December 23, 2025 • 11 mins
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Brian Demhouser covers the Seahawks for his side. Hawk Blogg
already joins us on Sports Rady on ninety two to
seven wfn Z. Brian, what's going on? Thank you so much,
Happy holidays.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
It's a lot of stuff going on, playoff football in
store for maybe both teams. So great to be with
you and then thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
They've won last five have the Seahawks, and nine of
the last ten, a lot of the times also having
to do it via type rope, so to speak. What
has been your assessment of the twenty twenty five Seahawks
at this point, Brian, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
It's kind of interesting to hear that in the sense
that it's been anything butte tightrope for most of this season.
This is a team number one in the NFL and
point differential. They've had, you know, four thirty point halfs
in the season and really left a lot of teams
kind of in their dust. But you know, when things
(00:50):
when they've lost, it's been very close games. You know,
whether it was the first game of the season against
the forty nine ers las last second play against the
where they threw four interceptions and still had a field
goal kick to potentially win it or against the Bucks,
who back then were playing a much different brand of
football than they've been playing lately, and even that came
(01:12):
down to the very last minute. So this is a
team that's kind of complete in all phases, and the
only thing that's really kind of held them back from
being dominant in all phases has been their running game
on offense, and as of since Week ten, they're pretty
close to a top ten rushing offense, so they are
starting to address that as well. Unfortunately for them, the
(01:34):
past game has slid a little bit at the same time.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
And that's kind of where I lead to when it
comes to Sam Donald. He's obviously somebody who we know
very very well, and I think at the end of
the day, I think he got a raw deal at
the end of his tenure here because I felt like
he was playing very very good football when the Panthers
decided to kind of make that change and go to
Bryce Young but obviously found a career renaissance in Minnesota
and then obviously now here in Seattle. What have you
(01:58):
at least seen in life from Sam?
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Yeah, I mean add me to the list of people
that was at least a little bit skeptical of how
this was going to go in Seattle and even, uh,
you know, maybe I'll lose all credibility here, but I
thought it was maybe going to be a downgrade from
Geno Smith and John Schneider. The GM is looking like
a genius after Sam Donald gets named to the Pro Bowl,
(02:22):
after Geno Smith has traded away, and lookt the beginning
of the season, Sam Donald was the best quarterback in football.
I mean pretty much by any metric, he was, and
then he ran into that Rams game and threw the
four picks and it was like all the nightmares kind
of flooded back. But to his credit, you know, he's
(02:42):
he's picked himself up off the mat and instead of
just letting it spiral into you know, a lost season,
he's come back. And this last game against the Rams
was a perfect kind of microcosm of that storyline where
it looked like he was going to be the butt
of a lot of jokes and sad. You know, he
sent the Rams packing and put the Seahawks in position
(03:03):
to maybe be the number one seed of the NFC.
Speaker 1 (03:05):
I think there's a lot of people who look at
the NFC as being a conference that comes in knowing
that there are some teams, but I think there's also
just a lot of I would say parody when you
think about the way that there are some teams that
have played very well, but it seems like any team
that ends uprising of that top ends up getting you know,
a bit by somebody. Think about the Panthers beating two
(03:27):
teams like the Packers and the Rams in earlier parts
of the season when they both were first in the conference.
What do you feel like Seattle possesses that makes you
feel like they can not only be at the top
of this conference but also stay there.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Yeah, it's a great point about you know, Carolina figuring
to play a large role in how this all plays out,
regardless of what goes on the right next two weeks
with that win over the Rams. But the Seahawks, I mean,
I think they're built from the front to back on
the defense, that defensive line, first when they acquired Leonard
Williams and then when they drafted Bayer Murphy last year,
(04:05):
and you know, they added DeMarcus Lawrence to that list.
They brought back Jaron Reid, and that is as physical
and uh, you know, really selfless of a group is
you're gonna find on the defensive line, those guys don't
chase stats. They are willing to sell out to stop
(04:26):
the run. And you know, whoever gets the numbers, they're
they're happy to support that guy. And that's pretty rare.
You got a guy like boy Mafe, who's an edge
player in his you know, contract year, and he could
easily just be saying, you know, forget that, I'm going
to go get my SAX so i can get paid.
