The Drive that Broke My Spirit

Bullet points from here on out. The Seahawks offense looked sound, but the defense, composed of some second stringers and a lot of first stringers, looked hopeless.

• Seattle's passing game was clicking because of improved timing between Hasselbeck and his receivers. Housh and Branch ran complementary routes. T.J. Houshmandzadeh broke to the right sideline and Matt Hasselbeck hit him for a 21 yard reception. Housh was wide open.
• Quinton Ganther's hold brought back a promising looking run. The hold was not essential to the run's success and so we can analyze the play for what happened, even if it is wiped from the record books.
  
• Hamilton and Wrotto combined for a double team and it worked. Spencer can own a single block like no one else on this team and he was able to tear out the nose. Locklear cut. He seems like a natural for this system. And Unger didn't eff anything up too bad though he did embarrass himself. I will never know exactly what Unger was attempting, but he lowered his shoulder towards the hole, lost his footing, nearly fell and then crawled on hands and knees another five yards attempting a block. It failed and his assignment, Bishop, was instrumental to the tackle. Unger is too young for me to "hate" but he is becoming a sore spot.
• The penalty nuked the drive. Seattle attempted a screen. Unger buried a shoulder into Pat Lee and Lee was pushed down with such great force, he first skidded on his shoes as his body recoiled and then sprung into the air. Unger can pull block, no doubt. Unger should pull block, like on every play.
• It's not always clear how comparatively nonathletic Hasselbeck is to his peers, but his 3rd and 12 scramble and toss to Carlson was a good example. Brandon Chillar had turned the corner on Mansfield Wrotto and Wrotto had already committed the hands to the face penalty that would call the whole play back. Hasselbeck sensed pressure and began to sprint up into the pocket. And then, already behind Hasselbeck, changing direction and with a blocker between him and his target, Brandon Chillar takes a few long strides and like one is in slow motion and the other is Brandon Chillar, closes on Hasselbeck in an instant. Footsteps end Hasselbeck's scramble and he targets Carlson underneath.
• Maybe I'll make a few gifs of the cooler moments from the game.
• Locklear pulled from right to left and ahead of Justin Forsett on the third and long draw. Nice movement, nice open field block.

On to the defense.

• Without being knee jerk pessimistic, and isn't that an unattractive quality, I do not think Green Bay had any intention of turning this into a meaningful drive. It just sort of happened.
•  Seattle's defense featured the following starters or possible starters: Earl Thomas, Josh Wilson, Chris Clemons, Red Bryant, Colin Cole, Kevin Vickerson, David Hawthorne and Aaron Curry.
• It sucked.
• Seattle aligned E.J. Wilson, Cole and Vickerson on one side and Clemons on an island on the right. Green Bay ran at the Wilson-Cole-Vickerson side for one yard.
• Seattle rushed six and Josh Wilson left a huge cushion on Jordy Nelson and when pressure didn't even suggest itself, Nelson curled in front of a too cautious Wilson for a first.
• A few plays later, Brandon Jackson ran for 14 on a total breakdown by the Seahawks front seven. Two things made this play, and the former is in some part conditional on the latter. The former being: Bryant and Terrill overpursue right. Curry runs himself out of the play, but that's neither here nor there. He was playing end and attempting and edge rush. Terrill and Bryant were both battling double teams. The latter being: Andrew Quarless single-blocks Clemons three yards back and then trips Clemons when he pushes him over a downed Packer. At this point, most of the front seven is in shambles. Jackson runs off left tackle but left tackle is now about where the ball was snapped. The Leo end, as assumed, is a consistent liability against the run. Quarless is a rookie and not known for his blocking ability.
  
• Seattle used some stunts and a few somewhat interesting blitz packages. The defense was somewhat vanilla, but not so much as to excuse its performance.
• It put Clemons in cover, blitzed five and stunted Nick Reed from the defensive left. It almost worked. Matt Flynn stuck in the pocket and found Quarless single covered by Clemons. Clemons didn't look bad in cover. One must assume, though, that when put in cover, he will be targeted.
  
• After a few more easy completions, Seattle was saved by a clock killing false start.