Return of the Linebacker

This season is about rebuilding, right? Or building or young talent or whatever you want to call it, but where is the young talent we're rooting for? The 2010 class isn't stepping up and the best of the best from previous classes is mostly playing for other teams.

Some good young players survive. Let's talk about them. Players with futures in Seattle, let's talk about them.

1-10-ARI 23 (13:18) 34-T.Hightower right tackle to ARZ 34 for 11 yards (59-A.Curry).

Lawyer Milloy was out of the box. Seattle was showing a cover 2 shell. That opened that one play, the play in which the team motions the tight end to the Seahawks Leo side and then run right at it, and as you might guess, it worked fabulously well.

Mebane forced a double team and held ground, but apart from that, the line was all-problem and no solution. Chris Clemons was sealed off quickly and decisively. That allowed the fullback to hit David Hawthorne with a head of steam and create a soft angle to the outside. Lofa Tatupu probably should have been the next man to stop Tim Hightower, but he didn't. No linemen in the second level hijinks this time. Deuce Lutui -- still one of the best guards in football -- couldn't peel off Mebane quick enough to reach Tatupu but Tatupu moved inside and was, along with with Heater, blocked out by the fullback. It was an indirect block. Block by presence. A pick.

Curry streaked from across the field and caught Hightower after 11. Unlike Curry's sack, this was a good play. Outcome is a terrible, terrible determinant of quality of individual performance. Curry should not have been the Seahawk to make this tackle, and globally the outcome indicates a failure by the Seahawks defense, but that Curry was the one to finally stem the bleeding speaks to his range and improving awareness.

1-10-ARI 34 (12:31) 34-T.Hightower right tackle to ARZ 37 for 3 yards (51-L.Tatupu, 91-C.Clemons).

Milloy returned to the box and the next run was stuffed. As Earl Thomas develops, Seattle's strong safety of the future will be able to play more and more in the box.

2-7-ARI 37 (11:48) 3-D.Anderson pass deep left to 15-S.Breaston to SEA 42 for 21 yards (29-E.Thomas).

Seahawks drop into what looks like a cover 2. The front four doesn't generate any pressure. Strike that, Mebane does an okay job of pushing the double back towards Anderson and Clemons -- after bowing way wide as if chasing the tight end -- nears Anderson, but it's late and Breaston settles in front of Thomas for an easy 21.

There shouldn't be such a thing as an easy 21, and though safety play is difficult to judge, I think Thomas was late breaking on Breaston and allowed too much space for the reception.

1-10-SEA 42 (11:03) 3-D.Anderson pass deep middle to 15-S.Breaston to SEA 6 for 36 yards (23-M.Trufant).

Then Breaston angled away from Trufant for another easy reception. No pressure again, and that didn't help, but Tru stuck outside for too long and Breaston was wide open. Tru lucked into a shoulder tackle that dropped Breaston because otherwise Breaston is clear to the end zone.

Thomas was wide left, perhaps providing deep double cover on Larry Fitzgerald.

1-6-SEA 6 (10:20) 34-T.Hightower left end to SEA 4 for 2 yards (57-D.Hawthorne).

Noteworthy only because again Milloy's presence near the line draws the lead blockers and allows Seattle to rally to the ball carrier and make the tackle. Before Hawthorne ended it, both Curry and Thomas missed tackles. Which maybe means that one more blocker, one less unblocked defender, and this play is sprung for the score.

2-4-SEA 4 (9:38) (Shotgun) 3-D.Anderson pass short right to 11-L.Fitzgerald to SEA 5 for -1 yards (54-W.Herring).

Ok, enough doom and gloom. This is the play of the year for Will Herring.

Cardinals are four wide: Deuce and Breaston on the left; Andre Roberts (slot) and Fitz on the right. Roberts runs an out and up. The goal is to clear out Herring and create space for Fitzgerald. Fitz slides inside to receive the quick curl but Herring is all over him. He hits Fitz just after the reception and wraps for a loss of two. The tackle isn't perfect though it's secure. The tackle works because the timing is perfect. Fitz can hardly finish pulling the ball in before Herring is all over him.

Kentwan Balmer provides a little pressure off right end and that might disrupt Arizona's timing just a hair.

3-5-SEA 5 (8:54) 34-T.Hightower up the middle to SEA 5 for no gain (59-A.Curry).

Cardinals run a draw. Fans boo because it doesn't work, but Seattle fans know that draws inside the red zone have been poison for the Seahawks aggressive defense.

Seattle lines with Curry and Mebane at tackle. The Cards show pass block and that draws in both ends. Curry actually loses his gap for a second pursuing inside and breaking the double team on Mebane, but when he spots Hightower rushing behind right guard, he separates from center Lyle Sendlein and right guard Deuce Lutui and squares and drops the rusher for no gain.

Boo, boo, boo, but don't blame the play call. Sometimes good players make good plays.