Were We Asking Too Much of 2022 Hawks D?

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Training Camp generated a sense of reassurance that our 2022 Seahawks Defense would be upgraded, if not a remarkable improvement for the season ahead.

Most of us expected a “developing team” measure of success for the team overall.

And, to be fair - we had those 4 solid weeks of defensive success, right?

We already know that a defensive-oriented draft is in our immediate future.

The justified disappointment in our Seattle defense is so palatable that I can feel it as far East as Mt. St Helen’s ash can be traced.

Did we ask too much of these guys? Was the defense set-up for failure?

I can’t help but to wonder how this is even possible for a coach who has devoted the majority of his career building defenses?

 

[cymatica]

I don't see how asking for an improvement over KNJ and some of the worst starts in franchise history would be asking too much.

 

[Fade]

People have amnesia around here. Going into the season. The defense was supposed to be the strength of the team.

They were a top 10 scoring defense as flawed as they were. And the new scheme, with the Additions of Nwosu and Harris was supposed to fix the pass rush and their abysmal 3rd down defense. And with Boom/Bust Wilson gone the defense would no longer be gassed, or so I was told.

It was supposed to be Pete reasserting his philosophy. They were going to run the ball and play great defense, while Geno managed the game.

Instead the exact opposite has taken place. Can't run the ball, can't play defense, and have gotten miraculous top 5 play from their career backup QB bailing out Pete once again in the W-L record of things.

This failure is.now.being passed off as they weren't supposed to be good anyway. As they waste another productive QB season.

 

[hgwellz12]

No. Alot of their shortcomings are the fundamentals. They are multimillion dollar PRO football players. If asking for stuff like sound gap technique, solid tackling, heart and grit is too much, then maybe they are in the wrong profession.

 

[Maelstrom787]

Nope. We weren't.

They're getting bitched week-in, week-out.

 

[Maelstrom787]

People have amnesia around here. Going into the season. The defense was supposed to be the strength of the team.

They were a top 10 scoring defense as flawed as they were. And the new scheme, with the Additions of Nwosu and Harris was supposed to fix the pass rush and their abysmal 3rd down defense. And with Boom/Bust Wilson gone the defense would no longer be gassed, or so I was told.

It was supposed to be Pete reasserting his philosophy. They were going to run the ball and play great defense, while Geno managed the game.

Instead the exact opposite has taken place. Can't run the ball, can't play defense, and have gotten miraculous top 5 play from their career backup QB bailing out Pete once again in the W-L record of things.

This failure is.now.being passed off as they weren't supposed to be good anyway. As they waste another productive QB season.

No one come at Fade for this. He's right.

They were a top 10 scoring defense, and it wasn't at all too much to expect some improvement even from where they were, regardless of their solid scoring stats. They can't stop the goddamned run. It's emasculating.

 

[GemCity]

You know you’re in a “strange” season when Maelstrom defends Fade

Totally agree btw…

 

[Polk738]

I attribute it to a few things:

-Losing Jamal Adams was a huge blow

-Losing Bobby Wagner was an even bigger blow

-Trying to convert 4-3 players into a 3-4 scheme hasn't really worked the best, other than Al Woods and Shelby Harris nobody on the d-line is really excelling or even playing adequate.

-VERY poor tackling at all levels

-Players consistently out of position, taking poor angles, not setting an edge etc etc

-I'm sure theres more that is just what comes to mind at the moment.

 

[olyfan63]

Here is a great breakdown of the Hawks D against Carolina. Names names and shows issues. No big surprises on who is sucking, but well narrated. Also calls out some execution and effort issues by a big-name offensive player.

 

[keasley45]

We went into the 2nd half without Woods and Harris on the DL. Game over.

The defenses questionable link going into the season was D-Line. And when that unit has been healthy and played well, we've won. When even one piece is missing, we struggle. Too many iffy pieces to maintain a high level of play when trying to also implement a new scheme.

That, and... Brooks is a great Backer but he's struggling a lot in re-learning his assignments in this new system. It seems he's either jumping the wrong gap, or hesitating too long and has a lineman on him by the time he should be in the hole.

