Seahawks vs 49ers Preview: How The Seahawks can upset the 49ers.

 The Seahawks open the playoffs against one of the best defenses in football. The 49ers can flat out play on the defensive side and have won 10 straight. It will be an intriguing matchup and here's what the Seahawks need to do in order to beat the 49ers. 

 They have a very good matchup but a game they can win. It will come down to several things on both sides of the ball.

Offensively
They have to get some run game going early. They 49ers are so aggressive, I think you have to run some trap schemes and influence schemes. They are so well coached so it won't be an easy task. In the last meeting they threw the ball 44 times and ran it 14 times. The only shot is to be more balanced offensively.

#1 trap them and influence them as much as possible to slow them down early

Raiders run counter scheme with the guard kicking out and the H leading up. Very effective in my opinion as it slows them down. Mix in some play action off the same scheme.

#2 Quick screens and maybe even some fake screens to slow them down early. 

Raiders had a few good ones which slowed the pass rush down.

#3 Heavy play action with one or 2 man routes. Here's one out of 13 personnel. Take some shots in the passing game. With 13 you are going to get probably cover 3 and some type of zone coverage which may allow you to hit some things in the passing game. Could even do it with a tackle at tight end which will dictate coverage even more.

 

#2 example of effective play action to slow them down. They go jet motion, fake the jet and hit Adams on a wide open crossing route vs cover 2. 

Look at the middle of the field and how wide open it is. If they try to take away Walker in the run game some of these concepts may be there. 

#4 Run right at them.

Defenses predicated on speed will at times overrun things. 

Heres 2 plays vs the Raiders week 17. Lead and toss. 

On Defense:

In the last meeting the defense played well with the exception a few plays. The offense didn't help things with some turnovers.

#1 They must limit the big plays. Again, no big plays due to Shanahan scheming up a screen, some fancy play action and every other gimmick he runs.  

#2 Keeping Christian McCaffrey in check. That is not an easy task as he was very effective last time they played rushing 26 times for 128 yards. The Seahawks have struggled against the run so they need to find a way.  The best way to do that is to load up the box and try to take away gaps and running lanes. Playing man coverage will help things as well as they can match up with the 49ers on the perimeter.  

Here's how he hurts you when you don't blitz engage him in man coverage. Tough with all they do in the run game. Cover 0 pressure below. 

 

#3 Play more man coverage:

    A. Fact-Brock struggles against man coverage. He isn't that efficient a passer. Shanahan does a gret job scheming things up for him. We know the Seahawks like their zone concepts but getting more aggressive and playing man could be utilized. 

    B. It helps in the screen game because it allows you to blitz engage and take away their effective screen game. Watch the 49ers in their screen game and it's effective use vs man coverage. Ever notice that every time they run a screen they run it with motion? If you watch the last game, the Seahawks were more efficient in man coverage but got hurt several times in zone. Will Pete Carroll be more aggressive against the rookie Brock Purdy?

 #3  Kittle needs to be accounted for. Both big plays last game came against man coverage were critical. The screen was against zone and the 60 yard td was just a blown coverage. Account for him, bracket him at times while still trying to get a rush on Brock and get him off his spot. That guy will not beat us in the  pass game.

#4 Bait Purdy into some bad throws. Cover 3 weak gave the young qb some issues. There was almost 1 pick and another play if the ball was late as the weak safety was lurking on several throws. They get 1 or 2 of those picks, they easily are in the game.

He often doesn't see the weakside safety in his progressions so a savvy safety may be able to pick him off. You can see he gets locked in on film and don't be surprised if the Seahawks get one this game. 

Overall, I hope you enjoyed this article and I look forward to a great game. It will be a closer game than people think.  

 

NFL Analysis of the Seattle Seahawks Pass Defense struggles

  The Seahawks are on the verge of a super bowl run but that won't happen unless they improve their pass defense. Pete Carroll is a great coach and I know the unit will get better.  They are very solid against the run but have struggled on the back end.

Here are the qb stats of the last several games:

Josh Allen 31/38 for 415 yards and 3 tds

Kyler Murray 34/48 360 yards and.    3 tds , 1 int

Mullens/Garapallo 29/41 322 yards.  2 tds 1 int

Cousins                 27/39  249 yards.   2 td    1 int

Fitzpatrick.     29/45            315 yards       2 int

Prescott        37/57  472 yards        3 td  , 2int   

Newton    30/47.      397 yards       1 td 1 int

Key stats:

#1 they lead the league in opponents completions per game 31. The 2nd closest team is 27, the Titans.

