Thoughts and observations on the game thread

[hawker84]

How did Maxwell catch a break on his defense of the ball to Jeffery? I just got home from work and finally watching the game and that play happened right as I'm reading this...Maxwell hits his arm after the ball hits his hands

Exactly, asked myself the same thing. what are people seeing? i saw a broken up pass, not a dropped pass. great closing speed and ripped the ball out when he got there. Great defensive play by Maxwell.

 

[FlyingGreg]

Yep, Earl wasn't "caught by the punter" - the punter took a good angle. All the speed in the world doesn't overcome basic geometry - the punter had 30+ yards of angular preparation. He made a good play, but it's not like he was trailing Earl and tracked him down lol.

If anyone thinks Sherman isn't just toying with people this pre-season, you haven't been paying attention to Sherm the last few seasons. He will be ready to go snap 1 on September 4th. Don't fret.

There are not enough superlatives to describe Wilson or Harvin. Wilson's ability to avoid disaster is the key to our offense, IMO. He doesn't just dodge the bullet, he makes something out of nothing. He has incredible vision and touch on his throws - that should have been a TD throw to Willson was perfect, just like his should have been a TD throw to Baldwin last week vs San Diego.

Harvin? Wow. I focused on him a lot in pre-snap last night at the game. The possibilities are endless. Defenses are deathly afraid of him, for good reason. His burst off the line is crazy. I could see the big gain unfolding right away on his 25-yard reception, and so could Wilson - he was looking his way right when he made the break. Defenders are screwed - if they try to jam him and he gets by them, it's lights out. If they play off to give him a cushion, he will kill it underneath. Pick your poison.

 

[ImTheScientist]

It seemed like Sherm was getting picked on early in this game.

I think he benefits from film study and game plan to make plays.....but I also thought maybe he is trying to bait Rodgers for week 1 or make them think it's ok to go that way.

 

[Tech Worlds]

I wasn't impressed by our run defense yesterday and it will continue to concern me. If we don't shut down Lacy in game one it will be a long day.

 

[MLOhawks]

Kearse was great at Washington, though he did have his fair share of drops. But I remember a Locker to Kearse pass in the last couple minutes of the upset of USC that really stick out. He has always had the clutch ...ness. But it wasn't until his eye surgery that he really moved up to the next level of his game.

 

[FlyingGreg]

I wasn't impressed by our run defense yesterday and it will continue to concern me. If we don't shut down Lacy in game one it will be a long day.

:shock:

Bears had 13 carries for 51 yds, 3.9 ypc... not sure what the concern is.

 

[Tical21]

Percy makes me believe this offense can be one of the top offenses in the league. If the opponent is going to take some time to get going against our defense, they might find themselves down 14 real quick.

Maxwell got lucky in a couple areas on that play. First, he got blown by pretty easily, and Jeffrey isn't even a real burner. Second, even with the nice play that Maxwell made, Jeffrey still brings that in 9/10. And it was underthrown a bit. But hey, Maxwell is going to get beat every now and again if he plays the aggressive style we want him to play. It will be pretty seldom that we're not going to have Earl back to help anyways.

I pretty much got bored with the preseason, well two weeks ago, but besides watching Britt for a while, I wasn't really into this one. Bring on the Packers, I'm done with this nonsense.

Please tell me we found a punt returner in the next two weeks who wears basically any number other than 29 or 3.

 

[Tech Worlds]

I wasn't impressed by our run defense yesterday and it will continue to concern me. If we don't shut down Lacy in game one it will be a long day.

:shock:

Bears had 13 carries for 51 yds, 3.9 ypc... not sure what the concern is.

Forte had some good gains against the starters. It's a concern. Hopefully it won't be an issue.

I am not yet on the "we are without a flaw" bandwagon that others here are on.

 

[FlyingGreg]

I wasn't impressed by our run defense yesterday and it will continue to concern me. If we don't shut down Lacy in game one it will be a long day.

:shock:

Bears had 13 carries for 51 yds, 3.9 ypc... not sure what the concern is.

Forte had some good gains against the starters. It's a concern. Hopefully it won't be an issue.

I am not yet on the "we are without a flaw" bandwagon that others here are on.

It's a valid concern. Our run defense was, at times, a weak spot last season. And Lacy is definitely a concern for week #1.

 

[zifnab32]

I wasn't impressed by our run defense yesterday and it will continue to concern me. If we don't shut down Lacy in game one it will be a long day.

:shock:

Bears had 13 carries for 51 yds, 3.9 ypc... not sure what the concern is.

Forte had some good gains against the starters. It's a concern. Hopefully it won't be an issue.

I am not yet on the "we are without a flaw" bandwagon that others here are on.

Forte had one good gain. He had 3 carries for 17 yards, 11 of those on one run. Without that run, the Bears had 12 carries for 40 yards, or 3.3 ypc. There are more valid concerns.

