=== First Quarter ===

... it looked like Matt Hasselbeck had just spent two years in the pokey, throwing down-and-outs against Big Poppa Meathead and the skinhead crew.  Maybe he'd broken code on correct speech and gotten sent to a gulag, I dunno.  But it looked like he hadn't picked up a football in a decade.

At any rate, Hass's field vision was nothing but a rumor, and not twice but four separate times, he threw the ball toward receivers under the premise that Ram defenders wouldn't mind.   They minded, and at the end of the first quarter, Hasselbeck had thrown two picks, thrown another pass for a completion and fumble*, and his chances of finishing the day with a 100.0 quarterback rating depended mainly on the ABSOLUTE VALUE function in Excel.

What a three quarters he had, to actually get to the 100 mark on the day.   He went 20-for-27 for 211 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions after the early Chuckles the Clown act.

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=== Offensive Line ===

Absent their two best players, Mora's crew proved that they were deep and talented, as opposed to ragtag and ad hoc.  

Hasselbeck consistently had plenty of space and comfort when delivering his intermediate passes, and didn't worry a lot when throwing the deeper balls to Carlson, either.   Zero sacks, and I don't particularly remember a solid hit after a throw, either.

When Julius Jones can ramble for 19-117, even against the Rams, and you're playing your #3-#7 linemen, that's pretty sweet.

Surprised the stuffing out of me.   Maybe it's the zone blocking.

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=== Passing ===

I actually liked seeing all of the touches go to Burleson (7-74), Carlson (6-95), and Housh (6-48).   Nobody else had more than one catch, except Jones, with two swing passes. 

The intermediate game had a nice easy rhythm to it, and Hasselbeck proved that Holmgren's absence means little to him at this point in his career.  Thanks for the passing system, Mike.  Don't let the HOF door hit yer on the way in.

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=== Running ===

There have been some amazing arguments on Seahawk sites over whether Julius Jones is an "average" (solid; effective) runner of the football. 

Suffice it to say, that I don't think much of Jones' effectiveness in running the football.  Even today's 19-117 effort, if you substitute (say) a 12-yard gain for his 62-yard pop against the feeble Rams, then Jones is 19-67 and we aren't raving.  

And Edge was 11-30, so let's not make the running game out to be fxied just yet.   They were one bustout away from a 30-100 day against a poor defense.

Still, with an injured offensive line, the Hawks did a surprising job of smashmouth three-four yards, keeping the Rams honest.  Good show.

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=== Knapp ===

Dr. D was petrified that Knapp's crazy run of top-10 rushing offenses was going to mean that he would dry-dock the West Coast in favor of a hapless, stubborn 500-attempt running scheme.

Three possessions in and Dr. D was smiling.  The Hawks were actually in shotgun a lot of the time. They passed to set up the run, not vice versa, and were totally unpredictable from down-to-down.  The double-lateral* to Seneca Wallace underlined Knapp's creativity.

As Knapp put it earlier, he and Mora are about exploiting their best athletes.  It may actually turn out that Holmgren was more stubborn and predictable than Knapp is -- and that Knapp will fulfill the wild fantasies and "teach the Seahawks a running game" to go with their passing.

The game just couldn't have gone better from an offensive-schemes point of view.  

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=== Key Player:  John Carlson ===

On TV, they mentioned that they'd asked the Rams what they had in mind for Carlson.  "He's not Tony Gonzalez," they sneered.  "Whoever covers him will cover him."

Or not cover him, I guess.   The Hawks started one drive at their 29 and two swings of Hasselbeck's arm later, whoever was covering Carlson was on the waiver wire.   As Carlson thundered across the goal line, the nearby Ram didn't even bother trying to stick him going in.  Fear and common sense, y'know.

Carlson represents legit matchup problems and Hass is the right man to get him the ball.   He's liable to wind up with 80+ catches if they keep overplaying Housh.

The Seahawks have created a genuine Pick-Your-Poison situation with their receivers.  The chess match will be intriguing.

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=== Exec Sum ===

446 yards, 25 first downs, and 28 points in three quarters.  It's back to 2007, boys.

Ken Griffey Jr. predicted a three-touchdown Seahawk win.  He was wrong.  :- )

Cheers,

Dr D