One other win for the Seattle Seahawks and so they’re now atop the NFC West by the tiebreaker standards. The Arizona Cardinals have been the crew that was enjoying the very best soccer within the division heading into final week. So, the Seahawks beat the very best crew (49ers) in a foul section, and a crew that was not so robust however was positively stunning the league.
Let’s do some extra All-22 movie overview!
All information used on this article was taken from PFF.
The Dangerous
New week, identical issues in OL
For a former OL Coach I’ve been actually stunned at Ryan Grubb’s lack of ability to regulate & name performs that defend that group. No boots, no motion of the pocket, minimal play motion, little or no creativity within the run sport.
Make the OL job’s simpler. That’s responsibility 1 of an NFL OC
— Brock Huard (@BrockHuard) November 24, 2024
No tweet explains my frustration greater than this one. When Ryan Grubb was employed, I additionally rooted for the Washington Huskies, and I knew about his historical past with the OL. Seattle could be fixing two issues without delay. The large challenge is that Grubb has not discovered methods to take the stress off his OL, as well as, he has had issues balancing the run and cross. Grubb has to grasp that he’s now not in school, the extent now could be NFL.
The offensive line gave up 5 sacks to the third-worst cross rush unit within the league. They’re led in pressures by none apart from L.J. Collier, who on this sport matched his manufacturing in Seattle and received his first full sack of the 12 months.
The issue has been widespread, however Charles Cross has been notably dangerous in current video games. It’s all the time value remembering that he was the largest funding from our OL, being picked within the top-10. He must justify that.
On this play, he prices the Seahawks six factors. Zaven Collins makes use of a long-arm and Cross has no reply, ending the snap on the bottom and giving up the sack. Geno was making an attempt to attach with DK Metcalf who would have been open for the TD, nonetheless, the end result was a fumble that, fortunately, Geno recovered.
All the OL dealt with the Cardinals’ DL stunts poorly. Particularly the left aspect, with Laken Tomlinson and Charles Cross being thrown to the bottom.
The issues in opposition to blitzes and stunts continued. Right here in opposition to a simulated Cardinals stress, the Seahawks have 4 gamers blocking two, whereas the blitzer goes free on Geno, on what may have been a security if the refs had been rigorous.
Run Sport Issues
Earlier than Zach Charbonnet received a conversion on the final drive in opposition to Arizona, the final time a Seahawks RB transformed a 3rd and 4+ yards on the bottom was in 2022.
The issues differ. From offensive line errors (which shall be mentioned later) to RB manufacturing. Walker has had a tough time trusting the OL blocks. He is among the league’s nice playmakers, able to creating misplaced yards on huge drives. Nonetheless, typically the “dwell by the large play, die by the large play” mentality needs to be curbed and he should settle for the drive, even whether it is small. It was a difficulty he had been bettering since his rookie season, nevertheless it nonetheless reveals up at occasions in his sport.
The execution errors are repeated week after week. The Seahawks have the ball principally on the 1-yard line. They fail to get the TD and nonetheless loses yards within the course of. Laken Tomlinson misses the goal, Tyler Mabry misses the goal and Abe Lucas lets the defender cross. Not even Marshawn Lynch would be capable to do something completely different with 4 gamers hanging on him on the identical time.
One other mistake by Tomlinson. He merely doesn’t get to the second stage and permits Walker to be a simple goal for the LB to sort out.
Grubb tried a number of various things within the floor sport, however the execution errors remained. Right here he has a toss, makes use of Jake Bobo on the Crack Block that might permit Charles Cross to go straight to the second stage. The LT fails to dam and Walker is once more a simple goal for the sort out.
One other inventive name by Grubb. Two RBs and the run involves Charbonnet who’s lining up as FB, however he’s tackled by the defender who Laken Tomlinson lets slip.
The Geno Smith expertise
One of the debated matters amongst Seahawks followers. It’s an everlasting dichotomy, some find it irresistible and a few hate it. That is much like Geno’s model of play. He’s able to making performs that few QBs within the league would be capable to make, and in the identical sport he makes a processing error worthy of a USFL QB.
A easy play, a cross on the checkdown with no stress on the QB. Geno misses the cross and virtually will get intercepted, which may have modified the course of the sport.
Geno leads the league in interceptions. Sure, a few of them have been errors by his teammates, however others, like this one, have been completely the QB’s duty. He appears to need to play the snap and never the sport, similar to a rookie.
