I'm curious why more aren't talking about the actual schemes that the team is using. You can't take much from plays and concepts in the pre-season because teams want to hide those. However actual techniques being taught you can't hide those. The Seahawks in this game changed what was a major thorn last season. They couldn't figure out whether they wanted to 1-gap or 2-gap. It become problematic during nickel packages. D-Line and LBs didn't know their run fits and gaps. Players didn't feel comfortable and thought too much.
I was encouraging to see the team employing 1-gap techniques in this first game. Is Pete Carroll is going back to what worked in the past to stop the run? Who knows what will happen in-season. Will Pete revert back or will the defense stay with some of the Fangio stuff. Was Desai that influential on the schemes? I'm very curious to see what this front 7 look like with the 1s. I'm cautiously bullish based on the scheme.
It's clear that the Seahawks want to keep the 3-4 defense because they now have 3-4 Edges. I just find it interesting that Reed is our 'NT' but really is going to be more of a 1-T and that will fit him much better. He has done it in the past and done it well. Dre Jones is the 3T and Mario Edwards is the 5T. SAM/LEO will be pretty fluid with the Edges.
Y'see Pete used to describe his defense as a 4-3 with 3-4 personnel until last season.
in the over/under fronts the Sam plays on the LoS and sets the edge. 4-3 under looks like a 3-4 to the untrained eye. Many times over the LoB years people would say the Seahawks should move to a 3-4 because of their personnel. Not understanding what that actually meant, but just looking at the roster they had.
Irvin & Clemons as your edge guys, KJ & Bobby as your ILBers, Mebane as your nose, Bennett and Big Red as your ends, etc.
But I prefer Pete's 1 gap way over the 2 gapping read 'n react of the 3-4. Especially with how quick the NFL game is now, you don't have time to 2 gap. At times I think it's fine for 1 D-Lineman to 2 gap (to steal a gap, and gain an advantage. They used to do this with Red Bryant and Mebane at times.) But to have your whole D-Line 2 gapping, with the Linebackers behind them having to read it and be right is asking too much, unless you have the best damn coaches teaching it. Which they don't based on last season.
Pete's way is better. What was broken with the Seahawks defense in the past wasn't that they were not a 3-4. It was their predictable, telegraphed coverages, combined with the pass rush falling off. The entire league built up a playbook of Seahawks beaters because so many teams copycat'd the Seahawks defense over the years. That is where the change is/was needed.
Quinn adjusted clearly. Pete just needs to copy off of Quinn's sheet. Absolutely baffling he wasn't offered a truck full of money to come be the DC here after ATL fired him.