Seahawks Playbook Podcast

Bill Alvstad
  • 4.8 (19)
  • Football
  • Updated Weekly

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!

  1. Sep 16

    Seahawks at Cardinals Game 2 Preview

    Seahawks fans, thanks for joining Bill Alvstad and Keith Myers as week preview the week 2 match up between the Seattle Seahawks and the Arizona Cardinals. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  2. Sep 12

    Seahawks Week 1 - What We Learned

    SEAHAWKS WEEK 1 — ADVANCED STAT SHEET Seattle 13 • New England 10 OFFENSE — EFFICIENCY OVER VOLUME The basic box score undersells Seattle's offensive performance. New England ran 67 plays to Seattle's 48, yet Seattle averaged 5.9 yards/play versus 4.1 and finished at +0.063 EPA/play, compared with New England at –0.145 EPA/play. Drew Lock 16/22 — 72.7% completions 187 yards 8.5 yards/attempt 1 TD / 0 INT 113.3 passer rating Best passer rating Lock has posted as a Seahawk with 20+ attempts. Podcast takeaway: Lock wasn't merely a game manager. Considering he entered five plays into the game with virtually no preparation as the starter, 8.5 YPA without a turnover is excellent QB2 production. Jaxon Smith-Njigba 8 receptions 122 yards 15.3 yards/reception 45-yard TD 11th 100-yard game since the beginning of last season, including playoffs Four TD receptions of 40+ yards since the beginning of last season. Here's the remarkable number: JSN produced 42.8% of Seattle's 285 total offensive yards himself. That's WR1 usage and WR1 efficiency. Jadarian Price 10 carries 52 yards 5.2 YPC Long of 13 2 catches George Holani: 8 carries, 29 yards, 3.6 YPC. That supports our preseason expectation: Price should be viewed as Seattle's primary back, even if Fleury uses a committee. Charles Cross — quietly one of the performances of the game This absolutely belongs in today's show. 27 pass-blocking snaps. ZERO pressures allowed. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, this was Cross' third career game without allowing a pressure. Considering Seattle unexpectedly had its backup quarterback playing almost the entire game, Cross keeping the blind side clean was enormously valuable. DEFENSE — THE DARK SIDE DID IT AGAIN Overall 10 points allowed 277 total yards allowed 4.1 yards/play 3 interceptions 3 fourth-quarter interceptions 9 tackles for loss 3 fourth-quarter sacks Seattle accomplished that despite New England possessing the football for 34:17 and running 19 more offensive plays. And here's one of my favorite Macdonald statistics: Seattle is now 14–0 under Mike Macdonald when winning the turnover battle. That includes postseason games. That's no longer statistical noise. THE DRAKE MAYE PRESSURE NUMBERS This is probably the best advanced-stat discussion for Keith. Seattle pressured Maye on 38.1% of his dropbacks. Under pressure: 3/8 — 38 yards — 4.8 YPA His PFF passing grade under pressure was just 28.4. But here's where Macdonald changed the formula from the Super Bowl. Seattle blitz rate Super Bowl LX: 20.8% Week 1: 31.0% Interestingly, Maye actually handled the blitz reasonably well—7/11 for 54 yards. The bigger story was actual pressure, regardless of how Seattle created it. Once the pocket broke down, Maye's efficiency collapsed. And there is an important nuance: Two of Maye's three interceptions came from clean pockets. All three of his turnover-worthy plays came when Seattle did NOT blitz. That's fascinating because it means the turnovers weren't simply the product of Seattle overwhelming Maye physically. Macdonald's coverage structures were affecting him mentally as well. DEFENSIVE STANDOUTS Julian Love may be my defensive player of the game. He finished with an interception plus two tackles for loss—the first game of his career in which he recorded multiple TFLs and an interception. Ernest Jones IV piled up 13 tackles, tied for his second-highest total as a Seahawk. Nehemiah Pritchett delivered the first fourth-quarter interception, which completely changed the emotional trajectory of the game. Josh Jobe delivered the closer—intercepting Maye in the end zone with only 21 seconds remaining. And Seattle's pass rush deserves credit for getting stronger rather than weaker as the game progressed. The Seahawks recorded three sacks in the fourth quarter after Maye had largely avoided pressure early. SPECIAL TEAMS — DON'T SKIP THIS ONE Michael Dickson 5 punts 45.4 net yards/punt 3 punts inside the 20 1 inside the 10 0 return yards allowed And that came against Marcus Jones, one of the NFL's premier return specialists. That's hidden field position that helped Seattle survive a game in which its offense struggled to stay on the field. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  3. Sep 8

    Seahawks Game 1 Preview Show - Patriots at Seahawks

    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.

  4. Sep 7

    10th Annual Win-Loss Prediction Show

    Which prediction did we disagree on the most? What's the toughest game on the schedule? What's the biggest trap game? What's Seattle's best upset opportunity if Keith has them losing somewhere Bill doesn't? Do the Seahawks sweep Arizona? Do they split with San Francisco and Los Angeles? 13 wins: realistic expectation for the defending champions, or is Bill drinking the preseason Kool-Aid? The broad scheduling story is worth emphasizing throughout the show: Seattle has a very favorable home/road structure early, but the back half becomes much more demanding. The Seahawks don't take their bye until Week 11, then face San Francisco, Dallas, Philadelphia and the Rams twice during the final six weeks. That's the stretch that should ultimately determine whether this is merely a playoff team or a legitimate repeat Super Bowl contender. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  5. Aug 29

    Seahawks 53-Man Roster Prediction Show

    Seahawks fans, thanks for joining Bill Alvstad and Keith Myers as we share our 53-Man Roster Predictions as well as the 16-Man Practice Squad. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  6. Aug 24

