D's Gone Soft.

[StoneCold]

We heard it from every other fanbase jealous of our young hungry elite D for three years. "Just you wait, when those players start getting paid, you're going to have problems. The desire will wane, players will get content."

Not us! we said, this D is different. This D is one of the greatest of all time!

Well...................they're right. It's now official. Our D is soft. I do not see the same crazy pack of wild dog energy and hunger out of our core players. There are some exceptions, mainly on the D line. I still see energy from guys like Bennett and Avril.

But the LOB? Nope, soft as hell, especially Sherman. $$$ and babies have made him soft. Earl? Looks confused half the time. Kam? Still hits hard, but got TORCHED yesterday. Bobby? KJ? OK, but not playing anywhere near their 2012/2103 form.

For series and spurts I do see that energy, but it is fewer and farther between than ever before..........and I don't know how to fix it. Is it no Quinn? Is it no Norton? Is it $$$? Is it fame? Family? Too much success? IMO it's a combo of all of the above. All I know is it's BRUTAL to watch.

Disagree completely. They are not soft, but they are not clicking on all cylinders. Were they hungry against KC last year?

 

[TeamoftheCentury]

Completely disagree, Largent. They were just on the field for too many plays. Not a defense in the league that can hold up game after game with the offense being incapable of staying on the field for longer than 4 or 5 plays.

+1

 

[12thbrah]

The D still has moments where it is elite. Dalton didn't do jack till the 4th quarter. I put this loss on the offense mostly for not doing squat to chew up more clock or get first downs.

Cary Williams is a liability in coverage. Too many penalties at bad times. Its like the second coming of Brandon Browner.

 

[Laloosh]

Completely disagree, Largent. They were just on the field for too many plays. Not a defense in the league that can hold up game after game with the offense being incapable of staying on the field for longer than 4 or 5 plays.

This wasn't the SD game last year in the heat where the time of possession was ridiculously lopsided.

The TOP was 40:00 Bengals to 30:00 Hawks. That's not on the field for too many plays. Still plenty of blame to go around in the 4th quarter giving up big play after big play............and mainly contributed to miscommunication and no one in the LOB rising up to make a play.

And like I said, this isn't a one game aberration. This has happened EVERY game this year except for the Bears, too much money and too much talent on our D to crap the bed 4th quarter after 4th quarter.

They gave up three points over two games. I'm just saying that I think it's a little early to be calling the defense soft, complacent, any of that.

Cincinatti scored on two clearly broken coverage plays and a QB sneak that took advantage of alignment. That wasn't an issue with effort.

 

[StoneCold]

The D still has moments where it is elite. Dalton didn't do jack till the 4th quarter. I put this loss on the offense mostly for not doing squat to chew up more clock or get first downs.

Cary Williams is a liability in coverage. Too many penalties at bad times. Its like the second coming of Brandon Browner.

The PI late in the game on Cary was a marginal call. His head was turned and they were both arm fighting.

 

[LoneHawkFan]

We heard it from every other fanbase jealous of our young hungry elite D for three years. "Just you wait, when those players start getting paid, you're going to have problems. The desire will wane, players will get content."

Not us! we said, this D is different. This D is one of the greatest of all time!

Well...................they're right. It's now official. Our D is soft. I do not see the same crazy pack of wild dog energy and hunger out of our core players. There are some exceptions, mainly on the D line. I still see energy from guys like Bennett and Avril.

But the LOB? Nope, soft as hell, especially Sherman. $$$ and babies have made him soft. Earl? Looks confused half the time. Kam? Still hits hard, but got TORCHED yesterday. Bobby? KJ? OK, but not playing anywhere near their 2012/2103 form.

For series and spurts I do see that energy, but it is fewer and farther between than ever before..........and I don't know how to fix it. Is it no Quinn? Is it no Norton? Is it $$$? Is it fame? Family? Too much success? IMO it's a combo of all of the above. All I know is it's BRUTAL to watch.

I think it's a lot of things that can't be quantified.

It might as simple as...OC's around the league have adjusted to how we play defense and are becoming more efficient with their respective offenses.

As far as physical play, however...I tend to agree with you generally. I think it started to deteriorate with the loss of Browner, actually.

I really believe part of it has to do with our offense not pounding teams into submission, not demoralizing our opponents. When you leave hope in the heads of the opponents, bad things happen.

So, I agree with the general theme that it is a psychological issue, but it's more complex than just fame, family, and $$$. Instead of demoralizing teams, for all of these reasons the Seahawks, as a whole, are being demoralized.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

Disagree completely. They are not soft, but they are not clicking on all cylinders. Were they hungry against KC last year?

If you don't see a seismic shift in tenacity and grit from 2012/2013 to this year, then I guess we can agree to disagree.

This is NOT the same D, and it should be.

 

[Laloosh]

Disagree completely. They are not soft, but they are not clicking on all cylinders. Were they hungry against KC last year?

If you don't see a seismic shift in tenacity and grit from 2012/2013 to this year, then I guess we can agree to disagree.

