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Seattle Seahawks Offense
Russell Wilson enters his 3rd season much in the same way he has spent his previous two - game manager. I know a lot of Seahawk fans will roll their eyes at that characterization, but that's what he is, and he's one of the best at it because he avoids negative plays and turnovers. In his 34-game regular season career, Wilson has had 19 career games without an interception. The reason I don't buy into the "elite" hype quite yet is simple, his numbers show a heavy dependence on other factors.
Wilson has only had three multi-pick games in his career, so you're not going to get multiple mistakes from him all that often....BTW when he does throw multiple picks, his record is still 2-1. Wins for all these categories points to a good-all around team, but one that Russell Wilson certainly has not been asked to carry the weight of.
His line was supposed to be a big questionmark coming into the season. Wilson has been sacked twice but none of his lineman are credited with giving it up. That doesn't surprise me as Wilson is probably the most slippery QB in the NFL to take down. On the run blocking side of things C Max Unger is the cream of the crop with an overall grade of +5.4. Right Guard JR Sweezy is the low man on the totem pole with an overall grade of -2.0.
Marshawn Lynch has done a fantastic job keeping the Seattle offense in favorable distances on 3rd down. On the season he is averaging 5.6 yards per carry. Lynch has done most of his damage off left guard where he is averaging 10.5 yards per carry. Overall, Seattle has struggled to gain yardage off right tackle and end.
Zach Miller is the full-time in-line TE who has played about 85-90% of the snaps on the season. He's not a huge receiving threat as he's only been targeted 5 times, but he is used in the playaction game on rollouts and bootlegs. When Seattle runs 2-TE sets (only about 30% of the time) Luke Willson comes in to the game. He's much like our Virgil Green--not a threat in the passing game.
Lord have mercy Percy has been used a variety of ways. He can play inside, outside, and perhaps his biggest contributions have come as a runner via the patented jet sweep. Percy was almost completely shut down last week with only one reception for 5 yards.
Doug Baldwin has been targeted 11 times with 6 catches and Jermaine Kearse has been targeted 7 times with 5 receptions. Kearse has worked the right side of the field almost exclusively at all three levels while Baldsin has been used most extensively near the line of scrimmage and to the left side of the formation.
Denver Broncos Defense
Derek Wolfe (LDE), DeMarcus Ware (RDE), Brandon Marshall (WILL), Nate Irving (MIKE), Von Miller (SAM), Aqib Talib (LCB), Chris Harris Jr. (RCB), Bradley Roby (SCB), Rahim Moore (FS), and TJ Ward (SS) are all new starters when compared to the lineup Seattle faced in the Super Bowl. Roby, Ward, Ware are all new acquisitions while the rest were playing different positions or on the bench with an injury. Suffice to say this is a completely new group.
Cover 3 has been a staple and new wrinkle thrown in by Jack Del Rio to mixed results. Overall the defense has given up a ton of yards and possession time while excelling in the redzone. The Broncos have only allowed 50% TD conversion rate in the endzone this season (Seattle 71%).
Up front DeMarcus Ware has provided consistent pressure with 2 sacks, 3 hits, and 7 hurries in 85 pass rush snaps. Swingman Malik Jackson has also provided consistent pressure in the nickel defense from inside. As a group the D-line has accounted for 3 sacks, 6 hits, and 22 hurries. The linebacker squad led by Von Miller has matched the sack total at three.
In coverage, backup turned starter Brandon Marshall has been targeted 17 times and has allowed 12 receptions for 112 yards. He has yet to give up a touchdown.
Von Miller has seemingly turned the page as a coverage LB. He's only allowed 1 reception on 20 drops.
In the secondary, Aqib Talib looks like a fantastic fit being able to switch seamlessly from zone to man. He's been targeted 12 times and has given up 5 receptions for 56 yards to go along with 2 PD. Thus far, rookie Bradley Roby has been a nice addition to the slot despite allowing 13 receptions for 143 yards. He has great skills and even saved the game against Indy with a pass break-up on 4th down. If there is a weak link in the secondary--he is it, though I really wouldn't look to beat him exclusively.
