A comfortable win almost turned into a devastating defeat
When the Seattle Seahawks play clean football, they will beat a lot of teams in the NFL.
It’s that simple.
There are some — Denver, New England, New Orleans, San Francisco — where clean football alone won’t get it done. But against the Tennessee Titans at home, it’s all they needed.
And this was anything but clean.
A routine victory came perilously close to a defeat. This was ugly. And had the Seahawks been beaten today, it would’ve brought their entire identity into question.
Win the turnover battle.
Run the football.
Play great special teams.
That’s the foundation this team is built on.
Today, you wouldn’t have guessed it.
The situation at the end of the first half was just the most ridiculous moment in a mistake-riddled afternoon. Granted, it’s not often you lose your kicker and are then thrust into a big decision at the end of a half. Yet the Seahawks handled it badly and suffered a 10-point swing that could’ve been crucial.
Firstly, why try to kick? So much could’ve gone wrong with your punter kicking and a backup holder taking the snap. Pete Carroll and Brian Schneider should’ve identified the risk. This was a bonus drive remember, after a botched punt by the Titans. Go for it. Seattle had the ball to start the second half anyway.
After the game, Carroll took responsibility. He had to, really. For the second week in a row the Seahawks gave up a huge 10-point swing. Thankfully this week it didn’t cost them.
It just made for the most frustrating half time any of us will ever experience.
There were two other key mistakes. Sidney Rice’s decision to extend the football despite already picking up the first down was frankly incredible. Ditto Marshawn Lynch’s careless fumble that almost led to another stunning points swing.
Lynch has nine fumbles since the start of last season and two already in 2013. The sheer fact that everything else about Lynch’s game is sensational masks this issue. He needs to be more careful. The miscue today chould’ve easily led to a Titans touchdown. Zach Brown had the perfect opportunity to run it home some 90+ yards and in fairness, probably should’ve done.
Again, it wasn’t costly today. Just as Lynch’s fumble wasn’t costly against the Redskins in the playoffs. But it will be one day. He needs to do a better job protecting the football.
There were several minor issues aside from this — Seattle got away with a Derrick Coleman fumble, escaped on a third down play where they fielded ten players and gave up a fourth down conversion shortly after Earl Thomas over-enthusiastically celebrated a third down stop (knocking Kam Chancellor to the turf after a 30-yard sprint).
Third down was again an issue on both sides of the ball — the offense converted just 5/13 while Ryan Fitzgerald made some simple conversions. I guess those long term issues still need to be addressed.
Play action was again ineffective. Have teams found a way to limit the damage after all the success last year? How often has Wilson gone deep after a play action — one of the staples of 2012? Seattle really needs to develop the checkdown and shorter game as a safety net.
All this really undermined what was good about today. Seattle held Tennessee under 100 rushing yards, allowed six points on defense, had two interceptions and Russell Wilson carried the offense with another under-appreciated display.
Michael Bennett had another sack. Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas got the picks. All three must be re-signed in the off-season at the expense of any of the current big earners.
I’m not sure it’s the best time for a short week and a trip to 3-3 Arizona, but there’s a crucial two game stretch coming up against NFC West rivals. They’ll need to clean it up big time to be 7-1 when they return to Century Link to face Tampa Bay at the start of November.
Very frustrating game to watch indeed. So many things went wrong in a game where it should have clearly been a solid victory. Not saying it should have been easy and the Seahawks yesterday certainly made sure of that. Really hope that they fix some of the issues as we progress in the season.
I don’t know if its me or not but our pass rush always seems to take plays off. It was there in the beginning and towards the end but there be a few spots in the middle of the game where they just couldn’t do much. I might have to rewatch the game but watching Fitzpatrick convert some 3rd downs by rushing was mystifying. That shouldn’t happen against this team.
You really can’t say enough about Russel Wilson, this guy just knows how to win. He always puts us in a position to take the game and never once do I worry about him showing up in a game. He save us in this game literally; that baseball background showing up on the field. I just hope everyone else can step up to his play. He can make things happen and if other guys can follow through we will have a monster of an offensive to work with. Lynch was Beastmode today, just got to erase those unnecessary fumbles. We got to secure the ball better and not put the game in doubt.
