Tag Archives: Carlos Dunlap

Hurtt’s talk of 3-4 foreshadowed recent moves in front seven

March 20, 2022 cc 6 Comments

Clint Hurtt was not kidding when he said the Seahawks’ defense would be different in 2022.

After he was promoted to coordinator, he said, “The 3-4 system is something that I’ve really embraced and obviously Vic Fangio is a big influence. … There’s going to be some element of that. I will say we’re going to be multiple. …

“You have to adjust along the way,” he said, “and sometimes that means you have to adjust your scheme. That’s where we’re going into a transition right now.”

That transition has been very clear in the personnel moves the Seahawks have made in the first week of free agency. Gone are Carlos Dunlap, Kerry Hyder and Benson Mayowa – replaced by Uchenna Nwosu and former Seahawk Quinton Jefferson.

Continue reading →

State of the team, The roster, Trades

Was the trade a good deal? And how quickly can the Hawks ‘reset’?

March 9, 2022 cc 2 Comments

Many Seahawks fans are understandably upset over the trade of longtime franchise QB Russell Wilson, not realizing that it is the best thing for the franchise (and for Wilson).

Some fans are so busy sobbing into their beers that they even think the Seahawks are counting on Drew Lock to be the new starter. Some think they got a bad deal from Denver (Lock’s presence might have some bearing on that). And almost everyone thinks the Hawks are now rebuilding.

Let’s take a look at each of those concerns and see where the Seahawks go from here:

Continue reading →

Coaches, X's & O's

Hurtt has plans to improve defense

February 17, 2022 cc 3 Comments

Pete Carroll apparently has given recently promoted DC Clint Hurtt carte blanche to remake Seattle’s defense in Vic Fangio’s image – and it certainly sounds like Hurtt knows what he needs to do.

Among his revelations in his first appearance as DC, Hurtt said the Seahawks are at least partly changing their scheme from Carroll’s long-favored Cover 3, they will be more aggressive in both the pass rush and coverage, and Jamal Adams will be used closer to the line of scrimmage (as we all know he should be). Hurtt also expects new/old sidekick Sean “Doc” Desai to help with quick in-game adjustments.

The result should be fewer D-linemen dropping, fewer open zones, more man, more blitzing, more turnovers — and better defense.

A look at what is changing and what Hurtt said about the changes:

Continue reading →

NFL history, State of the team, The roster

Hawks should take lessons on how 49ers and Rams keep getting to the Super Bowl

January 30, 2022 cc 1 Comment

“We feel this is the toughest division in football.” – John Schneider on the NFC West.

The NFC West has been the best division in football for several years now, so it is no big surprise that the NFC championship featured two teams from Seattle’s division.

The 49ers and Rams both have lost in the Super Bowl in the past three years, and now – after a pair of walk-off road wins last weekend — one of them (the Rams) is returning to the league’s championship game. It will be the NFC West’s sixth Super Bowl appearance in the last 10 seasons – another tribute to the best division in the NFL.

Continue reading →

Contracts, The roster, Week 18: At Arizona

Futures of Diggs, Penny are the focus after notable season finale

January 9, 2022 cc Leave a comment

Seattle’s 38-30 win in Arizona was meaningless to the franchise as far as this season is concerned, but it certainly meant a lot to the futures of Quandre Diggs and Rashaad Penny – for opposite reasons.

Poor Diggs suffered a broken fibula and dislocated ankle in the fourth quarter and left on a cart in tears as he surely considered the impact of the injury on his impending free agency.

Meanwhile, Penny had another big game, leading even more people to foolishly suggest the Seahawks pay him a bunch of money this year.

Continue reading →

Week 13: San Francisco

Wilson wakes up & other observations from a rare win

December 5, 2021 cc Leave a comment

Russell Wilson had a good value-rebuilding game, snapping out of the worst funk of his career as he hit 30 of 37 passes – his best percentage (81) of the season.

He also nailed a quick RB screen to Rashaad Penny that gained 27 yards – the most successful screen play Wilson has executed in memory (Geno Smith had a decent one earlier this season, but the Seahawks largely stink at these — as everyone knows).

Even with two third-stringers playing on the line, Wilson looked a lot more like the resilient player we have long seen. We’ll see whether he can keep it going.

Continue reading →

Week 12: At Washington, X's & O's

Pass rush: How did Hawks turn strength into weakness?

November 26, 2021 cc Leave a comment

Next to the offense’s total faceplant, the lackluster pass rush has been the biggest surprise of the Seahawks’ season.

Although the defense has improved markedly in key areas since Week 4, it has been somewhat stunning that Carlos Dunlap, Kerry Hyder and the rest have not been able to get to quarterbacks. This unit was easily the strength of the defense entering the season – yet has underperformed expectations.

But it is not simply a matter of those guys suddenly stinking. A lot of the blame lies with Pete Carroll and Ken Norton Jr. They have eschewed the pass rush at times and simply have not created any chemistry because they keep mixing and matching rotations.

Continue reading →

Week 7: New Orleans, X's & O's

Time for pass rush to catch up

October 21, 2021 cc Leave a comment

The Seahawks’ pass rush has been largely neutered over the first six games by quick-draw quarterbacks, but Seattle’s rushers might finally have a chance to make more impact the next two games – and hopefully beyond.

It’s not like the Seahawks have been terrible in the pass rush. Yes, they are tied for 22^nd with just 11 sacks and are 19^th in pressure percentage (23.9). But they are 10^th in pass rush win rate, beating blocks within 2.5 seconds 45% of the time, per ESPN’s tracking.

So, the Hawks have been around the QB around half the time; they just have not been able to get sacks or as much pressure as they need to because the ball has been getting out even faster than they can get there.

Continue reading →

State of the team, The roster

State of the roster as season begins

September 8, 2021 cc Leave a comment

“It’s a critical time.” – Russell Wilson after another early playoff exit in January

A dramatic offseason and largely uneventful preseason are behind us, and we are finally about to see whether the Seahawks are any better than they were in 2020, when their offense and defense went in opposite directions over the course of the season and they once again failed to move past the first playoff game.

After a 3-5 record in the postseason over the past six years and two one-and-dones in the past three, the pressure is on to go deep into the playoffs and make a strong Super Bowl run in 2021.

Continue reading →

NFL draft, State of the team

Hawks had a quietly successful offseason

May 4, 2021 cc 1 Comment

The Seahawks’ offseason might not seem impressive to some, especially with such a limited draft, but John Schneider and the Hawks quietly have done yeoman’s work to refill and improve their roster, and Pete Carroll is justified in expecting his team to be “very, very competitive.”

The Seahawks had few pressing needs in the draft last weekend because they had made sure to get starters at every spot beforehand. The needs they had were for a corner and center to push the incumbents, a reliable third receiver and a left tackle of the future. They hit on three of those (all but the center), closing the second chapter of a solid offseason.

“I thought this offseason was really successful at situating the roster where we felt good going into the draft,” Carroll said after the Hawks had made their third and final pick (the fewest in team history).

Continue reading →