Seahawks Draft Blog

There’s a well known piece of wisdom in Seattle. No game is ever allowed to be easy. You always have to play down to opponents and make things close. Backup quarterbacks or inexperienced starters will be afforded opportunities to make plays. Even if the Seahawks win, it generally has to be stressful.

What a relief that the 2025 version of the team busted this particular slice of conventional thinking.

For once it was great to be able to bask in an arse kicking. It might not mean much for the state of the Seahawks and their chances this year. The Saints were clearly overmatched, didn’t have the coaching chops to compete with Seattle’s staff and big special teams plays early in the game ended any kind of contest by half-time.

It doesn’t matter though. I’m very much here for a stress-free Sunday, with an opportunity to indulge in a highlight-reel of a game with half an eye on Thursday’s opponents, Arizona, having to fight and scrap through a tense and bruising battle against the 49ers.

Kudos to Jay Harbaugh and his special teams crew for a brilliant performance. It goes without saying this was everything you could hope for. Big returns, blocks and strong kicking from Jason Myers. The only downer was a flat punt from Michael Dickson that was well returned — but it hardly diminishes all of the other great work.

Tory Horton continues to explode onto the scene. Two more touchdowns today — including a big punt return — showed off his massive potential. He has an opportunity to be the steal of the draft. He has everything needed to be a very good, long-term Seahawk.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s continued role as one of the best receivers in the league also deserves a mention. This was another great day for JSN who is just an incredibly reliable, unassuming player who can be a quarterback’s best friend.

Sam Darnold looked incredibly decisive and comfortable in the offense and things seem to be progressing well across the board on that side of the ball.

Defensively, the Seahawks deserve a ton of credit for the way they are developing defensive backs. Josh Jobe, through three weeks, has played at an extremely high level. Derion Kendrick matched last week’s showing. Coby Bryant took the lead with Julian Love absent and had another good game.

To see these young players developing and the group play as well as it did without Love, Devon Witherspoon and Nick Emmanwori speaks volumes for the players and the coaches. Mike Macdonald, Aden Durde, Karl Scott and anyone else involved clearly know what they’re doing.

There are several other positives you could mention but overall, the Seahawks consumed the Saints and showed them who’s boss. This is what a team like the Lions or Ravens would do to an opponent like New Orleans at home. It was great to see the Seahawks dishing out a beating.

On to Thursday and the second NFC West game of the season. The Seahawks handled the Cardinals in both games last year but this will be a good gauge of where they’re currently at. Losing to the 49ers in week one means they need to win as many of their remaining divisional games as possible.

After a slow start in the opener, things appear to be progressing nicely.

This is a guest post by Curtis Allen…

A loss at home and a win on the road for the Seahawks to start their season pretty much mirrors last season.  Busting out of that routine against the Saints at home means playing to their potential and minimizing mistakes.

The Saints are one of the more intriguing opponents on the schedule.

They have talent on their team and coaching staff but are an incomplete project – while having players you must account for in your assignments, they are still adjusting to a new coaching system, struggling badly with injuries and playing well at key times are a struggle for them.

They are one of the NFL’s most penalized teams and four of their penalties were on the defense on third downs.  They extended drives and resulted in points for their opponents.  The defense at times also got caught not being able to make plays, despite being aligned properly by their coaches.

Still, they played NFC West teams close in both of their games, playing competent football and keeping themselves in contention.  Now Kellen Moore brings his team to Seattle for their first game on the road in his tenure.

Last year, the Seahawks were a big favorite at home to beat the Giants but failed to do so.

How can they deliver on their expectations this week?

Win On the Line of Scrimmage on Both Sides

The Seahawks should have an advantage again this week, rolling out an excellent defensive line against a battered and bruised opponent.

We do not yet know who will line up at Left Guard for the Saints.  Dillon Radunz has already been scratched and Trevor Penning has yet to play this year with turf toe.  Penning was limited this week and his status is an open question.  Also to know:  a start at Left Guard would be his first.

At Right Guard, Caesar Ruiz is currently sporting a PFF grade of 35.8.

At Right Tackle, Taliese Fuaga is also not a lock to start after suffering a knee injury and being limited in practice this week.

There is a very real possibility that the Saints could field one of the poorest Offensive Lines the Seahawks will see all season.

Moore is counteracting this by having Rattler take the bulk of his snaps from shotgun.  Of the 136 snaps on offense this year, an incredible 119 of them are in shotgun.  It allows the young Quarterback extra time to survey the field and react to pressure.  He also frequently has Alvin Kamara flanking him, which allows Rattler to play RPO or have a blocker to pick up blitzes.

The front four can control the offense by breaking through and reading the quarterback’s eyes.  Rattler will tell you what his going to do.

The Saints have started feeding Kamara again, a wise choice.  He is not the tackle-breaking force he once was but he can still hurt you.  If Byron Murphy, Jarran Reed and Leonard Williams can control the interior like they did in Pittsburgh last week, this could indeed be a very long day for the Saints offense.

Something to watch:  of the 17 under center snaps Kellen Moore has called, all but two were runs.  Moore might have decided having a ‘tell’ is worth being able to protect your young quarterback.

