Seahawk Homers

[xtra]

Shaun hasn't played in passing situations for five years. Shaun does not nor has he fended off tacklers with his off hands. Just not in his arsenal. He switches the ball some, but does not do it nearly as often as the people that do it instinctively. He only does it when he is wide out in the open. I would venture as far as to say that Shaun Alexander switches the ball less than 90% of the starting RB's. He has almost always kept the ball in his right hand. He is a right handed runner. I just paused this post and watched a highlight tape of his. Very, very rarely did he switch the ball. It was only when he had lots of time and he was trying to set up to stiff-arm a safety.

He hasnt played in passing situations in 5 years or he wasnt a big threat catching the ball out of the backfield?

The fact he isnt in there on passing downs now has alot to do with his wrist,it hurts his blocking which is a liability to Hasslebeck and he cant catch the ball bette withr 1 hand than he did with 2.Hard to run a screen to someone who cant catch the ball.

 

He rarely switched the ball when he first came out but has done it more each year.Yes he has fended off tacklers with his off hand,do you not recall him running outside and using it to fend off tacklers to avoid taking hits.

Edited November 3, 2007 by xtra

[Seahawks21]

He hasn't played in passing situations. He doesn't play on third down and 4+, hasn't in years. Until this year it was Mack Strong most of the time, sometimes Morris. Mack because of his blocking and sure hands, Mo because he has some big play ability on the longer 3rd and 8+ plays. Alexander was a HORRIBLE pass blocker when healthy. He always has been. It is an effort thing, just like the rest of his game. He just stands and watches. Now the 3rd down role will be Weaver's most of the time, sometimes Morris. They haven't run more than 5 screens in a year for Alexander in about five years as well. They were a screen team with Ricky Watters, but ran it less and less since, to the point that it is completely phased out of the offense. His wrist is absolutely a non-issue in the passing game. He was never even on the field in passing situations, let alone a receiving option.

 

About the switching of the ball, I'm going to watch some tape tonight, but the more I think about it, the more I swear that he almost NEVER switches the ball. I can distinctly remember him running to the left with the ball in his right hand. I'm not being adamant, but I will look into it.

 

My point is, the wrist isn't the problem. He may show a little improvement when he gets it off, but if anyone expects him to be a top-15 back at this point in his career for any stretch of time, they should be thrown into a looney bin. It is not his wrist. It is his heart. He used to run with a chip on his shoulder, which I have talked about several times. Said chip is gone. So is Shaun's fantasy production.

[bushwacked]

They haven't run more than 5 screens in a year for Alexander in about five years as well. They were a screen team with Ricky Watters, but ran it less and less since, to the point that it is completely phased out of the offense. His wrist is absolutely a non-issue in the passing game. He was never even on the field in passing situations, let alone a receiving option.

 

You are dead wrong.....again.

 

SA had 42 receptions in 2003 and 59 in 2002. Why he was used less as a receiver in recent years is up for debate, but there was talk about getting him more actively involved at the beginning of this season.

[xtra]

He hasn't played in passing situations. He doesn't play on third down and 4+, hasn't in years. Until this year it was Mack Strong most of the time, sometimes Morris. Mack because of his blocking and sure hands, Mo because he has some big play ability on the longer 3rd and 8+ plays. Alexander was a HORRIBLE pass blocker when healthy. He always has been. It is an effort thing, just like the rest of his game. He just stands and watches. Now the 3rd down role will be Weaver's most of the time, sometimes Morris. They haven't run more than 5 screens in a year for Alexander in about five years as well. They were a screen team with Ricky Watters, but ran it less and less since, to the point that it is completely phased out of the offense. His wrist is absolutely a non-issue in the passing game. He was never even on the field in passing situations, let alone a receiving option.

 

About the switching of the ball, I'm going to watch some tape tonight, but the more I think about it, the more I swear that he almost NEVER switches the ball. I can distinctly remember him running to the left with the ball in his right hand. I'm not being adamant, but I will look into it.

 

My point is, the wrist isn't the problem. He may show a little improvement when he gets it off, but if anyone expects him to be a top-15 back at this point in his career for any stretch of time, they should be thrown into a looney bin. It is not his wrist. It is his heart. He used to run with a chip on his shoulder, which I have talked about several times. Said chip is gone. So is Shaun's fantasy production.

Ill just have to agree to disagree with what you say on this one since I really have no proof other than memory.Aside from Bushwacks reply that is.

[Seahawks21]

You are dead wrong.....again.

 

SA had 42 receptions in 2003 and 59 in 2002. Why he was used less as a receiver in recent years is up for debate, but there was talk about getting him more actively involved at the beginning of this season.

I could be wrong, but wasn't 2002 five years ago just like I said? I believe I said that the screen was used less and less and eventually was phased out altogether. This COULD lead to his receptions dropping by 17 the next year, then....go ahead and tell us.....what are his receptions from that year foward? Does it not seem to you that the screen game has been phased out, EXACTLY as I said?? Still, I would contend, the vast majority of the receptions that he does get are not on 3rd down passing situations.

 

Bush, you know that Shaun isn't on the field in passing situations. You also know that we run screens very rarely. I know that you are knowledgeable about the Seahawks, so I don't understand how you could disagree with those two points. Amazingly, I can even tell you WHY they don't run screens anymore!!!! In 2002, Hasselbeck was horrible. He could not get passes off. I don't remember the numbers, but there was a stretch early in his career, similar to a lot of inexperienced QB's, where he was blitzed against with more frequency than any other QB in the NFL. The screen game was really the best thing we had going back then to combat this.

 

Fast forward about a year. Hasselbeck was benched for a stretch and then got the job back because of injury. Things finally started to click for him. He very quickly started to understand that in the west coast offense, it is very easy to complete passes against basic blitz schemes. Slants then replaced screens. Blitzes became an opportunity to attack. Until last season, teams had blitzed us nearly as few times as anybody in the league since 2003. We don't need the screens anymore. They wouldn't work if we tried them. We need sure hands and pass blocking ability in the flats, both of which Alexander has about zero of.

Edited November 3, 2007 by Seahawks21