Really happy with the win which is all that matters. Makes me feel better that we aren’t even close to our potential of a football team. Once we get to that point, I’m sure these guys will leave us salivating for big plays one after the other. GO HAWKS!
A win is a win. It’s nice to be having these discussions early in the season. I’ve been encouraged by the ability to make adjustments during a game and hopefully we see those apply to the season. Don’t forget how dreadful the offense looked early last year also. I’ll take the 1-game NFC West lead for a slow start.
Most of the problems are as you say mistakes that can and should be avoided. Even in Indy, the unsuccessful plays seemed to be more “not making plays” rather than forced into mistakes. Don’t forget how truly young this team still is.
At least I’m not projecting draft position already like I was a few years ago when I found this blog! (Unless you count projecting #32!)
GO HAWKS!
I wasn’t too concerned about last week’s loss, putting the sloppy play down to an untimely bout of complacency. I presumed it would give them a swift kick in the backside and, if anything, inspire a more focused and cohesive performance against the Titans. I didn’t expect things to get worse.
I don’t think that there is a need to panic yet as we know that the team is capable of so much more, but I agree with you that the type of performance we’ve seen over the last couple of games won’t get it done against better teams. Time now to step it up and keep some distance between the Hawks and the rest of the division.
I think the main part of the frustration, as a fan, is that we have seen how exciting they can be to watch and every week that passes like the last 2 have an element of anticlimax to them. I do have faith that, like last season, things will click as the season progresses.
It’s strange that the best start in franchise history is bringing about such frustration among us the fans. It’s a sign of the growing expectations. It’s a sign of how well the team finished last season. It’s not such a bad thing either… fan expectation shouldn’t be seen as a negative.
But these next two games are crucial and will tell us so much about just how good this team is. Two harsh, tough road games on primetime TV. A chance to establish Seattle as genuine contender, or a chance to come back down to earth with a bang. This is probably the most important two regular season games this team has had under the current regime.
The most important game is the most over used term this year. I think the Seahawks actual approach of one game at a time makes the most sense. Would I be happy if they won a Super Bowl like that titians game yes I would. A win is a win and while things have not been pretty and flowing like the end of last year they are still putting up Ws.
The positive out of that last game is they shot themselves in the foot numerous e time and were able to still pull out a victory, this team has dealt with a lot of adversity this year wether it is injuries, self inflicted wounds, or whatever and in all but one instance still won the game.
I think the A game is close from this team we haven’t seen it yet and we are five and one. It’s valuable to get wins with out the a game because the A game rarely comes in December and January or February.
These next two games are absolutely games we need to win and should win the cards and the rams are not in our league, we need to show them that. These are two road games not at ten AM they are prime time we need to OWN this moment.
Bottom line: Guys need to get healthy and Percy needs to get back sooner rather than later.
Everything else is fixable.
We’ve seen how important Okung is to the team this season and a veteran backup left tackle (if they don’t trust Alvin Bailey) is absolutely crucial for 2014.
I’m surprised that they didn’t sign Frank Omiyale when Okung went down.
I agree Okung is crucial to have back. I have nightmares that McQuistan is going to whiff big time and a DE is going to tee off on RW.
Rob,
You mentioned the diminishing returns from the play action pass this season. I’ve been trying to put my finger on why the offense has been so much less effective this season than it was at the end of last season when we were putting 50 points on everybody we played. The O-line injuries are the easiest thing one can point to, but after today’s game Carroll said he thought the O-line played very well. (I don’t know if he’s grading on a curve at this point.) So I’m curious – What do you think accounts for the difference in offensive production between the end of last season and the first part of this season?
I think the play action game is being kept in check by teams. It defined Seattle to some extent last year. I suspect opponents spent all summer working out ways to take away the big play on PA. By eliminating the deep ball in that way, Seattle hasn’t really got a functioning checkdown/short game. I mean, when have Seattle used any shorter routes, quick passes on offense? They take their shots, usually after PA. I haven’t studied the all-22 but I suspect teams are finding ways to limit the options Russell has downfield.
