3 IN, 3 OUT – Week 4: We Have Liftoff!!!

October 7, 2016 by

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by fellow 12 Clinton Bonner

Live from New York… it’s Sunday afternooooooooon!

OK, doesn’t quite have the same ring to it but this is a special edition of #3i3o because yours truly was just one of many, many, maaaaannnnnnnny ‘Hawks fans who called the Meadowlands home for the day this passed Sunday.

So since I was there live, I’ll try to bring you some impressions of what it felt like to be in that stadium, in that day, in those moments. So strap in for a slightly different edition of 3 IN, 3 OUT… because ‘Hawks fans, we have liftoff!!!

I got mad only a few times during this entire day…. let’s just get this one out of the way.

 

OUT – Run the Da*% Ball !!!

Up 10, at about the 50-yard line with about 1:50 to go in the game. It was 3rd and about 4 and the Jets had just spent their last timeout. OK not a problem at all we’ll just hand the ball to a boy named Christine and if he doesn’t get it we’ll be punting with about 1:10 to go on the clock giving the Jets the ball back within their 10 yard line with about 1:04 or so to go in the gaaaaaaaammmmme…

And we just called some abhorrent hot route play to the RB that fooled no one forcing Russell to float one away.

I was livid.

Sure all the Jets fans may have left by then… trust me, they did:

But I was still hootin’ and hollarin’ that we should have run the ball. Yes, I realized the chances of them coming back from 10 with about 1:45 or so to go were putrid, but so were the chances of Cliff Avril ‘throwing’ a TD ‘pass’ to Charone Peake for his first career touchdown.

In a game of few errors, this stood OUT.

OK… let’s get to the great!

IN – Family Matters: The Divine Day for the McEvoy’s

Action begets action… and you know we’re all about that action boss.

Brandan and Adam started the best Seahawks pod out there because they knew it’d be fun.

I started writing these weekly articles for the pod because I knew it’d be fun.

I found great, below face value tix on Saturday before game day and pounced on the opportunity to head to the venue where we raised the Lombardi… because I knew it’d be fun!

What we don’t know in life is what happens when you take an action. My man pots and pans Mahatma Ghandi put it best:

“You may never know what results come of your actions, but if you do nothing, there will be no results.”

What we do know is that when you increase your chance of something cool happening, then the chances of something cool happening go up. That’s a true fact people!

So what happened this Sunday you ask???

I roamed the parking lot of the Meadowlands with my cousin Joel and a few libations poured into those sneaky solo-cup cups that are actually ceramic (to keep your beer colder folks!). Armed and Dangeruss I sauntered handing out the excellent Sea Hawkers podcast stickers to anyone wearing  Seahawks garb!

Down one fateful concrete row, I met some proud members of the McEvoy family!

Then got a chance to meet his sis!

Then to cap it off… had an amazing view for this, McEvoy’s 1st career TD a gorgeous Reading Rainbow from Russell Carrington Wilson!

By the way watch that one above a few times and look at how Glowinski and Collins each ‘chip’ in just enough of a block, giving Russell the time he needs to step up into a lovely pocket thingy!!!

And this is just funny… soooooo…

This TD, in that environment woulda been awesome… but getting a chance to meet his fam made it that much more awesomer!

Life may be a big game of Plinko… so accumulate as many discs as you can, put as many pegs on that board that you can muster… and let ‘em fly.

Congrats to Tanner and to the McEvoy clan on what was a tremendous day! Glad I got to be part of that action boss.

OUT – Checking In?

Note to Kris Richard. It’s totally cool to let teams check the ball down to RBs when you’re up big, late in the 4th.

Note to Kris Richard. It’s totally NOT cool to let teams convert on 3rd and longs over and over again throughout the game just by checking the ball down to the RB !!!

Man, this was frustrating. As GREAT as our defense was, and they were, the only reason the Jets were in this game (well, the refs truly helped the Jets out too) was because they could extend drives with check down passes to Blial Powell.

Hey, I get it. It’s 3rd and 9, you smother the WRs, allow the check down and tackle the RB, 2 to 3 yards short of the first down. Ya trot off the field with your fist in the air signifying 4th down and ya point to the rabid Seahawks fans who made it out to cheer!!!

