The Seattle Seahawks in the photo above could be playing better, but they're the least of Seattle's problems on the offensive line. Well, two of them could be better. Overall, the Hawks can't open holes or protect the quarterback. Until they do, it's going to be a long season.
According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), the Seahawks rank 25th in pass protection and 20th in run-blocking through Week 9. 20th place is pretty dismal for a team that has preached establishing the run since Mike Macdonald and his staff arrived. Last year Seattle ranked 28th in pass protection and 15th in run-blocking. That small tradeoff is simply unacceptable.
This isn't exactly a new problem in Seattle, either. In 2022, the PFF rankings were 20th in pass, 18th on the run. In 2021, The Hawks ranked 25th in pass and 17th in run. 2020 saw Seattle ranked 20th in the pass but 9th in run-blocking. Finally, a top 10 appearance for the Seahawks offensive line. We only had to go back four years to find one.
The Seattle Seahawks have no excuse for the state of the offensive line
So far through nine games, the Hawks have allowed 144 pressures. Let's look at the same stat among their NFC West rivals. Heck, I'll even get fancy and put it all in a table for you. The data shouldn't come as a surprise, assuming you've been watching the train wreck of the Seattle O-line this year.
Team | Sacks | Hits | Hurries | Pressures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Arizona | 14 | 10 | 57 | 70 |
Los Angeles | 17 | 32 | 55 | 96 |
San Francisco | 15 | 24 | 66 | 85 |
Seattle | 28 | 30 | 103 | 144 |
Yes, I know they don't add up. Blame Pro Football Reference and PFF. I know the Geno haters love this. To them, it proves that Geno Smith is awful and that he can't avoid the pass rush. If you've watched him without a preconceived idea that he's an eternal back QB, you'd see that he escapes pressure a hell of a lot more often than not. Just look at the stats. Take 144 pressures, subtract 28 sacks, that's 116 escapes. Murray has 56 escapes, Stafford 79, and Purdy 70.
Or parse it this way. Murray is sacked on exactly 20 percent of his pressures (14/70). Stafford is dropped on 17.7 percent of the time, while Purdy is sacked 17.6 percent of the time. Geno Smith gets dropped 19.4 percent of time. A little higher than Stafford and Purdy, a little less than Murray. It ain't Geno, it's the line.
As Gregg Bell wrote, this team has a myriad number of problems. The Sehask have the fourth-worst turnover margin in the league. They're the most-penalized team. Yes, some of them are from ticky-tacky calls, but the vast majority are simply caused by undisciplined play. 22 of the 74 penalties are pre-snap calls, mostly false starts and delays of game. That's a ridiculous number.
Three weeks ago, center Connor Williams was asked to assess the play of the Seahawks O-line. He showed some decorum and class, citing only his own difficulties. Those of you who are thinking clearly will note that Week 6 predate the absolute insanity of the snaps in the Bills game.
At least one of the Hawks O-linemen can escape the stench of the line's overall performance. Charles Cross is graded 17th among all tackles in pass protection, at 80.4. He makes a big jump in run-blocking, up to sixth in the NFL. He's graded fifth overall among all tackles. That's a huge win for Seattle's offensive line. Sadly it's the only win.
It's too bad the Hawks other tackles are so gawdawful. George Fant is graded at 61.3 (in very limited action), while Stone Forsythe checks in at 43.1 and Michael Jerrell at 40.3. Fant is ranked 63rd in the NFL. As for the other two, I think they're in the Mid-America Conference. Okay, technically they're ranked 120th and 124th. PFF only ranked 126 guards, if you were curious about that.
The Hawks guards tell a very similar story. Laken Tomlinson is graded at 68.0 overall. That ranks him as the 34th-best in the league. It's not awful, but when your best guard would be the second-best on any other team, you've got issues. As for Anthony Bradford and Christian Haynes: yikes. They're graded out at 50.4 and 48.0, respectively. I had to scroll down so far to find their rankings, I snapped the wheel on my mouse. If you must know, Bradford is 91st and Haynes is 96th. That's what happens when your general manager says guards are overdrafted and overpaid.
As for Mr. Williams, PFF grades his performance at 63.9, which has him tied for the 24th spot in the league. Olu Oluwatimi has all of four snaps so far, so his grade of 57.3 is immaterial. The overall magic - and a very sad magic it is - of the Seahawks offensive line is their atrocious pass-blocking efficiency. PFF rates the Hawks 30th in the league, just above the Titans and the Patriots.
Other than Charles Cross, the offensive line is a - well, let's just say it's not pretty. They're awful in pass protection, and really bad at opening holes. Tomlinson and Williams grade well at 68.4 and 71.0, respectively. That isn't great, to be sure. Tomlinson is 27th, while Williams is 13th. But when the Hawks run to the right...yeesh. Bradford grades out at 58.6, Haynes at 50.1. That's 73rd and 102nd. At right tackle it's more of the same. Forsythe's grade is 51.6, Jerrell's is 46.4. That ranks 99th and 111th.
For what it's worth, George Fant was graded at 68.2, but that's in 16 snaps. He graded out at 51.9 last year, placing 102nd in the league. How Kenneth Walker III gets any yards at all is a minor miracle. It's a miracle, too, that Geno Smith played eight games before finally short-circuiting against the Rams. I've supported him all along, but there's no way to defend those two interceptions.
So, fix the right side of the offensive line, John Schneider. The team could use an upgrade at left guard and center, too, but man. Playing with a three-man line when every other team plays with five is not a recipe for winning football.