 

[Tech Worlds]

I wasn't impressed by our run defense yesterday and it will continue to concern me. If we don't shut down Lacy in game one it will be a long day.

:shock:

Bears had 13 carries for 51 yds, 3.9 ypc... not sure what the concern is.

Forte had some good gains against the starters. It's a concern. Hopefully it won't be an issue.

I am not yet on the "we are without a flaw" bandwagon that others here are on.

Forte had one good gain. He had 3 carries for 17 yards, 11 of those on one run. Without that run, the Bears had 12 carries for 40 yards, or 3.3 ypc. There are more valid concerns.

OK. If you say so. You can't take that run away, nor do you not know that the next one wouldn't pop for another 11. The bears didn't try to run but when they did against our starters we didn't stone them like we have stoned teams in the past. Perhaps that will come when we game plan. Hope you are right.

We will revisit this down the road to see.

 

[jdemps]

Watched the first quarter again focusing on O-line play and here are a few things I noticed.

General: Emphasis on short to mid game. Not as many bomb plays. Emphasis from the line in pass pro is to give Wilson 3 seconds for the play to develop then WIlson has to use his magic.

Okung: WOW! Rusty is an understatement. Not holding blocks long enough in the run or passing game. Got beat on the edge CONSISTENTLY. Allowed a sack. Almost allowed another on a screen play to Turbin. I expect to see more than one series from him in Oakland.

Carpenter: WOW! In the other sense. Looked dominant. Getting great push and moving SO. WELL. Pulling. Kick out blocks. Second level blocks. The worst play from the LG position was when Carp pulled and Lynch whiffed on the blitz pick up. Looks like a different person.

Unger: Not getting a lot of push but very steady. Smart player. Didn't seem out of place on any play of the first 2 drives.

Sweezy: He's "NASTY". A couple of his back side cut blocks were ineffective but he overall had a very positive game. Solid in the pass game.

Britt: Decidedly weaker in pass pro than run blocking. His block on the DE sprung Lynch for his TD run. Excels at setting up right side cut backs. Not afraid to get dirty in the run game a la Breno. Pass pro was a huge liability. Beat on the bull rush consistently by Lamarr Houston. Gets stood up way too quickly and loses leverage. His best move is to ride the defender out of the play. Didn't work as well on deep drops.

Looks like our interior line play may be a strength this year as opposed to years past. Considering we're emphasizing the short and mid level game to get the ball to our skill position players (who're balling out of their minds), we may really only need tackles who are serviceable in pass pro and great in the run game. In the end, it's Russ's magic that makes this thing tick.

 

[hawkfan68]

I'm impressed with Carp and Sweezy so far. Both look very good. The starting O-line looks improved. The Seahawks were getting good runs from each of the rbs - Lyncg,Turbin, and Michael. That's nice to see. The offense was in good rhythm and clicking. This team is scary good when that happens.

 

[Jville]

Initial thoughts on the starting offensive line:

J.R. Sweezy, at right guard, had another solid game. He is noticeably stronger and better at sustaining blocks. His mobility and range are exceptional. He has become Justin Britt's best on field friend. They are conferring constantly and chemistry is building.

Justin Britt, at right tackle, continues to grow on the job at a very rapid pace. He is turning out to be a very productive fit. I have become comfortable and confident in his continuing progress as a rookie,

Max Unger, at center, looked very good to my eye. Coming off of a groin pull, he demonstrated good functional strength and good mobility and range. When Max is 100%, he is one of the better centers in the league.

Lemuel Jeanpierre had a lot of playing time in relief of Max Unger at center. Although I think he has had lapses at time, Jeanpierre looked like a starting caliper center. He had a solid game verses the Bears. I think he solidifies the interior line.

James Carpenter, at left guard, is an all new man. Although we may occasionally see pass block leakage, he is much quicker getting out of his stance. He is no longer a liability in that regard. His considerable strength as a run blocker is still there along with improved quickness. He also demonstrated improved endurance which suggests he is validating his expected role as a full time starter this year.

Russell Okung, at left guard, looked like he was just getting acclimated. However the sight of him limping, just prior to his departure from the game, didn't instill a feeling of confidence in his full recovery. Hopefully, Okung will continue his comeback during the month of September and we will all finally see the best of the Okung / Carpenter combination Tom Cable envisioned.

Eric Winston relieved Russell Okung after two series at left tackle. Considering it was his first appearance on that side, I thought he did ok. Backup tackle will probably emerge as a topic of conversation for the balance of the preseason.

I will probably review the video to get a better handle on the offensive line over the next couple of days. Developing a better understanding of Tom Cable and his offensive line and running game has been my point of emphasis this preseason. So ..... I'm looking to learn more.

Fairness Disclosure: I am not as critical of Seahawk offensive linemen as many here. I appreciated the challenges of selling the run and pass blocking for a mobile quarterback with multiple launch points in an offense that likes to extend plays. I view the demands placed on offensive linemen in Seattle as more challenging than that of say ..... a Patton Manning offense.

