SB Nation - Darryl Tapp

John Lynch Nails Jim Mora Dead to Rights

John Morgan — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 01:18:26 -0000

John Lynch is not the most eloquent person. Ron Pitts is the eloquent counterpunch to Lynch's disarming enthusiasm. That's the typical play by play-color commentator dynamic. Pitts is intelligible. Lynch is emotive.

Their purpose is one part atmosphere and one part information. I typically take the atmosphere and tolerate the information. A football fan shouldn't look to the commentators to provide piercing insight or real-time strategy breakdowns. Coaches want to be opaque and unpredictable, but also logical and efficient. It's not enough to be either. A good coach must be both.

A good coach should not be caught dead to rights by color commentator John Lynch.

Lynch met with Matt Schaub in a production meeting prior to the game. Before this play, Lynch relayed that Schaub expected his old coach to drop coverage early

(3-10-SEA 40 (13:36) (Shotgun) 8-M.Schaub pass deep middle to 80-A.Johnson to SEA 17 for 23 yards (36-L.Milloy, 27-J.Babineaux)

And if that didn't work, blitz.

(1-10-SEA 17 (12:58) 8-M.Schaub pass short middle to 80-A.Johnson for 17 yards, TOUCHDOWN)

Seattle rushed Darryl Tapp, Craig Terrill and Patrick Kerney on third and ten. The Texans responded with a four-wide receiver set that, absent a pass rush, eventually shredded Seattle's zone.

Seattle rushed six, including Aaron Curry and David Hawthorne, on the subsequent play, and Andre Johnson streaked into the vacated middle for an easy reception and score. The Texans play calls could not have been better fit to beat the Seahawks defense.

Schaub last played under Jim Mora in 2006. Mora was then fired and hired by the Seattle Seahawks. Schaub, Lynch, millions of home viewers and Gary Kubiak perfectly anticipated Mora's tendencies. Tendencies, we can only assume, that have not changed since his time in Atlanta. Tendencies, described by Lynch by way of Schaub, that are fixed, motivated by frustration and easily exploitable.

I once worked in a warehouse finishing furniture. I would play chess with a coworker during breaks. Every time I won, he wanted a rematch, and would play worse, and become more frustrated and sloppy, and play worse, and become more frustrated and sloppy, and play worse...

An Open Letter to Aaron Curry

John Morgan — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 04:50:34 -0000

More photos » by Elaine Thompson - AP

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Dear Aaron Curry,

You've fallen under the media's wheel. There are a mix of reasons: You were the fourth overall pick selected by a since resigned general manager, you play at an unfashionable position, you're kind of sloppy, you talk a lot of shit, you're proud, others in your class are outclassing you, you've been repeatedly fined by the league, and, most of all, because you are the latest face of the Seattle Seahawks and the Seattle Seahawks suck.

I don't know what to make of you. I didn't want Seattle to select a linebacker with the fourth overall pick. It made sense for Seattle to select you at four, the next six picks were expensive gambles red-flagged for health or behavior or inexperience. It still didn't sit right. Maybe it fell like a cheat.

Seattle had its elite linebackers in 2008. Their impact earned Seattle the pick they selected you with. Anyone who watches tape can see that a linebacker does not have the integral impact on every play that a wide receiver, quarterback or an offensive or defensive lineman does.

And yet, I know what I hate and I don't hate you. You're awesome. Like what the words means. Awesome. You're a hitter and I know that must mean something. Lawyer Milloy saved Seattle's season by browning Michael Crabtree's underpants. You run blitzed Steven Jackson and flanked him so hard he flew into the air. The frame, speed and coordination you possess almost defies positional classification. You weigh less but are broader, longer and more powerful than Darryl Tapp. Tapp. Seattle's best defensive end. You're faster than Forsett. If Seattle switched schemes and freed you to blitz between the tackles, you could be a punishing force at rush linebacker. You are quite simply the most special talent Seattle has drafted since Seattle drafted Hutch, and I want you to achieve Greatness in the Blue.

So: This weekend you face Brian Cushing. Cushing is adored. Cushing was selected after you. He makes noodles to your megabucks. No, you will never actually face Cushing on the football field, but his specter will be all over you like Russell on hustle.

