Let Bobby Blitz? Seahawks veteran linebacker Wagner ‘all for it’
Let Russ Cook? The Seahawks seem to have embraced that idea week in and week out so far this season.
So, how about Let Bobby Blitz?
Seattle’s All-Pro veteran linebacker Bobby Wagner could get used to the idea.
“I love it,” he said Wednesday afternoon on a Zoom call with reporters. “I mean, I’m all for blitzing. I have fun blitzing.”
Wagner said following Sunday’s 37-27 win over the 49ers he has talked to coaches about blitzing him more. How effective he can be contributing to the pass rush was certainly on display against San Francisco.
“Whenever they call my number, whenever they choose to put that in the game plan, I get excited and I try to do the best I can,” he said postgame.
Wagner consistently found his way into the backfield, sacked 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo twice — his first two sacks of the season — and finished with four quarterback hits.
He also tallied a team-high 11 tackles and was later named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week.
Meanwhile, the Seahawks, as aggressive as they’ve been pressuring the quarterback since losing All-Pro safety Jamal Adams to a groin injury against Dallas in September, combined for three sacks and eight quarterback hits against the 49ers.
A week after Wagner, noticeably frustrated, addressed the urgent need for defensive improvements — Seattle was allowing a NFL-worst 425.2 yards and 33.8 points per game through seven weeks — he was pleased with the progress.
“I felt like we were a lot more aggressive and we were able to get in the backfield and get the quarterback off his spot,” Wagner said postgame. “Obviously we still have things to work on, but I think it was a step in the right direction.”
The Seahawks didn’t record a single quarterback hit on Kyler Murray in their overtime loss in Arizona in Week 7 — their only loss so far this season — before unleashing the dominant performance Sunday..
Seattle coach Pete Carroll said postgame the shift toward blitzing more was part of the game plan against the 49ers.
“I thought it added to everything,” he said. “I thought that the pressure we threw at them helped everybody. We just decided to take a little turn.
“Obviously, we’re trying to figure some things out to get better, and we just put it on the fellows. We have a great attitude group, and they want to play tough and physical and go after it. We just look for opportunities to make sure and show those guys.”
Could the Seahawks continue to blitz aggressively in the weeks to come? Adams returned to practice this week ahead of Seattle’s Week 9 meeting with the Bills, and newly acquired defensive end Carlos Dunlap is also expected to debut this weekend, signaling they could. And Wagner would certainly want to be involved.
“I could blitz that much for the rest of my career, for sure,” Wagner said. “So, if they want to do that, I’m all for it. But, I think every game is different. Every week is different. You’ve got to approach it differently. … You can’t do the same thing every game.
“But, hopefully I keep blitzing.”
This weekend, the Seahawks will meet Josh Allen for the first time in the third-year Bills quarterback’s career. His mobility — he has 227 rushing yards and four touchdowns in addition to his 2,172 passing yards and 16 touchdowns through eight games — will offer another challenge for Seattle’s defense as it continues to find its footing.
Allen has been sacked 13 times this season — which ranks tied for 13th among NFL passers and fifth-fewest among quarterbacks who have played eight games.
“He does a really good job,” Wagner said. “He can get the ball out of his hands, he can make all the throws, and then, on third downs, there’s a reason why they’re one of the top offenses on third down, because he makes the right play.
“Whether it’s with his feet or throwing the ball, he’s making really good decisions. … He definitely ignites that team, the way he plays.”
The Seahawks will have to play disciplined on defense against the AFC East leaders, but Wagner said the dominant performance against the 49ers has given Seattle’s defensive unit confidence.
“It shows the guys what we’re capable of doing on a night in, night out basis,” he said. “It kind of just sets the standard, and something that we need to continue to improve on. But, like I said, I think it was a good step in the right direction.”
