The first time they played the Los Angeles Rams, the Seahawks generated five turnovers.
“You get five turnovers, you’re supposed to win the game,” coach Pete Carroll said afterward. They won, 16-10, but only because Rams rookie WR Cooper Kupp, the former Eastern Washington star, dropped the potential game-winning touchdown pass in the end zone with five seconds left.
On that October afternoon in the Coliseum, the Seahawks had intact the Legion of Boom and LBs Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright. Sunday at the Clink, the Seahawks defense could more closely resemble guys on the loading dock at an Amazon fulfillment center.
Availability of Wright (concussion) and Wagner (hamstring), both injured Sunday in Jacksonville, remained unknown Wednesday, according to Carroll. But the team already moved up a linebacker, third-year LB Paul Dawson, from the practice squad, just in case.
The highest drama in December for the Seahawks is whether they will run out of season before they run out of defenders. They gave up 31 points Sunday to the Jaguars, not once sacking the enormously average QB Blake Bortles. Now they face the Rams, who are averaging 31.5 points, second in the NFL.
Given the stakes Sunday — virtual ownership of NFC West — it’s time to turn over the outcome to the offense.
The reason may be as much due to Duane Brown as Russell Wilson.
Seattle’s mid-season acquisition of the left tackle in a trade with Houston is probably the transaction of the year, give the dubious returns in free agency (LG Luke Joeckel, RB Eddie Lacy, PK Blair Walsh) and the top of the draft (DE Malik McDowell, a no-show knucklehead whose arrest video posted Wednesday by TMZ brought further embarrassment to him and the franchise).
Brown and Joeckel, along with C Justin Britt, give the Seahawks three-fifths of an experienced line, leaving rookie RG Ethan Pocic and second-year RT Germain Ifedi to get out of the way of their own training wheels.
At 32 and a 10-year vet, all with the Texans, Brown is the biggest difference in an O-line that managed 62 yards in 25 carries against the Rams.
The Seahawks Sunday ran for 141 yards on 24 carries, a 5.9 average, and permitted only two sacks for minus-11 yards, against the No. 1-ranked defense in points and yards allowed, and sacks. Whether the production was a breakthrough remains to be seen, but at least the line has emerged from perpetual mockery.
“I’ve played every team in the league, and I’m extremely knowledgeable about different defenses,” said Brown Wednesday before practice. “I’ve been in a similar (zone-blocking) scheme early in my time in Houston and know what to expect.
“Guys ask me things, so I try to bring a little expertise into the room.”
So much for the value of training camp and exhibition season.
“It’s really amazing that he’s been able to do that,” Carroll said. “Other than having to deal with (a sprained) ankle, he hasn’t missed a step, as far as playing from start to finish, and doing everything. It’s really impressive.”
The idea of actually having a rushing game that would force the ravenous Rams defense to account for it is the edge for which Carroll has yearned.
“They’re much more consistent than we had been,” he said of the line. “There’s fewer mistakes, fewer air balls where (defenders) penetrate and get in the backfield.
“Duane is playing great football; he is really unbelievably solid for us. We haven’t had anybody play like that solid for these games that he’s been with us.”
Added offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell: “They’re starting to feel it. Luke’s back (from mid-season knee surgery) and he’s starting to feel it. It’s definitely a better offensive line than when we played them.”
Of course, Seahawks coaches earlier have dropped similar hopeful descriptions about turning the corner in rushing, without realizing they were in a round room. But this time, it might be true: The Rams’ rush defense is 28th in the NFL at 124.1 yards a game.
Brown seems a little amazed himself at the turn of events, given his abrupt arrival in Seattle Oct. 31 after his Texans lost at the Clink 41-38 two days earlier.
“It was different,” he said. “Coming here, especially after playing against them, learning everybody, learning the locker room, learning scheme and terminology, getting acclimated to the city, living in a hotel for a week or so.
“It was all different, but I couldn’t ask for a better transition.”
Although he could ask for better weather.
“When we played here, it was 70; I got here on a Tuesday, and Thursday it snowed,” he said. “That threw me for a loop. Otherwise, it’s been great.
“I didn’t know much about the city. There’s lots to do, and the landscape and people are so different.”
He also proved a quick learner regarding Seattle’s largest irritant, dealing with it by landing an apartment in Renton.
“I wanted to be close by,” he said. “Houston has traffic, but it’s known for that. I didn’t know the traffic was this bad out here. Wasn’t expecting that.”
That makes Seattle even with him. The city’s sports fans weren’t expecting a competent O-line.
13 Comments
Welcome Duane, yes the traffic is terrible, the weather fine, and the landscape incredible.
The last two descriptors account for the first one.
You scared me, Art. After taking a cursory glance at the headline, I assumed that Seahawks had lost Brown to injury this week, too.
Yeah, I can see that. Time for a fix.
Thanks Art. Good look at a real neat addition. Actually, his experience and maturity merit more confidence that we’ve not had since Walter Jones. There are so many ways, not all on the field, that having a guy like him benefit the team. Great vets are worth maybe more than a great O-line coach (not that I would know what that is like – to have a great O-line coach that is).
I’m with wabubba67 – I first thought Brown was out injured too!
Go Hawks!
Knowing defenses and their coaches is a big help every time Brown steps to the line of scrimmage.
Glad there is a silver lining to this season and i hope Brown makes it back next year as well. Of all the other moves they’ve made the Blair Walsh pickup is particularly difficult to swallow, given the Hawks witnessed firsthand his ability to choke at the worst possible time. Missing a potential game winning last minute chip shot on your home field in a playoff game, yeah lets sign that guy up. I’m sure its all mental, and that ain’t easy to fix
If the Seahawks had a better candidate, then or now, for the job, given the salary cap constraints, they would have done it. The more plausible way to look at it is that cap management left too little room to accommodate a more reliable kicker. Even with the cheaper Walsh, their emergency hires this season have pushed them over the cap limit temporarily.
I looks like the times agrees with me that we don’t need a 10 m tight end that has the dropsies
I looks like the times agrees with me that we don’t need a 10 m tight end that has the dropsies
Nice story on Brown. Thanks. (I was trying to reserve judgment on McDowell, but had to watch that arrest video. That was a risky pick and I can’t see it working out. He’s got “Bust” written all over him.)
I realize he’s 21, but for a kid who has done nothing professionally, his sense of entitlement during the arrest is appalling.
Agreed. Johnny Manziel and Ryan Leaf come to mine. But at least they actually played some games.