He may have gotten the primary down along with his legs right here. Within the worst case situation, he would depart the crew on a brief fourth, which the crew may danger, or just kick and depart all of the duty of scoring shortly to the Cardinals. Geno decides to cross to Tyler Lockett with out noticing Garrett Williams, who makes a spectacular play and comes up with the interception.
Just a few performs later, Geno is ready to do it. He works magic, manages to flee a sack that appeared inevitable and will get a laser to DK Metcalf. His ups and downs have been hurting the offense.
Issues shutting down key gamers
The Seahawks struggled to regulate to key gamers on each side of the ball. TE Trey McBride and S Budda Baker have been threats to the protection and offense, respectively.
Trey McBride had profession highs in:
Targets (15);
Receptions (12);
Receiving yards (133);
He’s the one TE with a couple of 100-yard sport this season.
The Seahawks ship Tyrice Knight on a blitz and drop Boye Mafe into protection. It seems to be a Cowl 3 and Mafe could be liable for protecting one of many 4 beneath zones however was late in his drop. The EDGE doesn’t get there in time and McBride finds house to advance.
On this play, the Cardinals look like utilizing a variation of the Sail Idea and have Marvin Harrison Jr with the clearout path to occupy Julian Love and McBride to use the house. With out understanding the decision, it’s arduous to pinpoint who was guilty, however I imagine Woolen was too targeted on the risk within the flat and didn’t take note of what was taking place behind him.
The Cardinals set McBride to dam after which ship him on a route. Upon seeing McBride blocking, Woolen ignores the TE and begins on the lookout for cross-field routes from the alternative aspect. This offers the TE loads of house to advance.
The Seahawks name a protection with 3 safeties deep within the discipline. One among them is Devon Witherspoon. As soon as once more, the Cardinals use McBride to dam to “disguise” him from the protection. We have now a filter route that occupies Woolen deep and for some motive Julian Love and Coby Bryant appear to be guarding the identical participant. McBride is free once more and exploits the house with yards after the reception.
Going to the offensive aspect, the one who gave us nightmares was Budda Baker.
The Cardinals usually put the previous Husky as a bottom pursuit and he was merely ignored by the Seahawks OL. The results of that is that he managed to be disruptive with 7 tackles and 1 sack.
The Cardinals’ late-shift protection caught the Seahawks’ line off guard a number of occasions. Baker had a transparent path and, as a result of a element, didn’t make the sort out for lack of yards.
The OL right here took some time to regulate to the blitz and stunt and Baker received one of many 5 sacks the Cardinals had.
The Good
The protection impressed once more versus run sport
The Seahawks restricted James Conner to eight speeding yards, his lowest whole in a sport since he joined the Cardinals in 2021. As described within the preview, the Cardinals’ operating sport could be very completely different from the 49ers’. Whereas San Francisco makes use of numerous zone runs, the Cardinals go for energy and largely hole schemes.
The protection as a complete makes a giant play. The Seahawks depart the B and C gaps on the left aspect of the protection uncovered. On the snap, Derick Corridor and Johnathan Hankins press to shortly shut these gaps. In truth, this was Hankins’ greatest sport as a Seahawk. Whereas that is taking place on the DL, Knight anticipates the puller, evades the block and makes the sort out.
An idea that the Seahawks used quite a bit in opposition to the 49ers and rather less in opposition to the Cardinals was the Double Edge Blitz. As a way to stability the numbers between blockers and defenders, the crew sends a LB on a blitz and assaults with its two EDGEs as a way to cease the bootleg risk. Be aware that Roy Robertson-Harris covers the specter of Kyler Murray operating. In the meantime, Byron Murphy absorbs the double block and Jarran Reed and firm make the sort out.
Essential performs that can not be forgotten
Touchdowns and turnovers are actually the performs that draw probably the most consideration from the followers. Nonetheless, there are some performs that may go unnoticed however have principally the identical stage of significance.
On this play we now have Derick Corridor, who has had issue replicating his efficiency from earlier within the 12 months. He makes use of speed-to-power in opposition to the LT Paris Johnson Jr, who sees no different method out than to carry him. Josh Jobe was crushed within the secondary on the crossing route and this provides Kyler Murray a simple TD. As a result of foul, this was reversed. The story of the sport may have been completely different if this TD had occurred.
