The most optimistic takeaway is that this game was probably an outlier.
After listening to Pete's presser and rewatching the game, it's pretty clear the coaches were caught with their pants down in the second half. Why? A) The starting tackles were injured, and B) Hurt needed to be more aggressive to compensate but remained passive.
The thing is, the coaching staff didn't have much of an opportunity to adjust. The offense played fine in the first half, so it's reasonable to expect a similar performance. And if the offense stays on the field and scores points, the passive approach to defense works. However, both tackles were out after the first drive of the second half, and the backup lineman couldn't block anyone on our second drive.
The result? The Rams ran 37 plays on their first three drives, scored 17 points, and held the ball for 17 minutes. And that's not a result of bad defense. They weren't blowing multiple coverages or missing easy tackles. And Stafford made several outstanding plays, and his receivers made difficult catches.
The problem is that the Seahawk's coaching staff failed to recognize and adapt to a difficult situation. They needed to get aggressive, blitz, and get the ball back. Instead, they seemed content to let the Rams cut them to death and bleed the clock.
The good news is that it's not a talent issue!
