Game Thread: Wk 6: Seattle Seahawks @ Pittsburgh Steelers

[blstoker]

Positives

Darrel Taylor - Taylor has found his way to the QB a lot this season. His 4 sacks and 5 hits leads the team, all while playing only 141 snaps, which is only 6th best on the team among DLmen. We've been told that the Hawks are looking to get him more snaps, so it'll be nice to see if he can be just as effective while playing more snaps.

Run Defense - Weird to put this as a positive for the Hawks when they are ranked #31 in the league against the run, but Seattle's issues against the run are more fatigue than skill. Pittsburgh throws 2/3 of the time, possibly because they have been really bad running the ball, ranking near the bottom in all running categories. Their offense averages 1 yard less per play than Seattle's defense is giving up - so something has got to give on the ineptitude - I'm hoping that goes to Seattle's favor.

Tyler Lockett - Pittsburgh's pass defense hasn't been very good this season. Though they aren't in the same area code as Seattle, I'd say there's plenty of room for Lockett to have a big day. First, Geno will need an outlet guy and though DK appeared to be force-fed the ball last week - there's no guarantee that he's fully healthy for the game. Second, if DK is limited or out, Lockett is the last of the big four offensive weapons, and we'll need him to step up.

Negatives

Coaching - I have lost all hope that the defensive scheme is gonna work. I missed the very beginning of the game last week, and the first play I see turning the game on has Carlos Dunlap lined up in the slot covering Woods. This wasn't a bluff, at the snap, Dunlap drops into a zone coverage scheme. It's these genius plays that make me wanna pull my hair out.

Injuries - Though the report isn't long, the injury list is devastating to the offense. Russell Wilson will had the reigns over to Geno Smith, who'll make his first start in nearly 4 years. Alex Collins will have to be the feature back once again now that Carson has been placed on IR, and though he was playing well heading into last week, he failed to wow against a defense that isn't as good against the run as Pittsburgh is. DK Metcalf will be someone to watch if sitting him out of practice is something more serious than just resting his foot before gameday.

Overview

Middle of the road offense vs. middle of the road defense (Sea/Pit) and a bottom of the pack offense vs. a bottom of the pack defense (Pit/Sea). These are two 2-3 teams that have everything to play for, but haven't shown they can get over those things that have made them 2-3 up to this point. I feel Seattle has the bigger uphill climb, but the game is winnable - they just have to do it.

 

[returnofjakedog]

Despite all of the issues the Seahawks can still win this. Big Ben hasn't been good at all this year. 6 TDs to 4 Ints and an average completion rate, and yardage. Of course if the Seahawks' D fails again it could be his breakthrough game for the season.
Also the Pit rushing game has been mediocre to bad at 76 ypg and 3.6 ypc.

18.8 ppg overall for their offense.

So their offense has been bad but their D has been decent, which is obviously a good bit better than ours.

This game is win-able but only if the D finally shows up. The Steelers are flawed enough that there is a realistic shot.

 

[Sharkonabicycle]

Great write up @blstoker

I try my best not to be a negative Nancy (yes I make outrageous claims we're going to lose to reverse jinx the team, if you've known me for a while you know this), but I'm considering this a lost season with Wilson being out. About the only thing we had going for us on the team was the QB/WR/Safety position. QB is gone, WRs are there, but Norton doesn't understand how to run defense nor do the newcomers when a zone is called and they man anyway.

As for this game... Seattle has no pass rush. And their secondary is disorganized... so I expect Rotehtlierliberger to have time where he normally would not. The Steelers OL is terrible, but so is Seattle's pass rush... kind of a yin/yang which will allow the Steelers to do things. On the offensive side, Pittsburgh has a good pass rush.... Seattle's blocking unit is not that great, Carson can't stay healthy, and Geno Smith will not have the vision/quick release anywhere in the same zip code as Wilson.

I fully expect a loss today. I'll never root against Seattle, but I am rooting for various coach firings next season... Seattle is still profitable as a team, and I dunno if Jody really gives a shit about the team. I know Paul did, but Jody inherited it. She may not care about football at all or improving the team... she may just be leeching off the money until the Seahawks are not profitable and then sell em' (which could be for a LONG while if Wilson is retained).

