Is Hawks #1 Defense a "Blue Mirage"?

[Shanegotyou11]

We were #2 in pass rush IIRC going into Sunday's game.

I think we're good. And if we're not, MM will be ON it. His comment on: "Run defense made me sick to my stomach" speaks volumes about his approach. If it's broken - we're gonna FIX it. Unlike recent years watching people whiff and amble around the field missing tackle after tackle.

I have a feeling that MM is actually about "Always compete" - and not just as a slogan.

Lions game will be a benchmark, no doubt. NFC West isn't looking so scary this year Not to get a big head, and I understand the Lambs are not crippled, but definitely down a couple players.

Didnt Pete turn the roster over a bunch at the start? Didnt he lead us to not 1 but 2 superbowl appearances winning 1? Didnt PC create the LOB? Didnt Petes defense lead the league for multiple years in a row?

The disrespect towards PC as a whole from Seahawk fans is pretty wild overall. I see it here, reddit, twitter.

Ppl claiming Mike is the Goat already on platforms is so wild to me being 3 games in. I hope Mike wins 10 chips here but lets cool it all on PC was just talk and not walk and Mike is the Goat.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

Nothing wrong with being stoked about a damn good coach, especially on defense. Pete WAS a very good coach and motivator. Until he wasn't.

 

[RiverDog]

Absolutely. Even if they lose tonight, I don't see it as the team somehow being a mirage or the defense being a mirage.
It's ONE game against a very good team. Would most of us sign up for 3-1 before this season started? God yes.

That being said, the "I told you so" crowd will be out in force tomorrow morning if they lose

Well, I wouldn't call the Lions a 'very' good team, at least not from what they've shown thus far this season, but I basically agree with you that they're a solid team, better than any of our previous three opponents.

Goff has had a slow start to the season, throwing more INT's than TD's, but he's the best starting quarterback we've seen to date. As hobbled up as our defense is, with our four best DL/Edge guys out, I'm afraid that it might be a long night. We've beaten the Lions three straight seasons, the last two in their house, so we won't be sneaking up on them.

I hope I'm wrong, but I'm expecting a loss, perhaps by double digits. And I'll gladly take my beating by the 'I told you so' crowd if we win. That's the advantage of being a pessimist. It doesn't hurt so bad when I'm wrong.

 

[ZagHawk]

To be really honest, there's very little I miss about Pete. Nice guy. It was way past time.

His ability to squeak into the playoffs year after year kept him around, but realistic people knew his time as an actual competitor was done. He was turning the Seahawks into a better version of the Mariners of fighting for a playoff spot where once you're in you have a "chance" but realistically there's no actual championship contender there and you're not going to "any given Sunday" your way through the playoffs. The team eventually would get exposed which took 1-2 games. He seems like a great dude, he is top of the list of people I would want to have a dinner conversation with. But his HC days with the Seahawks over after 2015. He made very fake changes after SB 49 and it was obvious the ship was in the wrong direction full steam ahead.

 

[ZagHawk]

With the D-Line injuries leading into this game, this is a VERY good opportunity to see how MM coaches/game plans for a team that is not fully healthy. True leadership shows its colors when things are NOT optimal.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

Well, I wouldn't call the Lions a 'very' good team, at least not from what they've shown thus far this season, but I basically agree with you that they're a solid team, better than any of our previous three opponents.

Goff has had a slow start to the season, throwing more INT's than TD's, but he's the best starting quarterback we've seen to date. As hobbled up as our defense is, with our four best DL/Edge guys out, I'm afraid that it might be a long night. We've beaten the Lions three straight seasons, the last two in their house, so we won't be sneaking up on them.

I hope I'm wrong, but I'm expecting a loss, perhaps by double digits. And I'll gladly take my beating by the 'I told you so' crowd if we win. That's the advantage of being a pessimist. It doesn't hurt so bad when I'm wrong.

Why not? They should have been in the SB last year. They're a contender.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

With the D-Line injuries leading into this game, this is a VERY good opportunity to see how MM coaches/game plans for a team that is not fully healthy. True leadership shows its colors when things are NOT optimal.

No doubt. Also, OFFENSE must be on point. As in the best game they have played all season, by a distance too.

 

[jammerhawk]

“Blue Mirage?”

Apparently you aren’t watching that closely. This D still isn’t great and has been both passed on and run on to some degree at times this season. However, at times it is strong against the run and very strong against the pass and this a whole lot better than it’s been in the last few years under consecutive duds as the DC and a head coach that was past his expiration date. That said the trajectory on the D is solid and they are far better than they’ve been in years that’s not a mirage.

Please note that sadly this game the team won't be playing four top DLineman in this game tonight, that somehow that will be overcome by a defensive coaching staff that can adjust on the fly which was a skill lost upon the previous two DC’s with their moribund scheme. I predict a game where Goff will be moved out of the pocket a lot and one where the D takes away their running attack enough that it will be close. The solid play I’ve seen from the D to now this season is not a mirage and they can be a LOT better.

 

[94Smith]

I thought we were talking about the Seahawks' defense, and whether they are a mirage. And I thought I pointed out that when the three teams we have defeated are playing other teams, that they look a lot better than when they play us. That when they play us we beat them so badly with our D that we make them look like crap so everyone believes that they are. When their yards/game (at least) stat is WAY better when they don't play us. And I backed it up with numbers, not opinions.

Maybe we weren't talking about that at all?