On offense the Seahawks’ line did a fairly decent job last week against a talented Steelers line.  Their reward is facing another good one, with Cameron Jordon and Carl Granderson leading the way.

The Seahawks need a game plan that is very similar to what they did last week:  plenty of zone running concepts, attacking the deep middle of the field and asking Sam Darnold to be crisp and decisive.

The Tight Ends will be important.  In this game, the Seahawks can run power setups and make sure the ends are prevented from unduly disrupting the game.  It will also allow them to disguise pass plays to the position as well.  The Saints were one of the NFL’s worst teams at defending Tight Ends last year, and they are again this year as well.  Time to run some power football to start, then branch out with AJ Barner and Elija Arroyo running routes.

If the Seahawks can control the line of scrimmage on offense for much of the game, that will put pressure on the entire team to make stops and play clean football, which is something they have not yet done.

There are a few things I wanted to get into today, including the disappointing start to the college football season for several big names, the state of the 2026 quarterback class and some new names to monitor in the coming weeks.

Where are the obvious first round picks?

It’s becoming very difficult to know who is actually performing like a day one player at the moment. The big names eligible for 2026 simply aren’t delivering.

Take Clemson’s two dynamic defensive linemen. After a summer where Peter Woods was talked-up as a possible top-five pick and T.J. Parker was named as a probable first rounder, they’ve been overshadowed on their own team by a transfer from Purdue called Will Heldt.

In three games, Woods has been very quiet on tape. The stat sheet backs it up — zero sacks or hurries, one pressure and one quarterback hit so far. His PFF grade has gone from 83.7 last year to 75.1 so far — and that’s thanks to a decent 81.8 run-blocking grade. As a pass rusher he’s only managed a 59.5 so far against LSU, Troy and Georgia Tech.

Parker has faired better but not to the level expected of such a highly rated prospect. He has six pressure rushing the edge but only one sack and two hurries. His PFF grade has dropped from 88.1 last year to 77.6 this year. Again this is mainly because as a run defender he’s done a decent job (78.7). As a pass rusher, which is what he’s expected to be at the next level, he has a 68.7 grade so far.

I thought Auburn’s Keldric Faulk started very well against Baylor — in particular when he recorded a highly athletic sack showing off his mobility at 285lbs. However, he’s failed to get a sack against Ball State or South Alabama since despite playing 78 snaps.

Penn State defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton was violent and disruptive in his opening game against Nevada but in the most recent encounter against Villanova, I was left wanting more. Even Ohio State’s stud safety Caleb Downs has missed a few tackles when I’ve caught glimpses of their first three games.

Downs, Denis-Sutton and Faulk will likely be first round picks if they avoid major injuries. They have enough talent and physical upside to justify if, even if they don’t light up college football this year. Yet the overall performance of college football’s defenders is indicative of an underwhelming 2026 class so far.

Highly touted Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love is yet to break out and show his best football in two defeats to Miami and Texas A&M. Jordyn Tyson, the receiver from Arizona State, has started well to make his case to be WR1. It’s not a jam-packed group of first round receivers though based on the evidence so far.

The wildly overrated Alabama left tackle Kadyn Proctor has started terribly. He continues to look too big and doesn’t move well. His pass-blocking grades were horrendous against Floria State (56.7) and Wisconsin (43.5). For a player with his frame you might think he might dominate against the run. Not so — he had a 61.3 run grade against FSU and a 64.1 in the easy win against Wisconsin. I don’t see a first round talent on tape.

Then there’s the quarterbacks. Thankfully the media has conceded defeat on Arch Manning or LaNorris Sellers being anything like close to ready to leave for the NFL. There isn’t a loaded list of alternatives though, ready to break into the early first round mix. The top quarterback in the class, Garrett Nussmeier, is coming off a poor performance against Florida.

There’s still time for things to change but increasingly this is looking like a class without many obvious first round talents at the moment.

Harold Perkins is getting back to his best

The LSU defensive playmaker missed most of last season and injuries have stalled the momentum in his career. However, in LSU’s games so far he’s hinted at a return to form. Perkins has been highly active while lining up in different positions on the field. His closing burst is exceptional, he’s multi-faceted and a creative defensive play-caller will salivate working out ways to use him.

Here’s where he’s lined up so far this year:

D-line — 21 (snaps)
Box — 76
Slot corner — 67
Wide corner — 5
Free safety — 1

It really speaks to his versatility that he’s been moved around so much and has been as impactful as he has. Perkins has recorded seven pressures, a sack, four hurries and a pair of quarterback hits.

Players like this tend to be quite boom or bust at the next level. He’s not the biggest hybrid linebacker and when everyone gets bigger and faster, impact can wane. He’s been an eye-catching player so far this season though.

Quarterback notes

As mentioned, Nussmeier had a poor game against Florida. He seemed to get frustrated and try to force things. He had some reckless throws, including a bad interception. We’ve seen him do this before. It does make you wonder — if a fairly average SEC opponent can frustrate him and force errors, what will the NFL do to him?

Nussmeier remains QB1 for me because there are too many good technical qualities to his game. He has legit NFL throws on virtually every tape and warrants early round consideration. That said, I’m increasingly enjoying John Mateer play for Oklahoma. His performance against Temple was another example of playmaking excitement, an ability to throw to all areas of the field, creativity with his arm and legs and just an X-factor aura that makes him must-watch TV.

