Howdy all 12th Life Readers!
We got a new episode of Dorks On Sports for you where we recap the game against Tennessee, give predictions on the Seahawks game against the Vikings, talk Mariners, and have a great pop culture discussion at the end.
I pose the question as to whether Russell Wilson is an addict. Do it up!
Go Hawks!
Ever feel like you want to pour salt on the open flesh wound that you’re feeling after a Seahawks loss?
Just go surf Twitter for a while to intensify your misery.
There you will find all sorts of reasons to cast blame on why your Seattle Seahawks suck. Pete Carroll sucks because he is a dinosaur. Russell Wilson sucks because he can’t throw over the middle of a defense and doesn’t look for his outlet receivers. Jamal Adams sucks because he didn’t make enough plays. Tre Flowers just sucks, and so does the Seattle offensive line. And while, we’re at it, Shane Waldron now sucks too.
There, if you haven’t surfed Seahawks Twitter, I spared you the expense.
Here’s my bold hot take for your Monday morning blues. The Seattle Seahawks suck because they started a candle lit slow dance to Al Green music with Hubris in the first quarter of this weird game, and they didn’t stop until they were beaten in overtime.
The Seattle Seahawks should have won this game. They should have beaten the Titans soundly, just like they did the Colts the week before. But they got full of themselves, and the Titans (bless them) stayed the course of their identity, and they pulled off the big win. Bravo to Tennessee for everything they did, but Seattle gave this one away.
Here are my notes.
Despite being, in my opinion, severely undermanned at defensive tackle, I thought Seattle’s defensive held together pretty well at slowing All-World running back Derrick Henry until he popped that 60 yard TD rambler on a broken outside contain in the second half. Until that play happened, the defense had him held to a little over three yards a carry, which is what you would want. I thought Al Woods and Poona Ford held in at defensive tackle admirably give the volume of reps that they were asked to play in this game.
The special connection that Russell Wilson and Tyler Lockett have together remained live and well throughout this game. Yes, there was a broken coverage (or two) that helped that, but you can’t take away the special mind meld these two have with each other, and it showed up again in this one.
The sack fumble by Alton Robinson was special. I am a big fan of this second year defensive end out of Syracuse. He reminds me of Cliff Avril at times, and I worry that because of his meager draft status of being a fifth round pick in 2020, that he is not being utilized enough. Given the opportunity to play, he seems to understand containment against the run, and the dude can pass rush. This is pretty much all you can ask out of a defensive end. I want to see him play a bigger role in this defense.
That one minute drill Russell Wilson led with the offense right before the half was some of the prettiest offensive football that I’ve seen from a Seahawk offense under Pete Carroll. Russ was surgical with his sideline passes and had full control of the situation. Seeing that scoring drive happen gave me all the confidence in the world that Seattle would blow out these Titans during the second half. What a shameful waste the opposite happened because this drive was just so darn pretty to watch.
In my opinion, hubris was the main reason Seattle lost this game, and I will take it right to where the official 2021 season began after the final preseason roster cuts.
Why on God’s green planet would Seattle only carry three true defensive tackles on their roster heading into the regular season facing opponents specifically known for running the ball?
Why?
For a defense that largely still plays out of some variation of a 4-3 defense, even with a more Bear front, why go undermanned inside, especially with a proven veteran player like Geno Aktins sitting out there in free agency?
Did they honestly think that calling up former first round flame out Robert Nkemdiche from the practice squad would be the secret sauce should one of their regular DT’s such as Brian Mone get injured and couldn’t play?
Needless to say, Seattle needed Mone in this one to help stop Henry. But they also probably could have used Geno Aktins in this one, as well. As my dear old dad used to say, you can never have enough defensive linemen. I think a chief reason why we suddenly started to see the defense break down in the second half is tied to defensive tackle and asking the bigger defensive ends to rotate in at tackle as well. If Seattle would have used a four man rotation at DT, I think there’s a very reasonable chance the defensive ends and other perimeter players would have stayed fresher throughout. It is hubris for Seattle’s front office and perhaps Seattle’s coaches to think they are fine with only three big men inside. It cost them in this game.
During that 60 yard TD run, Rasheem Green darted inside from his DE position, and gave up containment to Jamal Adams who was ready to make a splash. Both looked stupid on this play when they gave up containment. Earlier, Henry had a red zone score by bouncing outside when edge rusher Darrell Taylor gave up his containment. Tennessee used Seattle’s hubris filled over eagerness and aggression against them, and they burned them. Containment is football 101 stuff and the Seahawk defenders flunked this coarse against Henry. Hubris.
AND WTF WAS GOING ON WITH DK METCALF IN THE FIRST HALF OF THIS GAME? Has DK Metcalf suddenly become Dennis Rodman with his taunts and bully play at receiver? Is he still not aware of this stupid taunting penalty the league has adopted this year even after drawing that penalty last week against the Colts? And what was up with his stupidly overly aggressive run blocks? The Seahawk coaches better start reigning this dude in now. Russell Wilson has got to show his leadership with him, if he isn’t listening. What hubris filled plague has gotten the better of him, and what kind of vaccine is out there that we can inject into him? I fear this could be a major problem moving forward, if not properly treated.
Was Russell Wilson caught up once again in his own brand of hubris in chasing big plays instead of taking the outlets that were available to him in the second half? Did Shane Waldron just see the side of Russ that Brian Schottenheimer and Darrell Bevell became all to familiar with as former play callers here?
As I’ve mentioned before, I’m much too much of a cheap ass to pay for the All 22 reel to rewatch stuff, but that said, on that crucial 3rd and manageable play in the fourth quarter where Russ took the deeper shot to DK down the sideline, I find it very difficult to imagine that Waldron didn’t have someone in available for Russ on a shorter pattern against this poor pass coverage team. I find it hard to believe that wasn’t the plan.
If I have one big criticism for Russell Wilson as a player, it would be his penchant for chasing the big play in times where he just needs to dump the ball off or extend with his legs. I feel like this is his slow dance with hubris in games.
Why weren’t the tight ends involved against the Titans like they were against the Colts? The Colts have better linebackers and safeties that Tennessee does? Was it Tennessee’s design to take them away, or what it’s Russ’s hubris to go for the splashier play?
Finally, where was the motion plays, and jet sweeps called in this one? Isn’t that supposed to be the hallmark of this new offense? I know they were without Dee Eskridge in this one, but are you telling me that Seattle’s offense is entirely built on only Eskridge running those plays to neutralize defenders? That’s just stupid if the answer is yes. Feels like hubris on the coaching staff that they weren’t utilizing these looks enough, if at all. The whole point of this offense is to give as many looks as you can to get them on their heels to help Russ out. What the hell happened here?
Hubris beat these Seahawks period. Dirty stinking hubris.
Jamal Adams getting punked and bullied by an overly jazzed up backup tight end was hard to watch. The is so much WTF in this can, I don’t even want to entertain opening it up and examining. Good God, that was hard to watch. Why on Earth wasn’t that dude called for any taunting?
Hmmmmmmmmm..
The Seattle front office needs to get off their asses and sign a defensive tackle this week. Seattle is sitting comfortable with over $10 million in cap space. That’s an unusually high number going into the regular season.
They could add Geno Atkins, and maybe Richard Sherman if they wanted to. They might even be able to add a linebacker.
This defense simply does not feel complete right now. I think they have a nice collection of edge rushers to help against pass happy teams. I like their middle linebackers and safeties.
The corners still feel like they can be picked on though, and when Tennessee was able to really get Henry going in the second half, they didn’t have to concern themselves with Seattle’s four man pass rush much.
For as much of passing evolution as there has been with this game of NFL football, there are things that will always remain the same so long as it’s played. If you can’t stop the run, you aren’t going to get sacks and turn overs. You earn the right to pass rush because you have taken the run away. It’s that simple. It will always be that simple.
In this game, it was Tennessee who earned the right to pass rush in the waning moments of this game, and it showed.
Seattle now has to face the Vikings and 49ers, both teams that love to run the ball to set up everything thing else. Seattle has got to figure out how to shore up it’s run defense.
Go get Geno Aktins, John Schneider. Don’t let hubris control you any longer. If you are simply waiting for a bigger fish to trade for towards the deadline, you can still manage that trade by cutting someone off the squad then. You’re a creative sort. Be creative now. Please.
Go Hawks.
Nobody likes to see their favorite sports franchise ripped from their market, and moved hundreds to thousands of miles away.
If you, as a Seahawks fan, are searching for reasons to despise the Tennessee Titans as they come to town this week, I call upon you to remember the Houston Oilers.
And if you are much too young to do that, I say to you “remember the Seattle SuperSonics.”
Through the 1980’s into the 1990’s, the Houston Oilers were a darling team in the NFL. They had the original Beastmode running back in Earl Campbell, and after his tires ran out, they plucked former Washington Husky bomber Warren Moon from the Canadian Football League, and made him the first promiment African American quarterback in the league. The offense than they ran with Moon, own as the Run And Shoot, quickly became the most Must See TV offense in the league.
As a team, they broke a significant glass ceiling for black quarterbacks, and they ushered in a new style of passing offense. They also played fierce on defense with an intimidating 4-3 style that dominated by rushing with four down linemen. Viewing them from afar, it was very hard not to admire that team.
Then by the mid 1990’s, their owner, in a battle with local government over funds for a new stadium, pulled the team out of Houston, moved them to Tennessee, and they eventually became the Titans. It was a dick move that I am sure all Seattle SuperSonic fans understand all too well.
If you are going to the stadium this Sunday to welcome your beloved Seattle Seahawks back into town after their nifty road win against the Colts, scream your f’ing head off against these Titans all game long. Remember the Oilers. Remember the Seattle SuperSonicis
These dreadful Titans will be coming in looking to right their ship after an embarrassing home loss against the Cardinals, and we need to do everything we can to bury them deep into the turf at Lumen Field, and have them return home shaking quaking shadows of themselves. This is our mission, if we choose to accept it.
