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Seahawks Playbook PodcastAuthor: Bill Alvstad
The Seahawks Playbook Podcast, features your host Bill Alvstad and co-host, Keith Myers. Where loyal Seattle Seahawks fans come to listen to thoughtful Seahawks football conversation and discussion! This popular weekly show, offering 3 shows a week, has entered it's 8th season, and has published over 720 consecutive weekly episodes and topics include: Team and player news. NFL Draft prospect breakdowns. Training camp reports & In-season game previews and recaps. We're here 2 or 3 times every week. No time off. You can depend on us to delivery all original content year-round! We also frequently have special guests on our show to offer unique perspectives and insights. So no matter what time of the year it is, we'll have a new show for you every week to provide you with up to date News, Analysis and Discussion. Hit that subscribe button and..... Go Hawks! Language: en Genres: Football, News, Sports, Sports News Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Seahawks Game 1 Preview Show - Patriots at Seahawks
Episode 774
Tuesday, 8 September, 2026
WHEN SEATTLE HAS THE BALL Player spotlights + offensive matchups | 9–21 minutes THE PASSING GAME Sam Darnold — quarterback: His second Seattle season begins with Fleury calling plays. Key decision: take the available completion when New England disguises pressure, then attack when protection holds. Watch whether his first read survives the post-snap safety rotation. Jaxon Smith-Njigba vs. Christian Gonzalez: The premium coverage matchup when their alignments intersect. Use motion, stacks and condensed splits to challenge clean press coverage. Ask whether moving JSN creates a better matchup or simply brings Gonzalez with him; do not assume a full-game shadow. Rashid Shaheed — the space creator: His August 25 comments highlighted a growing deep-ball connection with Darnold. A vertical route can open underneath space even without a target. Test Carlton Davis III when isolated, but locate safety Kevin Byard before taking the shot. Cooper Kupp and Tory Horton: Kupp is an option for the third-down discussion against slot corner Marcus Jones; use formation and route combinations to create separation. For Horton, watch whether limited opportunities produce a meaningful change of pace. Neither needs a huge target total to matter. THE RUN GAME AND PROTECTION Jadarian Price — primary-back expectation: Build the game plan around Price from day one. Watch his decisiveness, explosive gains, pass protection and red-zone usage. Holani and Wilson are supporting options in our preview; the unofficial depth-chart order should not drive the analysis. This is our projected role, not a confirmed carry allocation. Jalen Sundell, Grey Zabel and Anthony Bradford: The interior matchup with Christian Barmore and Milton Williams may determine the offense. Keep the pocket firm and pass off movement together. A clean edge does little good if Darnold cannot step up. Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas: With Landry unavailable, test whether Seattle’s tackles can handle the edge without constant tight-end help. Dre’Mont Jones, Elijah Ponder and Gabe Jacas remain assignments to respect. Successful solo blocks free receivers into routes. AJ Barner and Elijah Arroyo: Barner provides the established tight-end option; Arroyo had an encouraging camp. Two-tight-end sets can create a choice for linebackers Robert Spillane and Christian Elliss: fit the run or carry a route. Watch seams, crossers and red-zone releases. Keith’s chalk talk: “If Gonzalez limits JSN, who is your first answer—Shaheed, Kupp or a tight end?” Bill: name one early play you would call for Price. REPORTING: SEA personnel | Unofficial depth chart | Shaheed interview | Fleury | NE personnel WHEN NEW ENGLAND HAS THE BALL Player spotlights + defensive matchups | 21–33 minutes MAYE HAS MORE ANSWERS NOW Drake Maye — quarterback: Watch Josh McDaniels’ answers: quick throws, moving launch points and scrambles. Seattle should disguise coverage while maintaining rush-lane discipline. A hurry that opens an escape route can become a loss. J. Brown — primary coverage problem: Patriots camp reporting emphasized his outside work. Against Josh Jobe or another boundary corner, challenge the release and rally to slants and crossers. If Seattle gives safety help, who becomes exposed elsewhere? Witherspoon need not shadow Brown to