Offensive/Defensive Improvements/Reflections at the bye

[tarlhawk]

Our defense is still trying to crawl out from the shadow of our first 5 games played. While "learning" a system designed to make us less revealing in attack/coverage pre-snap from post-snap it's been improving at making the less experienced QBs we face into hesitating enough to allow our pass rush to "get home"....Goats are a different story so far. Leading this effort has been very strong Corner back play from both Corners (Tariq Woolen and Michael Jackson). Both have been "sticky" in coverage yet able to help set the "edge" on sweeps/screens. Woolen has allowed a 54.8% completion clip and a QB rating of 59.7 when targeted....while MJack has allowed a 52.8% completion rate and a QB rating of 71.7 when targeted. Our safety coverage has seen mixed results from Diggs and Neal with Q allowing 70% and QB rating of 137.9 while Neal is thriving while allowing 57.6% and QB rating of 76.7. Both Coby and Josh Jones have allowed an opposing QB rating of 118 when targeted...but have more crossing/pass off assignments with our LB drop coverage "still needing improvement".

Our Offense continues to grow as our Defense "catches up" to the pace. Chemistry between Geno and Shane Waldron has been "spot on" with the emergence of our "TE Room" (Dissley/Fant/Parkinson) helping to "keep moving the chains" while Kenneth Walker III adjusts to "NFL speed" shouldering the Balanced Attack to support Geno's Play Action magic. Our 2 gifted WR (DK/Lockett) continue to "demand" respect by helping to "stretch" the field while becoming daggers to any opponents who "sleep" on them. The O-Line has held up to many of the "stud" D-line players our opponents have tossed at them while improving week to week.

Overall our team has changed the "lucky to win 3 games" pundit narrative to some respect of what management/coaching can achieve with a younger/quicker team spearheaded by some seasoned veteran leadership. Onward and upward! Go Hawks

[Aseahawkfan]

I've read that Clint allowed the D-line to line up over their 4-3 gap alignment because they were not handling the 3-4 gap assignments very well which hurt the run defense. The run defense improvement has fueled the defensive resurgence. If you can't stop the run, you can't dictate on defense and the opposing offense can put you on your back heels as you have to compensate to stop the run. This is the biggest change from the first five games. Hopefully it will hold up against better teams.

I still say we lack talent on the D-line and our pass rush is fairly weak. I want that shored up next year. Secondary looks solid other than maybe a better strong safety. CBs look very promising. We could use some backer depth and some better D-line guys. We definitely need some outside pass rushers that can really push this defense back up to the top in the league.

Tariq and the boys can feast on turnovers if we can pressure the QB while still stopping the run. I would love a homerun hit on the D-line more than any other position in the team. Just once since the days of Tez I dream of having a super stud D-line player. I hope they can find that player next year.

[Hawktawk]

I've read that Clint allowed the D-line to line up over their 4-3 gap alignment because they were not handling the 3-4 gap assignments very well which hurt the run defense. The run defense improvement has fueled the defensive resurgence. If you can't stop the run, you can't dictate on defense and the opposing offense can put you on your back heels as you have to compensate to stop the run. This is the biggest change from the first five games. Hopefully it will hold up against better teams.

I still say we lack talent on the D-line and our pass rush is fairly weak. I want that shored up next year. Secondary looks solid other than maybe a better strong safety. CBs look very promising. We could use some backer depth and some better D-line guys. We definitely need some outside pass rushers that can really push this defense back up to the top in the league.

Tariq and the boys can feast on turnovers if we can pressure the QB while still stopping the run. I would love a homerun hit on the D-line more than any other position in the team. Just once since the days of Tez I dream of having a super stud D-line player. I hope they can find that player next year.

Lots of good stuff here . I appreciate how Tari puts meat on the bone without a bunch of emotion and conjecture and false assumptions . I’d heard there was a players only meeting after week 5 where ideas were shared with coaches . At that the scheme was modified to make it simpler ie pick a gap and go , not sit back and read and try to react ..
Eyeball test says what’s up with Diggs . He’s rather sucking relative to his entire career . Either not healthy yet or mentally scarred from his foot on backwards but serious weak link . 51 of Brady’s yards were charged to Diggs , worst of his career .

Pass rush was #1 in the league , scoring also and run d was also among league leaders . Then came 6:30 AM on jello. They were helpless on that field against the most run heavy game I ever recall in Tom Brady’s career , 41 handoffs . 16 runs from the shotgun , unheard of in a Brady offense.
Seattle benched Mone for an edge guy they were so confident in their game plan chasing down a futile Brady .

I owe Todd Bowles an apology . I though he was the guy till the next dude . He’s a much better coach then I though .

