D-line & Run defense

[MizzouHawkGal]

Maybe against Gore and Stacy, but NFL teams don't run the ball anymore. Doesn't matter whether or not we can stop it.

This. Besides preseason is all about not getting injured and working on specific things.

 

[Basis4day]

No

 

[SeahawksFanForever]

Name that I forgot to mention, Clinton McDonald. Who is replacing him in the rotation? Jordan Hill?

 

[Tech Worlds]

The run D became a problem last year, but got fixed with some attention to the run fits.

We have some lack of continuity on the interior right now. But, we haven't seen much for starting linebackers this preseason, and Kam hasn't been on the field,he is a big part of the run D.

I think we will see this problem dog us a couple of times this year, but like Tical said, the teams that will beat us with running are rare these days.

I disagree. The run sets up the pass. Yeh there isn't a lot of dominant running going on now days but if you can't slow down the run we are going to get eaten alive in the pass game when we cheat up or not have teams in third and long.

 

[DavidSeven]

Sherman was letting passes, that he normally defends well, be caught.

Passes? He made a classic Sherman PBU on a fade and had one ball completed on him off a freakin' lucky circus catch through blanket coverage.

Our 1st team corners were not the issue yesterday.

 

[kearly]

In Seattle's last 20 games, they've been really good at run defense with three exceptions: Tampa, @STL, and Atlanta.

The RBs in those games? Mike James, Zac Stacy, and Michael Turner. James barely registered before that Hawks game and was injured soon after, Stacy had 1 YPC in the rematch, and Turner was horrible in 2012, he did not play a down in the NFL in 2013.

The common link between those three RBs is that they are decently physical, and during those games our LB crew couldn't tackle anything. James and Turner in particular seemed to break a tackle on every single run.

The fact that this happens rarely, randomly, and emphatically- always against mediocre RBs- is further evidence in my mind that it's a result of our LBs just having off days.

I thought our LBs looked pretty bad in run defense in this Oakland game too. Though to Oakland's credit, some of those issues with run fits / gap integrity was the result of good fullback play.

I think it is part of the cost of doing business when you have undersized LBs who play so fast. Every now and then, a fast enough, physical enough no-name RB is going to put clownsuits on them.

Maybe there is more to it than that, maybe in those games our guys up front aren't doing enough to keep our LBs clean, I'm not sure. But I do remember that in all three of those games, missed tackles and poor play from the second level is what ignited the other team's rushing attack.

 

[SmokinHawk]

We go through this every year...

Preseason game 4 isn't about the starters, guys, it's about the guys fighting for roster spots. It was clear from the first whistle that our boys were playing to not get hurt, and it also seemed like there was a greater emphasis placed on producing turnovers (Turnover Thursday). I wouldn't sweat it unless Eddy Lacy starts running wild on us.

 

[brimsalabim]

Why didn't Bennett play?

 

[Scottemojo]

Why didn't Bennett play?

Because he gets paid 8 million dollars. You want that going to waste with an injury in a nothing game?

 

[MizzouHawkGal]

Why didn't Bennett play?

Because he gets paid 8 million dollars. You want that going to waste with an injury in a nothing game?

He also had a personal issue like Harvin.

 

[Scottemojo]

Why didn't Bennett play?

Because he gets paid 8 million dollars. You want that going to waste with an injury in a nothing game?

He also had a personal issue like Harvin.

Yes. Both players had private business to take care of instead of playing. And if you believe that, I got a bridge for sale...They both personally have a problem with getting hurt in meaningless games.

21 million dollars in money at stake if they both were hurt in the game.

 

[Uthawk]

In Seattle's last 20 games, they've been really good at run defense with three exceptions: Tampa, @STL, and Atlanta.

The RBs in those games? Mike James, Zac Stacy, and Michael Turner. James barely registered before that Hawks game and was injured soon after, Stacy had 1 YPC in the rematch, and Turner was horrible in 2012, he did not play a down in the NFL in 2013.

The common link between those three RBs is that they are decently physical, and during those games our LB crew couldn't tackle anything. James and Turner in particular seemed to break a tackle on every single run.

The fact that this happens rarely, randomly, and emphatically- always against mediocre RBs- is further evidence in my mind that it's a result of our LBs just having off days.

I thought our LBs looked pretty bad in run defense in this Oakland game too. Though to Oakland's credit, some of those issues with run fits / gap integrity was the result of good fullback play.

I think it is part of the cost of doing business when you have undersized LBs who play so fast. Every now and then, a fast enough, physical enough no-name RB is going to put clownsuits on them.