But he and others have just bought into this philosophy
(04:47):
that's allowed them to be the best run defense in football,
and then that's allowed them to be one of the
best pass rushing teams of football, with Mike McDonald, you know,
as kind of the mad scientist in the lab coming
up with new ways to to make quarterbacks lives miserable.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
Six Seattle Seahawks get to the Pro Bowl. Brian Darnold,
Jackson Smith and Jingba Witherspoon, Lawrence Williams, Shaheed. These are
all household names, a lot of them. Any surprises that
either didn't make it from your your standpoint, or maybe
somebody who got in who maybe you were surprised by.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Yeah, I thought that bier Murphy was a pretty wild
miss there. I think bier Murphy has been, if not
the best defensive tackle in football this year. He's certainly
in the top couple. And this could be a situation
where a guy doesn't make the Pro Bowl but does
make the All Pro team. You know, he is certainly,
by pretty much any measure, been better than Jalen Carter
(05:41):
this year. And you know, he's still a young player,
still growing and you know, still building that reputation. But
I think that was the biggest snub from a Seahawks standpoint.
Jason Myers, the kicker, is another guy that folks at
point two, has had a really good year and might
actually break the NFL record for most field goals in
the season. So those would be a couple. But you know,
(06:01):
Ernest Jones has been a guy that came over from
the Rams and played really well.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
I thought of too.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
You could only have so many guys, and the Seahawks
right now their goal is to not have any of
those guys playing. If things go the way they they're hoping,
they go in.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
The playoffs, definitely, So I it's a good shot on
Jones because that was one I thought that I was.
I was surprised to not see up there. Brian Emhauser
Hawk Blogger dot Com joining us here on sports Ready
on ninety two seven WFNZ Panthers and Seahawks. Obviously, seating
is up for grabs this weekend, and I kind of
the rest of the way, is there anybody who you
(06:36):
feel like maybe that Seattle would be holding back on
this week knowing that not necessarily that the hay is
one hundred percent in the barn, but that it is
at least mostly on the way there.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
I wouldn't stay holding back. Say more about what you're meaning.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
In terms of just is is there anybody like if
the injury wise they might try to stay away from? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (06:56):
No, I don't expect that to be the case. I mean,
we'll get injury report. I just came back from the
Seahawks practice facility and they're just doing their first practice
of the week, so we'll get that later today. You know,
Kobe Bryant's the safety who hurt his knee in the
game against the Rams. Mike McDonald had said that might
be one that misses some time. And if that's the case,
(07:17):
then you could see Tyo kotta come back and be
the starting safety alongside Julian Love. Tyokotta had played a
lot of reps when Julian Love was out so and
he played pretty well and the team really didn't miss
that much of a step with him, So I don't
think that would be a big change. Otherwise, No, I
think the Seahawks are looking at this as they control
their own destiny. They need every single game the rest
(07:40):
of the way, and that's been the case for a
while in order to get that bye week to start
the playoffs. And in this gaming is Carolina is absolutely
nothing to overlook. The way that Bryce Young has been
playing and the way that offensive line plays in the
run game. That's a team that you know absolutely is
going to bring everything they can, especially.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
Talking of course with Brian deb Hauser, you know you
mentioned that the past game maybe has slipped in the
last couple of weeks. I guess not to sit here
and sound like I'm leaving the witness, but where do
you see the Seahawks team being vulnerable? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (08:14):
I mean I think where. The really interesting thing about
the Seahawks is they do some things that you know
you just don't want to do if you're going to
be a great team, and that's turn the ball over.
The Seahawks have a negative turnover differential and they have
the number one point differential in the positive, So that
is a rare feat. There have been some Super Bowl
(08:35):
teams as recently as you know, twenty fifteen. I think
Broncos were a team that won the Super Bowl with
a situation like that, but it's not where you want
to be, and the Seahawks continue to turn the ball over,
and so that's a vulnerability in the Panthers, I think
have been pretty good in terms of taking the ball away.
You know, I think they rank what was it, thirteenth
in the NFL in takeaways and seventh in interception rate.
(09:00):
And I'm sure Mike Jackson, the former Seahawks player, would
would love to return the favor to his former team.
