As if moving the ball this season wasn't sufficiently difficult, the 0-2 Seahawks officially will be without WR Doug Baldwin (knee) and LG Ethan Pocic (ankle) Sunday, joining LB K.J. Wright on the sidelines for the home opener against the Dallas Cowboys. There's a chance C Justin Britt, listed as questionable, may not play because of a shoulder injured chasing a fumble Sunday in Chicago.

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Over the first two games, the Seahawks have converted 28 percent of their third downs. Not only is that 29th among 32 NFL teams, it's 10 percent less than in 2017, a year so unproductive that in the off-season, coach Pete Carroll trap-doored his top two offensive coaches and drafted a running back in the first round.

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Turns out Chris Carson did not retire at halftime of the Monday night game. Instead,  coach Pete Carroll admitted Tuesday that he mishandled the Seahawks' starting running back. Perhaps it was the football equivalent of losing a baseball pop-up in the lights. Monday night TV, and all.

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Looking at chances for the shorthanded Seahawks against the Bears Monday night, I was reminded of the trenchant mission assessment provided by Dan Aykroyd's character in a parallel bit of cinematic theater set in Chicago, The Blues Brothers.

"There's 106 miles to Chicago," Elwood told John Belushi's Jake as they sat in a car. "We've got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark out, and we're wearing sunglasses."

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The Seahawks' injury list grew this week to include LB Bobby Wagner (groin), who along with LB K.J. Wright (knee) and WR Doug Baldwin (ankle) will not play Monday night in  Chicago. Listed as doubtful after practice Saturday was rookie CB Tre Flowers, who started his first career game last week in Denver, as well as RG D.J. Fluker and reserve FS Delano Hill, all three with hamstring injuries.

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It's rarely a good sign when an NFL team's latest acquisition is addressed by a statement from the league office: “The matter is under review. He is currently permitted to sign and participate in activities including games.”

That's what happens when a team scavenges from the convicted-felons-awaiting-sentencing list for emergency hires.

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On the Seahawks' first scrimmage play at Denver Sunday, the Broncos got to QB Russell Wilson for the first of six sacks. The play was mostly forgotten in the subsequent litany of mistakes and misplays that cost the Seahawks a large road win. But I'm not sure that a first-play sack has happened in the Wilson era.

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As has been said around the Seahawks for years, they can't rely on Will Dissly to carry the team all the time.

Wait. Scratch that. Not even his University of Washington coach, Chris Petersen, said that about his tight end.

It was said about QB Russell Wilson. Was it ever true Sunday in Denver.

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Ahead of the Super Bowl in New York, I asked TE Zach Miller, in his third year as Seahawks tight end after four seasons with the Raiders, what made the Seahawks organization seem different than what he's seen and heard around the NFL.

"No politics," he said. "It's pure competition. Best man wins."

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Through a tumultuous off-season and a winless preseason, the Seahawks have tried to convince themselves and us that the 2017 season left merely scratches, not the dents, smoke and steam that seem fairly apparent. The franchise still runs, but with three away games in the first four, there's a hard road ahead for damaged goods.

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A blink heavy enough to make noise was audible around the Sound Wednesday, as well as throughout the NFL. Disgruntled FS Earl Thomas was back. He lost his staredown. His Seattle teammates, coaches, fans won back one of game's greatest defenders.

"He made me a better coach," said defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr., grinning.

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The Seahawks reached the 53-player limit on Saturday's mandatory cut-down day. They made a couple of small trades, acquiring a backup safety and a backup tight end, but didn't do anything drastic in response to their 0-4 fake-football record, such as paying FS Earl Thomas a billionty-billion dollars.

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Every school child knows that results of the NFL fake season are meaningless, except, of course, for the full price charged for tickets.  That's a real hurt.

Nevertheless . . . 0-4 is not a good look. Especially since the Seahawks have never been blanked before. Their first winless preseason, concluding with a banal 30-19 home loss to the Oakland Raiders Thursday night, will leave a stain requiring scrubbing.

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One of the more exotic charms in the often dubious world of college football is the chance to play foes from planets never previously encountered. Sort of like the long-running Star Trek franchise, where opponents vary from cute and fuzzy Tribbles (Idaho) to the omnipotent Q (Auburn).

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Tell a non-Seattle fan that you were agog at a six-yard rushing touchdown, a kicker and punter, and you will be called a football dweeb and told to freshen everyone's drinks and see when the nachos will be ready.

These are the insults that must be endured as the Seahawks raise themselves from a collective beak-plant in 2017. Prepare for additional snickers over the 0-3 exhibition record in 2018, but if you get mad about that, it's on you. No one can help you.

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Ever since the Seahawks began their rebuild/repair/revival/restoration/reset/renewal/revamp (choose one) in the pursuit of respect, coach Pete Carroll and the members of his church choir have preached the run game as their 2018 holy grail.

Brothers, it's time to deliver.

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Much in the way that scientists can derive historical climate information by studying tree rings and layers of rock, it's possible to look at a single, small statistic and learn all that one needed to know about past football seasons.

In 2016, Jon Ryan punted 71 times, following seasons of  65, 74, 61 and 68 punts. All those seasons resulted in playoff appearances.

In 2017, Ryan punted 92 times, and the Seahawks missed the playoffs.

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Remember last season how the Seahawks had trouble scoring early? How's six points in first quarter work for you in 2018?

Despite deploying QB Russell Wilson for all six possessions of the first half Saturday night in Carson, CA.,  his teammates on the first unit made just enough key mistakes to evoke a bit of the bad old days in a 24-14 loss (box) to the Los Angeles Chargers that kept the Seahawks winless in the preseason.

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The Seahawks defensive line took another hit Friday when end Marcus Smith, who had 2½ sacks and two forced fumbles in 14 games as a backup the past season, unexpectedly had his contract terminated Friday for personal reasons that coach Pete Carroll declined to specify after practice, ahead of Saturday's 7 p.m. exhibition in Los Angeles against the Chargers.

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Size matters in football, but it's relative. Offensive linemen are, by definition, large. Still, D.J. Fluker is large the way Aretha Franklin is great -- whoever is second almost doesn't count.

Asked his ideal playing weight, the 6-foot-5 Fluker estimated it was about 340 pounds.

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