Tag: Seahawks defense

Seahawks lead NFL in not disguising their defensive coverages pre-snap

Somebody has to take the fall for the sorry state of the Seahawks’ defense. 

Somebody has to take the fall for the sorry state of the Seahawks’ defense. There are several obvious culprits to point at, but the name at the top of the list has to belong to coach Pete Carroll.

One reason why Seattle has been getting diced up defensively is a refusal to disguise what they’re doing before the snap. According to Pro Football Focus, the Seahawks are staying in the same coverage they show pre-snap on over 92% of their plays, the most in the NFL this season.

That’s not much of a problem when you have players like Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas cleaning things up and daring opponents to do their worst. Seattle simply doesn’t have the talent on the back end (or up front for that matter) to play cover-3-F-U anymore, though. In any case, disguising coverages should be a part of any modern defense – regardless of the personnel involved.

Defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. seems to be the fanbase’s chosen scapegoat here. However, this has always been Pete Carroll’s defense no matter who calls the plays. Direct your disappointment appropriately.

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Seahawks coach Pete Carroll: ‘We’ll look at everything’ to fix defense

If the Seahawks are going to make personnel changes, they’ll have to address a few obvious holes on the back end.

The Seahawks offense has been red-hot in the first half of games and totally cold in the second half. That’s a whole lot better than Seattle’s defense, which has been getting torched in every quarter so far during the 2021 season.

In today’s loss to the Vikings, the Seahawks could not get pressure on Kirk Cousins, could not stop Alexander Mattison in the run game and could not cover Justin Jefferson on the back end. That’s a bad combination when you’re competing at the highlest level of the sport. Coach Pete Carroll says they’ll look at everything to fix the defense.

If the Seahawks are going to make personnel changes, they’ll have to address a few obvious holes on the back end.

At a minimum, they need a new starter at right cornerback to replace Tre Flowers and another slot defender while Marquise Blair is out. Richard Sherman is one obvious answer as far as free agents go. Seattle could also use more firepower in the trenches and could benefit from adding someone like Geno Atkins or Kawann Short.

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Seahawks DE Carlos Dunlap aiming for 13 sacks this season

Seahawks defensive end Carlos Dunlap has set some personal objectives for the 2021 season.

Seahawks defensive end Carlos Dunlap has set some personal objectives for the 2021 season. He joined 710 ESPN Seattle to discuss his ambitions, as well as those of the defense as a whole.

The 12th-year defensive end stated that he is aiming for at least 13 sacks this season, which will not only help him reach 100 for his career but also assist Seattle’s defense significantly.

“I’ve gone public putting it in the air about my goals for the year,” Dunlap said. “My aspirations are to get 13 sacks so I can get above 100, but obviously that’s the floor for me, that’s not the ceiling. So I don’t set the ceiling, I set the floor and then tackle everything in between.”

Dunlap’s arrival via trade last year contributed to a remarkable defensive turnaround for the Seahawks, which they hope to carry into this year. However, they also must put on strong performances consistently, and Dunlap knows it.

“Defensively, we want to be the best defense in the league, be No. 1 on third downs and, you know, rushing the passer, sacks total,” Dunlap said.

“We want to be that way throughout the whole season because those things are pillars to catapult us to what we really want, but we’re just looking forward to starting,” he said.

The Seahawks will play the Indianapolis Colts on the road at Lucas Oil Stadium at 10:00 a.m. PT.

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Jamal Adams’ impact on the Seahawks defense, by the numbers

Their overall EPA per play also jumped from No. 20 in the league without Adams to No. 9 with.

The Seattle Seahawks defense was a completely different unit when they had Jamal Adams on the field last season compared to when he wasn’t. On film, they were quicker to the ball, more energetic and in general a tougher defense to score on with No. 33 out there.

Adams brings a sense of enthusiasm that mirrors coach Pete Carroll’s, one of the reasons they were happy to give him a four-year deal that made him the highest-paid safety in the NFL by a comfortable margin. He offers more than just intangibles and energy, though – Adams had a massive impact on Seattle’s defense statistically. With Adams on the field, their man coverage rate, blitz rate, sack rate and EPA per play all dramatically improved.

Their overall EPA per play also jumped from No. 20 in the league without Adams to No. 9 with.

While Adams had some issues in coverage – he gave up 411 yards and a 104.7 passer rating last year he’s clearly a valuable defensive piece and worth the investment.

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