Their offenses looked good? I don’t think so!
The vaunted broncos offense put up 186 yards yesterday and the patriots put up 200. 49ers D looked like world beaters with 15 plus pressures 6 sacks one pick six and 3 total turnovers . These are terrible offenses.
One poster said you haven’t faced a top 15 qb yet, you haven’t even faced a top 30 qb yet
The sand will begin to emerge from the water tonight

 

[ZagHawk]

“Blue Mirage?”

Apparently you aren’t watching that closely. This D still isn’t great and has been both passed on and run on to some degree at times this season. However, at times it is strong against the run and very strong against the pass and this a whole lot better than it’s been in the last few years under consecutive duds as the DC and a head coach that was past his expiration date.

I have noticed this myself and I wonder if this is actually because we are used to PC's style where he gave up everything on the inside to go all-in to stop the run and/or prevent big plays. So PC's defense was very consistent on ensuring no big runs or plays, but at the same time we saw it time and time again...a team could just give the Seahawks death buy a thousand cuts.

Meanwhile perhaps MM's defense is indeed adapting and playing against everything. So as you said...they look a lot better and stronger against certain runs and especially the shorter passes, BUT sometimes it means a big play does break out and it's just part of it.

 

[GeekHawk]

Their offenses looked good? I don’t think so!
The vaunted broncos offense put up 186 yards yesterday and the patriots put up 200. 49ers D looked like world beaters with 15 plus pressures 6 sacks one pick six and 3 total turnovers . These are terrible offenses.
One poster said you haven’t faced a top 15 qb yet, you haven’t even faced a top 30 qb yet
The sand will begin to emerge from the water tonight

I didn't say that they looked good or terrible. That's a subjective opinion, and just like an asshole everybody's got one. I averaged their yards-per-game when they didn't play against our D and stated where that would put them (1 thru 32) and compared that to where they actually were after playing our D. Those are facts and not opinions sir.

 

[RiverDog]

Why not? They should have been in the SB last year. They're a contender.

Sure, they're a contender, but there's reason to think that they are a little off kilter this year as they haven't played well. They barely beat the Rams and Cards, teams with a combined W/L of 2-6, and they got beat at home by the Bucs who promptly laid an egg the following week vs. the lowly Broncos. None of those teams are expected to compete for a SB. Goff has had a horrible start to the season, with just 3 TD passes, 4 INT's, and a passer rating in the bottom 1/4 of the league. This is a big test for them as well as it is for us.

That's why it's hard to get a feel for the season as the sample size is too damn small. Are the Lions simply off to a slow start, or is their window starting to close? I happen to think the former, which is why I'm a bit of a pessimist in this game.

 

[jeremiah]

Y'all are so used to watching the bottom-5 defenses the Seahawks put on the field the past few years, that I think you're overestimating a little bit. I think they'll end up top-10ish, but even hitting top-16 could be considered a miracle of a turnaround.

The Defense will look bad tonite against the Lions, too many injuries. It is the NFL, it happens. I expect Geno to be sacked about 4 times. Lions 28 Hawks 10.

 

[MontanaHawk05]

There are some good foundations and undeniable, visible-on-the-field skill talent in this defense. This isn't 2007 where Patrick Kerney feasted upon poor offensive lines all year and then disappeared entirely against Jordan Gross and Chad Clifton. We've got legitimate pieces, they're young, and they're learning together.

Another good draft at interior DL to plan for life after Williams and Reed and this D could be around for a while.

 

[94Smith]

Their offenses looked good? I don’t think so!

I didn't say that they looked good or terrible. That's a subjective opinion, and just like an asshole everybody's got one. I averaged their yards-per-game when they didn't play against our D and stated where that would put them (1 thru 32) and compared that to where they actually were after playing our D. Those are facts and not opinions sir.

Yeah but you didn’t do it after this week. Miami didn’t even have the QB they are starting now after the first two weeks

 

[knownone]

Their offenses looked good? I don’t think so!
The vaunted broncos offense put up 186 yards yesterday and the patriots put up 200. 49ers D looked like world beaters with 15 plus pressures 6 sacks one pick six and 3 total turnovers . These are terrible offenses.
One poster said you haven’t faced a top 15 qb yet, you haven’t even faced a top 30 qb yet
The sand will begin to emerge from the water tonight

The Patriots played the Niners on the road, down three starting O-lineman from when Seattle played them. Apples to oranges.

Similarly, we won't learn anything meaningful about Seattle's defense tonight, as we're missing five starters.

 

[94Smith]

The Patriots played the Niners on the road, down three starting O-lineman from when Seattle played them. Apples to oranges.

Similarly, we won't learn anything meaningful about Seattle's defense tonight, as we're missing five starters.

Pre excuses. Next man up . 49ers are down lots of players on offense and defense too

 

[knownone]

Pre excuses. Next man up . 49ers are down lots of players on offense and defense too

Where is the excuse?

 

[olyfan63]

Well, down a number of starters on the D, we certainly don't look like a #1 defense, more like a bottom 10 defense, especially against the Lions offense.

I don't think that makes the Hawks D a "Blue Mirage", but we sure need BMurphy, Nwosu, Leonard Williams, Mafe, and Jerome Baker on the field to get pressure on passers. MacDonald certainly has a lot on film to go to work on, little pass rush, plus coverage that allowed Goff to go 18-for-18. An all-time perfect game, if I understand the stats correctly.

All that said, if the offense gets a call or two, and makes one more play, the Hawks still have a great chance to win this game in a shootout.

 

[HawkRiderFan]

Pre excuses. Next man up . 49ers are down lots of players on offense and defense too

If injured aren't an excuse then I guess the Niners lost to a Rams team without Kupp and Nacua cause the Niners aren't very good