Skill? Effort? Mindset? Seahawks seek answers for tackling after Steelers steamroll them
Riq Woolen got stiff-armed to the ground with a thump.
That was after the Seahawks’ cornerback stood around then backed away from a pile that the Steelers kept pushing and Seattle kept yielding in for a Pittsburgh touchdown.
Julian Love got driven toward Seattle’s goal line onto his back by a Pittburgh offensive lineman.
Bobby Wagner got run through on yet another Seahawks missed tackle, for another Steelers touchdown — 9 yards by Najee Harris, Pittsburgh’s running back who had thumped Woolen. The score erased Seattle ‘s lead late in the first half.
That was the Seahawks’ last lead Sunday in a game they needed to win to keep control of their playoff fate.
Seattle’s missed tackles totaled at least a dozen, unofficially, by early in the third quarter.
Your 2022 rookie Pro Bowl cornerback who’d already been benched for tackling and other issues this month, Woolen, is one thing.
But when your captain and six-time All-Pro linebacker is getting run through, what in the name of Vince Lombardi can coach Pete Carroll do at this late hour of the season, after 16 games and eight of them losses, to fix the tackling he hasn’t already tried with these Seahawks?
That’s the question The News Tribune asked the 72-year-old, defense-first coach Sunday evening following his team’s 30-23 home loss to Pittsburgh that wrecks Seattle’s playoff hopes in a major way.
Carroll paused for a moment to consider the question.
“At this point of the season — I need to see, really (the game film for) what again happened this time that might have been unique — but there’s all kinds of fundamental stuff,” Carroll said. “It’s about wrapping up, bringing your feet, and doing those things.
“It can’t be more obvious from watching the film. So the principles that we stand for and teach and all that, we’re going to come back to them again and see if we can pull it together.”
One game remains in an increasingly lost season for the Seahawks. They are 8-8, outside the NFC playoff picture looking in and needing a ton of help beyond them beating the Cardinals (4-12) in Arizona next Sunday in the regular-season finale.
Had they won Sunday — that is, had they tackled anybody — the Seahawks would now have at least an 80% chance to make the playoffs according to The New York Times’ playoff predictor.
Now’s It’s down to 20%.
The Steelers used two- and three tight-end formations all game long to basically steamroll the Seahawks’ defensive front. Harris romped for 122 yards on 27 carries with two touchdowns. Jaylen Warren had 75 yards on 13 rushes, with another score. That alone was enough to win.
Pittsburgh rushed 46 times for 202 yards. The Steelers passed their season average of 110 yards rushing, 16th in the league, by the middle of the second quarter.
“Yeah, it’s frustrating,” Love said. “We hold each other accountable, and obviously try to put our best foot forward.
“This late in the season, that’s what wins games, honestly. Close games against a tough team like this, we have to tackle better.
“I wish I had an answer for it. We rep it. We drill it. It just wasn’t our day, and it seemed like things weren’t going our way.”
Again.
Baltimore rushed for 300 yards, then took two kneel-downs to end a 37-3 win over Seattle with 298 yards on the ground.
San Francisco ran for 169 and 173 yards on the Seahawks over the previous five weeks.
Just last week, Christmas Eve, Tennessee romped for 162 yards rushing yet Seattle pulled out a last-second win.
This time, Smith didn’t save the Seahawks or their ransacked defense. He fumbled with 7 minutes left while taking a blind-side after left tackle Charles Cross got soundly beaten by Pittsburgh edge rusher Nick Herbig. That turnover at the Seattle 16 resulted in the Steelers’ field goal that made it a 30-20 game and effectively ended it.
That, and Smith’s offense going 3 for 9 on third downs. With Seattle’s defense, the offense needs to be more like 8 for 9 to have a chance to keep pace.
“If you’re going to be honest, teams are playing keep-away,” Smith said. “You’ve got teams running the ball, milking the clock in the first quarter. That’s been the past two weeks.
“I think that’s the ultimate sign of respect when teams are doing that.”
Perhaps, to Seattle’s offense with Smith having DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba as his receiving weapons.
But it’s the ultimate sign of disrespect to Seattle’s defense. The NFL knows these Seahawks can’t consistently stop the run — and haven’t for two seasons now.
Monday, the Seahawks fortified depth on their ransacked defensive front. They signed back Tacoma native Matt Gotel, a nose tackle from Lakes High School, plus defensive end Hamilcar Rashed and linebacker Christian Young to their practice squad. Seattle had practice-squad spots open after the team signed linebacker Patrick O’Connell, safety Ty Okada and tackle Jake Curhan from the practice squad to the 53-man roster for the Steelers game.
Carroll was asked if it’s a mindset Seahawks defenders just don’t carry into the games to stop other teams from running.
“We felt like we really hammered the principles and the scheme this week so that we could play really efficient at the line of scrimmage,” Carroll said. “And it didn’t work for us. Didn’t work out.
“They continued to fall forward and make their yards. But mindset, it’s a good question because it needs to be different than it was. Look what just happened. We gave them too much.”
This story was originally published December 31, 2023 at 6:46 PM.
