I want to thank USC and its fans for occupying the minds—and the time—of Oregon fans during what has been a very vulnerable time for the University of Washington.
Don’t get me wrong. Losing to the University of Minnesota is nothing to be ashamed of.
The Gophers won eight or more games in four of the past six seasons. They won 11 games in 2019 when they were ranked as high as seventh in the AP poll.
But losing at home to Minnesota as Washington did Saturday in the conference opener of a season that began with the Huskies ranked No. 17? That’s a tough look. Especially given how pedestrian Washington’s offense looked in its non-conference games.
I am genuinely leery of what lies ahead. Washington has a harder schedule than it did a year ago. Finishing with a winning record in conference play would be a mild upset given how the Huskies looked in September.
Most years, Oregon fans would be gloating, and—most annoyingly—expressing the hope that Washington win just enough for Jedd Fisch to remain head coach.
But the Ducks have been occupied this week throwing rhetorical grenades at USC, its coach Lincoln Riley, and even the school’s play-by-play radio announcer who mischaracterized the hit that knocked Oregon’s Dante Moore out of the game.
It sounds like some Duck fans are actually rooting for Washington against USC this week, given how the Trojans carried on after Moore was knocked out.
In this week’s episode of “Say Who, Say Pod,” we kept our eyes on the Huskies, and more specifically, what ails them.
Only half bad
The Seahawks offense has taken some time to kick into gear this season.
They’ve scored 20 points in the first half, tied for the third-fewest in the league. Only Tennessee (16) and Denver (17) have scored fewer points before halftime this season.
Seattle has scored 72 points in the second half, which is the second-most. Only Detroit (76) has scored more points in the second half this season.
If you look at point differential, no team in the league has had a bigger overall change from one half to the next:
Team | 1st Half point differential | 2nd-half point differential |
|---|---|---|
Seattle | -14 | +39 |
Denver | -30 | +20 |
New Orleans | -18 | +17 |
Minnesota | +1 | +29 |
Tampa Bay | -22 | +1 |
⏱️ Clock watchers
The Seahawks are playing one of the league’s biggest disappointments on Sunday.
The Chargers are 0-3, and most of the scrutiny has been trained on quarterback Justin Herbert and the impact new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel has had on him.
That’s not the Chargers’ biggest issue, though.
The biggest problem is they can’t stop anybody when it matters. In three games this season, the Chargers’ opponents have had a total of three possessions in the final 5 minutes of the half. Those three possessions have resulted in one touchdown and two field goals.
The Chargers have been outscored 13-0 in the final 5 minutes of first halves this season, which is tied for the second-worst margin in the NFL.
Now, I am of the belief that those final 5 minutes of the first half are one of the most important and least understood segments of an NFL game. I’m putting a microscope over it this year in a weekly study called “Clock Watchers” and the Chargers figure prominently in this week’s edition:
