Published: Saturday, November 21, 2009
Seahawks suffering from pass rush blues
Seattle has been very inconsistent, and at times just downright ineffective, when it’s come to pressuring quarterbacks.
RENTON — While it’s no secret that every defense in football wants to pressure the opposing quarterback, never was the need for a pass rush more apparent than in Seattle’s loss last week to Arizona.
It was a must-win game for the Seahawks, but their pass rush failed to materialize. The result? A crushing blow to their playoff hopes.
The stats couldn’t have been any clearer going into that game. Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner, more than just about any signal caller in the league, can come unraveled when opposing teams start handing out punishment.
So what happened in the desert? Warner was hit once, sacked zero times and was comfortable most of the afternoon. He was so unharried that he was able to complete 29 of 38 attempts for 340 yards in the Cardinals’ victory.
It was the second time this season the Seahawks have failed to record a sack — the other was against Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts — and continued a trend of the Seahawks failing to apply pressure to an opposing quarterback. For the season, Seattle has 20 sacks, which ranks a respectable 15th in the NFL, but the Seahawks have just six in the past four games.
While blitzing more may seem like an easy solution to a lack of quarterback pressure, the tradeoff can be big plays if the quarterback gets rid of the ball fast enough. Both of Warner’s touchdown throws last week were against one-on-one coverage when the Seahawks brought more than a four-man rush. Sure, blitzing has its place, but ultimately the Seahawks need their down linemen to win more battles at the line of scrimmage.
“Without a doubt,” Seahawks coach Jim Mora said when asked if his front-four needs to get more pressure.
“We have to continue to find ways to try to win when we’re rushing four, and it’s been somewhat of a struggle for us lately. What I hesitate to do is put it all on the rush, you know? I’ve always said that pass defense is a combination of rush and coverage, but we have to find a way to affect the passer with four.”
On Sunday, the Seahawks will get a close look — probably too close if you ask Matt Hasselbeck — at the league’s top pass-rushing defense. The Vikings have 34 sacks, led by the 10.5 of end Jared Allen.
Consistent pressure from its defensive line is not something Seattle has been able to do with regularity. Second-year end Lawrence Jackson got off to a promising start, recording three sacks in the first two games, but he has only one since. Patrick Kerney also has four sacks, but has battled injuries and inconsistent play. Defensive tackle Colin Cole was signed, in part, to free up Brandon Mebane as a disruptive force in the middle, but the numbers haven’t been there for Mebane either. Of late, Darryl Tapp has been the most disruptive lineman, though that hasn’t shown up in the form of sacks.
“When you lose it’s frustrating. When you win everything is good,” Tapp said. “Yeah, we pride ourselves in trying to get to the quarterback and get sacks. Pressures are just as good as sacks if they produce turnovers. The one thing to really do is just keep on working.”
Despite the fall off in production, Jackson doesn’t think his team has regressed in its ability to get to the quarterback. No, the numbers aren’t there, but that’s the result of a myriad of variables. Ultimately he agrees, however, that everyone needs to do a better job winning their individual battles.
“I don’t think our ability to get to the passer has dropped at all,” said Jackson, a first-round pick in 2008. “The outcome hasn’t been there, but the ability hasn’t gone away. ... It’s tough sledding out there, but when I have the opportunity, I need to capitalize. I just don’t want any missed opportunities.”
The Seahawks have made a number of moves over the years to improve their pass rush. Kerney was signed to a big contract in 2007, and the move paid immediate dividends as he recorded 14.5 sacks that year and was runner up in the voting for defensive player of the year. Injuries, however, kept Kerney off the field for nine games last season, and have slowed him again this year. The team used six draft picks in the last four years on linemen, and traded for Cory Redding this past offseason.
The new-look line featuring Redding and Cole looked like it was ready for a break though after a productive preseason and training camp, but as Mora points out, looking good in July and August doesn’t mean much.
“Yep, in the games that didn’t count, when we practiced in underwear,” he said. “So these regular season games, they start to reveal some things.”
If things don’t improve soon, the next decision Mora and the Seahawks front office will have to make is whether they have the right people in place to succeed on the defensive line.
“Well, I think that it’s something we have to look hard at as we get through these last seven games, and maybe beyond,” Mora said. “Are we doing the right things teaching-wise? Do we have the right people? What adjustments do we need to make?”
