Can the Seattle Seahawks defense solve the big play breakdown?

There is a negative and positive trend for the Seattle Seahawks on both sides of the ball. In the fourth quarter, the offense finds its groove, while the defense falls asleep at least once. Consequently, the result of a game is far more difficult to manage.

This is something Seattle needs to fix. Because as great as quarterback Russell Wilson has been, the pillar of Seahawks football should be their defense.

A bad tendency for the 2017 Seattle Seahawks

One of head coach Pete Carroll’s favorite quotes is, “It’s not how you start, it is how you finish.” Therefore, questions asked about the performance of the defense on the final drives of games are deserved.

In the second contest of 2016 between Seattle and Arizona, Seattle was able to tie the game at 31. Arizona received the kickoff and then the Seahawks gave up a 39 yard pass from quarterback Carson Palmer to running back David Johnson.

Equally important, this changed field position for Arizona. They began at their own 38 and moved to the Seattle 33. Four plays later, Cardinals kicker Chandler Catanzaro hit a field goal to win 34-31.

This tendency has carried into the 2017 season.

The stunner against Washington and too little too late versus Tennessee were caused by big play breakdowns by the defense.

Seattle still has yet to play a complete game on both sides of the ball.

Seattle Seahawks Match-Up for Thursday

The impact of the two new additions to the secondary have not gone unnoticed. Rookie cornerback Shaquill Griffin and newcomer Justin Coleman are potentially the future of the group in Seattle.

While they have made a positive impact, there are a few negatives as well.

When the opposition is threatening at the end of a game, they do not test veteran cornerback Richard Sherman because of his playmaking ability on the outside. For this reason, the opposing quarterback will look to throw at Griffin or Coleman.

On Thursday, the Cardinals will look to exploit the new corners. It is important to remember, Arizona’s wide receiver John Brown has torched the Seahawks corners in the past. He is a speedster on the outside who has the ability to make plays over the top of the defense.

For a Seahawks win on Thursday, the offense will need to put points on the board, while the defense keeps the receivers in front of them.

There needs to be no big play opportunity for Arizona throughout the course of the game.

The staple of Seahawks football for the last few seasons is to run the football and rely on the defense to make plays to win. By and large, the ground game is a glimmer of what it used to be, while the defense is still mostly there.

Which defensive version will 12s see in the desert on Thursday if the game comes down to them on a final drive?

Related Story: Seahawks grades versus the Redskins

(By the way, since it is Thursday Night Football, Seattle will rock the Action Green Color Rush Jerseys.)