Staying aggressive with Russell Wilson in their newfound Shane Waldron offense. It was a nice outing against a good Colt defense for this offense, and there is little reason why they can’t do it again at home against these Titan defenders that had problems with Kyler Murray. Waldron needs to keep calling an offensive style that suits what Russ does best, getting on the move, going up tempo, going play action, getting the Titan defenders on their heels with the run and pass, and using Russ’s abilities to do both himself, if need be. Continue to be aggressive and dictating as an offense.
Taking care of the football and take the ball away from Tennessee. Russ needs to continue being decisive with the football and take whatever the Titan D is giving up. There’s no need to force whatever isn’t there. Chris Carson and company need to stay secure with the football in his hands. Seahawk defenders probably need to force some turnovers.
Not letting Derrick Henry get going. Heading into Seattle, the Titans are probably going to refocus their offensive attack towards getting the ball into superstar running back Derrick Henry’s hands more than the 17 carries he had against Arizona. If Seattle continues to only carry three true defensive tackles on their roster, I would test that run defense more. Seattle needs to stay strong and disciplined up front, and they need to be rock star tacklers to make Henry’s day a long one.
Get up with the scoring early and unleash the dogs up front. Seattle looks like they might have a deep bag of riches at edge rusher. Rasheem Green looks like he finally found his home used more as an edge rusher. Carlos Dunlap and Benson Mayowa appear to be in mid season veteran form. My goodness, do second year edge rushers Darrell Taylor and Alton Robinson ever look dynamic. If Seattle can force Tennessee to win with Ryan Tannehill going against this pass rush most of the game, with sixty plus thousand jacked up screaming Twelves, Seattle should be in good shape to get another W.
Loosing the line of scrimmage battle. Second year starting guard Damien Lewis didn’t practice on Thursday, and suddenly listed with a groin injury. Reserve tackle/guard JaMarco Jones didn’t practice and is listed with a knee injury. One time starting center Ethan Pocic as been placed on Injured reverse. Suddenly, Seattle’s interior portion of their offensive line feels more worrisome, and Tennessee has a talented young defensive tackle in Jeffery Simmons to contend with. Also, as noted above, Seattle is only carrying three true defensive tackles on it roster, and that feels uncomfortably thin for a club that still spends a lot of time working out of a 4-3. If I am to be honest, these things concern me.
Stumbling on offense and not getting their balanced style going well enough. Seattle needs to avoid the prat fall of thinking they are suddenly the greatest show on turf with this Waldron offense and come into this game thinking that they got it in the bag. Tennessee is a proud veteran team that has made the playoffs two years in a row. As a unit, Seattle’s offense needs to play with poise. They must limit the false starts and illegal formations that get them in long situations on downs, and they have to take care of the ball in the rain.
Not stopping Derek Henry on the ground will put Seattle’s defense in a bind. Tennessee has top end talent at receiver and if Tennessee is able to run with authority, Ryan Tannehill’s job will get very easy at Lumen Field in front of a disappointed crowd of Twelves. This could force Russell Wilson to win a shoot out in the rain where, statistically, he can struggle, at times.
The Seattle home crowd will walk out of Lumen Field happy in this one. The Seahawks avenge the Houston Oilers and Seattle SuperSonics by beating the Tennessee Titans 34-27.
I expect more scoring in this one for both clubs. Tennessee, in my opinion, has more talent on offense than the Colts do, but their defense isn’t as strong. This smells of a greater offensive output for both clubs.
Seattle will continue its campaign of rolling out the sleek new Shane Waldron offense, even if they have to roll without Damien Lewis at left guard. I see Chris Carson having a big game with the run and pass. I see Russell throwing multiple touchdowns once again, and maybe even taking one in himself. I think a decisive quick passing game will help mitigate any potential troubles up front. I see a very pretty deep ball being tossed and caught down field eventually because, frankly, Tennessee doesn’t appear to be a great pass rushing or coverage team yet (just as they weren’t last year, either).
I think the Seahawk defense might come back to Earth a bit more in this match. I really like the speed Seattle plays with in its front seven these days, and I believe that’s going to help with against Henry, but I see Tannehill finding more success through the air than Wentz did last Sunday. Seattle’s corners and safeties will be tested more, but in the the end, I see Seattle’s pass rush continuing to make a major impact down the stretch.
I can easily see the final seconds of the game ending on Rasheem Green busting through the offensive line for a sack/fumble on Tannehill, to which Poona Ford collects, and then the games expires with a Russell Wilson kneel down. It just has that sorta feel to me.
We shall see.
Go Hawks!
Hey Faithful 12th Life Readers,
It’s Curtis Eastwood here. As author of this blog, I am delighted to share with you all another passion project that I just started with a small group of friends.
As, some of you might be aware, outside of being a gigantic Seahawks fan, I have been a working actor and a member of the Seattle theater community for the better part of three decades. In this wonderful diverse community of artists, I have rubbed elbows with creative types who also happen to be big dorks on sports, such as myself.
It’s a very unique bond that we share. Not only are we of the shared mindset to pursue a creative field that offers zero job security and forces us to balance part time to full time jobs with four to five hours of rehearsals five days a week all for the sake of doing a play that maybe thirty people will see on a Thursday night (if we are lucky), we also happen to be very passionate about the NFL, NBA, and MLB – all leagues made up of multi millionaire players and billionaire ownership groups.
We share an ironic paradigm. We are people who have been willing to somewhat forgo the conventional material world for the pursuit of the ancient art form of performing a story live in front of an audience, and yet we love our immensely corporate and very conventional professional sports teams.
Essentially, we are a unique breed within a unique breed. As one might imagine, not all the theater artist is a diehard sports fan. That said, I could also safely assert that not all the diehard sports fan is also a theater dork.
This is what Dorks On Sports is born out of. It’s a weekly podcast that will be available on the internet in video form on YouTude, and audio forms from various streaming services like Spotify and PodBean. You can follow us on those cites, and I will likely post episodes on here as well.
My co-hosts are Daniel Wood, Amelia Meckler Bowers, and Allanah Raas-Bergquist. Daniel is a very funny and entertaining Seattle actor who I gravitate to very easily. Amelia is a sharp theater actress and director, specializing in Shakespeare, who I have admired for years. Allanah is one of the best stage managers I’ve ever worked with, and as you will see with each podcast episode, has a very intuitive mind when it comes to talking sports. I’m just happy to be along for the ride with these people.
What our podcast hopes to offer you is lighthearted, entertaining, and insightful takes on our beloved Seattle sports teams. In each episode, you can also expect us to drift into the topics of pop culture, and other happenings, we will always leave time for that.
Here’s our very first episode. I hadn’t yet set up my special little podcast mic yet, so I will apologize beforehand for any extra tint coming out of me, but fortunately, I only do a fraction of the talking. These people are so talented, I could honestly stand to talk less in future episodes, to be honest.
Hope you enjoy, and if you do, please share with others.
Go Hawks!
The Indianapolis Colts are a good team.
They have strong offensive and defensive lines, and that is a huge advantage in the NFL. They also have talent at running back, linebacker, tight end, safety, and say what you will about Carson Wentz, I believe he’s still a very capable quarterback who’s experienced at guiding teams to playoffs.
Yes, they are thin at receiver, and suspect at corner. Most teams have their warts, even the good ones, but I believe that the Colts are built to contend for their division.
That makes this comfortable road win for the Seahawks over them all the more satisfying. I expected Seattle to win this game going in, they have had great success against Wentz in the past when he was in Philadelphia, but I expected a much closer score, and I expected the Colts to have more success on offense.
So, what a delight this game proved to be for the Seahawk defense. Let’s dig into it a bit.
After giving up an easy drive field goal scoring drive to Indy’s offense, Seattle defensive coordinator Ken Norton Junior apparently made some pretty good adjustments to what Frank Reich’s offense was wanting to do because the Seattle defenders largely stymied the Colts offense the rest of the way. What was most interesting to me is that the Seahawk defense played better when they didn’t send blitzes and just rushed four. It seemed like the Colts where ready for Jamal Adams to blitz a lot and their game plan involved a lot of screens and other plays to use against Seattle’s aggression. Whenever Seattle stopped doing that, the Colts seemed to have problems.
Seattle’s defensive line deserves all the credit in this one. That opening drive against the Colt offense had me nervous that the lack of depth at defensive tackle was going to get exposed, and Russell Wilson would be forced to win yet another shootout on the road, but my goodness, did Seattle’s front four ever settle down, and disrupt a very good Colts offensive line. As it stands right now, it appears like Seattle has a deep bag of riches at the edge rusher position, and this is a very exciting thing moving forward.
For me, the absolute star of this game was fourth year defensive end Rasheem Green. He was everywhere on the field. His explosive solo sack on Wentz was one of the prettiest rushes that I’ve seen from a Seahawk defender in the while, and he constantly in the Indianapolis backfield. When he wasn’t, he was chasing plays down field, and hustling his ass off in other ways.
Green wasn’t the only Seahawk pas rusher to shine. Second year DE/LB Darrell Taylor played his very first meaningful NFL game. Not only that, he started, and wasted zero time showing the world why Seattle traded up for him in the second round over a year ago. His second half sack on Wentz might have be just as impressive as Green’s first half sack, and to my eyes, he seemed to handle containment against the run pretty reliably, as well.
On a side note, I’ve noticed a bit of an unfair narrative with some Seahawk followers comparing Darrell Taylor to former Seahawk high draft pick Malik McDowell in that Taylor might not ever play a meaningful down for the Seattle defense because of the serious leg injury he sustained in college. I’m going to say that Taylor, if anything, has proved why one might not want to push send on the comment boards available on the internet. That was obviously a hyperbolic narrative that flowed. As it stands, if Seattle gets a healthy season out of Taylor, this defense probably has the makings of being something pretty special this year. I’m pretty excited about this dude.
Linebackers Bobby Wagner and Jordyn Brooks proved crazy productive in the tackling department, and safeties Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs played fierce. I really like the strength down the middle for Seattle’s defense, and I see a lot of special there.
Offensively, what more can be said for them?