Between him and Barton also still adjusting, it's been a struggle.

Between the two of them struggling and a Dline at times under manned, and other times, playing uphill, its a recipe for the type of play we have seen.

It's frustrating that they don't just dial back to a more traditional 4-3, for the sake of stopping the bleeding, but this last game, they literally didn't even have the bodies to do it. No Shelby, no Woods, no chance.

I think overall, them staying the course in a scheme that is a liability while they are learning it says that they are looking more to next year than 2022. Not that they want to lose, but I think they're determined to make it work. And as was pointed out in the youtube game recap last week with M Brown, they're close in many aspects, but the gaps in personnel (mostly front 7) and the mistakes they're still making, are difficult to overcome.

 

[seabowl]

Here is a great breakdown of the Hawks D against Carolina. Names names and shows issues. No big surprises on who is sucking, but well narrated. Also calls out some execution and effort issues by a big-name offensive player.

Disgusting video to watch. In the middle in 1 play for our D, Mone, Collier andcBarton. WTF!!!! Those 3 purely suck. Also as he says once you put your hands on Brooks he’s done. He’s 100% right. Clean house on D.

 

[hgwellz12]

Disgusting video to watch. In the middle in 1 play for our D, Mone, Collier andcBarton. WTF!!!! Those 3 purely suck. Also as he says once you put your hands on Brooks he’s done. He’s 100% right. Clean house on D.

Yeah man, that video is a HUGE indictment of our defense. It almost looks like they are throwing games it looks so bad on the first play he diagnosed. Just WTF? Mone and Cody BARFIN' legit looked like they are going through the motions...like they are playing the role of football players in a straight to DVD low budget movie about a football team

 

[hgwellz12]

Oh to be a fly on the wall in the Tell The Truth Tuesday meetings! We need some DAWGS. BB Brandon Browner and Earl would be cussin jokers out!

 

[sdog1981]

The 2021 Seahawks held teams to under 100 yards rushing 7 times and the team did not have a massive turnover of defensive talent in the off-season.

 

[SantaClaraHawk]

Well, according to Rob Staton….

“5. For all the talk of needing more talent on defense, here’s a quick reminder. Jordyn Brooks and LJ Collier were first round picks. Darrell Taylor and Boye Mafe were second round picks. Cody Barton is a third round pick. They paid to retain Poona Ford and Bryan Mone and Ford has the biggest cap-hit on the team this year. Uchenna Nwosu is the most expensive outside free agent they’ve ever signed. They re-signed Al Woods and brought back Quinton Jefferson. Next year, Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs are set to account for $36m of Seattle’s cap space. Nwosu and Shelby Harris combine for $25m. This is a defense that has been built and frankly, resources have been squandered. That should be remembered as we discuss whether this is just a situation that can be fixed by these decision makers simply adding more players. They need to do a much better job than they have been doing.”

Some thoughts with the Seahawks season going south – Seahawks Draft Blog

seahawksdraftblog.com

Ppl don’t like Staton but is he really wrong here?

 

[SoulfishHawk]

you had me til you said Staton. Couldn't care less what that guy has to say

 

[Chukarhawk]

you had me til you said Staton. Couldn't care less what that guy has to say

right?

 

[Bear-Hawk]

How about getting A’Shawn Robinson in free agency? He is a good run stopper and would cost about $10M/yr. We gotta do something about this run defense. He and Jalen Carter would solidify the middle of the DL.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

People have amnesia around here. Going into the season. The defense was supposed to be the strength of the team.

Please show me one article where they said the defense was suppose to be the strength of the team.

There WAS NO strength of this team pre-season. How can there possibly be any strength when everyone expected you to only win 4-5 games.

It wasn't until the defense started playing well in October and the Hawks became a playoff contending team that everyone's expectations went way up. In the words of the great Dennis Green...................

 

[cymatica]

Disgusting video to watch. In the middle in 1 play for our D, Mone, Collier andcBarton. WTF!!!! Those 3 purely suck. Also as he says once you put your hands on Brooks he’s done. He’s 100% right. Clean house on D.

Looks like Barton was fooled yet again and hit the wrong gap