[chumdawg]

Originally posted by: mary

The line sucked.

Actually, I think this does sum it all up. I'm not sure it was so much that the playcalling was all that conservative. It was that our line was killing us on pass plays. And in other ways as well.

Here's how the drives went:

First Half

Start from our own 7, get a couple first downs. Fumble the snap (it looked like Johnson lost the ball going up). That puts us in second-and-ten. Two imcompletions later, we punt.

Start from our own 26. Pass for 34 yards on first down. Couple first downs later, we have first down on their 17. Then the failed halfback pass on first down, which goes for a sack and loss of three yards. Luckily we overcome that with a run for a first down. Two plays later, pass to Keyshawn for a TD.

Start from our own 14. Three first downs later, we have first-and-ten at Seattle's 48. Run for one yard on first down. Pettiti gives up a sack on second down, leaving third-and-16 from our 46. Run for ten yards, then punt to their 13. (I wonder if we might have taken a shot here with a long pass on third down. McBriar can hit it inside the 20 without the help of those ten rushing yards.)

Start from our own 39. Rush twice for a first down. Pass incomplete on first down. Run for two on second down. Incomplete on third down. Punt.

Start from our own 32. Run for five on first down, three on second down. On third down throw for 19 yards. Holding penalty brings it back, though. Incomplete on third-and-11. Punt.

Start from our own 31. Get a first down, to our 46. Then Bledsoe throws deep to Glenn into double coverage. Intercepted.

Start from our 30 with :27 left. Take a knee.

Second Half

Start at our own 34. Overcome a false start to get a first down at our own 47. Rush for no gain, pass for five. On third-and-five Pettiti gives up another sack. Punt.

Start at our own 32. Rush for five on first down, three on second down. On third-and-two, give up a sack. Punt.

Start at our own 18. Three plays later it's first down on our own 48. Rush for three, then for no gain, then incomplete on third down. Punt.

Start at Seattle's 9. Rush for one, then two. Then on third down, give up a sack. Miss FG.

Start at our own 36. Rush for seven, then for no gain. On third-and-three, rush for one yard. (Note: our last four third downs before this one have gone sack, sack, incomplete, sack.) Punt.

Start at our own 41. Pass for 16 on first down. Rush for two yards. Then Barber fumbles, losing five yards. On third-and-13 from the Seattle 46, rush for 8 yards. Punt to the 12. (Another useless down, as McBriar can hit it in there from anywhere.)

Start at Seattle's 12. Rush for four, then three. On third-and-three, Bledsoe is pressured and scrambles for two. FG.

Start at our own 41 with :33 remaining. Pass for six yards. On second-and-four from our 47, Pettiti is called for holding, leaving second-and-14 from our own 37, with :14 left. (If you took a knee in the first half, with :27 left from your own 30, maybe you think about taking a knee here?) Interception. Game over.

We actually did a fair amount of passing, and of running the ball very effectively, when we weren't beating ourselves with sacks, holding penalties, and fumbles.

When the first three possessions of the first half end by taking sacks when you were passing on third down, I don't think it's conservatism that is killing you. It's your offensive line. (Or your receivers not getting open in time, or your quarterback not getting it off when he should.) After that point, they did appear to rein it in, but hey--maybe protecting the lead and playing field position is actually your best chance to win at that point, given that you can't seem to drop back to pass without something bad happening.