#2 Opponent Completion percentage is 69% 

#3 They are letting up 11 yards per completion

Some of the issues as I saw them against the 49ers with 1 Cardinals clip:

1. First, the Seahawks like to stay in their base personnel with only 4 dbs vs 11 and 12 personnel on early downs. Also, bigger problem- they play a lot of bear and teams passing against Bear front.bills 10/10 for 119 ,0 runs on 1st 10 plays vs bear front. 

LAST GAME,  THE BILLS WERE 14/16 FOR 199 YARDS , 2 RUSHES FOR 14(1 WAS A SCRAMBLE) AND 1 SACK.

2. They play an abundance of cover 3, that can hurt you at times in the passing game with the wheel routes and deep sideline outs.

3. They are having difficulty rushing the passer with 4 man rushes,  unless they bring pressure they aren’t getting home with 4. Teams are having time and clean pockets. 

4. They are giving up chunk plays, +20 yard big plays.

5.They have poor situational awareness, (see the 4th and 1 below) and have had some bad mental breakdowns

6. They have difficulty matching up on the outside with personnel. man coverage is an issue. Dunbar has been struggling. He looks really hobbled right now and has been playing hurt. 

Here are some examples of what we discussed above:

#1 First they are in 3-4 bear look,  cover 3 vs condensed set. Which means the olb, has to run with any wheel routes.

The Cardinals run a boot wheel route off the Jet and the olb #50  should be running with the wheel.

This should be a 25 yard gain. 

1st play of the game.

They overreact to the run game

12 personnel 

play action at the sam and cover 3  with a deep out route vs the 49ers. 13 yard gain.

The SS the curl flat defender gets fooled on the play action and cant get to the deep out in cover 3

The other issue is limited pass rush

Here is a 3rd and 9 situation. Seahawks  go dime

The Seahawks get no rush.  The slot wr runs by the db, gains separation after the db doesn't get hands on him and #2 runs an easy 10 yard route

Garapolo has a clean pocket and they complete the 10 yard gain against 2man.

2 and 15  They bring 6 and run 2 under 3 deep 

They leave kittle in the flat because there are only 2 underneath defenders

14 yard gain

4th and 1 , why so soft coverage , up 30-7, They stop them the games over.

Situational awareness. Looks like man, but is very soft with a 5 man pressure.

3 plays later they score, 30-14

2nd and 1  30-14

The 49ers up by 16 disguise pressure and bail to a cover 2.

Situational awareness, the best threat left in the game is Aiyuk, possibly double him, why mess around showing who cares if they get 5 yards.

Again, no rush when they send 4, really clean pocket and Mullens makes them pay 33 yard gain.

 

Mental Breakdowns 2 plays later Its 3rd and 9. They run a 5 man pressure. There wasn't a change of strength so what s the problem. gotta be man but it sure as heck doesn't look that way.

What's the coverage????

they get a simple 3x1 motion to 2x2 and they get really confused. This is a basic 5 man pressure. is it zone or man.

20 yard gain

The very next play 1st and 10 at the 16

The Seahawks send 5 go cover 3 and the te sits down and its an easy pass and catch for the td

Here is the film that goes with what was discussed in the 2 clips above:

After going up 37-20 , the 49ers score while the Seahawks are in soft zone coverage.

Its alarming how they get little pressure with 4 as the last drive, Mullens was 6/9 for 81 yards  with 2 hurry.

They made it 37-27 and that was the last drive for the 49ers.

vs. The Bills

Bills first drive.
Bills run 3 plays and they score, easy passes 3 for 45 yards. 

Bills run cover 3 on all 3 snaps. 1st is a 4 man pressure, the next 2 are cover 3. No disguise 

The 1st play-easy presnap read, cover 3, no disguise. assuming if its cover 1 they inside guys can adjust their routes. 

The 2nd play is tough because its 2nd and 4 and they play bear cover 3, the problem is the curl flat defender has to run with the out and up in cover 3.

That leaves Diggs on the drag open. Again easy presnap cover 3 read.Play action freezes the linebackers and they throw it to Diggs for 14 crossing.

Diggs gets open on the cross flat defender runs with wheel  

Lb isn't. running with Diggs across

The 3rd play is just bad defense. The cb has deep 1/3 and he plays the 5 yard spot/snag concept route.

