BROCK AND SALK

Is Seahawks’ run defense or rushing attack a quicker fix?

Oct 31, 2024, 11:51 AM

Sitting at 4-4 with four losses in their past five games, the Seattle Seahawks have two major problems right now: A porous run defense and a sputtering rushing attack.

What Schlereth says Seahawks are getting wrong on defense

The Seahawks are near the bottom of the NFL in run defense, ranking 28th in yards allowed per carry (4.9) and 29th in rushing yards allowed per game (148.4). Seattle has surrendered at least 155 rushing yards in five of their eight games, including each of their past four contests.

The Seahawks also have one of the league’s worst ground attacks, ranking 29th in rushing yards per game (89.3). In four of Seattle’s eight games, its running backs have combined for less than 55 rushing yards – including just 16 yards on 12 carries in a humbling 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills last Sunday.

Between the run defense and the rushing attack, which area could be a quicker fix for the Seahawks? NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah was asked that question during his weekly Wednesday appearance on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk.

“I think they have the guys to fix the defense,” said Jeremiah, a former NFL scout. “I still think there’s talent upgrades that need to take place along the offensive line. I think defensively they have some really good pieces there. They’ve gotta get connected with the linebackers and the safeties coming down and helping out and being where they need to be and filling spots.

“I feel better about the talent level of the defense to fix that, personally. I think they need better players up front on offense.”

A common issue on both sides

From watching the tape, Jeremiah believes there are similar issues on both sides of the ball for the Seahawks.

With the run defense, he described it as a lack of connectivity.

“When you’re slanting one way and you don’t have a linebacker that’s scraping and then you’re just left with these huge voids, that’s where you see some of these (big) runs come from,” Jeremiah said. “… There was not just one guilty party. But I would say more than anything else, they’re not super connected right now between their front and their linebackers.”

And with the offensive line, Jeremiah sees a lack of trust.

“Usually (it’s) one guy kind of costing them,” he said. “It wasn’t like all of them are getting blown back off the ball with all this penetration. It’s missed communication where you’ve got a puller and he’s not trusting when you’ve got a crack. He’s not trusting that the receiver’s gonna get the crack, and so you end up two on one and then you end up with an unblocked defender – where if you just trust it, you end up with (running back) Kenneth Walker out the left side and it could be an explosive play.

“There’s not a ton of trust going on right there. And that showed up a bunch. … If you’re not trusting that that unblocked defender who’s supposed to be accounted for by somebody else is gonna get picked up, that’s a problem. And they end up with a lot of two-on-ones and a lot of guys unblocked.”

Listen to the full conversation with NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Tune in to Brock and Salk weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.

More on the Seattle Seahawks

Rost: The problem with the Seattle Seahawks’ biggest problem
Salk: Richard Sherman is right about what Seahawks need – kinda
• What happened to Seahawks’ homefield advantage at Lumen Field?
Seattle Seahawks appear to have a new position battle brewing
Macdonald: Where Seahawks are at with schemes on offense, defense

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Is Seahawks’ run defense or rushing attack a quicker fix?