So I think that would be the biggest thing, and
the other would be I mean, look, the Panthers bread
and butter as far as I'm concerned, is running the
football and those running backs in that offensive line. If
they're able to establish some sort of ground game against
(09:21):
Seattle and take advantage of a mobile quarterback and Bryce Young,
those are things that could give make this game a
lot tougher for the Seahawks, So those are to be
the keys in my mind.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
I'm glad you mentioned Mike Jackson, Brian, just because I
wanted to ask you about him. I would say he's
had a very up and down year in the fact
that now you look at him last couple of weeks,
it's been very much up. Despite the one touchdown he
give up to Mike Evans, I think he had a
very admirable day and he had the pick six also
earlier in the season, which is I think become a big,
(09:51):
big part of what he can bring to the table
in terms of not only playing on the opposite side
of J. C. Horn, but what is your sense of
what he can bring to the table, because from the
standpoint of where the Panthers sit, that's a deal they
felt like might come out and look like a steal
at the end of the day.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
Yeah, I mean, just on a personal level, I'm pretty
happy for Mike Jackson. You know, I remember when he
first kind of came on and late in the season
for the Seahawks, and he kind of showed up right
away as a guy that was physical and could make
plays on the ball and really fought his way onto
the field for reps. And you know, when the Seahawks
traded him last year, there just there was really no
(10:29):
place for him on in the backfield given how much
talent they've got here in Seattle. And I think it
was best for Mike Jackson to get moved to Carolina
and get to get real playing time. And yeah, I
think he's a player that super physical, super you know, competitive,
and you know, a guy that can be a good
(10:50):
run defender as well as really physical against the pass
in the air or making a play on the ball
in the air. But he also could be got some time.
He's someone who you know, whether I don't think it's
necessarily gonna be a Mike Evans kind of situation. But
when you got a guy like JSN who can just
wrout people up, when you've got a guy like Rashid
Shaheed who can leave people kind of in his dust,
(11:13):
I think those are tougher matchups for a corner like
Mike Jackson. And you know, I expect he'll be up
for the challenge. But I think the Seahawks probably feel
pretty good about their matchups regardless of who's the opposite
of those two players.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
Find him on Twitter at hawk Blogger. You can also
look at his side as well hawk blogger dot com.
I know that we'll be doing a the other portion
of the home at home as I join you guys
tomorrow morning, but appreciate the time as always, Happy holidays
to you and thank you so much for the time.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
Thank you man, I appreciate it.
Brian Demhouser covers the Seahawks for his side. Hawk Blogg
already joins us on Sports Rady on ninety two to
seven wfn Z. Brian, what's going on? Thank you so much,
Happy holidays.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
It's a lot of stuff going on, playoff football in
store for maybe both teams. So great to be with
you and then thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
They've won last five have the Seahawks, and nine of
the last ten, a lot of the times also having
to do it via type rope, so to speak. What
has been your assessment of the twenty twenty five Seahawks
at this point, Brian, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
It's kind of interesting to hear that in the sense
that it's been anything butte tightrope for most of this season.
This is a team number one in the NFL and
point differential. They've had, you know, four thirty point halfs
in the season and really left a lot of teams
kind of in their dust. But you know, when things
(00:50):
when they've lost, it's been very close games. You know,
whether it was the first game of the season against
the forty nine ers las last second play against the
where they threw four interceptions and still had a field
goal kick to potentially win it or against the Bucks,
who back then were playing a much different brand of
football than they've been playing lately, and even that came
(01:12):
down to the very last minute. So this is a
team that's kind of complete in all phases, and the
only thing that's really kind of held them back from
being dominant in all phases has been their running game
on offense, and as of since Week ten, they're pretty
close to a top ten rushing offense, so they are
starting to address that as well. Unfortunately for them, the
(01:34):
past game has slid a little bit at the same time.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
And that's kind of where I lead to when it
comes to Sam Donald. He's obviously somebody who we know
very very well, and I think at the end of
the day, I think he got a raw deal at
the end of his tenure here because I felt like
he was playing very very good football when the Panthers
decided to kind of make that change and go to
Bryce Young but obviously found a career renaissance in Minnesota
and then obviously now here in Seattle. What have you
(01:58):
at least seen in life from Sam?
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Yeah, I mean add me to the list of people
that was at least a little bit skeptical of how
this was going to go in Seattle and even, uh,
you know, maybe I'll lose all credibility here, but I
thought it was maybe going to be a downgrade from
Geno Smith and John Schneider. The GM is looking like
a genius after Sam Donald gets named to the Pro Bowl,
(02:22):
after Geno Smith has traded away, and lookt the beginning
of the season, Sam Donald was the best quarterback in football.
I mean pretty much by any metric, he was, and
then he ran into that Rams game and threw the
four picks and it was like all the nightmares kind
of flooded back. But to his credit, you know, he's
(02:42):
he's picked himself up off the mat and instead of
just letting it spiral into you know, a lost season,
he's come back. And this last game against the Rams
was a perfect kind of microcosm of that storyline where
it looked like he was going to be the butt
of a lot of jokes and sad. You know, he
sent the Rams packing and put the Seahawks in position
(03:03):
to maybe be the number one seed of the NFC.
Speaker 1 (03:05):
I think there's a lot of people who look at
the NFC as being a conference that comes in knowing
that there are some teams, but I think there's also
just a lot of I would say parody when you
think about the way that there are some teams that
have played very well, but it seems like any team
that ends uprising of that top ends up getting you know,
a bit by somebody. Think about the Panthers beating two
(03:27):
teams like the Packers and the Rams in earlier parts
of the season when they both were first in the conference.
What do you feel like Seattle possesses that makes you
feel like they can not only be at the top
of this conference but also stay there.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Yeah, it's a great point about you know, Carolina figuring
to play a large role in how this all plays out,
regardless of what goes on the right next two weeks
with that win over the Rams. But the Seahawks, I mean,
I think they're built from the front to back on
the defense, that defensive line, first when they acquired Leonard
Williams and then when they drafted Bayer Murphy last year,
(04:05):
and you know, they added DeMarcus Lawrence to that list.
They brought back Jaron Reid, and that is as physical
and uh, you know, really selfless of a group is
you're gonna find on the defensive line, those guys don't
chase stats. They are willing to sell out to stop
(04:26):
the run. And you know, whoever gets the numbers, they're
they're happy to support that guy. And that's pretty rare.
You got a guy like boy Mafe, who's an edge
player in his you know, contract year, and he could
easily just be saying, you know, forget that, I'm going
to go get my SAX so i can get paid.
But he and others have just bought into this philosophy
(04:47):
that's allowed them to be the best run defense in football,
and then that's allowed them to be one of the
best pass rushing teams of football, with Mike McDonald, you know,
as kind of the mad scientist in the lab coming
up with new ways to to make quarterbacks lives miserable.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
Six Seattle Seahawks get to the Pro Bowl. Brian Darnold,
Jackson Smith and Jingba Witherspoon, Lawrence Williams, Shaheed. These are
all household names, a lot of them. Any surprises that
either didn't make it from your your standpoint, or maybe
somebody who got in who maybe you were surprised by.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Yeah, I thought that bier Murphy was a pretty wild
miss there. I think bier Murphy has been, if not
the best defensive tackle in football this year. He's certainly
in the top couple. And this could be a situation
where a guy doesn't make the Pro Bowl but does
make the All Pro team. You know, he is certainly,
by pretty much any measure, been better than Jalen Carter
(05:41):
this year. And you know, he's still a young player,
still growing and you know, still building that reputation. But
I think that was the biggest snub from a Seahawks standpoint.
Jason Myers, the kicker, is another guy that folks at
point two, has had a really good year and might
actually break the NFL record for most field goals in
the season. So those would be a couple. But you know,
(06:01):
Ernest Jones has been a guy that came over from
the Rams and played really well.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
I thought of too.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
You could only have so many guys, and the Seahawks
right now their goal is to not have any of
those guys playing. If things go the way they they're hoping,
they go in.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
The playoffs, definitely, So I it's a good shot on
Jones because that was one I thought that I was.
