Wow, what a game yesterday. I was in section 118, right above the visitors field entrance. There were two guys in prison stripes holding a sign that said, "Bengals Work Release" it was pretty funny.

I still can't figure out why someone would pay hundreds of dollars to go to watch a game and get so drunk and beligerent that they can't even remember what happened, or get thrown out by security.

There was a drunk guy who ran out on the field in the 3rd quarter, that was funny.

The fans were getting pretty upset about the game plan, i.e. just allowing the Bengals to complete all those underneath passes. I though it was a good scheme instead of getting torched downfield. If Tru didn't blow that coverage on one of their few zone coverage schemes they never would have completed that TD to Housyourmamma. It was hard on our defense being on the field so much, but when we tried man-man coverage or blitzes we got burned by screen passes. Overall I thought Tru had a great game he shadowed Ocho Stinko the entire game and basically let him have the underneath stuff, but he hammered him when he did catch it. Never missed a tackle either, on one in particular he shed his block from the tight end and tackled Rudi Johnson for a loss, a really solid play.

If we didn't have those two flukey interceptions (both bounced of hands) the game would have been completely different outcome I think. Deon Grant's interception along the sideline where he just tapped his toes, was a thing of beauty, it so great to have smart safeties now.

Time for revenge on the Niners.

How about those patriots???? They are gonna take it! Moss and Brady are UNSTOPABLE!

I'm probably the only Bengals fan you've ever heard of.
I was there, just left of the tunnel the Seahawks run out of.
I thought the Seahawks played great run defense, mediocre pass defense.
The Bengals gave the game away with special teams...opening kickoff return for 72 yds, too many men on field for extra point, two fair-catches inside the 10, and the famous, memorable kickoff that led to the Seahawks final TD.
Being a Bengals fan sucks, but that's my team.
I'm also a Seahawks fan when they're playing anyone else.
PS...Shaun Alexander is the softest runner I've ever seen in the NFL

Shaun Alexander played with a broken wrist. Everyone hates his running style, personally I don't mind it. When you look around the league you see running backs constantly going out with injuries. I admit he does go down early when he is about to get popped, but I have faith that he will make it through all 16 games. Look at the backs who like to hit, and they are constantly on the IR. Consistency wins. Mark it down.

Alexander..... If you watched the game you saw him run hard on ONE play. That play was his touchdown run. He does shift it into another gear when he smells the goal line but goes down quicker than a "lady of the night" when presented with a $50 bill.

Well then he didn't run hard at all, because he didn't score a touchdown. Just ran for 100 yards and was critical in our 4th quarter game winning drive. Including converting a 4th and 1 for 14 yards. They never gave him the rock when they had it in the red zone this game, which was a mistake.

I think the Seahawks' pass defense was just fine...they game planned it, and executed just what they had planned...don't let Palmer and his fine staff of receivers beat you deep...that entails giving up short passes.

You'll note that there was very little yardage made after the catches, and the secondary made big tackle after big tackle...

I don't care what team you are...if you have to take 16 plays to score, you are waaayy more likely to make a mistake...Palmer made more mistakes on Sunday than he did the rest of the season so far, and it was because he didn't make any big plays way down the field.

There was really only one offensive touchdown for the Bengals, so I'd say that whatever it was that the Hawks were doing, they were doing it right...watch the Bengals over the next couple of weeks, their opponents will be doing what the Hawks did, and we'll see how it turns out for them.

Holmgren's play calling was fantastic on Sunday, too.

Alexander's job is not to run into people for an extra foot...his job is to get the yardage that is there, and to score TD's when they give him the ball in the red zone...he does it as well or better than anyone else out there right now, and he's doing it with a broken bone in his wrist right now, too.

People who complain about his running style don't know jack about football...the goal is to win, right?

Fish on...

Todd

I also feel Alexander is way over rated. Has been for years. He did pick you up one first down when you needed it, but by and large he is the king of junk yardage. He will pick up some yards when the Hawks are way behind and the other team is playing the pass. Soft is an under statement with him IMHO.. the most overrated back in the league.

On the other hand, Hasselback is way under rated.

Well put T-Rip, Knowing Shaun personally, I feel he gets rip in the press to much. He simply goes out and does his job @ a very high level. Hawks Defensive game was good enough to win, and at the end of the day thats what matters. Just like to see the offensive "click" a little better.

My bad. Might have been the run close to the end zone. What's even worse from my standpoint is that the run I'm talking about might have been the week before. One eye on the tv and the other on the vise.

If you don't think people can be critical of Alexander's overall "game" and still have a knowledge for the game then you're mistaken. The guy can't, no strike that, won't block. He can't/won't catch the ball out of the backfield which limits the types of plays he can participate in. He does limit the plays that can be called for him and also makes the Hawks more predicatable on certain downs.

I'd still rather have him than 90% of the other backs out there but his skills are fairly limited. Which in turn makes a person question his desire to help the team.

I'm not complaining so much about his running style. I'm complaining about his willingness to do some of the other stuff that most good backs do to help their teams. Blockin, pass catching, being a dummy so others might be successful. He does none of that. It's about TD's to him.

With his size and speed he should be able help his QB stay healthy. It's called blocking. But I guess it's just easier to sub someone else in on certain downs who is willing to do the dirty work.

Watch how many times a game he waves to the sideline after some sort of run requesting a sub. Pretty pathetic really. Not something you see out of other backs both past and present.

So is it by default he's our RB? Do you think Holgrem dislikes Shaun running stlye? How many yards did Mo Morris get last year when Shaun was hurt? Look at the numbers. Hey cool 7 years on P.P. 100 posts.

I don't think Holmgren likes being limited in which plays he can call for his RB. But, he's not the GM anymore and has to use the players he has.

I'm just being a bit overly critical of the guy. He is still better than most others that play the position.

Truth for me is I overlook alot of "talk about Shaun's play" because he is a good dude. Pro sports need more guy's like him,and less like well Cincinnati Convicts I mean Bengals.

Good points by all, I think...and while I do think he's a bit overrated, I think he's still pretty damn good...I always thought he was pretty good catching the ball out of the backfield, but that's definitely limited right now with the cast he'll be wearing, at least for the next couple of weeks.

Stam, I suspect you're right about the average team/average record...but I still think they're the best team in their division, and will make the playoffs anyway...at that point a few good plays here and there can win you a couple of games, if they all go your way.

Fish on...

Todd

Todd your first post was right on the money about the defense. I was trying to preach to the people around me that we were playing over the top of those receivers to eliminate the deep pass and it worked. We could not blitz because Carson Palmer is a stud, flat out. I have never seen a quarterback in person who was that good. His confidence level in the pocket, made Hasslebeck look like a rookie, and I think Hasslebeck is good. But Palmer is not as clutch as Hasslebeck in the big games.

Shaun has 275 yards this year (which is the most he has ever had in his first 3 games including 2005), LaDanian Tomlinson has like 85 or something like that. Stephen Jackson is out for 2 games already. Mo Morris has missed a game. SA is over-rated because nearly all of the superstars in this game are, but he plays smart and we win. Do you remember the time we went to the superbowl without Shaun Alexander?

Yeah that was awesome.

Good point.

Any chance you could tell him to stop saying "you know, you know, you know, you know" all the time?