This is clear . Tampa prepared a game plan for a bad field . Seattle did not . . Maybe they had someone over there in advance and Seattle didn’t but don’t game plans get put in early in the week ? Monumental screw up by the league presenting a field like that but also Seattle . You have to know what you’re dealing with . Long story longer a defense with 18 sacks and something like 30 pressures the previous 4 games got 1 PRESSURE. Pete said the edges couldn’t move.

So I’m not sure who we are now on defense and it’s the key to the season .

We can score 21-50 on a given Sunday . Even though DK has been somewhat underwhelming . He seems to not have that elite pull away speed. I know he’s been hurt and he’s made some huge plays too but 5 drops already and a big PF yakking at the ref last week . It appears defenders are increasingly grabbing at him and taking their chances with officials .

It’s clear we lack dynamic play in the middle of our d line . Depth is an issue . I think on a dry field our edge rush will be fine . We need Diggs better I already said it in another post . He’s a shell .
Don’t sleep on VEGAS . They are the best most dangerous 3 win team in the league . They have blown 17 point leads 4 times this year against some good teams . Better have the hard hat and the lunch pail Sunday . I don’t see them rolling over . If we’re gonna be one of those teams down the stretch we gotta have it , gotta force them to bend and break .

[NorthHawk]

[quote="Aseahawkfan"]I've read that Clint allowed the D-line to line up over their 4-3 gap alignment because they were not handling the 3-4 gap assignments very well which hurt the run defense. The run defense improvement has fueled the defensive resurgence. If you can't stop the run, you can't dictate on defense and the opposing offense can put you on your back heels as you have to compensate to stop the run. This is the biggest change from the first five games. Hopefully it will hold up against better teams.

I still say we lack talent on the D-line and our pass rush is fairly weak. I want that shored up next year. Secondary looks solid other than maybe a better strong safety. CBs look very promising. We could use some backer depth and some better D-line guys. We definitely need some outside pass rushers that can really push this defense back up to the top in the league.

Tariq and the boys can feast on turnovers if we can pressure the QB while still stopping the run. I would love a homerun hit on the D-line more than any other position in the team. Just once since the days of Tez I dream of having a super stud D-line player. I hope they can find that player next year.[/quote]


That would make sense because I wasn't understanding what they were playing, 3-4 or 4-3 or did they go back to the 4-3 under Defense that Pete has run? It would seem they might have to change the DL personnel if they want to run more
of a 3-4. At any rate, you are correct that they have to address the DL if they want to take the next step with our Defense.

[I-5]

Wow good posts here. I agree with all of them lol.

I for one am not sold on DK. He has made some catches, but he has made critical drops/fumbles and is nowhere close to some of the premier receivers in the league, or even close to what Lockett has been doing consistently. When Lockett drops a ball, everyone is shocked. That's a good thing.

I especially agree with don't sleep on the Raiders. They looked very dangerous last week vs the Broncos. I still think we're better, but if we don't get to Carr, it's going to be a long day for our CB's, as good as they are. This will be the second game in a row where we are catching a team on the upswing with a strong receiving game. I thinainsk we learned a lot of humbling lessons in last week's loss that you can never assume a team's tendencies, and that you ALWAYS have to plan to stop the run.

[RiverDog]

I for one am not sold on DK. He has made some catches, but he has made critical drops/fumbles and is nowhere close to some of the premier receivers in the league, or even close to what Lockett has been doing consistently. When Lockett drops a ball, everyone is shocked. That's a good thing.

Plus he still a bit of a head case. Vs. the Bucs, he drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for arguing with a ref about a no call PI that was marginal at best, then the league slapped him with an extremely high fine, nearly $30k, with the only higher USC fine this season being Mike Evans for his role in a brawl, meaning that what he said to the ref had to have been pretty damn bad. He keeps saying that he has to grow up, but I haven't seen any evidence of it yet.

Fortunately, that penalty didn't hurt us as all it did was turn Meyer's FG from a 40 yarder into a much more challenging 55 yarder which he nailed, but my concern is that he's going to get popped for something like that at the worst possible time.

[tarlhawk]

DK is not the similar WR type that Lockett represents but thats not DK's fault and that doesn't throw shade on DK. The WR coach (Sanjay Lal) enjoys DK as a player who responds very well to coaching and he has complimented DK as always willing to learn....marveling at the execution of duplicating a play in practice and then running it on the field exactly as shown in practice. DK is still learning the route running ability that separates the elite WR from the gifted WR. Experience is a great teacher to a willing WR and DK displays that attitude to his coaching.


Tyler has been likened to being a route running Ninja ....able to cut and juke akin to the raw skills shown by our running back rookie Walker III. Many WR are either very fast or very quick....Lockett is the perfect blend of both ...using elite quickness and misdirection to get a CB to "bite" then shifting to his explosive gear to maintain separation aided by special hands. Geno can throw the deep routes on "Go Balls" with timing....but Waldron's play calling is well structured to utilize the "middle" of the field and "take" what the Defense is giving on any given play. This makes it easier on Pass Pro and allows quick decisive throws from our QB which is why in pre-season Noah Fant called it a TE friendly offense.


