A Post About Russell Okung That Says More About Sean Locklear

1-10-SEA 20 (1:00) 24-M.Lynch right end to SEA 24 for 4 yards (95-C.Johnson; 61-D.Landri).

Russell Okung drives back and arrests Tyler Brayton. The play moves right and the two linemen move off frame. In my mind's eye, Russell is slapping around Tyler with Tyler's own hand.

The blocking looks decent, decent control, decent push, but Marshawn Lynch doesn't get skinny through a seam very well. Holes that Justin Forsett could exploit seem impenetrable to Lynch. I wonder if Seattle should move back towards a more traditional run blocking scheme and allow Lynch a clear hole to build some momentum towards and through.

2-6-SEA 24 (:27) 8-M.Hasselbeck pass short right to 11-D.Butler to SEA 27 for 3 yards (31-R.Marshall) [95-C.Johnson].

Okung again matches against Brayton, and though he doesn't stonewall him, he does contain him and keep Matt safe.

Sean Locklear is walked back and through by Charles Johnson and Johnson strikes Matt Hasselbeck as he throws.

In Lock's defense, playing right tackle in the NFL is hard.

Deon Butler catches on a crossing pattern and falls over his own feet in the process. But's that's not a RAC play. That slow developing pattern was intended to result in three yards.

3-3-SEA 27 (15:00) (Shotgun) 8-M.Hasselbeck pass short right to 15-B.Stokley pushed ob at SEA 32 for 5 yards (41-C.Munnerlyn).

Carolina runs a nickel blitz from a 3-3. The goal is to overload the left and create confusion, and it's satisfying to see Okung negotiate the twists and misdirection.

Seattle is set three wide, but there's help on the left. Chris Baker is in at tight end and Justin Forsett is to Hasselbeck's left. Matt's in shotgun.

Everette Brown sets the wheels spinnin'. He edge rushes. Okung looks right but sticks his left arm to slow Brown before passing him on to Baker. Baker and Forsett both move towards the edge. That seems to be in Carolina's design, because Marcus Hudson runs a delayed blitz towards Okung's inside shoulder. There's a sizable gap there. Right guard Mike Gibson is doing a whole bunch of nothing while looking right.

So Okung takes care of business.

He engages Hudson and begins riding him right. Hudson flashes in front of Hasselbeck for a split second and attempts to jump and block Matt's throwing lane, but Okung seizes the opportunity and slams the airborne defensive back into Stacy Andrews.

Everything works out okay on the left and Okung handles the delayed blitz on the interior. Result: converted third down; sore and discouraged defensive back.

1-10-SEA 32 (14:33) 24-M.Lynch right tackle to SEA 31 for -1 yards (54-J.Williams, 61-D.Landri).

Okung blocks right defensive tackle Derek Landri, allowing Mike Gibson to pull right, and then shadows out and stops Brayton. Landri, if you're curious, does not have a meaningful impact on the tackle. He jumps the pile after the fact. Good work, official scorekeeper.

Lynch has a decent hole to the right, but takes a bunch of lateral steps to get there. He attempts to cut wide right but Jason Williams separates from Michael Robinson and tackles him for a loss of one. The Seahawks line does not run block particularly well, but much of how we interpret a hole is how the back is able to make use of it. Too often, the holes the Seahawks can create, Lynch does nothing with.

2-11-SEA 31 (13:55) (Shotgun) 8-M.Hasselbeck pass short left to 11-D.Butler to SEA 40 for 9 yards (52-J.Beason).

Okung shadows James Anderson attempting an edge rush. Anderson says "fuck it" and moves out to cover Lynch running a swing pattern.

Can't blame him.

Okung moves inside and assists the pile.

Zero pass rush.

3-2-SEA 40 (13:19) 8-M.Hasselbeck pass incomplete short left to 87-B.Obomanu [95-C.Johnson].

Okung shadows Brayton outside. He doesn't have to contain for long because

SEAN LOCKLEAR IS ON THE JOB.

Johnson works through Locklear's inside shoulder and strikes Hasselbeck as he passes.

It's a freakin three step drop.

Johnson, working almost exclusively from the defensive left, contributed this robust statistical showing:

Quarterback hit (incomplete), tackle after a run of four, quarterback hit (three yard reception), quarterback hit (incomplete), tackle after a run of three, sack of minus five, and tackle after a run of two to keep Forsett out of the end zone (that drive ended in a field goal.)