SB Nation - Will Herring

Carlos Dunlap Careens off Big Timmay's Draft Board

John Morgan — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 23:37:27 -0000

More photos » by Hannah Foslien - AP

Could Darryl Tapp enjoy a Elvis Dumervil-like breakout if Seattle switches to a 3-4?

Sours Grapes Treatment

Carlos Dunlap was arrested Tuesday morning for driving under the Artest. He is a potential top ten pick with the size, scouting profile and upside of a great defensive end. What Dunlap lacks is elite production. Dunlap has 17.5 sacks and 24 tackles for a loss in two seasons starting. Good but not elite production, further downgraded by the Gators dominance. Florida is 25-1 over the past two seasons, and Dunlap plays most snaps ears-pinned-back, protecting a big lead. He had a sack against Florida State and Troy, two teams that rank 48 and 53 nationally in sacks allowed. He had three sacks against Mississippi State. The Bulldogs have allowed 1.67 sacks per game, which sounds mediocre at first, but bad when you consider they average 22 pass attempts a game. Mississippi State allows a sack on 7.5% of pass attempts.

Fire Timmay Treatment

Dunlap might bulk up a bit and transition to 3-4 end in the pros. He is listed at 6'6", 290. Dunlap has a good mix of stoutness and playmaking ability against the run, and the height, frame and athleticism required to push the pile, set the edge and keep blockers at bay. Seattle has four linebackers contesting for three spots, and another linebacker, Will Herring, that deserves snaps. Brandon Mebane has proven capable of commanding double teams. His first two seasons, he was bulked up and immovable, yet still agile enough to disrupt. If Seattle re-signed Cory Redding and encouraged Lawrence Jackson to grow into his frame, the pieces are in place to build a 3-4.

That, like drafting Dunlap, only happens if Ruskell is not re-signed. Some teams struggle with the transition to a 3-4, but others, like Green Bay and Denver, have thrived. The key is having the right personnel.

Mebane could be the starting nose tackle. He would rotate with Colin Cole and Red Bryant. Jackson and Redding could play end, with Bryant and Vance Walker in the mix. Nick Reed and Darryl Tapp would be situational pass rushers, and both might benefit from moving off the line. David Hawthorne and Lofa Tatupu would play inside, and Leroy Hill and Aaron Curry on the outside, or Curry inside and Hawthorne outside. The roles could be dynamic. Seattle could move Curry inside on passing downs and sub in Tapp at rush linebacker.

The Seahawks need to improve their pass rush. The team has many good pass rushers, but only two that can consistently work off the line: Patrick Kerney and Tapp. It wants to create pressure without committing additional pass rushers. All teams do. One solution is to add an elite pass rushing lineman. Another is to switch the scheme. Tapp might not benefit as much as Elvis Dumervil, but the two share size and skill sets, and Dumervil has changed from pass rushing specialist, but liability against the run, to pass rush demon--damn the run. Tapp has bulked up to better defend the run. It's worked, but at what cost? He has never looked slower or less disruptive off the edge. Reed is playing his way out of the league. Tackles spring out of their stance and chuck him like so much seventh-round garbage.

This is all food for thought. Seattle doesn't need to draft Dunlap to transition to a 3-4, but his recent arrest is an opportunity to discuss alternative paths for Seattle's young defense. Tim Ruskell does not deserve to be fired, but the move still might be in the best interest of the Seahawks. He has made some shrewd moves in his time and added talent, but like Mike Holmgren, his execution might be masking a flawed plan. Holmgren disliked trick plays, was adverse to the shotgun, and taught a twenty-year old version of the West Coast. It worked when it was perfect, crafted by the master himself, but was resource intense and fragile. I assume Ruskell is building something like to a Tampa 2. He has concerted resources into linebackers and pass rushers. Gus Bradley taught a Tampa 2 in college and broke into the NFL under Monte Kiffin.

