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First off, let me say that there is still ominous black smoke billowing from last week's post previewing the Ravens. That topic was full-on mutually assured destruction. SB Nation has designated that thread a disaster zone. Also, I've salted the earth so nothing shall ever grow there again.
Ravens suck.
The Last Time They Played:
Seattle 7, Texans 34
The Texans entered this 2009 Week 14 game with a record of 5-7 and slim hopes of making the playoffs. They started the game hot with a 35-yard kickoff return from André Davis and a subsequent 65-yard touchdown to Andre Johnson. The eternal Marcus Trufant, then the top cornerback of the Seahawks, stood no chance against Johnson, who ran right by him for the score. Johnson would go on to catch 11 passes for 193 yards and two scores.
Matt Schaub was his usual efficient self, throwing for 365 yards, two touchdowns and a pick. Texans fans unknowingly got a sneak peak of their future franchise running back, as undrafted rookie Arian Foster carried the ball 13 times for 34 yards and caught four passes for 54 yards.
Meanwhile the Seahawks' offense, led by head coach Jim Mora Jr. and offensive coordinator Greg Knapp (remember him?), had no answer for a Texans defense led by DeMeco Ryans and rookie Brian Cushing. Bernard Pollard would add an interception returned for a touchdown.
The Texans would go on to win big and improve their 2009 record to 6-7 and are currently 1-1 all-time against the Seahawks.
Check out the lop-sided box score and game highlights. Tim wrote BRB's post-game thread here. It's good to know your history!
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How Seattle finished the 2012 season:
| Off Yds / G | Off. Pts / G | Def Yds / Game | Def Pts / Game | |
| Total | 350.6 | 25.8 | 306.2 | 15.3 |
| Rank | 17th | 9th | 4th | 1st |
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What Seattle has done this offseason:
NFL Draft
- 2 (62) - Christine Michael, RB, Texas A&M
- 3 (87) - Jordan Hill, DT, Penn State
- 4 (123) - Chris Harper, WR, Kansas State
- 5 (137) - Jesse Williams, DT, Alabama
- 5 (138) - Tharold Simon, CB, LSU
- 5 (158) - Luke Willson, TE, Rice
- 6 (194) - Spencer Ware, RB, LSU
- 7 (220) - Ryan Seymour, OG, Vanderbilt
- 7 (231) - Ty Powell, DE, Harding
- 7 (242) - Jared Smith, DT, New Hampshire
- 7 (242) - Michael Bowie, OT, NE Oklahoma State
Key Arrivals
- QB Brady Quinn, April 12 (one year, $780,000)
- WR Brett Swain, April 9 (one year, $630,000)
- DT Tony McDaniel, March 28 (one year, $840,000)
- DE Michael Bennett, March 14 (one year, $5 million)
- DE Cliff Avril, March 13 (two years, $15 million)
- Traded for WR Percy Harvin (six years, $67 million with $14.5 million fully guaranteed) from the Vikings, March 11
Key Departures
- DT Alan Branch, April 2 (signed with Bills)
- Traded QB Matt Flynn to Raiders, April 1
- Released WR Ben Obomanu, March 17
- DL Jason Jones, March 13 (signed with Lions)
- Released KR Leon Washington, March 11
Seattle sports one of the more talented rosters in the league, particularly on that top-ranked scoring defense. They've mitigated the losses on their defensive line by adding two talented pass rushers via free agency and three defensive tackles via the NFL Draft. Quarterback Russell Wilson will surely enjoy throwing to their new speedy wide receiver Percy Harvin. If Wilson avoids a sophomore slump, he'll have all the weapons he needs to challenge the San Francisco 49ers for the NFC West.
A ton of credit must be given to head coach Pete Carroll, who has completely overhauled the roster we walloped in 2009. It will be interesting to see how the defense performs without defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, now the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Arbitrary prediction made in May of 2013: Seahawks 17, Texans 10 Seahawks 3, Texans 56
Someone talk me off the ledge, because I'm envisioning this game ending in disappointment. Perhaps the blowout losses to the Packers and Patriots (both of whom the Seahawks defeated, by the way) are still too fresh in my mind, but Seattle is loaded on both sides of the ball, and it makes me nervous.
