Month: August 2023 (Page 2 of 2)

Thoughts on the Vikings pre-season game

August 11, 2023 /

Firstly, I made an appearance on VSiN to talk Seahawks yesterday, please check out the video below (and like it on YouTube). The more views for these the better!

Here are my quick notes on the Vikings game…

— I’m glad the starters didn’t play. The NFL has become increasingly attritional, even as some of the physicality is taken out of the game. Losing a key player in a meaningless contest would be incredibly frustrating. I’d happily not see any of the main starters in these three games (and I’d rather do away with pre-season altogether frankly).

— Derrick Hall made a really nice first impression. Stunts are a bit overrated for impact and praise but he did them well. He flashed quickness and energy plus some power. He drew a penalty on a hold. This was a great start and suggested he should be able to work into the rotation quickly for some rush impact. Pete Carroll spoke glowingly about him after the game and rightly so. He’s a terrific talent with a great attitude.

— Boye Mafe was also really active off the edge. He missed a key tackle (as did Tre Brown) which led to YAC but other than that he looks quick and busy. You could see the athleticism both Hall and Mafe possess and that’s a good sign.

— Generally I thought the defense was too easy to play against and we saw a repeat of the same issues from last season. Gap discipline was poor. They couldn’t set the edge consistently. They were getting moved up the middle and the linebackers couldn’t key into gaps. For a stretch it felt like the running game was always there for Minnesota. Seattle also gave up the frustrating ‘check down for a first down’ on 3rd and long. I think they’d added talent to their defensive personnel but I continue to have major reservations about the D-line depth and coaching staff.

— Coby Bryant made an impression at safety with a nice big hit, speed across the secondary and he showed he’s able to come up to the LOS and lay a hit to set the edge. Tre Brown, though, still looks rusty. It’s a shame but his serious injury seems to have stalled the really encouraging progress he displayed in year one. He was beat for the Vikings touchdown, mistiming his attempted PBU.

— It was great to see blog favourite Jake Bobo making plays. We said it all throughout last year, the guy just finds ways to get open and get things done. I would protect him on this roster, he just has ‘it’. He scored a nice touchdown, made other key receptions and almost had a brilliant play in kick-coverage on the goal-line. He ended the day as Seattle’s leading receiver. He has a future in the league.

— I liked Seattle’s physicality. There were some solid hits, runners like Zach Charbonnet delivered some punishment on contact and overall this felt like a performance with some juice.

— Levi Bell made some plays on defense and I also thought Tyreke Smith was busy enough. Jordan Ferguson had a nice sack. I still think there’s a glaring issue up the middle on this defense though.

— I find it difficult to assess Drew Lock. We all know he’s mobile and has an arm. However, he gives off a constant erratic vibe like he might make an error at any moment. Maybe he just needs reps? His interception was tipped so there’s not a huge portion of blame there (could his processing be quicker?). His first touchdown throw needed all of his arm to deliver into a tight window (it was well caught by Easop Winston) and he found Bobo for the second score. I’m in the ‘need to see more’ category with Lock and I hope he continues to play most of the next two pre-season games. Holton Ahlers, meanwhile, ran around well but he was incredibly fortunate that his touchdown (a lob and hope) wasn’t picked off.

— On the subject of QB’s I watched some of Houston vs New England and Davis Mills played very well. I still like the look of him and wonder if a smart team can do a deal with the Texans there.

— Really hope Cade Johnson is OK after a reported head/neck injury. A great guy who was a lot of fun to interview after the Senior Bowl and it was good to touch base with him again in Munich last year. Fingers crossed it’s nothing too serious and he makes a quick recovery. Carroll’s post-game report was relatively encouraging, suggesting it was a concussion and nothing more.

— Cam Young has a calf injury. The Seahawks are already thin up front and an injury like this only highlights it further. They are not deep enough on the D-line and it needs rectifying. I just don’t know what they can do at defensive tackle to solve this problem.

— Overall I think the way the team played with toughness and the flashes from several younger players made this a satisfying opening to the pre-season. Concerns about the defensive scheme and ability to defend the run, however, certainly linger.

Video thoughts on the Seahawks D-line

August 10, 2023 /

I will have a write-up on the Vikings pre-season game on the blog on Friday (it’s a 3am kick-off over here) and on Sunday we’ll do a live stream debating what we saw. Feel free to use this as an open thread to discuss the game.

In the meantime here’s a video fleshing out my thoughts on the Seahawks D-line and why Jadeveon Clowney would be a positive (albeit unlikely) addition:

I would be open to Jadeveon Clowney returning

August 9, 2023 /

Let me be clear — I don’t think it’ll happen.

The Seahawks haven’t even been moderately connected to Jadeveon Clowney since he left in 2020. He was called ‘a priority’ to re-sign after a productive single 2019 season in Seattle. Clowney was inconsistent (as his career has shown) but at his best he also wrecked games — most notably the enthralling win in Santa Clara and the Eagles playoff game.

