A dispiriting opening Sunday to the NFL regular season. Yes, the hometown 'Hawks triumphed, but they did so in unconvincing fashion by relying on Earl Thomas to create a lucky fumble in the fourth quarter. The Panthers DeAngelo Williams was headed for a go-ahead touchdown when he coughed it up and Seattle recovered. The Seahawks then were able to maintain offensive control and run out the clock, something they have been good at since the ascension of Russell Wilson last season.
The vaunted Seattle defense looked okay. Not great, they improved in the second half; in the first half, DeAngelo Williams seemed to crack off five-yard runs at will and QB Cam Newton had plenty of time to set up and throw. But the Seahawks deserve praise for preventing the big play.
On offensive, some unpleasant traits surfaced in game #1. Russell Wilson in his sophomore NFL year does not look as focused as the rookie Russell Wilson; he looks a little cocky and slower to react to pressure, which today was heavy and consistent thanks to an excellent Panther defensive line. Lynch was shut down; he had very few holes through which to accelerate. But Doug Baldwin was dynamite as usual, and Russell Wilson got the job done when it mattered. The Seattle QB is reliable for keeping his team in the game to the end. This is what makes him special. He's a winner.
Now, I'm midway through a good battle taking place at sunny Candlestick. The 49ers and the Pack are duking it out. San Francisco is up 21-14 in the third quarter. Later on it will be Dallas and the New York Giants on NBC's Sunday Night Football.
Before the Packers-49ers game I took the compost and recycling downstairs. Outside it was a perfect sunny West Coast late summer afternoon. I felt lousy. Stiff, unhappy, stressed. This is what a morning in front of the TV watching professional football will do for you -- it will make you miserable.
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