Kick his ass. I am running a full Aaron Curry breakdown next week and I want to write about you ho slappin Chris Brown and wearing Matt Schaub like a meat suit.

Show us everything you have.

Field Gulls

Anatomy of a Game Changing Fumble Recovery

John Morgan — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 02:00:07 -0000

More photos » by Elaine Thompson - AP

A routine play punctuated by hustle made this amazing pass possible.

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I hit on the staggering consequences a dropped route and blown block can cause when Nate Burleson indirectly assisted a forced fumble by the Dallas Cowboys. Seattle hustled its way into a fumble and fumble recovery in a similar fashion this last Sunday. Fumble recovery is not luck, strictly speaking; it's just unpredictable. Luck implies a lack of skill, whereas fumble recovery is a skill, just one that is exceedingly hard to measure.

The play didn't look too exciting at the onset. Seattle broke in a nickel package against the 49ers two-tight end, power formation. David Hawthorne knifed into the backfield but lost Frank Gore when Gore followed his lead blocker left. Jordan Babineaux followed but overpursued. Bad things were about to happen. Seattle was in nickel against a run, and two of its three run stuffers, the linebacker and strong safety, were behind and out of the play. Bad things were about to happen for the 49ers.

Darryl Tapp anchored against tight end Delanie Walker and forced Gore to cut back inside. Tapp slowed Gore and ankle tackled him into and onto prostrate non-entity Craig Terrill. Terrill, through no achievement of his own, played an essential part in the play. His was the body that kept Gore from being down.

Here's where hustle gets its due: Wilson started the play just outside the tackle box and in position to be blocked by a pulling lineman. And so he was. Right tackle Adam Snyder pulled out and put a body on Pistol, but Pistol didn't quit. He went high on Snyder and yanked him aside by the shoulder pads. Back in the scrum, Babineaux recovered and punched out the fumble. Gore was attempting to wrestle his ankle free and somewhat atop Terrill. The ball bounced forward and toward no team in particular before a streaking Wilson looped into the action and recovered for 43 yards.

It was the single most important play of the game, worth 30% of win probability, worth more than Matt Hasselbeck's late strike to Deon Butler, and more than the field goal that won it. It ended a menacing looking drive by San Francisco that had advanced into Seahawks territory and flipped field position. Seattle took the lead on the ensuing drive. It wasn't the better team all game, it isn't the better team on paper, but it mustered all the character Tim Ruskell saw in it and granted him his parting wish: Win.

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?

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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.

Brandon Mebane in the First Quarter and the Optimal Defensive Line, Pt. 2

John Morgan — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:38:26 -0000

Mebane should have Cole's job. The decision to restructure the line around Colin Cole was stupid when made and has led to predictable results. Seattle's third down stand, in which Tapp knifed through Mike Gandy and tackled Wells in the back field, is a great example of how important Mebane was to Seattle. Mebane was on the right, beside Tapp where he belonged. Cole was on the left. Seattle was in a five man front, but Mebane was still double teamed of the snap. It was an ugly, but effective display. He hit his blockers low, getting topped and dropped, but holding ground and most importantly, freeing Tapp. Tapp took apart his single block and used his great inside move to come free to the ball carrier.

Mebane had two more nice looking pass rush moves, but neither effectively freed him. He hustled into a play off end and forced the near interception by Marcus Trufant. Mebane was good, good enough to make those around him better, but not as good as he has been at the one-tech. Cole needs to be worked down in the rotation. His presence stops Seattle from starting an optimal line.

That idea was on my mind as I notated Mebane's day: The Seattle Seahawks optimal, starting defensive line. This season is about next season and this offseason about adding talent where it's needed. Seattle traded for a three tech in his prime and turned him into a defensive end. It's not a bad idea, but with Lawrence Jackson's development, Seattle has options at end. Redding should bulk back up and move inside. He has the motor, length and repertoire of rush moves to be a very good inside pass rusher, but he isn't contributing much from the outside. Mebane should bulk up and reassume the one-tech. Cole would be his rotational partner, what he always should have been, a better Howard Green.

