4 things we learned from the Seahawks Week 4 shootout

As has been noted in previous weeks, the Seahawks’ D still needs a lot of work.

I mean, with how beautifully the offense is coming together, something has to be keeping Seattle from reaching their full potential. This defense wasn’t particularly talented before they switched from Ken Norton’s 4-3 to Clint Hurtt’s 3-4, and it’s becoming rather obvious that they’re still learning how to operate within the new gap assignments.

Additionally, this defense is learning how to operate without its cornerstone, Jamal Adams, on the fly. Adams’ blitzing capabilities, I can only assume, would have allowed Seattle to run more nickel packages and close down harder on the flat areas that have given them so much trouble the last few years.

Instead, those problems have only been exacerbated, as Cody Barton has looked worse and worse with each passing game and there are still no answers for the edge opposite Boye Mafe. Uchenna Nwosu has been good in the pass rush but has not been near as sound in run defense, and if I say one more thing about Darrell Taylor, I’m sure I would receive a cease-and-desist from various animal rights groups for beating that dead horse into the ground.

Needless to say, the defense still needs work in becoming assignment-sound, and they could probably use a bit more speed in a few places, especially along the trench perimeter. But the fact that they have most of their pieces already in some form or another, especially in the secondary, spells good things for their future. All that’s left is to find a way to close out and close down faster, and that’s one thing Seattle has historically been pretty good at developing.