Chris Harris Jr. has matched the excellent productivity of Aqib Talib with 3 PD and 5 receptions for 56 yards. Combined, Roby, Harris Jr., and Talib have yet to give up a touchdown.
Key Matchups
Justin Britt v. Ware/Miller
Max Unger v. Terrance Knighton
Percy Harvin v. Bradley Roby
When Seattle goes with their 21 or 12 sets, expect the Broncos to combat it with their base "under" defense. Seattle utilizes playaction quite a bit and this is one of the ways they do it. When looking at their roster and the matchups, I believe Seattle is much more versatile from 11 personnel. You want the read-option and Marshawn Lynch against light box counts not to mention a spread out Broncos defense to open up passing lanes.
Denver Broncos Offense
Peyton Manning is off to another great start. In fact he has a chance to set a milestone against Seattle. With a 3-touchdown performance, Manning would hit the 500 touchdown mark for his career. The issue is, the Seattle defense has not allowed a 3-TD passer on their home turf the past two seasons. In order for the Bronco offense to succeed in moving the ball, Peyton has to be resolved to chip away at the defense. Small gains 3-5 yards at a time. Patience is the name of the game. If you thought Peyton was getting the ball off fast last season, he is now below 2 seconds at 1.98 per throw. I don't care how good Seattle's pass rush is, they aren't getting to him that fast.
Running back Montee Ball showed some improvement last week but the Bronco running game overall remains largely ineffective. CH74 pointed out the use of Julius Thomas as the move TE/H-back and the renewed focus on cutting off backside pursuit as proof the Broncos running game is starting to turn the corner. It is important to note that the Broncos do not neglect the running game, they use it quite effectively from heavy sets to set up playaction.
Julius Thomas was targeted early last week and I have to believe will be a focal point of the offense this week. Emmanuel Sanders logged the 1st 100 yard game of his career last week and has provided a reception of 40+ yards in each of the last two weeks. Someone who has gotten off to a slow start has been Demaryius Thomas. That will not last for long however. Last but certainly not least Wes Welker is back in action and fresh off some much needed rest following a preseason concussion.
As far as the line? Seattle is the entire reason they re-shuffled in the offseason. Thus far it has been to mixed results. The line has not given up much pressure, but then again Manning has helped out quite a bit with his quick decision making. This will be the first real test for the line as Seattle is capable of creating pressure from anywhere in their front 4.
Seattle Seahawks Defense
San Diego had a long of 22 yards last week, so let's not pretend like this defense is defective or broken. It took a very good quarterback playing the game of his life to shred the Seattle secondary like he did. People might say the Chargers provided a blueprint, but the key was already there. With Seattle you have to sustain long drives and keep chipping away field position in small 3-5 yard chunks at a time.
Richard Sherman was not "exposed." Why Green Bay refused to target him week 1 is beyond my understanding. You have to challenge a defense at all levels otherwise your offense already begins at a disadvantage. What Keenan Allen proved was that precise route running and quickness off the LOS are paramount on gaining leverage against Sherman. Once a WR has leverage, they should win the duel. This week I would expect the Broncos to matchup Emmanuel Sanders on Richard Sherman quite frequently. Earl Thomas will usually cheat his deep responsibility to the side of the field opposite Sherman so there could be some one on one opportunities throughout the game.
It's all about protection. Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril have combined for 3 sacks, 2 hits, and 14 hurries. They like to use a rotation of guys up front in nickel so it will be imperative for the Broncos to line up and run no-huddle to get them fatigued.
Cliff Avril absolutely brutalized Orlando Franklin in the Super Bowl. In fact he had done the same back when the Lions played our Broncos with Tim Tebow at the helm. That was Franklin's rookie season. One of the key matchups will be Avril against Chris Clark.