The key to forming this line is complementary skills. Mebane has helped free Jackson, but Jackson is not a great pass rusher. Mebane should be keeping blockers off Tapp. Redding's major weakness is getting high in his stance and subsequently pushed back. Jackons pairs nicely with him because Jackson is very stout for an end and a very good run defender. When Redding sags back, Jackson can drive his man into the hole, narrow it, and even disengage and make the tackle. Seattle might cede some stoutness in the middle, but it fields an elite corps of linebackers. Building this defense to defend the run has, predictably, done just that. When it must defend the pass, be it third and long or playing ahead, it has crumbled.

Seattle could add interior line talent through the draft. A player like Tyson Aluala is a natural complement to Mebane. It doesn't need to though. I think Redding wants to stay and if Seattle can pony the bucks, he will. He shouldn't be outrageously expensive. Concerns about health have passed. He has appeared once on the injury report and not for a knee or groin, but a shoulder. Seattle can not continue to sink over $20 million into Walter Jones, Matt Hasselbeck and Patrick Kerney. The Seahawks could retain their best talent and be players in free agency with that money.

We have months before those decisions are made. Until then, Seattle needs to stir things up and experiment. It needs to test roles and figure out its offseason needs. Seattle had the right game plan against Warner, but used the wrong personnel. It can't start Cory Redding - Brandon Mebane - Colin Cole - Patrick Kerney and expect a persistent pass rush. That line features, arguably, two to three players that are below average pass rushers for their position. And yet, by moving Redding inside and Mebane over center, the resulting Lawrence Jackson - Cory Redding - Brandon Mebane - Darryl Tapp line has three, even four above average pass rushers for their position.

Jim Mora said he was encouraged despite the loss. I would be more encouraged if Seattle did something about the loss. Seattle had zero sacks. It continues to excel against the run, but at what cost? The NFL is a passing league. The Seahawks have a great linebacker corps and three corners that can tackle. It shouldn't need to optimize its line for run stuffing, but it nearly has. It can allow long runs and win. It allowed over 200 yards to Frank Gore, but would have been in the thick of it against San Francisco if not for Matt Hasselbeck's injury. It can not allow another quarterback to sit back and pick apart its zones. Seattle shot of the gates like a contender, but without pass rush, it crumbled, allowing Kurt Warner to become just the latest quarterback to fatten up against the Seahawks zones.

Brandon Mebane in the First Quarter and the Optimal Defensive Line, Pt. 1

John Morgan — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:05:46 -0000

More photos » by Ross Franklin - AP

Seattle took an early lead and implemented a smart strategy to defend Kurt Warner. The scheme was right, but the personnel wrong. It has the talent to field an above average pass rushing line, but it needs to sit Colin Cole.

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Has Brandon Mebane struggled to transition to the three tech? That is something I will explore deeper this week, but if he hasn't struggled, nor has he proven himself the force he was at the one tech.

Seattle has three players that are nominal three techs: Mebane, Cory Redding and Craig Terrill. Redding plays end, but is very much more a 3-4 end than a traditional 4-3 end. He influences and collapses the pocket rather than disengages and makes plays. He just isn't quick enough to edge rush and though he has been good and great at what he does, he hasn't provided much pass rush. Terrill is the standard organizational soldier type that is in turns under- and overappreciated. Seattle could upgrade but does not have to upgrade.

It has two one-tech types: Colin Cole and Red Bryant. Cole is the most reliable of the two and one of the most active tackles in Seattle's rotation. He can square against most single blocks, but that's his skill set almost in its entirety. Three tech used to be the feature tackle position in a 4-3, but the proliferation of 3-4 schemes has made the nose position in demand and three tech types less popular.

Signing Cole was a mistake. He hasn't proven much as a Seahawk and his ridiculous contract practically forces Seattle to start him. When Seattle needed its front four to provide pressure, it was exposed. Seattle's ends are average. Lawrence Jackson is developing, but is unlikely to ever be a great pass rusher. Darryl Tapp is a good speed rusher, but aside Cole, he isn't getting the one-on-one matchups he thrives against. Patrick Kerney still has burst around the edge, but his spate of injuries have sapped his upper body strength and he is as much a situational pass rusher now as Nick Reed. It's a nice foundation, but it won't strike fear into this season's opponents.