But when was the last time a Tampa 2 defense dominated? And can a Tampa 2 succeed without a Simeon Rice, Jared Allen or Dwight Freeney? The two great Tampa 2 teams of the past are both below average defensively this season: Chicago and Tampa. I do not believe a 3-4 is intrinsically better than a 4-3, but, perhaps by accident, Ruskell has assembled a roster that fits a 3-4 in some ways better than it fits a 4-3. In the past, Seattle's best players, like Kerney and Tatupu, were 4-3 players playing in a 4-3 scheme. It could maybe make a 3-4, but was not going to. We're in flux. Ruskell has not been fired, nor re-signed. Suddenly, anything is possible. Even Seattle drafting Carlos Dunlap.

Darryl Tapp: The Consummate Defensive End

John Morgan — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 23:12:11 -0000

More photos » by Ted S. Warren - AP

Darry Tapp has always shown the quickness to track down rushers. For a quarter, he also showed the strength to stand up and stagger massive left tackles like Tra Thomas.

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Field Gulls is a dysfunctional blog. We keep weird hours and make weird, inappropriate jokes and sometimes we're down a couple extra hours sleeping off our victory hangover. I can't really do routine or structure.

This week I am doing player vignettes. They won't be linear. Instead, they will be short pieces about an individual players' quarter, plus some opinion and perspective on their future. I will create as many as I have time for.

My first pick is wholly selfish: Darryl Tapp. I may have been alone in thinking Tapp was a major part of what separated Seattle's 2007 defense from their 2008 defense. I even grew frustrated with Lawrence Jackson, who took snaps from Tapp without earning them. Jackson earns his snaps now. Tapp has earned a chance to be Seattle's right defensive end for the next six years.

Darryl Tapp was sure he had forced a false start. He stood up and pointed emphatically, but no flag was coming. He barely knelt into his three-point before David Garrard snapped. But Tapp was on the ball as ever, and after making a quick move outside, he cut in and pressured Garrard. His inside move separates Tapp.

As does his linebacker like run tackling. On the next play, Tapp turned such a tight angle and flashed such pursuit speed, I couldn't be sure he wasn't Aaron Curry. He wrapped around end and caught Maurice Jones-Drew from behind after a gain of two.

He finished the drive by dropping into cover. No one was within a mile of his zone, but his backpedal and presence in the middle is distinctly not-lineman like.

He dropped into coverage again on the second play of the Jaguars second drive. It was a fun looking blitz that failed miserably. Tapp and opposing end Jackson dropped into curl zones, and Seattle's three linebackers attempted a complex, layered blitz. It snagged when Will Herring couldn't power through the pile and pressure Garrard. In fact, he fell. It's one those moments you miss Leroy Hill. Jackson tackled Holt from behind 25-yards down the field. I'll talk Jackson at some point, but he is an excellent athlete and his progress as a pass rusher is exciting. Very exciting.

Tapp was everywhere on the nine-play drive Seattle silenced with assignment-correct football at the two. He assisted on a run tackle for no gain and showed improved ability to hold the long edge on another down. He used a rip to force an incomplete and a spin to force a check down in the red zone. He went inside and nearly knocked left guard Vince Manuwai into Garrard.

Darry Tapp factored into almost every play. He hurried passes and contained. He shot behind the line and chased down Jones-Drew. Tapp isn't Cory Redding and doesn't demand double teams. Though he's bulked up, he's reasonably small. If talent came to order, Tapp might be a little lacking in so and so, but that's not the game.

If Tapp was the Tapp Seattle drafted, he could still start. That's the comparative importance of pass defense to run defense. He isn't that player though. Tapp is more disciplined. He doesn't start every play sprinting towards the edge. He can hold ground and control. He can cut in and avoid the chip. He can tackle in the open field better than many linebackers. Through fourteen plays in the first quarter, Tapp showed he is a complete end and a vital part of Seattle's future.

Seattle Seahawks Trap, Kill and Skin Jaguars 41 - 0

John Morgan — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 23:08:10 -0000

More photos » by Elaine Thompson - AP

Take a bow, Mr. Mora.

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There's a moment when you're walking at night; your shadow shifts suddenly and your lizard brain thinks: Someone's behind me. That's the Seahawks, Gold Diggers, and their armed, talented and sanguinary with revenge.

