Seahawks defense’s lack of discipline clear on more than just stupid penalties vs. Titans
Finally, more than 68,000 vaccinated (or negative-tested) people were screaming for them, for the first time in nearly two full years.
A new defensive scheme up front again was working as intended to throttle another top, bruising running back.
A two-touchdown lead had Lumen Field rockin’ like it was the Super Bowl seasons of 2013 and ‘14, or 2019 — or any other year in NFL and Seahawks history not silenced by a pandemic.
“It was such a great day at the stadium,” coach Pete Carroll said Sunday. “The fans were ready and rocking and we wanted to reward them with a big win, as well.
“We did so many good things — and then we really hurt ourselves just too many times.”
Five defensive penalties, four of them after the play and one offsides foul on a third and short, gave Tennessee five first downs and led directly to 10 Titans points. That’s the obvious lack of discipline that led to Seattle’s 33-30 loss in its home opener Sunday, the first real Seahawks home game with fans in 21 months.
But what also ended Seattle’s streak of winning 12 consecutive home openers was a jarring, inexcusable lack of discipline during plays.
“We beat ourselves,” All-Pro safety Jamal Adams said.
In so many ways.
Poor, undisciplined blitz angles. Over-pursuit in run lanes. Leaving assignments to freelance and susceptible to cut-back runs.
That’s how the Seahawks allowed 532 yards and 33 points to blow a 15-point lead at halftime, and a 14-point edge with 13 minutes remaining in the game.
Sunday started for Seattle how the Seahawks’ opening win at Indianapolis the previous week had gone on defense: well. For the second straight game the Seahawks used new defensive fronts with five linemen and two linebackers, instead of Carroll’s usual base 4-3. As it had the previous week in slowing the Colts’ big Jonathan Taylor, the extra defensive lineman was throttling Tennessee’s two-time defending NFL rushing champion Derrick Henry Sunday.
Sometimes it was extra tackle Robert Nkemdiche, playing his first NFL game since Nov. 3, 2019, for the Miami Dolphins. Other times it was an extra end, with Kerry Hyder inside as a third, hybrid tackle.
Most times, it was working.
The 247-pound Henry had just 35 yards on 13 carries through the first half.
Then in the second half, leading 24-9, the Seahawks began getting over-eager closing in on Henry. That was decisive, because Seattle’s offense stagnated against Tennessee’s increased blitzing. The Seahawks scored just six points over the final three periods.
Hendry had his longest gain of the day to that point on the first play of the third quarter, when he cut past Seattle’s too-aggressive defenders. That Titans drive ended with Henry running an outside zone-read play off right tackle. All five Seahawks defensive linemen and both linebackers, Bobby Wagner and Cody Barton, overran the play to their left, where Henry and the Titans’ blockers were flowing.
Henry saw the lack of discipline in Seattle’s back-side run-gap responsibilities. He cut sharply to his left and found himself alone with Seahawk Quandre Diggs. Henry out-weighs Diggs by 50 pounds. He easily ran through the Pro Bowl safety to the left pylon for a 9-yard touchdown. Seattle’s lead was down to 24-16.
Barton was playing next to Wagner because Carroll had benched Jordyn Brooks. The starter and team’s first-round draft choice in 2020 had hit MyCole Pruitt 3 yards past the sideline boundary at the end of the Titan’s catch and run earlier on the opening drive of the second half. That was one of the five dumb penalties by the Seahawks that gifted Tennessee first downs and points.
By the start of the fourth quarter, Henry was rolling. And the Seahawks will still over-pursuing.
It happened again with 12 1/2 minutes left. Two plays after Seattle took a 30-16 lead when the Titans negligently left Seahawks wide receiver uncovered for a 68-yard touchdown pass from Russell Wilson, Henry ran to the right then again cut hard left. He saw Adams blitzing recklessly inside off the offense’s left edge, too inside and flat toward the center. Henry cut left around Adams to the open edge.
“We were too aggressive on the edge,” Carroll said. “Just got Jamal fired up about taking a shot at something and he, the combination of how we played the edge right there, the ball bounced and he’s been doing that for years, he takes off and gets on the edge and nobody can take him down.
“All day long we fought to not let that happen, and then it finally did.”
With Henry easily past Adams, Tre Flowers was overmatched as the cornerback on that side. He took a poor angle and flailed as Henry ran upfield inside him. That left Henry again alone on the defense’s right edge with Diggs, at midfield. Henry stiff-armed Diggs on the top of this helmet. Diggs fell to Henry’s feet as Tennessee’s horse galloped the rest of 60 yards for his second of three rushing touchdowns.
What happened on Adams’ blitz there?
“He scored. I was behind him. We obviously didn’t get him down,” Adams said, flatly. “He scored.”
Wagner, who set a Seahawks record with 20 tackles, 16 solo, for naught, said: “I think everybody just got really aggressive when we hit our gaps. He bounced it outside and we left a lot of space for him in the corner, which you don’t want to give. Anybody by themselves with that much space is hard to tackle.
“We have to make sure that we don’t leave the corner out there.”
Henry’s third score was a 1-yard run up the middle with 24 seconds left in regulation. That tied the game at 30. Henry rushed for 26 yards and caught a screen pass and another pass for 18 more yards on that tying drive in a 2-minute drill.
“We knew that we could move the ball, and needed to finish in the end zone,” Henry said. “We made it a focal point to put drives together and score points.”
To begin Tennessee’s second possession of overtime, on a short field, Henry plowed off left tackle for 12 yards. That put Randy Bullock in position make the 36-yard field goal. Game over.
“He just kept running the ball. Obviously, he’s a top back for a reason. One of the best, if not the best, back in the league,” Adams said. “Bigger back. Everybody has to do their job, have to stay in our gaps, as firm as possible.
“If we give him a little bit of a crease he’s going to hit it, because he’s that good.
“He got rolling. And when he gets rolling, he’s dangerous.”
Lethal, to the nosy and undisciplined Seahawks Sunday.
Henry finished with 182 yards on 35 carries with three touchdowns. He rushed for more yards than anyone had on the Seahawks in nine years. Adrian Peterson ran for 182, on 17 rushes, for Minnesota in Seattle on Nov. 4, 2012.
Those Seahawks won that game nine years ago, a season before back-to-back Super Bowl seasons.
These Seahawks aren’t good enough to be so undisciplined, both in assignments during plays and actions immediately after them.
“It’s about just playing our gaps,” Adams said. “We just have to stay in our gaps. If we give a little bit of a crease for a guy like Derrick Henry, he’s going to hit it.”
The lessons the Seahawks’ defense needs to take from Sunday heading into next Sunday’s game at Dalvin Cook (192 yards rushing through two games) and the Minnesota Vikings (0-2) in Minneapolis?
“Just doing our job,” Adams said. “Just staying disciplined for four quarters.”
This story was originally published September 20, 2021 at 5:30 AM.
