Youthful mistakes, spotty pass rush, and poor tackling bites Seattle again
Seattle’s youthful defense and spotty pass rush were on full display in all its ugliness. The Seahawks regressed to the poor tackling team they were during the first two weeks of the season. Chargers running backMelvin Gordon IIIlooked like the resurrection of Sweetness himself. Mix in a pretty anemic pass rush that allowed a veteran top ten QB, Philip Rivers, to operate with little pressure and the Seahawks were in for a long afternoon.
It’s been discussed numerous times that there would be growing pains for Seattle’s young defensive backfield, especially with a sporadic pass rush. Communication issues were unfortunately once again prevalent for much of the game. The situation got worse with the loss ofBradley McDougaldfor several quarters forcing yet another young and inexperienced player onto the field inDelano Hill.
McDougald returned later in the game to play free safety whenTedric Thompsonwas lost to injury in the fourth quarter. Seattle struggled all afternoon containing Rivers, Gordon, andKeenan Allen, who all somehow seemed to be able to do whatever they wanted against a largely inexperienced defense.
A little variety
It’s okay to pass the ball on first down, occasionally. NFL defense’s play tendencies. Los Angeles knew the Seahawks were going to run the ball on first down. Even CBS’s sideline reporter told the viewers it was going to happen. Seattle never once adjusted to L.A.’s defensive positioning in an effort to make them respect both the run and pass.
At times, the Chargers had nine defenders in the box, which were prime play-action pass opportunities. Yet the Hawks either didn’t recognize it or refused to adjust to the defensive formation. This is something that must be addressed during the week and fixed.
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