2011年10月25日火曜日

Seattle Seahawks, Pete Carroll, Charlie Whitehurst: Josh Portis Was Your Answer

Usually when I start an article, I begin by objectively mulling over key points I think might serve as useful and interesting to my readers. Then, I begin stringing together those points, laying them out constructively as words and sentences on a blank canvas.

But not this time. This time I peer at an empty screen through narrow eyes, the perspective of an angry, intolerant, fed-up fan.

After watching the Seattle Seahawks drown themselves 6-3 in their match against the Cleveland Browns yesterday, I am overcome with disappointment. From beginning to end, the 'Hawks failed to execute on multiple levels—all except one. Their defense almost single-handedly kept them within arm's reach of winning the game.

Well, at least until one player, DL Red Bryant, who played extremely well––two field goal blocks––decided to take out his frustrations at the end of a play with a head butt to a Browns player, a mindless action that got him ejected and allowed Cleveland to run out the remaining ticks left on the clock. It was a disgraceful way to cap the Seahawks' final moments on the field.

Many will argue that poor officiating cost the game for Seattle and, in the end, that may very well be the case. However, I'm not going to elaborate on that topic, because if I do it will only seem as if I am searching for a way to insinuate the 'Hawks deserved to win. The fact is, they didn't deserve to win—at least not based on the hideous performance the offense displayed under the leadership of an inept replacement quarterback, Charlie Whitehurst.  

That brings me to my next point.

Why didn't rookie quarterback Josh Portis get a shot to play in this game, especially towards the end of it? Yes, Whitehurst was that bad. Head coach Pete Carroll, on more than one occasion, has talked passionately about what a tremendous talent Portis is. He even made comments not long before the Browns game which seemed to indicate that, if Whitehurst for some reason couldn't get the job done, he wouldn't hesitate to put Portis in:

"Josh Portis is here to play. He’s here to play football for us,” Carroll said when asked if the club was looking to sign a just-in-case quarterback.

“Josh is a very talented kid and if he’s in the No. 2 spot, I’m going to get him ready to play. I’m not going to have any hesitation putting him in the game. I’ve seen enough of him. I know what he can do.”

Today, Carroll had just the opposite to say about Portis. "He's got a long ways to go," Carroll said. "...He's not close to being ready to push for the job."

What's that, Coach Carroll? You won't hesitate to put him in the game, but you also say "he's not close to being ready"? 

If Whitehurst, now in his sixth NFL season, hasn't shown he's worth being a starter, why wouldn't you try out an impressive prospect like Portis? It should have been more than obvious Whitehurst was playing horribly and not generating the offense necessary to win the game.

Instead of Carroll being bold and taking some chances, we got to see the 'Hawks go down in flames, losing a game that ended with a baseball score of 6-3.

 

Note: This article is a "fan-sided rant." It is a venting of the author's current frustrations with his favorite NFL team, the Seattle Seahawks, and not meant to be an in-depth article full of analytical observations and statistical breakdowns. Feel free to share in his frustrations by leaving a comment below.  For a detailed breakdown of the game between the Seattle Seahawks and Cleveland Browns, please refer to 'Hawks featured columnist Darin Pike's latest article


Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/908548-seattle-seahawks-pete-carroll-charlie-whitehurst-josh-portis-was-your-answer

Javier Lopez Alex Hinshaw Ramon Ramirez Sergio Romo Brian Wilson Eli Whiteside

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