Russell Wilson played superbly in leading Shane Waldron’s new offense. Sure, there’s probably a few kinks that need working out, but Wilson showed yet again just how special he is at playing efficiently when he’s in an offense that can marry the run with the pass in a balanced way. He just gives defenses nightmares when they have to be thinking about the run, and pass, and the threat of him as a runner, especially whenever the tempo is picked up. It’s too much on a linebacker or a DB’s plate for four quarters, and he made a very good Indy defense look silly, at times.
Russell had a lot of help in this. The offensive line ran block pretty well against one of the better defensive front sevens in the league, and held their own in pass pro. Chris Carson ran and caught the ball very well. Tyler Lockett had a big game at receiver, and DK Metcalf picked his game up in the second half. Seattle’s tight ends were productive throughout. Rookie receiver Dee Eskridge flashed. For my money, first year play caller Shane Waldron put together a very nice game plan and was on it.
There is every reason for Seahawk fans to be excited about this Waldron offense, and I suspect that we just got a sliver of a glimpse of it. There’s many more wrinkles to come as it becomes more second nature to the starters. That’s very exciting.
Not gonna lie to you, I still got major concerns with the center spot on the O line. I think maybe Kyle Fuller played okay going against one of the top defensive tackle tandems in the league. I’m not totally sure, but it seemed like Ethan Pocic struggled more when he was in, and I think it was he who gave up a brutal third down sack on an inside blitz in the second half. At any rate, it seemed like, as the team went on, Indy felt intent at sending extra inside. My guess is that they sensed the weakness there, and went after it. Seattle probably needs to figure out a good counter to that moving forward.
As good as the defense played, I still worry about their corner situation some. They weren’t matched against a particularly great set of Indy receivers, and they held on okay. Tre Flowers gave up a garbage time touchdown in man coverage and he was beaten easily on an inside slant. DJ Reed had to hold on what looked like an outside corner route and gave up a first down. I’m not panicked, but given the fact that each team in the NFC West has good to great talent at receiver, I would strongly continue to encourage John Schneider to have Richard Sherman’s phone number on speed dial. I might even call him today just to check in.
Watching Poona Ford rolling around on the turf in pain during the second of the game, freaked me the F out about Seattle’s lack of depth at defensive tackle. They absolutely need to add one more legitimate piece inside. Signing Geno Atkins to rotate in at defensive tackle with Ford just makes too much sense not to do it. You can never have enough defensive linemen, and it’s borderline reckless for Seattle not to be carrying four true interior defensive linemen. I hope that by this time next week, I will be writing about how smart it was that Schneider finally signed Atkins. Bring that big fella in, Schneider! Do it!
Watching all those Indy fans in the stands unmasked with the delta variant of Covid on the rise throughout the land. I’m not sure what their mask/vaccine policy is out that way, but I’m going to guess that it’s the one area of politicalization that is “pro choice” for their masses. I couldn’t help but feel absolutely geeked out by seeing those cutaway shots to the stands. Felt too much like a super spreader event. I’ll just leave it at that.
Seahawks come home and play the Tennessee Titans in front of a house full for Twelves for the first time since 2019. It’s poised to be a great day.
If I’m Seattle, I’m not sleeping on the Titans after they got embarrassed by the Cardinals like they did. That’s a proud veteran team that has made the playoffs two years in a row, and they got a lot of talent on their offense, and they got some dangerous pieces on their defense. Seattle cannot take this team lightly.
I don’t think they will. Too much is riding on Seattle making their star quarterback happy this season, and really going for it all. Plus, all of the teams in the NFC West won handsomely yesterday. There’s an arms race out here West. I think Seattle knows it. They won’t take any game lightly this year. Thus, I think next Sunday should be a lot of fun for a lot of excited fans in the stands in the 206.
I also suspect that this is the week we will see them add more to the defensive line with Atkins. The Titans love to run the ball. Bringing Atkins in right now just makes too much sense. So, do it, John Schneider! Bring that bad boy in.
Go Hawks!
Carson Wentz might play this Sunday for the Colts in their season opener against Seattle.
Whoop’dy freaking doo dah.
Let me ask you this question, Seahawk fan who calls thyself a Twelve. When was the last time Carson Wentz ever beat the Seattle Seahawks?
Oh, that’s right. Never. Never ever.
Not when he was younger and thought to be the next big superstar savior of the league for the Philadelphia Eagles, and certainly not over the last few seasons when he has been a busted up inept shadow of himself.
And it’s not like these teams of Seattle and Philadelphia have rarely played each over, either. Because of each club being relatively similar in terms of regular season finishing in the NFC, they have been scheduled to play each other a lot over the past half decade, or so. Seattle has beaten them every stinking time.
Carson Wentz has never known victory over Russell Wilson and Pete Carroll.
So, like, excuuuuuuuse me if I am not dreading the prospects of a gimpy Carson Wentz practicing this week to play against the Seahawks for the Colts. If anything, I think this is a dirty tactic by Indianapolis head coach Frank Reich.
How is it so dirty, you ask?
Simple. The Colts have a banged up offensive line, and Wentz is an anti-vaxxer.
Call me crazy, but here in the 206 of the PNW, we take our vaccination rate against the Covid serious. Pete Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks take the vaccine seriously (always protect the team, duh).
Frank Reich is going to throw gimpy un-vaccinated Carson Wentz behind an offensive line that could be without its starting center and its left side. Dirty stinking Hoosiers, Man.
They know perfectly well Seattle’s pass rushers could be going to be like “Eeeeewe, I don’t want Wentz germs.” I’m not kidding, either.
Look, I don’t want to get weighted down into the politics that divide about getting the vaccine, because that’s a whole other write up, but I know dirty underhanded coaching tactics whenever I see them. Reich is going for the jock straps of the vaccination conscious Pete Carroll led Seattle Seahawks.
That’s not cool, Man. It’s dirty, low down, mid western cow patty business. Not cool.
Carlos Dunlap, Jamal Adams, Poona Ford, Kerry Hyder Junior, Alton Robinson, Benson Mayowa, Darrell Taylor and LJ Collier bathing in hand sanitizer on the side lines in order to get after Wentz. Pete Carroll wants to send his pass rushers in waves all game. Keep the sanitizer well stocked and near by as the big fellas rotate in, and as God goes with them, that should be enough.
Staying aggressive with Russell Wilson and the offense. The Colts have two massive and immensely talented defense tackles up front to lead a talented group of linebackers and defensive backs behind them. This is a good test and opportunity for new offensive play caller, Shane Waldron, to shine. Instead of being pig headed about trying to bang it inside with Chris Carson against these enormous men, look for Waldron to go up tempo, get Russ moving, attack with outside with runs, miss direction, keepers and quick hitters. Get the big DTs winded some, and the guys behind them second guessing. Basically, do everything Russ has been craving to do over the past three years or more. Just be aggressive.
Carson Wentz phobia afflicting the Seahawk pass rush. If Poona and Dunlap are thinking about not bringing Covid home to loved ones more than their sack numbers, the Seattle Seahawks are in trouble. Wentz is not likely going to be a world beater this year, and the Colts don’t seem to have a great group of receivers, but Seattle has question marks at corner right now, and the presumptive plan is for their pass rush to get home frequently to help the coverage out. If Jamal Adams is just as grossed out by Wentz as I am, this could be a problem.
Pete Carroll being bone headed about wanting to dial back the offense against a strong Indianapolis front seven. Pete Carroll has to let Shane Waldron cook in this one. He needs to give him space to work out the kinks with Wilson and company. Indianapolis likely is going to have a pretty good defense in this one, and at times, it will show. I think the best way to go about it, is to not play possum and then let it rip in the fourth quarter. I think you go after them in the beginning and try to gas them, if you can. I mean, isn’t this why we brought in Waldron from the Rams? To essentially be the Rams? Hopefully, Carroll sees it the same way.
Seahawks start their season on the road against the Indianapolis Colts and prevail in victory, 31-27. You read it here first.
The final score will make the game appear closer than it actually ever was.
Seattle will have a healthy lead going into the fourth quarter, and in typical fashion, Carroll will call off his dogs in favor of a prevent style defense to help chew clock. This will give whomever is quarterbacking the Colts at the time the ability to test the corners of Seattle more, and a degree of Seahawk fans will surely be pulling their hairs out in front of their screens when easy passes are given up left, right, and center.
This will taste like a double turd burger when Carroll also asks Waldron to dial back the offense into a predictable running attack that the Colt defenders snuff out with ease. On the rage on Seahawks Twitter when this starts happening.
But alas, the cagey old coach’s conventional wisdom pays off. The Colts won’t have enough time to complete any come from behind triumph and the final play of the game will end on a Russell Wilson kneel down, and some angry old white dude somewhere in Idaho will getting triggered by the sight of that kneeling.
Because that’s where we are as a nation right now.
Go Hawks.
I love the smell of angry Russell Wilson in the morning.
It smells like.. victory.
Put everything you think you know about Russell Wilson aside. Stow away the Namobubble water, his Tuesday visits at Seattle Children’s Hospital, his “Go Hawks” sign offs after every interview, his self promoting and branding, and put away his everyday sunny disposition.
Russell Wilson wants to destroy souls in 2021, and he’s got a locker room full of dudes behind him eager to make it happen, and a cagey culture building head coach ready to take advantage of it all.
Here is my 2021, position by position, Seattle Seahawks preview, and bold take prediction. Drink your coffee, chew your turkey jerky, and make sure your laces are tied. This is going to be a ride.
The Quarterback Position
Every superhero goes through a rebirth.
Iron Man went from egotistical womanizing booze hound to becoming a loving husband, best super hero dad in the MCU, and the guy who literally single handedly saved the entire universe. Thor went from a daft super jock to a Moses for his people. Superman went from a lovable and charming guy next door type to a disappointingly vengeful jerk by the time Zack Snyder got his hands on him. Times change, so do superheroes, and so does Russell Wilson.
Russell Wilson is shedding a bit of his squeaky clean nice guy persona for a little bit more of an impatient asshole type. Call it a mid-football-life crisis (or what have you), but he’s not cool with what has become the status quo of his team being decent but not great, and he’s become more vocal about that.
