Author: Rob Staton (Page 36 of 428)

This week’s scouting notes will be on the blog on Wednesday. For now, please check out my latest video (and subscribe to the channel if you haven’t already) and I’ll post my latest hit with Puck Sports on the blog tomorrow.

This is a guest post by Curtis Allen

The Mike Macdonald era in Seattle is off to a 2-0 start. While they haven’t buried their opponents in those first two games, winning while still experiencing NFL growing pains signals encouraging progress.

Today’s game against the Miami Dolphins was supposed to be a sizable step up in competition for the Seahawks — an extremely talented AFC team with aspirations of a deep playoff run.

Things obviously haven’t gone to plan for the Dolphins. Another concussion to Tua Tagovailoa and his subsequent placement on Injured Reserve has left a hole that threatens to sink their season.

Also, what was one of the NFL’s best pass-rushing teams last year has seen a sizable drain in talent. Christian Wilkins left for Las Vegas, Bradley Chubb is still out and recovering from a torn ACL and Shaq Barrett decided to retire.

Yet they still feature a lot of firepower – particularly on offense – and that must be respected.

This game is an important marker for the Seahawks to see where they stack up against the rest of the NFL — not to mention a top-flight tune-up for next week’s game in Detroit against the Lions.

The individual matchups will be a treat to watch — D.K. Metcalf versus old rival Jalen Ramsey, Zach Sieler against former teammate Connor Williams, Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill against Riq Woolen and Devon Witherspoon, Jaelen Philips against Charles Cross.

The Seahawks need to win more of these matchups than they lose. Or at least hold the majority of them to a draw.

What areas of this game do the Seahawks need to excel in to go 3-0?

Control the First Half with the Offense

In the Mike McDaniel era, the Dolphins are a fantastic 16-2 when leading at halftime and an awful 3-14 when trailing. While it is true that most teams feature a winning record when leading after two quarters and a losing record when trailing, not many are as extreme as the Dolphins.

This is more so when you consider the Quarterback now running the offense is a sizeable step down in capability from the starter, which hinders their ability to generate points quickly.

While a lot of attention is rightly being given to the shift in Quarterbacks, the offense can help their defense tremendously by applying scoreboard and game clock pressure with a balanced attack by Geno Smith and the running game.

The Dolphins have not yet found their stride in two main aspects of their defense yet and the Seahawks must take advantage.

On run defense, Miami was a top-10 unit last year. They conceded only 3.8 yards per carry and only gave up 100 yards on the ground in six of their games in 2023. This year? 4.5 yards per carry and they have given up 100 yards in each of their first two games.

They really miss Wilkins and Jerome Baker on their run defense.

Fan confidence in the Seahawks’ running game is not high after a poor performance against the Patriots and the unsettling news about Ken Walker’s oblique injury troubles. However, a recommitment to the running game, with the evolving chemistry on the offensive line, should produce some opportunities to feature a more balanced offense this week. That simultaneously takes some pressure off Geno Smith to carry the offense and helps the defense do their job.

In pass rushing, Miami has seen a stunning drop in effectiveness so far this season. Last year they were one of the NFL’s best, finishing at #3 overall in sacks (56) and pressure rate (27.7%) without very much blitzing at all (21.5% of the time, sixth lowest). A good chunk of that effectiveness fed off their ability to keep the running game in check and force obvious passing situations. Combine that with an elite quick-strike offense, and you have a real force.

This year? In their first two games they have been among the league’s worst. They have three sacks (which projects to 26 for the season) and a mere 15.6% pressure rate. This is despite a considerable uptick in blitzing (31.1%).

Geno Smith knows how to handle heavy blitzing. He has been blitzed on 33.7% of his drop backs this year and has consistently burned them. He is completing 75% of his passes for 9.6 yards per attempt and a 101.2 passer rating.

Where can he attack this defense in the passing game? An area that has proven to be a weakness for Miami is passes to Running Backs and Tight Ends. The Dolphins this year are conceding 7.6 yards per catch to Tight Ends and a whopping 12.4 yards per catch to Running Backs.

This is not new. They were among the league’s worst in these two categories last year as well. Yet strangely, their first two opponents have not gone to that well very often.

The Seahawks need to attack this weakness liberally this week. They have excellent pass-catchers in Noah Fant, Zach Charbonnet and Kenny McIntosh. A couple of well-timed passes to beat the blitz and flip the field could really help them take charge of this game.

Protect the Perimeter on Defense

In Tua Tagovailoa’s first two years as an NFL Quarterback in Miami, he was steady but unspectacular for Head Coach Brian Flores. He missed some time with injuries and was not making a strong case to be the Dolphins’ long-term franchise Quarterback.

When Mike McDaniel became the head coach in 2022, Tagovailoa exploded with a season that garnered some MVP votes.

What happened?

Acquiring Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle maturing into a star certainly helped. But something else drove his success — throwing over the middle of the field. In his first two seasons, Tagovailoa avoided throwing in the middle like his life depended on it and it severely limited his game.

McDaniel changed that. He deployed plays that took advantage of his Quarterback’s elite processing and decision-making. As a result, his entire game improved. He added more air yards to his passes due to being able to make defenses respect his ability to attack more of the field. Slants and short post routes were thrown before pass rushers could get anywhere near him. Therefore, Tagovailoa has been the Fastest Gun on the NFL in getting the ball out in recent years, and as a result his pressure rate faced was miniscule.

That is the context we need to discuss defending backup Skylar Thompson.

He is a vastly different Quarterback than Tagovailoa.

He will rarely throw over the middle of the field.

Have a look at the two target charts from his starts in 2022:

The field between the numbers looks like a barren wasteland. Only a fraction of his attempts attacked this area.

That was 2022. Has he improved in this area two years later? The preseason says no. A video of his every throw in preseason this year shows that passes intentionally designed to go to the middle of the field were only made on approximately 10 or so of his 61 throws. Most were awful, some were disastrous and should have been or were intercepted.

That is not to say that Thompson will never throw over the middle today. In fact, you can probably expect a throw or two to try and surprise the Seahawk defense. In whole though, success on defense will mean using the sideline as an ally and pressing Wide Receivers to disrupt their routes from the numbers to the sideline and using a deep safety to keep an eye on anyone who gets through the net.

McDaniel will very likely call a section of the plays he did for Tagovailoa — those snap-throws to the perimeter to De’Von Achane, Raheem Mostert and the two Wide Receivers and let them create with their speed and vision. It’s a Miami staple and it works very well for them.

Edge defenders like Devon Witherspoon, Jerome Baker, Tyrell Dodson and K’Von Wallace will be especially important in defending these types of plays. They will need the vision to see the angles, the speed to get behind blockers and the sure-handedness to bring these runners down before they get a head of steam.