If that isn’t the issue it’s hard to work out why things have been a little inconsistent, apart from the games (eg Houston) when the pass pro was so poor because of the injuries.
I see your point. As skilled as Golden Tate is with the ball in his hands, I’m surprised they haven’t gone to more short crossing routes where he might have an opportunity to break away and run after the catch.
I could see the insertion of Percy Harvin into the line-up being a catalyst for more of those short underneath passes. If that happens, Percy could end-up giving this offense an even bigger boost than everyone is already anticipating.
Wilson had some openings on deep play action yesterday…albeit in double coverage…yet chose to run most of the time. This works alright, but it did not work so well in the two minute or red zone offense. I dont know, maybe they start letting him throw those balls later in the year, right now, they seem to be leaning on their defense.
From where we were sitting in the stands, multiple things pissed my off about this game.
A) Brandon Browner, I don’t know what Quinn is thinking, but so far, I think he doesn’t fit with Seattle at all. to have BB playing off coverage EVERY DAMN PLAY and then pulling him when he gets beat, blows my mind. I literally over 10 plays of just watching BB didn’t see a single bump and run coverage (what BB excels at). This team used to be one of playing to our players strengths, and since bringing Quinn in, I don’t see that happening with BB, who can be great if put in the right position to do so.
B) Carpenter, 3 false starts, and lackluster performance..
C) RW running scared, there were a million opportunities to throw down the field and he just didn’t do it. I don’t know if he is overly concerned about a possible turnover, or if he just really can’t see the open receivers, but to say the receivers haven’t been getting open is just plain wrong half the time. RW was scrambling many times this game when the pocket had yet to collapse.
BB could be traded by the deadline. The Seahawks know they have a starting-caliber corner in Walter Thurmond, who is simply a way better all-around player than BB. I like BB but he may be showing that his expert ability to jam at the line of scrimmage is not enough to cover up his lack of speed and pure coverage abilities.
I felt RW had ample time to throw the ball today. He rarely got chased. But yes, there were many times I saw receivers open down the field. I think he sees them, but he may not trust his receivers this year as much as he did last year. That’s my best guess, anyway.
Doesn’t the fact that BB will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season affect his tradeability though?
Not saying the Seahawks would get a lot for him. But given the fact he will be a free agent means it could be better to cash in on any trade value now, especially when you know you have a better starting cornerback in Walter Thurmond.
I could be wrong; but given that PC benched BB in the second quarter means they haven’t exactly been thrilled with how he’s played recently. If you can get a sixth or seventh for him, it might make sense to go ahead and trade him.
I’m a bit more hesitant about putting WTIII at the opposite corner position. For starters, this is a team that prides itself on having two huge intimidating corners on the outside. In a way, it is part of the secondary’s and this defense’s identity. Second, while WTIII is a starting calibur corner, it’s not like he lights out either. He’s been repeatedly burned before. In the Colts game, Reggie Wayne didn’t get going until he moved to the slot across WTIII (in the later half of the 3rd and 4th quarter) Finally, there has to be some concern about his durability.
Also, the idea with having BB is that you can have him play aggressive man to man cover if you have Earl Thomas as a safety net. Of course, the problem recently is that we’ve been playing an awful lot of zone for a secondary that is designed around playing man.
I agree, there is a reason WTIII got pulled from BB position about 8 plays after the “lets pull BB experiment” They then put WTIII back into the slot coverage and put Maxwell out there, then they finally went back to BB for the rest of the game.
If Quinn would use BB properly, the dude is a beast.
ESPN is speculating that Hakim Nicks could be on the block. That big target Pete is looking for? He’s had a tough go this season but when healthy is a true #1. I’m a fan of BB, but a move like this fills a need for both teams. Sydney is gone next year. What do you think Rob?
The only issue with Nicks is he’s going to require a major contract post-trade — unless we’re using this as a stop gap. The issue with that is Nicks would have no time to learn the playbook so are you ever going to get anything out of a receiver in just 10 games + post season?
When you say that Hakeem Nicks is a “big target” do you mean that in a metaphorical sense? The guy isn’t any bigger physically than Kearse.
