Gregg Bell on Seattle's D

[AgentDib]

Yes great piece!! This is why the fire Norton crowd is way off. They’re under the impression that the defense would somehow magically change under another DC. It’s laughable and inaccurate.

Coordinators and position coaches have always been the first target of fans. It's a lot easier to change a coach then it is to change all of the players they are responsible for, any many people have trouble with the idea that even good players can make mistakes and play badly sometimes.

The poster is really saying something positive - that they think the personnel still has potential despite the poor performance. They are just doing it in a roundabout manner by throwing the coach under the bus.

 

[TraderGary]

I'm going to bet that Quinn knows how to actually play real Prevent D, and does not fall into it near as early.

Also bet we get more pressure from Wagner and KJ, because Quinn sent them both more.

Admittedly, Bradley seemed to blitz more. But Quinn would be an upgrade over Norton.

Quinn was a great DC for us. Norton is literally the worst DC in Seahawk history. Worse than any DC ever, including the Ken Behring years. Not sure how Quinn doesn't improve over 'worst to ever exist for this franchise'.

Mathematically wouldn't that be almost impossible? Quinn not being a successful HC is not relevant. He was a successful DC in the NFL and a successful DC in college. Norton has never been successful anywhere. In fact, wasn't he fired before?

You have not addressed the point that Quinn had the best D players in Seahawk history... It's a completely different situation now... this is a reasonable point...

Norton walked into a depleted D that needed to be rebuilt... Im not saying Norton is better than Quinn I just think you guys are jumping the gun here... let Norton work it out before you bash him... there is more going on than any of us realize If Norton has issues Carroll will address it...Im not saying you shouldn't talk about it this is just my opinion...

Have you ever had a job and struggled with it and worked it out in the end... Norton is seeing some adversity right now lets see how he works through it... Isn't that the mark of a good coach?



LTH

Norton had I believe it was 2 years as a DC in Oakland, got fired there, and now it's going on 3 years in Seattle. And his defenses have gotten progressively worse each year. The track record has been established.

Some people just don't have the make up to be coordinators at this level. I think it's clear that Norton falls into that category. They really need to move on from him.

 

[AirStrike]

We didn’t blitz as much against Murray because we’d have gotten killed with him running all over whenever he picked up the blitz.

Hindsight is 20/20 but he threw for almost 400 yards against our scheme. Obviously not blitzing wasn't doing us any good either. Letting him sit in the pocket with no pressure up the middle in his face against a line he can't see over is suicide.

Kyler Murray made us pay and he'll make us pay again in a few weeks if we can't collapse the pocket on him and pressure him up the middle. Blitzing is the only answer right now unless Snacks becomes Aaron Donald overnight and Dunlap goes berserk.

 

[AROS]

Gregg Bell has taken over for Clare Farnsworth and Mike Sando as the Seahawks finest beat writer.

 

[LTH]

If Norton had not gotten worse every year at DC? Maybe that would make sense LTH.

Go back and look at his numbers.

Yes, this year he dealt with adversity in injuries, as did 80% of the NFL this year. You know who also dealt with injuries? Richard, and he did a better job handling it.

Honestly, Norton has had a lot of chances. He just keeps underperforming. Not sure on 'fault' but results are lacking.

Go back and look at Norton's numbers as DC. Then look if he is progressing, getting better, or getting worse.

We are winning, despite this. But in the playoffs against better teams this will likely be a problem.

What Norton did in Oakland doesn't mean anything that's like saying Quinn is not a good coach because of what happened in Atlanta... Oakland was a franchise in disarray...

Im not saying that Norton shouldn't take any of the responsibility for his last couple of years in Seattle but...those players that were lost Avril, Cam, etc they basically gutted the D and its reasonable to suggest that these players are special and are not in the draft every year where the Hawks pick and with the heavy contracts of Wilson Bwag, etc make it hard to pay FA...

The Seahawks whole philosophy is about competition and that doesn't just go for the players coaches too... If Norton was a serious problem as you suggest Carroll would fire him... that being said, lets see what his performance will be for the rest of the year and see if they turn it around or not... If not then let's see if Carroll makes a change...

I guess we might have to agree to disagree on this one but I know personally that there are times when a challenge comes along that a guy needs to work through and the guys that work through them are stronger... this is Nortons time to prove he is a worthy DC...


Just my take...


LTH

 

[Fade]

He said the drop deep scheme worked against Fitz and Cousins but got shredded against Murray. It is as simple as saying that scheme does not work against QBs who will run? So as Carroll said, look for something similar to what we saw yesterday vs Josh Allen?

It didn't really work against the Vikes, they owned that game.

Miami moved the ball at will but thankfully stalled in the Red zone.

Greg Bell, was merely just referring they won those games. Focused on the results, not if it the D was effective.


@ LTH
The Norton-Pete dynamic is a tricky thing. As some love to point out that it is Pete's defense.

But here is the thing, Pete has a lot on his plate, he doesn't have the time to babysit Norton, nor should he have to.

Only when it cost the team a game, did Pete decide to make a major scheme change, and I'm sure Pete is being more hands on than ever before at the moment trying to fix this thing.

And that is why Norton has to go. Pete shouldn't have to tell him he needs to blitz more, he should already know.

Bradley, Quinn, & Richard would've dialed up blitzes for sure. I've seen them do it in games past, when they weren't getting pressure in the 1st half. Norton for whatever reason didn't.

I haven't seen a coordinator this unaware of the opponent and how to attack with the players they have, since the infamous Darrell Bevell.