When you put yourself out there like that (willing to call out how the offensive line has been put together, etc), you had better respond by doing everything you can to take care of your own shit, to make sure you are always bringing your best version of yourself on the field. Otherwise, if you don’t, you can expect criticism to pour down on you in ways you have never before experienced in your lifetime.
By voicing out this off-season, Russell Wilson has put himself on the line like he has never been before. I’m sure that he knows it.
If you have seen footage or photos of him during training camp, you will have noticed that he appears the slimmest he has looked since his rookie season. If I am part of the coaching staff of the Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, or the Los Angeles Rams, I’m a wee bit nervous about that.
We haven’t seen Russell Wilson in this new Shane Waldron offense yet. Some fans might be nervous how it’s going to go down. I am not one of them. I got enough glimpses from the three preseason games to envision what Russ will do by watching non world beaters Alex McGough, Sean Mannion, and Geno Smith run the show.
I am fully convinced that Waldron has put together an offense with will fit Russ like a glove. The tempo, the variations of personnel and plays, the balance of run and pass are all perfect for a quarterback such as Russ to operate out of.
If you have a quarterback such as Number 3, the last thing you want to do is run a system that a defenders can predict. His skill set matched with his height requires an offensive that is aggressive, and can hit you in the mouth in a multitude of ways out of the same looks to the point in which you second guess. I got enough glimpses in the preseason to rest my ease.
For the first time in his tenure in Seattle, this is truly going to be the Russell Wilson show with an offense designed specifically for him. Pete Carroll looked at that trade offer from the Bears last Spring that would have netted him all-world edge rusher Khalil Mack, another starter of his choice, three first round picks and a third, he sat on it for a minute, and he was like, “nah, I think I will just let Russ cook.”
Russell Wilson is going to have a monster, MVP caliber, year. Put it in the bank now.
A Seahawk hating friend of mine said that Seattle’s offense breaks without Russell Wilson and they better give Duane Brown whatever he wants. I couldn’t decide if this was trash talk, or just a simple statement of fact, but I fully agreed with it. Most offenses would break with their star quarterback going down.
I seriously doubt the Seattle Seahawks would go to the length they have to build it further around Russ in 2021 to not figure out the Duane Brown situation and have Russ play without his star left tackle. I expect the situation to be resolved within the next week or so.
And for those nervous that this could be the year injuries catch up to Russ, let me remind you of 2016. That was the season Russ played through a high ankle sprain sustained during game one, and a torn pectoral muscle sustained in October. Most quarterbacks would not have played through those injuries. Russell Wilson has never missed a game of professional football, and he has never looked more slim and fit as he does today.
And he’s pissed off.
I’m not nervous about Russell Wilson. This is going to be a fun season.
The Running Back Position
Perhaps the deepest unit on the roster. In a year where Russ is poised to cook like nobody’s business, it’s ironic that Seattle is choosing to keep five backs.
Here’s the truth about Russell Wilson cooking, y’alls. Russ needs to cook with a cooking run game, and this backfield offers enough versatility to make things happen in interestingly different ways. The Seattle Seahawks obviously want their backfield as deep and rich as it can be, and I dig it.
They got bangers who can run physical like Chris Carson and Alex Collins. They got a home run hitter type like Rashaad Penny. They got an interesting x-factor type in Deejay Dallas who has receiver skills to split out wide and looks worlds more explosive in 2021 than he did in 2020. They kept Travis Homer (to my surprise) who proved to be a useful third down back for Russ when he was cooking at is best in the early part of the 2020 season.
One bold hot prediction I got for you out of this group is this; expect Deejay Dallas to be a very interesting player for the Seattle Seahawks in 2021, and not just as a returner.
Supposedly, Russell Wilson really likes this cat a lot, and when Russ gets behind someone on this team, that’s usually a good sign. Dallas looks explosive with the ball in his hands, and my money is on Waldron figuring out a variety of ways to do it in this offense. I’m down for it.
The Wide Receiver Position
At the time of publication of this piece, the 2021 Seahawks will have only four receivers on the active roster. Expect that to change to at least five once the season gets going.
As for the four dudes currently on the roster, we all know what DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett bring as a starting tandem (I think they are tops in the league), but I’m also pretty excited about Dee Eskridge and Freddie Swain are poised to add. I thought Swain flashed underrated skill last year, but in the one preseason game that we finally got to catch a glimpse of Eskridge, his skill set was obvious.
You can see why Seattle chose to draft him in the second round over a center. Time will tell if that was the right move, but in two plays, you could see an aggressive style of player who looks willing to fight through holes and contact, and who leaped up to attack a highly thrown ball 19 yards down field in a very Doug Baldwin like way. This guy looks like a football player. He looks like someone who understands that this is a violent sport, and he is willing to bring it. He looks like a badass. I’m excited about this guy a lot in this offense.
The Tight End Position
I think I like this group. On paper, I like what Gerald Everett brings as a more athletic pass catcher who understands what Waldron wants out of the position, and I still like Will Dissly as an inline blocker and safety value receiver.
I’m intrigued by the size and pass catching abilities of Colby Parkinson, but I’m nervous about his ability to stay healthy.
As of right now, I have to be honest in saying that I didn’t see enough out of this group during the preseason to be able to get a good read. None of these guys really played, and the tight ends that did weren’t really featured. That could totally be by design to not reveal much of the offense, but I don’t know.
At best, I can say that I’m intrigued by matching Gerald Everett with Russell Wilson and DK Metcalf. His presence gives Seattle two big run after catch guys that defenses have to consider while mixed in with quicker jet sweep guys. It could get really interesting.
At worst, I just keep my fingers crossed that injuries don’t take a toll here.
Offensive Line
I love the starting guards of Damien Lewis and Gabe Jackson. When we finally saw them play together in that final preseason game, I felt we saw what this offense can more accurately be on Sundays. They look physical and active. They look like the type of badasses you want your guards to look like.
I like the tackle situation with Duane Brown getting sorted out and Stone Forsythe developing behind him on the left side. I like Brandon Shell on the right side, but I really, really like un-drafted rookie Jake Curhan, and thought he was the quiet star of the preseason. Don’t be surprised if Curhan starts some games in 2021.
I’m nervous about center, but not deathly nervous.. yet.
Perhaps Kyle Fuller will be the surprise player on the line. Maybe one time starter Ethan Pocic will prove a valuable backup, but I would say that grabbing Dakoda Shepley off wavers from San Francisco could be a sign that Seattle isn’t totally settled at this spot heading into week one of the regular season.
Shepley had a solid Pro Football Focus grade during the preseason, and Carroll was surprised San Fran let him go. Sounds like a guy who could end up being the starter at some point down the line this year, if he picks things up fairly smoothly. Maybe that will be a blessing, like DJ Reed was last year at corner, but we don’t know.
Center is the one spot on this team that I have the most questions about. We will see.
Defensive Line
Poona Ford. Poona F’ing Ford.
Poona, Poona, Poona.
Poona Ford is going to be the break out star of this defense, ya’ll. Cash that check right now.
I love me the edge rushers in Carlos Dunlap, Alton Robinson, Kerry Hyder, and Rasheem Green in his new stand up edge rushing role. I like that they will likely have Benson Mayowa and Darrell Taylor mixing in at LEO end, and SAM linebacker. It feels like they can send these guys in waves every game every week, and I’m excited about that.
I like the big DT’s they got in Al Woods and Bryan Mone.
I wish I liked more of what I saw out of LJ Collier during the preseason, but maybe a fire gets lit under him when the games start to matter, and he looks better. I worry that he’s a guy without a true position though, but we shall see.
I also think that, eventually, we are going to see a Geno Atkins type of signing happen to split time at 3 tech with Poona F’ing Ford.
But folks, let’s be real. This is Poona Ford’s time to shine as an every down DT. Pro Football Focus loves this guy. I love him, too.
Let Poona Cook.
Linebackers
Some folks are nervous KJ Wright isn’t coming back, and they are concerned about the linebacker depth. I’m not.
Absolutely no disrespect to KJ. He’s been one of my favorite Seahawks in the Carroll era, and I thought he had a fantastic year last year. But this defense is changing out of Carroll’s traditional 4-3 under cover three. It’s becoming more versatile to match what they have to play within their division, and I think it’s something they need to do, too.
Now, more than ever, we are going to see the line blurred between a 4-3 and a 3-4 look on base downs with what will be a Bear Defensive look. The outside linebacker and defensive end positions will be more blurred. I am putting Benson Mayowa and Darrell Taylor in the linebacker group as likely featured pass rushing types at strong outside ‘backer, which is what KJ played last year.
KJ did a great many things for this defense but he was not a pass rusher at the SAM. This is why he wasn’t coming back to Seattle.
That said, Seattle will likely spend the majority of it’s time in what will be a 4-2-5 look in order to get its talented group of safeties on the field together in the ever pass happy nature of modern NFL football. The linebackers to fill those two inside roles are Bobby Wagner, Jordyn Brooks, and Cody Barton, who are all fast as f***.
Barton, for me, was maybe the best looking and most consistent looking defender during the preseason. It seems like that light switch has turned on for him going into year three. I’m intrigued.
Given the fact that all-world hybrid defender Jamal Adams will factor in with the linebackers, I think this could be a sneaky good part of the team this year. I’m pretty hopeful here.
Best of luck to KJ, though. My God, he’s almost going to make me root for the Raiders some.
Cornerback
Ain’t gonna lie. This is the group that concerns me most outside of the center spot on the offensive line.
Do I think they will suck? Nope. Not there with those feelings yet.
Do I see potential for any world beaters out of these guys? Nah. Not really.
Hopefully, DJ Reed stays healthy and shows that he can be a number one corner. Hopefully, Tre Flowers locks down the left side. Hopefully, Sidney Jones picks up the scheme quickly and pushes one of those two guys for playing time.
Hopefully Tre Brown continues to show the scrappiness he had as a cover corner in college, and factors in positively when called upon.
Maybe newly acquired Nigel Warrior looks as badass as his name suggests.