Sign Tony Gonzalez, cheap, 1/2 year deal and a major upgrade for the check down offense
I would love to see them go for Tony Gonzalez! Percy comes back and BOOM! Legion of pass your ass right bye arrives!!! SuperBowl!!!
BB doesn’t have a lack of speed or pure coverage abilities. I think he would be one of the 10 fastest seahawks if not in the top 5. Remember, last season he ran down adrian peterson from a bad angle and from well behind, and adrian peterson does not get caught from behind. If you were to say BB doesn’t have the short area quickness that WT3 has, OK I can see that. And honestly, I haven’t been impressed with WT3 much at all. It’s probably tougher on him because he gets more targets but I felt much better about Lanes play last year and Maxwell’s play this year. WT3 is an unrestricted free agent too…
Interesting points.
That is frustrating. Certain corners are simply better at man coverage and others are better at zone coverage. BB is the quintessential man to man corner.
The same thing happened to Nnamdi a few years back. He was as good as a pure cover corner as you’ll find (for a few years), but then the Eagles asked him to play zone and surprise, his level of play falls off.
I saw this too. This was more concerning for me than anything. Hopefully, Wilson just had an off day. Certainly, he is still not putting the ball where it needs to be, as several slants saw him firing fastballs too far ahead of his receivers. They’ll go in the books as drops, but he puts it on the money, those are completed.
He’s frequently a good half yard off even on the short routes. Either throwing too quickly and hard, or throwing late and behind. Even on some of the short completions, you could see Rice was going to be wide open on the deeper option repeatedly.
That was a quality defense and Wilson had time and had open guys. He was just missing them, either with inaccurate passes or just didn’t see the route was going to be open. This could be attributable to the residual effects of poor pass protection over the last few weeks. I’m hoping he gets over this mental fatigue. Otherwise, adding more protection or Harvin into the mix is going to have a minimal improvement.
This game seemed like a regression for Russell.
Russell NEVER runs scared. That’s not even a praise thing. He just doesn’t lose composure.
Carp…. sigh….
Browner plays off coverage, because he gets beat by receivers with speed. duh.
Two weeks in a row BB bit on a double move. Plus he had the PI last week when it was not necessary.
I wonder if what you saw BB playing off was when they brought more than 4.
Under Quinn they blitz or bring more than 4 more often than under Bradley.
Watching on TV I saw a lot of press by BB he was just getting beat.
When Harvin comes back, does he take over Baldwin’s starting spot?
They have to find a way to keep Baldwin on the field.
Agreed. DB has been their best receiver by a street so far this year.
I think they’ll put Harvin all over the field, not just in place of Baldwin. He can line up in the slot, flanker, X, and even runningback/H-back. I think all the other receivers will see a slight drop in targets once he returns.
I think if any one receiver suffers a significant loss of touches it will likely be Kearse. But as I stated in an earlier comment I would be ok with our receiving corp minus one oft frustrating to watch Sidney Rice
I honestly can’t recall a more frustrating and generally stressful Hawks game. Sunday was just plain bad for the nerves. But more concerning than the decision making in that feeble field goal attempt, which i’ll most certainly address, were the ball control issues of seasoned vets. As for the kick, I for one didn’t have a problem with Ryan making the attempt, but why in god’s name was a linebacker out there taking the snap?
Surely either of our back-up quarterbacks were more experienced and mentally equipped to handle that responsibility. After all it’s basically a shotgun snap. First let me say i love Sidney Rice; I think he”s a great player and one hell of a guy off the field. But since his two TD performance against Jacksonville, he’s been frustrating to watch. I just don’t see him doing the things you expect of a vaunted # 1 receiver; especially a 10 million dollar one. I swear he’s loafing out there sometimes. Short playing routs, not coming back to the ball, exposing the ball when he’s already secured a first down. I know he’s an important part of the passing game, because when he’s on we’re virtually unstoppable. And we ALL know about Pete’s commitment to the “big receiver” but part of me almost wishes for a money saving draft pick acquiring trade and the fielding of a Tate, Baldwin, Harvin, & Kearse receiving corp.
