On paper, it sure looks like Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Jarran Reed followed his breakout 2018 campaign with a bit of a clunker in 2019.
After missing the first six games with a suspension, Reed started all of the final 10 games of the regular season and recorded 27 combined tackles, eight quarterback hits, two sacks, one forced fumble and one pass defensed.
The sack numbers are down considerably from the 10.5 he posted last year, but coach Pete Carroll doesn’t feel like his star defensive tackle has gotten worse – just that things haven’t gone his way.
“It’s frustrating for him for sure,” Carroll said on Friday. “He had a big year last year and the numbers just didn’t show. The start may have had something to do with it. I don’t know. He’s played similar. He’s played hard and tough and all of that. Just hasn’t come his way. Sometimes that happens.”
A prime example was a play in the second half of Sunday’s win over the Eagles, when Reed exploded through the backfield and should have had an easy sack on veteran backup Josh McCown, but he whiffed and allowed McCown to escape.
The Seahawks ended up recording the sack anyway, so it worked out for the team, but it’s one of many examples of Reed not getting a mark in the box score.
“He’s causing problems,” Carroll continued. “He’s just playing good ball. He really is. He just airballed the one time and it would’ve been a great sack for him, but we got it anyway. The pressure was good. He’s playing good ball. He’s a really dependable guy in our system. Really, a great leader for us, too.”
While Reed may not have the numbers he wants this season, his performance has still helped the Seahawks in both their run and pass defense, and they’ll need him to have a big performance on Sunday against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers if they want their season to continue.
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