Clint Hurtt - Seattle Seahawks DC
I want to like Clint Hurtt and I want him to be doing a great job. Not only because he works for the Seattle Seahawks, but in many ways he is just like the rest of us. He has to grind away for years, working his way up to management. But in the two years he has been the defensive coordinator, the defense has not been very good.
Worse, the defense is in many ways not any better than last year. An offensive or defensive coordinator should see growth from year one to year two in much the same way a rookie quarterback should show progression in his second season. 12s have seen digression in many aspects of Seattle's defense, however.
The Seahawks were 21st in yards per play allowed last year, but they are 24th in 2023. Seattle was 13th in quarterback rating allowed in 2022, but they are 26th this year. The worst statistic, though, is that Seattle is 27th in points allowed per game (24.5) this season, but was 25th in 2022 allowing almost a full point less (24.6).
Carroll says the coaching staff is preparing the players correctly and has the right game-plan in place but other teams are simply out-executing the Seahawks. This is an excuse, however. Plus, if this is so, Hurtt needs to sit some players who are not following the game-plan correctly. Players like the next guy on our list.