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Defense Wins Championships, But This Vanilla Offense Needs An Attitude

Defense Wins Championships, But This Vanilla Offense Needs An Attitude

Minutes into the first quarter, safety Tony Jefferson hunted down Wilson on an option that Wilson had kept. Wilson attempted a stiff arm to fend off Jefferson but Wilson’s lower body strength (an underrated aspect of a successful stiff arm) was so absent that instead of repelling Jefferson, Jefferson used Wilson’s arm to scale him. If that sounds familiar, it’s because 49ers linebacker Eli Harold did the same thing to Wilson’s attempted stiff-arm in week 3 and subsequently landed on Wilson’s leg.

These facts should dismiss any thoughts of having Wilson scramble, but an easy conclusion quickly becomes a paradox. The state of the Seahawks running game is such that, if Wilson does not immediately start contributing, the passing attack could face further regression, especially from the wide-outs. While Wilson’s scrambling threat could give the offense some pop, it leaves Wilson vulnerable to injury. Wilson cannot run laterally, so his traditional toolset, the zone-read or those bootlegs that have him take off if no one is open, are off the table. The only option is to turn Wilson into a north/south runner.

Offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell needs to get a handful of plays where the offensive line directs rushers to overpursue on Wilson, Christine Michael stays home for extra protection, and Wilson escapes between the tackles. The goal is four yards per attempt, with a target of twenty yards per game.

Seahawks Defense Comes Up Strong, Team Passes First Major Test

Seahawks Defense Comes Up Strong, Team Passes First Major Test

A mere fourteen days of rest would not be enough time to return quarterback Russell Wilson to full-health, but he took the field on Sunday a much closer version of himself. Previously, Wilson had been taking almost all snaps out of the shotgun, as playing under center required him to squat for the snap, and then it required him to drop back, either to pass or to swivel on his hips and then extend the ball for a handoff. Still held back by layers of tape around both ankles and a brace on his knee, the signal-caller did not appear much quicker, but his flexibility and range-of-motion was improved.

Wilson took 65 snaps with 24 (37%) of them coming from under center. Christine Michael benefited from the change. Both of his touchdowns came from Wilson being under center, en route to 18 carries for 64 yards. Formerly a second-round pick who became a NFL journeymen and is now back in Seattle, Micheal has earned himself a place on the Seahawks roster, but offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell is struggling to find exactly what it is. During the Hawks first three drives, Michael ran the ball on consecutive plays during an individual set of downs. The result of each set was a punt; however, on the fourth drive, Bevell went to Michael again on consecutive plays, except this time one of the plays was a pass. The result was a touchdown. This is further evidence that Michael is better used as a compliment to the passing game, and leaves the largest question about the Seahawks still unanswered.

Who is going to be primary back in this system?

Discombobulated But Still Dangerous, The Cardinals Lie Ahead – Seahawks Bye Week Special

Discombobulated But Still Dangerous, The Cardinals Lie Ahead – Seahawks Bye Week Special

The Seahawks played a smash-mouth game against the Rams during week two and lost in a fashion only the Rams can create. There were many reasons to ignore this game, especially since every NFL team shits the bed once per season. One could be forgiven for thinking, without Teddy Bridgewater, and in the first week of the Sam Bradford experiment, where Adrian Peterson rushed for only 31 yards on 19 carries, that the Vikings were in 8-8 territory. Fast forward to week 5 and the Vikings are now 5-0 and have won four of those five games by greater than a touchdown. Last year, the Seahawks took the Vikings twice. The first was a 38-7 stomping. Several key Viking defensive starters were missing during the game, and in the post-season, it was a different story with their presence. The Hawks still won, 10-9.

If the Seahawks are due to meet the Vikings in the post-season, this Rams defense might be the only real warm-up they get. So being the glutton for punishment that I am, I decided to watch week two again.

Kam Chancellor’s Modified Role Improves Entire LoB, Takes Defense to New Level

Kam Chancellor’s Modified Role Improves Entire LoB, Takes Defense to New Level

Kam Chancellor’s pass coverage these last two weeks has improved considerably. On an early 2nd and 7, Chancellor played deeper than he was accustomed (which is sometimes so close he’s on the heels of the linebackers). As a result, he was still in position to contain outside if Fitzpatrick had chosen to throw to his side. Midway through the 2nd, on 2nd and 20, Kam stayed back again, then he passed on the big hit to contain. While allowing this wiggle room did give up underneath throws, it stabilized a defense that was frequently playing too aggressively and, quite frankly, was selling out Earl Thomas on the back-end.