Key Matchups
Cliff Avril vs. Chris Clark
KJ Wright vs. Julius Thomas
Byron Maxwell vs. Demaryius Thomas
Emmanuel Sanders vs. Richard Sherman
Wes Welker vs. Marcus Burley
Full Artilce: http://www.milehighreport.com/2014/9...attle-seahawks
Russell Wilson enters his 3rd season much in the same way he has spent his previous two - game manager. I know a lot of Seahawk fans will roll their eyes at that characterization, but that's what he is, and he's one of the best at it because he avoids negative plays and turnovers. In his 34-game regular season career, Wilson has had 19 career games without an interception. The reason I don't buy into the "elite" hype quite yet is simple, his numbers show a heavy dependence on other factors.
Wilson has only had three multi-pick games in his career, so you're not going to get multiple mistakes from him all that often....BTW when he does throw multiple picks, his record is still 2-1. Wins for all these categories points to a good-all around team, but one that Russell Wilson certainly has not been asked to carry the weight of.
His line was supposed to be a big questionmark coming into the season. Wilson has been sacked twice but none of his lineman are credited with giving it up. That doesn't surprise me as Wilson is probably the most slippery QB in the NFL to take down. On the run blocking side of things C Max Unger is the cream of the crop with an overall grade of +5.4. Right Guard JR Sweezy is the low man on the totem pole with an overall grade of -2.0.
Marshawn Lynch has done a fantastic job keeping the Seattle offense in favorable distances on 3rd down. On the season he is averaging 5.6 yards per carry. Lynch has done most of his damage off left guard where he is averaging 10.5 yards per carry. Overall, Seattle has struggled to gain yardage off right tackle and end.
Zach Miller is the full-time in-line TE who has played about 85-90% of the snaps on the season. He's not a huge receiving threat as he's only been targeted 5 times, but he is used in the playaction game on rollouts and bootlegs. When Seattle runs 2-TE sets (only about 30% of the time) Luke Willson comes in to the game. He's much like our Virgil Green--not a threat in the passing game.
Lord have mercy Percy has been used a variety of ways. He can play inside, outside, and perhaps his biggest contributions have come as a runner via the patented jet sweep. Percy was almost completely shut down last week with only one reception for 5 yards.
Doug Baldwin has been targeted 11 times with 6 catches and Jermaine Kearse has been targeted 7 times with 5 receptions. Kearse has worked the right side of the field almost exclusively at all three levels while Baldsin has been used most extensively near the line of scrimmage and to the left side of the formation.
Denver Broncos Defense
Derek Wolfe (LDE), DeMarcus Ware (RDE), Brandon Marshall (WILL), Nate Irving (MIKE), Von Miller (SAM), Aqib Talib (LCB), Chris Harris Jr. (RCB), Bradley Roby (SCB), Rahim Moore (FS), and TJ Ward (SS) are all new starters when compared to the lineup Seattle faced in the Super Bowl. Roby, Ward, Ware are all new acquisitions while the rest were playing different positions or on the bench with an injury. Suffice to say this is a completely new group.
Cover 3 has been a staple and new wrinkle thrown in by Jack Del Rio to mixed results. Overall the defense has given up a ton of yards and possession time while excelling in the redzone. The Broncos have only allowed 50% TD conversion rate in the endzone this season (Seattle 71%).
Up front DeMarcus Ware has provided consistent pressure with 2 sacks, 3 hits, and 7 hurries in 85 pass rush snaps. Swingman Malik Jackson has also provided consistent pressure in the nickel defense from inside. As a group the D-line has accounted for 3 sacks, 6 hits, and 22 hurries. The linebacker squad led by Von Miller has matched the sack total at three.
In coverage, backup turned starter Brandon Marshall has been targeted 17 times and has allowed 12 receptions for 112 yards. He has yet to give up a touchdown.
Von Miller has seemingly turned the page as a coverage LB. He's only allowed 1 reception on 20 drops.
In the secondary, Aqib Talib looks like a fantastic fit being able to switch seamlessly from zone to man. He's been targeted 12 times and has given up 5 receptions for 56 yards to go along with 2 PD. Thus far, rookie Bradley Roby has been a nice addition to the slot despite allowing 13 receptions for 143 yards. He has great skills and even saved the game against Indy with a pass break-up on 4th down. If there is a weak link in the secondary--he is it, though I really wouldn't look to beat him exclusively.
