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Cigar Thoughts, Game 5: The Seahawks might be bad

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Cigar Thoughts, Game 5: The Seahawks might be bad


***As most of you know, Cigar Thoughts is also a podcast. Check out this week’s episode:

The Seattle Seahawks came into this game fresh off their first loss of the Mika Macdonald era with one more layup before a brutal stretch in the schedule. A terrible New York Giants team traveled across the country like so many sacrificial lambs on Seattle’s march to 4-1 and a buzzworthy start to the 2024 season. I think a lot of us were just chalking this up as a win, and why not? The Giants stink and the Seahawks have looked mostly great. Add to it that the Giants were without basically the only two players to score for them this year in Malik Nabers and Devin Singletary and this should have been as easy a win as Seattle’s decisive victory over these same Giants last year, right. Right???

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Well, that’s the thing about football. I say it all the time in this column and on the podcast— the gap between the “good” teams and the “bad” teams is a lot smaller than we want to think, mostly because everyone in the NFL is really fucking good at football.

And when one team comes out disciplined and focused, and the other looks like they showed up after a four-day Vegas bender, then all bets are off. I’m not gonna mince words— the Giants kicked the Seahawks’ ass. Full stop. Seattle gave themselves a chance to win late but even if they had, it wouldn’t have felt great. And if that statement arouses any furor (aka “who cares how they win as long as they win?”) well, I have great news for you— it ended up not mattering.

If I didn’t know anything about either of these teams, and you told me one was 3-1 and the other was 1-3, I would’ve told you without hesitation that the Giants were the 3-1 squad. They were locked in and mistake-free, while the Seahawks played like a bunch of bums.

Seattle took a 7-0 lead when Rayshawn Jenkins returned a dubious goal-line fumble 102 yards for a touchdown on the ass end of a 16-play drive but that’s the only thing keeping this game from being a blowout. Seattle played their worst game of the season, making mistakes in every facet of the game and throwing the e-brake on a Seahawks bandwagon that was going 100mph on I-5.

The crazy thing is that, despite all the buffoonery, the Seahawks were in position to tie this game with a minute left with a very makable 48-yard field goal but that was blocked and returned for a touchdown to seal the deal. I honestly believe that Jason Myers would’ve made that kick and that Seattle would’ve escaped with an ill-gotten win in overtime but the way things went for the first 59 minutes, I can’t say Im surprised that the ‘Hawks were stymied by a complete meltdown in a key situation.

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A bad, inexcusable loss. Every team has them, and the good teams bounce right back. The fact that the bounce-back opportunity comes against a division rival and the best team in the NFC over the last four years in the 49ers on three day’s rest is… not ideal. Let’s get to it.

CIGAR THOUGHTS

~Perhaps the single most noticeable motif of the 2024 Seahawks team has been their discipline. They’ve been so solid from an assignment and game-management standpoint through the first month of the season, and it felt like a welcome departure from the previous regime. Well, all that got folded up and thrown down the laundry shoot today. This was a gross performance from a team that all of a sudden looks wildly unprepared to compete in any meaningful way.

Lots will be made about the DK Metcalf fumble in the second half and honestly, that’s fair. Metcalf now leads all receivers in fumbles lost since coming in the league and that aspect of his game is flat out unacceptable. But that fumble was a symptom, not the disease. The core issue was a team that looked woefully overmatched and terribly unprepared. I’m not gonna lie, this game presses pause on everything I’ve thought about Mike Macdonald’s precocious ability to get his team ready for a game.

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Last week there was the built-in excuse of missing half your starting defense against a good offense. This week? Whew. Sure, you’re missing Byron Murphy and Boye Mafe but the Giants were missing Malik Nabers and Devin Singletary and if you offered me that trade, I’d take it. This was just bad football top to bottom. The coverage was looser than a 51st St hooker, the tackling was sloppier than cafeteria Joes, and the O-line looked like a JV squad against the only remaining strength of the New York team.

The Seahawks lost at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball and the skill guys on offense and the secondary on defense were the worst versions of themselves— unable to make up the difference. Gross, bad football and if we’re gonna give the new coaches credit for the hot start, then the failures of the last two weeks fall firmly at their feet as well.

