The Seattle Seahawks hung round with the San Francisco 49ers for 3 quarters earlier than getting blasted into smithereens for a 41-23 loss within the NFC Wild Card spherical. Seattle’s protection solely compelled one punt, and all the pieces else was both a rating of a kneeldown.
By way of three video games it couldn’t have been made any clearer that the 49ers are only a vastly superior staff to the Seahawks. Seattle was outscored 89-43 and solely led for a handful of minutes out of a doable 180. Excluding the 2nd quarter final Saturday, the offense just about was restricted to punting or turning it over.
It’s a little bit of a operating joke that Pete Carroll is ever the optimist, however even he realizes the hole between the Seahawks and 49ers when it comes to roster expertise, significantly on the defensive aspect of the ball. Right here’s what he needed to say (transcription by way of Michael-Shawn Dugar) on his Seattle Sports activities 710 radio present.
“There’s a distance right here,” Carroll mentioned. “It’s actually due to what they’ve acquired up entrance. Their entrance seven is basically, actually well-equipped. Their linebackers have been there like 4 years collectively, the identical three guys taking part in. [Talanoa] Hufanga simply jumped proper into it and have become a superb issue out of nowhere. He matches in like he’s been there for his complete profession. However the guys up entrance actually make a distinction. [Arik] Armstead is unbelievably gifted. He’s an issue each snap. [Nick] Bosa is an issue each snap; we breathe a sigh of reduction when he has to take a break so we are able to go forward and get after it. These guys make sufficient stuff occur and so they demand a lot focus within the recreation plan and the strategy as a result of they’re going to do one thing to you should you don’t. That’s a giant distinction than what we have now.”
Not even essentially the most biased Seahawks fan might argue that Seattle has a superior entrance seven to San Francisco or that they’re even shut within the first place. Perhaps the secondary isn’t too far off from the 49ers when either side are absolutely wholesome—Seattle is lacking Jamal Adams, whereas the 49ers’ Emmanuel Moseley tore his ACL—however within the trenches and within the second-level it’s a complete no contest.
It may be simple and considerably proper to argue the 49ers loaded up defensively by a great deal of early first-round picks as a result of a number of shedding seasons. I’ll provide you with Nick Bosa, Arik Armstead, and (earlier than he was traded) DeForest Buckner. Nonetheless, their trio of linebackers—Fred Warner, Azeez Al-Shaair, and Dre Greenlaw—had been picked no sooner than the third spherical. In Al-Shaair’s case he’s an UDFA. Beginning security Talanoa Hufanga is a fifth-round decide, outdoors nook Emmanuel Moseley went undrafted, his alternative Deommodore Lenoir was a fifth-rounder, and different beginning nook Charvarius Ward was undrafted by Kansas Metropolis. Solely Jimmie Ward is a first-round select of their complete beginning secondary and he’s by no means made a Professional Bowl or All-Professional staff.
Seattle’s peak Legion of Increase protection featured solely three gamers taken within the first- or second-round by the staff: Bobby Wagner, Bruce Irvin, and Earl Thomas. That’s it. Everybody else went Spherical 3 or later, or wasn’t even drafted within the first place. Cliff Avril was a third-round decide by Detroit, whereas Michael Bennett and Chris Clemons had been undrafted. Nobody might query how gifted or how effectively coached that Seahawks protection was.
I feel additionally it is value mentioning that the 2020 49ers, who misplaced Nick Bosa to a torn ACL early within the season, didn’t have Dee Ford however for one recreation, and by then had already traded Buckner, nonetheless completed sixth in defensive DVOA and had been top-10 towards the run and move. It’s not simply having an abundance of expertise that explains why San Francisco’s protection has been at or close to the highest of the NFL for 4 seasons operating. They’re coached terribly effectively and might nonetheless be fearsome even when their depth takes successful. It has been years since you could possibly say the identical concerning the Seahawks, and it’s not like Seattle has been reluctant to take a position on the defensive aspect of the ball below Pete, aka the man who each coaches and has major management of the roster that’s at present inferior to the 49ers.
So far as Pete’s unique assertion, I feel that’s greater than sufficient of a touch that Seattle goes to be investing closely within the defensive position and linebacker this offseason. And never simply by the NFL Draft.