DK and Tyler demand respect from many 2 deep shell defenses to bracket "double team them"....forcing "check downs". Most teams don't have the corner/safety depth to make safety commitments that limit their ability to "stack" the box to stop explosive runs from Walker III. DK's physicality is hard for defenses to match up in one on one man coverage but it also is a hindrance when changing direction abruptly as he takes many "false steps" before actually changing direction where Locketts small frame is almost instantly abrupt when offering misdirection. DK is not a finished product but that should be seen as scary to our opponents even if we as fans choose to admonish him with the "Gold Bar" Lockett standard. Onward and upwards! Go Hawks

[RiverDog]

DK is not the similar WR type that Lockett represents but thats not DK's fault and that doesn't throw shade on DK. The WR coach (Sanjay Lal) enjoys DK as a player who responds very well to coaching and he has complimented DK as always willing to learn....marveling at the execution of duplicating a play in practice and then running it on the field exactly as shown in practice. DK is still learning the route running ability that separates the elite WR from the gifted WR. Experience is a great teacher to a willing WR and DK displays that attitude to his coaching.

I agree, and there was an article about how Metcalf appreciates Pete and didn't get on him for the penalty. But he's going to have to change his behavior. That no call PI wasn't that close, certainly not close enough to justify a 15 yard penalty and a $30k fine. It also makes me wonder about Pete, if he's not holding Metcalf and perhaps others accountable for their mistakes. It was a huge criticism of him in his handling of our franchise QB.

Tyler has been likened to being a route running Ninja ....able to cut and juke akin to the raw skills shown by our running back rookie Walker III. Many WR are either very fast or very quick....Lockett is the perfect blend of both ...using elite quickness and misdirection to get a CB to "bite" then shifting to his explosive gear to maintain separation aided by special hands. Geno can throw the deep routes on "Go Balls" with timing....but Waldron's play calling is well structured to utilize the "middle" of the field and "take" what the Defense is giving on any given play. This makes it easier on Pass Pro and allows quick decisive throws from our QB which is why in pre-season Noah Fant called it a TE friendly offense.

Agree completely. Lockett has been through the hubs of hell, having to recover from that near career ending injury he suffered a few years ago. No one raises an eyebrow if Metcalf drops a pass, but if Lockett drops one, it's a huge shock, like it was when Largent dropped one of his 2 or 3 passes in a season. I have a policy of not wearing jerseys with the name/number of a player, but if I were to wear one, of all the active players on our roster, it would be Lockett.

DK and Tyler demand respect from many 2 deep shell defenses to bracket "double team them"....forcing "check downs". Most teams don't have the corner/safety depth to make safety commitments that limit their ability to "stack" the box to stop explosive runs from Walker III. DK's physicality is hard for defenses to match up in one on one man coverage but it also is a hindrance when changing direction abruptly as he takes many "false steps" before actually changing direction where Locketts small frame is almost instantly abrupt when offering misdirection. DK is not a finished product but that should be seen as scary to our opponents even if we as fans choose to admonish him with the "Gold Bar" Lockett standard. Onward and upwards! Go Hawks

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I think that we need to be taking more deep shots to Metcalf, get the DB's on their heals and the safeties on the move. Like the saying goes, an overdone strength becomes a weakness, and Geno's high completion percentage tells me that we're not taking enough low percentage downfield shots.

[tarlhawk]

That no call PI wasn't that close, certainly not close enough to justify a 15 yard penalty and a $30k fine. It also makes me wonder about Pete, if he's not holding Metcalf and perhaps others accountable for their mistakes.

I think that we need to be taking more deep shots to Metcalf, get the DB's on their heals and the safeties on the move. Like the saying goes, an overdone strength becomes a weakness, and Geno's high completion percentage tells me that we're not taking enough low percentage downfield shots.

First the DK penalty....that particular play/non-call might not have been the "tipping" point for DK if he had been getting "chipped" frequently....frustration sometimes smoulders before exploding. DK wasn't our only player that Pete had to "calm down"....Shelby Harris who was mic'd for the game got "hot" about some dirty play from some lineman and went straight to an official to get the official to "pay attention". (opinion) Pete probably talks "privately" rather than in the heat of the moment with prying cameras.

Your 2nd observation is Geno recognizing coverage and not being tempted on mistake throws...he has or had the highest % accuracy
for passes downfield of 20 yards plus....given enough plays (moving the chains on 3rd downs) Geno finds targets for DK....this is more of a spread type distribution type offense not always based on where your team spent money.