Seahawks avert their defensive death spiral at the best time
The Seahawks defense had underperformed all season. They certainly picked the right time to come to some semblance of life against the 49ers.
I don’t think it’s exactly a secret that the Seahawks defense hasn’t played particularly well this season. After week nine, the team ranked 22nd in points and 25th in yards allowed. You probably don’t need the reminder, but Seattle led the league in fewest points allowed for four straight seasons in the heyday of the Legion of Boom. We’re a long way from those days, sadly. Yet I saw several reasons for hope in the defensive effort and execution versus the 49ers.
The Hawks defensive plan was two-fold. First, shut down the Niners prolific running game. Entering the contest, the 49ers had averaged 156 yards per game. The Hawks held them to 87, their lowest total for the season to that point. It’s true that the Cardinals held them to a miniscule 34 rushing yards the very next game, they also allowed Jimmy Garoppolo to throw for over 400 yards. They did half their job.
Seattle needed to contain the big play, avoiding Arizona’s flaw. The Niners longest play of the game was just 30 yards, and Garoppolo was held to a passer rating of just 66.2. He had just posted a passer rating of 136.9 the week before versus the Cardinals. He hit a rating of 115.4 in his 400-yard rematch against the Cards the following week. The Seahawks defense did exactly what they needed to do.
Seattle Seahawks
So how did this miracle occur? The Seahawks made two big substitutions. The first had a profound impact on the game. Newly acquired Quandre Diggs got the start in place of Marquise Blair. Blair has been good, but he’s still a rookie. Diggs delivered hits just as hard as Blair and was better in coverage. Looks like the Seahawks had a plan for Diggs after all.
The second change Seattle made to their lineup involved one player who had been a chronic underperformer so far this year and another who had yet to get a chance. Starting defensive end Ziggy Ansah got just 13 snaps versus the Niners. Linebacker Shaquem Griffin got his first snaps of the year on defense, as Seattle finally saw enough in practice to actually try Griffin as a speed rusher off the edge. He didn’t register a sack in his 13 plays, but he gave the Niners offensive line something new (and fast) to think about.
The biggest change the Hawks made in their line play was moving Quinton Jefferson to the end more often, opposite Jadeveon Clowney. The solid play of Al Woods and Poona Ford allowed Seattle to use them in rotation with Jarran Reed far more often, giving Jefferson the chance to move outside more often. Clowney was an absolute monster, and the Hawks recorded five sacks and kept Garoppolo on the run all night.
dark. Next. Hawks have secret weapon vs Niners
It certainly wasn’t a shutout. But the defense held the 49ers to 80 fewer yards and five less points than their average. They forced three turnovers, and only allowed San Francisco to convert 40 percent of their third downs (they’ve averaged a 48 percent conversion rate in all other games). Nothing in particular stood out as amazing, but every part of their game was good. The line finally looked good at every spot. Quandre Diggs was a solid addition to the secondary, and gives Pete Carroll another chess piece in his defense. I believe the Hawks pulled out of their self-imposed death spiral just in time for a playoff push.