A breakdown in negotiations occurred and that was it. One and done. He rejected their offers early in free agency then sat out the entire summer. He eventually signed for the Titans days before the 2020 season began. Since then, he’s become a gun for hire — going through the same free agency slow dance every year.

I can’t help but feel he made a mistake not committing to Seattle when, presumably, a reasonable (albeit not record-setting) contract was offered. He’s ended up becoming quite nomadic and the Seahawks were left with a gaping hole on their defensive line. They’ve only just recovered from the way they handled the pass rush during a galling three-year period where the likes of Clowney and Frank Clark departed only to be replaced on the cheap by Benson Mayowa and Bruce Irvin.

After a couple of years in Cleveland, Clowney is now being linked to the Ravens as he prepares to reach the time of year when he suddenly starts considering his options.

I get the sense bridges have been burned in Seattle. They’ve always been willing to bring players back and yet Clowney doesn’t even get linked.

Regardless, I think it’d be a good move by the Seahawks for a number of reasons.

At the moment Mario Edwards Jr is listed as a starter on the depth chart with Myles Adams at #2. If I’m going to call Clowney nomadic, Edwards is on a different level. He’s had seven teams in eight years. He’s a perfectly adequate depth piece but I’d also argue he’s shown to be very replaceable as a starter.

His average PFF grade over the last five years is 66.2. This is inflated by one really good season he had in 2020, where he achieved an 88.6. Without that one season, his average grade would be 60.5.

In that same five-year span, Clowney’s average grade is 78.7.

It’s a similar story with run defense. Edwards Jr’s five-year average is graded at 63.8 while Clowney’s run-D is a superior 75.9.

If the two players were on the same roster, rotating in, you might be able to get a fair bit out of them. Clowney is 30-years-old now and not the same player he was at his peak in the late 20-teens. Yet he is still capable of producing flashes, wrecking plays and playing stoutly against the run. He’s also versatile enough to be able to play the edge or five-technique.

Teams like the Eagles have shown you can never have too many disruptive pass rushers. They’ve tended to collect them, even when a player is towards the end of his career. Whilst the Seahawks have added nicely to the outside-linebacker rush positions and the addition of Dre’Mont Jones is a major plus — it still feels like they need more to be a truly fearsome defensive unit. There’s no doubt the defensive line is the weakest area of an otherwise attractive looking defense on paper.

Clowney’s position isn’t the biggest need. That is clearly defensive tackle or more specifically, nose tackle. Yet as we’ve discussed recently, those players simply don’t appear to be available on the open market or via trade. Clowney actually is available.

For the last two years he has signed contracts worth $7m and $9.25m guaranteed. The Seahawks only have $11.3m in effective cap space but could incentivise the deal to push money ahead or, god forbid, they could still yet approach Jamal Adams about reducing his back-breaking $18.1m cap-hit when it still remains unclear when he’ll actually be able to take the field.

This isn’t about claiming the 2023 version of Clowney is a saviour, an elite player or someone who will solve every problem. What he is, though, is a player capable of disrupting up front and playing run defense. You’ll never have too many of those — and the Seahawks do still need depth and reinforcement for their defensive line.

It’s absolutely clear they are thin up front. Behind Jarran Reed, Dre’Mont Jones and Mario Edwards Jr are two rookies (Cam Young, Mike Morris) and the second-year Myles Adams. Given how attritional the trenches are, the Seahawks are a couple of injuries away from being incredibly green up front. That could undermine all the work done at linebacker and safety.

Given how much the Seahawks have invested in trying to take the next step this year, I’m kind of left thinking ‘why not?’ when it comes to a Clowney move. There’d be no long-term commitment. It wouldn’t break the bank. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work.

Maybe bridges have been burned and there’s no going back? Either from Clowney’s perspective or Seattle’s (or both). Maybe they don’t trust his ability to stay healthy or be consistent? Perhaps he’s irked by the 2020 negotiation? This would all be easier to stomach if they had proper depth up front. They don’t. Sometimes, needs must.

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Curtis Allen’s mock game notes

August 5, 2023 /

This is a guest post by Curtis Allen…

Tonight, the Seahawks took another step in their offseason preparation with a mock game at Lumen Field. The starters on each side of the ball lined up against the backup units, and the difference in talent was very clear, as the starters showed why they are starters.

The Quarterbacks Were Impressive

Geno Smith continued his camp run of good play. He was able to take what the defense gave him, pick his moments of when to scramble and throw the ball away and live to fight again, and had several downfield throws that were excellent.

With Tyler Lockett a precautionary scratch, Smith found D.K. Metcalf more than once deep down the field, including a ball that was perfectly placed but Metcalf could just not haul in. He also demonstrated some chemistry with game star Cody Thompson.