~Geno Smith had his worst game of the year. The volume numbers were suppressed by the defense’s inability to get off the field but if you watched the game, he looked sluggish and out of sorts. His final line was fine— completing 28 of 40 passes for 284 yards and a touchdown but he collapsed under pressure in a way that runs counter to his superfluous analytical profile when it comes to managing pressure.

He ate seven sacks, and sacks are drive-killers. It looked like he was slow in his processing and look, the O-line was awful— but the O-line has been awful his entire tenure in Seattle and tonight was as bad as I’ve ever seen him against pressure. And him sliding a yard short of the sticks early in the 4th quarter, instead of diving for the first down— that’s the first time I’ve ever gotten the ick from Geno.

~Ken Walker never had a chance to show what he can do. Make no mistake, I love that Seattle has been pass-first this year and that has mostly been borne out in their offensive success this year. But this was a game that demanded rushing dominance and that never materialized. Walker had an inexcusable five carries in this game, turning those intermittent opportunities into 19 yards but he made the most of the passing game by translating a team-high eight targets into a team-high seven catches for 57 yards. Kudos to the team for making sure their backfield stud remained a focal point but it was so clear the Giants were happy to defend the run with their four down lineman and the Seahawks never challenged that in a meaningful way.

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~It seems that each game there’s a different feature in the passing game and among receivers, it was Tyler Lockett’s day. And when your offensive line is getting whipped on every play, Lockett is the best guy on the team to act as a relief valve. Lockett led the way with four catches for 75 yards, displaying both sides of his coin with a few avoided tackles and a few fall-downs. It is what it is.

DK Metcalf does way more good than harm, but that’s only because he normally does so much good. The penalties and turnovers are a real thing and for the vast majority of his career, it’s just been the cost of doing business for a game-wrecker like Metcalf. Today though… man. He had four catches for 55 yards but he lost a fumble for the second straight game and a league-leading eighth time since he entered the league. He’s my favorite player in the world but this was a bad game from my boy; and I’m guessing he’d tell you the same thing.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba was a giant zero until the fourth quarter before feasting in catch-up mode. He caught four passes for 31 yards and the team’s only offensive touchdown, a slick lil slip route to make it 23-20 but it’s concerning that he wasn’t a factor until garbage time. Just a bad game from Ryan Grubb and I guess this is as good a time as any to talk about it.

Now listen, offensive coordinator is a tough gig— your successes are expected and your failures are vilified. randomly poll 1,000 NFL fans and the majority of them will give a negative review of their OC. Grubb has been excellent in his NFL debut season but today he seemed stagnant and unimaginative. And when your offense is only running half as many plays as your opponent, it makes it tough to do all of the things you want to. But I have a tough time squaring how effective their 4th quarter / hurry-up offense looked with how ineffective everything else did. Here’s hoping it’s a learning experience.

~The offensive line was well, offensive. They’ve been bad all year but today was especially poor. They were all sub-par, if I’m being generous, but if I’m not— then Laken Tomlinson is the worst starting OL I’ve ever seen in a long list of poor offensive lineman for the Seahawks. He got smoked on nearly every snap and inexplicably favored his outside shoulder on the potential game-tying field goal, allowing the kick-blocker to slip unfettered off the center’s shoulder and snuff out his team’s last chance at winning this game. The fact that he’s still a starting guard in Week 5 falls squarely at the feet of John Schneider. Do better— this ain’t working.

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~The Seahawks defense was (/Charles Barkley voice) turrrrrrible. Every single aspect of it was awful. Even Rayshawn Jenkins’ 102-yard opening TD was the beneficiary of a questionable review and cae on the ass-end of a 16-play drive that evoked PTSD of bad Seattle defenses over the last half-decade. Tre Brown got absolutely cooked today, getting powdered by every receiver lined up against him. He wasn’t the only one in the secondary that struggled today, but he was the most obvious. Darius Slayton and Wan’Dale Robinson dusted him with regularity and Daniel Jones hunted him accordingly. With Riq Woolen on and off the field with injuries, Brian Daboll did what good play-callers do and focused nearly every pass play on the weak link in the opposing defense. Brown has been great this year but today was the worst I’ve ever seen him.

