Seahawks front 7 looks dominant

We’ve seen three weeks of glorified Seahawks practices now and one thing is for certain, the offense may struggle to find their footing while adjusting to inexperience and position changes along the offensive line.

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The good news is, they may not have to be very good the first quarter of the season.

This Seahawks front 7 looks dominant, and could be the best the team has ever had.

In fact, by the end of the year they could be recognized as the league’s best.

Coming in to this season I had some concerns about the team up front on defense. We knew the linebackers would be great, but there were a number of key questions surrounding the Seahawks front 7.

Would Brandon Mebane be 100% healthy returning from a significant groin injury suffered last year?
How would free agent signee Ahtyba Rubin fare in recently released Tony McDaniel’s spot next to Mebane?
Will Michael Bennett be focused after spending the offseason (and some of training camp) bitching about his contract?
Would the young guys coming off injury, Jordan Hill and Cassius Marsh, stay healthy and make plays?
And what exactly do we have in controversial 2nd round pick DE/DT Frank Clark?

Well the answers to these questions have all been positive. Mebane looks as dominant as ever, Rubin is the perfect compliment to him, Bennett looks like he’s trying to win Defensive Player Of The Year and get paid, Hill and Marsh ARE healthy and making plays all over the place, and Clark’s versatility, intensity and sheer strength have been one of the highlights of the preseason.

Cumulatively, and with Bobby Wagner, K.J. Wright, and Bruce Irvin playing lights out behind them, this unit looks great against the run, and also capable of generating a pass rush on any down, no matter which combination of players is out there.

The Chargers placed a major emphasis on upgrading their offensive line the last two years in the draft and free agency. Phil Simms could’t stop talking about how much he liked the Chargers offensive line on the broadcast last night, and the Seahawks mostly dominated them.

Head Coach Pete Carroll thinks it’s the fastest team he’s had:

"“This looks to be a team maybe more than we have been to be able to pressure the way we are hitting stuff and the timing and the speed that our guys can hit it with was apparent against good protection too and and quarterback that knows what he’s doing and all that.’’]"

In fact, one of the things I’ve enjoyed the most is seeing how aggressive they’ve been. It appears that new Defensive Coordinator Kris Richard is more fearless in calling blitzes than either of his predecessors, Gus Bradley or Dan Quinn. On one 3rd and 7 play late in the first quarter, David Terrell blitzed from his safety spot and almost sacked QB Phillip Rivers, ruining any chance of the Chargers making a play. Richard played CB in the league, so he may have a higher comfort level with using his DB’s to provide unexpected pressure.

This will come as a welcome change for greedy Seahawks fans, but Carroll himself is also on board with the change:

"“I think you re seeing Kris is a little more aggressive than we have been, which I love,’’Carroll said.”and he is playing to the strengths of the players’’"

So continue to fret about Russell Wilson and the offense, because there are certainly things that are worrisome there. But realize that the Seahawks front 7 may just be good enough to win games until the offense picks things up.

Next: Seahawks Links: The Day After

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