Nine Pass Attempts with Charlie Whitehurst

I'll post a summary tomorrow. Until then, here are the final nine attempts by Charlie Whitehurst. One was wiped out by a Sean Locklear holding penalty.

Locklear now has four holds, a false start and 2.5 sacks allowed -- which seems conservative. I have mostly grown out of the habit of slagging Seahawks, but I watch a lot of football, a lot of NFL games throughout the week, and I am pretty certain Locklear is the worst right tackle in the NFL. It really is startling how often he is beat. I don't want to overstate this, but when this season is over and Locklear's restructured contract ends, he might just retire. Whether he wants to or not.

The next six attempts were made with less than a minute left in the first half. New York didn't throttle down, continuing to blitz into the third quarter, but New York did do what about every team does with a big lead and a quickly expiring clock: keep the ball in front of them and prevent the big play. It wasn't quite prevent defense, but it did allow for a couple short receptions.

1-10-SEA 43 (:47) (Shotgun) 6-C.Whitehurst pass deep right to 15-B.Stokley pushed ob at NYG 35 for 22 yards (21-K.Phillips).

Seahawks: Butler (left), Stokley-Williams (right), TE (left), RB (left), Shotgun

Giants: 4-2

Brandon Stokley runs a corner from right slot. Mike Williams runs a comeback route 4-5 yards deep. Whitehurst doesn't do anything fancy, apart from the obvious arm strength involved. He just locks on to Stokley, waits for him to get behind the nickel and in front of the safety and fires it in for 22.

It would have been a nice play if it wasn't more or less allowed.

1-10-NYG 35 (:41) (Shotgun) 6-C.Whitehurst pass incomplete short right to 17-M.Williams.

Seahawks: Butler (left), Stokley-Williams (right), TE (left), RB (left), Shotgun

Giants: 4-2

Identical formation; identical route combination on the right. Well, not quite. Stokes runs the same pattern. Giants blitz six. Williams runs a comeback route but the depth is now 9-10 yards. Whitehursts throws it like Williams has run 4-5 yards and the pass sails out of bounds incomplete.

Someone made a mistake and I am not sure it was Whitehurst.

2-10-NYG 35 (:37) (Shotgun) 6-C.Whitehurst FUMBLES (Aborted) at NYG 42, and recovers at NYG 42. 6-C.Whitehurst pass short right to 20-J.Forsett pushed ob at NYG 29 for 6 yards (21-K.Phillips). PENALTY on SEA-75-S.Locklear, Offensive Holding, 10 yards, enforced at NYG 35 - No Play.

Seahawks: 2 WR (left), WR (right), TE (left), RB (right), Shotgun

Giants: 4-2

Whitehurst bobbles the snap, recovers, rolls right and zings it complete to Justin Forsett.

The pass is nullified because pretty much off the snap, Justin Tuck makes an inside move and Locklear arm bars him to prevent the sack. I wish I could pinpoint what's wrong, but I think Seattle should at least consider replacing Lock with a street free agent. It's every game.

2-20-NYG 45 (:31) (Shotgun) 6-C.Whitehurst pass incomplete short right to 17-M.Williams.

Before Charlie Whitehurst there was Charlie Frye. This was a Charlie Frye play.

Seahawks: 2 WR (left), WR (right), Split backs, Shotgun

Giants: 4-2

Giants rush five. Whitehurst gets yippy and starts retreating from yet established pressure. He breaks the pocket on the right and assists Locklear in an endeavor Locklear needs no assistance: blowing his block. Whitehurst retreats and slings it away out of bounds right.

Seahawks: 2 WR (left/right), TE (left)

Giants: Big Sub

Prior to the snap, Forsett motions inside so that's he positioned like an h-back. Frye finds him on an arrow route. Force is blanketed by Deon Grant and tackled where he receives. What it must be like to use Deon Grant as a situational defensive back.

(Seattle takes a timeout, weighs their options and decides it's imperative they score. Which is true, however pie-in-the-sky seeming.)

4-15-NYG 40 (:12) (Shotgun) 6-C.Whitehurst pass incomplete deep left to 17-M.Williams. WATCH HIGHLIGHT

This play develops on or rather through the offensive line. Jason Pierre-Paul is lined up at defensive tackle. The Giants blitz six, but seven blockers allow Locklear and Stacy Andrews to double Pierre-Paul. Which seems like it should be sufficient. Two offensive linemen doubling a 21-year old end should be automatic, but of course it isn't and Pierre-Paul splits the double pretty much instantly and closes on Whitehurst. Whitey flings it kinda-sorta towards Williams, but this is a pressure incomplete all the way.

(Kneel down and that ends the half.)

2-12-SEA 30 (12:48) 6-C.Whitehurst pass short right to 89-J.Carlson to SEA 35 for 5 yards (23-C.Webster).

Anything promising you wanted to find in Whitehurst is displayed in this throw, and it's not a whole lot. He reads and zips towards Carlson and Carlson is dropped after five. Whitehurst doesn't scan the field. He doesn't find wide open receivers and he doesn't distribute. But he does get the ball out fast, and that, rather than the Giants forgoing pressure (in fact, New York blitzed aggressively throughout) is how Whitehurst was able to neutralize pressure.

On the whole, it didn't really work because though Seattle avoided sacks, the passing game was still broken.

3-7-SEA 35 (12:09) (Shotgun) 6-C.Whitehurst FUMBLES (Aborted) at SEA 30, and recovers at SEA 19. 6-C.Whitehurst to SEA 19 for no gain (72-O.Umenyiora).

Giants blitz seven. Whitehurst is caught watching New York show pressure when the snap arrives, allows it past him so must scramble and fall on it for a loss of 16. It's not often I would credit something entirely to nerves and inexperience, but that's the simplest explanation for this goof.

Just three more pass attempts left, and I won't write about the long touchdown reception. That's been detailed by others. Just looked like busted coverage to me.

3-6-SEA 43 (8:46) (Shotgun) 6-C.Whitehurst pass incomplete short left to 15-B.Stokley.

Giants rush five. Pierre-Paul bullies back Chester Pitts. Pitts is eventually back to shoulder with Whitehurst, but Whitehurst doesn't move around to gain space. Instead he chucks it off his back foot and the pass flies errant towards Stokley.

1-10-SEA 30 (14:56) 6-C.Whitehurst pass short right to 17-M.Williams pushed ob at SEA 38 for 8 yards (23-C.Webster).

Six blockers. Whitehurst hits Williams coming back for the football. Just bang-bang. Fox doesn't show me much to deduce. Rhythm passing, basically.

Oh, one final note:

2-2-SEA 38 (14:28) 24-M.Lynch up the middle to NYG 36 for 26 yards (24-T.Thomas; 23-C.Webster).

1-10-NYG 36 (13:41) 6-C.Whitehurst pass deep right to 87-B.Obomanu for 36 yards, TOUCHDOWN. WATCH HIGHLIGHT

Both of these plays were run from identical formations: WR (left/right), TE (left/right), Rb. The Giants blitzed seven on a run blitz against the first and Lynch was able to cut back, avoid Michael Boley and break into the open field. The other was, well, almost disgusting in its tardiness.

(A Bronx cheer erupts from the 12.)