Achilles Heel

[blstoker]

I know everyone wants to jump on our TE issues on defense this year, but looking back, the Seahawks have struggled against TEs for a long time. Since Kam Chancellor has become the starter at SS, Seattle has struggled against opposing TEs. The difference between this year and years past - when TEs had their best games - Seattle lost.

TE numbers (Targets - Catches - Yards - TDs - YPC):

2011 - 112 - 73 - 833 - 7 - 11.4
2012 - 133 - 88 - 983 - 6 - 11.2
2013 - 142 - 88 - 866 - 6 - 9.8
2014 - 122 - 78 - 804 - 12 - 10.3
2015 - 121 - 86 - 1018 - 9 - 11.8

Opposing TEs account for 25% of opposing passing offenses - and over 40% of their scores - over the last 5 years. I haven't looked at the league as a whole - but I would think that those numbers are high.

 

[flyerhawk]

Not sure how much this is Kam and how much this is scheme.

Our Cover 3 is susceptible to seam routes.

 

[blstoker]

Not sure how much this is Kam and how much this is scheme.

Our Cover 3 is susceptible to seam routes.

I don't know how much is on Kam, either - but he has the most opportunities on the TE due to his position and responsibilities on the field (and I needed somewhere to start, so I used his career). We had 2 bad games against TEs before Kam even showed up for work (10/150/2), but also had 3 good games against TE when Kam was off late (8/85/1). Just trying to show that the team has had issues with TEs long before this season.

 

[dude82]

Every great defense has had one weakness or achilles heel and for the Seahawks in recent years, it's been covering tight ends. The problem is that tight ends weren't the only problem this year. Between Kam's early holdout and subsequent underachieving year, Lane's absence for a big chunk of the season, Thomas and even Sherman clearly not having fully recovered from their injuries from last year and the inability of Williams to ever adapt to the technique taught to our corners (and the coaching staff waiting too long to do anything about it), the LOB wasn't nearly as on-point as we're used to seeing.

 

[Judge Fudge]

If you don't mind.

I play i madden simleague where i am the Seahawks GM (Decent squad. Can't seem to beak the 9-7 hump)

I took this guy with the 31st pic in the 3rd round

:: Players

This is what we need. A LB who can takeout a TE

 

[blstoker]

If you don't mind.

I play i madden simleague where i am the Seahawks GM (Decent squad. Can't seem to beak the 9-7 hump)

I took this guy with the 31st pic in the 3rd round

:: Players

This is what we need. A LB who can takeout a TE

Here's an interesting thought (completely implausible in every way - but hey, it's the offseason). If we don't re-sign Irvin - move Chancellor to LB and have Kelcie McCray start at SS.

 

[Screamin12th]

Scheme makes the TE a valued target against the Hawks. There are not to many "elite" TE in the NFL or there use to not be but now there is a solid handful of them. TE have always been a hard cover but either they were slow and big or smaller ( 6-2 240 ) and could be covered with a CB. Now days we get these 6 foot 6 inch 250 pound mountains that can run 4.5 40's. Sure the Hawks have had issues covering TE but their record shows that it has not hurt them as much as some would have you believe.

Yes i want to never see a TE running wide open in our defensive backfield ever again but for all that is good i will take the one bad spot. Now if we can continue to improve on stopping teams on 3rd and long i will be happy. 3rd and long for the longest time was almost a for sure first down against this team. Heck i was at the point that i would rather the defense face a 3rd and 3 than a 3rd and 10+ lol.

 

[Dolemite censored]

move Chancellor to LB

He's not big enough to play linebacker.

 

[Mariners_44]

He's not big enough to play linebacker.

Deone Buchanan played his ass of at LB for AZ, and he is tiny. I think Kam could do it.

 

[Screamin12th]

Kam slides into the box on almost every play. In a sense he is our 4th LB on the field and plays like one. Also at 6 foot 3 235 he is not small for a linebacker. Morgan and Pierre-Louis are smaller than Kam lol.

 

[blstoker]

Kam slides into the box on almost every play. In a sense he is our 4th LB on the field and plays like one. Also at 6 foot 3 235 he is not small for a linebacker. Morgan and Pierre-Louis are smaller than Kam lol.

That was my thought.

Really, it boils down to - Kam has all the tools to play LB in this system, and though his cover skills may be subpar as a safety - I believe they are well above average for a LB. He's fast, a big hitter, usually a sure tackler, can take and shed blocks, and he creates mismatches with most teams we face. Now, whether he could adjust to different responsibilities quick enough to make this worth while is another question indeed - but I would easily think that he's more than capable of filling the position physically.