I’d like to point out other defensive performances but be honest with me— who do you think I’m neglecting? The defense sucked for the second straight week and all of a sudden the mountain that Mike Macdonald has to climb looks steeper than it ever has. Yuck.

Incredibly, the Seahawks are still first place in the NFC West. Despite this afternoon’s circus, their 3-2 record is somehow still the best in the division, thanks to the Cardinals upset of the 49ers. Doesn’t mean I’m felling good though.

It’s funny, the vibes after last week’s loss feel immeasurably better than they do right now, and I think that would be the case even if Seattle won today. That’s because last week you felt like the tea gave their all and came up short against a good opponent on the road. Spending three and a half hours defecating into the bed you refuse to get out of, at home, ahead of a killer stretch of games just, well— it feels very bad.

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The Seahawks play their third game in eleven days on Thursday. I think the realistic hope coming into that stretch is that they’d go 1-2 over that stretch, but most of us assumed that 1 would come today. Now the gambit is exorcising the 49ers demon. Do that, and miraculously, you have a two-game lead over the team that poses the biggest threat to the peak-outcome goal of winning the NFC West in 2024. Lose and you’re in second place coming off a three-game losing streak and fighting a national assumption that your 3-0 start was a fluke.

It’s look-in-the-mirror time, and we’re about to find out if this Seahawks team is any different than the 9-8 teams of the last couple of years. Are we legit, or did we get out over our skis? We’ll find out in four days. In the meantime, onwards and upwards my friends.

And if you didn’t know, we also have our own cigars now, which you can order below:

~~ORDER YOUR OFFICIAL CIGAR THOUGHTS CIGARS HERE~~

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I’ve been obsessed with the new release of Cigar Thoughts RedZones but today I went back to the Cigar Thoughts Originals and man, I forgot just how smooth these are. A touch darker than the RedZones, so we’ve got you covered for whichever mood you’re in.

We’ve linked up with one of the premier cigar manufacturers in the world to offer a special 13-year-aged blend of Dominican tobacco leaf to Cigar Thoughts readers for less than half of MSRP. These cigars, banded and branded by their creator, sell for $35-$40 per stick but we’re able to offer them to you for just $149 for a bundle of 10. They come with a Mylar bag and Boveda humidification pack so they’ll stay fresh whether you have a humidor or not. Just use the link!

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We’re also on YouTube, where you can catch video clips from the podcast, entire video episodes, and the audio recordings of the articles. Go watch our latest episode where yours truly gives my honest perception of the team so far. This is maybe the best way to support Cigar Thoughts, so I appreciate the few seconds it takes to like and subscribe.

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This is the 6th year of our incredible partnership with Seattle Cigar Concierge. They have the plug on some of the most insane stogies on the market and they’re offering them to Cigar Thoughts readers for 20% off. These are extremely special sticks, and among the most enjoyable I’ve ever smoked. To get the hook-up, just email SeattleCigarConcierge@GMail.com. They are carrying over 70 cigar brands with many rare releases, including Davidoff, Opus X, and Padron. You can also hit them up on Twitter: @SeattleCigars. Just be sure to mention that you’re a Cigar Thoughts reader. Many of you have taken advantage of this incredible opportunity and for those who have always wondered what elite cigars are like, this may the best chance you’ll get to step into that world.

We’re also thrilled to partner with The Balvenie, one of my favorite distilleries. Popped open their Doublewood today, which has earthier tones than some of their lighter fair. Very complex, and strong enough to hold up against the Cigar Thoughts RedZone series I was smoking..

The 2024 season of Cigar Thoughts is also proud to be sponsored by Fairhaven Floors in Bellingham, WA.

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Seattle, WA

Former Seattle Mariners Slugger Teoscar Hernandez Drawing Interest From AL East Clubs

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Former Seattle Mariners Slugger Teoscar Hernandez Drawing Interest From AL East Clubs


A former Seattle Mariners outfielder could be in for a big pay day in free agency.