Richard Sherman was tested early and often, and like all great players, he eventually responded; however, Sherman may have had such a workout because his counterpart, DeShawn Shead, was bullet-proof. (Eric Decker did not dress). Shead played the press perfectly and even his coverage hand-offs were beautiful. His mental game was so sharp that his body stayed loose and receptive, resulting in little-wasted motion. Unfortunately, this particular hand-off didn’t fully make it on screen, but last season, Shead would’ve hung onto his first assignment, afraid to let it go.

The Spread Will Save the Seahawks, Exactly Like It Did Last Season

The Spread Will Save the Seahawks, Exactly Like It Did Last Season

Okay, so you know when you put that swear jar out and you told yourself every time you swore you would put a quarter in the jar and then, one day, you would be able to buy yourself a new flat screen TV? Well, congradulations, after Sunday’s game, you’ve earned yourself a month-long, Price Is Right-esque European vacation highlighted by a week in Paris, a weekend in Venice, and the running with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain—all because the Seahawks lost in the most gut-wrenching way possible. Remember when the Nazis faces melted off during Raiders of the Lost Ark? That is my sense-memory of this game. It was traumatic. Like, Saturday night, I went to bed after seeing the girl I liked cuddling on the couch with another guy, had a text conversation with her the next morning where she told me if we dated she would do it again and I should get used to it, but still the worst thing that happened to me this weekend took place exclusively between 1:00PM – 4:00PM PST.

2016 Seahawks Recap, Week 1: On One Leg

2016 Seahawks Recap, Week 1: On One Leg

Momentarily trapped between the ground and Ndamukong Suh’s foot, Wilson’s ankle twisted around itself like a wrung towel. It left him playing as if he were living on a swivel. At one point, his foot was so flat he side-armed a throw into the dirt. He would later joke, “When I’m 43, 44, 45 years old, that’s probably what I’ll look like out there.”

In the fourth quarter, Wilson’s oft-mentioned “championship mentality” kicked in. He scrambled for four yards and began to walk with a healthier stride. The injury did have a silver lining of sorts. The offense abandoned the bootlegs and the draws and put Wilson at the helm of a shotgun-oriented spread offense, which Wilson used to negate the pass rush and slice and dice the secondary.

2015 Seahawks Re-Watch, Divisional Playoff: Just The Beginning

2015 Seahawks Re-Watch, Divisional Playoff: Just The Beginning

Any season that ended without a Super Bowl victory was a season that ended on a sour note, and so was the end of the 2015 Seahawks. A slow start put the team in the hole at 2-4, and the loss of Marshawn Lynch put the offense in SOS mode. Bevell changed philosophies midseason, coaching his unit into a pass-first offense. For the defense, the underperformance at the second corner position was a yearlong struggle. Defensive coordinator Kris Richard moved on from cornerback Cary Williams and found stability in a combo unit of Jeremy Lane and DeShawn Shead. These mid-season adjustments put the Hawks on a winning streak, resulting in a double-digit win total for the fourth consecutive year.

If there was any consolation to be had, it was the emergence of Russell Wilson as the predominant young quarterback in the NFL. Having lived up to his new contract, Wilson played at an elite level, whether it was using his hands or his feet. His leadership was flawless, and his work ethic and passion had focused the Carroll-era into the winningest stretch of Seahawks football. Seasons came, seasons past—but a mid-to-late round quarterback who led a team to the post-season in his first four years, including winning a Super Bowl, was a level of immediate greatness only two others franchises had been fortunate to befall. The 49ers got Joe Montana. The Patriots got Tom Brady. The Seahawks got Russell Wilson.

2016, be forewarned.

