The Hawks Nest: The Longest Yard

by SSreporters

3rd and 1, 4th and 1, 4th and inches, 3rd and inches, and Mike Holmgren acts like he has short term memory loss, not remembering what worked. Shaun Alexander on short yardage situations does not work anymore, Mo Morris is not a power back, so what are the options? Matt Hasselbeck could sneak it, Leonard Weaver is a big boy that won't go down, Matt could pass the WHOA PASS THE BALL!!!!! We've found a winner ladies and gentlemen, rely on the same guy who has time and time again saved this team, rely on great receivers like Bobby Engram and Deion Branch. How about a quick Branch slant? They did that in the Bears game and the Monday night 49ers game, pass the football, do a play action fake. But wait, Shaun Alexander was not playing!!! Now he is, and as Holmgren said "We've got the 2005 MVP back!". Ahh....but we don't have Steve Hutchinson or Robbie Tobeck do we? Because unlike Morris, who has speed to turn to the edges and cutback, can deal with a so-so offensive line. What exactly does this prove? Steve Hutchinson (who BTW, is kicking ass with the Vikings), and Robbie Tobeck (since retired), are much more valuable in this offense than Shaun Alexander ever was.

Now to the play calling in the Carolina game, that was the killer. On a 3rd and 1 in the opening possession of the 2nd half well into Carolina territory, the passing game is doing well enough in the underneath routes, the running game is pathetic, but Holmgren said we got the friggin MVP Shaun back, but he never said s&%t about the offensive line, the result is a 6 yard loss with Rob Sims and a 36 year old Chris Gray anchoring this play. That lead to a punt instead of a FG try with the wind. In the 1st half, on another 3rd and 1, a TOSS RUN WITH MORRIS??!!! That lost a bunch, punt time. Wait a minute, but on another 3rd and short, they did a quick out to Branch, and he got the first down? What the hell is the matter with them?

There is only one person, and one person only, that still believes that this offensive line is great, and that Shaun Alexander still has it, and that's the same guy that has continuously blown games with predictable plays. He makes this team loaded with potential, so mediocre at times, you have to wonder what would happen if Gil Haskell (offensive coordinator), had taken over the headset.

Cleveland, New Orleans, and Carolina, all losses that could've been avoided with simple play calling. No more from this guy, this is pathetic, at this point, I've given up. This is downright stupid what Holmgren is doing. If you touch a hot stove, you don't do it over and over again. Holmgren is doing the exact opposite. This is not a Super Bowl contender, not with this coach, players yes, not with this coach.