This is also true of the run game. Yes, Miami does run in between the tackles. But they love to have sweeps and end-around runs that give their speedy backs room to operate. The cornerbacks will need to be alert to get off Wide Receiver blocks and show determination to tackle these runners for a minimal gain. Both Woolen and Witherspoon have been graded very well by PFF in run defense so far this year. This will be a very intriguing chess match.

The other area that Thompson differs from Tagovailoa is he uses his legs much more. He hangs onto the ball far longer than Tagovailoa, simply because he does not have his processing speed and confidence. Asking him to stand in the pocket, scan and deliver a strike is not his strength.

He is faster and has a strong arm to throw on the run. Pass rushers will need to pursue him with vigour and limit his time to find a receiver. We all saw this in Seattle with Russell Wilson, once he escapes the pocket, Wilson was very dangerous. Thompson has some of that to his game. The problem for him is, it is too big a part of his game, and at times he can be inaccurate which negates the strength. He also prefers to retreat to the perimeter to buy time rather than go forward in traffic.

My guess would be Mike Macdonald will take another pass this week on revealing his Bag of Tricks on defense, and deploy a standard tack when the backup is in: flood coverage and make him beat you. How is this different than years past, where players like Colt McCoy would dice the Seahawks up? This team can get pressure with four. Inside pocket pressure from the likes of Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy will be nicely supplemented by the speed of Boye Mafe and the power of Derick Hall, with some Dre Jones mixed in for good measure.

That is not to say Macdonald will not dial up a package in a key moment.

Like the offense, the early part of the game is key. Thompson typically has started slow and rusty – particularly with his accuracy on throws of any length – and had a difficult time finding a groove. If they can help the offense have a quick start, that ratchets up the pressure to keep up and Thompson just is not built for that.

In his 2022 playoff game start, he was 7 for 21 with an interception in the second half of the game. The defense had created three turnovers but Thompson was just not able to take advantage.

As talented as Miami is, this should be a game the Seahawks can have in hand and control.

One of the best feelings when scouting quarterbacks is seeing a player not protected by his scheme. High-percentage throws, often in the form of extended hand-offs and wide-open deep shots, are common. You end up judging players based on non-translatable environments. When you see a player doing something as simple as throwing over the middle with consistency into tight coverage, it’s virtually heaven.

Memphis’ Seth Henigan has shown he can do this. It was enjoyable watching his tape. I want to run through my thoughts based on what I’ve seen in his three games so far this season.

This is his fourth year starting and his experience shows. There were multiple times against Florida State where you could see clear progression through reads. It’s rare that you’ll see a player go to a first, second and third read and eventually pull the trigger over the middle. Henigan does that.

His first handful of throws in the game showcased a NFL style skillset. His internal clock would tick as he eyed up a couple of reads over the middle before checking down. He took off on a roll-out before throwing for a first down on the run. He’d take a three-step drop, set his feet and throw to a covered defender over the middle because that was the best option, delivering an accurate pass with timing over the middle (no hitch) to get the seven yards on first down the defense was offering. He dropped in a nicely thrown 45-yard downfield shot to the right sideline for a big play, noticing the opportunity with a 1v1 outside.

Henigan diced up Florida State all afternoon, showing total command of his offense and an ability to attack different areas of the field. I just keep coming back to the way he was throwing to covered receivers but his timing and accuracy was sufficiently good that he was able to make completions over the middle of the field. This is what you need to do in the NFL.

He also showed poise and improvisation when needed. On one play at the end of the second quarter his intended target was a quick throw to the outside receiver. I think he anticipated the cornerback blitz but perhaps didn’t expect the defender would get to him as quickly as he did and then jump to block the throw, rather than go for the sack. Henigan pumped to deceive the corner, moved to his right to buy a little more room and then completed the pass for a nine-yard gain on first down.

One of the things I’m really zoning in on this year is how a quarterback handles third downs. I was really impressed with Henigan here.

With 18 seconds left in the first half he turned a 2nd and 20 into a 3rd and 7 with a layered pass over the middle in-between defenders, then figured out the flaw in the coverage on the next play to get a first down — setting up a scoring opportunity as time expired.

He started the second half with a laser throw into tight coverage over the middle to convert a 3rd and 5 situation. The pass needed extra zip and perfect accuracy and he delivered. He capped this drive with a 3rd and goal play-action touchdown — throwing off-balance with incredible anticipation and accuracy, guiding his pass to the receiver’s right arm as he fell backwards to avoid the covering defender.

The play of the game was a 3rd and 13 play with 4:05 left in the third quarter. He stepped up to avoid a blitz off the left edge, side-stepped to avoid his own lineman running into him and had to re-set in the pocket. He did all this while keeping his eyes downfield. With very little back-lift he then threw over the middle for a conversion:

These are plays you can look at and imagine happening in the NFL.

Against North Alabama you saw similar plays — throws into tight coverage, completed by standing tall in the pocket, throwing with base and timing and delivering on target for chunk yardage. He was credited with five ‘big time’ throws in the game, was able to get his opponent to jump off-side on more than one occasion and again exploited 1v1 coverage on the outside with another 45-yard touch pass.

With the rest of the season to come — he already has 84 career passing touchdowns for Memphis (26 interceptions). He has added nine rushing touchdowns. This is the kind of career production and experience teams love and it shows with the confidence and understanding he plays with.

I like his mechanics. His release is sufficiently quick and he can throw with touch. His ball placement both on an intermediate and deep level is good. He doesn’t have an absolute cannon of an arm but he understands when a throw needs a bit more mustard to beat a coverage. He’s not a slouch in the pocket and can move around when needed. Certainly he can throw on boot-legs and roll-outs and his pocket movement is good.

Ceiling will be the big question mark. He is not a big powerful gunslinger who can launch it downfield 60-yards and I’m not sure he ever will be. Neither is he a massively creative force to extend plays and as a runner it’s very much on a ‘needs must’ basis. Henigan is technically impressive and I can definitely see him appealing to the Shanahan tree teams looking for someone to run their scheme. I don’t think he’s limited to these systems though — and there’s enough on tape to feel like he has sufficient promise to be drafted with the idea of seeing how he gets on with the step-up in quality.

Henigan is a player I want to keep watching this season. He’s unlikely to end up being a high draft pick but he’d be worthy of a Senior Bowl invite to show what he can do. He might not be physically brilliant enough to project as an eventual NFL starter but a player like this definitely deserves a chance in the NFL. He was a lot more intriguing than I expected.

