On Brandon Mebane’s unfortunate comments
By Keith Myers
Former Seattle Seahawks nose tackle Brandon Mebane’s unfortunate comments this week will tarnish his legacy in Seattle.
This story is already a few days old, but I’m still in disbelief. Former Seattle Seahawks nose tackle Brandon Mebane said the absolute most confusing thing; he said that the San Diego Chargers’ defense is more talented than Seattle’s.
I don’t think anyone is actually offended by these comments, just dumbfounded. It is like saying the sky isn’t blue, or that water isn’t wet. The hard part is figuring out if he’s serious or just trolling us.
"It’s unreal. I was telling guys, there’s more talent on this defense than in Seattle. If you look at the draft, you’ve got four first-round draft picks. You’ve got five second-round draft picks, all total on defense. In Seattle, we only had two first-rounders and one second-rounder. Everybody else was pretty much down in the draft or undrafted."
Look, I get it. Guys say this kind of stuff all the time to endear themselves to their new teammates. But this… this is as bad and when Vince Young called the 6-10 Eagles a “dream team.” There’s no way even his new teammates are buying this.
More from 12th Man Rising
- 4 prospects Seahawks could reach for at No. 20 in 2023 NFL Draft
- Seattle Seahawks Mock Draft: Post-first wave of free agency
- Seahawks podcast: A review of the first week of free agency
- 4 experiments the Seattle Seahawks could cut short in 2023
- 3 pros and cons of Seattle Seahawks drafting Anthony Richardson
The Chargers aren’t even a good defensive team. They were in the bottom half of the league in points (21st), yards (20th), sacks (24th), turnovers (19th), points per drive (24th), and third down conversion rate (14th) last season.
Worried that I’m cherry picking stats to make my point? Let’s add rushing yards (24th), yards per run (30th), passing yards (14th), and yards per pass (28th). There is literally nothing that San Diego’s defense does well.
Adding Mebane will help, but keep in mind that he is a 31 year old run stuffer. He isn’t going to help the team’s pass defense. First round pick Joey Bosa will definitely help things, but he isn’t going to change the Chargers’ defense from a liability into a powerhouse.
For Mebane to claim that there is more talent on that defense than in Seattle is just stupid. The Seahawks have led the NFL is scoring defense for 4 straight seasons. They are in the top five in almost every statistical category. This is a historically great defense that ranks up there with the 70s-era Vikings and the mid-80s Bears.
And all of that is before we bring up the terrible logic he employed that first-round picks are always more talented than late-round guys. By that logic, Kelly Jennings should have been a far better player than Richard Sherman. Ya, because that’s even close to being a possibility.
Despite all the high round picks on San Diego’s defense, they don’t have a cornerback that is close to Richard Sherman. They don’t have a Kam Chancellor; nor do they have a Bobby Wagner or a KJ Wright. Go position by position, and you won’t find a single position where San Diego is more talented on defense than Seattle.
Just like Young’s “dream team” comment, this is going to be brought up over and over during the next decade. It is the type of statement that isn’t easily forgotten from the public memory.
Next: NFL West lacks Seattle's QB stability
Unfortunately, all Mebane did by saying such a stupid statement was to alienate his fans in Seattle. He has always been a fan favorite of the Seahawks. For many, that is no longer the case. This is a sad way for his time in to be remembered.