Herald Writer John Boyle: jboyle@heraldnet.com. For more Seahawks coverage, check out the Seahawks blog at heraldnet.com/seahawksblog
It was a must-win game for the Seahawks, but their pass rush failed to materialize. The result? A crushing blow to their playoff hopes.
The stats couldn’t have been any clearer going into that game. Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner, more than just about any signal caller in the league, can come unraveled when opposing teams start handing out punishment.
So what happened in the desert? Warner was hit once, sacked zero times and was comfortable most of the afternoon. He was so unharried that he was able to complete 29 of 38 attempts for 340 yards in the Cardinals’ victory.
It was the second time this season the Seahawks have failed to record a sack — the other was against Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts — and continued a trend of the Seahawks failing to apply pressure to an opposing quarterback. For the season, Seattle has 20 sacks, which ranks a respectable 15th in the NFL, but the Seahawks have just six in the past four games.
While blitzing more may seem like an easy solution to a lack of quarterback pressure, the tradeoff can be big plays if the quarterback gets rid of the ball fast enough. Both of Warner’s touchdown throws last week were against one-on-one coverage when the Seahawks brought more than a four-man rush. Sure, blitzing has its place, but ultimately the Seahawks need their down linemen to win more battles at the line of scrimmage.
“Without a doubt,” Seahawks coach Jim Mora said when asked if his front-four needs to get more pressure.
“We have to continue to find ways to try to win when we’re rushing four, and it’s been somewhat of a struggle for us lately. What I hesitate to do is put it all on the rush, you know? I’ve always said that pass defense is a combination of rush and coverage, but we have to find a way to affect the passer with four.”
On Sunday, the Seahawks will get a close look — probably too close if you ask Matt Hasselbeck — at the league’s top pass-rushing defense. The Vikings have 34 sacks, led by the 10.5 of end Jared Allen.
Consistent pressure from its defensive line is not something Seattle has been able to do with regularity. Second-year end Lawrence Jackson got off to a promising start, recording three sacks in the first two games, but he has only one since. Patrick Kerney also has four sacks, but has battled injuries and inconsistent play. Defensive tackle Colin Cole was signed, in part, to free up Brandon Mebane as a disruptive force in the middle, but the numbers haven’t been there for Mebane either. Of late, Darryl Tapp has been the most disruptive lineman, though that hasn’t shown up in the form of sacks.
“When you lose it’s frustrating. When you win everything is good,” Tapp said. “Yeah, we pride ourselves in trying to get to the quarterback and get sacks. Pressures are just as good as sacks if they produce turnovers. The one thing to really do is just keep on working.”
Despite the fall off in production, Jackson doesn’t think his team has regressed in its ability to get to the quarterback. No, the numbers aren’t there, but that’s the result of a myriad of variables. Ultimately he agrees, however, that everyone needs to do a better job winning their individual battles.
“I don’t think our ability to get to the passer has dropped at all,” said Jackson, a first-round pick in 2008. “The outcome hasn’t been there, but the ability hasn’t gone away. ... It’s tough sledding out there, but when I have the opportunity, I need to capitalize. I just don’t want any missed opportunities.”
The Seahawks have made a number of moves over the years to improve their pass rush. Kerney was signed to a big contract in 2007, and the move paid immediate dividends as he recorded 14.5 sacks that year and was runner up in the voting for defensive player of the year. Injuries, however, kept Kerney off the field for nine games last season, and have slowed him again this year. The team used six draft picks in the last four years on linemen, and traded for Cory Redding this past offseason.
The new-look line featuring Redding and Cole looked like it was ready for a break though after a productive preseason and training camp, but as Mora points out, looking good in July and August doesn’t mean much.
“Yep, in the games that didn’t count, when we practiced in underwear,” he said. “So these regular season games, they start to reveal some things.”
If things don’t improve soon, the next decision Mora and the Seahawks front office will have to make is whether they have the right people in place to succeed on the defensive line.
“Well, I think that it’s something we have to look hard at as we get through these last seven games, and maybe beyond,” Mora said. “Are we doing the right things teaching-wise? Do we have the right people? What adjustments do we need to make?”
Herald Writer John Boyle: jboyle@heraldnet.com. For more Seahawks coverage, check out the Seahawks blog at heraldnet.com/seahawksblog
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