At the moment I have Quinn Ewers and Shedeur Sanders rated as legit first round talents (although both players carry question marks — injuries for Ewers, baggage for Sanders). Carson Beck is a fringe first round player for me. Garrett Nussmeier, on limited playing time, has a tentative day two grade although I need to see more starts to confirm that mark. I think Cam Ward and Jalen Milroe deserve to be graded in round three currently, due to their physical tools, upside and character — but both players are technically flawed and will need to show progress over the coming weeks in that area. Then I have eight players graded in a day three tier, including Henigan. It’ll be interesting to see if any of that group can show sufficient progress in the coming weeks to make a jump.

It’s still too early to form any big opinions on the 2025 draft class — and it’s especially too early to pass judgement on what the Seahawks could potentially do next April. However, I wanted to share some thoughts as we approach the fourth weeked of the college football season.

Currently I think this is shaping up to be a difficult first round, with only a handful of blue-chip players and little in the way of legit first round depth. There have been years when a board looks this way in September/October and changes by the end of the season, Senior Bowl and combine. At the moment though, it’s not looking like a particularly strong draft at the top end.

When there have been drafts like this in the past, such as in 2013 and 2015, the Seahawks traded premium draft stock for proven veterans. That’s something to remember. They also made the expensive Jamal Adams trade during the covid-impacted era, when it was trickier to get intel on prospects.

I’m not predicting the Seahawks will make a move similar to the Leonard Williams trade pre-deadline, or go big-game hunting in the off-season for a star, but unless there’s a big change in how the first round is looking, I wouldn’t rule it out.

One of the big off-season areas of focus will be the offensive line. I talked about this the other day but Will Campbell at LSU, often touted as a top-10 pick online, is not playing remotely close to that level. I’m not convinced he can stick at tackle and might have to move inside and I have a day-two grade on him currently. His team-mate Emery Jones has only been marginally better — but at least he has a bit more intensity to his play.

Kelvin Banks Jr at Texas has been better but still mostly ‘good’ not ‘great’ and I wonder if he’s destined to move inside too. I think he has a legit shot to go early but it’ll be interesting to see if the league views him as a tackle or guard.

There are some tackles I think are being undervalued. Ohio State’s Josh Simmons has ideal size, good feet and pass-protects well. I think he could be a top-45 pick at tackle. Jack Nelson at Wisconsin can be a tone-setting, physical right tackle or a dominant guard. I’m usually sceptical of small-school buzz online but Charles Grant at William & Mary is legitimately athletic and looks the part. How he performs at the Senior Bowl, assuming he attends, will make or break his stock. Aireontae Ersery at Minnesota also has all the physical tools required to start at the next level.

I’d be particularly interested in Nelson to play guard in Seattle with right tackle versatility and I believe he warrants a second round grade. However, there are two other players I want to focus on here. Alabama’s Tyler Booker was the first non-quarterback I wrote about for this draft cycle and I still rate him very highly. He has great size, he plays with an edge, he’s a five-star athlete and he’s even spelled at left tackle this season. He is an A+ character player and could be a day-one starter next year. The Seahawks will probably need to find a new starting left guard for 2025 so the fit makes sense.

The other player is Arizona’s Jonah Savaiinaea. He is starting at tackle currently. I don’t like that fit. I think his footwork will be a problem defending NFL speed off the edge. However, I think he can be an exceptional guard. When he can block square-on, place his hands on an opponent and control blocks, his vice-like grip and tremendous power make him a dominant force. If a team is willing to move him inside, I suspect he could quickly develop into one of the better NFL guards. Both he and Booker play with a physical intensity combined with plus athleticism.

The other interior line options are thin. It’s looking like a quite poor center class — the hope will have to be that the Senior Bowl uncovers some options here, possibly through converting players to the position. I am looking forward to seeing how Parker Brailsford gets on in the SEC for Alabama. However, I’d advise rooting especially hard for Connor Williams to succeed this year and earn an extension. Ohio State’s Donovan Jackson has excellent athleticism but last year his tape was so underwhelming. This is a big year for him. I think Georgia’s Dylan Fairchild warrants third round consideration currently but I found his team-mate Tate Ratledge (who is having surgery on an ankle injury) a little bit overrated.

I’m starting to lose faith that we’ll ever see a truly dynamic, modern tight end in Seattle. In fairness, they are rare. As we’re seeing with Kyle Pitts — even the supposed sure things can fail to make an impact. The Seahawks drafting AJ Barner this year perhaps spoke to how they might approach things going forwards, although they did re-sign Noah Fant. It is a good tight end class though — with Colston Loveland a near lock for the top-20. Tyler Warren is my favourite non-first round type — he has an excellent, rounded skill-set and could be a top-50 pick. Mitchell Evans, Jake Briningstool, Mason Taylor and others have impressed so far, while I’m looking forward to watching Utah for Brant Kuithe.

There are good defensive linemen eligible for next year. Mason Graham at Michigan should be a top-five pick. TJ Sanders at South Carolina is someone I think has top-50 potential. Tyleik Williams has tremendous run-defending ability with the potential to be more than he’s shown as a pass rusher. Howard Cross is a pure penetrating threat but lacks ideal size. I think Kenneth Grant and Deone Walker are a little bit overrated and see them more as day two types (many consider them first rounders).

Abdul Carter and Jalon Walker are two dynamic playmaking linebackers who would fit well in the Mike Macdonald system — but both could/should go early. After that, it feels like an underwhelming linebacker group with mostly mid/late round types — although I need to do more work on the position. Alabama’s Deontae Lawson reads plays very well and just seems to gravitate to the ball. He has second round potential. Team-mate Jihaad Campbell has the frame of an edge rusher and might be an ill-fit at the next level playing off-the-ball linebacker but he also has major athletic talent.

There will be opportunities for teams to add in the secondary. Aside from the bigger names, I really enjoyed watching Shavon Revel and think he will have a good chance to go in round one at cornerback. South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori really intrigues me, I’m a big fan because of his great size, speed, instinct and versatility. There are other safety’s too — Kevin Winston Jr, Keon Sabb, Lathan Ransom, Hunter Wohler and Rod Moore have caught the eye. Malaki Starks will likely be out of reach.

I’ll finish with the much-discussed quarterback position. An argument is often made that because Geno Smith has had an unusual career path and hasn’t actually started many games since entering the league in 2013, he might be better positioned to enjoy a longer career deep into his 30’s. The Seahawks can’t bank on this. The worst thing they could do is assume Smith will be able to play on for years to come (they won’t do this) as it’s something very few quarterbacks achieve.

Smith turns 34 in less than a month. He is in the latter end of his physical peak and to his credit still looks incredibly sharp athletically. Yet when players get to their mid-30’s, nature tends to take over. Whether you’ve started 40 NFL games or 200, getting old is getting old. The Seahawks seem to be taking things year-to-year which is wise.

The best approach would be to plan for all eventualities — and it looks like the Seahawks are well on top of this. That’s why they made the Sam Howell trade. They knew they had to add a younger player this year and will likely continue to look to add.