 

[returnofjakedog]

Jody didn't inherit it. The Seahawks are owned by a Paul Allen Trust, which she does oversee, but she can't sell it without the trustee board approval, and must abide by any stipulations written into the trust agreement.
Yes, it is a matter of semantics, but the rumors are that there are strict regulations regarding any intent to sell.

Regardless, the Pitt offense hasn't been good so far, and their D has been average at best (still miles ahead of ours though). I won't be putting any $$ on the Seahawks today but I still view this as a game that they could win. We will see.

 

[seahawksfan234]

Positives

Darrel Taylor - Taylor has found his way to the QB a lot this season. His 4 sacks and 5 hits leads the team, all while playing only 141 snaps, which is only 6th best on the team among DLmen. We've been told that the Hawks are looking to get him more snaps, so it'll be nice to see if he can be just as effective while playing more snaps.

Run Defense - Weird to put this as a positive for the Hawks when they are ranked #31 in the league against the run, but Seattle's issues against the run are more fatigue than skill. Pittsburgh throws 2/3 of the time, possibly because they have been really bad running the ball, ranking near the bottom in all running categories. Their offense averages 1 yard less per play than Seattle's defense is giving up - so something has got to give on the ineptitude - I'm hoping that goes to Seattle's favor.

Tyler Lockett - Pittsburgh's pass defense hasn't been very good this season. Though they aren't in the same area code as Seattle, I'd say there's plenty of room for Lockett to have a big day. First, Geno will need an outlet guy and though DK appeared to be force-fed the ball last week - there's no guarantee that he's fully healthy for the game. Second, if DK is limited or out, Lockett is the last of the big four offensive weapons, and we'll need him to step up.

Negatives

Coaching - I have lost all hope that the defensive scheme is gonna work. I missed the very beginning of the game last week, and the first play I see turning the game on has Carlos Dunlap lined up in the slot covering Woods. This wasn't a bluff, at the snap, Dunlap drops into a zone coverage scheme. It's these genius plays that make me wanna pull my hair out.

Injuries - Though the report isn't long, the injury list is devastating to the offense. Russell Wilson will had the reigns over to Geno Smith, who'll make his first start in nearly 4 years. Alex Collins will have to be the feature back once again now that Carson has been placed on IR, and though he was playing well heading into last week, he failed to wow against a defense that isn't as good against the run as Pittsburgh is. DK Metcalf will be someone to watch if sitting him out of practice is something more serious than just resting his foot before gameday.

Overview

Middle of the road offense vs. middle of the road defense (Sea/Pit) and a bottom of the pack offense vs. a bottom of the pack defense (Pit/Sea). These are two 2-3 teams that have everything to play for, but haven't shown they can get over those things that have made them 2-3 up to this point. I feel Seattle has the bigger uphill climb, but the game is winnable - they just have to do it.

Great breakdown as always.

Darrel Taylor: I think we're on the same page about Darrell Taylor and I'm surprised he hasn't seen more snaps. I was really excited about Dunlap coming back but he has been a non-factor so far.

Run Defense: You're definitely right about fatigue playing a factor, but will the Seahawks be able to hold the ball enough on offense for it not to be a factor this week? I also think that despite the Steelers rushing numbers, their ground attack could be better than expected. Najee Harris is incredibly talented and has averaged 4.82 YPC his last two games on 38 carries.

I agree on the rest. It's funny you mentioned Carlos Dunlap dropping into coverage. I had like 3 people immediately text me asking if they saw that correctly, lol.

 

[seahawksfan234]

Great write up @blstoker

I try my best not to be a negative Nancy (yes I make outrageous claims we're going to lose to reverse jinx the team, if you've known me for a while you know this), but I'm considering this a lost season with Wilson being out. About the only thing we had going for us on the team was the QB/WR/Safety position. QB is gone, WRs are there, but Norton doesn't understand how to run defense nor do the newcomers when a zone is called and they man anyway.

As for this game... Seattle has no pass rush. And their secondary is disorganized... so I expect Rotehtlierliberger to have time where he normally would not. The Steelers OL is terrible, but so is Seattle's pass rush... kind of a yin/yang which will allow the Steelers to do things. On the offensive side, Pittsburgh has a good pass rush.... Seattle's blocking unit is not that great, Carson can't stay healthy, and Geno Smith will not have the vision/quick release anywhere in the same zip code as Wilson.