He had a pick in the game but it wasn’t on the quarterback. He threw into the hands of the receiver who then had the ball ripped away by the defender. You could argue it was more of a fumble than a pick, given no blame should be attached to the QB.

There’s something there with Mateer. I’m not sure yet about the upside but he just has the ‘it’ factor. He makes things happen. He’s an explosive athlete. He seems very level headed and grounded. I get the feeling that if Oklahoma keeps winning, he’ll be the player who gets pushed up the boards and ends up being talked about as a high pick.

The same can’t be said for Drew Allar at Penn State. This was another disappointing weekend, failing to ‘wow’ against Villanova. Too many throws continue to be late. He needs to show far more anticipation.

Here’s another good example, building off what we talked about last week. In the still below you’ll see the receiver has already turned back to the QB. The football has to be on it’s way as he turns. If it isn’t, you’re inviting the nearby defensive back to make a play on the ball:

In that picture above, that ball needs to be in the air already. It isn’t, Allar still has possession of it and hasn’t even pulled his arm back to throw yet. Now look at the defender as he eventually prepares to release the throw. He has already gained position, he’s staring at the quarterback and knows what’s happening:

For some reason the defender uses one arm to bat the ball away instead of squaring up and using two hands for an easy interception. It’s another great example, though, of Allar’s propensity to throw late. By the way, this is on 3rd and 5. That’s when you need a big time quarterback to execute the play properly and move the chains.

On his very next drive, he threw high on 2nd and 4, then wide of his target on third down. On a 2nd and 9 deep-ball after half-time he launched the ball way beyond his receiver. He had a woeful interception in the third quarter in the red zone, telegraphing a lofted check-down pass to the running back. The ball was just tossed up for grabs and the defender just ran over and took it away. If he hadn’t fallen over, it would’ve been a possible 90-yard pick-six:

A look at the Drew Allar interception.

Not good… pic.twitter.com/bmwyNkMYqF

— Avery Hill (@official_aveee) September 13, 2025

Allar did make an exceptional 35-yard throw between two defenders right before half-time, fitting the ball into a tight window with perfect velocity for a touchdown with 33 seconds remaining. That was a NFL throw. Yet overall there was a lot more bad than good. His accuracy, timing and anticipation are off. He continues to move around reminiscent of Mike Glennon.

In two games against Florida International and Villanova, he completed just 56.4% of his passes. His EPA through three games is just 5.3 — John Mateer’s, for example, is 20.0. Allar’s QBR is also a terrible 38.3 — way below the other big name draft eligible quarterbacks. He only has one ‘big time throw’ so far compared to two ‘turnover worthy plays’.

It’s very difficult to watch him at the moment and see a player the NFL is going to be that excited about.

Another name who continues to struggle is Clemson’s Cade Klubnik. It shouldn’t be forgotten that so many of the draft media were calling him a potential first rounder this summer, with no evidence to back that up. Klubnik has been a complete flop so far. He was outplayed by Haynes King in the defeat to Georgia Tech and I would take King over Klubnik.

Look at this throw for an example to show how scrambled the quarterback and the Clemson offense appears to be. The circle denotes the intended target, the arrow where the ball actually went. You could argue it’s a miscommunication and maybe the receiver ran the wrong route. OK — well adjust. Klubnik just threw it up for grabs when he had ample time and opportunity to read the field and deliver a pass that could’ve been completed. His receiver is open:

It speaks to a player who can’t play out of structure in the passing game and switch on the fly. If the offense tells him to throw that route downfield, he’s doing it — even if the only player near that area of the field is the safety.

Klubnik also had a fumble on a run early in the game, had some issues on third down, was limited to a high number of short passes and had a poor red-zone interception — failing to see a defender lurking in the tall grass who jumped up and took away a slant route.

If you thought Allar’s stats were bad, wait until you see Klubnik’s. His EPA after three games is actually in the negative (-0.1). That’s incredible. His QBR is 43.8. Without dramatic and sudden improvements, you can’t expect him to be a NFL starter one day.

It’s not all bad news though. Texas Tech quarterback Behren Morton is one to watch. I’ve studied his three games so far and there are things to like. He attacks all areas of the field and carries an aggressive mindset. He can throw with touch downfield and knows how to exploit 1v1 opportunities. Morton is well sized with a decent arm. He has stuck with Texas Tech for years, hasn’t transferred and appears very comfortable. There’s a level of athleticism and creativity which at least warrants noting.

His QBR is 81.2 so far — above King (79.5), Fernando Mendoza (79.5), Sawyer Robertson (78.2), Mateer (77.5) and Nussmeier (75.3). Only Arkansas’ Taylen Green (93.7) and Miami’s Carson Beck (89.9) are above Morton.

Keep an eye on Morton. It won’t be a surprise if he ends up becoming a player of interest for the NFL. An upcoming game against Utah this weekend will be a good test.

Speaking of Arkansas’ Green — according to Tony Pauline he is well liked in the NFL. He’s athletic and creative. I’ve studied one of his games this year and I’m intrigued to see more.

