Bobby Wagner’s revived confidence in a Seahawks defense that’s showing promising signs
No, Bobby Wagner wasn’t worried about losing to the Eagles the last time the Seahawks played them.
Particularly after then-Seattle defensive end Jadeveon Clowney knocked Carson Wentz from the NFC wild-card playoff game in January with a hit to the head of Philadelphia’s quarterback.
Wentz’s concussion forced 40-year-old backup Josh McCown into the game for the Eagles. McCown had left a television job with ESPN to unretire back into the NFL. McCown had chances that January night in Philadelphia to rally the Eagles. But the Seahawks ultimately won, 17-9.
What was Wagner thinking?
“That we were going to win the game,” Seattle’s All-Pro middle linebacker said this week. “That we weren’t going to let somebody who was limping around 40 years old win the game for them.
“That would be kind of like one of you guys (in Seattle’s media) coming out and try to win the game.”
Hey, now!
For the first 8 1/2 games of this season, the Seattle media may have been able to beat Wagner’s defense.
It’s changed
The Seahawks have been on pace to allow the most yards in NFL history over a full season. They won six of their first seven games despite their defense, and only because quarterback Russell Wilson was the early leading candidate for the NFL MVP award running the league’s highest-scoring offense.
The Seahawks (7-3) remain ranked last in the league in total defense (435 yards allowed per game) and pass defense (344 yards against per game) entering their return game with the Eagles Monday night in Philadelphia. But in the second half of their loss at the Los Angeles Rams two games ago then last week while beating the Arizona Cardinals, Wagner’s defense improved—if not turned a corner, as coach Pete Carroll believes.
The Seahawks have for the first time this season gotten semi-consistent pressure on quarterbacks from their four defensive lineman.
Carlos Dunlap is why.
In his three games for Seattle since his trade from Cincinnati, the two-time Pro Bowl defensive end has 3 1/2 sacks. Dunlap’s sack of Kyler Murray on fourth and 10 for Arizona with 35 seconds left sealed the Seahawks’ 28-21 victory last week.
Defensive tackle Jarran Reed had three sacks in two years before Dunlap arrived. Reed has three sacks in three games playing next to Dunlap.
In three games Seattle has gone from near bottom of the league in sacks to in the top half, 13th.
The Seahawks are still blitzing more than they ever have in 11 seasons under Carroll. But only in the last two games have they finally been marrying tighter coverage by their battered defensive backs behind those blitzes.
The results: the fewest points allowed by Seattle this season in each of the last two games: 23 by the Rams and 21 by the Cardinals. Los Angeles (7-3) and Arizona (6-4) are the two teams the Seahawks battling atop the NFC West.
That gives Seattle more confidence on and with Wagner’s defense than its had all season.
Just in time for the schedule breaking the Seahawks’ way.
Monday night at the Eagles starts four consecutive games for Seattle against teams that are at least three games under .500. That includes the winless New York Jets in Seattle net month. Only one the Seahawks’ final six games of the regular season is against a winning team: Dec. 27 at home in the rematch with the Rams.
“The way we’ve responded is something we, obviously, need to continue doing,” coordinator Ken Norton Jr. said of his defense’s recent mini-surge.
Wentz’s worries
Unfortunately for Wagner, McCown isn’t coming in for Wentz Monday night. He’s now a backup with his homestate Houston Texans. He recently signed with them after months on an agreement with the Eagles to remain on their practice squad while at home in Texas. He was on layaway separated from the Eagles because of the coronavirus pandemic—and just in case Wentz got COVID-19 and had to go into weeks of quarantine this unprecedented season.
Rookie Jalen Hurts is now the Eagles’ backup quarterback. Some around Philadelphia want Hurts playing and Wentz benched.
The Eagles’ franchise quarterback hasn’t been the same since he was 11-2 then got a season-ending knee injury late in the 2017 season. Wentz has a league-leading 14 interceptions this season. His decisions such as floating a pass outside short against his goal line for an easy interception touchdown by the Browns in a low-scoring loss at Cleveland last weekend are why the Eagles have three wins in 10 games.
He’s also been sacked 40 times, another league high. He’s been playing behind nine different combinations of starting offensive linemen. Beyond the sacks Wentz has been hit 58 times on pass plays, also the most in the NFL.
“You can see he’s really tough. It’s unfortunate that he’s been dealing with what he’s been dealing with,” Norton said.
“But at the same time, our guys (have) got to show up. Our guys have to really put it together and make (pressuring QBs) our strength.
“We are excited about this challenge that we have.”
Philadelphia remains in first place in the horrid NFC East. That’s why Wentz will start again against the Seahawks. The Eagles’ season remains intact and they are playing for another home playoff game.
His two best throwing targets are tight ends Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert. Ertz has been on injured reserve and hasn’t played since Oct. 18 because of an ankle injury. Wednesday, Eagles coach Doug Pederson said Ertz was going to come off IR and play against Seattle.. With Alshon Jeffery hurt again this season and Nelson Agholor now in Las Vegas, Philadelphia doesn’t have the wide receivers to threaten defenses down the field. Goedert and Ertz are the Eagles’ best chances to damage the Seahawks’ pass defense that’s been ranked last in the NFL almost all season.
Philadelphia’s Miles Sanders is third in the league averaging 5.7 yards per carry and 13th in the NFL with 585 yards rushing. Number-two back Boston Scott averages just under 5 yards per rush. That’s how the Eagles attempt to lessen the burden, and the beatings, on Wentz.
“They do a lot of RPOs,” Wagner said, referring to run-pass options at which Wentz was so brilliant during Philadelphia’s Super Bowl-winning season three years ago. “They’ve got a lot of different backs with Miles (leading), definitely. If you let him make the hole pretty fast he can break one pretty easy.
“So we’ve just got to make sure we are gap sound and come downhill, and we’ll be fine.”
Even without McCown coming into this one.
This story was originally published November 26, 2020 at 10:16 AM.