By taking this approach they’ll be covered either way — they can plan for the future while also retaining Smith if he’s able to perform at a good level for a few more years.

Given the experience of the 2023 quarterback class so far, not to mention the growing pains for the 2024 class in the first two weeks, it wouldn’t be a bad plan to draft a quarterback with the intention of bedding him into the system without any pressure to start early. After years of the NFL throwing quarterbacks in at the deep end, we might be about to see a shift. This will be even more likely if Michael Penix Jr excels in 2025, 2026 or whenever he replaces Kirk Cousins in Atlanta.

It certainly worked for Patrick Mahomes. Clearly Mahomes also had the talent and the right coach and weapons. That helps. Yet this feels like the best plan to mimic for Seattle. Copy the Chiefs if you can. Smith is similarly well placed, as he’s showing, to be a similar or perhaps even better version of Alex Smith in Kansas City. Drafting someone in 2025 or 2026 as an heir-apparent would be prudent. Then you won’t have to start a rookie and can make an educated call on when to pass the torch.

There’s no downside to this. The worst case scenario is Smith plays deep into his 30’s and you never hand off the baton to the new guy. This isn’t a problem at all though, because it’d simply mean Smith playing well enough to warrant remaining as the starter. As the Eagles showed when they controversially drafted Jalen Hurts in round two despite recently paying Carson Wentz, you can never over-prepare at the most important position in football.

The best case scenario would be a seamless transition as we saw with Mahomes. Win now with Smith, yet still plan for the future. The Seahawks have an ideal opportunity here that few teams possess.

However, it also takes the right player being available. I’m not yet convinced that the right player is in the 2025 class. Quinn Ewers is an excellent talent but he’s injured again. Shedeur Sanders does not strike me as an individual John Schneider would rush to anoint as the future of the Seahawks franchise. Is Carson Beck dynamic enough as a passer or as a person? Will he go too early anyway?

There are players I can imagine Schneider having interest in beyond the three most talked about quarterbacks. Garrett Nussmeier is showing legit potential as a pro-level pocket passer at LSU and I wrote about him in detail on Wednesday. He might prefer a second year starting for the Tigers before turning pro but with the technical level he’s showing, there’s a chance he will start to move into legit top-50 consideration.

Cam Ward has physical tools and a personality I think the Seahawks will be open too — but I do wonder whether his tendency to drift in the pocket and be too quick to improvise may be exposed later this season. I wrote about this in more detail here. At the moment Miami are beating up weak opponents. Ward unravelled somewhat at Washington State when facing adversity.

As much as I wrote in the week about a reality check on Jalen Milroe’s supposed development, I do think he’ll be a name to monitor closely throughout this process. His inability (so far) to throw over the middle, a lack of processing evidence from the pocket and the fact he’s pretty much playing as a big-armed running back will likely preclude him from being considered by the Shanahan tree coaches.

However, we know John Schneider likes a big arm and athleticism at the position. Ryan Grubb wants to attack all areas of the field and Milroe has the arm to do this. He’s playing for Kalen DeBoer this year which could lead to crossover potential. Character and personality matters a lot to Schneider at this position and Milroe is A+ in that category. He might be a uniquely intriguing quarterback to the Seahawks. Not to mention he could be available in a range between picks #60-80, depending on what happens during the rest of this season. It’ll be interesting to see what he does against Georgia in Alabama’s next game, which takes places a week on Saturday. Although I will say, at the moment I don’t see a player remotely close to being ready to start in the NFL. He still looks like a great athlete playing quarterback and he needs to be better from the pocket.

There are others too. I think Drew Allar’s frame, arm and athleticism are right up Schneider’s street but I’m not sure you can take him earlier than round four. Let’s see how Will Howard’s season at Ohio State goes. We’ve also talked recently about Brady Cook, Miller Moss and Max Brosmer — plus Riley Leonard will try and repair his stock after the nightmare of Northern Illinois.

Personally I don’t have a problem — at all — with John Schneider being picky at the quarterback position. He hasn’t whiffed on anyone since the Russell Wilson trade, so why wouldn’t you back his judgement? If there is someone he likes next year, or in 2026, I don’t think he’ll hesitate to pull the trigger. For the right player I think he’d be aggressive if necessary.

Having Geno Smith playing the way he is currently makes this a good situation for Seattle. If he continues this level of performance, they don’t have to force anything. Look how being desperate has impacted the Carolina Panthers. They traded for Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield and Bryce Young. They tried to acquire Deshaun Watson. It’s been a disaster. The Seahawks have positioned themselves to avoid this. They can now play the ‘win now’ game and look ahead.

As for Sam Howell, I’m not writing him off. You have him under contract for another year next season and it’d be ideal to have him remain as a backup with starting experience at a cost effective price. If he grows within the next 12 months to warrant consideration to be ‘the guy’ in the future, great. At the moment it’s difficult to project he’ll be a future starter. He lasted to round five for a reason despite having no character or injury concerns. I graded him in round four and he went about where he should’ve gone in the draft. He’s a plus backup but he’s not likely, in my opinion at least, to be the person who eventually takes over from Smith as the next starter.

I’ve mentioned a lot of names in this piece but it’s important to remember it’s only the 19th September. Things can and will change. Players can still emerge and stock will fluctuate. The Senior Bowl is critical in this process, as is the combine. Furthermore, we’re only two games into the Seahawks’ season. This time last year, Seattle had one horrible loss to the Rams and one great win in Detroit. Who could’ve predicted what followed? By this time next month, things could’ve changed. That’s why we’ll keep reflecting and discussing both the current roster and players in the draft cycle.

Finally, if there’s another site on the internet producing 5750 words of draft/Seahawks talk in two pieces in the middle of September, I haven’t seen it. So if you appreciate what we do — subscribe to our YouTube channel, watch the videos we do including the weekly hit with Puck Sports and there’s Patreon too if you want to support our work.

Garrett Nussmeier review vs South Carolina

This was my third time watching LSU this season and on each occasion I’ve been impressed with Nussmeier. While he had some sloppy moments at the end of the South Carolina game on Saturday, he still led his team to victory while flashing anticipation, accuracy, a NFL arm with touch and good decision making. He was also facing a strong defense with NFL talent in a hostile road environment with an excellent home crowd in attendance. LSU had to win this game and they did, mostly thanks to their quarterback.

With 2:45 remaining in the first half, he steps into the pocket knowing he’s going to get drilled. He still delivered a fantastic layered strike 25 yards down the seam:

He did well to deliver this pass over the top of one defender and in-between two others while facing pressure. Look at this screen-shot to see the margin for error, while knowing you’re about to get blasted by a pass-rusher:

That is a NFL-level throw.