I just hope that John Schneider has Richard Sherman’s number on speed dial. I’m serious about that, too, even with the brush up with the law. I still maintain that Sherman returning to the Seahawks would be a huge positive for this club, and I want it.
Safety Position
Jamal Adams. Quandre Diggs. Marquise Blair. Ryan Neal. Ugo Amadi.
Folks, the Seattle Seahawks have the richest looking safety room in the league, and it ain’t close. I expect A LOT of three safety looks out of this team this year.
They are so deep here, if they do make some sort of splash mid season trade, I wouldn’t be surprised if one of these players is dealt. They are DEEEEEEEEP.
The idea of having a healthy Marquise Blair on the field with Adams and Diggs is mind boggling-ly exciting. Holy crap in your pants, Batman. That’s a lot of explosive skill at safety.
I dig this group lots.
Special Teams
Michael Dickson is a golden footed punting football god, and Jason Myers ain’t too shabby either.
Watching Deejay Dallas returning kicks will be fun all season long
The Coaches
Pete Carroll is a master culture builder to which the writers of Ted Lasso owe a lot of credit towards. He is also showing that an old dog can learn new tricks by giving Russell Wilson a style of offense that he wants, and adjusting his defense out of the standard cover three look that the league has figured out pretty darn well.
Shane Waldron is in position to put forth a stellar offense that could have him a strong head coaching candidate not before long. It wouldn’t hurt Seattle if there is some sort of handshake deal in place for him to become Carrol’s heir apparent to keep him around, and keep Russ happy.
Ken Norton Junior will work with Carrol to continue adjusting their defense to fit Jamal Adams, and expect that defense to become more versatile and better in 2021. Cornerback doesn’t feel ideal, but I suspect that they have pressure packages in place with the personnel they have up front to mitigate that lack of starter talent. We shall see, but I think they are onto something. I’m cautiously very hopeful.
Prediction for 2021
What year is this for Pete Carroll in Seattle now?
It’s year 12.
What ranking did Russell Wilson have on the NFL Network’s Top 100 players?
He was ranked number 12.
You can laugh all you want about the superstitious natural of numerology, but I know better. I am part Native American, and I was raised Catholic. If there’s two things that I know, it’s that you never want to build on tribal burial ground, and you don’t want to mock the numbers.
I call it like I see it, and I see a special year for the Seattle Seahawks.
The Seattle Seahawks hang onto their NFC West Division title by fending off a tough San Fransisco 49er club. The Rams will figure out what Matt Stafford is, and that is an overrated quarterback with a really pretty arm, and the Cardinals will fire their playboy head coach to hire Doug Pederson in 2022.
Russell Wilson will get MVP votes for the first time in his decade long career, but will lose out to Patrick Mahomes. Seahawk fans will be annoyed by that, and some will find ways to blame Pete Carrroll for it (and call for his firing on the Twitter).
That’s all cool, though, because Russ will out-dual Mahomes in Super Bowl LVI and he will hoist the Lombardi Trophy as Super Bowl MVP (the only MVP that really matters).
And you read it all right here first.
Go Hawks!
Safety. NIckel Corner. Linebacker. Defensive End.
What’s in a position name anyways?
Technically, Jamal Adams is listed as a strong safety, and it is a position that he is expected to play for your Seattle Seahawks. But he took a lot of snaps last year at those other spots that I listed above, and that is why he is well within his rights to call himself a defensive weapon.
This is why the Seattle Seahawks are making him the highest paid safety in the league by a healthy margin. Personally, I say bravo to that.
Good. The Seattle Seahawks need dynamic players on their defense again. Bobby Wagner is a dynamic linebacker. Jordyn Brooks has the potential to be one, too. Poona Ford, if you believe the analytics of Pro Football Focus, is one of the more dynamic defensive tackles in the league. Carlos Dunlap still looks capable of being a dynamic edge rusher. I think Quandre Diggs is a dynamically underrated free safety.
Not one of these guys is the defensive weapon play-maker Jamal Adams is.
Adams is poised to be the straw that stirs the drink of the ’86 Bears style defense with Pete Carroll is transitioning towards in Seattle. Now, more than ever, it will require versatility at all three levels of the defense, and Adams is poised to be the king pin of that versatility.
Expect Seattle to pressure in more varied ways, from linebacker to safety and probably even corner. There’s a reason why they are looking at pass rushing defensive end types at strong side backer instead of bringing back KJ Wright. They want to be able to dial up pressures from multiple positions and ideally, if they have enough pass rush savvy on the field, it will be the offense’s job to guess where the extra pressure might come from.
The fact that they brought in more veteran pass rushing defensive linemen this year means that they don’t intend to always send extra. Ideally, they can show blitz and end up playing coverage. Seattle wants to play a game of rushing with four, sending more if they need to, but always showing pressure looks for which they can choose to either send extra or not.
With the right personnel, this can be a very intimidating style of defense to play against. With all respects to the Legion Of Boom, the ’86 Bears Defense was a very intimidating defense to watch, and if you are too young to have been around, go look it up. Watch the Super Bowl they played in against the Patriots.
There will be voices out there that will say that Pete Carroll is an ancient coach who wants to rekindle an ancient defense, but these assertions are nonsensical poppycock, in my views. That style of defense flourished in the nineties in Philadelphia when its architect, Buddy Ryan, brought it there. It flourished in New York some years back when his son, Rex Ryan, ran his 3-4 version of it, and he made the Jets relevant for a quick spell (and nobody else has since).
Bring it on, Pete!
The NFL is an evolving league. This is a statement of truth, but I think there is an even more specific statement of truth out there. The NFL is an evolving and recycling league.
American football has been on this planet for a long time. It’s gone through a lot of different incarnations and I think it will continue such a coarse.
Kyle Shanahan gets a lot of credit in San Francisco by running this exotic run first offense that will likely be a new trend, but that offense has been coached since the 1980’s by his dad. Why is he considered through the media as being this innovative genius? Maybe because he’s young and fresh faced along with being a smart football coach.
Player safety will also be a factor that fuel change. As athletes continue to become bigger, stronger, and faster, and head injuries become more of a concern with parents, and for the game to survive and dominate such as it has, it will continue to evolve into something that allows it to thrive (much like how a dangerous virus will change to survive and thrive during a massive pandemic if the vast majority of the human population doesn’t vaccinate against it).
Pete Carroll’s 4-3 cover three style zone defense can physically take a toll on its own defenders. I’ve noted it here before. Recall want happened to the Legion of Boom players in 2017. Look what happened in San Fransisco last year with their version of it and how many of their players dropped like flies.
But let’s go back to, Pete Carroll.
There are loud critics of Pete Carroll who’s voices grow loader each year that the team doesn’t get back to the Super Bowl, even though he annually coaches them into the playoffs. From their perspective, Russell Wilson is the show, and Pete needs to step aside to let him cook even though, yearly, Russell Wilson is prone to have a slump at some point of the season, and has historically been a streaky passer in the league (albeit a dynamically talented one).
A current argument that has been floated out there by Pete Carroll critics is as follows. If Pete can’t coach up a top ten defense anymore, what good is he as a head coach? It’s a reasonable question to ask, I think.
I would answer it by saying that Pete Carroll continues to be a master culture builder, and most players want to play for him. If you question that, why are former Pete Carroll players who left the organization supposedly way on the outs with him so eager to come back after being away a few seasons?
Marshawn Lynch came back when most thought it unlikely. Richard Sherman wants to come back. A season or so ago, Michael Bennett wanted to some back.
Stars from other teams want to play for him. Duane Brown wants to be here and be extended, and wants to be extended again. Carlos Dunlap wants to be here and re-signed to play here for him. Jamal Adams wanted to sign this extension here.
Players want to play for Pete Carroll. That’s an invaluable benefit for Seattle.
And I think Pete Carroll is evolving his defense by recycling a version of this Buddy Ryan ’86 style Bears defense. I’m exciting about that.
This 2021 Seattle Seahawk defense has the makings of being the most versatile hybrid looking defense in the Pete Carroll era and it will be greatly aided a cat who is listed as a strong safety but plays all over the place.
Now more than ever, when the Seahawk defense lines up, your eyes will see something that will make you question whether your are seeing a 4-3 or a 3-4 style defense. The truth is that is will look like something in-between.
Seattle will deploy 4-3 personnel into something that can look like a 3-4 with three defensive linemen bunched in the middle and one defensive end wide to the outside flanked by a large linebacker at the line of scrimmage on the opposite side. If you are a running team like the 49ers, this can be an imposing front. If you are a team that likes to pass out of run looks like the Rams, pressure will be free to come in different ways.
Pete Carroll’s historically superb 4-3 cover three defense, like many other NFL trends, has largely gotten figured out. Eventually, the league discovered how to move the ball against it, and it became a defense that, if it didn’t have enough depth and talent rotating in to play it, you could dink and dunk it to death in games.
That’s been the case in Seattle up until mid season last year (when Carroll shifted into the Bear front). That was the case for Pete Carroll disciples spread through the league, as well, such as Dan Quinn in Atlanta and wherever Gus Bradley and Kris Richard have gone. It’s worked well recently in San Fransisco but let’s see if it actually sustains for long.
For those that are clamoring that Pete has lost his way about making an expense trade for a dynamic blitzing safety, instead of hanging onto his traditional defense, he drinks your milkshake. His defense is changing, and he wants blue chip talent whenever he can get it. If it is a blitzing safety, so be it.
For those such a Colin Cowherd to go on about how Pete Carroll’s ego is getting the best of him in that he will willing to pay a safety these kind of dollars instead of extending Duane Brown and building more around Russell Wilson, I hear you, I see you, but Pete Carroll drinks your milkshake. He drinks it hard.
There is time to now work on Duane Brown, if they choose, but make no mistake, Pete Carroll will always try to win with a top defense. It’s waaaaaay to late in his life to expect him to win like an Andy Reid. He drinks your milkshake.
He probably drinks Russell Wilson’s milkshake from time to time. He definitely drinks Russell Wilson’s baseball agent’s milkshake.
(He ain’t gonna be traded Russell Wilson, y’all! I’m telling ya now. Won’t happen! Milkshake drinky, drinky, yummy, yummy!)
