This is a guest article by Curtis Allen…
The Seahawks start their second quarter with a fantastic matchup. The Buccaneers are a great test to see where the Seahawks stand in the NFC landscape. They are also a perfect gauge of progress the team has made since last season. They had a gut-wrenching string of four straight home losses at this stretch in 2024, including winnable games against the Rams and Giants. It ultimately cost them a shot at the division and the playoffs.
The Bucs stand at 3-1 despite being hammered by injuries. They are slow starters (currently 24th in the NFL in first-quarter scoring), have been behind late in the fourth quarter of every single game this year — but Baker Mayfield has fought and clawed his way to making his team successful. While flawed, they are mentally tough. They should provide a good challenge to see if this team is truly adaptable and focused enough to execute.
How can they move to 4-1 and position themselves as a serious contender?
Beat the Blitz
Tampa has always been one of the NFL’s most aggressive teams in terms of blitzing on defense. This year they stand at #3 in the NFL, blitzing at over 36% of plays. Incredibly, they are only generating pressure to the Quarterback on 19% of plays, good for #16 in the NFL.
That is not a great return on investment. It can be exploited in three ways…
First, keep doing what you are doing. Sam Darnold in the first four games has nearly perfected the high-pressure blitz-beating pass offense. His quick reads, spot on accuracy combined with the receivers and Tight Ends ability to run routes that quickly present a target has worked very well so far. Darnold is among the NFL’s quickest, most accurate but also deepest passers.
Clocking the incoming blitzer and finding the best option is a real antidote to this high-pressure front that Tampa Bay employs. It might be a silver bullet-type weapon that makes this game easier than it would appear.
Second, a well-timed run into the teeth of the blitz might exploit some of the gaps left by blitzers abandoning their post. Sam Darnold and Klint Kubiak being able to time up some of these runs could really make a very long day for the defense. With Kenneth Walker, who is able to juke about anyone in the open field, and Zach Charbonnet, who has a relentless drive to keep the ball moving forward, the Seahawks could really break the chains of the Bucs’ impressive 3.3 yards per carry conceded number.
Third, using the Running Backs as receivers out of the backfield could be a very potent weapon when the defense blitzes.
Have a look at this pass to Bijan Robinson in the flat. Tampa has sent Corner Jamel Dean and YaYa Diaby to bring six men into the box and Michael Penix has found Robinson on the flat.
Robinson makes quick work of SirVocea Dennis and scampers 50-yards with the help of downfield blockers for the touchdown. It is not hard to see Kenneth Walker doing something similar in a high-leverage situation.
Fourth, Sam Darnold needs to occasionally exploit the gaps in the middle of the field to run. Look at him run for 24 yards against Arizona. When there are six rushers, that means there are five defenders dropped. That means players like Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp are stressing defenders and drawing the coverage and opening up gaps to exploit.
Punishing the blitz on a consistent basis does not always mean making splashy plays. It just means finding and exploiting the weakness the Bucs have exposed by sending extra men on the rush.
Make the Bucs Offense One-Dimensional
Bucky Irving is out for this game and his impact on the offense cannot properly be quantified. He currently is one of the NFL leaders in touches. In fact, Irving is both Tampa’s leading rusher AND receiver at this point in the season. He has accounted for 46% of the offense’s touches through four games.
Rachaad White is a perfectly fine backup to Irving but he will be easier to contain as a core piece of the Tampa offense.
Tampa has been truly awful on third downs this season, converting 37% of them, keeping them just outside of the ten worst teams this season. That was with Irving. The Seahawks defense has been conceding only 39% of third down conversions.
Currently, Baker Mayfield is leading the team in first-down runs.
If the defense can force Mayfield to need to win the game with his legs and his arm, they can truly control the pace of this game and give the offense chances to win the Time of Possession battle and perhaps even acquire some turnovers as the offense needs to take more shots to keep pace with the Seahawks.
