Who can blame them?The NFC championship game in the 2014 season was in their control until a fake punt by the Seahawks and some bad decisions by the Packers helped Seattle force overtime.Then Russell Wilson spoiled the Cheeseheads’ night with a 35-yard TD pass to Jermaine Kearse — brilliant throw Ethan Pocic Color Rush Jersey , even more brilliant catch — and Seattle headed to the Super Bowl. Many believe those Packers would have handled the New England Patriots for the league title. Hey, had Seahawks coaches not gone wacky at the end of that Super Bowl, Seattle would have beaten the Pats.Neither the Packers (4-4-1) nor Seahawks (4-5) looks like championship material. They might find a way to sneak into the playoffs, but a win Thursday night would be crucial in that chase.“I know they’re frustrated, too,” coach Pete Carroll says, noting his Seahawks have lost two in a row, both against the LA teams. “They’ve dropped a couple of games that they should’ve won and I’m sure their outlook … we’re kind of in a similar boat right here.“They’ve been a winning program for a really long time and we don’t think of them as anything other than that. I mean, it happens to be the Packers and the Seahawks, so it’s a big deal. We’ve had some great matchups in the past, so we’ve got to play good football.”Seattle, ranked 14th in the AP Pro32, is a 2½-point favorite over No. 13 Green Bay.SEAHAWKS, 26-23KNOCKOUT POOL: Green Bay did the job for us on Sunday, and now we go with ARIZONA. What? Look who the Cardinals are facing.No. 23 Denver (plus 7) at No. 5 Los Angeles ChargersChargers might be “the other team” in LA, but they’re very solid.BEST BET: CHARGERS, 30-19No. 7 Minnesota (plus 2 1-2) at No. 10 ChicagoIf Bears win this one, we’ll start believing.UPSET SPECIAL: VIKINGS, 22-20No. 4 Pittsburgh (minus 4 1-2) at No. 24 JacksonvilleDo Steelers remember playoff matchup with Jaguars? Is Pittsburgh the Steel City?STEELERS, 34-20No. 2 Kansas City (plus 2 1-2) at No. 3 Los Angeles RamsGame moved from Mexico back to LA. Expect lots of scoring.RAMS, 40-36No. 8 Carolina (minus 3 1-2) at No. 25 DetroitPanthers need turnaround coming off real stinker. They’ll get it.PANTHERS, 26-24No. 15 Dallas (plus 3) at No. 19 AtlantaFalcons need turnaround coming off real stinker. They’ll also get it.FALCONS, 26-19No. 16 Philadelphia (plus 9) at No. 1 New OrleansEagles need turnaround coming off real stinker. Sorry, not here.SAINTS, 37-27No. 12 Tennessee (plus 2 1-2) at No. 18 Indianapolis.Pro Picks is certain this looks like a crazy choice after what Titans did to Patriots. Still …COLTS, 21-20No. 9 Houston (minus 2 1-2) at No. 11 WashingtonTwo clubs that can begin thinking playoffs with victory here.TEXANS, 23-17No. 26 Tampa Bay (plus 1) at No. 28 New York GiantsAt least Giants don’t have to face that other Tampa team, USF.GIANTS, 26-24No. 32 Oakland (plus 4) at No. 31 ArizonaLiked how Cardinals played at KC. Raiders ain’t Chiefs, so …CARDINALS Shaquill Griffin Color Rush Jersey , 20-10No. 17 Cincinnati (OFF) at No. 20 BaltimoreFlacco, Jackson or RG3 as Ravens QB? Won’t matter against Bungles’ defense.RAVENS, 29-23 The Seattle Seahawks are halfway through their preseason schedule, and just under two weeks away from roster cut-down day. The picture is becoming clearer with every passing week, and the Seahawks’..." />Skip to main contentclockmenumore-arrownoyesField Gulls homepageHorizontal - WhiteField Gullsa Seattle Seahawks communityFollow Field Gulls online:Follow Field Gulls on TwitterFollow Field Gulls on FacebookLog in or sign upLog InSign UpSite searchSearchSearchField Gulls main menuFanpostsFanshotsSectionsSeahawksOddsAboutMastheadCommunity GuidelinesStubHubMoreAll 321 blogs on Horizontal - WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections VideosCoffee and CigarettesGame AnalysisThe Numbers GameCigar ThoughtsA 53-man roster projection halfway through preseasonNew,93commentsPDTShare this storyShare this on FacebookShare this on TwitterShareAll sharing optionsShareAll sharing options for:A 53-man roster projection halfway through preseasonTwitterFacebookRedditPocketFlipboardEmailPhoto by Otto Greule Jr/Getty ImagesThe Seattle Seahawks are halfway through their preseason schedule, and just under two weeks away from roster cut-down day. The picture is becoming clearer with every passing week, and the Seahawks’ upcoming “dress rehearsal,” against the Chargers will be the most informative game yet. With two preseason games down and the most telling one just ahead, it’s time for another 53-man roster projection: QB: Russell Wilson, Geno SmithLynch had a massive opportunity to grab hold of the backup job in Minnesota, with Smith out. He failed to do so, putting together a poor performance before suffering an injury as a result of an awful hit from Holton Hill. It remains Smith’s job to lose, though the second quarterback in the game next week—if Lynch is healthy—will tell us all we need to know about that position battle. Cut: Paxton Lynch, J.T. BarrettRB: Chris Carson, Rashaad Penny, Travis Homer, J.D. McKissicThis position group again remains unchanged. It’s hard to imagine Seattle giving Prosise yet another chance, particularly with McKissic and Homer on the roster. An argument could be made for the Seahawks to keep Nick Bellore—they kept Tre Madden in 2018 despite minimal appearances on offense. Bellore has played heavily on special teams in both games, so perhaps he sticks because of that. Cut: Bo Scarbrough, C.J. Prosise, Nick Bellore, Xavier TurnerWR: Tyler Lockett, D.K. Metcalf, David Moore, Jaron Brown, Gary Jennings, John Ursua The top five at wide receiver are locked in. Behind them, John Ursua has looked polished in preseason action. The argument (which I’ve previously made in this space) for keeping Keenan Reynolds over Ursua would be Ursua’s practice squad eligibility. However, if they liked Ursua enough to move back into the draft in order to avoid losing him in rookie free agency Delano Hill Color Rush Jersey , maybe they’ll also avoid the risk of losing him on waivers or off the practice squad during the season.Cut: Malik Turner, Amara Darboh, Jazz Ferguson, Terry Wright, Keenan ReynoldsTE: Will Dissly, Ed Dickson, Jacob Hollister, Nick VannettEd Dickson’s health status will likely force Seattle to keep four tight ends to begin the year, and release the fullback Bellore. If the Seahawks do go in a different direction at tight end, sticking with just three to begin the year, I’d imagine the vacated roster spot goes to Bellore. Cut: Jackson Harris, Wes SaxtonT: Duane Brown, Germain Ifedi, George Fant, Jamarco JonesA move may need to be made here—whether it’s keeping Nkansah or adding someone from the outside—if Fant isn’t healthy for Week 1. But for the time being, with Fant’s timeline still vague, the tackle group remains unchanged. Cut: Elijah NkansahiOL: Justin Britt, D.J. Fluker, Mike Iupati, Ethan Pocic, Phil HaynesRecently, I’ve begun to think Jordan Simmons could be a surprising cut—he just can’t stay healthy. That’s proved to be true again in training camp. Meanwhile, Ethan Pocic has impressed enough to make me think he could be a viable and versatile option inside, at least until or unless Seattle finds a more suitable backup to Britt elsewhere. Cut: Jordan Simmons, Joey Hunt, Jordan Roos, Marcus Martin, Demetrius KnoxDT: Poona Ford, Al Woods, Earl Mitchell Earl Thomas Color Rush Jersey , Bryan MoneEvery indication is that it will be Woods starting next to Ford when the season begins, as Jarran Reed serves his suspension. Behind the starting duo, the veteran Mitchell will give them a steadying presence in a rotational role. The massive, 366-pound UDFA Mone has looked nothing less than solid through two preseason games, and can give the Seahawks rotational snaps as a 1-tech. Cut: Demarcus Christmas, Jay-Tee Tiuli, Jamie MederEDGE: Rasheem Green, Ezekiel Ansah, Jacob Martin, L.J. Collier, Cassius Marsh, Quinton JeffersonGreen, Ansah, Martin and Collier’s spots are secure. Nazair Jones’ chances have been exhausted, failing to impress as a sophomore and now again in his third season, after having been moved to 5-tech. Green, Jefferson and Collier are all capable of reducing inside in pass rush packages, meaning it’s Marsh—who has picked up momentum in recent weeks, per camp reports—not Jones who grabs the last spot. Cut: Branden Jackson, Barkevious Mingo, Nazair JonesLB: Bobby Wagner, K.J. Wright, Mychal Kendricks, Shaquem Griffin, Cody Barton, Ben Burr-KirvenThough Barton, Burr-Kirven and Griffin are unproven in the NFL, this has the makings of Seattle’s deepest linebacker corps since 2013. Austin Calitro missing out is harsh, but the two rookies aren’t going anywhere, and Calitro hasn’t seen any time at Griffin’s spot on the strongside. Depending how long Griffin’s injury keeps him out for J.R. Sweezy Color Rush Jersey , the door may open a touch, but for now, Griffin is still safe. Cut: Austin Calitro, Justin Currie, Jawuan Johnson, Juwon YoungCB: Shaquill Griffin, Tre Flowers, Neiko Thorpe, Akeem KingThe nickel competition will likely come down to the wire, with King and Jamar Taylor both seeing similar snap counts against the Vikings. King still gets the edge due to his versatility, with his superior size enabling him to cover tight ends in addition to slot receivers. Kalan Reed is out of it, after rarely seeing the field in Minnesota. Cut: Jamar Taylor, Kalan Reed, Jeremy Boykins, Simeon ThomasS: Bradley McDougald, Marquise Blair, Ugo Amadi, Tedric Thompson, DeShawn SheadMcDougald, Blair, Amadi and even Thompson are all safe bets for the 53. Though his versatility and role proved valuable late last season, Lano Hill may have just been too late getting healthy to crack the position group. He wasn’t helped by the addition of Shead either, who has made a big play in both preseason games. Cut: Shalom Luani, Jalen Harvey, Lano HillSpecialists: Jason Myers, Michael Dickson, Tyler OttGreat.