Once Harvin is healthy and in full game shape he will be the most important player to get on the field. It will be interesting to see how they manage all the bodies at that position. I think they are planning on leaning Harvin’s way more than anyone anticipates. I think Harvin becomes Wilson’s clear cut #1.
I was at the game and the receivers did seem open on a lot of deep routes and Wilson would throw to the short route. It might of been a product of the deep safety though and not wanting to throw a pick when the safety recovers. Would be interesting to hear Wilson/Carroll discus why those throws aren’t made. Overall I thought Wilson played fantastic football as usual.
I still wonder why Michael doesn’t see the field. There were a couple plays in the game where he would of scored. Turbin played well but lacks that burst. I know they may not trust Michael on pass protection yet but it doesn’t make sense to get no carries at all. He could definitely open things up for this offense.
I’ve been wondering the very same thing myself. Michael is a pure game breaker. Even if they dont yet trust him in pass protection. He would reek havoc in the flats. Until we get Percy back and 100% i think it would be prudent to get Michael involved in the short screen and dump off game.
I too am mystified that Michael isn’t playing. The only reason I could think of was perhaps pumping up Turbin for a trade??? There have been many times this season where it feels like the offense needs a little spark and at least twice a game I’ve said to myself “this would be the perfect time to give Michael a series.”
I was pretty sure I was watching a high school game Sunday, at least that’s what I told my Dad as we watched. Is it just me or has the play calling changed? I just not seeing the I formation with a fullback in and Wilson under center on 1st downs anymore. Where has the physical running style we saw last year gone to. Its not like they can’t do the play action pass off of it. I just seeing the run option to much on 1st down and I feel we’ve gotten completely away from what this team use to do. Someone let me know if I’m wrong because at this time I believe I’m seeing way too much run option formations on 1st down and I don’t like it.
I think this team misses robinson way more than they anticipated, he was a big part of Beast Mode and helped in the passing game as a blocker and outlet
Well it’s not like they can’t go pick up Mike Rob off the street. I trust that if they truly felt like old #26 was the best option they’d quickly call him. I think their just more in live with the upside provided by Coleman and Ware.
And as a result they’re willing to live with the growing pains. But I assure you that you’re not alone in missing Robinson; Not by a long shot.
Personally, I really am having a hard time understanding where these cries of “he showed regression” are coming from. Because he didn’t see a few receivers open downfield when he was on the move? The guy completed 74% of his passes (!) and had over 8 yards per attempt. Granted, he never saw a wide open Golden Tate down the field for a TD, but he had a pretty solid day throwing the ball.
I thought the playcalling was pretty predictable at times, and the Seahawks are using the shotgun looks ENTIRELY too much. The play action has no effect. They seemingly do it every time they throw the ball. Another thing that bothers me is there are almost zero sweeps or pitch plays running the football. It’s all off tackle or between the tackles.
It also seemed like the Seahawks weren’t showing an entire hand on defense; they stayed with the same packages quite a bit. We didn’t see any of Bruce blitzing from his LB spot or in the “spinner” role. Seattle might be holding off on some tricks for the next two, crucial, division games, which wouldn’t break my heart at all.
I like all of these points, even though I don’t agree with all of them. I agree that Russell was fine in this game, and I am also tired of the amount of shotgun looks. Give me some more I-formation! Play action from the shotgun/pistol simply cannot compare to the linebacker/safety reaction you get from under center I-form play fakes.
Personally I’m not pining for any more sweeps or pitch plays, and I don’t think our coaching staff is either. For one, Lynch is not a speed guy that needs to get to the edge to be effective. Secondly, I think plays like that have a far greater chance of going for a loss than plays between the tackles (just the feel I get). Not losing yards on the ground is an important part of “staying on schedule”.
I also agree that they might be saving a little something for the next two division road games. Even after the ridiculous special teams blunder to end the half, did anyone think we were going to lose that game? I wasn’t worried at all (and I was absolutely certain we were going to lose in Houston, so it’s not just blind Seahawks optimism). Now that’s not to say that the coaches or players thought they would win this game simply by showing up, but if you have the superior talent, you’re at home, and you’re not really worried about their offense scoring on you much, it makes sense to simply play it safe with your own offense. In short, the more of an advantage you have over a team, the less you need the explosive/risky plays.