At the moment though, there is not a quarterback I think you can say appears destined to be a top-10 pick. There’s still time for that to change. Mateer and Baylor’s Robertson have certainly elevated their stock. We need to see Indiana’s Mendoza against tougher opponents.

A final note on Carson Beck at Miami. I watched the games against Notre Dame and against USF. He looks a lot more comfortable than he did last year, a horror show for Georgia, but he is still throwing ugly interceptions and making poor decisions. I’m afraid that’s just part of his game at this point. He has not taken a step forward in this area and it’ll only become more problematic at the next level.

QBR stats

Taylen Green — 93.7
Carson Beck — 89.9
Behren Morton — 81.2
Haynes King — 79.5
Fernando Mendoza — 79.5
Sawyer Robertson — 78.2
John Mateer — 77.5
Garrett Nussmeier — 75.3
Cade Klubnik — 43.8
Drew Allar — 38.3

EPA stats

Taylen Green — 35.2
Sawyer Robertson — 20.3
John Mateer — 20.0
Carson Beck — 18.4
Fernando Mendoza — 15.8
Garrett Nussmeier — 15.7
Behren Morton — 14.8
Haynes King — 14.7
Drew Allar — 5.3
Cade Klubnik — -0.1

Players I want to highlight

Iowa produces a lot of good offensive linemen and they’re a team to keep an eye on. They run outside zone very well and their players are coached at a good level in the system Seattle runs. They took Mason Richman in the 2025 draft and could go back to the well next year.

We’ve talked about center Logan Jones (I think he could play guard or center at the next level) and right tackle Gennings Dunker (who could move inside to guard). I think both players should absolutely be considered as targets for the Seahawks in the top two rounds. However, another player has jumped onto the radar.

Left guard Beau Stephens looks like a good fit for Seattle. He currently leads college football in zone blocking (94.7). He sinks his hips well to anchor when he holds position to block — but he’s also adept at getting on the move and reaching up to the second level. He has the brawling mentality you expect from an Iowa lineman. There are examples on tape of him turning defenders and then finishing his blocks to the turf. Stephens shows a willingness to combo block, even if there are some technical tweaks needed.

He can do a better job angling into the block and not letting opponents attack his left shoulder. I’d also like to see a better initial punch into the chest and engaging with his hands on contact in a more consistent manner.

I don’t think Stephens is likely to be a high pick — he’s much more of a middle rounder or later. He’d also obviously have to move over to the right hand side to compete to start in Seattle. Yet he is a name to watch in the coming weeks, along with Jones and Dunker at Iowa.

Another interior lineman I’ve really enjoyed watching so far is Penn State’s redshirt junior left guard Vega Ioane. For a player listed at 328lbs he moves around well. There were no issues on tape when he was asked to pull or reach up. He’s also surprisingly mobile when he needs to set into his stance in pass-pro and his sheer size and power enables him to clamp on to opponents and finish with ease.

There was a rep against Villanova where he had to kick-slide to the left as the entire left side of the line had to switch across to handle extra rushers. He handled it like a left tackle. I was originally trying to watch left tackle Drew Shelton but I kept getting distracted by the big #71 at guard. I checked his zone-blocking grade and it is a very decent and acceptable 79.2 through three games. I’ve watched all of his tape from this season now and there’s a lot to like here. To me he looks like a day two pick.

For all my complaints about the 2026 class so far, the O-line is looking pretty good. Utah right tackle Spencer Fano is my favourite draft eligible player for next year. Francis Mauigoa, Gennings Dunker, Caleb Lomu, Vega Ioane, Drew Shelton, Logan Jones, Parker Brailsford, Ryan Baer. There are good players to be had and the Seahawks might have an opportunity to add further quality and competition to the trenches.

If you missed any of my media appearances this week, check them out here:

Puck Sports

Bump & Stacy

Seahawks Collective

Usual request — do me a huge favour and please check these out and if possible, head over to the YouTube pages for the videos too, leave a like and a comment on there. Your support is much appreciated!

This was a peculiar game. The Seahawks handily out-yarded the Steelers and felt like they should be in a superior winning position earlier than they were. Yet ultimately they got there in the end, courtesy of a bizarre special teams touchdown.

It’s not easy to win by 14 points on the road, particularly against an AFC North opponent with expectations of being competitive. The Seahawks made Aaron Rodgers look well passed his sell-by-date. The defensive tackles both clogged lanes and pressured the quarterback. The passing game was a lot more varied, aggressive and balanced. Cooper Kupp had a good game to complement Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Tory Horton and the tight ends were more involved. Ken Walker had a much better game to the tune of 105 yards on 13 carries.

However, a series of errors made things close. Jason Myers’ missed field goal. Sam Darnold threw two interceptions, the second of which came on a bizarre play-calling decision belittling Seattle’s preference to be a physical running team (if it’s 4th and short, don’t overthink it). Meanwhile, as Walker excelled — Zach Charbonnet suddenly looked like he could barely gain a yard on any of his runs.

It was immensely frustrating that the Steelers had a seven-point lead at half-time despite losing the yardage battle 188-69. Yet the Seahawks, to their credit, made sure it wasn’t going to be one of ‘those’ days. They put 17-straight points on the board to secure the win.