This is NOT the same D, and it should be.

Did you see Cliff Avril screaming on the sideline after that Dalton sneak? Was pretty intense.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

Disagree completely. They are not soft, but they are not clicking on all cylinders. Were they hungry against KC last year?

If you don't see a seismic shift in tenacity and grit from 2012/2013 to this year, then I guess we can agree to disagree.

This is NOT the same D, and it should be.

Did you see Cliff Avril screaming on the sideline after that Dalton sneak? Was pretty intense.

I said earlier it's sporadic, and not the sustained insane wild dog flying around defense we're used to seeing out of these guys.

If we had 8 different dudes on the defense? Yeah, I wouldn't expect them to look the same. But it's not, it's 80% the same players, so what's different?

 

[WilliamCooper]

I am here to tell you that success and getting paid goes to your head. If cut you a 1 million dollar check today, you'd look at life 180 degrees different that you do right not. It's just human nature.

 

[marko358]

I am here to tell you that success and getting paid goes to your head. If cut you a 1 million dollar check today, you'd look at life 180 degrees different that you do right not. It's just human nature.

So I guess it's safe to assume that everyone playing for the Pats, Bengals, Falcons, Panthers, Packers, and Broncos are playing on rookie contracts.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

I am here to tell you that success and getting paid goes to your head. If cut you a 1 million dollar check today, you'd look at life 180 degrees different that you do right not. It's just human nature.

So I guess it's safe to assume that everyone playing for the Pats, Bengals, Falcons, Panthers, Packers, and Broncos are playing on rookie contracts.

You're making marko's point for him.

Why ISN'T our D playing to that level when it's the same group of all pro's we've had for 3-4 years if it's not $$ and success has made them softer?

Football is about hunger man, especially on D.............and right now this D isn't as hungry as it used to be. It's just not.

 

[StoneCold]

Disagree completely. They are not soft, but they are not clicking on all cylinders. Were they hungry against KC last year?

If you don't see a seismic shift in tenacity and grit from 2012/2013 to this year, then I guess we can agree to disagree.

This is NOT the same D, and it should be.

In 2014"
SD 30 points
Cowboys 30 points
Rams 28 points

I would agree they are not the same, but I don't think "Want to" is the problem. It's more communication and scheme.

After Sherman was put on AJ he didn't have a reception until the 4th quarter.

I also think our defense is vulnerable to Seam passes. The lions hit a long one on their final drive and yesterday two, nearly identical plays, were converted to TD's.

 

[Exittium]

The defense has lost its "fire"and "swagger" yesterday and previous games, it was visible. The last 3 years our defense celebrated everything, everyone. One that stuck out to me as well was Kam and Earl. The"big bro little bro" celebrations even for tackles have just diminished. I dont know whats up but they need to figure it out.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

I would agree they are not the same, but I don't think "Want to" is the problem. It's more communication and scheme..

It's both.

Dan Quinn's making lemonade out of a lemon defense right now, because he's inspiring them to be greater than the sum of their less talented parts.

It's the opposite here. If there's a defense out there that has more speed, quickness, elite athletic skill and all pro caliber talent on it then I'd like to know where that's at. Cause we have the most.

So F'ing play like it, enough with the soft ass 4th quarter collapses.

 

[hawker84]

Completely disagree, Largent. They were just on the field for too many plays. Not a defense in the league that can hold up game after game with the offense being incapable of staying on the field for longer than 4 or 5 plays.

Yep

 

[BadgerVid]

While I do agree this defense is not what it once was, let's not forget they were amazing the last 2 games (Chi/Det), and then for 3 quarters yesterday on the road against one of the best offenses in the NFL...

I must disagree. It has become habit to the point that yesterday, at 24-3 I was saying to those around me (mostly 49er fans) "I just hope it is enough to survive the 4th quarter when the defense breaks down and starts giving up one big play after another". Thus far this year, they just haven't been able to finish games...and that is exacerbated by the fact that the offense seems happy to play the 4th conservatively rather than continuing to put up points. The only difference yesterday was that they started giving up the big plays at the end of the 3rd quarter instead of waiting until the start of the 4th.

I realize it is considered blasphemy here to suggest that the defense is part of the problem, but they seem to only be able to play 3 quarters.

 

[jammerhawk]

Wow, after two games of just ten points given up, to give up 27 and to surrender a 17 point lead, in just a quarter? Lots of things to fix on both sides of the ball.

Still am uncertain what went wrong, but by any metric it was a total collapse.don't agree the D has gone soft but fixing the tE seam passes that ripped the team for two scores is great place to start.

The pass D is seemingly in need of some work.

The O failed to provide any 4th Q support after a promising beginning. Bengals are a good team.

 

[Largent80]

The defense was playing lights out until our offense reverted to the previous losses tendencies.

We are NOT soft on defense.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

Soft? How about very tired, when the Offense has less than 40 yards in the 4th quarter. 6 straight punts.