http://www.seattletimes.com/sports/seah ... my-graham/A couple games into his Seattle Seahawks’ career, Jimmy Graham addressed one of the inevitable questions about his blocking with a playful answer.
“I’m a tight end now, shoot,’’ he said with a smile.
Maybe never more so than during Seattle’s 29-13 win over the San Francisco 49ers last Sunday.
As the Seahawks rushed for a season-high 255 yards, with 209 from rookie Thomas Rawls, Graham was asked to run block more than at any time during his Seahawks’ career.
According to Pro Football Focus, Graham spent 30 of the 58 snaps he was in for run blocking, the first time in his Seahawks’ career that he has spent more than 50 percent of his snaps run blocking.
According to PFF, that raised the percentage of snaps for the season he has spent run blocking to 37 percent.
In New Orleans last year, he was asked to run block on 27 percent of snaps.
That’s the kind of comparison that might help fuel the arguments for those who question how the Seahawks have been using Graham.
But the numbers also make some sense given the difference in the two offenses. New Orleans ran it just 37 percent of its snaps last season (and has almost the same ratio this year) while the Seahawks are now at almost a 50-50 run pass ratio — 307 rushes to 295 passes and close to the 48.41 percent runs to passes the Seahawks had last year (Seattle has the second-highest run-pass ratio this season, same as it did last season).
And while some might also wonder if those are wasted snaps for Graham given his reputation as a blocker, Seahawks offensive line coach Tom Cable argues otherwise.
Cable, in fact, said the blocking of the tight ends and receivers was an unheralded but significant factor in the success of the running game against the 49ers.
“You have to give that group some credit because we were consistent upfront, which was a big plus,’’ Cable said.”But where we were at on the perimeter at tight end and receiver made a huge difference because that’s how you get those big numbers.’’
Cable said the game might have been Graham’s best as a run blocker for the Seahawks.
“Really, he is starting to understand where he fits and why and how (into Seattle’s blocking schemes) and then it becomes a fundamentals thing,’’ Cable said. “His biggest challenge is getting his big body into a better leverage position.’’
What the Seahawks are not asking Graham to do is pass block. According to PFF, he has stayed in to block on passes just 24 times all season, or 4.4 percent of his total 545 snaps, actually not a lot different than a year ago with the Saints when he stayed in to pass block 27 times, or about 3.4 percent of snaps.
Tom Cable praises blocking of Jimmy Graham
- Thread starter jayhawkk
- Start date
jammerhawk
Well-known member
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2007
- Messages
- 10,178
- Reaction score
- 1,782
As with all things a good athlete will adjust his game to what is needed.
JG is doing much better blocking and with some luck Bevell will be able to figure out how to use his size/length mismatch better.
JG is doing much better blocking and with some luck Bevell will be able to figure out how to use his size/length mismatch better.
morgulon1
Well-known member
With the offensive line as horrible as it is, We go acquire an 8 million dollar per year pass catching TE. Then make him block.all the while throw it his way 2 maybe 3 times per game.
Then compliment him on his blocking. I'm not in the NFL , never have been, but I watched the SF game and saw #88 lose his battle more than once. In fact a friend and I were talking just the other day about Graham and the fact that Rawls could've ran for 300 if Graham could've blocked for him.
This coaching staff is on LSD
Then compliment him on his blocking. I'm not in the NFL , never have been, but I watched the SF game and saw #88 lose his battle more than once. In fact a friend and I were talking just the other day about Graham and the fact that Rawls could've ran for 300 if Graham could've blocked for him.
This coaching staff is on LSD
morgulon1
Well-known member
Thank you?
seahawkfreak
New member
Rawls is hitting the holes faster than Lynch was. It may be what is needed for this OL's play this year. Won't really be able to tell til after this Sunday. Pittsburgh will be the first team to really plan for Rawls.
RiverDog
Well-known member
morgulon1":1y5r4s5k said:
That's pretty much my sentiment, too, and I wonder how much that comment from Cable has to with damage control for an ill advised trade that hasn't worked out rather than a genuine compliment. I sure haven't seen Graham perform very well at all on his blocking assignments, certainly not when you compare him to Zach Miller. He's too damn tall, to the point where he has a hard time getting underneath the shoulder pads of the DE's and LB's. He can't get any leverage.
seahawkfreak
New member
marko358":bmk5e41l said:
Didn't really see anyone really complaining. This has been a major issue with Graham, no? How many is "a number of nice blocks"?
I didn't really watch him but I'd be more interested if he's being consistent with his blocking. If he had one or two nice blocks and the rest are below average still really doesn't cut it. IMHO
hawk45
Active member
- Joined
- Sep 27, 2009
- Messages
- 10,009
- Reaction score
- 16
morgulon1":13t677om said:
:13:
This crap, plus the swill about Sweezy being a top guard in the NFL, screams Baghdad Bob.
olyfan63
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2012
- Messages
- 5,672
- Reaction score
- 1,714
Anyone got some GIFs of Graham blowing block(s) that could have helped Rawls get to 300?
The problem with Graham NOT being a run blocker is that it telegraphs the play to the D.
Earlier in the season, when Graham was in, the defense knew 70% chance of a pass play.
Jimmy needs to be in on running plays, on pretty much half his snaps for the Seattle offense to be most effective.
Hoping he continues to get better and better at run blocking...
The problem with Graham NOT being a run blocker is that it telegraphs the play to the D.
Earlier in the season, when Graham was in, the defense knew 70% chance of a pass play.
Jimmy needs to be in on running plays, on pretty much half his snaps for the Seattle offense to be most effective.
Hoping he continues to get better and better at run blocking...
olyfan63
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2012
- Messages
- 5,672
- Reaction score
- 1,714
From this article by a guy "scouting" the Seahawks on behalf of the Steelers:
http://insidethepylon.com/football-101/ ... g-seattle/
(Seattle's) "Most successful run has been Zone Rim, pulling J.R. Sweezy (#64), and cracking the outside linebacker with Jimmy Graham (#88) to execute this Rim concept and expose the B gap. This concept really helped Rawls (#34) against San Francisco."
http://insidethepylon.com/football-101/ ... g-seattle/
(Seattle's) "Most successful run has been Zone Rim, pulling J.R. Sweezy (#64), and cracking the outside linebacker with Jimmy Graham (#88) to execute this Rim concept and expose the B gap. This concept really helped Rawls (#34) against San Francisco."
bjornanderson21
New member
- Joined
- Mar 4, 2014
- Messages
- 885
- Reaction score
- 0
It's fine and all that Cable is praising Graham's blocking, but I'd prefer to hear that from an OL expert
RiverDog
Well-known member
olyfan63":2x7mukhg said:
I hope the play shown in the link wasn't Graham's best block of the game and what Cable was hanging his hat on when he made his comment as that really wasn't a block as much as it was an obstacle to the defender. He didn't do a bad job on the play but he certainly didn't blow him up his man.
I could tolerate Graham's blocking limitations if he were contributing as a receiver. He was supposed to be the red zone threat and big target that everyone was begging to get for Russell Wilson and in 10 games, he's scored two TD's, of which just one occurred in the red zone. Whether that's his fault, our coaching staff's fault, Russell Wilson's fault, or a combination of the three isn't really the point. The point is that by almost any measure, this trade has been a miserable failure.
hawk45
Active member
- Joined
- Sep 27, 2009
- Messages
- 10,009
- Reaction score
- 16
That's good work.bjornanderson21":3j6vrodu said:
