On defending the Hail Mary

Seahawks Gus Bradley had one request when he met with reporters after Thursday’s practice.

“Don’t ask me about the Golden Tate play, all right?” he said with his ever-present grin. “I don’t watch that side of the ball.”

Bradley may not have had anything to do with the final play of Monday’s game, but he can use that play as a teaching moment for his defense. After all, M.D. Jennings may have deserved an interception on that play, but if he had done what defensive coaches preach in those situations—bat the ball down instead of trying to catch it—there would have been no controversial touchdown. Bradley said that play, and even more so the game-tying touchdown Detroit scored against Tennessee on the final play of regulation, are good reminders to his team about how to handle those plays. On the final play of regulation in the Detroit-Tennessee game, the Lions got the tying touchdown when Lions receiver Titus Young caught a ball that Titans linebacker Akeem Ayers was trying to bat down.

“We talk about all that stuff every week, but especially what happened in the Tennessee game,” Bradley said. “We teach it out so we have box-out guys in front of the tip ball, so if you’re batting it down, there’s someone waiting for it. That was a classic example, they didn’t have anybody box out. So it’s just good teaching thing for our guys to see the importance of having a trailer.”

Another teaching point for defenders that came out of the Golden Tate touchdown, be ready for contact. Tate got away with a blatant shove that helped him end up with the touchdown, and it is incredibly rare to see offensive pass interference on the final play of a game.

“Things like that, that happens,” Bradley said. “The last play of the game, they’re fully aware of that.”

Thursday injury report

SEAHAWKS

Didn’t practice

T Breno Giacomini (pectoral)

G John Moffitt (knee)

LB Leroy Hill (calf)

DT Jason Jones (knee)

Limited participation

DE Greg Scruggs (wrist)

DT Jaye Howard (foot)

Full participation