Seahawks passing game worse than expected

In my preview of the Seahawks vs. Bills Week 1 match up, I likened the Seattle passing game to an airplane flying on fumes with two busted landing gear. On Sunday, we learned that the damage is much worse thanks to a 34-10 whipping in Buffalo.

With receiver Nate Burleson leaving the game with a knee injury and a young receiving corps that has real problems catching the football, you could make the case that this aerial attack is missing both wings and the crew is heading for the exit doors with parachutes in hand.

Burleson joins receivers Deion Branch and Bobby Engram to the walking wounded. Branch and Engram are out indefinitely and who knows how bad Burleson’s injury is.

That leaves the Hawks with receivers Courtney Taylor, Logan Payne and Jordan Kent. Taylor was beyond terrible on Sunday. On the rare occasion that he did get open, he dropped nearly every pass thrown to him. He finished the game with two catches for 19 yards.

The only bright spot in the passing game was the emergence of rookie tight end John Carlson who caught four balls for 52 yards. Despite being injured in the third quarter, the leading receiver was Burleson with five catches for 60 yards.

Matt Hasselbeck looked rusty as expected. He finished 17-41 for 190 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT. He was sacked five times. I’m not sure how much you could attribute his outing to rust or just a terrible showing by his receivers. Unofficially the receivers dropped six passes, but I think that number is generous.