 

[gargantual]

I don't know about anyone else, but I get spoiled watching our D and almost expect teams to never make gains on them (due to the SB I suppose).

No defense can prevent ALL plays from working. A few will slip through. How they recover....and the scoreboard is all that counts in the end.

 

[scutterhawk]

How did Maxwell catch a break on his defense of the ball to Jeffery? I just got home from work and finally watching the game and that play happened right as I'm reading this...Maxwell hits his arm after the ball hits his hands

Impeccable timing, that's how.
Although his hands were coming up to the ball nicely, he wasn't given the chance for a clean catch, as Maxwell had his hand on top of Jeffery's, just enough to interrupt the timing for the catch.
I thought it was an amazing play on Maxwell's part.
Did anyone else catch Kam Chancellor, as he was schooling Lockett on the right way to hit the ball carrier on that play where he got flagged?
I could be wrong, but it sure looked like he was demonstrating on how to reach out with the hand, and swipe at the ball as you make contact.

 

[kearly]

How did Maxwell catch a break on his defense of the ball to Jeffery? I just got home from work and finally watching the game and that play happened right as I'm reading this...Maxwell hits his arm after the ball hits his hands

Jeffery actually catches the ball and then Maxwell slaps it out as Jeffery tucks the ball into his body. I think if that play happens ten times it's a TD more than it's not. A WR with strong hands is usually getting a TD there.

Don't get me wrong, it was a great recovery by Maxwell, but he very nearly allowed a long TD on 3rd and 15 too. It's like the equivalent of an outfielder running the wrong route to the ball but making up for it with a diving catch. Maxwell got beat, but made up for it on a play that won't be there every time.

But anyway, preseason. Not a big deal. The inability to grab is going to hurt Maxwell more than any corner in the league, he was one grabby sumbitch last year. That he was slightly beat by an elite WR and a perfect throw in no-touch conditions isn't really much of a strike against him. I do think the weak hands and lack of concentration by Jeffery was a break for Maxwell though. Under the conditions I don't know if Maxwell could have played it much better than he did, but I do think Maxwell was very lucky that Jeffery's focus was lacking and he squandered a perfect throw from Cutler.

 

[253hawk]

The Bears punter, Pat O'Donnell, is a physical freak. Ran a 4.62/40 at the combine but had been timed at a high 4.5 previously.. he also out bench pressed Jadeveon Clowney .. so basically that was not your normal punter chasing Earl down.

They don't call him 'Megapunt' for nothing. Someone needs to teach Earl to glance up at the jumbotron and use it as a rear-view mirror for those guys sneaking up late.

And I'm done with all of the whining about ET returning punts. Rod Woodson and Deion Sanders did it for years; people need to quit acting like Thomas is made out of glass. He's built more solid than either of those guys and our gunner-coverage is good enough to prevent anyone from laying a big shot on him, plus he's shown great fair-catch awareness. Tate never took one to the house but I think Earl will have a couple this season.

 

[Smelly McUgly]

Sherm was playing really soft coverage, and Marshall can match his physicality anyway. Marshall is just dang good, is what it is sometimes. Sometimes their really good guy beats yours.

I was going to say that their punter runs an unofficial 4.5. This was like the one time that getting tracked down by the punter is acceptable.

The guard play looks good, but I'm nervous about the tackles in pass pro. Otherwise, this team looks ready to go!

One last thing: Are our deep backups (third-stringers/fringe players) just not as good as they have been the past three years? Not that it matters, but I'm used to those guys stomping everyone else's equivalent players.

 

[Mick063]

How did Maxwell catch a break on his defense of the ball to Jeffery? I just got home from work and finally watching the game and that play happened right as I'm reading this...Maxwell hits his arm after the ball hits his hands

I think if that play happens ten times it's a TD more than it's not. A WR with strong hands is usually getting a TD there.

In my opinion, Maxwell is the top corner in the league with respect to ripping balls away from the receiver after or during the catch (as opposed to an interception mentality like Sherman). He commonly does this. Maxwell isn't a "ball skills" receiver. He is a disrupter.

He is doing exactly what he is coached to do. He isn't a 5'10" jitterbug that smothers receivers "step for step". He is a 6' 1" physical player that locates and recovers. This is by Pete's design. Stop the receiver short of the first down sticks, or locate the ball and rip through the receiver's arms during a catch (with the length and physical strength to get it done), or punch the ball out after a reception. This isn't a fluke. It is by design and repeated often. The big bonus is that as the opponent approaches the red zone, the field gets shorter, and the physical length plays an exponentially (not linear) larger influence.

This is another example of Pete finding out what player does best and maximizing it. Further it is how the defensive scheme is brilliantly orchestrated. When you have a free safety with incredible range, you get the luxury of using a player like Maxwell.