The score that effectively broke it open will go down as one of the more bizarre you’ll ever see. The Steelers allowing a kick-off to enter the end zone, with the Seahawks eventually recovering it. A cheap, easy seven points gratefully received. A huge error. It was the bit of fortune the Seahawks arguably deserved and needed.

The offense still has to iron out the kinks. It’s clear this is going to be a process that takes time. There are still play-calling decisions that seem a little off. This was an improvement from last week though, so gradually getting things on track is plausible.

There were many individual positives though. The top-two receivers, Josh Jobe, all of the front-line defensive tackles, Walker. They needed to win this game to keep up with the rest of the NFC West and they delivered.

We experienced some technical issues during the post-game live stream. If you fast-forward to 18 minutes when the issues start, we seemed to have solved the problem. My apologies, I will try to make sure this is fixed:

This is a guest post by Curtis Allen…

A bitterly tough and confusing loss is almost in the rearview mirror.

After last week’s game, questions about the team’s offseason and game planning rang out loudly.

Will the offense be committed to running the ball?  Is Kenneth Walker healthy enough to be the difference-maker we know he can be?  How do the Seahawks feature him and Zach Charbonnet in the offense?  Was the lack of Tight End usage an aberration, or is the unit not yet ready to contribute?

On defense, can Riq Woolen overcome his lapses in coverage and return to his rookie season form in a contract year?  Can Byron Murphy do more than be a good run stopper inside?  What kind of exotic looks can Mike Macdonald cook up with all the young talent he has on defense?

Questions like these may linger throughout the entire season if not addressed quickly.

The NFL season is a discovery process.  Fans cannot see behind the curtain to really know what their team is cooking up.  Even the team cannot completely know how their plans will work out.  It can only be seen on the field of play.

Week Two provides a major opportunity to discover further answers to the questions we have.  The Seahawks travel to Pittsburgh to face a star-studded but flawed Steelers team.  They match up well with the Steelers and their stated team philosophy of running and playing tough defense is a key to success on the road.

But can they bounce back from a Week One loss and get right?

That’s what we will have to discover.

Play the Game You Designed Your Team to Play

The Steelers defense shines with star power – TJ Watt is one of the league’s best, Alex Highsmith is one of the league’s most underrated, Patrick Queen was a Pro Bowl player last year and Jalen Ramsey demonstrated Sunday that he still has juice as a versatile and tough defender.

That said, this defense has been vulnerable in two critical areas:  Defending the traditional run (especially the zone run game), the Quarterback scramble and defending Tight Ends in the passing game.

Last week they gave up five (!) explosive runs to the Jets on their way to conceding 182 yards on the ground.  The Jets gained 13 first downs and scored three touchdowns on the ground.

Though the Steelers are known for tough defense they are extremely vulnerable in the zone run game, as pointed out here (hat tip to commenter KH for finding this gem):

Here’s how schematic matchups can help find good DFS plays which are also low-owned

PIT D allowed 5th fewest yards/rush (4.05) BUT

vs ZONE rush: 31st, 4.98/rush, 52.3 success rate
vs MAN/GAP: 2nd, 2.84/rush, 39.2 SR

MIN D too

Zone-heavy running games were great plays vs both pic.twitter.com/08RE0akgqG

— Matt Butler (@ButlerinAustin) September 6, 2025

The Seahawks need to primarily run their zone running scheme with some gap running sprinkled in to keep things off-kilter.  This is what they wanted and Klint Kubiak was so good at:  find ways to manage the game and take pressure off the Offensive Line in the passing game.

Simply put, they need to commit to the run game.

How did the Jets run so effectively?  They ran as far away from T.J. Watt as they possibly could:

Just look at that run chart.  It is lopsided towards the Left Side of the field.  T.J. Watt spends most of his time lined up over the Right Tackle.  The Jets even took precautions to have a Running Back lead block Watt at times so he could not crash the play from the back side.  A perfect job for Robbie Ouzts at times, no?

The Seahawks will not and should not run the exact same play package as the Jets.  But there is a lot of wisdom in it and the Steelers did not have an answer for it.

One thing they can exploit that the Jets did not – run right at Watt.  They need to be very selective and have good timing.  But a play where Abe Lucas allows Watt to rush himself out of the edge and let the Running Back exploit that hole can do wonders for the offense.  Getting a good run and making Watt hesitate just a little is worth the occasional gamble.

Another strength the Seahawks have yet to properly exploit is with the Quarterback.  Justin Fields scrambled and used his legs to move up in the pocket and then rush when he had openings.  Nobody is ever going to confuse Sam Darnold with Fields but this is an area where the Steelers have had a disconnect between their powerful rush ends and the second level of the defense.  Fields burned them consistently for yards on the ground and Darnold (with his quick decision-making) should not hesitate to take off at any time he sees a proper opening.

Another way to attack this defense was not heavily exploited by the Jets last week but should be by the Seahawks:  regular throwing to the Tight Ends as part of the offense.

Last year, the Steelers were one of the NFL’s worst at defending Tight Ends in the passing game.  Opponents averaged about six catches and 70 yards per game.

And while Patrick Queen earned a trip to the Pro Bowl, he was not good in pass coverage (PFF grade in the 50’s last year and 52.3 in Week One) and opponents know it:  Queen was the second-most targeted defender for the Steelers last year and one of the most frequently targeted Linebackers in the NFL.  He gave up 9.7 yards per reception in coverage and 6.5 yards after the catch.

