Garry Gilliam compares Seahawks’ offensive line criticisms to the stock market

When the offensive line was allowing sacks and hurries by the bundle, and the running game was struggling, the criticisms were sharp. Now that the Seahawks are averaging 34.5 points over the last four games, the men up front are a revelation.

For right tackle Garry Gilliam, the key to staying above the fray is never getting too high or low.

“It’s up and down like the stock market, if you will,” the second-year pro told “Danny, Dave and Moore” on Tuesday. “So you can’t get over-analyzing stuff or get in your own head; then it makes it that much worse. But at the end of the day, there was always be a little bit of truth to what some people do say and you just have to figure out what that is and how to fix that yourself.”

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The Seahawks much-maligned o-line has shown dramatic improvement over the past few weeks, allowing seven sacks in four games and opening holes for a dominating Thomas Rawls running attack. It’s much different than earlier in the season, when the inexperienced group was blamed for much of the offense’s struggles. Gilliam said the criticisms are all part of the game and makes the group better.

“They see stuff obviously from a different perspective than we do and there was obviously stuff that we needed to fix,” he said. “Whether someone says it one way or another, that’s what it was and we took that to heart and handled our businesses, and that’s what we’re trying to continue to do each week.”

Gilliam said there’s no way to completely block out the naysayers.

“As professionals, we just have to know how to interact with those things or just look at it and don’t let it affect you, or if it does, channel that in a positive way,” he said. “It’s just an ongoing process of learning how to do it.”

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Gilliam said offensive line coach Tom Cable has done good work to simplify the process of correcting mistakes, telling the group not to make the game any more difficult than it needs to be – to be firm and strong in the pocket in the passing game, and keep low pads and run your feet during running plays.

“Once it was just those things we simplified down to, and tried to do that repetitively and consistently, I think that’s where you saw the success coming,” he said.

Gilliam said there are unique challenges in protecting Wilson, since, after the first few seconds, there’s no telling where he’s scrambled. That’s why it’s critical to have a quick and athletic offensive line in front of him.

“It’s tough. You kind of learn the way he scrambles and the way he does things so you can kind of feel where he’s going,” he said. “I read the defensive person’s eyes a lot – if I see them looking a certain way, I know where Russell’s at, so I just try to shimmy my way in front of him.”