Penalties have become a red flag for Seattle this season.

Wait. That’s not quite right considering that it’s the yellow flags that are the issue for the Seahawks, and the most penalized player on the most penalized team in the league is second-year offensive lineman Germain Ifedi.

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“He’s got some line-of-scrimmage stuff,” coach Pete Carroll said, “and he has been sloppy with his hands. And that’s basically what it is.”

Seattle has been penalized 72 times this season, nine more than any other team in the league. Ifedi has been flagged 12 times this season – most of anyone in the NFL – with opponents accepting 10 of those penalties.

Four of Ifedi’s 12 infractions have been for false starts on the line, six are for offensive holding, and specifically Ifedi has shown a tendency to stay engaged with a block, holding onto a pass rusher after Russell Wilson has scrambled outside the pocket.

“He’s one that has not really nailed the sense of when Russell is getting out on his side,” Carroll said. “He’s got to release. He’s had his share, and it’s definitely a point of emphasis that has been there for some time now. It’s disappointing that we’re not fixing this faster.”

Seattle was penalized 16 times on Sunday against Washington, the second-most penalties called on Seattle in any game during franchise history. Ten of those 16 penalties were on the offense, with each of Seattle’s five starting offensive linemen being flagged at least once. For his part, Ifedi had one penalty called on him for holding.

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