Headline:
The Seahawks and Huskies won big, and the Sounders tied L.A. Galaxy.
Executive Summary:
The Huskies could’ve named the final score against their overmatched lower-division opponent; they settled on a 56-0 blowout of Idaho State. The Dawgs totalled 680 yards of offense, but also committed an unsettling 16 penalties.
The Seahawks thumped Jacksonville as expected, 42-17. Russell Wilson threw for 4 touchdowns. The defense was spectacular. Jacksonville’s first 9 drives: punt, punt, punt, punt, punt, interception, end of half, fumble, punt.
The Sounders still have never won in L.A. against the Galaxy, but they will be happy with Saturday night’s 1-1 tie against their biggest rivals, given that Clint Dempsey was out with a hamstring injury. Eddie Johnson scored the Sounders’ goal.
If you want to sound smart around the water cooler:
Say: “Will the Hawks run away with the NFC West?”
While the Seahawks blew out Jacksonville, all three of their NFC West rivals lost. The Hawks have a two-game lead in the division already, sitting at 3-0 while San Francisco, St. Louis, and Arizona are all 1-2.
Say: “These 10 a.m. starts could be killer.”
The Seahawks’ next two games—in Houston and Indianapolis, respectively—will both start at 10 a.m. PST. According to science, teams playing games that start in what would be the morning in their time zone are at a disadvantage.
Say: “Will Dempsey be ready for the Red Bulls Sunday?”
Clint Dempsey’s absence against the Galaxy Saturday was a surprise; he’d suffered a hamstring strain in a practice on Thursday, but the Sounders had kept it under wraps. Sunday’s game against New York Red Bulls is a huge one, the Sounders are one point behind them in the MLS Supporters Shield standings. Coach Sigi Schmid says Dempsey will be evaluated throughout the week. Get well, Clint!