affect him. Romeo Doubs — the cost of extra help: His chemistry with Maye improved through camp. If Brown pulls the coverage, Doubs becomes an important isolated matchup. Ask whether Seattle trusts its opposite corner enough to keep the preferred safety structure. DeMario Douglas / Kyle Williams: Douglas brings the slot matchup into focus for Devon Witherspoon; Williams supplied preseason vertical plays. Communication matters when motion or a bunch formation changes assignments. Avoid letting attention to Brown produce a free runner elsewhere. Hunter Henry — drive extender: An underneath outlet for Maye. Watch Nick Emmanwori, Ernest Jones IV and Julian Love passing off routes through the middle. In the red zone, make Henry earn separation instead of losing him while defenders react to the quarterback. SEATTLE’S ANSWER STARTS UP FRONT Leonard Williams / Byron Murphy II / Jarran Reed: Attack the pocket through center Jared Wilson and the guards. Our priority is squeezing Maye’s step-up space while controlling the run. Interior disruption can let Seattle pressure with four and preserve bodies in coverage. DeMarcus Lawrence / Derick Hall / Uchenna Nwosu: Rotate against Will Campbell and Morgan Moses; Dante Fowler Jr. adds another option. Campbell’s second-year development gets a real test. Mix power and movement, but keep an edge defender positioned to close Maye’s escape path. Rhamondre Stevenson / TreVeyon Henderson: Stevenson’s camp showed value as runner, receiver and protector. Henderson offers a change of pace if healthy. Ernest Jones must help finish first-contact tackles; the secondary must recognize screens before a short throw becomes an explosive gain. Julian Love / Ty Okada / Nick Emmanwori: With Bud Clark on IR, communication and depth warrant attention. Emmanwori’s actual role matters more than his unofficial depth-chart placement. Track who covers, fits the run and rotates deep. Host debate: “Do you spend your extra defender helping on Brown, containing Maye, or attacking protection?” Each host picks one and explains the tradeoff. REPORTING: NE camp scouting | SEA roster | NE roster breakdown | SEA depth chart THE WINNING CHECKLIST Special teams, five keys + host picks | 33–40 minutes SPECIAL TEAMS CAN SWING THE REMATCH Jason Myers and Michael Dickson: Myers made five field goals in the Super Bowl. Discuss Dickson’s field-position role and reliable points, while asking the offense to turn more scoring opportunities into touchdowns this time. Shaheed / Horton and the coverage units: New England is missing Schooler and placed punter Bryce Baringer on IR after the initial roster announcement. Confirm the replacement punter before airtime. Seattle’s return opportunity still begins with secure catches and legal blocks. FIVE KEYS TO A SEATTLE WIN Protect the middle of the pocket. Keep Barmore and Milton Williams from creating immediate disruption. Use quick answers against pressure; take deep shots when the blocking and safety alignment justify them. Make Maye play the full down from the pocket. Win with coordinated pressure, close escape lanes and tackle the checkdown. Do not let third-and-long turn into an easy scramble conversion. Make the secondary defend every eligible receiver. Move JSN, threaten vertically with Shaheed and use Kupp/Barner/Arroyo when coverage dictates. Avoid forcing the ball toward one preferred matchup. Finish drives and protect possessions. A useful show target: touchdowns on at least two of the first three red-zone trips and no giveaway on Seattle’s side of midfield. These are our benchmarks, not predictive statistics. Win the hidden yards. Make New England drive the long field. Avoid return penalties, coverage breakdowns and pre-snap mistakes that waste the home-field advantage. Force the Patriots to create their own scoring chances. PREDICTION ROUND One swing player each: Pick someone beyond the quarterbacks and JSN. Candidates: Price, Arroyo, Murphy, Okada, Douglas or Ponder. Explain the specific play or matchup that makes the choice matter. Seattle’s winning script: Steady protection, distributed targets and a defense that forces Maye to drive patiently. A balanced win need not resemble February’s six-sack performance. New England’s upset script: Brown/Doubs win isolated routes, Maye escapes drive-ending pressure, and interior disruption makes Seattle settle for field goals. What would force each host to revise the pick? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
