Updated Sep 12, 2009 - 11:47 am

Huard: Hawk vs. Rams Preview

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By Brock Huard

Hawks Offense:

1. Beat the Blitz: The Seahawks offense must hit pressure square in the mouth. I expect the Rams to blitz, and when they do, Hasselbeck and company must make them pay. It can't be even, there must be chunks of real estate eaten up in these opportunities.
   
2. Box Count: When the Rams defense decides to leave two safeties out of the box, Julius Jones and the guys upfront must capitalize. These can't be two or three yard piles, must be seven and eight yard creases.
   
3. No silly mistakes: The Hawks must avoid the false starts, the illegal formations, the costly turnovers that can be associated with early season games. Experience, talent, production, the match-ups all favor the Hawk offense, so avoid the mental errors and make good judgment and this one shouldn't be close.

Hawks Defense:

1. Get Home: The Hawks were very vanilla in the pre-season, and there will be blitzes and schemes to take advantage of the Rams West Coast offense. When the blitz is dialed up, the LB's must win and the shots on Bulger must be violent game-changers.
   
2. Discipline: This is really directed to Curry and Babineaux, the two youthful starters on defense. Both in the run game and in play-action pass situations, trust your technique and fundamentals and don't let that internal engine that will be revving something wild get in the way of the basics.
   
3. 3rd Down: I hear defensive coaches call it "stay on schedule." With the O-line and WR issues in St. Louis I expect the Hawks defense to "stay on schedule" or win the early downs and force the Rams into 3rd and 7+ situations. Winning those Nickel situations and getting off the field will be the difference between a 30-10 game or a 21-14 game.

Special Teams:

The Hawks may be one of the biggest Special Teams Units in the NFL with the likes of Nick Reed, Will Herring, Lance Laury and company and they must simply be even against the Rams this week and the other two phases can dictate the game.

Well, we'll learn a lot about this team in 24 hours and have plenty of feedback come 11 am Monday. See you then!

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• RJP wrote...

  Hasslehoff

  Just waiting to see what these bloggers excuses are for Hasselbeck throwing two ridiculous pics in the first quarter. You might say that I should just enjoy a win but imagine if this were a good team. Hass is a gambler that will never pay out.

  September 13, 2009 6:06 pm

  86872

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