Pete Carroll may concede to more of an uptempo offense for his star quarterback. He might even concede to a more pass to run ratio with Russ and be more willing to get him more weapons. But Pete Carroll will never ever concede his defense for the sake of his offense.
Never. Ever.
And bravo for that.
Jamal Adams is a great football player. He’s a rare defensive weapon that Seattle now has for the next five seasons.
And if you don’t like that, Pete Carroll drinks your milkshake.
Go Hawks and keep a sharp eye out for a new podcast we will be eventually starting up. It should be fun!
Alright, Ladies and Gents that don the colors of Blue and Green, and call thy selves the Twelves. It’s Seattle Seahawk preseason time; an annual August tradition known to the Pacific Northwest August that long predates all the climate changing conditions which bring us horrific smoke filled forest fire air to endure at this time of the year seemingly every year now.
Here, at 12th Life, have I got a preview for the 2021 Seattle Seahawks for you. Gird your loins because this deep dive isn’t going to be pretty.
Russ smuss. I say let Poona Ford cook.
Seriously, I’m excited about Number 97 this year. I’m excited about some other Seattle Seahawk players, too. Lots of them!
.. And I’m nervous, here and there, about some spots, as well.
We will go through all of it together, position by position. We will metaphorically hold hands. Because that’s what we do here. We care for each other. Blood is thicker than water, but for those that bleed Blue and Green, well, we are just simply better than everyone else. We go high when others go low.
It’s highly unlikely that I will be in attendance for this Summer’s Seahawk training camp. It’s nothing personal, but here at 12th Life, I take the Delta Variant of Covid probably more seriously than your tin hat wearing uncle from Kenmore who I could be standing next to while watching pass rush drills. So, I am just going to stay in my rat hole until enough people get a real clue.
Thus, all my analysis will be solely based on lazy intuition. If you crave more detailed analytical style takes, just go read the folks from Field Gulls, or watch the Hawkblogger podcast crew. They all do fine.
If you are still reading this, here we go. Gird your lions. I mean, loins.
Comedy is hard.
Let all the hype begin.
This is a big year for Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks!
If they don’t go farther in the playoffs, Russell Wilson could be traded in 2022!
Well, it’s true. It is a big year for Russ and the Seahawks, and if all doesn’t go well, it is possible that he could be traded next year.
It is also entirely possible that if I dip my toes into ocean waters, I could be attacked by a great white shark. Both things are entirely possible, but if I were to look at the probabilities, I think most Seahawk fans (and shark anxiety types) can rest a bit more easily. The odds are highly against either scenarios actually happening.
Bottom line is that Russell Wilson is a great quarterback, and in order for Pete Carroll to trade his best chance of winning, he would have to get a very good quarterback in return plus three first round picks and change. What team out there would be willing to trade all that for a quarterback nearing his mid thirties?
The realistic probabilities point to Russ having a nice bounce back year under first year play caller Shane Waldron, and Seattle making the playoffs yet again. There are many aspects of a Ram style offense that Waldron will assemble that fit Russ like a glove (especially the up tempo and play action portions of it).
Even if they don’t reach the NFC Championship game, and Russ’s agent starts making negative waves through the national media that piss off Pete Carroll again, Carroll will most likely reach the same exact conclusion next off-season as he did during the last. Russell Wilson remains his best chance to win, and he won’t trade him unless a team offers an absolute absurd price in exchange (which most likely won’t happen).
Here’s what I expect at this “all too important” quarterback position for Seattle. Russell Wilson will likely have some early growing pains with the Waldron offense. That first game against the Colts might not look pretty, and some fans are going to be nervous. I also think that once we get through September, we are going to start seeing Russ and the offense clicking more, and by the end of the season, I think we are going to see some actual MVP votes for Russ for the first time ever.
Russell Wilson looks like he is in absolute stellar shape, and I think that’s likely by design. My hunch is that Waldron is looking at all of Russ’s strengths as a quarterback, and a big part of those strengths are going to be his legs again (God bless it). I suspect Waldron is probably going to be much more willing to get Russ running a bit more than Brian Schottenheimer was, and that will put more stress on defenses.
Running Russ terrifies defenders.
There are aspects of Russ’s game that I don’t love. I think he chases the big play too much and invites sacks. I think he struggles, at times, to find targets in the short middle to mid portions of the field if he stays square in the pocket. I don’t love him with screen passes a lot.
That said, I absolutely love Running Russell Wilson beyond what words can be typed. His ability to throw on the run remains largely unmatched, and his spide-y senses of when to get down on the turf on keepers are superb. Running Russ puts extra stress on defenders, especially when it is paired with.. wait for it.. a solid run game.
This, in my humble opinion, is how you want Russell Wilson to quarterback. Looking at this slimmed down version of Russ makes me think that Shane Waldron sees it the same.
I’m excited about that. I see the potential of 2015 Russell Wilson coming back, and I’m ready for it. Go Hawks.
And no, I don’t think this is Russ’s last year in Seattle regardless of how it all finishes. I’m sure I will have plenty of opportunity to expand on that later as the season moves on. It’s not even a matter of whether or not I think they should or shouldn’t trade him, either. I just don’t see it.
Chris Carson is a beast and I’m glad that the Seahawks brought him back on a reasonable two year deal. Also, unlike more than a few on Seahawks Twitter, I’m actually a fan of Rashaad Penny’s potential even though injuries have hampered his impact in the league.
On paper, these two backs offer exciting potential in a Ram style offense that loves to get it’s best athletes the ball in space, and certainly, Carson and Penny are two of the top athletes on the Seahawk roster.
Then I sober up when I look at each of these player’s injury history and their inabilities to play full seasons. We better hope the Alex Collins is a good fit for the Waldron offense, or maybe one of DeeJay Dallas, Josh Johnson, or Travis Homer pops in camp.
I’m gonna be honest. I’m a bit queasy here with the depth, and the injury history. I honestly think this is another reason why Running Russ might be a genuine plus for the offense. Not only does it keep a defense more honest, it might help keep these runners more fresh.
Color me worried about injury potential and depth here and don’t be surprised if Seattle makes some sort of move to add another proven vet.
I honestly think that DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett deserve to be in consideration for the top receiver tandem in the league. They are an outstanding pair, and DK is only still scratching the surface of what he can be.
That said, like running back, depth worries me greatly here.
I don’t love that rookie second round pick Dee Eskridge is starting camp unable to practice because of a lingering sore toe. I like second year receiver Freddie Swain’s potential as a third or fourth receiver, and there’s a lot of camp hype around Penny Hart that has me cautiously optimistic. Maybe the combo of Hart and Swain will make Eskridge’s impact less necessary, but that feels like a relatively large maybe.
I think there is a strong chance that Seattle will look to add another vet before camp is out.
Color me pumped about this group.
Gerald Everett was a guy I wanted the Seahawks to draft a few years back and they got him in town on a one year prove it deal with a chance to be the main man, and cash in. He’s a big fast dude with great run after catch upside and run blocking want to. Seattle has not had a tight end like this under Pete Carroll. Jimmy Graham was a post up power forward playing the spot, but jets he had little, and a willingness to be a blocker he had zilch.
Conversely, Will Dissly is returning as a steady blocker and outlet receiver, but the guy that I am perhaps most intrigued with is second year tight end Colby Parkinson out of Stanford. He was a tall and athletic touchdown scoring machine in college, and I have a sneaking suspicion that Carroll is going to give him every chance to be a factor this year. The coach keeps talking him up. I kinda suspect that he might become the surprise breakout player this year on offense. That’s my honest hunch.
And I honestly think that the tight end group could become a major area of strength on the team this year. In fact, from what this roster looks like, I am ready for seeing a lot of two tight end (12 personnel) looks with this offense. I will be good with that.
I absolutely love the guards and the tackles, and I am nervous about center. I’m not one that thinks Ethan Pocic is a bad player, but I wonder about his durability. I would have loved for Seattle to have been aggressive going after a center in either free agency or the draft, but they chose to continue with familiar faces.
We will see how that shakes out. My one thought about a potential long term answer at center remains the idea of moving promising guard Damien Lewis there, but the team seems to like him at guard, and I don’t frankly blame them. He’s one of the better drafted players that they’ve had in recent years, and I believe one with serious pro bowl potential.
Duane Brown remains a cornerstone player at left tackle who I hope they reach an extension with, and I love how the team went out and grabbed veteran guard Gabe Jackson. Brandon Shell last year brought a steadiness to right tackle that the team hasn’t had in a long time.
The player that I am most interested in is sixth round pick Stone Florsythe out for Florida. The scouting reports were all over the map with him from calling him a second round talent and perhaps the best pass blocking left tackle in the draft to calling him a major project because of his unusual length and the fact Florida didn’t run much. Because he lasted into round six, it’s obvious that the league viewed him as a project, but Hall of Fame guard Steven Hutchinson now works in scouting for the Seahawks, and supposedly he is quite high on the Gator. I trust Hutch knows a thing or two about O liners. Therefore, this dude might be the player I most want to see in preseason games.
This all said, I think if Pocic can stay healthy through most of the season at center, this can be the best line Pete Carroll has had in Seattle. That’s a very big if, in my opinion, but I think the potential is there.
Fingers crossed Pocic holds up.
Let. Poona. Cook.
Ya’ll hear me on this one?
Let 97 Cook. He’s legit.
Seattle has not had an defensive tackle this first step explosive since Cortez (rest peacefully) was playing in the 1990’s. I’m fricking serious about this, too. Yeah, they had John Randle for a spell when he was at the end of his career, and Brandon Mebane was fun, and yeah, Jarran Reed put up some nice sack digits, and there was Rocky Bernard, but Poona’s explosiveness is legit good.
If you lose that leverage battle with him (easy to do), it’s game over against the run, and last year, he finally started putting together his pass rush, and QB pressures came in abundance. Honestly, when it comes to the DT position, I would gladly take pressures over sacks because sacks can happen by the QB running into you. Pressures show disruption and disruption forces bad throws and sacks. Poona is a disruptive dude. Period.
