very few dropped balls and some of the catches were simply spectacular.  Baldwin's sidelined miracle highlights some of the clutch catches by Seattle’s receivers, but Kearse’s end zone beauty was the difference in the football game.  Wilson threw the football in the only safe place it could have been thrown, as Kearse timed his leap perfectly, muscling the football away from the two Panther defenders that doubled him in the end zone.  Kearse seemed to jerk the football out of the sky like a bug and tumbled to the grass.  He rolled out of his fall to stand up facing the Panther crowd in the end zone, then ripped open his imaginary white dress shirt, exposing a super "S", in a "how about that" gesture to quarterback Cam Newton who has made it his trademark to do his Superman move in the end zone after scores.  It was timed beautifully and had a certain "You ain't Nuttin" to it, that a team (like the Seahawks) expecting to win- should have.  I'm not one to applaud end zone buffoonery, but this was "smart" and it was humorous and one of the things that keeps the NFL fun. 

Special attention should also be given to the mostly unheralded position, Jon Ryan, the punter.  Ryan saved the Seahawks a couple of different times as they were pinned very deep in their own end zone and not able to put together consecutive positive yardage plays.  Ryan launched a 69 yard punt from 8 yards deep in his own end zone, saving the Seahawks a possible short field to defend.  With all the other key plays in the game, it's difficult to imagine giving an MVP to your punter, but he also should be given the credit due him.  He was everything you would hope to get from the man whose job is to dig you out of trouble every time he comes onto the field.  That's his job, and Ryan can fly home feeling pretty good about his contribution to a very tough and well-deserved road win across the country.

So, it was an ugly win, but it was still a win… and not only that, it was a conference win and those don't come easily in the NFC.  Russell Wilson proved, in the first game of his second season, that he indeed doesn't really know what the words "Sophomore Slump" even mean.  Pete Carroll and Daryl Bevell put the game in his hands and treated him like a veteran quarterback attempting 33 passes and completing 25 which is 76% and Wilson took care of the ball, throwing zero interceptions!  Wilson did commit one fumble resulting in a turnover, but it was during a passing play when the right defensive end came at him completely unblocked from behind,  swatting the ball out of his throwing hand.  Wilson probably hung on to the ball a little too long, but the Panthers pass rush was relentless.  Those defenders definitely did their job against the Seahawks offense and went away from that loss with a lot to build on.  This was certainly a game of big plays and no two plays were bigger than Jermaine Kearse catch in the end zone and Earl Thomas' hit and strip of D'Angelo Williams as the Panthers were driving toward the red zone for either a touchdown or at least, a field goal.  It turned out that that turnover, recovered by Richard Sherman, was enough to seal the victory and as the Seahawks offense chewed up 5:25 left in the fourth quarter on a couple of great passes by Wilson and some valuable (YAC) yards after catch by Derrick Coleman, Golden Tate and Marshawn Lynch.

The Seahawks have a lot to work on after this nailbiting performance, and penalties are on top of the list.  The offensive line cannot be criticized too much, for they were playing one of the best rushing defenses in football, and it was the Seahawks offensive line that provided Wilson enough time to throw the 43 yard touchdown pass to Jermaine Kearse.  The O-line did their jobs, helping the Seahawks offense “shore up the game” gaining a series of first downs to eat up the remainder of the game-clock and doing what it takes to finish games down the stretch.  This is extremely important and an obvious factor on how this game was won, they made plays when they needed to.

It was an ugly game, I don't think there would be a player or coach on the team that would deny that.  But it was a rare road victory for the Seahawks and one that will get them closer to the ultimate goal.  This is an important thing and bears repeating:

It's always a good win; when you go on the road, across the country, in inclement playing conditions, in your first game of the season, playing horribly, making several physical and mental mistakes, against a very good opponent with several key players out with injuries… and still Win the game.  All NFL games are difficult to get a win, and road wins are particularly difficult, but each of them is vital on the road to a Super Bowl Championship. 

There's a lot of work to do for this Seahawks football team, but coming home 1-0 fits right into Russell Wilson's wheelhouse.  As he says each week at his press conferences; ”Each week it is our goal to go “One and Oh.”  Well, the Seahawks are “one and oh” this week and on the season.  Next week, the much maligned, conference and division rivals, the 49ers visit the C’Link in Seattle.  There's no question that the 12th man is ready to do their jobs.  Expect  record-breaking noise and nearly legal mayhem coming from 67,000 questionably sane Seahawks fans.  Amidst an already raging Stadium of screaming Seahawkers, will be a semi-organized attempt to best the Guinness Book of World Records loudest stadium ever at 131 dB. Set by a rowdy bunch of Turks in Istanbul at a soccer game.  So, what does that mean to you and I in our homes?  Expect some damage to your TVs loudspeaker.  For the fans at the stadium… I have three words for you; "Serious Ear Protection!"

For the Seahawks players, this will be a much more difficult opponent than the Panthers and the Seahawks must right their wrongs of the week prior, because this football team won’t allow the Seahawks to make many errors, and it’s a new season.  The Seahawks’ 42-13 drubbing of the Niners last December is history and you don’t simply pick up where you left off last season.  The boys better be ready…  because Colin Kaepernick burned the Packers for 412 yards passing, and three TD's.  They're going to come to play and they will be salty about last December.  Getting a 42 burger hung on you is something you just don't forget for a long off-season.  However, Seattle better forget about it.

Go Hawks!