I mentioned the I formation because Lynch doesn’t need a truck size hole to get down field. I think that the fullback give that extra blocker to make a crease that he can take and pop that extra 2 to 3 yards so instead of 2nd and 8yards we be getting 2nd and 5 yards. We use to run this play all the time and out of every 4, 1 would be a play action. If the receivers weren’t opened then we always had the check down for TE at medium rang or the running back in the flat in open space to make more yards running. Russel Wilson really seemed comfortable with the play action off of this throwing more accurate passes.
The problem I see with going back to the I formation looks, Michael, is that in order to do so you have to eliminate a WR or a TE. I think the Hawks really want 3 WR, 1 TE and Lynch to be the “primary” package. Adding a FB eliminates either Zach Miller or whoever is working out of the slot.
It’s a big reason I believe they cut Mike Rob. They just won’t use the I that much going forward, and I believe the numbers from last year to this year suggest that.
I find myself wanting MORE shotgun looks. My feeling is that the offense has much more success from the shotgun. I know Lynch’s YPC are higher out of the gun, and a lot of Wilson’s big runs come from the gun as well. And the play action off the zone read is SO effective due to having to respect the dual threat of runners.
In lamenting the lack of explosive pass plays off play-action commentators are also over-looking the fact that teams are scheming us differently this year with more two-high safety looks. Carroll said as much during today’s radio show. On the bright side this forcing Wilson to develop more as an intermediate passer in more spread looks. I don’t disagree that maybe our WRs are struggling to get open, but a lot of our recent passing game is our offense taking what the defense is giving them.
Joseph Fauria Watch 2013: (UDFA – UCLA) – Week 6 Edition
My man notched 3 more touchdown receptions this week. He now has 5 of them through 6 weeks of play.
http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/detroit-lions-joseph-fauria-three-touchdown-catches-celebrations-101313
His 5 TDs ties him for 4th among the TD reception leaders in the NFL. Wes Welker is alone at #1 with 8.
The UDFA now has more TD receptions than his teammate Calvin Johnson:
http://espn.go.com/nfl/statistics/player/_/stat/receiving/sort/receivingTouchdowns
Fun Fact: The Seahawks currently rank 19th in the NFL in team red-zone scoring percentage (TD Only), and no Seahawk WR or TE has more than 2 receiving touchdowns.
http://www.teamrankings.com/nfl/stat/red-zone-scoring-pct
And it turns out the guy is a pretty nifty dancer too.
How does he block? One dimensional players don’t last in the NFL.
What the F. Why did we not draft him?
Scoring touchdowns is kind of a valuable dimension though.
How about we just call him a “Joker” tight end? That seems to be all the rage in the NFL these days, and those guys aren’t expected to be good blockers. Btw, I don’t happen to agree with that premise in the first place. I’ve seen him block quite well for the Lions – particularly in the run game.
In college he put up comparable or better numbers than high draft picks like Ertz and Eifert. I expected him to carry that into the NFL, and that appears to be what he’s in the process of doing. Players who put up numbers like that in the NFL don’t just disappear from the league.
I don’t think he’s going anywhere any time soon. I’ll keep you updated.
I just saw him get bowled over and shoved back in the blocking game and it really turned me off. Seems like just a red zone weapon.
I’ll admit we could use one of those. But he also has a lot of attention being drawn by that one guy they got… The one in the P Diddy commercial.
there’s quite a few one dimensional players that have long careers… Will heller and Heath Farwell come to mind right away.
I don’t think our short passing game will ever be consistent with Russ.
I love the guy to bits, but he could simply be too short to take three step drops.
But some creative pass blocking schemes (probably the first time that’s ever been said) could feasibly open it up some.
We’ve just become pretty transparent on offense. They don’t have to respect our short game. I’m sure there’s an advanced statistic out there that can shed some light on this thought I’ve had.
I’m not really concerned about it right now, given that our two starting Tackles should not be playing tackle, nor starting. And we’ve been without Miller for a few games, and God knows what Percy will bring to the table.
