Don't Blame Craig Terrill

by John Morgan on Sep 22, 2009 3:23 PM PDT

One Seahawk did his job, and Lawrence Jackson wasn't enough. Jackson was alone on the right, knocking back pulling left guard David Baas, chipping and disrupting fullback Moran Norris and narrowing Gore's hole to a sliver. The linebackers overpursued and were out of position. Colin Cole was miles in the backfield after completely misreading the play. Red Bryant pursued hard left and abandoned his gap. Putting eight in the box left Seattle's defense thinned out and two dimensional. When Gore exploded out of the hole, he had only Jordan Babineaux to beat. Babineaux took a bad angle, but Gore does this. Give him a clean release into the second level and one to beat, and Gore will. Babineaux was "posterized" so to speak, but he bears less blame than all but Deon Grant, Darryl Tapp, Josh Wilson, Ken Lucas and Jackson. The linebackers and line detonated Seattle's rush defense.

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I stand corrected.

Having established this, Terrill didn’t play well on his snaps, either, did he?

by jacobstevens on Sep 22, 2009 3:36 PM PDT reply actions

Did Tapp read the play before the snap?

It seemed like he adjusted himself more to the middle right before the snap.

NEEDS MORE FREEDOM!

by Scruffy Lefty on Sep 22, 2009 3:46 PM PDT reply actions

The Niners motioned Vernon Davis from wide right to behind the left guard.

Tapp motioned in after that.

by John Morgan on Sep 22, 2009 3:52 PM PDT up reply actions

How much does Dan Quinn's coaching play into this?

We’ve heard a bit about Quinn coaching guys to get off the line quicker and about Bradley coaching Aaron Curry to just play fast and not try to react too much yet.

Seeing this similar scenario play out twice in 18 minutes, with some different players involved, makes me wonder how much the coaches are to blame for not having the players properly prepared.

"Football players are temperamental. That's 90 percent temper and 10 percent mental." - Doug Plank

by Stevo's on Sep 22, 2009 3:52 PM PDT reply actions

It's Cole.

This is exactly what I expected from him. He doesn’t hold the point at all. He is a complete liability without Mebane protecting him.

by John Morgan on Sep 22, 2009 3:53 PM PDT up reply actions

Just to follow up on this

On this individual play, ignoring context, roles and experience, Bryant bears more blame. He took himself out of position and then Gore ran where he should have been. But Bryant is a developmental defensive tackle that shouldn’t be starting. Seattle was young and inexperienced at almost every position on this play, and there’s a time when a veteran, the guy paid to stuff the run, has to step up and do his damn job.

by John Morgan on Sep 22, 2009 4:03 PM PDT up reply actions

Cole needs to read the pulling guard and not pursue the play deep into the backfield

There is no excuse for him to be three yard behind Frank Gore.

by John Morgan on Sep 22, 2009 3:54 PM PDT up reply actions

Excellent question

and excellent answer.

by jacobstevens on Sep 22, 2009 3:59 PM PDT up reply actions

I don't understand

Bryant and Cole are bigger than Mebane. How is it possible they’re worse run defenders?

by Nate Dogg on Sep 22, 2009 4:01 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs

You can be as big as a house, if you're in the wrong position, it won't matter?

by LantermanC on Sep 22, 2009 4:06 PM PDT up reply actions

thats what she said.

by paul2 on Sep 22, 2009 4:08 PM PDT up reply actions 2 recs

+1

"Football players are temperamental. That's 90 percent temper and 10 percent mental." - Doug Plank

by Stevo's on Sep 22, 2009 4:10 PM PDT up reply actions

owned

by kearly on Sep 22, 2009 4:35 PM PDT up reply actions

Dammit.