The analysts at Pro Football Focus fricking loves this dude, and so should you.
So no disrespecting Carlos Dunlap, Kerry Hyder, and Aldon Smith, but fricking let Poona cook in the middle of that defensive line.
You wanna know why the team released Jarran Reed and his expensive contract?
Poona F’ing Ford.
Here’s the bit of dramatized dialogue that I think went down between GM John Schneider and big J-Reed last Spring.
JS: Jarran, we love you and your leadership, but Poona looked really good at 3 technique and Coach wants to play him more there. We’d like you be play more nose this year, but here’s the rub. We can’t really afford two expensive D tackles. So, we want to ask you to take a pay cut.
Reed: F that. Just cut me.
I like this group and it’s depth a lot. I see ten players here that they should keep and rotate in.
I like seeing Poona asserting himself as the main 3 tech and putting biggies like Brian Mone and Al Woods next to him to soak up blockers that will let him f’ing cook. I like the stampede of edge rushers they got behind Dunlap in Aldon Smith, Benson Mayowa, and especially second year player Alton Robinson. I like the big end types they got in Hyder, and LJ Collier. I’m intrigued about giving former first round pick Robert NKemdiche a shot to revive his career as a DT or big end.
The one player outside of Poona that I really want to see further take off is Alton Robinson as a LEO (rush end). I thought the dude looked terrific as a rookie last year. He kinda reminds me of Frank Clark a bit. When you see him closing around the corner, your eyes instantly go with him. It would be a great thing for this club if he takes on an expanded passing rushing role and maybe beats out a bigger named vet. If that happens, this could be a really fun season.
But for goodness sake, folks. Let Poona Ford cook.
I like the potential of this group with All Pro Bobby Wagner back at MIKE (middle), and Jordyn Brooks further taking over at WILL (weakside). I really wanted to see this team bring back KJ Wright for another year or two playing the SAM (strong side) position where he excelled last season.
That said, I’m very interested to see what former second rounder Darrell Taylor does at SAM instead of the LEO end role we assumed he would inherit. Taylor is a better athlete than KJ, but is built a bit similarly. He has experience in coverage from his college days, and as a pass rusher, he shows crazy bend around the corner. There is good clay to mold there.
Here’s the thing that Taylor at strong side linebacker has me really excited, though. I think it’s a signal that the Seahawks intend to stay in more of a Bear style defense than their traditional cover three 4-3. To run that Bear front, you ideally want the SAM to be a pass rush threat in order keep the offense guessing where the extra pressures are coming. That’s how you truly make this Bear thing work.
KJ did a great job setting an edge on the line of scrimmage and blowing up screens behind the line, but he has never been a serious pass rush threat. This is the reason why I believe we haven’t seen him return to Seattle.
Personally, I want to see more of the Bear and less cover three. My hunch is that the league has long caught up with that defense that the legendary LOB ran, and it is time to move onto something else.
If Taylor doesn’t quickly take to the spot, and the team has Aldon Smith and Benson Mayowa who have also played that position. Third year player Cody Barton will also be given a chance to compete there (although I like him better at WILL and MIKE), but I suspect that it is Taylor’s gig to lose.
A player that I hope sees the field more is former UW Husky Ben Burr-Kirven. I still believe in his starter potential as a WILL, and I would like to see moments in games where Brooks takes over for Wagner at MIKE, and BBK and Brooks are on the field together. It would keep Wagner fresher, and it would allow Brooks to gain valuable experience quarterbacking the defense.
I think Jordyn Brooks is an exciting talent. I didn’t love that Seattle spent a first round pick on a off ball linebacker in 2020, but watching him during the second half of the season last year moved me off that spot. He is crazy fast to the ball and Seattle desperately needed his speed on the field.
I think that the success of this group probably hinges on how well Taylor takes to the strong side, though. If he takes to it, that could be a very special thing for this defense. We shall see.
Anyone who has been following my little blog knows how much I have wanted the team to bring back Richard Sherman. It’s a drum I have been beating all season long. Even after his recent domestic brush up with the police out in Redmond, I have remained a fan of bringing him back.
That said, I think this is more of a sentimental wish than it is me seeing a huge team need.
Yes, this defense can use the return of his veteran leadership, and his play on the field, and his swagger. I don’t doubt any of that.
But there are some younger players that I am very interested in seeing what Pete Carroll make out of them this preseason. I loved the team bringing in former 49er Ahkello Witherspoon to potentially start with former 49er DJ Reed. Witherspoon is tall like Sherman and he’s probably a better athlete. Like Gerald Everett, I like Seattle bringing him in on a relatively handsome one year deal to prove his worth in the league. He will be motivated in the PNW to prove himself a top end corner in the league in order to cash in next year.
I really like the swagger and scrappy play of DJ Reed who will be playing for a big contract down the road, as well. He kinda reminds me of Doug Baldwin in a way.. just an air about him.
It’s been intriguing to hear that former Green Bay first round pick Damarious Randall has been looking sharp in camp and has been a thorn in Russell Wilson’s side. Seems like he is giving Witherspoon a fight for that left side spot, and that is a good thing.
I’m interested in how rookie Tre Brown looks during the preseason games.
With shorter players like Reed, Brown, and Randall all competing outside, I think it’s another interesting tell that Pete Carroll is moving more towards that Bear defense where quicker coverage players become more needed rather than the longer corners that were used in cover three zones.
I really love Ugo Amadi as the inside nickel corner, and if safety/nickel Marquise Blair beats him out there, Seattle is going to have potentially crazy depth with this group (more about that coming up soon).
As much as I want to see the glorious return of Richard Sherman, I think Seattle is probably pretty good here. But, man, I would still love to see Sherm back in Seahawk blue. I just can’t shake that desire.
The Seattle Seahawks have play-making Quandre Diggs returning at free safety, and are set to make Jamal Adams a very rich man playing a hybrid role of strong safety and linebacker. The starting duo of Diggs and Adams is awesome, and I am excited to see these two continue to grow with each other. If I am John Schneider, I am locking them both down with long terms contracts.
Some noise was made during the off-season about how good of a fit Adams is to the Seattle defense, and whether they should spend big dollars on the dude. I’ve read stuff from some other Seahawk writer types (much more smarter than myself, I’m sure) who believe it was a mistake to trade what they did for him, and have thus given amble “Sky Is Falling” takes about what a big Adams contract will mean for the club.
I’m more optimistic.
I think Adams can continue being a very interesting straw that stirs the drink of a transitioning Seahawk defense. I am comfortable paying for his services as a hybrid player. I see these type of defenders mattering more as offenses continue to evolve and defenses needing to counter.
I believe that is what Seattle is doing with him. Folks want to criticize his coverage in 2020, but they have a hard time explaining away the fact that his coverage got better as the season played on.
I wouldn’t let that performance in the playoff loss to the Rams be a determining factor to who he is as a player, either. Dude played with one shoulder and a busted hand. If anything should be questioned, it should maybe be the coaching decision to have him gutting through it on the field instead of going more with his backup, Ryan Neal, who played well enough earlier in the season when Adams missed games.
Marquise Blair will be the top backup at safety but really, he’s probably going to earn the nickel role and effectively be playing like a starter in most games. In fact, if we get a full healthy season out of Blair, I’m ready to say that it could be a massive shot in arm for this club. Seattle can then blend its base Bear front with a 4-2-5 look and keep similar pressure packages going. Don’t under look how much of an impact Blair might be even if officially he isn’t listed as a “starter.”
Ryan Neal is a very dependable backup strong safety, and with Adams’ pension to get injured, that is vital for this team. As I just stated, I think it was a bit short sighted not going with Neal in the playoffs against the Rams. He showed instincts and play-making abilities that warranted it, and the Rams came into the game with a backup under center. I’m sure Adams was chomping at the bit to play in his first playoff game, and that was weighed. But I am a Neal believer, and I just would have gone with him and trusted that.
Damarious Randall and Ugo Amadi can each play safety, as well. Because of that, I think this group is crazy deep.
I love this safety group. I really do. This might be the group that I feel best about on the team, outside of quarterback, honestly.
Jason Myers is a solid place kicker, and Michael Dickson is a BEAST of a punter.
I love what could be shaping up on the defense (especially at D line and safety), but I have concerns about depth on the offense (especially at running back, receiver, and center). This is probably a contrarian take to what many others who follow closely this club are feeling. But I also think that a tiger shark would kick the ass out of great white in a match to the death for a swimming poodle, so there you have it.
There will be the expected hype around Russell Wilson being happy and meshing with new player caller Shane Waldron. There’s likely going be some drama regarding Jamal Adams reaching a mega deal with the Seahawks, and maybe whether the team needs to extend Duane Brown and Quandre Diggs (they should), but for me, and my deep desires.. well, you know.
Let Poona Cook. Let him cook a lot.
They do that, and I’m good.
I will be writing more as the preseason games get going, and down the round, I am planning to put together a podcast with friends that I am very excited about. I hope that you are able to follow both.
Happy Seahawks Preseason, and go Hawks!
This is not the off-season that I wanted for Richard Sherman.
I wanted a different story-line. I wanted the former lead singer of the Legion of Boom to return to the Virginia Mason Athletic Center in Renton, Washington to sign a two year contract with the Seattle Seahawks. I wanted him to finish out his career where it all began.
This wish felt like proper destiny in the making. Richard Sherman was interested in this return, and supposedly, the Seattle Seahawks were open to it. It’s a move that would have made too much sense for it not to happen.
Richard Sherman has made the Seattle area his home since 2011 when he was drafted out of Stanford. Beyond being a foundational member of a Super Bowl winning team in Seattle, and the player responsible for the biggest play in the team’s history, he has been a stalwart in the community. It is right for Sherman to retire a Seattle Seahawk.
From a Seattle Seahawk perspective, the team has some need at cornerback, and their defense can use an infusion of the swagger that it hasn’t had since Sherman left. With all respects to Bobby Wagner, this kinder and gentler Seattle Seahawk defense has left most defensive minded Seahawk fans wanting more, to say the least.