Kubiak and Kompany™ will do their due diligence, but it comes down to performance on the field. How will the Texans handle a 3 Wide set with the added danger of a zone read? Will our receivers find room to work against a stout secondary headed by the brazen Richard Sherman? What is Joe Marciano? These are the questions that will keep me up at night leading up to week four.
Am I being too pessimistic? Brett, help me out here!
Absolutely not. The more I watch film on this team the more I'm convinced this could be one of the titanic match-ups of the season. On one side, you have the young, brazen, insanely talented Seahawks, and on the other side sits the hungry Texans squad full of mega-stars and future Hall of Famers at every level. Both teams in the hunt for a ring. Both teams destined to be the ruler by which each other's early Super Bowl hopes are measured. This has all the makings of one of the several inevitable "playoff previews" that Houston will have to endure this coming season, and I for one cannot wait.
What really intrigues me about this match-up is just how similar both teams are. Both clubs run their offense off of the zone run game and both offenses love unloading deep play-action bombs on unsuspecting foes. The main difference between them of course is that Seattle has Russell Wilson, who has both a cannon for an arm and an uncanny resemblance to Steve Young when running in the open field. On top of that, the Seahawks have acquired the most elusive runner in the league in Percy Harvin. Throw in the read option concepts that the Hawks have integrated into their zone run game, and you have the most frighteningly difficult decision for the Bulls on Parade all season. Do you crash down on the powerful Marshawn Lynch as the dive man? Do you shadow Russell Wilson on the keeper to contain him in the open field and risk Percy Harvin breaking the defense as the pitch man? Do you key on Harvin and let Wilson run wild, or worse yet give him time to throw a deep bomb? To face this offense is to endure the ultimate test in discipline. One mistake by anyone in the defense and everything will fall apart.
On the other side of the ball, the Seahawks defense will face an equally tough test when going against the Texans' famously suffocating, methodical offensive attack. With the addition of Brennan Williams as the likely new right tackle in 2013, the run game is expected to instantly be more potent by virtue of Derek Newton not being on the field. Houston also has its first true fullback since Vonta Leach with the acquisition of Greg Jones, who has been the bane of AFC South linebackers for years. The last time the Texans had a right tackle that could actually block and a fullback who could actually open up holes on the ground, Arian Foster ran for over 1,600 yards. Could he reach that mark again? I would not bet against it. Andre Johnson is still as dangerous as ever and the drafting of DeAndre Hopkins will make opposing defenses think twice about stacking safeties in the box. Throw in Owen Daniels threatening the middle of the field and the aforementioned improved run blocking, and I would feel comfortable wagering that Arian Foster is primed for his best season ever. Honestly, despite the defensive reputations of both of these ball clubs. I would not be shocked at all if this game turned into an offensive bonanza. Houston simply has too many weapons and Seattle has way too good of a quarterback for this contest to be as low scoring as it looks on paper. I will save the long winded film breakdowns for the week of the game, but suffice to say that this is the kind of battle you hope to survive rather than outright win. It's going to be good, and it's going to be close.
Texans 34 - Seahawks 31
- Brett
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Best reader prediction: jstid911
Enough with the nice bulls***, and playing it safe around here...
Texans win BIG. Seafauxs are a bunch of no good tree lovers with namby pamby under developed balls when it comes to football. Scahub has 350+yds picking on Sherman ALL DAY. Andre Johnson sits him down and shows him the difference between a puppy and an alpha male. Sherman has no choice but to concede because that is the will of AJ80. Sherman will spend the next 3 years longing for the scent of AJ80’s jockstrap again. Watt will destroy Wilson in the backfield time and time again, making Wilson regret his move to the NFL from a long and prestigious career as a ____ plug. Foster runs wild, wilder than Van, the perpetual college student, and racks up a career high 262 while moon-walking into the end zone for the 3rd time in the first half. Prediction SEA -2 to Hou 74. Yeah Seattle will have negative points.
Do my job for me and post a well-written or funny prediction. The best one gets put up here.
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Week 1 Preview - Texans vs Chargers
Week 2 Preview - Titans vs Texans
Week 3 Preview - Texans vs Ravens