Then there’s this pass with 13:40 left in the third quarter. Again he faces pressure from his left side. Nussmeier throws as he’s contacted by the edge rusher and still delivers a 40 yard dime exploiting 1v1 coverage on the outside. Note how long the ball hangs in the air. This is perfect loft and touch on the pass, with enough velocity to get it downfield. It’s also a very catchable ball — you can throw with too much arm when you go deep. This is touch plus velocity plus accuracy:

The anticipation and direction on the throw is excellent — he delivers the ball to an area where he anticipates the receiver will be, long before he’s anywhere near the spot. This is an exceptional deep throw.

He had a key conversion on 3rd and 7 with 3:42 left in the third quarter. It’s a three-step drop from the shotgun with seven defenders at the LOS. He anticipates pressure and six defenders rush. He drops, throws off balance knowing he had a slant route as the hot and he executes for a first down. This is a good sign — he understood the situation, knew he didn’t have time to waste and had to get the ball out quickly. He knows where the hole in the defense will be and a receiver runs right into that spot. He beats the pressure with a quick throw. Textbook — and the kind of play he’ll need to make all the time in the NFL.

Most college quarterbacks are not running an offense like this. They operate in one-read systems with the decision making coming from the coaches on the sideline. Typically when the read isn’t open, they take off and improvise. This is Nussmeier basically running a translatable pro system.

With 12:25 left in the fourth quarter he again faced a key 3rd and 9 from inside his own red zone. South Carolina rushed five. He stays in the pocket, accepts pressure will come and throws the best anticipation throw I’ve seen this season for a conversion. The receiver is only just breaking to the sideline and Nussmeier throws to an area his target will run in to, with the defensive back not even facing the play. This is a NFL throw. It’s the kind of thing you have to do every week in the pro’s — where you have far smaller windows and time to throw. This is again superb from Nussmeier:

I’ve studied virtually every game the top draftable quarterbacks have played since the 2021 season. Do you know how many quarterback I see sitting in a pocket, trusting their protection and throwing with the level of anticipation as per the video above? It’s extremely rare.

After this play things became sloppy. There was a fumbled snap that hit him in the chest and a lousy red zone interception that almost cost LSU the game. He didn’t read the dropping defender and threw it straight to him. In this instance, he completely botched the pre-snap read and post-snap diagnosis. He was under no pressure. It’s one of the easiest interceptions you’ll see thanks to a poor piece of judgement from the quarterback. It should’ve been a pick-six but the play was overturned because a defender I’ll praise in a moment stupidly took a cheap shot at Nussmeier on the return. Instead, it gave LSU another chance to get the ball back and win.

To his credit, he capitalised. On a 4th and 3 play at the South Carolina 42-yard line he executesd a perfect hard-count to draw an offside penalty in a way Aaron Rodgers would’ve been proud of. He earns a five-yard penalty and a first down. On the next play he throws perfectly to the left pylon for a massive completion, setting up first and goal. LSU won the game by punching it in shortly after.

So what’s his ceiling? He certainly has translatable skills. I don’t doubt that he’ll come into the NFL and pick things up on a technical level. He’ll be better prepared than most and it’s probably no coincidence given his father is the current Eagles QB coach and has previously spent time coaching Justin Herbert in LA and Dak Prescott in Dallas in the same role.

However, he doesn’t have special traits. He’s decent at everything physically but not an X-factor. He’s not a Josh Allen or Justin Herbert type with the size, cannon arm and athleticism. He’s not a scrambling dynamo or an improv genius. He’s pretty good in a lot of ways but the special traits are missing.

The question becomes — can the technical qualities, understanding and translatable structure/tape compensate at the next level for not being a physical difference maker? We see quarterbacks do it — but can this quarterback do it? That’s what teams need to work out.

I like him though. He is a NFL talent, even if his ceiling is probably mid-level starter complementing a good team, rather than being the kind of ‘saviour of the franchise’ talent. There are players in the NFL, some that are earning a lot of money, with similar strengths and weaknesses.

I do wonder if a lack of starting experience might mean it’s more likely he returns to LSU in 2025. After waiting so long to start, I’m not sure he’ll be rushing to the pro’s. His dad being in the NFL will also provide some perspective on the importance of sticking in college to gain playing experience.

A final note, there’s been a lot of change at PFF recently in terms of the media personalities who front their various podcasts and articles. I don’t know if something similar is happening behind the scenes. While I appreciate Nussmeier had some iffy moments late in the game and missed at least one opportunity to throw downfield vs South Carolina, a 64.5 grade did not feel appropriate for this performance.

This was a big game for LSU, against an unbeaten SEC opponent on the road and a good defense. He made three big time throws per PFF, the same as Cam Ward against the hopelessly overmatched Ball State. Yet Ward received a 90.6 grade for essentially a bunch of extended hand-offs against an opponent Miami hammered 62-0. I watched the game and it just left me wondering if the Ball State players were allergic to the Miami jersey’s. They didn’t seem to want to tackle or cover.

Ward’s completion percentage was still only 67.9% (19/28). It seems he was rewarded for scoring a bunch of simple touchdowns, aided by non-existent coverage/tackling, against an inferior opponent. Nussmeier was penalised for not being flawless in a far trickier environment but ultimately contributing as much as anyone to a great win.

The grading difference between the two cannot be 64.5 and 90.6.

Other notes from LSU vs South Carolina & general draft thoughts

I didn’t understand LSU’s Will Campbell being projected as a top-10 pick before the college season began. I didn’t see that on tape. Nothing so far this season has changed my mind. For me, he might not even be able to stick at tackle. He struggles with speed off the edge and I wouldn’t want him protecting the blind-side. At the moment I’m giving him a day-two grade at guard.

I much preferred his team mate Emery Jones who played with a lot more physicality and toughness at right tackle. Even so, he hasn’t had a great start to the season either. I have him currently marked as a fringe first rounder. What I would say is — a lot of the mock drafts you’re seeing online are full of absolute nonsense. Trust me. There are players out there lazily being projected early without any justification.

Even some of the legit players — Mason Graham and Will Johnson at Michigan for example — are not pulling up any trees. They’ll still go early. Malaki Starks the safety at Georgia is legit. Kelvin Banks, who may also need to kick inside to guard, is legit. Colston Loveland the tight end and Abdul Carter the defensive X-factor also warrant consideration early. Yet the biggest name living most up to the hype currently is probably Colorado’s receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter. I’ve never watched a player like him. On Saturday he had 13 catches for 100 yards and two touchdowns and also had an interception and five tackles. He is genuinely unique.

This is a muddled draft with little to be excited about at the top end. This is particularly highlighted by the quarterbacks. Quinn Ewers started well but is injured again. Shedeur Sanders is mixing some great big time throws with embarrassing comments on the field and off it, as question marks about his suitability as a franchise leader grow. Carson Beck looked pretty ‘meh’ against Kentucky. God’s speed to the desperate teams destined to pick in the top-10.