Seattle had a better front four last season, even minus Kerney. Mebane was a better one-tech than Cole, and though Rocky Bernard had little left to give, Mebane and Bernard were better collectively than Mebane and Cole. Mebane is supposed to be making plays and Cole stuffing tacklers, but Cole can't and so Mebane is again doing both. Bane does not get off blocks exceptionally well and his pass rush arsenal isn't developed. He established himself in this league as the type of punishing bull rusher that two blockers struggled to stop.

Anatomically, it's easy to see why: Mebane has an exceptionally low center of gravity, gets lower in his stance than almost anyone and erupts off the snap with such violence that many blockers are beat before they can defend themselves. As a three, a popular way of combating Mebane's explosiveness and exceptional leverage is to fade and draw his weight from over his feet. He gets ahead of himself, so to speak, and can be blocked whence unbalanced.

My notes on Mebane are mostly positive. He ran through a pulling blocker and tackled Beanie Wells for a loss of four at the start of the Cardinals second drive. He then played nose twice in a three man rush and performed ably, but wasn't able to separate. That's the problem for Brandon: He is great off the snap, but he does not consistently separate from blockers. As a one tech, Mebane was able to collapse the pocket into the quarterback and bull rush into sacks. As a three tech, he needs to be able to fight off a single block and show quickness to the ball carrier. That might not be within Mebane's ability.

Seattle Seahawks Wither; Fall 31 - 20 to the Arizona Cardinals

John Morgan — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 01:25:25 -0000

by Matt York - AP

Greg Knapp achieved offense with surprise.

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This was an heroic effort and exciting football. Arizona is pretty good this year. Standing at 6-3, the Cardinals should surpass ten wins. Seattle tore out to an early lead, but the defense crumbled against a sustained Arizona attack. Seattle was beat because it was the inferior football team. The Cards had thirteen meaningful drives and averaged 35.8 yards a drive.

There's a lot of game balls to give out, but first let's discuss some of Seattle's weaknesses. Sean Locklear looked a bit gimpy between snaps, so perhaps he is not fully healed. However Locklear is chipping away at his chance to stick at left tackle. Seattle faces an interesting dilemma with Lock. He could be a great right tackle in Greg Knapp's system, but even without the left tackle incentives, he is expensive for a right tackle. Seattle owns a fabulously cheap offensive line, so perhaps it could afford to pay Locklear well at right tackle.

Matt Hasselbeck had a hard game. Heroic is a great way to describe his play. A hero is someone that gets other people killed. Joss Whedon did not envision Hasselbeck's high pass to Deon Butler, but I did upon quoting him. There are many things Hasselbeck still does well. To build a good to elite offense around him, something Seattle would need to do to have a realistic chance at winning the Super Bowl, would require a massive investment. A more massive investment. Seattle has already sunk much of its cap into Beck, Walter Jones, Deion Branch and T.J. Houshmandzadeh. The Objectivist is wonderfully free of Kyle Orton moments. Because Matt Hasselbeck can consistently make the right read and throw with accuracy, he can make an offense out of check downs. But it's a shit offense. And the second his reads are wrong or his accuracy flutters, it completely breaks down.

Seattle had very little chance to recover when it lost the lead. It does not have what Arizona has: A repeatable ability to gain big chunks of yards in one play. But it shouldn't have lost the lead. Seattle did exactly what it needed to: punch the Cardinals in the mouth early and force Warner to consistently face thick zones. The defense did not crumble because any one player played poorly, but because now it does not have a single great pass rusher. The defense Seattle wants to run needs someone to make Brandon Mebane's almost-snaply pistoning into the backfield and crushing the front of the pocket matter. It needs someone to keep the tight end away from Darryl Tapp. It needs a better edge rusher than Aaron Curry. It lacks that and it failed to sack Warner once.

