RENTON — It took a span of just two defensive snaps for Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright to exhibit just how well they’re playing this season.
Late in the first quarter of the Seattle Seahawks’ 24-3 victory over Los Angeles last Thursday, the Rams faced fourth-and-1 from the Seattle 7-yard line. Los Angeles elected to go for it rather than kick a field goal, calling a pitch to Todd Gurley around the left end. Wagner ranged over from his middle-linebacker position, met the reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year at the line of scrimmage, and stood Gurley up for no gain, turning the ball over to Seattle on downs.
Then on the Rams’ following possession early in the second quarter, Los Angeles began the drive by handing the ball off to Malcolm Brown up the middle. Wright, from his outside-linebacker spot, read the play, burst through a hole in the line, and dropped Brown for a 4-yard loss to set up a three-and-out.
Two plays, minus-4 yards, and a whole lot of defensive goodness for the Seahawks, courtesy of a linebacking duo that’s at the top of its game.
Wagner and Wright have long been key components of Seattle’s defense, but this season they’ve elevated their game such that Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said he believes both are having their best seasons in the NFL.
“It seems they’ve demonstrated great consistency during the course of the season,” Carroll said in the lead up to Saturday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals at CenturyLink Field. “Throughout all of it, they haven’t missed a trick. They’ve been able to be very productive. They’re playing their best because they’re their most experienced and they understand the scheme the best. They just have everything working for them and they’ve had the benefits of good health and all throughout. Their communication is off the charts about what’s happening in anticipation of plays and stuff. That’s what really has allowed them to improve and continue to get better. I think really the consistency has been extraordinary.”
It’s not as if Wagner and Wright are secret weapons, as both have been mainstays throughout Seattle’s five-year run as the best defense in the NFL. Wagner, in his fifth season out of Utah State, and Wright, in his sixth season out of Mississippi State, have combined for 1,202 tackles in 160 career games for the Seahawks. They play every down, regardless of the situation.
But this season sees both reaching new heights. Wagner leads the NFL in tackles with 145, and this week he was named to his third straight Pro Bowl. Wright has pitched in with 113 tackles of his own, and his name is among the first mentioned in discussions about Pro Bowl snubs.
“They’re seeing things faster” strong safety Kam Chancellor, Seattle’s defensive captain, said about Wagner’s and Wright’s improved play this season. “And then they’re just tackling machines, they tackle everything and disrupt everything. K.J. sniffs screens out like he knows they’re coming before they even snap the ball. They’re just very experienced and they play well.”
Wagner is in the midst of a season for the ages. The 6-foot, 245-pounder not only has already eclipsed his career high in tackles with two games to spare, his 145 tackles are just eight behind Terry Beeson’s Seahawks franchise record of 153, a mark that’s stood since 1978.
Wright is also in the midst of his best season statistically, as his 113 tackles are just three behind his career high of 116, which he established last season.
But it’s not just in tackling where Wagner and Wright have excelled this season. What’s taken them to the next level is the elements they’ve added to their games.
The most visible new element is the blitz. Wagner, as the middle linebacker, and Wright, as the weak-side linebacker, have more responsibilities in coverage on passing downs than they do in pressuring the quarterback. However, this season they’ve been allowed to blitz more frequently, and they’ve done so to great effect, as evidenced by Wagner’s career-high 16 quarterback hits and Wright’s career-high 11 tackles for loss.
Then there is their progress in pass coverage, where their experience has improved their abilities to recognize what the offense is trying to do. Wagner dedicated his offseason to getting faster at recognizing routes, putting himself in better position to make plays.
It’s added up to both agreeing that they’re playing at their best.
“Yeah, this is Bobby’s best season,” Wright said. “He’s a tackling machine, a dominant tackler. His passing-route recognition has increased a whole lot since last year and he knows that. He’s definitely looking good this year, leading the league in tackles, and his blitzing has really improved from last year as well.”
Wagner returned the compliment to Wright: “I think he’s seeing routes like he’s never seen them before. He’s showing his speed, he’s getting sacks, he’s got his hands on the ball, he’s knocking down receivers and running backs, he’s playing great.”
The net result is that Wagner and Wright may be the best linebacker duo in the NFL. Carolina’s Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis are often cited as the gold standard, as both were first-team All-Pro selections last season and both were named to the Pro Bowl this season. But the numbers suggest Wagner and Wright have been more effective in 2016.
“I’m biased, of course,” Seahawks defensive coordinator Kris Richard said when asked if Wagner and Wright were the best linebacker duo in the league. “But there’s not doubt about it. They’ve done a phenomenal job for us. The fact that they’ve been available, they’ve been healthy, they’ve been out there, they’ve been consistent. They’ve tackled, they’ve run, they’ve hit, they’ve got the ball out and that’s all we ask our defenders to do. They’ve been there and they’ve been capable and they’ve been more than willing.”
And as the Seahawks home in on their fifth straight season leading the NFL in scoring defense — they’re currently two points behind the New England Patriots — they can point to the ever-increasing excellence from their two mainstay linebackers as a big part of the reason why.
For more on the Seattle sports scene, check out Nick Patterson’s Seattle Sidelines blog at www.heraldnet.com/tag/seattle-sidelines, or follow him on Twitter at @NickHPatterson.
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