Back to the LSU/South Carolina game, TJ Sanders is an excellent defensive tackle for the Gamecocks and a player I have graded currently as a potential fringe first rounder. He is DT2 on my early, developing draft board behind Mason Graham and ahead of Tyleik Williams. I’m also intrigued to see how Kyle Kennard the edge rusher tests. He’s the player who gave away the dumb penalty on Nussmeier that probably cost South Carolina the game. However, to his credit he faced the media and apologised for the play — receiving praise from his Head Coach for taking responsibility. I think he has day-two potential and already has five sacks, seven TFL’s and two fumbles after three games. Finally, I really like South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori and have him graded in round two at the moment.

The reality with Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe

I saw a tweet from an Athletic draft writer at the weekend, claiming, “You can literally see growth happening here” in terms of Milroe’s development under Kalen DeBoer.

I’m immediately sceptical anytime I see anyone misuse the word ‘literally’. Pedantic as this may be, I didn’t literally see Milroe grow during his trip to Wisconsin. But I thought I’d watch the tape to see if there’s a nugget of truth about his development which wasn’t apparent when I watched Alabama’s opening two games against Western Kentucky and USF.

I’m going to be honest with you. It’s total bollocks to suggest there’s anything different about Milroe after three games. It doesn’t mean it can’t or won’t happen. He’s had three games with DeBoer. Michael Penix Jr had an entire spell at Indiana with DeBoer before coming to Washington. He knew the offense. This could take time. But let’s not manufacture a narrative that he’s developed as a passer because it isn’t true.

The player I’m watching in 2024 is the same player I watched in 2023. Milroe is a terrific athlete playing quarterback. He is not a sophisticated passer. He has a good arm and he’s very capable of getting the ball downfield. He has a terrific build similar to that of a running back. He’s a dynamic runner and can be an X-factor in the ground game. He wasn’t an anticipation thrower delivering passes within a complex structure last season and that remains the case. He still doesn’t methodically work a defense through scheme.

Too often it’s a one read and run approach with Milroe. He doesn’t play with much pocket presence at all. He’ll check his read and set off if it isn’t there, trying to create as a runner. Sometimes he won’t even come off the one read. A case in point against Wisconsin, he eyed a check-down immediately on 3rd and 4 and telegraphed where he was going with the football. He hitched, then threw, and by the time the ball got to the receiver the defender was ready to pounce and make a tackle for no gain. Time to punt.

Real development would be examples of Milroe staying patience in the pocket, making different reads, attacking the middle of the field, throwing a range of passes including layered passes. What we typically see is a somewhat limited route tree with a big emphasis on the deep-ball and his running ability.

I don’t even think he’s really improved his deep-accuracy. DeBoer is excellent at scheming opportunities and he had some great play-calls to open receivers downfield. Milroe executed these throws but even then you see him sitting waiting for the player to uncover with minimal or no pressure, then he throws to an open man. The NFL doesn’t work this way. He will face so much more pressure, he’ll need to make an incredibly varied range of throws. He won’t be able to take off as much as he does.

His accuracy is inconsistent. He doesn’t attack the seam or the middle of the field much. I’d describe him as a fantastic athlete and a brilliant read-option college quarterback. My fear for the NFL is teams will just sit in cover-two and take away the deep ball, forcing him to work the middle while spying his runs. While he’s a big, physical runner with speed — he lacks Lamar Jackson’s dynamic suddenness to threaten and keep opponents honest.

If you combined Garrett Nussmeier and Jalen Milroe you’d have a heck of a player. I’m afraid at the moment Milroe reminds me too much of Malik Willis in terms of a quarterback and unless he can take steps to become more rounded, he’ll likely go in the same range in the draft (at best) as a player with physical qualities who is going to need a lot of development to start in the NFL. If people are hoping for a Jalen Hurts type of player, Hurts was a far more accomplished passer by the time he left Oklahoma. There’s still time for Milroe to take a big step but it’s premature to suggest it’s happened already.

Two other notes from this game. I remain a big fan of Wisconsin left tackle Jack Nelson and have a second round grade on him. I think he’s better suited to right tackle or guard but he’s extremely tough, he’s adept at turning opponents and finishing, he can brawl as well as anyone and while he doesn’t have elite-level footwork to stick on the blind-side at the next level, he’s not a slouch either. Sadly though, it wasn’t good news for Tyler Van Dyke. He tore an ACL in the game. He turns 24 next March. It’s hard to know what his next move is, having transferred from Miami to Wisconsin this year.

Final notes

— I watched a lot of Missouri last season and was impressed with quarterback Brady Cook, enough to talk about him when he was mostly not discussed anywhere else. I don’t really understand why — he’s better than some other quarterbacks who are being debated a ton.

As with Nussmeier — the big thing that stood out was his efficiency on third down. He had multiple conversions, including one on fourth down. He ended the game with a big third and 7 completion when protecting a six point lead against a dangerous opponent. Cook delivered a good, accurate and not easy throw to the left sideline. Then on a 3rd and 2 he scrambled to ice the game.

He has a reasonable arm, he can move around and scrambles well. I don’t think he has a supremely high ceiling in terms of big-time traits but he’s well sized and looks a bit bigger this season. Cook threw over the middle, showed he can deliver layered passes and this was an accomplished display. He is a big reason why Missouri has been so successful over the last season and a bit.

He’ll have plenty of opportunities to raise his stock playing in the SEC, with games against Alabama, Oklahoma and South Carolina down the line. It’s tricky to project his range at this point but I do think he’s underrated by the media and some NFL teams will feel he has sufficiently intriguing skills to warrant a closer look.

— Carson Beck had a really odd game against Kentucky. On the one hand, Georgia got the job done as they often do. Yet Beck missed some throws, risked turnovers and just didn’t look all that special for a player often touted as a potential top-10 pick. He did, however, still have some nice throws delivered with velocity and accuracy. His next game is at Alabama, a must-watch (obviously).

— Quinn Ewers left the game against UTSA with an abdominal strain. It’s since been reported he’ll miss the next game and then likely return. Texas appears pretty committed to Ewers, despite the clamour for Arch Manning. There will be pressure on Ewers, though, when he does return — because Manning looked so good in relief on Saturday. Let’s not lose sight though that as exciting as Manning clearly is — Ewers also looked terrific pre-injury. It is a concern though that he’s injured again. The two things we needed to see from Ewers this year was a clean bill of heath and greater consistency. He’s banged up already. Kelvin Banks also got hurt for Texas against UTSA but it doesn’t appear serious.

