Richard Sherman and the Seahawks defense both melt down

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Mental errors. Bad angles. Missed tackles. Blown assignments.

And that was all on one play in the fateful third quarter of the Seattle Seahawks’ 33-27 loss to Tennessee on Sunday.

Seattle’s vaunted defense gave up 21 points in the period, nearly as many as the Seahawks allowed in their first two games combined (26).

It started with Seahawks defensive end Frank Clark jumping offside, one of numerous times that happened Sunday.

On the free play, Tennessee wide receiver Rishard Matthews took a bubble screen to the left, cut diagonally right to the other hash mark and eluded safety Kam Chancellor and cornerback Jeremy Lane as the Seattle teammates ran into each other near the 10-yard line. Matthews’ 55-yard catch and run put the Seahawks behind for good, 16-14.

On Tennessee’s next drive, Seattle defensive coordinator Kris Richard was irate, throwing down his hands on the sideline as Tennessee QB Marcus Mariota ran free past him for 10 yards on a read-option keep no one defended. Then after a defensive-holding call on Lane, Mariota used some play-action, misdirection fake handoffs to fool Seattle strongside linebacker Michael Wilhoite. Tight end Jonnu Smith, who began the play lined up as a fullback, ran and out-and-up — a classic “wheel route” — right past the flat-footed Wilhoite for an easy touchdown pitch and catch.

Suddenly, the Titans led 23-14 late in the third quarter. And they weren’t done.

After another quick offensive series by the Seahawks, the Titans struck again, with DeMarco Murray zig-zagging his way through Seattle’s tired defense for a a 75-yard touchdown and a 30-14 lead. It was the longest run against the Seahawks in the Carroll coaching era, which began in 2010.

“Very uncharacteristic of us,” Wright said.

The melt down of the Seattle defense in the second half followed a a melt down by its star cornerback, Richard Sherman, in the first half.

Late in the first quarter, Mariota threw a would-be interception to Chancellor. But Sherman was called for blasting Titans wide receiver Eric Decker to the ground for interference while the pass was in flight. More flags came for Sherman holding Decker to the ground during Chancellor’s interception return, and then for Sherman taking off his helmet to argue his case to officials. After ripping off his helmet, he stalked the sideline official and had to be restrained by teammates.

“You can’t take your helmet off,” Carroll said.

Aided by the penalties, Tennessee drove on to the game’s first points instead, a 24-yard field goal by Ryan Succop.

In the second quarter, the still-steamed Sherman crashed into Mariota’s chest after the quarterback had already been chased out of bounds by linebacker Bobby Wagner. Sherman’s hit came in the 3-yard painted-white boundary beyond the sideline, and it infuriated the Titans’ bench. The officials conferred on the field, with one giving a thumbing motion as if to signal an ejection. But Sherman stayed in the game after the officials ultimately ruled he was guilty of a live-ball personal foul instead of a dead-ball unsportsmanlike. A second unsportsmanlike foul equals disqualification.

Saved by semantics, but done in by “bickering” and bad defense that undermined the Seahawks’ offense and day.

“We’ve got a big challenge,” Carroll said. “And we’ve got to get together.”