I fully expect a loss today. I'll never root against Seattle, but I am rooting for various coach firings next season... Seattle is still profitable as a team, and I dunno if Jody really gives a shit about the team. I know Paul did, but Jody inherited it. She may not care about football at all or improving the team... she may just be leeching off the money until the Seahawks are not profitable and then sell em' (which could be for a LONG while if Wilson is retained).

I'm with you for the most part, but I think the pass rush could be better than you think if the Seahawks get Darrell Taylor more snaps.

4 sacks in 141 snaps is really damn impressive. To put that into a bit of perspective... The Seahawks defense has played 382 snaps this year. That's 11 sacks in 382 snaps. Obviously Taylor's sack to snap ratio will dip playing more, but that should give you a good idea of how good he has been when he has been on the field.

 

[Judge Fudge]

The Steelers Fanbase is Panicking

 

[blstoker]

Great write up @blstoker

I try my best not to be a negative Nancy (yes I make outrageous claims we're going to lose to reverse jinx the team, if you've known me for a while you know this), but I'm considering this a lost season with Wilson being out. About the only thing we had going for us on the team was the QB/WR/Safety position. QB is gone, WRs are there, but Norton doesn't understand how to run defense nor do the newcomers when a zone is called and they man anyway.

As for this game... Seattle has no pass rush. And their secondary is disorganized... so I expect Rotehtlierliberger to have time where he normally would not. The Steelers OL is terrible, but so is Seattle's pass rush... kind of a yin/yang which will allow the Steelers to do things. On the offensive side, Pittsburgh has a good pass rush.... Seattle's blocking unit is not that great, Carson can't stay healthy, and Geno Smith will not have the vision/quick release anywhere in the same zip code as Wilson.

I fully expect a loss today. I'll never root against Seattle, but I am rooting for various coach firings next season... Seattle is still profitable as a team, and I dunno if Jody really gives a shit about the team. I know Paul did, but Jody inherited it. She may not care about football at all or improving the team... she may just be leeching off the money until the Seahawks are not profitable and then sell em' (which could be for a LONG while if Wilson is retained).

I truly think this game is winnable, even without Russell - but the team will need to take advantage of the Steelers' weaknesses and turn their own weaknesses into strengths. It's a tall order. I'm just really tired of this idea that our best pass rushing DEs are actually playing the 3rd OLB spot and they're not DEs anymore. Taylor may only have 141 snaps, but I know of many of those where he's been the OLB and doesn't even rush the QB. Dunlap is also being put in that position. It's ridiculous. It's almost like we're trying to think inside the box so hard, that the only innovation we can come up with is to switch everyone's positions and confuse the offense that way. It is frustrating as hell to watch.

 

[blstoker]

Great breakdown as always.

Darrel Taylor: I think we're on the same page about Darrell Taylor and I'm surprised he hasn't seen more snaps. I was really excited about Dunlap coming back but he has been a non-factor so far.

Run Defense: You're definitely right about fatigue playing a factor, but will the Seahawks be able to hold the ball enough on offense for it not to be a factor this week? I also think that despite the Steelers rushing numbers, their ground attack could be better than expected. Najee Harris is incredibly talented and has averaged 4.82 YPC his last two games on 38 carries.

I agree on the rest. It's funny you mentioned Carlos Dunlap dropping into coverage. I had like 3 people immediately text me asking if they saw that correctly, lol.

That Dunlap play was just stupid. It was my first post in last week's thread. Something like "Is Dunlap playing CB?" It was so ridiculous, I wasn't sure I was seeing what I was seeing. Only Seattle would think that turning a 4-3 DE pass rush specialist, make him a 4-3 OLB and play him as a NB would be a great way to confuse the offense.

 

[Tech_God]

3 & out, nice....

 

[HaroldSeattle]

3 & out, nice....

A ray of sunshine

 

[Tech_God]

Good to know Pittsburg has piss poor security...

 

[blstoker]

Hmm, nice to see them go underneath, but maybe another 2 yards on the cross would've been nice.

 

[Judge Fudge]

Just Starting.....

Costco can be a $200-500 Machine that take A few minutes to operate

 

[blstoker]

I liked that defensive stand there.

 

[HaroldSeattle]

Let’s see couple of first downs this drive

 

[Judge Fudge]

 

[Judge Fudge]

What happened to our other C?

 

[blstoker]

Offense looks out of sync.

Not surprised, just disappointed.

 

[HaroldSeattle]

Homer!