I get all of that… BUT Powell must’ve been pleasantly surprised to see how much room to run he was given on multiple occasions on simple 3rd and long checkdowns.

Well, we got two weeks to clean that up but ya gotta think Matty ‘all the sudden Fire and’ Ice will be looking to do the same with their duo of RBs who know a thing or two about catching the rock.

 

IN – A Giant Amongst JETS

I was lucky enough to snag lower-level seats, 26 rows back at about the 20 yard line… Man I’m happy I did.

We’ve watched a guy for about 7 years now tear up the NFL and we understand he’s freakishly big and a tremendous athlete.

What you don’t get from sitting at home is the understanding of just how big Jimmy Graham is when standing next to his peers. In a league chock full of monstrous-sized dudes, guys that make a fella like me feel like a certain imp of House Lannister, Jimmy still stands out.

So this IN is about the coming out party that has been Jimmy Graham the last 2 weeks for our ‘Hawks. I’m not sure how the rest of the NFL answers this:

 

OUT – JETS fans (not what ya think!)

 

No. They weren’t rude.

No. They didn’t pick a fight with me, call me names, toss beer on me. They were perfectly respectful.

But, I gotta tell ya, that stadium was pretty dead.

First of all, it was supposed to be a Jets ‘white out’ where all the fans wore white. I’d say only about 48% of Jets fans got the memo. Poor.

Secondly, the moment we held the JETS to just 3 on that opening drive, a lot of the energy left MetLife. Even after the JETS got somewhat close just before half, the buzz in the building during halftime and leading into the 3rd quarter just wasn’t there.

I guess I was just shocked. In a game they absolutely had to have, they sure didn’t bring the noise. I grew up on Long Island, surrounded by ill-advised, but passionate fans. I think they stayed home on Sunday and sold their tickets to us 12s.

IN – The Fortress Against Forte

Being at the game forces you to literally watch the play from a whole new angle. I took advantage of the opportunity to lock my gaze into our defensive front 7, especially during likely run plays.

We all know we have an incredible run defense, but my word it is such a combination of strength and gap discipline that just makes this facet of our game so strong.

Because my morning was packed with packing cars and packing beers into red cups, I had forgotten to check on the status of Jarran Reed and didn't realize until about the 2nd quarter that he wasn't even in the game, and we were still that good stout!

Throughout this run, we've had some amazingly solid run stuffers… but is this group our best ever???

What say you fellow 12s? 

 

Get IN the FLOCK – Bonus I’s & O’s

It’s awesome how the Seahawkers Podcast continues to connect passionate 12s across the entire known universe !!! (Yeah, we go big!)
I had the awesome privilege of meeting fellow Ring of Honor member of the Flock Gary Blum and his awesome daughter Rebecca.

 

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You also gotta love how Brandan took to the emojis to explain how a New York sports ‘writer’ was trashing our QB man!!!

 

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And then, for the listeners of the Sea Hawkers Podcast to give this certain writer harumph was just classic. I gotta show some love to Sean Powell, not only is Sean a dedicated 12, he’s also the ONLY other Seahawks fan I grew up with in Deer Park, NY (Long Island). Well done Powell, see you soon down at Carlow East for a game pal!

 

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And how can we disagree with Keith!!!? Answer, ya can’t! Nice IN man, nice IN indeed:

 

1,2,3… What’s Next!?

R-E-L-A-X … in fact Russ, Tyler, Jarran… put your feet up.

What to watch on our bye week:

  • Can the Cardinals possibly fall to 1-4 with an early TNF game? – Palmer is out!
  • Will the Falcons fall to Earth via Orange Crush, and how will that impact our tilt in 2 weeks?
  • Can the Bills be the NFC West slayers we hope they can be? (except v. us of course) and take the Rams down a peg or three?

Beyond that, we’re 3-1 just as Mama Cleo predicted before the season began.

We have 2x as many sacks as we did at this point last year.

We’ve given up ½ as many sacks as we did at this point last year. (and we’ve played good D-lines!!!)

What can I say?… I feel good, I knew that I would now. How do you feel?

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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