Game Balls:

Justin Forsett: Kid showed up and declared his an NFL player. Force showed quick feet in his cuts, power in the hole and the less recognized ability to run under tackles and through smaller holes. I don't believe in a feature back. So I am not calling for Forsett to get the majority of the carries, but he is no longer a specialty back. Force is a first and ten, I-formation back.

ME!BANE!: Said. Done. Master of the midway.

Darryl Tapp: Tapp is hybrid end-linebacker. His ability against the run is that of a linebacker, but he's a pure edge-rushing defensive end. Keep this guy and enjoy how he ages.

Josh Wilson: Who would think Wilson would look like the best cover corner Seattle had today? Pistol isn't too good at that, actually, but small samples may contain outliers. He needs to be facing the quarterback to be his best and the game plan to man up the Cardinals defenders and hope they can buy the pass rush time stopped working in the second. Wilson recovered well, showed some man ability and kept overall his guy close, boosting his campaign for starting right corner. He wasn't great, but he was good at something he doesn't do and against the league's best wide receiver corps.

Greg Knapp: It took some balls to swallow your assumptions and let Forsett run real runs. He also called a very nice game. Early, Seattle attacked with a suddenly successful rush game, and punctuated their Two-Headed Freak with a mid-range aerial assault. He saved the screens for desperation time in the fourth. It's hard planning around an injury wracked quarterback with fading arm strength that plays behind a piecemeal line, but Knapp squeezes production out of this offense with a mix of good timing and good play calling.

That's it folks. Seattle is no longer in the hunt to win the division. If it keeps up this intensity, it will enter the Wild Card chase, but only in a fanboy sense. Field Gulls is switching gears again. Like last year, the tape review will now focus on players key to Seattle's future. This week: Sean Locklear at left tackle and Brandon Mebane at the three.

Chiefs Checking out Michigan, Wisconsin and Others This Weekend

Chris Thorman — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:16:52 -0000

More photos » by TONY DING - AP

3 months ago: Western Michigan quarterback Tim Hiller (3) is pressured by Michigan defensive end Brandon Graham (55) in the first half of an NCAA college football game with Western Michigan, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2009, in Ann Arbor, Mich. (AP Photo/Tony Ding)

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Believe it not, the college football season is winding down just as the NFL is really gearing up. Each school will play a couple more games and then it's the December hibernation until Bowl game time.

The Chiefs know this, which is why according to Chris Steuber of Scout KC will send scouts to the Michigan v. Wisconsin game and Washington v. Oregon State this weekend.

In order to keep everyone up to date on what's going on the scouting end, I've listed some of the more notable players at each school and a few bits of info on them.

The information and rankings comes from the best draft site out there - NFL Draft Scout. I think it's like $25 for a year-long subscription to the insider info and it's by far worth it.

After the jump, we're talking Michigan, Wisconsin, Washington and Oregon St. Let us know who I missed in the comments.

Michigan

P Zoltan Mesko (Senior)

#1 ranked punter
6'5", 232 pounds
Projected round: 5-6
45-yard a punt average currently
Ray Guy award semi-finalist in 2008 (college football's best punter)
Born in Romania
Father is a former professional bowler. Who knew?

OLB/DE Brandon Graham (Senior)

#1 ranked outside linebacker
6'1", 263 pounds
Projected round: 1
"Scouts will make their way to Ann Arbor to see the next impact short-but-stout defensive end in the mold of Elvis Dumervil, Dwight Freeney, Darryl Tapp and DeWayne White."
"After playing sparingly in 11 games as a true freshman, Graham made his name known among Big Ten quarterbacks by making 8.5 sacks in a part-time starting role in 2006. Given the chance to play every down as a junior, he took his game to a first-team all-conference level in 2008 by making 20 tackles for loss, including 10 sacks."
Graham has 6 sacks and 46 tackles so far this season. He has already tied his tackle total for last season.

OG Steve Schiling (Junior)

#4 ranked outside guard
Projected round: 3
6'5", 304 pounds

Wisconsin

FB Garrett Graham (Senior)

#1 ranked fullback
6'3", 250 pounds
Projected round: 3
"He may not be considered a top 50 selection because he's not overly strong, big or fast, but Graham's solid all-around game puts him in the conversation as a mid-round pick for NFL teams primarily utilizing an H-back or motion tight end in their base offense."