Regularly sending Tight Ends into routes also keeps Queen moving backwards rather than patrolling the area behind the line of scrimmage, where he is best.  That helps make the running game effective as well.

The Steelers are also badly banged up in their secondary, with Jabril Peppers signed off the street this week to fill in for DeShone Elliot.  Quick seam routes and in-breaking slants should be regular features of the offensive attack.

Once some effectiveness is established there, the play-action can become a tool to keep pass rushers and linebackers hesitating and the field should open up for the Wide Receivers.

All of this works together.  The Seahawks should be able to move the ball on this defense if they practice what they preach:  good fundamentals, tough play and keeping your overall goals and strengths at the forefront of your plan.

Keep the Game in Front of Them on Defense

The Steelers have placed an extraordinary amount of their hopes and dreams for the 2025 season on Aaron Rodgers’ shoulders.  It was a drama that played out all offseason in a way that only Rodgers can get away with.

What does that mean for the team and for this game in particular?

With an offensive line that is young and still finding their way, and a running game that so far has not produced a lot, they need Rodgers to throw.  A lot.  That means designing an offense to keep the 42-year-old upright.

Over the years, Rodgers-quarterbacked teams have slowly shortened his passing depths in each season.  It helps him get the ball out quickly and avoid being sacked or hit as much.

In his prime, Rodgers’ Intended Air Yards per Pass Attempt was in the 8-8.8 yard range, right about the middle of the NFL.  Mike LaFleur in Green Bay started slowly pulling that back a bit.  And now that Rodgers is older and has sustained a serious knee injury in the recent past, it went down to 6.8 yards last year in New York.

This year in Week One?  4.6 yards per attempt, one of the lowest in the NFL.  That means the bulk of his passing yards are coming from Yards after the Catch.

Have a look at this example.

Metcalf is only four yards downfield when he catches the ball but gains 23 total yards and a first down.

The four-yard catch is fine.  What he does after the catch is not.

The Seahawks need to think horizontally on defense.  Julian Love and Coby Bryant can handle the deep middle of the field.  Linebackers and Corners need to think primarily about the first five yards of the field, and keep receivers in front of them.  If they do not allow a regular movement of the offense to result in these 20-yard explosive plays, the odds swing in their favor and the chances the Steelers can put three downs together to gain ten yards go down.

If they can mix in the occasional tight press type coverage to get Rodgers off his quick timing, that will keep this offense off-balance and allow rushers like Boye Mafe and Derick Hall to pin their ears back and get after Rodgers.

Broderick Jones was dreadful in his first game at Left Tackle and Troy Fautanu played like a rookie in his first NFL game at Right Tackle.  This could be a real problem for the Steelers offense.

The national media’s quarterback analysis ahead of the college football season was off. Many projected Arch Manning to be the top overall prospect at any position for 2026, LaNorris Sellers was being prematurely projected as a top-five pick and then there was the baffling promotion of Cade Klubnik to QB1 status.

I wanted to discuss the class in week two, cut through the reality of the group and look at how they performed. I studied Garrett Nussmeier (LSU), Drew Allar (Penn State), Klubnik (Clemson vs Troy), Sawyer Robertson (Baylor vs SMU) and John Mateer (Oklahoma vs Michigan).

Garrett Nussmeier vs Louisiana Tech

Nussmeier didn’t get a lot of help but still managed to flash the skills that make him clearly the most pro-ready of the 2026 eligible QB’s. The question with Nussmeier isn’t his natural talent or sophistication as a passer. It’s upside. He’s a fit for the NFL. But does he have the physical tools to be more than an average-to-good starter? Is he a franchise elevator or someone who will need to be placed within a certain offensive system to have big success?

There were several key plays by Nussmeier against LA Tech. A 3rd and 8 for example where he has to drop deep into his own end zone before completing an excellent 18-yard pass over the middle, splitting the coverage. He was poised, calm, trusted the play-call and executed.

He had a similar 2nd and 11 throw from his own five-yard line. Nussmeier took a shotgun snap, was quickly under pressure (and was about to be hit as he uncorked) yet still delivered another excellent completion over the middle for a first down.

At the start of the fourth quarter he converted excellently on 3rd and 11. He felt pressure from both sides so had to throw off his back-foot. He still delivered to a slow developing crosser with anticipation and accuracy for a big gain and conversion.

There were multiple drops by his receivers in the game, including in the red-zone. He did have some misses — overshooting on one play-action pass. Nussmeier also took two unnecessary sacks later on. His interception was on an underthrown ball downfield.

His touchdown though showed his comfort going through progressions and playing with poise to get a redzone score:

 
There’s a lot to like with Nussmeier. he regularly completes NFL throws, including on third down, and excels with anticipation and throwing receivers open. Through two games he has eliminated the bonehead mistakes from a year ago which was likely the main goal for this season. If he carries LSU to a big season — it will promote his stock in a big way.

I think he has legit first round potential. It’s just a question of whether he’ll end up in that range by the end of the year, and how high he can realistically go. He doesn’t have the size and cannon for an arm to think he can become one of the NFL’s best. I think he will need to work within a good scheme for a good play-caller and be a top-end facilitator (which I believe he is capable of).