Every win can feel like the season, but something special happened today. It wasn't just Matt Hasselbeck, but the difference a competent quarterback makes is startling. It wasn't just a passing game beginning to overwhelm with its weapons, but even the Jaguars suck is not enough to discredit the way Seattle played. It was the defense. It didn't turn fluky picks into points, but the turnovers where there. It stopped Jacksonville on every single drive, every single play, every single assignment. It ruled Qwest. It tore the Jags throat out.

There isn't words for the high I'm feeling now. If this is a turning point for Seattle's D, or the turning points was last week when Gus Bradley went off in Indy, it only matters that they turned into something new, something young and dynamic and special, and God help us it never turns back.

It's realistic it never does.

Yes.

22: Nick Reed.

23: Aaron Curry,

24: Brandon Mebane, Lawrence Jackson, Josh Wilson.

25: Darryl Tapp, Red Bryant.

26: Will Herring

27: Lofa Tatupu.

That's a core to build around; a core that gets better each game.

I think Tim Ruskell has a job.

Game Ball: I'm sure I'll see it better in the coming week, but I do not think Kyle Williams was dominant or even good today. It helps a ton that the Jaguars have very little pass rush. But there's no such thing as a fourth string left tackle. Williams is officially replacement level. And Seattle won with a replacement level left tackle. How?

It's complicated but it's simple. No single player other than the quarterback makes an offense and no single player but a quarterback can ruin it. That's been true for at least ten years. Williams took a modicum of experience and turned it into a performance that kept Seattle's busted-ribs quarterback and still-learning offense clean and driving. Do I sing of Kyle Williams, no, I sing of Mike Solari.

Mike Solari has kept this line functioning. Jim Mora may not master a press conference and he's no genius, but he identifies coaching talent like few others. Solari, Greg Knapp, Gus Bradely, Dan Quinn, Tim Lewis and Zerrick Rollins, take a bow. You too, Mr. Mora.

Fifty One-liners about the Second Quarter

John Morgan — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 23:14:35 -0000

More photos » by John Froschauer - AP

Jay Cutler musters a "yeah" before calming himself with a two-hour sad nap.

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50. Seattle's offensive line struggled against a still good Bears defensive line.

49. No one struggled more than Ray Willis.

48. Willis spent much of the quarter crouching, watching his man chase Seneca Wallace.

47. Robert Mathis says "hello".

46. Seattle's two-minute drill to end the half was miserably executed.

45. It's a testament to how self-defeating the two-minute defense is that Olindo Mare got a shot.

44. Greg Knapp spaces his running back at half, full and right of center.

43. Seattle's situational pass rush line is very effective.

42. Aaron Curry blew two tackles in two plays.

41. As best as I could tell, Seneca Wallace was not using hot routes.

40. The Bears relied heavily on the blitz to protect their secondary.

39. Their secondary sucks.

38. Deion Branch was playing the Deon Butler role.

37. That role: Run deep and never get targeted.

36. Kelly Jennings hesitated to tackle Earl Bennett on a wide receiver screen.

35. That hesitation allowed Chris Williams to pull out and block Jennings.

34. The reception went for 23 yards.

33. Deon Grant fell midway through a Greg Olsen route and left him wide open, but Jordan Babineaux stopped him at the reception point with a solid open field tackle.

32. Brandon Mebane was doubled off the line but Colin Cole held his ground and tackled Matt Forte after one yard on second and two.

31. Will Herring looped around two lead blockers to get a glancing blow low on Forte.

30. It worked and Seattle's backup backers dropped Forte for a loss of two.

29. Staying uncharacteristic, Herring blew coverage on the next play.

28. He dropped and that allowed Forte to come free underneath.

27. Gang tackling forced a drive-ending fumble.

26. !

25. Cory Redding dropped into cover on a sublimely hidden strong safety blitz by Deon Grant.

24. Grant wrapped around end untouched and hit Jay Cutler as he was throwing.

23. The ball floated into the hands of the big man and Redding took a knee in the end zone to give Seattle the ball at the twenty.

22. The officials reviewed Redding's cover and ruled he actually fell attempting to jam Olsen...

21. that Olsen caught an easy touchdown pass...