Former Mariners and recent Los Angeles Dodgers (and 2024 World Series champion) slugger Teoscar Hernandez is in a much better situation in this offseason than last.

After the 2023 season, Hernandez’s only year with the Mariners, the team didn’t give him a qualifying offer, leading him to sign a one-year, $23.5 million deal with the Dodgers in free agency.

Hernandez, who ended up winning the 2024 All-Star Game Home Run Derby, parlayed that deal into a successful season. He batted .272 with 33 home runs and 99 RBIs in 2024. Los Angeles rewarded Hernandez by tendering him a one-year, $21.05 million qualifying offer.

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That move gave the former Seattle outfielder security to fall back on as he tries to find a longer deal in free agency. And according to a recent report from MLB Network’s Jon Morosi, Hernandez could find that home with a contender from the American League East.

According to Morosi, the Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox have both expressed interest in Hernandez, who played in the AL East for the better part of six years as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays from 2017-2022.

As reported in Morosi’s tweet on “X” (formerly known as Twitter), both the Red Sox and Orioles have a similar need for right-handed power.

Hernandez would also likely be used commonly as a designated hitter for both teams. Baltimore’s go-to designated hitter/outfielder from 2024 Anthony Santander is a free agent and Boston’s designated hitter/outfielder Masataka Yoshida is left-handed.

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Hernandez played one year with the Mariners in 2023 and hit .258 with 26 home runs and 93 RBIs.

Hernandez is viewed in many circles as the second-best outfielder available in free agency behind superstar Juan Soto. And that might end up getting Hernandez a contract much bigger than the qualifying offer Los Angeles offered him.

Hernandez has a market value of three years, $71.265 million ($23.8 million AAV), according to Spotrac.

MARINERS FREE AGENT TARGET PRAISED FOR DEFENSIVE ABILITY: A potential free agent target for the Seattle Mariners, Hye-seong Kim, has drawn praise in his home country for his defensive ability. CLICK HERE

MARINERS LINKED TO TOP INTERNATIONAL FREE AGENT: The Seattle Mariners are expected to be busy players when the international signing period starts in January. CLICK HERE

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MARINERS RIVALS CONTINUE TO MAKE MOVES: The Seattle Mariners American League West rivals, the Los Angeles Angels, made another move by signing starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks. CLICK HERE

Continue to follow our Inside the Mariners coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following Teren Kowatsch and Brady Farkas on “X” @Teren_Kowatsch and @wdevradiobrady. You can subscribe to the “Refuse to Lose” podcast by clicking HERE.





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Seahawks Midseason Report Card: How Has Geno Smith Performed?

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Seahawks Midseason Report Card: How Has Geno Smith Performed?


In the midst of their bye week, the Seattle Seahawks find themselves searching for answers in all phases after dropping five of their past six games to plunge into last place in the NFC West.

With nine games down and eight left to play, veteran quarterback Geno Smith has been under fire from some fans amid Seattle’s less-than-desirable start. But is that criticism fair?

Revisiting the first half of the season, how has Smith played in offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb’s offense so far? Midseason report card:

Areas of Strength: Continuing to excel as a deep ball passer, Smith currently ranks tied for first in Pro Football Focus’ Big Time Throw metric on passes traveling 20-plus yards (13) and has thrown six touchdowns on those passes, tied for second most behind only Eagles starter Jalen Hurts. Compared to other signal callers, he stacks up favorably against his peers in most major passing categories, including ranking first in passing yardage, 10th in completion rate, and 12th in yards per attempt.

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Despite being tied for the league lead in interceptions, Smith only ranks 17th in turnover worthy play percentage (2.3 percent), suggesting not all of his picks have been his fault and that a high volume of pass plays has had more to do with that number than anything else. Making his numbers all the more impressive, only four quarterbacks have been pressured at a higher rate (39.6 percent), and his offensive line has been the main culprit with him only being held responsible for four percent of those pressures, the second-lowest rate ahead of only Rams starter Matthew Stafford.