— Defensive lineman Mykel Williams, hyped for his potential and not his production at Georgia, missed the game against Kentucky. He hasn’t taken the step forward that many anticipated so far. He’s not alone though — Tennessee’s edge rusher James Pearce Jr has zero sacks in three games, had PFF grades of 63.8 against NC State and 60.1 against Chattanooga and his stat line only shows three tackles, one QB hit and two hurries. So much more was expected of him.

— It’s such a shame that the questions about Shedeur Sanders are there. He should be the clear favourite to go first overall based on talent alone. In a high-pressure game for Colorado against rival Colorado State, he completed 36/49 passing for 310 yards and four touchdowns. He had some great throws, while playing behind a terrible O-line. It’s true he looks too often for the big play instead of taking what the defense offers but he frequently pulls off the big play anyway.

That said, he was still throwing downfield late in the game (again) when killing clock was more important. You get the impression that Colorado in its current form exists mostly to showcase Shedeur — including playing his rap song after touchdowns are scored, delaying the band playing the fight song. He hammers the O-line publicly, yaps at Nebraska players at the coin toss. Look at the state of this. You do have to wonder how he’s going to handle someone other than his dad being his coach.

— This is starting to look like a good tight end class. Penn State’s Tyler Warren really caught my eye and I currently have him as TE2 behind Colton Loveland with a good second round grade (pre-testing). Mitchell Evans, Jake Briningstool and Mason Taylor also look like potential day two picks, with others in the running for rounds 3-5.

— There’s some good depth at running back starting to emerge too. Ashton Jeanty at Boise State has a chance to be a first round pick, while Georgia’s Trevor Etienne could also work into the top-45. I enjoyed watching Nicholas Singleton and DJ Giddens but the player I want to highlight today is Utah transfer Ja’Quinden Jackson, now playing for Arkansas. He’s brilliantly sized, has superb contact balance, runs through tackles and has a burst of speed. He’s taken his game to a new level early this season and looks tremendous. He’s definitely one to watch.

— I currently have 100 players graded on my early horizontal board. Some of these grades will adapt and adjust as the season goes on and there are others I want to watch before publishing it. I may do a stream soon, though, specifically to discuss some of the players I think are underrated/overrated and discuss the quarterbacks and potential round one types.

I have a big draft article ready to go for tomorrow but in the meantime, please check out my latest conversation with Puck Sports on the Seahawks (below) and if you can like the video and leave a comment too, it’d be much appreciated.

This is a guest post by Curtis Allen

The Seahawks started off their new era with a win against Denver that was both comforting (a return to a smothering, good-tackling defense) and concerning (the all-too-familiar offensive line issues that threaten to keep them from progressing).

What will be interesting to see with this rookie coaching staff is: how do they react to last week’s game in their planning for the Patriots this week? Do they rely more on establishing their running game in the early going? Can they employ some passing concepts that keep the Patriot pass rush at bay, helping their unstable offensive line?

Or do they carry forward with a plan that trusts that another week of practicing together (particularly the three interior players) will yield at least middling results?

We will see.

The Patriots are an interesting challenge. Coming off a four-win season which led to a parting of ways with legend Bill Belichick, they might seem like a team rebuilding from scratch. The truth is, they – like the Seahawks – have some great pieces to work with as they forge a new path.

Last year, they had one of the league’s top defenses and a fantastic rushing game on offense.

Usually, that adds up to a pretty solid team. So how did they end up picking third overall? Their passing game was dreadful and they were one of the worst teams in the NFL in turnover ratio at -11.

They moved quickly to remedy that, drafting Drake Maye with their top pick and signing Jacoby Brissett – the NFL’s active leader in lowest career interception percentage – and adding Ja’Lynn Polk at Wide Receiver and some very nice building blocks on the offensive line in the form of Caeden Wallace and Layden Robinson in the draft.

The plan has already proven fruitful, as they beat the Bengals last week on the strength of two turnovers, 170 yards rushing, Brissett making no major mistakes and the defense limiting the powerful Bengals offense to just 224 yards.

They will want to replicate that exact model this week against the Seahawks.

What keys do the Seahawks need to be focused on in order to win?

Win the Little Things

When you go on the road, in a different time zone, to play a team you do not come across very often (they last played New England in Week 2 of 2020 – the thriller where they stuffed Cam Newton at the goal line to win it) and are still finding your footing with a new coach, the best thing you can do to help yourself win is to play a clean game.

More so when you are playing the Patriots, a team with a profile we mentioned above. They very likely will not help you beat them, so you are going to have to do it yourself.

The Bengals had sequences just before and after the half with three key errors that ended up being the difference in the game.

The first: Joe Burrow lofts a perfect corner pass to Mike Gesicki and he gets his hands on it but the new Replay Assistant properly challenged it and it showed he could not complete the catch:

Bengals fans, Mike Gesickis touchdown should not have counted, it clearly hit the ground and he did not complete the catch.

Play better next time is what they need to do. pic.twitter.com/HcAcJp0rho

— Patrick LB3 (@Patrick_LB3) September 13, 2024

On the very next play, Burrow hits Tanner Hudson on a beautiful play call and as he is gliding toward the end zone, he allows the ball to get away from his body for a split second and Kyle Duggar takes advantage with a strip at the one-yard line:

WHAT A PUNCH OUT BY KYLE DUGGER

📺: #NEvsCIN on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/nSE0lmY3TX

— NFL (@NFL) September 8, 2024

The Patriots recovered, marched down the field and kicked a field goal. But just as important, they burned the last 5 minutes of the half off the clock and did not allow Burrow another shot to get on the scoreboard.

Coming out of the half, the Bengals forced the Patriots to punt. Returner Charlie Jones fumbles and the Patriots recover, flipping the field. The offense burns some more clock before settling for a field goal.

Two Bengal turnovers in back-to-back possessions deprive them of a sure touchdown, and lead to six Patriot points.

The Patriots won the game by six points.

It’s nice that an underdog story like the Patriots’ was a Week One headline but an inch more attention to detail by Cincinnati and we are talking about an unimpressive but very acceptable Bengals win and talk of the Patriots not being dynamic enough on offense dominates the week’s discourse.

One of the reasons the Bengal offense was not very productive? They only had eight possessions (for reference, the Seahawks had 14 last week vs Denver). With so few bites at the apple, it raises the margin for error to uncomfortable levels.

Penalties. Completing crucial catches. Avoiding turnovers.

The Seahawks have several resources for crucial catches but we all know one who stands above the rest. I think that category is in sure hands (pun intended).

What about penalties and turnovers? That leads us to our next point.

Win the Battle of Poor Offensive Lines

As frustrated as we are with the Seahawks’ offensive line performance – particularly in pass protection – in Week One, New England’s was worse.

Both of these teams are banged up and still finding their footing. Which offensive line plays better will likely determine the winner of this game.