20. and that Ichiro is an illegal and should be promptly deported.

19. Wallace started the two-minute drill by throwing into double cover.

18. That double cover disintegrated when two Bears smashed into each other, hurting one.

17. A stupid decision turned wonderful--T.J. Houshmandzadeh streaking uncovered with one man to beat--is undone by an overthrow...

16. Proving two mistakes beat one.

15. Dick Stockton credited Lance Briggs with the pressure.

14. The Bears rushed three, none of whom was Briggs.

13. Wallace was not under pressure.

12. John Carlson dropped a pass.

11. Chris Spencer blew a block on a sloppy screen pass attempt.

10. King creative set his tight ends wide in a four wide receiver-tight formation.

9. The wide receivers were aligned like tight ends.

8. The tight ends were supposed to block in and then run laterally into the flats.

7. Neither tight end managed to block anyone.

6. Wallace didn't look towards either in the flat.

5. The pass was tipped by Anthony Adams and fell incomplete.

4. Seattle blitzed four times.

3. Owen Schmitt dropped a pass.

2. Dick Stockton thought it was John Carlson.

1. Upon further review, all white people look alike.

Seattle Seahawks First Quarter Notes: Linebackers and Linemen

John Morgan — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:29:00 -0000

Patrick Kerney was getting pressure off the edge, but not consistently. He forced an incomplete on the third play of the game. He clearly isn't Seattle's best defensive linemen or even end anymore. I hope he's amenable to renegotiating his contract this offseason or cool with getting cut. I'd rather Seattle retained Darryl Tapp or Cory Redding over Kerney.

Colin Cole had a strong quarter. He disrupted one play and recorded a nice shed and tackle towards the end of the quarter. Brandon Mebane keeps opponents from teeing off on Cole and against most guards and centers, he can withstand a single block.

Aaron Curry broke contain on one play and Will Herring broke contain on another. Herring cleaned up his own mistake and Curry's was undone by an iffy crack back block call.

Gus Bradley showed two creative looks maximizing Tapp.

1-10-CHI 35 (9:39) 22-M.Forte right guard to CHI 37 for 2 yards (57-D.Hawthorne).

Seattle set 4-3 over, but with Darryl Tapp playing strongside linebacker and Aaron Curry playing right defensive end. Curry dropped into cover and Tapp came untouched around right end. Chicago called a run, but Tapp would have killed against a pass.

1-10-SEA 17 (5:35) 6-J.Cutler pass short right intended for 13-J.Knox INTERCEPTED by 57-D.Hawthorne [55-D.Tapp] at SEA 12. 57-D.Hawthorne to SEA 15 for 3 yards (13-J.Knox).

Cole was playing nose tackle and to his left were Brandon Mebane and Lawrence Jackson. Tapp was well outside Orlando Pace's left shoulder - on an island. Seattle used its size and Mebane's pass rushing ability to create a 4-3/3-4 hybrid look. The look worked to perfection. The Bears line struggled to control Seattle's powerful left-side line and that allowed Tapp to overmatch Pace one-on-one. He hit Jay Cutler as he threw. The soft lob was tipped by Johnny Knox before being intercepted by David Hawthorne.

Don't wait for the commentators to tell you. The West Coast Defense is here and though subtle, it's looked smart, effective and personnel appropriate.

Seattle Seahawks Contain the Stretch Right

John Morgan — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:10:36 -0000

More photos » by John Froschauer - AP

Seattle controlled its gap assignments to keep Matt Forte in check.

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Possession	Bears
Game Clock	14:15
Field Position	Sea 38
Quarter	1
Down and Distance	2nd and 8

We take a new direction this week. It was important to create a blueprint of the Seattle Seahawks, especially its personnel strengths and weaknesses. We used the preseason and beginning of the regular season to accomplish that. After a blueprint has been established, further microanalysis becomes tedious and unnecessary. I don't need to describe every snap Darryl Tapp pressured the quarterback or Will Herring was lost in the pile, it's enough to know that Tapp is a good pass rusher that breaks contain and Herring a good pass defender that doesn't shed blocks.