Chris Harris Jr. has matched the excellent productivity of Aqib Talib with 3 PD and 5 receptions for 56 yards. Combined, Roby, Harris Jr., and Talib have yet to give up a touchdown.
Key Matchups
Justin Britt v. Ware/Miller
Max Unger v. Terrance Knighton
Percy Harvin v. Bradley Roby
When Seattle goes with their 21 or 12 sets, expect the Broncos to combat it with their base "under" defense. Seattle utilizes playaction quite a bit and this is one of the ways they do it. When looking at their roster and the matchups, I believe Seattle is much more versatile from 11 personnel. You want the read-option and Marshawn Lynch against light box counts not to mention a spread out Broncos defense to open up passing lanes.
Denver Broncos Offense
Peyton Manning is off to another great start. In fact he has a chance to set a milestone against Seattle. With a 3-touchdown performance, Manning would hit the 500 touchdown mark for his career. The issue is, the Seattle defense has not allowed a 3-TD passer on their home turf the past two seasons. In order for the Bronco offense to succeed in moving the ball, Peyton has to be resolved to chip away at the defense. Small gains 3-5 yards at a time. Patience is the name of the game. If you thought Peyton was getting the ball off fast last season, he is now below 2 seconds at 1.98 per throw. I don't care how good Seattle's pass rush is, they aren't getting to him that fast.
Running back Montee Ball showed some improvement last week but the Bronco running game overall remains largely ineffective. CH74 pointed out the use of Julius Thomas as the move TE/H-back and the renewed focus on cutting off backside pursuit as proof the Broncos running game is starting to turn the corner. It is important to note that the Broncos do not neglect the running game, they use it quite effectively from heavy sets to set up playaction.
Julius Thomas was targeted early last week and I have to believe will be a focal point of the offense this week. Emmanuel Sanders logged the 1st 100 yard game of his career last week and has provided a reception of 40+ yards in each of the last two weeks. Someone who has gotten off to a slow start has been Demaryius Thomas. That will not last for long however. Last but certainly not least Wes Welker is back in action and fresh off some much needed rest following a preseason concussion.
As far as the line? Seattle is the entire reason they re-shuffled in the offseason. Thus far it has been to mixed results. The line has not given up much pressure, but then again Manning has helped out quite a bit with his quick decision making. This will be the first real test for the line as Seattle is capable of creating pressure from anywhere in their front 4.
Seattle Seahawks Defense
San Diego had a long of 22 yards last week, so let's not pretend like this defense is defective or broken. It took a very good quarterback playing the game of his life to shred the Seattle secondary like he did. People might say the Chargers provided a blueprint, but the key was already there. With Seattle you have to sustain long drives and keep chipping away field position in small 3-5 yard chunks at a time.
Richard Sherman was not "exposed." Why Green Bay refused to target him week 1 is beyond my understanding. You have to challenge a defense at all levels otherwise your offense already begins at a disadvantage. What Keenan Allen proved was that precise route running and quickness off the LOS are paramount on gaining leverage against Sherman. Once a WR has leverage, they should win the duel. This week I would expect the Broncos to matchup Emmanuel Sanders on Richard Sherman quite frequently. Earl Thomas will usually cheat his deep responsibility to the side of the field opposite Sherman so there could be some one on one opportunities throughout the game.
It's all about protection. Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril have combined for 3 sacks, 2 hits, and 14 hurries. They like to use a rotation of guys up front in nickel so it will be imperative for the Broncos to line up and run no-huddle to get them fatigued.
Cliff Avril absolutely brutalized Orlando Franklin in the Super Bowl. In fact he had done the same back when the Lions played our Broncos with Tim Tebow at the helm. That was Franklin's rookie season. One of the key matchups will be Avril against Chris Clark.
Key Matchups
Cliff Avril vs. Chris Clark
KJ Wright vs. Julius Thomas
Byron Maxwell vs. Demaryius Thomas
Emmanuel Sanders vs. Richard Sherman
Wes Welker vs. Marcus Burley
Full Artilce: http://www.milehighreport.com/2014/9...attle-seahawks
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