He’s a better player than Mac Jones but there’s always a chance he ends up on that kind of path. Jones, when working with Josh McDaniels, started well in New England then faded when McDaniels bolted for Vegas. It won’t be a huge shock if Jones does quite well in relief of Brock Purdy in San Francisco, working in Kyle Shanahan’s scheme. Yet he was never going to be a player who can transcend his environment. Nussmeier might be in a similar place — where he’s drafted and who he works with will likely have the biggest say in his ability to succeed at the next level. Technically though, he is an impressive player.

Drew Allar vs FIU

This was the kind of showing from Allar to bring back the non-flattering comparisons to Mike Glennon. He was quite stiff on the move and didn’t look particularly creative or at ease. I thought he looked like a mid-round pick in this game.

Right off the bat on the tape you see technical flaws. Allar takes a snap from the gun, has an awkward 2.5 step drop, pats the ball on what needs to be a really crisp drop, set and throw, and he has to rely on his admittedly good arm strength to get it out to the sideline. This is a routine, frequent, first drive kind of throw that he makes way harder than it needs to be.

When he should get the ball out, the cornerback is 10 yards off the receiver. This needs to be the kind of anticipatory throw where the receiver, running from the slot and breaking to the right sideline, needs to see the ball coming his way as soon as he turns to look for it. Here, he’s turning to Allar and the ball is still in the quarterback’s hand:

That ball needed to be out quicker. It’s 3.5 seconds between the snap and the throw. The little delay allows the cornerback to close and because his body positioning and footwork is off, the ball comes out wobbly (noted by the commentator). If this is executed correctly, you get the first down with little stress. Instead, there’s no chance for the receiver to make the play and he’s hit as soon as he makes the catch:

A 3rd and 4 throw on the first drive falls incomplete with Allar again dropping with five steps, awkwardly, from the gun. His footwork and body position is again poor and Allar throws off his back-foot. The ball sails between two receivers. It’s unclear if this is just a bad miss or a miscommunication on one or both of the routes, but it looks ugly.

On the next play on 4th and 4, Allar locks on to his covered primary receiver and it’s easily broken up for a turnover on downs.

There were good moments too. On his first touchdown he moved around and found a wide open receiver in the end zone. There were examples where his technique and footwork were better and he was able to use his arm strength to gun-in accurate throws into tighter windows.

Yet for the most part he was just off. Misfiring on easy screens, underthrowing downfield, throwing too flat and not giving receivers a chance to go and win 1v1. He’s going to be a pocket passer at the next level and needs to show a lot of technical quality to go with the arm. Instead, he looks like a player who needs so much work to get the basics functioning — without the improv or creativity others possess to avoid pressure. When he faced pressure here, he didn’t cope well.

With safety-net Tyler Warren now in the NFL, you wanted to see an elevating, rising player. We saw evidence of that at the end of last season but this performance was more like the Allar before the rise. He simply has to play better than this — and when he faces bigger challenges in the BIG-10 it’ll be interesting to see if he can.

Cade Klubnik vs Troy

In the first two games of the new season, Klubnik has been extremely underwhelming. He doesn’t have big physical tools, lacks stature and he just looks uneasy.

There’s a 3rd and 4 with just under six minutes to go in the first quarter. The receiver TJ Moore gets a really good release running a crossing route and they set-up a rub with another receiver. Here’s a screen grab highlighting the intended receiver and his route, with the rub circled:

Klubnik knows what his two receivers are going to do, who he’s supposed to throw to and the plan works perfectly. Moore is open. He just has to throw it with anticipation into the area he’s running to and it’s an easy, bread-and-butter conversion for a first down. Instead, he holds onto the ball inexplicably longer than he should do. Two things happen. Firstly, the defender who was rubbed has enough time to recover and sprint back into coverage. Secondly, Moore literally had to stop his route and turn back to the quarterback to wait for the football.

Look where the receiver is catching the ball thanks to Klubnik’s delay:

In the end Moore is tackled and brought down at the original LOS. This should be an easy conversion for a first down 100/100 times.

If you are not 6-4, 230lbs and the physical prototype for the position, you have to be able to at least execute these kinds of play at a high level. You need to sell to the league that you might not be Josh Allen but when you scheme up an easy concept to convert a third down, you’ll get the job done. This isn’t good enough.

The Clemson offense has a lot of short passes not thrown beyond the sticks. Klubnik’s lack of stature led to a couple of tipped passes at the line, one of which was intercepted for a pick-six. He was hesitant, indecisive and jittery in the pocket as Clemson fell into a 16-0 hole. He threw behind and off target, including on a wide-open touchdown opportunity in the fourth quarter. There were also some pretty deliveries to the sideline, one of which was dropped nicely between two defenders for a chunky gain. His second touchdown was a nicely lofted, accurate pass under pressure for the throw of the night.

I just don’t see it though. There’s been no evidence of him being anything more than a mid-round pick so far, let alone QB1. At least Allar has the size and the arm. Klubnik just looks like a very average prospect.

Sawyer Robertson vs SMU

This is more like it. Robertson led an epic Baylor comeback and showed off a great combination of passing skill and physical talent. His first touchdown is beautifully thrown — hitting a receiver in stride running the red-line to the left. He delivers an expert touch pass with the right amount of velocity. Textbook throw with a perfect spiral.