I don’t know if it would have been worse if I had something like if you pursue through the wrong hole or something which is what I originally wrote. Either way it’s bad.

by LantermanC on Sep 22, 2009 4:53 PM PDT up reply actions

Maybe just maybe

on Sunday we should be loud on offense and have a seat on Defense, make it nice and quiet so these new guys can think and maybe just maybe make a play

by HawkedUp on Sep 22, 2009 4:30 PM PDT reply actions

I think Babineaux is getting off a little easy here

Granted, the lion’s share of the blame for a 79 or 80 yard run should probably never fall on a safety, but the 49ers did a pretty outstanding job of blocking that play for Gore at all 3 levels, and on both plays Babs was pretty much the only unblocked defender who had a shot at Gore (Kerney was semi-unblocked on the 2nd one but didn’t make it despite a good effort). Babs didn’t so much as lay a finger on Gore either time. The 2nd run, which opened the 2nd half, was really horrible. Babineaux was in very good position right in front of Gore as he charged downfield, and Gore just ran right by him, practically clipped his shoulder. Babineaux ran up, Gore blew by him with no effort, and Babineaux turned and chased in vain.

Milloy benched Babs on the very next series and I’m assuming finished the game.

I think that if Grant had been in the position Babs was in those two plays, he probably would have prevented 1 or possibly even both of them, the 1st one would have been tough but the 2nd one is a play a safety must make.

by kearly on Sep 22, 2009 4:44 PM PDT reply actions

Hey John,

did the Seahawks ever flip Grant and Babineaux? I remember you saying something about Grant being a better FS than SS (not sure if I have the positions the right way round but you get the gist I hope).

by Hawkmain on Sep 22, 2009 4:55 PM PDT reply actions

Grant played mostly in the box

Babineaux played mostly free safety. I did see Babineaux in the box though.

by John Morgan on Sep 22, 2009 5:15 PM PDT up reply actions

I meant more permanently. Or do you think they will just interchange them situationally?

by Hawkmain on Sep 22, 2009 5:17 PM PDT up reply actions

Some situational changes

but it looks a lot like last season. Grant is the strong safety and Babineaux is the free safety. I am not sure why the coaches are falling back on that habit.

by John Morgan on Sep 22, 2009 5:29 PM PDT up reply actions

Would it be safe to say that Grant is a better tackler?

Early prospect watch: RB C.J. Spiller, QB Jevan Snead, OT Ciron Black, DT Gerald McCoy, S Eric Berry, DT Ndamukong Suh, CB Ras-I Dowling 6'2, 200, RB Jonathan Dwyer

by Misfit74 on Sep 22, 2009 6:12 PM PDT up reply actions

I wouldn't say that.

They are both good, but sometimes take bad angles. Neither really belong in the scrum.

by John Morgan on Sep 22, 2009 6:50 PM PDT up reply actions

No mention of Aaron Curry?

Looks to me like he went to the wrong gap and by the time the fullback hit him, was way out of position. Not saying he deserves the blame, plenty of guys deserve it on this one, but if he could’ve nailed the fullback in whole it’d have stacked things up. Instead he followed Herring off to the left?

by B.B.Finnegan on Sep 22, 2009 5:17 PM PDT reply actions

He deserved blame for that bullshit tackle he "attempted" on Moran Norris.

Was that on third down??

by Hawkmain on Sep 22, 2009 5:19 PM PDT up reply actions

It was, that play was very disappointing.

by Nate Dogg on Sep 22, 2009 7:24 PM PDT up reply actions

It wasn't successful

and it wasn’t good, but I’m surprised at how much that play has been criticized.

by jacobstevens on Sep 23, 2009 9:58 AM PDT up reply actions

Hew doesn't get specific mention but I did write "The linebackers overpursued and were out of position."

by John Morgan on Sep 22, 2009 5:28 PM PDT up reply actions

Hey, when are we gonna get to see this West Coast Defense??

