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Logicallylethal
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According to Hugh Millen and many other experts the final touchdown to Olsen played out the way it did because of a miscommunication between Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas.
It has been confirmed that the coaches called for Cover 2. Sherman heard Cover 2 and positioned himself that way, but Earl and Kam either missed the signals or read it wrong and played Cover 3.
For those unfamiliar with Cover 3 and Cover 2 this is what it looks like
Seahawks Cover 3 Defense
The Seahawk's bread and butter these past few years have been the Cover 3. This defense allows Sherman, Earl and in the past Maxwell/Browner to cover everything deep and down the seams. Kam and our Linebackers will have all the intermediate and stuff in the flats covered giving up only short stuff underneath where the speed of our linebackers will rally and swarm for a big hit or to knock the ball down. Cover 3 is also excellent against the run because it allows Kam to play in the box.
Cover 2 Defense
Cover 2 is a defense famously played by the Tampa Bay Bucs during their dominant years with Gruden. The two CBs on the outside press the outside receivers then stay out in the flats. The linebackers cover the middle and the two safeties cover deep.
This is a defense the Seahawks rarely play because it leaves the middle of the field vulnerable and it takes away from Kam playing the run.
So why are the Seahawks playing Cover 2 in such a crucial moment? Why aren't they going with their bread and butter?
The simple answer is Cary Williams.
In Cover 3 both CBs are given the role of covering the outside receivers and carrying them deep. The Seahawks have gone away from their bread and butter defense because Cary Williams continues to get beat time and time again. So as a resort they play Cover 2, which puts less of a responsibility on the outside CBs (because they only cover the flats) and allows the Seahawks to hide Cary Williams.
What happened on that last play is Sherman was playing Cover 2 and Earl was playing Cover 3. Sherman was covering the flats thinking Earl had the deep coverage and Earl was covering the middle thinking Sherman had the outside deep coverage. As a result, Greg Olsen ran the seams wide open without anyone near him. Jon Ryan could have made that throw yesterday he was that open.
Breaking this down I see two obvious problems
1) Miscommunication
- Did Bobby Wagner being out affect the communication that much in this game?
- Or was Earl and Sherman just simply not on the same page?
- Which begs the question...how can two All Pro players who have played with one another for years now have such a hiccup in communication in such a crucial moment?
2) Cary Williams
- My conclusion that the Seahawks are playing less Cover 3 to hide Cary Williams is simply just an opinion of mine and an opinion echoed by the guys on the radio...none confirmed by anyone on the Seahawks...but man it sure does make a lot of sense when you think about it
So what do we do moving forward? Is Cary Williams that bad that we have to completely abandon our bread and butter Cover 3 to play a defense? Or is it more of a problem with teams figuring out how to expose the weak spots in our zones? Can Cary Williams fix his technique and become reliable again like he was before these past two games?
What do you guys think? Let's get some opinions.
It has been confirmed that the coaches called for Cover 2. Sherman heard Cover 2 and positioned himself that way, but Earl and Kam either missed the signals or read it wrong and played Cover 3.
For those unfamiliar with Cover 3 and Cover 2 this is what it looks like
Seahawks Cover 3 Defense

The Seahawk's bread and butter these past few years have been the Cover 3. This defense allows Sherman, Earl and in the past Maxwell/Browner to cover everything deep and down the seams. Kam and our Linebackers will have all the intermediate and stuff in the flats covered giving up only short stuff underneath where the speed of our linebackers will rally and swarm for a big hit or to knock the ball down. Cover 3 is also excellent against the run because it allows Kam to play in the box.
Cover 2 Defense

Cover 2 is a defense famously played by the Tampa Bay Bucs during their dominant years with Gruden. The two CBs on the outside press the outside receivers then stay out in the flats. The linebackers cover the middle and the two safeties cover deep.
This is a defense the Seahawks rarely play because it leaves the middle of the field vulnerable and it takes away from Kam playing the run.
So why are the Seahawks playing Cover 2 in such a crucial moment? Why aren't they going with their bread and butter?
The simple answer is Cary Williams.
In Cover 3 both CBs are given the role of covering the outside receivers and carrying them deep. The Seahawks have gone away from their bread and butter defense because Cary Williams continues to get beat time and time again. So as a resort they play Cover 2, which puts less of a responsibility on the outside CBs (because they only cover the flats) and allows the Seahawks to hide Cary Williams.
What happened on that last play is Sherman was playing Cover 2 and Earl was playing Cover 3. Sherman was covering the flats thinking Earl had the deep coverage and Earl was covering the middle thinking Sherman had the outside deep coverage. As a result, Greg Olsen ran the seams wide open without anyone near him. Jon Ryan could have made that throw yesterday he was that open.
Breaking this down I see two obvious problems
1) Miscommunication
- Did Bobby Wagner being out affect the communication that much in this game?
- Or was Earl and Sherman just simply not on the same page?
- Which begs the question...how can two All Pro players who have played with one another for years now have such a hiccup in communication in such a crucial moment?
2) Cary Williams
- My conclusion that the Seahawks are playing less Cover 3 to hide Cary Williams is simply just an opinion of mine and an opinion echoed by the guys on the radio...none confirmed by anyone on the Seahawks...but man it sure does make a lot of sense when you think about it
So what do we do moving forward? Is Cary Williams that bad that we have to completely abandon our bread and butter Cover 3 to play a defense? Or is it more of a problem with teams figuring out how to expose the weak spots in our zones? Can Cary Williams fix his technique and become reliable again like he was before these past two games?
What do you guys think? Let's get some opinions.