Greg Cosell’s Film Review: The ups and downs of the Seattle Seahawks
There was a lot to see in the film of the Seattle Seahawks’ win over the Pittsburgh Steelers last week.
The Seahawks offense did some very good things. The Seahawks defense looked like it’s still trying to figure things out, even thought it is 11 games into this season.
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Here’s a look at some key things on each side of the ball for Seattle:
OFFENSE
Russell Wilson threw five touchdown passes, and I was more interested with how he played than just the results.
The more Wilson throws from the pocket with a sense of timing and rhythm, and the less he randomly runs, the more consistent and better quarterback he will be. In this game Wilson made the throws that were there, which he was not doing much of the season. That was the difference.
This is a good example of Wilson making a great read and delivering the ball on time. On third and 16, the Seahawks had a 3-by-1 set with three receivers on one side and Jermaine Kearse as the “X iso” to the other. When Steelers safety Will Allen dropped down on the “X iso” side, Wilson immediately read that the throw was to Kearse in single coverage.
It really stood out how Wilson was delivering the ball from the pocket with timing and rhythm. He was planting his back foot and turning it loose. He threw with velocity and accuracy.
When the Seahawks put the game away, it was on a nice anticipation throw from Wilson. The Steelers ran a “man free blitz,” with an effective stunt to get pressure on Wilson. Wilson made an outstanding anticipation throw to Doug Baldwin on an in-breaking route from the inside slot, and Baldwin made a great catch as the ball got on him quickly.
This may have been Wilson’s best game, in terms of playing from the pocket. He was 19 of 26 for 316 yards and five touchdowns from the pocket.
DEFENSE
On the defensive side, what stood out is the lack of an identity.
For the past few years, the Seahawks have been a staple “Cover 3” zone team. And Seattle did run some “Cover 3” against Pittsburgh, and the Steelers did a good job attacking it with their route concepts.
But the Seahawks continued to mix coverages under first-year defensive coordinator Kris Richard. There’s more boundary lock, more man-to-man (including “2 man” with two deep safeties and man coverage underneath and “man free lurk”). Man coverage is becoming more of a staple of their defense (and it’s worth noting that cornerback Richard Sherman played an outstanding game; Antonio Brown was not a big factor even though Ben Roethlisberger threw 55 times). And the Seahawks played “Cover 2” zone in the fourth quarter. That’s not a coverage you see often from the Seahawks. In addition to the different coverages, the Seahawks’ pass rush is not as strong as it has been in the past.
A 69-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter came against “2 man.” Sherman had man coverage on Brown with safety Earl Thomas helping inside. Roethlisberger initially looked to Markus Wheaton on a seam route, with Wheaton matched on Jeremy Lane. There was no definition to the throw. Roethlisberger’s internal clock forced him to move to his right, then he made an outstanding second reaction throw to Wheaton deep down the middle seam.
I get the sense the Seahawks are still searching for a defensive identity under Richard. The Steelers gained 538 yards of total offense last week. This week’s opponent, the Minnesota Vikings, aren’t that type of an offense, but it will still be interesting to see how Seattle fares in a big road game.
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NFL analyst and NFL Films senior producer Greg Cosell watches as much NFL game film as anyone. Throughout the season, Cosell will join Shutdown Corner to share his observations on the teams, schemes and personnel from around the league.
