3 IN, 3 OUT – Week 1: It’s How Ya Phinish!!!

September 15, 2016 by

by fellow 12 Clinton Bonner

3i_3o_seahawkers_pod_week_1_dolphins

Can’t ya just see our near 65 year old, goin’ on 25 year old, coach climbing on top of pads and helmets, finding himself atop another set of lockers and screaming at the top of his lungs:

Can you win the game in the 1st quarter?

Can you win the game in the 2nd quarter!?

Can you win the game in the 3rd quarter!???

Can you WIN THE GAME in the 4th quarter!!!!????

You bet your sweet ass we can.

Was there worry? Yup. Were there woes? You betcha.

Are we 1 and 0? Well then… 

And thanks to them Garrapolo gunners, we’re already a game up on the red birds, nicely.

So by now you should know the drill but if you’re just coming around to 3 In, 3 Out, this is a unique look back at the game that was as we dissect, bisect, and trifect on 3 pillars of goodness as well as 3 areas of the game that just weren’t good enough! We try to dig into nooks and crannnies others ignore so this will be THE only mention of Russ’ ankle… just heal quick #3!!!

Want to get in the #3i3o action next week? Great, we want you to too, read on to find out how you can contribute to the weekly goodness.

And because this was a big W… let’s not delay the good times any longer, let’s start with our first IN of the 2016 regular season!

IN – Life in the Fast Lane

Revving up for last week we looked deeply into Mamma Cleo’s crystal ball and predicted a very, very close affair. We even dubbed it ‘Too Close for Comfort’ and I wish we were less accurate! With that, our defense was outstanding the entire day. While many players shined – some of which you might see further down this very page! – no one had the game Jeremy Lane had.

This Jeremy was lightning fast 2014 Jeremy. This Jeremy was arriving just on time, batting balls down, clacking pads to jar would be receptions loose, Jeremy Lane. And since he was asked to cover shifty receivers, crossing, and hooking, and darting the field all afternoon, it was all that much more impressive.

This was the best Jeremy Lane has looked since since his fateful INT in SB Fifty.

The defense was indeed smothering. Tannehill, who shined all pre-season, who now had the advantage of the QB whisperer in his ear, was held to a lanky 186 yards through the air. Foster gained 38 measly yards on the ground. And the play of Jeremy Lane was a big, big, big part of why.

If this full speed, fast Lane is how he’ll play all year, well… our chances of hitching a rocket to Houston come February just got that much better.

OUT – Area 29 Where Are You?

As sharp as Lane was… it pains me to write – and I’m sure pains you to re-hash – what was the rather lousy game Earl Thomas put together on Sunday. Beyond the whiffs, and unfortunately there were several, and beyond the blown coverage bail-out delivered to us by the hands of Kenny Stills… there is a deeper concern for us ‘Hawks fans.

In 2013, 2014 Earl Thomas was undoubtedly the best Safety in the game… not close, not up for dispute. In 2015 he was a very, very good player, but just not as good as we’d grown to expect.

He’s only 27, so we’re not talking about a player who has lost a step… so then what is it?

As Adam routinely says on the Sea Hawkers Podcast… “Hard tellin’ not knowin'”.

Occam’s razor teaches us that the simplest explanation – aka the one with the fewest assumptions – is also the best one.

So for week 1 of this new season… let’s just say Earl Thomas had a bad day.

IN – C+C Music Factory: The Sound of Violence

When reading 3 In, 3 Out it helps to be a child of the 80’s and 90’s… For all those that aren’t, my apologies, you missed great times.

But even if you were born yesterday, if you’ve been listening to the Sea Hawkers Podcast during the offseason and reading our 3i, 3o posts you would know by now that our C+C Music Factory is none other than Frank Clark and Cassius Marsh!!!

Separately, they both had big games. Together, they made sweet, sweet music that sealed the W for our ‘Hawks.

Clark tallied this gorgeous sack. Watch him launch the left tackle back 3 steps and cut inside this perfectly executed stunt! I could watch this all day.

We know Marsh blocked a FG. We know Marsh put on a tackling clinic on special teams… and we know he put the game in the books with this incredibly athletic sack/strip just below… but did you realize it was Clark leading the stunt, blowing back 2 lineman and clearing a channel for Cassius to come on through!!!

That is why C+C have us ‘Hawks fans so darn excited !!! And that is why they are our 2nd IN of the week! Well done boys… now let’s play that tune on repeat!!!

OUT – Lockett Up?

If you know me… you know I love 3 things… Tacos! 90’s Brit-Rock bands like Blur and Travis… and I love me some Tyler Lockett.

But if we’re not gonna be honest with each other, then there’s lots of click bait on TeamStream that you could be thumbing through.

Good. I’m glad ya stayed too.

Lockett wasn’t great Sunday. He was rather pedestrian dropping 2 tosses that would have extended drives, which probably would have led to a larger/earlier lead.

These things happen, but it doesn’t make it any better. It’s like when something you flat out depend on day in, day out just doesn’t work. You shake your head a bit. Un-Plug it, plug it back in… blow on the cartridge, ya know. Pretty soon it works again and you’re like, “Cool!”

I expect this will be the ONLY week we end up seeing Lockett on this side of the #3i3o ledger!

IN – Hearing Jimmy

1 catch, 11 yards.

1 catch, 11 yards, in the 4th quarter of the game winning drive, just after the two minute warning.

1 catch, 11 yards, in the 4th quarter of the game winning drive, just after the two minute warning, moving the sticks, and firing up the crowd.

1 catch, 11 yards, in the 4th quarter of the game winning drive, just after the two minute warning, moving the sticks, firing up the crowd, all after blowing out his patellar tendon in week 12 last season.

1 catch.

1 huge catch.

Welcome back Jimmy. We hear you. #GoHawks

OUT – Boyz N the Bubble

Sure… Russell Carrington Wilson threw the ball 43 times on Sunday, but wayyyyyyyyyy too many were of the lateral variety aka the bubble screen aka the ‘ole 20-percenter cause it only works 1 out of every 5 times!!!

I just don’t get it. I understand playing chess, not checkers and setting the stage for later moves that take your opponent by surprise. But these bubble screens were happening early and way before Russ got stepped on by a baaaaaaaad man. And we called them just far too often against a weak LB core and a starting rookie CB… Que lastima!

On the flip side of the ball, we continued to see Richard put his stamp on this defense dialing up stunts and LB blitzes that led to us bringing down Tannehill 5 times!!!

But are bubble screens our offensive identity… for real? We don’t have that Percy or Tavon-esque player where we ‘need to get him touches’. We have a nicely balanced offense with professional route runners combined with the highest rated pocket-passing QB from last season. Yet, we settle for mediocrity in terms of play calling too often.

I know Bevell is an easy target year after year… We know even Mama Lynch got on his case from time to time!!! But, to combat this self-imposed crutch that is the bubble screen… we interlock arms and scream as 12s… Do Better!!!

Get the Flock OUT – 2 Gunners Enter, 1 Dolphin Leave

Bonus OUT Alert!!!

Remember those nooks and crannies we were discussing earlier? How we like to dig deep in these articles and not just serve up the same stories you’re gonna read everywhere else? Remember how we said YOU can get involved in 3i, 3o each and every week?… Well, we practice what we preach.

For the most part the Seahawks STs were flat exceptional. Cassius laid licks and Morgan blasted would be returners… but there was one punt Landry returned for 16 where 2 ‘Hawks failed to break down in sufficient time as Jarvis parted the Action Green Sea-s.

That in-action prompted this observation by fellow 12 Keith Ketover:

Well done Keith, keep the #3i3o recommendations coming on Twitter OR on FB!

1,2,3… What’s Next!?

Turn your head and Goff?

After an embarrassing defeat at the hands of the Chip Kelly led 49ers, will ‘Searching for 8 – 8 Fischer’ turn the Kee-nums over to the rookie or what? 28 – 0 v. the niners and you may still start Case Keenum?

Mama Cleo has already made her prediction for this game and it has been foreseen. In a match-up where we typically struggle, we will not.

  • The offense will be more balanced
  • Russell’s ankle will be just fine
  • Rawls begins to re-emerge as THE man
  • Baldwin will continue to silence the haters who don’t quite get how good he is

I am fired up for next Sunday… How about you !!!???

Finally, had a ton of fun during the game on both Twitter and in the Sea Hawkers Ring of Honor on Facebook! Just one more great reason to Get in the Flock people!!! Great job by Brandan and Adam seeding an amazing community of passionate 12s!

Till next time ye faithful 12s … Go ‘Hawks !!!

Remember 12s, see something??? Say something on Twitter. Send @seahawkerspod a tweet during the game, tag it #3i3o, and it just might show up in next week’s 3 IN, 3 OUT… and that’s nice!!!

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