OT Gabe Carimi (Senior)

#4 ranked offensive tackle
6'7", 325 pounds
Projected round: 1-2
2007 accolades: "Earned first letter ... started at left tackle in all 13 games, taking over the position from 2006 Outland Trophy winner and No. 3 overall NFL Draft choice Joe Thomas ... named second-team freshman All-American by Rivals.com and The Sporting News ... honorable mention freshman All-American by collegefootballnews.com ... first-team freshman All-Big Ten honors from The Sporting News ... Academic All-Big Ten ... named UW's co-rookie of the year ... fasted for 24 hours prior to Iowa game on Sept. 22 in observance of Yom Kippur.

C John Moffit (Junior)

#4 ranked center
6'5", 320 pounds
Projected round: 3

Washington

QB Jake Locker (Junior)

#3 ranked quarterback
6'3", 226 pounds
Projected round: 1
2009 stats: 56% completion rate, 2203 yards passing, 14 TDs and 9 INTs

Oregon St.

DT Stephen Paea (Junior)

#5 ranked defensive tackle
6'1", 288 pounds
Projected round: 2

WR James Rodgers (Junior)

#9 ranked wide receiver
5'7", 185 pounds
Projected round: 3
2008: First team All-Pac-10 at kick returner

Okay, AP readers. Those of you with more college football knowledge let us know - Who did miss? Who could the Chiefs be checking out at these schools?

Patrick Kerney Subtly Swings into Irrelevance

John Morgan — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:40:20 -0000

More photos » by Elaine Thompson - AP

Above we can see where the blitz broke down.

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That drive was another pin in the Seahawks hopes. Seattle barely budged the ball before Jon Ryan and Seattle's coverage unit combined to undo the Seahawks field position advantage. The resulting drive would sap what was left of Seattle's comeback chances.

Marion Barber scurried for six and Tony Romo converted the first on a pass to Martellus Bennett. Seattle, for its part, put a lick on Bennett: Aaron Curry standing him up and Jordan Babineaux delivering the blow.

Then, for a brief shining moment, Darryl Tapp nearly undid a half's worth of damage and put Seattle back in the lead. It was another moment where Seattle missed by inches. Tapp rushed around left end and forced back Flozell Adams enough to block out Romo's preferred throwing lane. Tapp jumped as Romo motioned and Romo tucked before taking another attempt. The ball sailed behind intended receiver Roy Williams, but where a good break nets a pick six, Josh Wilson skidded and the pass proved too errant. Ironically, an accurate pass results in a pick six.

Then the wheels came off. Seattle was attacking and Romo forced consecutive offside penalties to convert the first. Penalties would decide this drive.

Lawrence Jackson moved into right defensive tackle alongside Tapp, and stopped the next two plays near single-handedly. He tackled Barber after two and read and reacted to a draw and curled in to stop Barber for a loss of one. Jackson has looked every bit the end I wanted him to be: aware, active, athletic and everywhere.

From the official NFL rule book:

Actions that constitute defensive pass interference include but are not limited to:

. . .

(e) Cutting off the path of a receiver by making contact with him without playing the ball.

This play pissed off a lot of Seahawks, but the ruling was justifiable if not maybe right. Marcus Trufant was attempting to curl underneath Miles Austin's deep route. Jordan Babineaux was to play over top, though he clearly wasn't deep enough and would have been beat on a clean throw attempt. Trufant curled into Austin's route. The contact looked incidental, with Trufant clearly not attempting to cut off the path of Austin, but he did cut off the path of Austin and Dallas got the call. So it goes.

In the same play, but of less interest, Nick Reed dropped into cover and was literally stride-for-stride with Patrick Crayton. That a player - and damn Crayton is slow.

Seattle cued up a Marshall seven-man blitz and forced an incomplete.

Seattle sent Josh Wilson on its next blitz and Deon Grant hit Crayton to force an incomplete.