So far all i’ve seen is a couple LoJack sacks.

by Hawkmain on Sep 22, 2009 5:54 PM PDT up reply actions

Also, after watching the play yet again

It looks like the ref was in perfect position to make the tackled, but totally pulled a Brian Russellesque whiff practically leaping out of the way to avoid contact. That dude needs to be cut.

by B.B.Finnegan on Sep 22, 2009 6:00 PM PDT reply actions

We need to go buy ourselves some Bill Levy

by jacobstevens on Sep 23, 2009 9:58 AM PDT up reply actions

So many guys messed up on those two plays

It’s unbelievable. I watched that play and Colin Cole got penetration. From what I understand our run defense consists of our DTs penetrating and disrupting the gaps in the backfield. That is what Colin Cole did. I think it is a desire to be right on your part about Cole rather than a desire to point out how this went down.

Usually Cole and Mebane penetrate the run gaps. And then the linebackers fill in behind them with the safety filling any remaining gaps.

I watched Cole penetrate his gap on this play. I thought Terrill was the one pushed out of the way, not Bryant. But now that you have photographic evidence, Bryant was washed out of this play which is what Mora meant when he said the D-line was washed out of the play.

That means the middle linebackers need to read the play and fill the gaps. They were engaged with blockers and/or misread the play.

The last line of defense the safety should have made the play. And they didn’t.

I’d bet money that Lawyer Milloy makes that play. Babs has never been a starter and no one has provided an ounce of proof as to why Babs is a better starting safety than Milloy. Babs may have a younger body, but his instincts are nowhere near as good as Milloy’s. I’d much rather have Milloy’s veteran experience and perennial proven starter instincts in the game over Babs perennial “I can’t earn a starting job” instincts.

If Mora is smart, he will let Lo-Jack fill in for Cory Redding. Slide Cory over to the three tech. And let Terrill and Bennett backup Cory and Lo-Jack respectively. Lo-Jack has earned the chance to start and Redding is the best three tech besides Mebane we have.

I want to see Lawyer Milloy in at safety. Lawyer is physically better than Russell and mentally better than Babs. I hope I see this next game.

by ASeahawkfan on Sep 23, 2009 6:07 AM PDT reply actions

You didn't know who was in the play

but you are sure my evaluation is dishonest, because I want to be right.

by John Morgan on Sep 23, 2009 10:21 AM PDT up reply actions

I thought it was Terrill

I watched it a bunch of times and couldn’t see the other DT. I watched Colin Cole off the snap and he penetrated into the backfield and the hole formed away from him. I assumed it was Terrill because I didn’t think Bryant would be moved out of the way like that.

I watched it quite a few times. Just the angle on the video I was watching didn’t show Bryant well because he was getting swallowed up.

But you are blaming Cole and he did get a ton of penetration. As I understand our defense, the DTs are supposed to penetrate the running lanes and disrupt.

Cole penetrated. Bryant didn’t. Yet Cole is to blame. I don’t get that.

by ASeahawkfan on Sep 23, 2009 11:50 AM PDT up reply actions

The guard opposite Cole pulled.

He penetrated into nothing.

by John Morgan on Sep 23, 2009 12:04 PM PDT up reply actions

Adding to the above

I can’t believe the middle of our defense is FUBAR. Our entire middle is out.

Best DT out. Best MLB out. Backup player at safety.

You can’t play good defense when your middle is soft. One guy aka Colin Cole cannot be expected to hold the middle alone. Cole being blown out is going to happen. Overall, Cole held his ground. It’s pretty hard to harp too much on him when other guys were more culpable and just as physically overmatched if not more physically overmatched than Cole. Cole may not be a world beater, but he is far from the worst player on the field.

The few plays he did get washed out, other guys did not step up. That’s the huge difference with Lofa and Hill in there….they will generally step up when a few plays get by our defensive line.

I hope Lofa and Mebane get well soon. Or at least one of them. Those are two of the worst spots to lose your best starters at. The middle of your defense must be solid from front to back. That is why defenses like Baltimore and Pittsburgh are so good. Their middles are the strongest part of their defense from the DT to the MLBs to the Safeties.

by ASeahawkfan on Sep 23, 2009 7:58 AM PDT reply actions