There’s evidence of Robertson scanning the field, identifying the best option and then executing. He knew when he had favourable matches to the outside and didn’t mess around. A case in point — on one deep ball he sees the opportunity immediately. There’s no half-baked drop and set with messy footwork here — he simply takes the snap and gets it downfield, allowing his receiver to run under the ball 1v1. The cornerback has no time to adjust to the ball in the air. It’s practically unplayable.

This was the touchdown throw to tie the game at 38-38 with 34 seconds to go:

Sawyer Robertson can rip it pic.twitter.com/ig7lCv6sbw

— Pace N Space (@PaceNSpace2) September 9, 2025

Again, he’s decisive. You can see him look pre-snap at his receivers. He knows the coverage, knows the route he wants to target and he’s decisive.

This is throwing with anticipation. When he delivers the football, the receiver isn’t even in the shot. It whistles by the referee’s right shoulder and the receiver runs to the area. Robertson exploits the coverage, knows what he’s doing and he’s in control:

On top of his arm talent and decisiveness, he’s a good athlete. He can make plays with his legs — both to extend plays and to take off and run for big gains.

Baylor were overmatched in their opening game against Auburn and Robertson didn’t really have a chance to show his best football. He still threw for 419 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions. Here, in a difficult contest against SMU, he shone, led an upset, and had four more touchdowns and zero picks.

We said it before the season began and it’s worth repeating. He is a player worth monitoring. I don’t know if he can promote his stock into the first round range. That’s to be determined. Yet he has far more physical upside and technical talent than Klubnik and Allar and he deserves to be seriously considered for the second or third best 2026 eligible quarterback.

John Mateer vs Michigan

Firstly, I get the sense the media hype is going to go into overdrive with Mateer. He looks the part, he interviews like Russell Wilson during his rookie season in Seattle and he’s exciting as f*** to watch. There’s an entertainment factor with Mateer that the TV companies and draft pundits are going to love. There’s a lack of true big name stars both in college football and the 2026 draft class. They are almost certainly going to do everything they can to make Mateer the face of both.

It’s not totally unwarranted. Like I said, Mateer is pure box-office. He’s both unpredictable and capable of making highlight-reel plays. There are also technical aspects to appreciate. He’s not wasting any time in the pocket with unnecessary extra steps. He’s going to drop back, get the ball out and it’s coming at max velocity nearly every time.

He throws with different arm angles. He’ll take on the middle of the field and show no fear. He can whip a pass to the sideline with almost no wasted motion — splitting two defenders before they even realise what’s going on, as he did against Michigan two minutes into the game.

As a designed runner he can sprint away from defenders, juke away from them to create missed tackles and he even has enough lower body power to run through contact occasionally. He’s a legit threat in short yardage situations as a ball-carrier and he has similar explosive traits to Jalen Hurts.

On my second watch of this game I have to confess, I liked his performance way more than I originally thought watching live. He had one throw on 1st and 13 from his own three-yard line. He had to drop back into the endzone and then right before he gets levelled by a defender, he uncorks a perfect pass 40-yards downfield to the right sideline hitting his receiver. That’s a massive swing play — showing off his poise and arm talent.

It’s not all good though. His interception was a wild off-target error, missing his intended target by a mile. He had throws behind and away from his receivers. One throw just after the two-minute warning needed to be thrown with an arc beyond the coverage, allowing the receiver to run under it. Instead Mateer threw a flat throw to the back-shoulder. It hits the defensive back and is almost picked off on the deflection. The two circles indicate where the ball went and where it could’ve and should’ve gone:

This also shows how he lacks touch at times. Everything is a fastball when you’d like to see a little bit more placement and thought rather than, ‘let me gun this sucker in there’.

Here’s another example. Look at the huge play on offer if he lofts this throw over the defender. Instead, he hits the cornerback in the hands and he’s lucky it wasn’t intercepted:

This is life with Mateer. You take the rough with the smooth. On the very next play, a 3rd and 8, he faces early pressure on a cornerback blitz. He’s a sitting duck but somehow breaks the attempted tackle and stays on his feet. This allows him to scramble to the right hand side and extend the play. On the run, he then throws a perfect dime +30 yards downfield to the right sideline. The run after the catch takes the receiver to the goal-line. Two plays later, Mateer runs it in brilliantly for a touchdown.

What should’ve been a sack and a punt at midfield ends up being a massive conversion thanks to the brilliant creativity of the quarterback, then a score to make it 21-7.

You are going to get massive highs and lows with Mateer. He’s going to do things that few quarterbacks in college football can do. He’s going to win games for Oklahoma with his talent and will. He’s also going to risk turnovers and make mistakes. When Oklahoma face Auburn on September 20th, it’ll be interesting to see whether the creativity and big plays outweigh the risk-taking and the errors in what will be a stern test against a good defense.

In a year without lots of obvious first round quarterbacks, Mateer has a chance to build momentum. It’s hard to project what he is at the moment, this is one where we need more games to say the range he deserves. Yet there’s a definite Mayfield/Hurts type quality to the way he’s started at Oklahoma.