I was surprised to not see up there. Brian Emhauser
Hawk Blogger dot Com joining us here on sports Ready
on ninety two seven WFNZ Panthers and Seahawks. Obviously, seating
is up for grabs this weekend, and I kind of
the rest of the way, is there anybody who you
(06:36):
feel like maybe that Seattle would be holding back on
this week knowing that not necessarily that the hay is
one hundred percent in the barn, but that it is
at least mostly on the way there.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
I wouldn't stay holding back. Say more about what you're meaning.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
In terms of just is is there anybody like if
the injury wise they might try to stay away from? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (06:56):
No, I don't expect that to be the case. I mean,
we'll get injury report. I just came back from the
Seahawks practice facility and they're just doing their first practice
of the week, so we'll get that later today. You know,
Kobe Bryant's the safety who hurt his knee in the
game against the Rams. Mike McDonald had said that might
be one that misses some time. And if that's the case,
(07:17):
then you could see Tyo kotta come back and be
the starting safety alongside Julian Love. Tyokotta had played a
lot of reps when Julian Love was out so and
he played pretty well and the team really didn't miss
that much of a step with him, So I don't
think that would be a big change. Otherwise, No, I
think the Seahawks are looking at this as they control
their own destiny. They need every single game the rest
(07:40):
of the way, and that's been the case for a
while in order to get that bye week to start
the playoffs. And in this gaming is Carolina is absolutely
nothing to overlook. The way that Bryce Young has been
playing and the way that offensive line plays in the
run game. That's a team that you know absolutely is
going to bring everything they can, especially.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
Talking of course with Brian deb Hauser, you know you
mentioned that the past game maybe has slipped in the
last couple of weeks. I guess not to sit here
and sound like I'm leaving the witness, but where do
you see the Seahawks team being vulnerable? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (08:14):
I mean I think where. The really interesting thing about
the Seahawks is they do some things that you know
you just don't want to do if you're going to
be a great team, and that's turn the ball over.
The Seahawks have a negative turnover differential and they have
the number one point differential in the positive, So that
is a rare feat. There have been some Super Bowl
(08:35):
teams as recently as you know, twenty fifteen. I think
Broncos were a team that won the Super Bowl with
a situation like that, but it's not where you want
to be, and the Seahawks continue to turn the ball over,
and so that's a vulnerability in the Panthers, I think
have been pretty good in terms of taking the ball away.
You know, I think they rank what was it, thirteenth
in the NFL in takeaways and seventh in interception rate.
(09:00):
And I'm sure Mike Jackson, the former Seahawks player, would
would love to return the favor to his former team.
So I think that would be the biggest thing, and
the other would be I mean, look, the Panthers bread
and butter as far as I'm concerned, is running the
football and those running backs in that offensive line. If
they're able to establish some sort of ground game against
(09:21):
Seattle and take advantage of a mobile quarterback and Bryce Young,
those are things that could give make this game a
lot tougher for the Seahawks, So those are to be
the keys in my mind.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
I'm glad you mentioned Mike Jackson, Brian, just because I
wanted to ask you about him. I would say he's
had a very up and down year in the fact
that now you look at him last couple of weeks,
it's been very much up. Despite the one touchdown he
give up to Mike Evans, I think he had a
very admirable day and he had the pick six also
earlier in the season, which is I think become a big,
(09:51):
big part of what he can bring to the table
in terms of not only playing on the opposite side
of J. C. Horn, but what is your sense of
what he can bring to the table, because from the
standpoint of where the Panthers sit, that's a deal they
felt like might come out and look like a steal
at the end of the day.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
Yeah, I mean, just on a personal level, I'm pretty
happy for Mike Jackson. You know, I remember when he
first kind of came on and late in the season
for the Seahawks, and he kind of showed up right
away as a guy that was physical and could make
plays on the ball and really fought his way onto
the field for reps. And you know, when the Seahawks
traded him last year, there just there was really no
(10:29):
place for him on in the backfield given how much
talent they've got here in Seattle. And I think it
was best for Mike Jackson to get moved to Carolina
and get to get real playing time. And yeah, I
think he's a player that super physical, super you know, competitive,
and you know, a guy that can be a good
(10:50):
run defender as well as really physical against the pass
in the air or making a play on the ball
in the air. But he also could be got some time.
He's someone who you know, whether I don't think it's
necessarily gonna be a Mike Evans kind of situation. But
when you got a guy like JSN who can just
wrout people up, when you've got a guy like Rashid
Shaheed who can leave people kind of in his dust,
(11:13):
I think those are tougher matchups for a corner like
Mike Jackson. And you know, I expect he'll be up
for the challenge. But I think the Seahawks probably feel
pretty good about their matchups regardless of who's the opposite
of those two players.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
Find him on Twitter at hawk Blogger. You can also
look at his side as well hawk blogger dot com.
I know that we'll be doing a the other portion
of the home at home as I join you guys
tomorrow morning, but appreciate the time as always, Happy holidays
to you and thank you so much for the time.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
Thank you man, I appreciate it.
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