The NFL will announced Pro Bowl teams later this afternoon, but at least one Seahawk (and likely more) is Hawaii bound. Russell Okung has been named the NFC’s starting left tackle according to his agent, J.R. Rickert, who put the news out on Twitter.
Okung, the Seahawks’ first pick under Pete Carroll and John Schneider, is having the best season of his three-year career, in part because he is the healthiest he has been since coming to Seattle.
“Russell has had a really good season,” Carroll said. “He’s had a very good season for us, very consistent. He’s been up against all the good guys and he’s done a really good job. (Rams DE) Robert Quinn is maybe as fast as anybody he’s gone against, so he’ll be checked out again. It’s scheme, it’s the quarterback moving around and avoiding getting sacked back there, but the guys have done a really nice job up front, and Russell Okung has improved as much as anybody on our team. He’s really playing first-flight football and doing a great job.”
As a left tackle, Okung has had to go up against some of the league’s best pass rushers, and has yielded just one sack this year, according to Stats Inc. He’s the biggest reason why Seattle has fared incredibly well against some of the NFL’s best pass rushers. Through 15 games, there are 17 players in the NFL with 10 or more sacks, and the Seahawks have faced 10 of those players, including San Francisco’s Aldon Smith twice. And in those meetings, those 10 players have totaled just five sacks.
Aldon Smith, San Francsico—19.5 sacks this season, 1 vs Seattle (two games)
DeMarcus Ware, Dallas—11.5 sacks, 0 vs. Seattle
Cameron Wake, Carolina—15 sacks, 0 vs. Seattle
Clay Matthews, Green Bay—12 sacks, 0 vs. Seattle
Julius Peppers, Chicago—11.5 sacks, 1 vs. Seattle
Greg Hardy, Carolina— 11 sacks, 1 vs. Seattle
Mario Williams, Houston—10 sacks, 0 vs. Seattle
Charles Johnson, Carolina—10 sacks, 0 vs. Seattle
Anthony Spencer, Dallas—10 sacks, 2 vs. Seattle
Jared Allen, Minnesota—10 sacks, 0 vs. Seattle
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