Tag Archives: Darrell Bevell

It’s time to put offense back in Beast Mode

October 12, 2014 cc Leave a comment

The Dallas Cowboys came to Seattle with the 20^th-ranked run defense in the league. You would think the Seahawks would have tried to exploit that weakness using their top-ranked rushing offense.

But, the same Seattle offense that ran for 225 yards on 36 attempts against Washington on Monday chose to eschew the run Sunday in a 30-23 loss. Coach Pete Carroll blamed it on losing the third-down battle, but it certainly was more than that.

True, the Hawks won just 12 of 30 third downs on both sides, which led to a 38-22 edge for Dallas in time of possession. And the defense gave up the biggest conversion — on third-and-20 — with five minutes left.

But the Hawks could have run the ball more than 18 times. Marshawn Lynch carried it just 10 — even though he averaged 6.1 yards per tote. Russell Wilson, who ran for a career-best 122 yards on 11 carries last Monday, ran it just twice for 12 yards vs. Dallas.

Continue reading It’s time to put offense back in Beast Mode →

Week 6: Dallas, X's & O's

Why doesn’t Wilson run more often?

October 11, 2014 cc Leave a comment

After watching Russell Wilson outrun Denver in overtime and use his feet to beat Washington, plenty of Seahawks fans have to be thinking: He controls the game so much when he runs, why doesn’t he do it more often?

The simple answer is he prefers to hand off to Marshawn Lynch on those read option plays and keep his eyes downfield when passing plays break down.

Most of Wilson’s running last season was out of necessity as Darrell Bevell inexplicably failed to move Wilson around behind Seattle’s battered offensive line. After rushing for 489 yards on 94 carries as a rookie — much of that on the read option in the second half of the season — Wilson ran for 539 yards on 96 carries last season.

As expected (by us anyway), this season he is running more. With 209 yards on 29 carries, he is on pace for 836 yards and 116 rushes.

Until Monday, most of Wilson’s runs had been scrambles off busted pass plays. In the 26-20 overtime win vs. Denver in Week 3, he led the Hawks to the winning touchdown on scrambles.

But against Washington, half of his runs were off zone-read keepers — a rare game in which he chose to run the ball 11 times, netting a career-high 122 yards in the 27-17 win. It was part of the plan against the Redskins.

Continue reading Why doesn’t Wilson run more often? →

Week 4: Bye, X's & O's

Are Hawks using Harvin to best effect?

September 26, 2014 cc Leave a comment

After the Seahawks unveiled their new, improved (read: healthy) Percy Harvin in the season opener, everyone went gaga over the way the mercurial playmaker was used.

And Pete Carroll stoked the excitement by teasing, “There’s a bunch of other stuff we’ll do. … We’re just getting started.”

It sounded so promising.

In two games since then, though, the Seattle offense has used Harvin more as a decoy than anything, prompting the question: Are Carroll and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell using Harvin to best effect?

Continue reading Are Hawks using Harvin to best effect? →

Week 4: Bye, X's & O's

Offense has been almost pointless in second half

September 25, 2014 cc Leave a comment

Marshawn Lynch is tackled in the end zone for a safety by Denver's T.J. Ward, left, and Chris Harris on Sept. 21 (AP) — Marshawn Lynch is tackled in the end zone for a safety by Denver’s T.J. Ward, left, and Chris Harris on Sept. 21 (AP)

Russell Wilson said he was “almost hoping” Peyton Manning would rally the Denver Broncos to tie the game Sunday. That way Wilson could get the ball again.

It’s hard to blame Wilson for wanting another chance after the way the second half went. As bad as the defensive meltdown was on Denver’s final possession, the Seattle offense really carried more responsibility for letting a two-touchdown lead slip away.

And that really was just part of a trend over the first three games in which the offense has gone from scoring machine in the first half to almost pointless in the second.

Continue reading Offense has been almost pointless in second half →

Week 3: Denver

Lockette shows why coaches love him

September 23, 2014 cc Leave a comment

Ricardo Lockette catches a touchdown pass against Aqib Talib during the second quarter Sunday (Getty)

The Seahawks have been raving about Ricardo Lockette all year, and now everyone is seeing why.

Back in minicamps, offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell often tossed Lockette’s name out as someone the coaches were excited about — particularly because of his sub-4.3 speed. That’s why it was easy to see the fourth-year player making the team again despite a huge logjam at wide receiver.

As the fourth or even fifth receiver, he doesn’t get many offensive opportunities — yet he has caught touchdown passes in both victories this season. Add to that his standout play on special teams and you have the kind of player the Seahawks love — fast and versatile.

He showed it all in the win over Denver on Sunday.

Continue reading Lockette shows why coaches love him →

Week 3: Denver

‘It’s a completely different defense’

September 19, 2014 cc Leave a comment

DeMarcus Ware sacks Andrew Luck in Week 1 (AP)

While the Denver Broncos’ offense has undergone a few personnel changes here and there, the defense is almost an entirely different unit from the one the Seahawks saw in the Super Bowl.

The secondary is completely changed, with physical cornerback Aqib Talib and safety T.J. Ward coming in and cornerback Chris Harris and safety Rahim Moore returning from injuries. Defensive end Derek Wolfe and linebacker Von Miller also are healthy, and DeMarcus Ware signed on to replace Shaun Phillips opposite Miller.

“It’s a totally different team defensively for us,” Seattle offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell said Wednesday. “They’ve added really great players. They get Von Miller back, DeMarcus Ware, T.J. Ward, Aqib Talib — the list goes on. They have really solid players. It’s a completely different defense with the players that they have now, so there’s really no comparison.”

Continue reading ‘It’s a completely different defense’ →

X's & O's

All you need to know about the jet sweep

September 13, 2014 cc Leave a comment

In 2012, the Seahawks added a dynamic player with unique traits and eventually found a way to take advantage of them: Rookie quarterback Russell Wilson lit up the league with the zone read option in the last few weeks of the season.

This year, the Hawks have another new player with stellar abilities, and they already know how to use him.

OK, so Percy Harvin isn’t really new — he was acquired last year — but a hip injury limited him to just a few plays all season so this is really the first time he has been healthy and used to full effect. He showed off his skills impressively in the season-opening 36-16 win over Green Bay.

Now everyone is talking about the Seahawks’ use of the jet sweep — i.e., “The Percy Harvin play.”

Continue reading All you need to know about the jet sweep →

Week 2: At San Diego

Seahawks seem to have all of the advantages

September 13, 2014 cc Leave a comment

Chargers McCoy — Chargers coach Mike McCoy (Getty Images)

If the Seahawks don’t beat the San Diego Chargers on Sunday — perhaps handily — it will be a huge surprise. After all, how many advantages can one team have over another?

Shall we count the ways?

1 — The Seahawks saw the Chargers’ personnel in the preseason, during a 41-14 demolition, and we saw what happened the last time the Hawks played a preseason opponent during the season: Seahawks 43, Broncos 8 in the Super Bowl.

The Seahawks blew out the Broncos in the preseason last year, too, and they used that game to familiarize themselves with the Broncos’ personnel. (The Broncos have to really be looking forward to coming to Seattle next week.)

The Hawks did the same thing with the Chargers this preseason.

Continue reading Seahawks seem to have all of the advantages →