He also effectively mixed short quick timing type passes with some deeper throws, while audibling to counteract the defensive formation:

If Geno is able to keep this level of offensive mastery into the regular season, the offense truly is going to live up to its billing.

Drew Lock did not have as good a night, but all things considered it was a decent showing for him. The defense regularly beat the second-string offensive line, putting Lock under all kinds of pressure. He regularly understood where his hot reads were, but his receivers were not always there to bail him out. At one point he threw an absolute bullet to Griffin Hebert on a rhythm timing pass, but Hebert could not complete the catch and that killed a drive.

Lock was “sacked” at least three times, with two of them being impressive plays by the defense. On one, Reed and Dre Jones both beat their inside men and met at the quarterback. Another, Boye Mafe powered past the tackle and (with the red jersey for QBs rule in place) was able to strip-sack Lock with a quick swat that proved more effective than he was likely planning for.

However, he shook off some early play that was unfortunate and pieced together a decent performance. He was able to move the offense down the field, and when his athleticism was required on a play, he was up to the task. On one play, both Jones and Mafe made good reads on play-action and, not getting fooled, gave chase after Lock. But they were unable to beat him to the sideline, and Lock was able to turn upfield and get some extra yards. He also found Jake Bobo in the seam for a ‘game winning’ touchdown pass.

Lock seemed calm, collected and measured in his game tonight. He never panicked, nor made that rash decision that he has become known for. He showed us his arm talent when the chances came, and steadily got stronger as the game went on.

At this point I would say the offense looks very good. But they are winning on talent and freshness. Once teams get a look at their tendencies and start adjusting, the Seahawks will need to come up with some fresh looks and keep them guessing.

The Defensive Backs Competition Is Heating Up

With Riq Woolen still on the PUP for precautionary reasons (Pete Carroll has confirmed he will be back soon), the door is still wide open. And let me tell you, the players are responding.

Devon Witherspoon spent most of the game at the nickel spot the Seahawks had been deploying him in practices, with Jackson at Woolen’s Right Cornerback spot and Tre Brown at Left Cornerback.

Witherspoon looks the part. He is tough, authentic and is not afraid to take chances when he sees a play developing. On one play, he was covering a zone and the ball was thrown his way. Instead of retreating to cover the receiver, he chose the more aggressive (but ultimately correct) play of diving in front of the receiver to make a play on the ball. He got fully horizontal and got enough of a hand on the ball to cause the incompletion.

You can see why they like him at nickel. A combination of his toughness, instincts and the occasional play choice that is ‘if you don’t make this play, the receiver is going to be running for days’, the Seahawks have gotten themselves a player.

What makes the position group so intriguing is the incredible depth. It was on display tonight, as Artie Burns had the best night of the group with several passes defensed. A forgotten player in this group, Burns really shined tonight.

Coby Bryant started out as a safety in the second-string defense, and later moved to a strong safety type role in the first-string defense, blitzing the passer and providing a right-on-the-line presence in run support.

This defensive backfield has all kinds of options. It is possible the Seahawks can draw from this group to strengthen this team via a trade.

Rookie Notes

Kenny McIntosh had a mixed bag kind of night. He ran well, provided his quarterback with options, and had a couple runs that were quick and tough. At one point, he cut outside and a linebacker attempted to arm-tackle him by the shoulders. McIntosh powered through it and gained a few more yards before ending the play with a friendly smack at Bryant, providing downfield last-gasp tackling coverage.

He also had a fumble and came up gingerly after the play. He hobbled to the sideline and into the blue tent. He emerged shortly after with a wrapped and iced knee, and Pete Carroll said it was a sprain of unknown severity.

Zach Charbonnet was a full participant in warmups but only got a couple reps, out of precaution after dealing with a shoulder injury.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba had a fairly quiet night, with two catches and a punt return. But he looks like the player who has lit up training camp so far. At one point, the Seahawks lined him up in the slot, and he took off like a rocket, drawing coverage and leaving the flat completely open for Cody Thompson to slide in for a nice gain.

Cameron Young did not get a ton of snaps but did have a play where he plugged the middle and gave the running back nowhere to go.

Derick Hall ran with the second team defense and looked good but not great. Still feeling his way through things a bit. At one point he did have a great speed rush that got around Stone Forsythe easily.

Other Notes

Jarran Reed looks like he has put on good weight and was handling the Nose Tackle role well in this game against the second-string unit.

Dre Jones was likewise a problem for the second-string line. When he wasn’t disrupting, he was absorbing double-team attention and allowing teammates to come free to the quarterback.

Not much from Tyreke Smith but he had a nice-looking bull rush to move Abe Lucas back.

Jake Bobo had a sneaky-good seven catches, mostly with the third unit, but stepped up to play with the second unit and had the game-winning catch. He looks like an intriguing option with his height and playmaking ability.

Jason Myers missed a 51-yard field goal try and made a 47-yard try.

Jamal Adams looks to be in good spirits even though he is still on the PUP list.

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