Third and 9: Miles Austin for 16. This was a failure of pass rush. The blitz design was..not so good. One could see it working, but there was one major flaw inherent in its design. Perhaps this graphic can illuminate what I mean. For sake of clarity, I'll only show the key players.

You'll have to excuse me if that's too subtle, for I am a humble caveman confused and frightened by your modern world. It's a perfectly cromulent blitz design and swinging Patrick Kerney across the line should give him a strong matchup against the left guard, but Kerney is far too slow to get into the action before Romo finds an open receiver. This will rile some feathers, but do not be surprised if Seattle drafts a defensive end in the first round of next year's draft.

Cory Redding and David Hawthorne combined to delay the inevitable. Redding created the pressure and Hawthorne hit the ball out of Jason Witten's hands. A play later Roy Williams palmed the ball into the end zone and the Seahawks fell behind by two scores to end the half.

Seattle got the ball back and ran a simple run to kill the clock. The fun was over. The third quarter awaited.

David Hawthorne: Pretty Boy-seeking Missile

John Morgan — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:14:04 -0000

More photos » by LM Otero - AP

Jordan Babineaux showed great spacing by consistently hitting his man before the first down marker. Felix Jones was able to spin through for the first.

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Today I finish up with last weekend's game notes. I rewatched the second quarter last night and I had an absolute blast. Here are my notes and highlights.

We left off with Seattle pulling close on one of those Greg Knapp third-down deep passes that drive folks crazy. A block in the back penalty would pin Dallas at their eight to start the next drive. Things looked up. Seattle needed its defense to hold field position and get Matt Hasselbeck the ball back.

Miles Austin responded with a beautiful catch on the right sideline. He was double covered and reached out nearly out of bounds to grab the ball. It's worth noting that Austin looked every bit the real deal, exploding out of the blocks and running tight routes.

That got Dallas out of jail. On the next play, Dallas pulled out its left side and directed fullback Deon Anderson at right end Darryl Tapp. Tapp has to win this, but doesn't and that allows Felix Jones a clean release through the hole -- Flozell Adams and Kyle Kosier blocking into the second level. Adams destroyed Aaron Curry and Jones was picked his way towards the third level. Jordan Babineaux hit him before the marker but Jones twisted for the first. It could have been worse. It should have been worse.

Brandon Mebane pressured up the middle and Leroy Hill was in position and aware of the pass on a high floater that overshot Martellus Bennett.

Dallas again targeted the Seahawks right side and doubled to stampede through Colin Cole. Deon Grant was controlling the right end and made contact with Jones at the line, but Jones spun right through Grant's tackle and reminded me again why I've stumped so vehemently for him to be positioned at free safety. Ken Lucas made a saving tackle that forced third down after a gain of nine.

Marion Barber converted the first. He was the up back.

Seattle overloads the right and Curry comes free around right end forcing Tony Romo up into the pocket. Seattle struggled with getting edge rush but failing to establish interior pressure, but this time Red Bryant plows through the right guard and forces and incomplete pass. Babineaux can be seen covering Jason Witten streaking up the right hash mark. However Seattle did it, the Seahawks shut down Witten.

Well, mostly. Patrick Kerney was taken down and that tripped Bryant and eliminated much of Seattle's rush. Cory Redding got a parting shot, but the pass was accurate and Witten received for 18.

David Hawthorne is an excellent blitzer, a stand out blitzer from the mike position. Seattle dropped its right end and overloaded the offensive right, but it wasn't a team effort that felled Romo. The goal was to free Hawthorne. Curry and Redding attempted to engage and force the Cowboy interior offensive line left. That plan was for Hawthorne to rush unabated between right guard and right tackle. Instead, Marc Colombo was squatting in Hawthorne's rush lane and Heater had to power through the giant right tackle to sack Romo. He did. That is a big league sack and Heater a major addition to Seattle's pass rush.

Romo scrambled for ten to put Dallas back into a manageable third down. Nick Reed was pwned.

The drive concluded when Lawrence Jackson pressured Romo and forced an incomplete attempt to Patrick Crayton. The resulting missed field goal put Seattle in business at their 38. Grand opening. Grand closing.