The next step is to understand how Seattle can maximize its talent to beat its opponent. Instead of providing a spare account of every play, I will go quarter by quarter, describing in depth select plays and at the end of the day provide a notes piece. On Friday I will combine Seahawks analysis with analysis of their opponent to create a fan's game plan for winning.

The first play is a run stuff in the first drive of the first quarter.

Indianapolis led the NFL in single back sets. It ran 62%* of the time when it aligned with two tight ends and a single back, third in the NFL. The Colts run stretch plays and this play was a stretch right by the Bears.

Patrick Kerney is controlling the left "C" and "B" gaps. Colin Cole is at the one tech, controlling the left "A" gap. Brandon Mebane is over the right "B" gap and Cory Redding is controlling the right "C" and "D" gaps. Middle linebacker David Hawthorne is controlling the right "A" gap.

Chicago will move its offensive line right. It wants to create a run lane where Seattle is weakest. That is the right "A" gap, controlled by a linebacker, the outside right and the cutback lane, the left "D" gap. The center is able to pull into the second level.

Ken Lucas reads run and sprints down to contain the left "D" gap. Will Herring raps around right end and contains the right "D" gap. Hawthorne hits the center in the hole and stops his lead block. Forte picks the right "A" gap. Curry has a direct line to Forte and tackles him after three.

*Source: FOA 2009

Colin Cole Allows a Hole Emmitt Smith Would Envy

John Morgan — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 22:32:56 -0000

This hole? Zombie-Curtis Enis could run through it.

How does a running back rush for 80 yards on the first play of the half? How does a team fail to adjust when that same running back broke a 75 yard run in the first half? Seattle didn't really adjust. It was again eight in the box. Kelly Jennings was manning the right end, making Seattle borderline nine in the box. The starters, minus Lofa Tatupu and Josh Wilson, were in. That means Craig Terrill, but Terrill did his job. He was first off the snap and he drove back right guard Chilo Rachal. Everyone else, oh boy...

Colin Cole bears the most blame, but he wasn't embarrassed the way Patrick Kerney was. Poor, poor Patrick Kerney. It's early but, Kerney might have stepped over that cliff this season. Plays in which he's looked flat bad are beginning to outnumber plays he's looked good.

Let's take this step by pitiful step.

1. San Francisco is set two wide receivers left, tight end right and offset "I" right. Seattle is 4-3 under, so that Aaron Curry is shaded just to the right of slot receiver Josh Morgan.

2. Morgan motions in to the right tackle, but then reverses and aligns at left tight end. This is where things start to crumble for Seattle. The Seahawks shift left to the motion and then attempt to reset on the right. They can't get back into position before the snap.

3. At the snap, Curry and Will Herring read run and rush the line to control their gaps. Every 49er but Josh Hill stays in to block. Ken Lucas stays with Hill.

4. Left guard David Baas engages and blocks out Cole. This is essential, because it is Cole's gap that San Francisco will target. Baas is able to single block Cole allowing center Eric Heitmann to pull into the second level. Heitmann briefly reach blocks Cole, but it doesn't slow his pull. Cole is effectively blocked out by one offensive lineman.

5. Cole is moved hard to the offensive right and Gore's cutback lane stretches from Terrill, right of center, to Curry struggling with (and being held by) Morgan outside of the left tackle. The hole is as large as three to four football players aligned shoulder pad to shoulder pad.

6. Herring is lost in the pile. For good measure and without a better assignment, Heitmann piles on, tracking him into the scrum and shoving to the ground. Staley pulls out and blocks David Hawthorne.

7. Kerney is unblocked. He is standing in the hole before Gore can receive the hand off. It's a tough hole to defend and Kerney has not support, but he most slow or redirect Gore if he can't get a hand on him.

8. He doesn't.

9. Gore is untouched into the third level. Jordan Babineaux takes a bad angle towards Gore, but, again, what can he do?

10. What he does is attempt to flush Gore towards Lucas, the only other defender with a chance to stop Gore.

11. Gore expertly threads between Babineaux and Lucas. He angles towards the sideline to position Lucas and then cuts in. That puts Hill between him and Lucas and clears the lane to the end zone.