Maybe there is more to it than that, maybe in those games our guys up front aren't doing enough to keep our LBs clean, I'm not sure. But I do remember that in all three of those games, missed tackles and poor play from the second level is what ignited the other team's rushing attack.

Week 8 last year against the Rams was Wagner's first week back after injury and I remember him struggling. The next week against Tampa Bay, run defense was still an issue and Pete addressed it in the post game saying the team was sloppy in run fits again.

I don't think run defense will be a problem (4th preseason, not starting D, etc), but Wagner was just getting back and there's a correlation there.

 

[kearly]

Week 8 last year against the Rams was Wagner's first week back after injury and I remember him struggling. The next week against Tampa Bay, run defense was still an issue and Pete addressed it in the post game saying the team was sloppy in run fits again.

I don't think run defense will be a problem (4th preseason, not starting D, etc), but Wagner was just getting back and there's a correlation there.

Good memory. I remembered Wagner struggling in all three games, but I forgot about his status last season.

 

[RichNhansom]

I think there is also a game tape factor. We got tore up by Glennon too. This team plays its best against well known top shelf competition. It's the lessor known that gives us more trouble. If we have info we use it if not we struggle at times. We also had some of the best second half adjustments in the league and that can be attributed to having more information too.

If our offense excels the way it looks like it might that will mitigate much of that because those teams that we don't have tape on generally aren't going to be good enough to keep up if our offense is clicking.

 

[CANHawk]

Non?

 

[enamel]

There's no denying that some of these guys we're hoping can compensate for the losses of Red and Clemons have had lackluster preseasons. I was hoping to see promise from Scruggs and Hill, but they've been neutral at best.

I feel ok about the outside guys-- Avril, Schofield, Irvin and Marsh will be able to bring pressure and stop the run for the Leo and SLB spots, even if no single guy is dominant. But the middle of the line is mighty dependent on Mebane and the idea that 3rd down will always be a nickel situation with Bennett inside. 3rd and short could be a problem for this group.

 

[seahawk12thman]

As bobby Wagner said, we haven't seen anything close to the starting lineup yet. Yes our third stringers aren't quite as dominant. Clinton mc Donald wasn't a world beater to start out the year last year. Scruggs and Hll lack technique, nothing more. They should come on strong as the season moves on, they are still rookies for all practical purposes.

 

[MizzouHawkGal]

Why didn't Bennett play?

Because he gets paid 8 million dollars. You want that going to waste with an injury in a nothing game?

He also had a personal issue like Harvin.

Yes. Both players had private business to take care of instead of playing. And if you believe that, I got a bridge for sale...They both personally have a problem with getting hurt in meaningless games.

21 million dollars in money at stake if they both were hurt in the game.

I have no problem with that do you?

 

[RichNhansom]

As bobby Wagner said, we haven't seen anything close to the starting lineup yet. Yes our third stringers aren't quite as dominant. Clinton mc Donald wasn't a world beater to start out the year last year. Scruggs and Hll lack technique, nothing more. They should come on strong as the season moves on, they are still rookies for all practice purposes.

This is a big part of it.
We didn't start off last year looking like we did towards the end of the year and a major difference was McDonald and McDaniel's both getting better as the year progressed. Bryant actually seen less and less playing time also.

I'm not a Niner fan who wants to believe nothing we have seen is any indication of what we will see in regular season, I expect us to take a drop off some from last year to start out the season but I also expect guys like Scruggs and Hill to improve as they learn their roles and build chemistry with Bennett, Avril and Mebane.

Scruggs is also coming off a knee injury (iirc) that ir'd him last year. there is going to be some rust as well as some confidence that he needs to get through.

I have liked what I have seen from Schofield and Mayowa and imagine that will be even better when Avril, Bennett and Mebane are disrupting things and those guys aren't the focal point.

I trust Pete and Quinn and after watching how they developed that line last year I feel confident they have the tools in place to build this line too. Just look at McDonald as an example. He had played in 29 games the previous two years with Seattle before getting released on the final cut downs before last year and had recorded zero sacks. Then we brought him back after sitting in FA where no one showed interest and he recorded 5.5 sacks. They released him after preseason, does anyone remember going, oh that was a mistake?

Does anyone think McDanial's and McDonald through last years preseason looked better than Schofield, Mayowa, Hill and Scruggs have looked in this one?

The way I see it is from the beginning of last years regular season to the end our D-line took 5 steps forward to be exceptional by seasons end. We took one or two steps back to start this season but we could potentially take several forward again this year and by years end look even better than last.