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FOOTBALL OUTSIDERS - they've got the Seahawks easily #1 in "weighted DVOA". That stat is a sort of intersection between "WAR" and "Bill James #1 Starting Pitcher." It attempts to capture the power of a team at it stands at this particular moment.
WAS, NYG and PHIL are #14, #17, and #18, respectively. Not often you draw a true .500 team in the playoffs. Sa Weet.
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Speaking of ... BJOL has Wade Miley as the #46 starting pitcher in both leagues, so, by definition a staff #2 starter. A few notches above him are Samardzija and, LOL, Garrett Richards; Iwakuma is #35. A few notches below Miley are Tanaka, Kazmir and Peavy.
Dr. D is absolutely not going to get carried away over a left hand starter with 4 average pitches. But he does warm his hands by the fire of the imagined Red Sox Internal Scoop on Wade Miley. Maybe the Red Sox demanded 2x Miley's value because his changeup is about to turn him into Jamie Moyer. He's about the right age.
:- )
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THE NEWS TRIBUNE reports that Pete Carroll believes that "things feel right," by which he means "we're starting out 21-0 and then slowly pulling away." No, he means that the Seahawks are forcing teams into passing downs.
Your mileage may vary, but my opinion? Since they dumped that Cary guy, the Hawks seem to be much tougher on 3rd-and-8. That would imply being tougher in holding 4th-quarter leads.
It sounds, from the TNT article, like Beast Mode can take 2-3 weeks off and then Beast again. Hey, some of that run blocking for Thomas Rawls was shock-and-awe. Give Marshawn that same 5-yards-downfield head of steam before he's touched, and he'll remind some people of some things.
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Mediocre read at 710 ESPN, but the idea of Doug Baldwin as Pro Bowler is kind of fun. Prob'ly shouldn't say this, but in 2011 Baldwin (as an undrafted receiver) played a coupla games and Dr. D kinda Ketel Marte'd him. Wasn't writing many Hawk articles at the time but Baldwin seemed like he had the right, um, ankles.
We lost interest since, but maybe we shouldn't have? Is there any world in which Doug Baldwin is a legit feature receiver? Not like Megatron, but legit feature like Wes Welker or some other #1 WR on a contender who didn't have a Fathead poster.
You tell me. I'd honestly like to know where Baldwin is, where he'd be in the NFL pantheon if he were playing for (say) the Saints or Packers.
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Field Gulls points out an ESPN article that fields Star Wars characters in every sport. I like Obi-Wan as a holding midfielder. In football, I'll sign off on Jabba for LG and Darth Maul as a wideout. Hey, the article beats working.
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This national article and this local article give you Listverse-style countdowns as to why the Seahawks can win it all ... er, "get back to" the Super Bowl. Dr. D offers one reason. They're The Best. (Mebbe.)
Didja ever notice? All year long, we talk breathlessly about "Getting TO the World Series" and then whoever loses it takes a mouthful of trash the rest of the winter.
Enjoy,
Jeff