Bringing back Richard Sherman would also give the opportunity for he and Russell Wilson hug it out, as it were, and get past whatever grievances each other might have felt in the past as they worked together, once again, leading this team towards their common goal of winning a second Super Bowl together.
Above all, this was the Hollywood style scripted story that I wanted.
Then early morning July 14th, 2021, happened.
I started my Wednesday morning just like I had been for the last several weeks. I got up early, made coffee, watched an episode of Loki, and then sent a trolling text to a friend who has been deeply dissatisfied with the Marvel show.
He sent a text back informing me that Richard Sherman just got arrested for domestic violence and burglary, to which I responded with a gigantic “WTF.”
WTF, indeed.
Richard Sherman is many things.
He is a highly intelligent man with a Stanford education to back it up. He’s also superb football player fueled by a ferocious sense of competitiveness almost unrivaled.
He has also been a very thoughtful and giving person to the communities in which he has been a part of, and aside from any beefs that he might have had with Russell Wilson, he has seemingly been a stellar teammate towards players around him.
He’s a guy that you would want on your side, and most definitely not a guy you would want as an adversary (ask Tom Brady).
There is a darker side to Richard that is also problematic to reconcile. This darker side is something that we have also sort have sensed for a while as Seahawk fans, or fans of the game.
Richard Sherman will seek out the slightest of slights and use it as motivation to not only beat but humiliate an opponent, if the opportunity is presented to him. I think it is safe to say that most Seahawk fans loved that about him when he played up here, but he can also be incredibly headstrong when he is defending his actions, if they are not viewed as ideal.
Of all the cringe worthy moments that I’ve seen from a high profile athlete, the time in 2016 when Richard Sherman decided to go after a Seattle sports reporter towards the end of a press conference after the reporter asked some tough questions about the ugly sideline tantrum he had ranks right up there pretty highly. The audio of it revealed a gross display of behavior, and it was made even more gross months later, when on a national sports talked show, he proclaimed that it never happened, and was fake news.
So, it actually wasn’t surprising to me that, supposedly, Seattle had him on the trade market during the following off-season. It was equally unsurprising for me that Seattle cut him after the following season in which he blew out his Achilles, and the team missed the playoffs for the first time in the Russell Wilson era. The writing felt like it was on the wall, as ruthless as the move seemed.
It still didn’t feel good, and it felt considerably worse when Sherman decided to immediately sign with bitter NFC West rival San Francisco. The very idea of Richard Sherman wearing a 49er uniform felt like a gigantic slap across the face for me.
The move felt petty. Just like his sideways shots at Russell Wilson and Pete Carroll in the few seasons that followed.
The reality is that breakups are hard, and people heel from them in different ways.
I would be lying if I were to say that I never had a petty thought or acted in a petty manner towards an ex (or four) of mine. It can be a tough pill for anyone to swallow whenever you are in a relationship with someone who you believe loves you, and then that person tells you that they no longer want you around.
I can guarantee that it hurt Richard Sherman when he realized that Pete Carroll was ready to move on from him. He can deny that all he wants to, but I guarantee that stung.
Richard Sherman was one of Carroll’s biggest disciples. He was his prized pupil on his beloved cover three defense. Sherman embraced all of the principles needed to master it, and he excelled on the highest of levels. One could argue that, at the height of the Super Bowl years, he was the true face of the franchise, beyond Marshawn and Russ.
Being rejected by Carroll had to have had a major effect on him.
Seeing the team choose a talented yet somewhat inconsistent quarterback over what he probably thought of himself as the cornerstone of the Legion of Boom, the unit arguably most responsible for the team’s success, had to have felt like a massive betrayal to everything that he believed the Pete Carroll Seattle Seahawks were.
The further we can imagine this level of hurt that Sherman likely felt, the more that his immediate signing with San Francisco makes sense. Sherman likely wanted revenge.
Now, it appears like San Francisco is ready to move on from him, as well.
And guess what?
The cornerback needy Dallas Cowboys with Dan Quinn haven’t been knocking on his door, and the Saints with Kris Richard haven’t either. Nor have the Jets with Robert Saleh. All teams that have coaches with direct ties to the greatness that is Richard Sherman haven’t come chasing after him.
How has that been making Richard Sherman really feel this off-season?
None of us can really know for certain, but it has filtered out through the news the friends close to Richard have been concerned about his state for a while. Apparently, back in February, something occurred where a court mandated that Richard be in no possession of a firearm. That’s scary stuff.
As things become more revealed, there is a chilling sense around Richard Sherman. The footage of him beating on the door is a tough watch, but it feels like things have been brewing for a while.
Our minds can speculate on a lot of things. My mind has been thinking about something in particular that I don’t know if it is right or wrong to speculate on, and that would be CTE.
A good friend of mine noted to me that Brandon Browner, Earl Thomas, and now Richard Sherman have all had disturbing domestic brush ups with the law overs the last few years (Browner’s being the worst with an attempted murder charge involving his girlfriend). This is 3/4 of the original Legion of Boom.
This is pretty jarring stuff (no pun intended).
Still, we don’t know what is fueling Richard’s mental health. CTE is a real thing, but so is depression, and if we are to couple untreated depression with a prideful athlete who is heading towards the inevitable downside of his once stellar NFL career, a lot of things add up, especially if he has been using alcohol in excess to bury his feelings.
This is partly why I remain hesitant to say, with any certainty, that CTE is at play here.
Bobby Wagner plays a position in the league that is good for being in roughly fifty car crashes a game during a 16 game schedule and the playoffs. He has been as solid of a person on and off the field as one good have in this blood sport league.
For every case of someone struggling with life outside of football, there are many examples of former players moving on from the game quite well.
But that doesn’t mean that the league shouldn’t do more to help players beyond the game, and help might need to come in the form of how this game is played at the highest levels.
This is something that I have been wondering about for a while. Is the cover three Legion of Boom style defense good for the health of players in NFL?
I honestly think that this is a fair question to consider more in the wake of this incident with Richard Sherman (if CTE is at play, especially when you weigh it to what has happened with Browner and Thomas with their off-field brush ups, as well), and how quickly Kam Chancellor’s body broke down going into his eighth year in the league.
I can even take it further by examining the San Francisco 49ers.
Two years ago, San Francisco vaulted themselves into the Super Bowl largely off of the success that they had from their defense that copied what Seattle had with its Legion of Boom. Last year, their defenders dropped like flies to injury, and their season was lost.
For a short few seasons in Seattle, it felt like the LOB was invincible and Seattle was going to be a certain destiny. By 2017, most of those defenders ended up on the injured reserve and they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2011.
If you observe this style of defense, you will note how they play in zone and pass off receivers to back end defenders, and how, if played correctly, it frees up everyone to play fast and violently towards where ever the ball ends up. If you have the right mixture of size, strength, and speed working together, it can be beyond intimidating to watch.
Seattle had it 2013 through 2016. San Francisco had it the last couple years. Other teams throughout the league continue to try to mimic it.
I think it’s possible that it is a defense that, with the right parts, will burn bright, but it is almost destined to burn out quickly, if you can’t sufficiently restock the roster with quality depth.
Ever since Seattle moved on from Sherman, and others, it has tried to rekindle it, but has pretty much failed up through last year.
Last year, they did something different. First, they traded an absurd amount for safety/hybrid player Jamal Adams, and they eventually, mid season, shifted out of their standard cover three into what is called a Bear defense that functions somewhere in-between a 4-3 and a 3-4.
This Bear style defense calls for basically three defensive tackle types and an end and linebacker to play at the line of scrimmage, and it can send a blitzing linebacker or safety (or both) while corners play more man. It doesn’t call for players to drop and smack as much, it attacks at the line of scrimmage more to pressure and confuse the quarterback.
So, while it is more aggressive at the line of scrimmage, it actually might be a more safer style to play for back end defenders and those that make their money playing in space.
Further more, when Carroll shifted to this, he interestingly enough had pint size corner DJ Reed playing outside, and he fared pretty well. This off-season they drafted another smaller sized man cover corner in Tre Brown who they intend to have compete to play outside, as well.
Looking at this, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to speculate whether Pete Carroll is abandoning his prized cover three for more of a hybrid Bear style defense moving forward. It is certainly possible that Carroll has seen a light, and that light is his prized cover three defense has run its course, and he is transitioning it into something else.
What I am wondering out loud in this piece is if it would be better for the players in the league if the whole LOB style of thing just sort of went away all together.
I don’t know how the league would even go about that. Teams in San Francisco, Vegas, New York, and New Orleans are set to play their versions of it.
Perhaps more rule changes protecting players in order to discourage it from being coached is the obvious thing to do. Maybe actually heavily fining or penalizing quarterbacks for throwing ambulance balls wouldn’t be terrible either.
It will be very interesting to monitor this season how much Seattle continues to move away from it, and if their Bear look becomes an even bigger stamp of their team.
It will also be interesting to monitor if the other teams that run this LOB type of defense find their players breaking down from injuries with the league now adding an extra seventeenth game to their already long season.
There’s a lot to mull over here.
Circling back to 25, I really just want what is best for Richard Sherman.
I wanted his reunion to happen with the Seahawks in the biggest way this off-season, but given the weight of what just happened last week, I’m not sure football is something he should be concentrating on.
With the fact of the five counts of what he has been charged with, I’m not sure how the league will even rule on him. Suspension feels almost certain, and that he probably going to make a cold market all the more colder for him.
If I were him, I would take the year off, even at age 32. I would work on getting my head right so that I don’t put loved ones through anything like this ever again.
If, after a season away from the game, with my head in a much better place, and my body feeling right, I want to explore the free agent market for an opportunity to end my playing career on a brighter note than what 2021 was about, I would go for it. That opportunity would probably still be there for me, especially if I am willing to return to the game knowing that I will not be paid top dollar again.
As a Seahawk fan, obviously I would love that to be here in Seattle, but in the end, I just want the best for him.
I hope he gets that. His football story should not end with a 911 call. It doesn’t feel right. If he can’t play again, I hope he figures out ways to be around the sport that will show us all again just how special of a human being he is.
Because Richard Sherman is special.
Go Hawks.
12th Life 