The pick-six play on fourth down was implausible nevertheless it solely occurred as a result of the crew received the cease on third down. The Seahawks once more invite the Cardinals to run the ball, since Corridor is lined up very large. The concept is that he can comprise a attainable operating risk from Murray. In the midst of the road Byron Murphy pushes the LG Evan Brown again and permits the protection to make the sort out.
Right here we now have an offensive play that set the stage for our solely offensive TD. A play that has been known as at the very least as soon as a sport is that this Tunnel Display for JSN. He will get a 46-yard run and two performs later the Seahawks are ultimately zone. Kudos for Cody White and his superior block downfield.
Probably the greatest video games by a Seahawk defender in a very long time
Leonard Williams had 2.5 sacks, his most as a Seahawk. That was probably the most sacks Williams had in a sport since 2020, when he had 3.0 in opposition to the Cowboys. His stress price was 28.1%, his highest since 2018. He had 9 whole pressures.
Williams was in a position to stress in each method and from each attainable alignment. He pushes Evan Brown and leaves him on the bottom with a bull rush. By probability, he doesn’t get the sack.
As soon as once more, Brown is his sufferer. He virtually will get to the QB however Murray escapes to the sideline. Williams follows in pursuit and helps with the sort out.
The RG was serving to the middle talk with the QB. This causes him to take some time to snap the ball and he’s utterly obliterated by the beast Leonard Williams.
Williams traces up as an EDGE, standing up, and it’s virtually unfair that somebody has that pace at that measurement. He will get previous the TE’s chip block and makes use of a rip-move to get away from the LT and get the sort out.
He strikes the RG as if he have been arranging a chair at his dinner desk. The stress forces Murray to make a fast cross.
On one of many few snaps that Williams didn’t win his matchup, he retains his eyes on the QB and has the pace to chase Murray. Murray usually avoids contact and prefers to slip reasonably than face Williams (a smart resolution).
A crew effort right here. Murray is clearly on the lookout for the cross-field route. However Josh Jobe performs excellent protection and forces Murray to carry the ball. That’s on a regular basis Williams must get to the QB and virtually pressure the fumble.
Williams highlighted this play in his postgame interview. He missed a number of practices and stated he used that point to check the Cardinals’ tape quite a bit. Earlier than the snap he knew what was coming, the pull from the middle and guard and lined as much as make issues even tougher for the LT. This enables him to sneak into the backfield and make a sort out for lack of yardage.
Devon Witherspoon wonderful performs
Devon Witherspoon didn’t begin the season enjoying like a fifth total decide within the NFL Draft. A variety of expectations have been positioned on him, and it took him a while to succeed in that.
Right here we now have Spoon enjoying extra bodily than many LBs weighing 50 or 60 kilos extra. James Conner is a robust and heavy RB and he could make an instantaneous sort out with out giving up any additional yards.
This play will stick within the minds of followers for a very long time. Arizona makes use of a name that they used quite a bit on fourth down conditions. A heavy formation, the specter of Conner operating and you’ve got a WR who begins the play blocking, however comes out to present Murray an possibility. The QB would have the choice to run or cross the ball.
Murray fakes the handoff and Witherspoon realizes it in a short time and manages to remove Murray’s choice to run. Be aware that Tyrice Knight can be elementary within the play. Along with serving to Murray on a attainable run, he forces the cross to must have a distinct angle. This enables Coby Bryant to make the interception. Witherspoon has time to trash discuss Murray, get again on the sector and make a vital block on James Conner. This ensures that Bryant will get to the top zone with none main issues.
Information from my seismologist buddy. Not solely did Coby Bryant mimic the Beast Quake crotch seize, the response from the gang throughout his pick-6 additionally registered on the KDK seismic station. pic.twitter.com/Fi7xnaaeKM
— Alex (@nannyodeil) November 25, 2024
One thing we had missed was the energy of the gang at Lumen Area. There was numerous discuss having extra Buffalo Payments followers, for instance. Effectively, the gang has all the time been a trademark of the Seahawks and you can see (truly, hear) that through the sport. One instance of this was that on the pick-six play, not solely was the celebration much like the Beast Quake, however the seismographs recorded exercise, simply as you may see on the All-22 digicam shaking after Bryant began operating with the ball.
Closing Ideas
The protection undeniably managed the sport and gave us the victory. Nonetheless, there may be room for enchancment. If the crew needs to go far this season, the offensive assault must be extra full and, most significantly, extra constant.