While he hasn’t taken off to run as much as some quarterbacks and the vast majority of his yardage has been on scrambles and not designed run plays, Smith has been effective when tucking and running this season. He currently ranks 13th with 193 rushing yards and has averaged a healthy 5.4 yards per carry, an average bolstered by 10 carries of 10 or more yards, tied for the seventh-most by a quarterback this year.

Areas of Improvement: Though poor pass protection and botched snaps have played a part in Seattle’s struggles in the red zone, Smith deserves his share of the blame for the team struggling to finish drives with touchdowns. According to Pro Football Reference, he currently ranks 26th among quarterbacks with at least 10 pass attempts inside the opposing 20-yard line with a 51.5 percent completion rate and he’s been especially inaccurate inside the 10-yard line, completing just three out of 17 passes with three touchdowns and two interceptions.

When pressured, Smith has been hindered by sometimes questionable decision making and trying to do too much shouldering the load in a one-dimensional offense lacking a consistent run game. On 153 pressured drop backs, he has thrown a league-worst nine interceptions, three more than the next player (Kirk Cousins) on the list. With just five touchdown passes on those plays and under six yards per attempt, his 49.2 passer rating when pressured ranks 26th out of 27 qualified quarterbacks.

Midseason Grade: B+

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Fans can bemoan some of the interceptions Smith has thrown, but based on a myriad of stats, no quarterback has been dealt a worse hand when it comes to shaky pass protection and constant pressure. Somehow, he ranks 16th in sack to pressure ratio despite being under persistent duress, and the fact he ranks in the top 10 in completion rate, yardage, and Big Time Throws in such an environment shows he deserves a hell of a lot more respect than he’s been receiving with circumstances around him being far from ideal.

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‘We’re On Our Way’: Seahawks Stress Patience Amidst Rough Stretch



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West Seattle business hoping for sweeter ending after mobile bakery truck is stolen

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West Seattle business hoping for sweeter ending after mobile bakery truck is stolen


A local business experienced a major setback after someone stole their bakery truck.

Lovely and Dapper Desserts sells small personal cakes at farmer’s markets and holiday markets, festivals and for catering. The owners say on Saturday, October 26, someone stole their 2006 Chevy Tahoe right out of their West Seattle driveway.

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They bought the SUV earlier this year to expand their business, using it to transport all their cakes and supplies during the busy holiday season. The couple says without it, it’s a recipe for trouble. 

“We’d always wanted to own a bakery together since we met,” said Emily Crain, owner of Lovely and Dapper Desserts. “We decided to take the leap to start our business.”

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The couple specializes in portable treats based on a design Drew first created years ago while working in a local restaurant. 

“We just took the same idea and figured out a clever way to package it,” said Drew.

“They are called tin can cakes,” said Emily.

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The SUV was the bread and butter of their business. 

“It was the first one that we bought together, so it was pretty exciting. It really did help us grow and expand,” said Emily.  

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“We really miss that vehicle. It was everything to us,” said Drew.

The Crain’s said it disappeared from their neighborhood near Westwood Village on October 26.

“It’s just scary and discouraging that it could get stolen right out of our driveway when we took all the precautions, we locked it, we put the steering wheel lock on it and everything,” said Emily. 

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A tent and items belonging to their kids were also taken.

“I don’t like that the truck got stolen because there was a TV and my car seat was in there,” said Raya Crain, Drew and Emily’s 8-year-old daughter. 

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With the Seattle Christmas Market less than two weeks away, the problems created by the theft of the family’s SUV are baked in.   

“It’s the worst possible time to lose our trick right now, before this event,” said Drew.

“Definitely discouraging, but we are not going to let it stop us,” said Emily.

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To raise more dough for a new truck, the Crains started an online fundraiser with hopes for a better ending to the weeks-long nightmare. 

“We feel so grateful for all the love and support we have already received,” said Emily. “We are just trying to be as positive as we can and move on and just focus on all the love and support we’ve already gotten from friends, family and the small business community.”

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If you would like to support the family business by purchasing cakes, Lovely and Dapper Desserts will be at Ounces Taproom in West Seattle on Thursday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. 

Emily says they will be selling “Local Chocolate Stout Cake” and will also offer “Apple Pie Cake” made with McCormick Jam Co’s “Apple Pie Jam.”

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