It truly hurts when something you love sucks. And this is the brutal truth with the Seattle Seahawks.
When the NFL lockout concluded, the Seahawks were quick to make moves, acquiring Tarvaris Jackson, Sidney Rice and Robert Gallery, the big names among their preseason shopping list. The Seahawks also cut ties with notable veterans, such as Matt Hasselbeck, (The Bald Eagle) who led the Hawks to the 2005 Super Bowl loss (damn, it still hurts), and Lofa Tatupu, the fearless leader on the defensive side of the ball. Pete Carroll wanted a stronger and faster Seattle team, but the addition of youth meant the departure of leadership and experience.
So the Seahawks parted ways with Hasselbeck and searched for a quarterback to lead the troops this season. The player they picked to fill that void is Jackson, someone whom no one else was pursuing, and for good reason. When Jackson was the projected starter in Minnesota last season, the Vikings went to their emergency back-up plan and brought in the nimble Brett Favre. Jackson played in a total of three games and racked up a staggering 56.8 completion percentage to go along with three touchdowns and four interceptions.
Jackson has proved nothing as a quarterback in the NFL, but Carroll has been adamant since he became a Seahawk that he is the starting quarterback over the grizzly Charlie Whitehurst. For a coach who has always preached competition at every position, Carroll really dropped the ball on this one. Why not bring in Jackson and allow for the preseason to be the stage where both quarterbacks audition their skills and let the better performer take the lead role? Don't announce Jackson as the starting quarterback before he has proved anything for this team - or anything for any team over his career.
Over the preseason, Whitehurst won my vote. He was more poised in the pocket, looked more comfortable and the offense had more rhythm when he was under center. And this is not just my opinion; there are statistics to back it up. Over the four-game preseason, and Jackson started in all of them, he had a passer rating of 61.9, threw one interception and one touchdown, and had a completion percentage of 58.2. Whitehurst had a passer rating of 91.1, threw for one touchdown and zero interceptions, and had a completion percentage of 67.7 (while attempting seven more passes). People have criticized Whitehurst for being a check-down quarterback, but this is an area that he has improved upon as he moved the ball down the field for the Hawks, recording 405 yards over the preseason, 136 more yards than Jackson.
But as we sit here today looking ahead to the season opener against division rival San Francisco on Sunday, Jackson is still the starting quarterback. Are you serious, Pete Carroll?
There are two positives that Jackson has over Whitehurst. One, Jackson's past in Minnesota. He is familiar with new offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell and star wide receiver Sidney Rice. Second, Jackson's mobility. This may be an important attribute due to the sketchy offensive line, which consists of two rookies, James Carpenter and John Moffitt, center Max Unger who played in half of a game last year, new Seahawk Robert Gallery, and the always ailing Russell Okung.
The worst part about this whole situation is even if I get my way, and Whitehurst does become the starting quarterback, Whitehurst is no franchise quarterback. Simply, neither Jackson nor Whitehurst is that good. Picking between them is like trying to choose between watching a Mariners game or Sounders game. The Mariners are downright miserable, but the Mariners have the edge on the Sounders because you're not watching MLS soccer. With either option, set your bar low and try not to cry.
Beyond the dismal quarterback situation, the Seahawks have improved on the defensive front. I have been impressed by the play of Leroy Hill at linebacker and Marcus Trufant at cornerback. I like the defensive line and was impressed by Red Bryant and Brandon Mebane. I look for big things out of Earl Thomas after a stellar rookie season. The Hawks are going to miss the hard-nosed play and winning attitude of Tatupu at linebacker.
On the offensive side, new line coach Tom Cable will help the Seahawks' running game along with Beast Mode (Marshawn Lynch) having gained a year of experience with the Hawks. Justin Forsett will also show glimpses of brilliance. The best move of the Seahawks' offseason was going after Sidney Rice. He is a prime time receiver, something the Hawks have not had since we thought T.J. Houshmandzadeh was going to be good (ha). Tight end Zach Miller and Mike Williams will also be other viable weapons on the Seahawks' offense. Unfortunately, with all the offensive weapons, Jackson and Whitehurst may not have the ability to get them the ball.
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