DenBronx
09-18-2010, 08:09 PM
http://maxdenver.com/blog1/2010/09/18/week-2-scouting-report-seahawks/#more-1255
DENVER – Josh McDaniels acknowledged that one of the tricky parts of game preparation this week was the relative dearth of footage the Broncos could study to get a read on the Pete Carroll-led Seahawks.
The Seahawks are in many ways a new team, with 187 roster transactions since Carroll took over, a new emphasis on zone blocking and a pressure-intensive defensive strategy. The element of surprise caught the San Francisco 49ers off-guard last week in a 31-6 loss, but the Broncos at least had that game to study in formulating their game plan this week.
That being said, here’s five things about the Seahawks to watch on Sunday when the Broncos take on Seattle at Invesco Field …
1. RUN TO SET UP THE PASS:
Carroll is a decidedly untraditional coach as far as NFL sideline bosses go, but his team’s playcalling tactics last week were straight from the old school. The Seahawks ran on 13 of their 29 first downs in Week 1 against the 49ers, and after Matt Hasselbeck threw an interception on the game’s first play, they ran on six consecutive first downs — picking up 14 yards on those plays — before passing again on first down. The Seahawks then passed on six of their next seven first downs, picking up an average of 9.3 yards on those six pass plays.
2. SEATTLE RUSH PREFERS THE RIGHT:
With recent pickup and August Broncos castoff Tyler Polumbus working at left tackle in place of first-round rookie Russell Okung, the Seahawks largely avoided running to their left in Week 1. Seattle was more than twice as likely to go right as left; the Seahawks went right 14 times (60.7 percent of their carries) but only ran left six times (26.1 percent), with three carries up the middle for seven yards.
3.ATTACK ON SHOTGUN:
You might as well come after Hasselbeck when the Seahawks line up in the shotgun formation; Seattle passed on 10 of 11 shotgun snaps last week. Denver’s best pass-rush play might be to set up one-on-ones between Robert Ayers and left tackle Tyler Polumbus; the 274-pound Ayers could find success bull-rushing the 300-pound Polumbus, who had difficulty keeping his ground during his work last year.
4. THEY’LL BLITZ, BECAUSE IT WORKED:
Seattle came after 49ers quarterback Alex Smith last week, and he and the offense didn’t handle it well. After letting Smith pick apart their defense for 81 yards on 9-of-10 passing in the first quarter (with the only incompletion coming via instant-replay reversal), the Seahawks began attacking Smith, blitzing frequently and hitting him four times in the second quarter on 11 pass plays — including once for a sack. Seattle hit him four times on 11 attempts in the third quarter, forcing him into quick, often errant throws. Smith’s completion percentage dropped from 90.0 in the first quarter to 60.0 (six-of-10) in the second and 27.3 (three-of-11) in the third; this was mostly attributable to their pressure.
5. LOVE COMES IN SPURTS:
San Francisco was beaten by a disastrous stretch that lasted less than two minutes — a run that began with a 35-yard Hasselbeck-to-Mike Williams pass and included two Seattle touchdowns that sandwiched a Jonathan Babineaux interception. This goes hand-in-hand with the enthusiasm for a new, emotional and engaging coach; you saw this early last year from the Broncos, when their energy could fuel short, dominant bursts that carried them through for a victory. If Denver can minimize the damage when Seattle seizes momentum, they should be in excellent position for a win.
DENVER – Josh McDaniels acknowledged that one of the tricky parts of game preparation this week was the relative dearth of footage the Broncos could study to get a read on the Pete Carroll-led Seahawks.
The Seahawks are in many ways a new team, with 187 roster transactions since Carroll took over, a new emphasis on zone blocking and a pressure-intensive defensive strategy. The element of surprise caught the San Francisco 49ers off-guard last week in a 31-6 loss, but the Broncos at least had that game to study in formulating their game plan this week.
That being said, here’s five things about the Seahawks to watch on Sunday when the Broncos take on Seattle at Invesco Field …
1. RUN TO SET UP THE PASS:
Carroll is a decidedly untraditional coach as far as NFL sideline bosses go, but his team’s playcalling tactics last week were straight from the old school. The Seahawks ran on 13 of their 29 first downs in Week 1 against the 49ers, and after Matt Hasselbeck threw an interception on the game’s first play, they ran on six consecutive first downs — picking up 14 yards on those plays — before passing again on first down. The Seahawks then passed on six of their next seven first downs, picking up an average of 9.3 yards on those six pass plays.
2. SEATTLE RUSH PREFERS THE RIGHT:
With recent pickup and August Broncos castoff Tyler Polumbus working at left tackle in place of first-round rookie Russell Okung, the Seahawks largely avoided running to their left in Week 1. Seattle was more than twice as likely to go right as left; the Seahawks went right 14 times (60.7 percent of their carries) but only ran left six times (26.1 percent), with three carries up the middle for seven yards.
3.ATTACK ON SHOTGUN:
You might as well come after Hasselbeck when the Seahawks line up in the shotgun formation; Seattle passed on 10 of 11 shotgun snaps last week. Denver’s best pass-rush play might be to set up one-on-ones between Robert Ayers and left tackle Tyler Polumbus; the 274-pound Ayers could find success bull-rushing the 300-pound Polumbus, who had difficulty keeping his ground during his work last year.
4. THEY’LL BLITZ, BECAUSE IT WORKED:
Seattle came after 49ers quarterback Alex Smith last week, and he and the offense didn’t handle it well. After letting Smith pick apart their defense for 81 yards on 9-of-10 passing in the first quarter (with the only incompletion coming via instant-replay reversal), the Seahawks began attacking Smith, blitzing frequently and hitting him four times in the second quarter on 11 pass plays — including once for a sack. Seattle hit him four times on 11 attempts in the third quarter, forcing him into quick, often errant throws. Smith’s completion percentage dropped from 90.0 in the first quarter to 60.0 (six-of-10) in the second and 27.3 (three-of-11) in the third; this was mostly attributable to their pressure.
5. LOVE COMES IN SPURTS:
San Francisco was beaten by a disastrous stretch that lasted less than two minutes — a run that began with a 35-yard Hasselbeck-to-Mike Williams pass and included two Seattle touchdowns that sandwiched a Jonathan Babineaux interception. This goes hand-in-hand with the enthusiasm for a new, emotional and engaging coach; you saw this early last year from the Broncos, when their energy could fuel short, dominant bursts that carried them through for a victory. If Denver can minimize the damage when Seattle seizes momentum, they should be in excellent position for a win.