Each team tackled their problem in different ways and had success: The Seahawks balanced out their play calling in the second half and employed motion and quicker passing. The Patriots? They ran several two tight end sets, bullying a weak Cincinnati defensive line into submission with pure strength.

On offense, the Seahawks will need some stabilization. The Patriots defensive line – even without star tackle Christian Barmore – looked fantastic, as second-year player Keion White had a monster day with 2.5 sacks, two tackles for loss and a forced fumble.

The Patriots unlocked the key to success on defense, getting pass rush with just four players at several key points in the game. True, they did not spend the whole day in the Bengal backfield but they struck when it mattered most and allowed the excellent backfield lots of help, with a flood coverage of seven players to deploy.

Brass tacks: The offensive line looks to have another challenging day against the Patriots. Procedural penalties, holding penalties and pressures on Geno Smith that can lead to turnovers must be kept to a minimum.

This will be a play calling challenge of very interesting proportions for Ryan Grubb. If the pass rushers do not cause problems, the backfield (one of the NFL’s best) likely will.

There are a couple of ways they can attack this superb defense.

Firstly, script up some plays to get the ball to the running backs in the passing game. The Patriots love to play man defense and defenders following receivers can open up some pockets of opportunity the Seahawks can attack. All of Seattle’s running backs are versed in catching passes and gaining yards and are ready to be deployed.

Have a look at about 1:54 in this video. The Bengals take advantage of the Patriots’ aggressiveness and set up a nice little dump off to Zach Moss for 12 yards. Notice the Patriots have blitzed to the other side and the Bengals have a ‘hat on a hat’ downfield in blocking.

That is the one and only time the Bengals attacked them in this manner. Last year, the Patriots conceded 6.8 yards per catch and three touchdowns to running backs in the passing game.

The Seahawks can use this as a pressure release valve when they need a few yards in some key spots.

Secondly, if the Patriots are intent on flooding the secondary with bodies, the Seahawks can take advantage by using the inherent awkwardness of too many defenders in too little space.

Have a look at this play and try to focus on the route concept and not the result of Hudson being stripped:

.@KingDugg_3 forces, @MarcusJonesocho takes OFF!

📺: CBS pic.twitter.com/F3INDDu2nI

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) September 8, 2024

Hudson is in motion pre-snap and settles behind teammate Andre Iosivas in a bunch formation. The Bengals have Gesicki take his man and run straight at another defender, opening up a pocket for Hudson to get into. Bunching pre-snap shields him from his cover man (Kyle Duggar) and he is wide open and has a direct route to the end zone.

I have no trouble believing the Seahawks can scheme up similar plays, sacrificing route runners to open up opportunities. In fact, in training camp scrimmages, the Seahawks loved to line up D.K. Metcalf and Jaxon Smith-Njigba in this way on the right side of the formation, with Metcalf drawing focus with his size and speed and Smith-Njigba taking advantage of the open space.

This game has been viewed as a potential slugfest and with good cause. But the Seahawks do not have to concede that their passing game is going to be limited.

With some decent runs and a few of these clever pass concepts proving successful, they can make the defense more pliable and open up the field a little more and allow Geno Smith to do what he does so well – throw deep with accuracy.

Make Jacoby Brissett Beat You

Rhamondre Stevenson had a fine game Sunday, rushing for 120 yards on 25 attempts. He let the Patriots play a balanced game that ate the clock up, covered for a poor pass-protecting offensive line and did not make Brissett play hero-ball.

However, it should be noted that Cincinnati had one of the NFL’s worst rushing defenses last year and did little to substantially improve the situation in the offseason. They did draft two defensive tackles in April but neither played in Week One.

Stevenson had a field day, feasting off of poor tackling and bad angles taken by defenders. He had an impressive 3.0 yards after contact, easily the best day in the NFL for running backs with more than 20 carries.

How can they keep him in check? By making sure they are sound in the very middle of their defense.

Have a look at his run chart from Week One:

That is an awful lot of running behind your center and guards.

The Seahawks can combat this by employing Jarran Reed and Byron Murphy in their interior roles. Also, it appears to make sense to give Jonathan Hankins more than the 17 snaps he had last week. Particularly when the Patriots try their two tight end run packages. The snaps will likely come from K’Von Wallace and/or Dre’Mont Jones.

That does not automatically mean the Seahawks will keep him bottled up. But if they continue their sound tackling and ‘everyone swarm to the ball carrier’ energy we saw last week, this could force the Patriot offense to put more of the game in Brissett’s hands. That is a good thing for the Seahawks.

What kind of player is Brissett?

He has carved an interesting career in the NFL, starting for five different NFL teams and serving as a backup for a sixth.

Teams like him because he plays smart. He does not turn the ball over and he can gain some yards with some well-placed scrambles.

So why is he on his fifth team in five years?

He does not win you games.

He is best utilized when he throws about 20-24 times and just keeps the offense on schedule. He rarely makes dynamic plays and that low turnover percentage comes with a price: He has a career 61.3 completion percentage. Throwing away the ball instead of forcing things keeps things on schedule but the defense does not have to adjust for his ability to attack the whole field with his arm.

Look at his passing chart for last week:

Look familiar at all? That is very similar to Bo Nix’s performance last week: Getting rid of the ball as quickly as possible, lots of throws behind or around the line of scrimmage, with true shots downfield unsuccessful. Also, running for his life when his offensive line was overwhelmed.

If the Seahawks can keep a lid on the running game – particularly in key spots, like third-and-6 or so – the pendulum of success swings heavily in their direction.

At that point, using coverages to take away easy targets (or swarming to keep the YAC as low as possible) will prove a very successful way to attack this offense.

Why?

When Brissett gets the ball out of his hands in under 2.5 seconds, his career completion percentage is 68.7 – an incredible number.

Over 2.5 seconds? When he has to process and get to his second or third read or throw off-balance? It plummets to 55.9%.

As for clutch moments, he is one of the worst in the NFL. He has a 46.3% completion rate in the red zone (where the windows are much, much tighter) and on third downs his rate is 57.4%.

We all know the reason the Patriots employ Brissett. He is a steady placeholder quarterback that will not win you games but also will not lose you games. Drake Maye needs development and keeping him from having to play behind the current offensive line is more than wise – it’s an investment that is as sound as any in the NFL at this point.

Keep the Patriots from their plan of attack: Running the ball liberally and having Brissett distribute safe but short passes to the playmakers.

Disrupt it. Make them change it and go to a less-desirable option. It is very doable with this new defense that Mike Macdonald and the Seahawks have cooked up.

A quick note from Rob — tonight’s post-game live stream will take place later than usual. It will begin approximately 30 minutes after the Bengals vs Chiefs game has finished.