Breakdowns, Breakthroughs and Strip Sacks

Cover 2 is the most futile defense ever conceived minus a complementary pass rush. Stuff like this tends to happen:

1-10-MIN 9 (13:37) 4-B.Favre pass deep middle to 12-P.Harvin to MIN 43 for 34 yards (51-L.Tatupu).

But as much as I would like to blame the pass rush and pick on that sore spot some more, this play didn't break down because of a lack of pass rush. It broke down because Seattle countered Minnesota's three wide receiver set with a 4-3 Cover 2. In theory, one of Will Herring and Lofa Tatupu was supposed to cover right slot receiver Percy Harvin. Herring was caught sucked in by the running back and Tatupu just isn't gonna sprint from the middle of the field to catch Harvin and cover him before Favre can find him for an easy 30 plus.

Ludicrous play call right down to the personnel.

1-10-MIN 43 (12:49) 4-B.Favre pass incomplete short right to 28-A.Peterson.

Seattle rushed three out of a 3-4 look. The Vikings tight end motioned away from Chris Clemons and Clemons released into cover. I have no explanation for that, nor this:

Colin Cole and Red Bryant teamed to force the incomplete. Bryant did something pretty cool. Cole was unblocked. He attempted an arm over on center Anthony Herrera and Herrera responded by pulling left and joining a triple team surrounding Brandon Mebane. Bane has wicked powers of attraction like a planet, I guess. That left Cole free to rush the gut and send Favre reeling. Now, Favre was not really outrunning Cole. He looked feeble, to be frank. But I think Favre could have turned the corner and rolled right if not for Bryant. Bryant split a Chris DeGeare - Phil Loadholt double team and sawed off Favre's space to scramble. He threw it away, kinda, sorta near Adrian Peterson.

After all that slop, this happened.

2-10-MIN 43 (12:45) 4-B.Favre sacked at MIN 32 for -11 yards (91-C.Clemons). FUMBLES (91-C.Clemons), touched at MIN 31, RECOVERED by SEA-90-C.Cole at MIN 28. 90-C.Cole to MIN 28 for no gain (64-A.Herrera).

Clemons schools Bryant McKinnie with an inside move. Not many other ways to put that. You saw it, you remember it, you love it and I can not add to your love. Embrace it. For a fleeting moment, Clemons looked ready to stumble. His inside move put him on left guard Steve Hutchinson's legs. Hutch was teaming with Herrera to jointly get their asses kicked by Mebane. Mebane was beating em back and working towards Hutchinson's outside shoulder and behind Clemons to form a pass rush chain. Clemons shot through and sacked Favre. Mebane fumbled the fumble and Cole recovered.