Seahawks Defensive Scheme created from scratch?

As head coach, Mora's fingerprints will be all over the defense.

"I intend to be very, very involved with the defense," he said. "It's my passion. It's what I love to do. It's something I believe I'm pretty good at."

But it's more than just his voice that will be heard.

"I've hired a tremendous defensive staff," Mora said. "We've added some outstanding coaches who have a very similar philosophy to me in terms of how you become a great defensive football team."

And for the past few weeks, the staff has begun drawing up a blueprint for that defense, starting with the ground floor of the playbook.

"We're starting to put the book together from the very basics," Lewis said. "It's kind of amazing, but it's very good. It's refreshing."

They've sat around a table, discussing ideas and concepts with Mora and Bradley both moderating and making sure everyone has a chance to offer input.

"We're sitting around a table like this; nothing gets typed or written really until everybody has a say-so," Lewis said. "It's really dynamic. It gives me a chill."

about 3 years ago cashless 6 comments 0 recs |

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Sounds awesome

or like a fantastic mess.

by John Morgan on Feb 9, 2009 4:21 PM PST reply actions

Either way

It will be infinately more fun to watch than the John Marshall defense of last year.

Also, this explains the “West Coast Defense” randomness from before. I had no clue what he was talking about, but it makes more sense now.

by cashless on Feb 9, 2009 4:25 PM PST up reply actions

This seems to be a theme with the coaching staff so far

by Nate Dogg on Feb 10, 2009 4:27 PM PST up reply actions

It's good that they're tearing it down and starting over.

We have arguably one of the most talented defenses in the league. About time we use them to their strengths.

"Part, fools!
Put up your swords. You know not what you do."

by Fearless Frog on Feb 9, 2009 7:28 PM PST reply actions

the difference between creating from scratch, and re-tooling a playbook in the offseason by an established staff working with an established scheme is probably nebulous, and Danny O’Neil’s choice of words maybe suggests more than they ought. I won’t say there’s only so many football plays, but there are very many established effective plays and established effective counters to them, and that’s the lion’s share of any offensive or defensive playbook for any team.

A thorough review of all plays and their results according to the personnel, resulting in conclusions that add and remove dozens of plays and calls from down-n-distances, situationals, compared to an “overhaul” or “starting from the ground up” might be ultimately very similar. And it might be commonplace every offseason throughout the league. I honestly don’t know, but I get the feeling.

One thing I hope I don’t end up missing from John Marshall was his effective use of stunts and twists on the line in the 2 years prior to 2008. The one-word stated difference between the Mora regime and Marshall’s approach so far is undeniably “attacking,” but the same word was just as generously applied to the Ray Rhodes defenses. I found the main difference between Rhodes and Marshall to be the stunts and twists.

The review of Lawrence Jackson’s season on here was actually very encouraging, because it might well have explained so incredibly much of the entire season. Here’s to seeing a revival of the stunt in 2009.

by jacobstevens on Feb 10, 2009 2:18 PM PST reply actions