The Big Trip vs The Big Fish

Is this a big game?  Well, isn't every game in the NFL big?  This may not be determined as a sexy game but for Seahawk fans we know a big trip more often than not equals a loss.  However, I feel the Pete Carroll Seahawks are different.  We have the defense that allows us to travel better than many of our teams of the past. So with this big trip to the big fish I feel more optimistic than in most years.

Okay, so the real Big Fish (Bill the greatest coach ever Parcels) is no longer involved with the lesser known Miami Dolphins but it made for a fun title so forgive me for stretching the truth on the title.  Rarely do I get the opportunity to post before a game.  Usually I am working hard to squeeze in an article following a game. The Bye week provides a little extra time to all of us.

Getting a post in before the game allows me to try my luck at predicting. For starters I feel like we get to see a Seahawk team that highlights Russell Wilson.  We all know that the Dolphin defense is very stout up front and maybe be considered one of the best run stuffing front 7s.  This may serve notice to our boys in blue whom I expect to get back on track and step up the run stuffing performances we saw in the first month of the season.  With this being said I think Marshawn Lynch will see a few less carries this week.  This is certainly not a bad thing.  I'd like to see an increased use of Robert Turbin and preserve our MVP for...yes, I'm going to say it, a possible playoff run! Besides, I want Turbin to get as much experience as possible so he and Lynch can break down game film together.  While Lynch has great hands out of the backfield it appears that we lean on Turbin for short and mid range passes. As long as Turbin doesn't have the case of short arming like he did just once in the 49er game I don't expect much of a drop off.

What will Russell Wilson be like in Miami?  I expect really good.  I am also speculating that some of his family may appear in person with his roots being near Miami.  In my humble opinion Wilson has been ready and able to unleash his first 300 yard game of the season for the past month.  I have full confidence if the game plan calls for it he will deliver.  As long as our offensive line can hold up against the likes of Cameron Wake I feel that Wilson will be throwing darts to our nicely jelling wr core.  I'm actually scared to go here but am I the only fan thoroughly impressed by Golden Tate's recent display of focus, determination and athletic ability?  Okay, so he has never really lacked the later of those two listed but his focus when catching the ball is remarkably improved.  I'm nearly convinced Tate reads my blog because I have had to stop grilling him his has improved so much.  With Tate, Rice and Baldwin running crisp routes, catching deep bombs and ultimately flustering the Miami defensive secondary Wilson will have his best statistical game of the year.

While I see myself more of a animal and mammal lover I am not afraid to leverage the most obvious defensive pun available to me when playing Miami.  While I suppose the Seahawks could swoop down and pluck the Dolphins from the murky waters surrounding Sun Life Stadium and leave them like a fish out of water; I am more closely envisioning something like our local Makah tribe taking their  harpooning talents to South Beach to try their luck with the helpless Dolphins.  Every week I see Bruce Irvin with his face paint and I think to myself that he either lost another battle with the paint container or he is ready for war. This week, I suspect he is ready for war!  I also have my popcorn ready to see Brandon Mebane do his best impression of a barnacle.  I foresee him attaching that big beautiful belly on rookie QB Ryan Tannehill for so much of the day that it will take a drunk sailor with a ho to scrape Mebane off

Tannehill at the end of the game.  I see Bobby Wagner involved in the most
viscous harpoon hit this Sunday.  There are plays where it appears he has been shot directly out of a cannon and because of this I predict 2 sacks coming from Mr Wagner. Another harpoon simulating player I have high expectations for this weekend is the great Earl Thomas.  It is difficult to choose my key player in the secondary because there are so many options but while this is a tough call I'm sticking with Earl.  Don't get me wrong I think our corners are both going to be feasting on floundering passes from Tannehill all game long but it's Thomas I see being the ball hawking shark we know he can be. Dare I put on record that he will walk away with an interception?  No, I'm going to steal a Dumb and Dumber quote here and say "I  Double Dare" with a bold

statement outlining 2 interceptions and one going the distance for a TD!  With this Perfect Storm of a day, I leave my predicting to play out on Sunday.  Seahawks 24 Dolphins 6