THE FRONT ROW WITH MARK NELKE: Sunday, Sept. 11, 2016
Apparently there’s some nonsensical fretting from the area fan-sheep about alleged offensive line issues among the collection of adult football players on the squad some 300 miles to the West.
Yes, and Christie Brinkley probably sported a wart or a mole somewhere during her heyday.
C’mon.
If a shaky offensive line is the only worry facing the Seattle professional football team ... well, the rest of the NFL should be so lucky.
For most teams, a bad offensive line would be trouble for the quarterback — who would look like one of the Charlestown Chiefs being chased across the ice by wild-eyed Ogie Ogilthorpe sporting a high stick in Slap Shot.
In the case of the Seahawks, it just means a chance for their star quarterback to make another highlight reel play.
While most QBs would go down in a heap in that situation, a pass rush is just an opportunity for The Russell to peel away from the pressure, retreat about 20 yards, pump fake as a linebacker sails by, jitterbug right and left, causing defensive linemen to slam into each other, giving The Russell time to hit one of his wide-open pedestrian receivers some 35 yards down the field.
Opposing teams don’t seem to recover from this, and The Russell, so far, has to be able to avoid the Colt-McCoy-meets-James-Harrison moment that seldom ends well for the quarterback.
THROW IN the best defense in the league, three defensive backs that are or have been considered the best in the league at their position, and there’s no reason the Seahawks shouldn’t be back in the Super Bowl for the third time in four seasons.
Well, there are reasons, of course.
If it were that easy, if the most talented team won every year, the Patriots would have about 10 Super Bowl titles since the turn of the century.
But stuff happens. Injuries. Letdowns. Stars leave and/or get old.
Some years, there’s a Flavor of the Month, like the Carolina Panthers last year.
Aside from that, who’s left to challenge the Seahawks?
The Patriots, under its current management, will always be a threat.
The Packers? As long as Aaron Rodgers is upright ...
The Steelers? Anybody left besides Big Ben and Antonio Brown?
The Cardinals? As long as Carson Palmer is upright ...
The Cowboys? The Seahawks damaged one of their main NFC threats by taking out Tony Romo for half the season.
The aforementioned Panthers? If they can put last year’s less-than-Super effort behind them.
The 49ers? Wait? ... What?
ON PAPER, the collection of adult football players in Santa Clara doesn’t look too much different than last year’s group that finished 5-11.
The only wild card is how much different the 49ers will be under the new coaching staff.
Even at that, they are a few good drafts away from contending again.
Whether their backup quarterback/social activist is part of a potential rebuilding program, that remains to be seen.
Funny how the Afroed One is mostly jeered for taking a stance, but now that the beloved Seahawks are thinking of also taking a stance ...
Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter@CdAPressSports.