I think Seattle could just stand to be a little more rythmatic, if that’s a word. Less play action, more 5 stop drops with a back in for protection.
No, that’s a really good point. I mean. It kind of still shows when the explosive play is shut down, though.
If he had receivers who could get separation and the short passing game wasn’t working them I would probably agree with you however the only guy who can get separation on the short stuff is Doug Baldwin.
Sid and Tate are not the quick twitch, explosive types to give the short stuff a chance. Tate is not a big enough body to shield the defender and make the catch especially since he’s a body catcher, giving the defender a greater chance to deflect the ball. Sid just seems like his knee is a bigger problem than he or the Seahawks are letting on. Right now the only short stuff that could work are crossing routes or pick routes where you can scheme to get separation.
there were some stats on twitter the other day (posted by Davis Hsu) about Drew Brees “scatter chart” if you will. Brees, being about an inch taller than Wilson (No real difference in visual ability/opportunity) is completely balanced and successful (over 60%) throwing to all parts of the field (short left, middle, right, intermediate left, middle, right, deep left, middle, right) And Wilson was not close to as balanced, though still exceptional in most measures. Davis also pointed out that Brees is a 12 year vet, in the same offensive system for 6+ years, and most likely heading to the hall of fame. Russell is making his, what, 25th start? I think he’s going to be fine. 😛
Watching the Chargers – They displayed a type of passing game that I just haven’t seen from the Hawks. Lots of slants and crossing patterns on short 2 or three step drops. (the same type of stuff that seems to give the Hawks D fits)
My question is why doesn’t seattle do this kind of thing?
Is our QB too short for a 2 or 3 step drop and pass from the pocket?
Are our receives too slow for that type of quick hit play calling?
Is our offensive live incapable of blocking for that type of play?
When Harvin is in there, it seems like that’s the kind of play they’re going to need to execute on to get him the ball. I just haven’t seen evidence of them being able to actually execute that type of play.
I don’t know why they don’t do 3 steps, but that type of pass is primarily used against the blitz. The defense has 7 or 8 in the box. Even with max protection, the qb won’t survive for long if he does a 7 step.
With 3 step,, the qb can take advantage of the void in the field right after the blitz occurs. Aaron Rodgers is probably the best QB right now at throwing the slant or crossing route against the blitz.
The key issue is recognition of the blitz. Some of the zone blitz stuff have fronts that look like a blifz but will only send in the LB and drop the lineman into coverage.
On play action issues…
This one is pretty easy to explain, if not “fix” exactly. Teams are keeping the safeties deeper. If forced to choose, defensive coordinators are just living with Lynch. He’s been fantastic. Defenses are hesitant to bring that extra guy all the way down into the box to gang up on Lynch. Instead, they’re taking away a lot of the 1-on-1 plays we were getting last year for Tate especially. They’re forcing Seattle to make hay in the intermediate game. Not surprisingly, you replace a Pro Bowl LT with a barely adequate guard and transition in a new RT, the passing game is moving in fits and starts.
I’ll give Bevell credit for some nifty play design to get the ball to Lynch the ball in a variety of ways, though. That throwback play to Lynch is a thing of beauty. Takes me back John Elway.
One thing people are genuinely missing is the downside of running a low-volume offense. A two-turnover game is more costly to Seattle than other teams, where possessions are cheap by comparison. Unfortunately, we’re going to be living through some mistake-addled play as backups get accustomed. My disappointment is that carelessness seems to be seeping through to the core guys: Sherman, Thomas, Browner, et al. rather than those guys raising the level of play from others.
Does anyone else think Bowie is playing particularly well right now for a 7th round rookie? There were a few plays against the Titans where he blew his guy up on running plays and he usually seems to fulfill his assignment. I also don’t think our pass protection overall has been bad and that can be largely attributed to Bowie. I really like this guy so far; he could be giving Breno a run for the starting spot when he becomes healthy. Thoughts? Disagreements? Concerns? Queries?
I didn’t notice Bowie which is a good thing.
With Breno being a free agent after the year, would love for Bowie to
slide right in and take over RT.