Key observations of the Seahawks ugly win over the Steelers

Seahawks defense improved over week one

The Good:

• The linebacker group as a whole had themselves quite a game. K.J. Wright finished with a team-high eight tackles. He also forced two different plays out of bounds. Bobby Wagner had a beautifully timed pass deflection, as well as seven tackles. However, Mychal Kendricks was the linebacker who really impressed me today. He did give up the defensive pass interference call. However, he showed he is a very instinctual player. There were a few trick plays that he sniffed out and made the play before the ball could even get rolling. He is a real asset for the team and a great complement to Wagner and Wright’s game. I’m excited to see what’s in store as the three continue to gel together as a unit.
• Bradley McDougald had a great defensive play in the second quarter where he made a leaping dive to intercept a pass that had bounced off the Steelers wide receivers’ arms. Ball hawking was a staple of the 2010’s Seahawks. It’s a breath of fresh air seeing the trend continue in the post Earl Thomas era.
• Jadeveon Clowney was an absolute menace in the first quarter. While he just had two tackles in the period, he also perfectly timed a pass deflection to help end a key drive in the beginning of the game.

The Bad:

• Clowney more or less disappeared after the first quarter. It took a conscious effort to be able to spot Clowney on the field in the second half. Its unclear if being out of football for 9 months is playing a role, or if he is taking plays off. We need him to be 100% every time he is on the field in order for us to succeed and have a chance for another Superbowl run.
• For the second straight week the secondary has allowed multiple big plays. With Tedric Thompson sidelined Lano Hill filled in at the strong safety. The Steelers pulled a flea flicker and rifled a pass 45-yard pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster. The inability to contain deep passes is proving to be a problematic area on defense. This may be more than enough to push GM John Schneider into making a move for the Dolphins do it all secondary player Minkah Fitzpatrick.

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