BROCK AND SALK

Huard: What should alarm Seahawks coaching staff the most

Oct 15, 2024, 8:16 AM

Seattle Seahawks Mike Macdonald...

Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald during an Oct. 10, 2024 game against the 49ers. (Jane Gershovich/Getty Images)

(Jane Gershovich/Getty Images)

With the Seattle Seahawks getting 10 days between their Week 6 and Week 7 games, it provides a chance for the coaching staff to “self-scout” their team.

Rost: We see now what gap the Seahawks are trying to close

There will be some good to be found in that, but with each of the 3-3 Seahawks’ losses having come in consecutive weeks leading into this mini-bye, there’s going to be some hard truths revealed, as well.

On Monday’s edition of Brock and Salk, FOX football analyst and former NFL quarterback Brock Huard was asked what he thinks will be the most alarming thing first-year head coach Mike Macdonald and his staff will find.

Huard pointed at two things that are results of the same problem.

First?

“Their rush defense – 28th in the league, giving up 5.0 yards a carry,” Huard replied. “Completely and totally untenable.”

And the other?

“Explosive runs. They’re second-to-last in (allowing) runs of 20-plus yards. Seven runs of 20-plus yards in the NFL,” he said.

Huard put that last number into context, and in the spirit of the initial question, it is certainly alarming.

“There are four teams in the league that have given up just one run of 20-plus yards. Let’s see – Baltimore, they’re pretty good. Kansas City, they’re pretty good. Minnesota, they’re pretty good. Pittsburgh, they’re 4-2. So combined records – 4-2, 4-2, 5-0, 5-0 – those teams at the very top of limiting explosive runs, 18-2 on the season. Yeah, that’s the game. And you give up seven of them and you’re 30th in the league at the bottom with all the other teams that unfortunately look a little bit like you – 3-3, 2-4, 1-5. You’ve got to fix that equation. That too is untenable.”

There may be good news coming for Seattle’s run defense, though. The Seahawks’ first-round draft pick, defensive tackle Byron Murphy II, could be back this Sunday after missing the past three games with a hamstring injury, and Seattle made a trade Monday with Jacksonville to acquire veteran defensive lineman Roy Robertson-Harris.

Hear the full conversation in the Blue 88 segment from Monday’s Brock and Salk on Seattle Sports in the podcast at this link or in the player near the top of this post. Brock Huard answers three football questions during Blue 88, which airs at 7:45 a.m. during each edition of Brock and Salk (weekdays 6-10 a.m.).

More on the Seattle Seahawks

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Which Seahawks will benefit most from extra days of rest?
A look at how Seattle Seahawks’ rookie class has fared
Huard: The word that sums up Seahawks’ loss to 49ers
Bump: What’s the Seattle Seahawks’ biggest problem right now?

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