Kerney is awful on this play, but the huge hole, the literally superfluous lead blockers and the speed and force Gore is able to take into the third level starts with Cole's inability to hold the center. Even Kerney's failure is partially attributed to the gigantic hole he had to fill. And that hole is Colin Cole's responsibility to prevent from forming. He is the nose tackle, the true nose, playing over center -- the zero gap, and it is his responsibility to contain the push, hold the point and prevent the offensive line from being ripped through like tissue paper.

A Little of that Old Greg Knapp Magic; A Dash of that Old John Marshall Impotence

John Morgan — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 20:30:32 -0000

More photos » by Marcio Sanchez - AP

Meaningful football was coming to an end, but before Frank Gore could do this, Seattle conducted a wobbly two minute drill that left its quarterback and fans red-faced.

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We left off with Seattle hiccupping its way through a two minute drill. As seamless as Seattle was against the Rams, the Seahawks were equally rough against the 49ers. Even this drive, its lone scoring drive, was all fits and starts. It had the brevity and timing of a bad joke by your drunken uncle. The payoff was red-faced nausea. It was the last meaningful drive of the game.

Frank Gore took the ball on the first play of second half and ran away Seattle's slim hopes of a come back. I will encapsulate the third and fourth quarter in a couple notes pieces. It wasn't meaningful or representative football, one can debate if it was even competitive football, but it was developmental football. Players like Aaron Curry, Will Herring and Red Bryant, players that are important to Seattle's future, played and displayed their polish and progress. That deserves attention even in the least competitive environment. For a half, it was preseason all over again.

Seattle ran a wide receiver screen on its next play. Seattle set in trips left, with Deon Butler, John Carlson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh forming the left, top and right angles of the triangle. This is the kind of designed play I love. Get the ball in a receiver's hands and attack the cornerback's cushion. Housh ran behind a couple determined blocks for six and the first. Say what you will about his long speed, Housh hasn't lost much quickness or agility.

The next two plays resulted from that conservative, but efficient screen pass and especially the hurry up offense. Seattle split three wide, with Carlson at left tight end. San Francisco set in its basic 4-2 nickel and sent its back seven in a cover-3 zone defense. Houshmandzadeh was in the slot and Deon Butler and Nate Burleson manned the outside. Carlson and Housh ran ten yards and hooked in, drawing underneath coverage. Butler and Burleson went fifteen yards and hooked out, between the safety, outside linebacker and cornerback zones. It's a classic cover 3 buster, and kudos to Matt Hasselbeck and Burleson for teaming to find the soft spot. Burleson settled in and then faded back on Hasselbeck's perfectly placed floater.

Seattle was driving with a mix of quick hitters and zone splitters. The 49ers front four couldn't pressure in time, and man and zone coverage had failed. Mike Singletary ordered a stampede. A stampede formation involves no down linemen. The front seven mills around like cattle. The goal is to confuse offensive line assignments and disguise the blitz. It's a solid formation, rather avant-garde for the NFL, but can't overcome the seven man blitz. Deon Butler was single covered on the outside left and Shawntae Spencer too concerned about being beat deep to react to Butler's short curl. Such is the power of speed. Such is the power of complimentary play calls. Such is the impotence of the seven-man blitz.

Aaron Curry Requests an Apology

John Morgan — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 22:17:35 -0000

More photos » by Marcio Jose Sanchez - AP

Allowing Old Man Norris to rush for fifteen yards is angering, but don't direct your anger at Aaron Curry.

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The defender closest to the play is blamed. The player closest to the play is rarely at fault.

San Francisco started their drive with an inside hand off to Moran Norris for fifteen. Seahawks fans might do it begrudgingly, but instead of blaming Aaron Curry, we should credit Jimmy Raye. Raye mercilessly attacked Seattle's inexperienced linebackers. After twice running a misdirection pitch left on the preceding drive, this rush was the payoff. Gore motioned pitch out left, but Hill handed off to Norris. Curry read the play and positioned himself, but he was isolated and out of luck. Joe Staley pulled across the line and into the hole. Curry did what he could to stop Staley. Jordan Babineaux stopped Norris after fifteen.