Tha'ts just bad. Cant jump routes. 

Here are 3 clips of the 1st drive

SERIES #2

They go 12 plays for 72 yards, 4 big pass plays for  15,13,9 and 22. They are below:

1st and 10. 

The Bills run a out and up with #2 out of empty. The nickel sam has a tough time on this play.should be expanding reading 2 to 1. 

They hit the #2 wr on the bottom for a 15 yard gain. 

2nd and 15

Seahawks play cover 2 and on this play give up a 13 yard gain on simple out cut. They bring 5 but Adams is playing cb.

He needs to funnel 2 to 1, but he's a cb, not his thing

next play 3rd and 2 

they run a fire zone and the Bills throw hot off #2

10 yard gain easy catch and throw

The last big play 1st and 10 on the 27

The Seahawks go bear front again, not sure why they were so concerned with the run but they end up going bear cover 3, they check it down as Allen starts to scramble, Adams vacates his zone and they hit the rb behind him for a 22 yard gain.

Should have been a 5 yard gain(scramble drill)

Here are the 4 clips for the plays above.

4th drive

Vs The Bills as the game goes on, they decide to go more man, on one drive they play man free every snap.

Lets look at a 5 play drive in which they went man free every play.

It was a 5 play 75 yard drive, Bills were 5/5, pass rush  was non existent. He was throwing deep sideline routes on the first and 3rd play with no-one near him.

Coverages on the 4th drive

1st play  5 man pressure, man free       Bills run sideline curl routes for 21 yards

2nd play 4 man man free                    Bills run mesh for 21 yards

3rd play 5 man man free.                 comeback to the   curl route   sideline for 21.  yards

4th play 5 man man free                    run mesh for 11  

5th play 6 man                                play action off the jet 4 yard td pass slant.

They hit the crosser for 10 yard gain

5th play 5 man man free   (hurry, no sack) td

Here is the video from the drive:

This was three of the Bills first four drives in the game .

Later in the game its 27-17 2 minutes to go in the 3rd. The Seahawks played a decent 3rd quarter defensively until this point. 

The 1st play of the series is a screen. The last 3 opening plays of the drive the Seahawks brought pressure on 1st down.

The Bills adjust and run a screen on first down.

good play call against the anticipated pressure.  They get a nice 20 yard gain

After a few competitions this is the play that bothers me the most. You are showing pressure, why is the corner 14 yards off the ball. 

Its 3rd and 16 I get it but if your bringing pressure, a quick throw is a possibility, This was probably the nail in the coffin for the game.

They run the alley screen agains the bills cover 0 (look at wr communication) and you can tell that Allen checks to the play. He reads the coverage. 33 yard gain and 2 plays later, they score a td.

Allen reads cover 0 checks the play

Alley screen corner way off isn't it cover 0 17 yard cushion?

33 yard gain 

That play set up the td that put them up 34-20 and really was the breaking point.


Week 10
VS The Rams

3rd and 1

The Hawks go to their bear front,

the Rams check to a pass and hit the hitch for 11 yards.  Bills threw against this look  last week as the hawks struggle with pass defense when in bear. CB needs to understand he has help over the top with the safety so he can play it tougher 

Then 1st and 10,

The hawks go zone as they have a tendency to do on first down. Rams recognize it.

the Rams read soft cover 3 and run the dover route off play action

Deep over with the dig concept for a 31 yard gain.

Another key 3rd and 4.

The Rams read the coverage and Goff hits Higbie for 39 yards.

Watch how they figure out the  coverage with a motion and a shift. They know its man free.

Here the Rams check the play to the other side because they see Adams come down to the right.

They make it a wide zone boot away from Adams.

Thats my guess with the Oscar call (other side)

The run defense vs the Rams wasn't awful, but here the Rams rip one for 16 yards.

Rams in an Eagle look weak

LG reaches the nose and rg  reaches the DT

Later in the drive its 3rd and 13.

Defense needs to make a stop.

The weakside lb needs to do a better job here.

They bring Adams and run a simulated pressure and go cover 3.
The LB has no threat except #1. You have to get in the passing lane and really work under #1 your only threat right now.

On the next play, against cover 3 on 1st down. 

they run the deep over the middle route, against soft zone coverage. 34 yards in 2 plays in the passing game. They score on the drive to go up 23-7