SAN FRANCISCO – Red Bryant anticipated this scenario.
With the Seattle Seahawks returning seven players on defense and eight new faces on offense, Bryant said the defense expected to shoulder more responsibility early in the season.
And for the most part they did just that, limiting San Francisco to 209 total yards and holding the Niners’ offense to one third-down conversion in a dozen attempts.
With San Francisco in Seattle territory most of the first half, the Seahawks held firm and gave up only four field goals.
But defense came up short in a couple of key areas – it did not force any turnovers and it finished with no sacks of San Francisco quarterback Alex Smith.
Oddly, in exhibition play the Seahawks led the league in forced fumbles with 12.
“We battled our (rears) off,” Bryant said. “But we know we have to get more turnovers. Everybody knows offense needs rhythm,” Bryant said. “We’ve got some continuity on defense. And so we know what our recipe is going to have to be to win – a great defense, … great special teams and the offense is going to come eventually.”
In particular, the Sea-hawks did a nice job of tackling in the open field and not giving up big gains, a problem with Seattle’s defense last season. Seattle gave up only two plays of 20 yards or more.
“We gave ourselves a chance to win,” said second-year safety Earl Thomas, who finished with eight tackles, including two for losses. “We had bad field position the whole game, but we played lights out. I give credit to the defensive line for stuffing the run. We prepared real well, and I think it showed on the field.
“I’m very pleased with the defense, but you always want to get that W.”
Carroll was particularly impressed with how his defenders played in situations where they were quickly forced back on the field. Prime examples were a Tarvaris Jackson fumble where Seattle held San Francisco to a 24-yard field goal, and a first-and-goal from the 1 after Brandon Browner was called for roughing the kicker, with Seattle holding David Akers to an 18-yard field goal in the second half.
“Those were great, great stands,” Carroll said. “The one after the guy flopped on the field goal attempt, and they get the ball back again, that’s another great sequence right there.
“There’s a lot to take away from this game in that regard and our guys know it. We played like we thought we could up front and got that done.”
And with the offense still struggling to find its rhythm, defensive tackle Brandon Mebane said it’s too early to panic.
“The one thing that we’re not going to get into is pointing fingers,” Mebane said. “We’re going to learn from it, build from it and we’ve got to grow from it. It’s a long season. We’re good. We’ve just got to build each other up.”
Eric D. Williams: 253-597-8437
eric.williams@thenewstribune.com
blog.thenewstribune.com/seahawks/
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