The player most at fault is David Hawthorne. Will Herring and Deon Grant were over the offensive left, but Hawthorne started beside Curry over offensive right. Hawthorne was too aggressive and pursued the fake, taking himself out of the play. If Hawthorne was more disciplined, Curry cuts down Staley and Hawthorne tackles Norris after a minimal gain.

The rest of the drive can be summed up in a few lines.

Second play: Red Bryant stuffs the line and Curry wraps around left end to finish a staggering Frank Gore.
Seattle puts in its double over tackle package and Bryant's presence allows Cole to isolate left guard David Baas. Cole bullies Baas into the pocket and tips Shaun Hill's pass.
Patrick Kerney reads the shovel pass and tackles Frank Gore before the play can start.
Field goal.

The Overmatched Colin Cole and the Undisciplined Red Bryant

John Morgan — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 20:10:23 -0000

The Crawl, the MASH unit following the team from city to city, are good distractions. Think long enough about the misfortunes of Seattle and the decisions of its fearless leader and you might forget the Seahawks were kicked around by the 49ers. There is no one player that undermined the Seahawks -- nix that, it was Colin Cole. And Red Bryant. So it was two. One overmatched. The other undisciplined.

San Francisco drove 60 yards on it opening drive. The mechanics of how have all the excitement and complexity of a bull pushing around a stag. Seattle was badly overmatched at the point of attack. It wasn't Craig Terrill. It wasn't only Cole, Red Bryant was bad too. But it was mostly Seattle's newest free agent journeyman turned starter. As much as I love and praise Brandon Mebane, a team's interior run defense should not fall apart minus one man.
Bryant showed an interesting mix of good physicality and poor gap discipline. On the fourth play of the drive following a encroachment penalty on Cory Redding, Bryant weathered a double team and got a body on Frank Gore. He was too deep for it to be a good play, but he held long enough to stop the first. San Francisco converted it on the next play. Cole tackled Gore after five yards. It was second and one.
Ken Lucas showed his versatility, first camping under an underthrown pass by Shaun Hill. Hill has no arm. That, along with a funky delivery, has made him a journeyman quarterback despite his quick read and good decision making. On the next play, Lucas caught Gore in the flat with an ankle tackle and brought him down after two.
That brought up a third and long play that Seattle should have had no trouble defending. Seattle went nickel and keyed on Vernon Davis. Davis was double covered, Curry on the defensive right and Wilson on the left, at least nominally, but neither Josh Wilson nor Aaron Curry actually covered Davis. Both were transfixed on Hill. Davis cut right and away from the two and it took Seattle's entire secondary and Redding to tackle Davis after 15.
That play was worse than it seemed. The 49ers were gouging Seattle's interior line. Bryant held against the Niners double teams, but dropped his gap, flowed too far offensive left and Gore cutback right for an easy six.
Bryant did it again on the next play. He attempted a spin that got caught halfway by Chilo Rachel. He was facing the wrong way when Gore blew past him.
Center Eric Heitmann had no problem single-blocking Cole out of the action on the next play, but a gaping hole and lead blocker was busted by pure talent. Curry hit right tackle Adam Snyder pulling through the hole and knocked him back and through Glenn Coffee for a loss of two. Coffee staggered sideways and Kerney finished the tackle.
Will Herring did his coverage thing. He broke on a short pass to Michael Robinson and was running him into the backfield before he could make a field move. It was Lofa Tatupu's zone, but Herring made a faster read and was faster to his man. Tatupu wasn't 80%. I doubt he was 50%.
Seattle put in its pass rush line: Darryl Tapp, Craig Terrill, Redding and Kerney. Kerney edge rushed Snyder, swam to his outside shoulder, paused briefly as Snyder shaded to catch up, and then swam to his inside shoulder to clear and sack Hill. That sack was pure skill and savvy.

The drive resulted in three points, but the writing was on the wall. The Seahawks coaches were doing all they could to fortify the interior. They cycled Cole and Bryant and sometimes teamed the two, but Cole couldn't hold and Bryant didn't know how to consistently. Jimmy Raye makes no bones about attacking the interior. Seattle proved they couldn't stop him.