The only person even close to deserving being named offensive MVP is the only person besides Jon Ryan who merited Pro Bowl consideration. That person is Leon Washington. Riley is like a brother to me, but I thought he was way off base with his choice of Matt Hasselbeck. The offense this past season was the worst it may have ever been with Hasselbeck under center. He must bear...

Sorry for the long length of time between posts. I took a little vacation and it turned into a big one. Well here we are in the middle of an extension concerning the CBA talks, and I am starting to get nervous. The Seahawks had an incredible end to an exciting season that proved to be more than a rebuilding year. Fans can’t wait for free agency, the draft, training camp, and...

When Riley asked me to write an article naming the Seahawks’ defensive MVP, the first thought that popped into my head was, “What did I do?!” I saw he had the courage to name an offensive MVP (Hasselbeck, Riley?! Really?!), so I figured this was the least I could do. I gave it some thought, and realized what a daunting task this is. It’s like choosing the...

I saw this in the Seattle Times earlier today, and I have to say this is good for the Seahawks as well as Jim Zorn. Fisrst off, way to go Zorn.  I am glad he found a job somewhere and is doing something that he has had success with.  He was a big part of the development of Matt Hasselbeck as well as the first Seahawk quarterback.  As far as I am concerned, he still deserves appreciation...

Although the Seahawks exceeded expectations by making the playoffs and pulling off one of the greatest upsets in playoff history, it’s hard to find and MVP candidate. This biggest problem is that nobody really stands out. Sure, a few guys had a big game or two this season, but consistency was one thing the Hawks never really had. I got it narrowed down to 3 players on offense...

I recently read an article by David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune discussing the possibility of playing a Super Bowl at Soldier Field. One of the candidates for Mayor of Chicago, Gery Chico, then said he’d work to bring the Super Bowl to Chicago if elected. While the notion is absolutely absurd (for reasons I will outline below), it got me to thinking, “What about Seattle...

It was recently reported that Tatupu had undergone arthroscopic surgery on both knees.  I wasn’t exactly shocked to read this, however, it does beg the question:  What should the Hawks do with Tatupu? This is a tough question for fans.  On one hand, he was a huge part of our Super Bowl defense and an instant leader in the locker room.  I remember when the Hawks practiced...

The season’s over and I am starting to feel a little better everyday. Remember in the Peanuts cartoon when Lucy used to talk Charlie Brown into kicking the football every time only to remove it at the last minute leaving an embarrassed Chuck laying on his back contemplating the reasons why kicking that football is such a bid damn deal anyway. After the Bears game, I felt like Charlie...

While watching the first half of the NFC Championship Game featuring the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers, I was reminded of something about last week’s game between the Bears and the Seattle Seahawks. After seeing Green Bay harass Bears’ QB Jay Cutler with blitz after blitz after blitz, I was wondering why the Seahawks didn’t do the same the week before...

Having a day to think about the Seahawks’ loss to the Chicago Bears really didn’t do anything to change my perspective on the game. It was still very disappointing from an effort standpoint. Let’s look at the five keys I felt were vital to the Seahawks’ chances of victory. They were: Establish and maintain good field position. Do not turn the ball over...

I knew the Seahawks were in trouble the moment John Carlson was injured. Not that Carlson is my favorite player; in fact, far from it. However, Seattle’s recent successes offensively have come from 2TE sets. With Chris Baker already on IR, that left Cameron Morrah as the sole TE. While I think Morrah has enormous potential, not having a second TE meant a significant part of...

Seahawks at Bears Live Chat

I’m on my way to Soldier Field for the Bears/Seahawks game. Local media is arrogantly confident; fans are confident but wary. I feel good about the Seahawks’ chances in this one.

It’s not often that I really loathe a player.   Usually I am ok with someone leaving, or I couldn’t care less.  I remember wishing Dilfer well when he left.  He seemed to leave with a tip of the hat and a hearty handshake.  TJ Houshmandzadeh, on the other hand, was a tool, and I could not of been happier to see him released.  He was all talk all the time.  He blamed...

 I recently had the chance to talk on the phone with Jeff Dickerson.  Jeff has been traveling with the Bears and covering them  for ABC-7.  Jeff also appears on Chicago’s Game Day Live and hosts a nightly show on ESPN 1000   from 7:30pm to 11:00pm.  To see more about Jeff and his work, check out espnchicago.com  And a quick thanks to Don Povia for setting me up with...

I felt good about the Seattle Seahawks’ chances to beat the New Orleans Saints last Sunday. Not bet the house good, but good. There were five key things I felt the Seahawks need to do to win that game. Included were the following: Establish and maintain good field position. Do not turn the ball over. Limit penalties. Do not fall behind early. The Seahawks failed miserably on...

These were my questions for Jonathan. 1. How much does it really matter that the Seahawks beat Chicago? Does it have any impact or influence on the upcoming matchup? Chicago HQ:  Hell yes. The game against the Seahawks was the beginning of Mike Martz changing. He kept wanting this team to be “The Greatest Show on Turf” but instead the only thing on turf was Jay Cutler...

This has been a busy week for the 12th Man Rising.  I recently got an email from a fellow blogger, Jonathan D. Carroll, who runs a blog called Bears Head Quarters.  The website is www.bearsheadquarters.com  He suggested that we each ask each other 5 questions about the upcoming game.  Thought it might be fun, so I gave it a whirl.  These are the questions that he asked me.�...

By Joe Okabe A friend of mine (a Bears fan) started complaining to me that the Seahawks shouldn’t be playing the Bears this Sunday because they shouldn’t have had a home game in the Wild Card round. Yadda, yadda, yadda. Blah, blah, blah. I just rolled my eyes and let it slide. Who was the only home team to win last weekend? The Seattle Seahawks. Who was the only division...

Joe Okabe It’s time to eat some crow. I think I’ll have mine grilled with a side of rice. I’ll admit, I wanted Charlie Whitehurst to start last Sunday’s playoff game against the New Orleans Saints. Nothing about Matt Hasselbeck’s recent play led me to believe he was the right choice. I felt Pete Carroll was making a mistake in starting Hasselbeck. That...

It was hard telling through binnoculars, but on the replay it looked bad.  I would be the first to admit that objectiveity sometimes becomes irrelevant during the heat of the moment, and this game was a super nova.  Just wondering what everybody else thought about that play.  And just for the record, I have heard many fans complain about his key drop in the 4th qrt.  This was...

People are still talking about it.   ”The run.”  It has been called by many fans and media sources alike,  “The greatest run I have ever seen.”  It was bound to happen at some point for Marshwn Lynch.  All year long he has been running like a Beast, however, has had little to show for it but pride.  You see him fight harder than any other runningback...

Nobody in the media gave them a chance.  The phrase, “they don’t deserve to be here,” was the dagger of choice for media and fans alike.  I expect this from the media, but the fans?  Really?  Can we finally stop talking about the draft pick?  Hawkman? They won.  And guess what?  Most of the major media sources give credit to… the Saints for not showing up. This is...

I stated in an earlier post that I would be very surprised if Hasselbeck started this week.  Well, I am stunned.  It’s not that I dislike Matt.  Quite the contrary, I think he is the best quarterback the Seahawks have ever had.  It’s just that he has struggled mightily as of late, and Whitehurst did not turn the ball over in his last start. So who should start? Whitehusrst...

The thing about night games is that they seem to be the only thing that exists. It’s like going camping and feeling disconnected from everything except the place you are at. Sunday night “that place” was Qwest Field. Before the game, Hasselbeck looked good in warmups, and he could have started, yet Carroll went with Whitehurst as he said he would all week. I was...