2015 Seahawks Re-Watch, Wild Card Playoff: Little to the Left

2015 Seahawks Re-Watch, Wild Card Playoff: Little to the Left

By utilizing home field advantage, the Seattle Seahawks had propelled themselves to consecutive NFC Championship wins. As a sixth seed in 2015, they would have to win out on the road to experience Super Bowl glory. While historically an inconsistent road team, this year’s Seahawks, after losing their first three away games, had actually won out the regular season at San Francisco, Dallas, Minnesota, Baltimore and Arizona. This playoff game was hosted at a locale the Hawks surely remembered, but not exactly how they remembered it. TCF Stadium was home to the Minnesota Vikings, the exact stadium they had played in on December 6th, save on December 6th the temperature at kickoff was 37 degrees Fahrenheit, whereas it was minus-six degrees for this January 10th matchup, making it one of the coldest playoffs games ever.

Cold weather and its effects had been a hot topic. In 2014’s playoffs, the New England Patriots had been using under-inflated footballs during a game against the Indianapolis Colts. Some argued that taking a football from room temperature to forty degrees could naturally-but-not-significantly change its air pressure. If so, then a ball at below freezing temperatures faced far greater challenges than just its inflation. The characteristics of the ball—its feel, weight, and grip—could change so dramatically that quarterbacks struggle to intuitively know how hard to throw a ball and how to put an appropriate arc on it. Likewise, receivers may not correctly anticipate how a ball will handle when caught or may find that errant passes exceed their catch radius. Players who handle snaps faced the same challenges. But, if the cold so affected the football, what it did to the field conditions was worse. Fortunately, this would present no issue during the wildcard game, as TCF had had a hydronic heated field installed prior to the Vikings moving into the facility.

2015 Seahawks Re-Watch, Week 17: Lockett Goes Light Speed

2015 Seahawks Re-Watch, Week 17: Lockett Goes Light Speed

For his efforts as a return specialist, Lockett earned Pro Bowl honors. Seven other Seahawks made the squad. Russell Wilson was the only offensive player to do so, having been the best quarterback in football during November and December. Incidentally, his touchdown pass to Coffman broke the single-season team record. The previous mark of 32 was held by Dave Krieg, who accomplished the feat in 1984. The remaining spots belonged to familiar names. Middle linebacker Bobby Wagner, an underrated speed guy and sure fire tackler, made it and so did Michael Bennett, the elite defensive lineman. Cornerback Richard Sherman earned a nod, mostly likely for his success in adapting to an expanded role in the secondary. Safety Earl Thomas, by far the best player for the Seahawks in 2015, earned his nod for being a 5’10” human being who played as if he were fifty-yard wall towering along the field. Lastly, safety Kam Chancellor was selected, but the selection was a tad controversial. Chancellor had missed two games due to a holdout and had an iffy year in pass coverage. As it was, after his Pro Bowl selection, he injured his tailbone and missed the rest of the regular season, playing in only 11 games, a career low.

Several Hawks received nods as alternates, including defensive end Chris Avril, who had a superb season, and kicker Steven Hauschka, whose foot was as golden as ever. Also, running back Marshawn Lynch and left tackle Russell Okung were elected. With so many Seahawks on the roster, it was hard to imagine any players being snubbed, but two Seahawks had strong cases. Doug Baldwin earned the honor as an alternate but would have likely been a straight-up Pro Browler had voting occurred closer to the conclusion of the regular season. Meanwhile, KJ Wright was a borderline candidate, finishing the year with 116 combined tackles and four forced fumbles. A player on the rise, Wright’s efforts in 2015 were off the charts, even if he did not produce the sexiest stat line.

2015 Seahawks Re-Watch, Week 16: One Of Those Days

2015 Seahawks Re-Watch, Week 16: One Of Those Days

Sans Marshawn Lynch and Thomas Rawls, the Hawk’s rushing attack fell flat against a Ram’s defensive line that had been long heralded as one of the premiere units in the NFL. Christine Michael put up six carries for six yards and Bryce Brown scarcely ran any better, with seven carries for nine yards. Things became so anemic that offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell began utilizing the third down offense, led by former Buffalo Bill Fred Jackson, during earlier downs. While Jackson was only a marginal improvement—2 carries for 11 yards—he did contribute with his pass-catching, giving the offense some presence out of the backfield. If anything, it affirmed the talent drop off the offense had seen at the tailback position, an expected reality given the injury situation, but disheartening to see with a post-season appearance already locked up.

The rest of the offense’s day was filled with plays that should’ve been highlights but ended up being groaners.