Too Many Mistakes-- Seahawks 17 Packers 27

For the second consecutive week, the Seahawks failed to hold on to the lead late in the game.  For the second consecutive week, Seattle was unable to establish their run game.  For the second consecutive week, the Seahawks started a strong safety not named Kam Chancellor.

For the second strait week-- it appears the sky is falling in Seattle.

Going up against Aaron Rodgers is never an easy task and it's damn-near impossible in Lambeau.

That seemed to be their game plan going in, though it didn't exactly play out how they had hoped.  Seattle hoped to pressure Rodgers with no more than their front four, daring Rodgers to pass into heavy coverage or test them with the run.  When Eddie Lacey exited early with an ankle injury, it seemed that Seattle's plan would be fool proof-- it wasn't.

However, the Seahawks had a lot of odds going in their favor. The Packers came into this game beat up while the Seahawks were more or less only missing their hold out safety.  Playing in Green Bay in September is typically a lot more favorable than taking them on in the dead of a Wisconsin winter. All the Seahawks needed to do was execute and limit mistakes.

Mistakes cost the Seahawks dearly.  Michael Bennett bit on Rodger's hard count multiple times, resulting in free plays that went big or drive-extending penalties.  You simply cannot do that against Rodgers and expect to win.

James Starks filled in admirably for Lacey, negating any benefit we thought that may have been. Seattle couldn't slow down the Packers offensively.

Play calling continues to be an issue for the Seahawks.  I'll admit, I side in Mama Lynch's camp on the incompetency of Darrell Bevell, but I know its something this team can, and have in the past, overcome.  Seattle started the game off with horrendous play calling and didn't seem to figure things out until the 3rd quarter before reverting back to foolish calls to finish the game.

I don't know whether it's stubborn pride or merely delusion, but we seem to struggle with this early every year since Bevell took over the offense.  Our offensive line is predicated upon specific skill sets.  However, they can do what this team needs them to do.  It always seems to take half of the season to figure that out.

In order for the Seahawks offense to have success, Russell Wilson needs to take shots down field to open up the defense.  Opposing defenses are going to try to stuff the run game at the line and keep Wilson contained in the pocket.  If we play into that, like we have these first two games, Lynch isn't going to have any success and the defense will be left on the field far too long.

Once you soften up the defense with a few down field shots and high percentage passes, then you must pound Marshawn at them.  This will be especially effective if the read option is incorporated. The Seahawks have a mobile quarterback, a violent running back and a myriad of receiving weapons-- plenty of ingredients for a lethal offense.  But if you don't follow the recipe, you'll find that it doesn't turn out the way it looks on the box.

Through two weeks, the Seahawks have played like a mediocre team deserving of its 0-2 record. But the sky is not actually falling.  These first two games might well be the toughest on our schedule. Seattle returns home for two games against putrid NFC North opponents that should be easy wins, even if the team plays exactly as it had those first two.  They will then travel to Cincinnati to take on a Bengals team that may give them fits, but then its back home to play a Panthers team they've always seemed to have the number of.

Before the Bye week, Seattle has two road games that may have looked scary six months ago-- 49ers and Cowboys-- but recent developments with those teams leads me to think that we could get right heading into the Bye.

As for the Chancellor thing-- I'm pissed off at him.  I understand that a player's only leverage in negotiations is the threat of holding out.  Well, he's held out and that doesn't seem to have worked.  Now, he's hemorrhaging money and the team is losing games. I don't think that his absence is costing the team wins in and of itself.  In fact, I think Shead did a pretty good job in his absence. But we're two weeks in and the team has said they're not redoing the contract.  Period.

Kam's teammates need to get in his ear now.  Tell him that you support him, but its obvious that it's not going to work the way he thinks it will.  Try again next season, more vocally if necessary.  But his leverage has dried up and he's only hurting himself, the team and the fans by being stubborn.