    Seahawks Team Update + Titans Game Review

    SEAHAWKS PLAYBOOK PODCAST TRAINING CAMP UPDATE + TITANS GAME REVIEW | SEAHAWKS 16 - TITANS 19 | AUGUST 23, 2026 THE BIG PICTURE We have not played one single starter in 8 quarters of football played so far this preseason. That’s the biggest thing to remember. KEY INJURIES • Bud Clark - S: broken ankle; expected to miss multiple months. • Jake Bobo - WR: season-ending knee injury from the joint practice. • Mason Richman - OL: potentially long-term injury; versatility loss at G/T/C. • Impact: safety, WR and OL depth all become more important entering cutdown week. GAME SNAPSHOT • 1st quarter: Lock to Arroyo, 36-yard TD. • Wright breaks a 69-yard TD run. • Jason Myers FG; Seattle builds a 16-3 lead. • Seattle is scoreless the rest of the game. • Tennessee closes on a 16-0 run. • Final: Tennessee 19, Seattle 16. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  7. Aug 22

    Training Camp Update + Preseason Game 2 Preview

    WHERE THINGS STAND We are getting close to the point where training-camp stories become roster decisions. Seattle opened the preseason with an ugly 17–7 loss to Dallas, but the result itself isn't particularly important. What matters now: Which young players are actually earning roles? Is Seattle comfortable with its offensive depth? Who is separating in the final WR spots? What exactly does Seattle have in Jalen Milroe? Is Jadarian Price beginning to look like the player Seattle thought it drafted? And after the injuries to Jake Bobo and Tory Horton, does Seattle suddenly have a real WR-depth problem? Sunday night against Tennessee should give us considerably more information. PRESEASON GAME 2 PREVIEW SEAHAWKS AT TITANS Sunday, August 23 Nissan Stadium — Nashville 5:00 PM Pacific National TV: FOX Seattle enters 0–1 after the 17–7 Dallas loss. But Game 2 should tell us much more about where several roster competitions stand. FIVE THINGS WE'RE WATCHING JADARIAN PRICE Probably my No. 1 player to watch. We keep hearing about him. Now let's see it. Can the explosiveness translate into a game? Watch specifically for: Burst through the hole Yards after contact Pass protection Receiving opportunities Explosive runs JALEN MILROE AS A PASSER We already know he can run. That's no longer the question. Sunday should be about quarterback development. I'd actually rather see: 9-for-14, 110 yards, zero turnovers than: 5-for-9, 60 yards passing + 80 rushing yards. The first stat line tells us considerably more about his development. THE RECEIVER AUDITIONS This became dramatically more important after Bobo and Horton went down. Watch: Montorie Foster Jr. Ricky White III Cody White Emmanuel Henderson Jr. One of these guys has an enormous opportunity. Foster currently has the inside track based on what he showed against Dallas. But this competition is suddenly wide open. THE SECONDARY Particularly: Ty Okada Bud Clark Nehemiah Pritchett Julian Neal Terrion Arnold Seattle's defensive backfield may be one of the deepest position groups on the roster. Sunday could determine who survives roster cuts — and who becomes an attractive waiver claim elsewhere. CLEAN UP THE SLOPPINESS This might actually be Macdonald's biggest emphasis. The Dallas game wasn't concerning because Seattle lost. It was concerning because Seattle looked sloppy. Penalties. Missed opportunities. Poor offensive execution. No defensive sacks. Failure to capitalize on excellent field position created by special teams. Seattle even received a 52-yard punt return from Rashad Rochelle and couldn't turn that field position into points. For a defending Super Bowl champion, preseason should be about reinforcing standards. Sunday should look cleaner. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  8. Aug 17

    One Preseason Game - Final Takeaways

    Go Hawks! Seahawks Playbook Podcast YouTube Show Notes Links: Seahawks Playbook Podcast Patreon Account: patreon.com/seahawksplaybookpodcast Seahawks Playbook Podcast Website: https://www.seahawksplaybook.com Seahawks Playbook Podcast YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrqT5lY2HBiAybyod6a4d_g Seahawks Playbook Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4X2LPARUmY7uTD9Pztf1bi Follow Bill Alvstad on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/NWSeahawk Follow Keith Myers on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/MyersNFL Follow the Show on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/HawksPlaybook YouTube Tags: Seahawks, Podcast, Football, Seattle, NFL Draft, Playbook, Free Agency, NFL, Offense, Defense, Special Teams, Mike Macdonald, John Schneider, Leonard Williams, Byron Murphy II, Devon Witherspoon, Best, Great, Lumen Field, Episode, Bill Alvstad, Keith Myers, Training Camp, NFL Roster, Salary Cap, Grey Zabel, Sam Darnold, Jalen Milroe, Drew Lock, Zach Charbonnet, Uchenna Nwoso, Charles Cross, Julian Love, Jaxon-smith Njigba, Olu Oluwatimi, Abe Lucas, Christian Haynes, AJ Barner, Leonard Williams, Rylie Mills, Devin Witherspoon, Jarran Reed, Derick Hall, Ernest Jones IV, Tyrice Knight, Josh Jobe, Nick Emmenwori, Elijah arroyo, Michael Dickson, Jason Myers, Bud Clark, Jadarian Price, Julian Neal, Beau Stephens, Dante Fowler Jr. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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4.8
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About

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!

Information

  • Creator
    Bill Alvstad
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2026
  • Episodes
    567
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2023 Playbook Enterprises
  • Show Website
    Seahawks Playbook Podcast